MOVIE REVIEW: The Great Gatsby

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„The Great Gatsby“ is like this person you meet and you want to be friends with the person so badly cause she’s so good looking but it seems like there will be nothing more than small talk between you. Seeing this person from afar made you have big expectations, but you have to admit being handsome or beautiful is just not it.

The cinematography of this film is absolutely breathtaking. The sets are stunning, not only because the 20ies have been very well transferred to the big screen but also because everything takes place entirely in NEW YORK City of course. That makes looking at it a treat. Reading the cast, I was also convinced that I would not be disappointed here, which I certainly wasn’t – apart from the point that I really think Leonardo DiCaprio starts looking old and used (!). How sad!

For me, the highlight of the film was the music. Featuring artists such as the wonderful Lana del Rey, Kanye West, will.i.am, Emeli Sandé, Sia and even Nero, I really loved how the modern sound was combined with the old-fashioned, picturesque scenery. [Chanting “Young And Beautiful” until this day!]

However: In all the flashy lights, stunning gowns and mind-blowing sets, the movie failed to move me on a higher level. I was fine with everything that happened. I didn’t feel an overload of sympathy for anyone in particular, neither could I identify with any of them. That doesn’t mean there were no scenes that I thought were great, but it means content-wise I was never convinced. That with an excessive over-length made me question why Moulin Rouge director NEVER learns form the mistakes of his previous movie! Bummer! 3 stars for everything glittery, shiny and gorgeous to look at! 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: "OZ - The Great and Powerful"

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My expectations for this film were kind of dismal, as I watched it ONLY for its female actors! What a casting coup. Academy Award nominated people and a seemingly stunning fictional world tore lots and lots of people to the cinemas to watch this movie, which is a kind of a prequel to the actual Oz-story. "Somewhere over the Rainbow" is NOT featured in the film, as its rights are held by Warner. ;)

The movie is not boring. However, some parts seemed very long to me, especially in comparison to some very racy parts. Mila Kunis doesn’t seem to fit the role of Theodora quite well, however, after changing into a witch she pulls off her thing remarkably, screaming a lot. Rachel Weisz is over-qualified and SO is Michelle Williams. Just having won a Golden Globe, I can’t seem to understand why she’s signing a role she only has to smile and chirr for? And James Franco looks strangely old in this one, which irritates from time to time.

Visually this movie convinced me on every possible level! 3D worked out fine I admit. What irritated me the most, however, was that the whole movie didn’t seem to find its tonality. For a children’s movie too brutal and dramatic, for an adult film way too childish. Thank God every single joke of Zack “monkey Finley” Braff was a big laugh!

 

MOVIE REVIEW: "Silver Linings Playbook"

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I know, by now the movie’s name is just “Silver Linings” but I went for the original name, that came before all this Acadamy Award craze surrounding the film that I thought was completely inappropriate. I saw this a while ago and thought it was a nice movie with witty scenes. However, then I got to know it was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and was happy I saw it without expectations.

Nominated for the BIG 5 as well as EVERY acting category, one must expect a brilliant, surprising, fantastic event. But what’s left is a film as simple as can be that is saved by its charm. The contents dealing with psychological disorders is quite funny especially as everyone in the film seems to have one. The dance competition in the end is quite nice. Jennifer Lawrence’s acting is superb and she was given an Academy Award win (congrats!). But what is left? 

Apart from the Best Directing category (!) where it replaced films like Argo or Les Miserables, it was also acknowledged in the Screenplay category as well as the Editing category. I’m asking myself what was so special about the editing of this film. Also, the nominees for Bradley Cooper and Jackie Weaver seemed out-of-the-world to me. Something there went wrong. Apart from that: GOOD movie. Fun. Some nice scenes. Enough for 3 stars. :)

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW: "Les Misérables"

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This year’s Academy Awards are over! I couldn’t be happier with the/my winner of the evening: Life of Pi! However, Les Miz got the second most nods which made me real happy as well! The wins for Best Supporting Actress, Best Sound Mixing and Best MakeUp are all so very well deserved! I love the story of Les Misérables, having seen the Mini-Series with Gérard Dépardieu tons of times! My expectations towards the movie for the big screen were huge!

I have to applaud all the actors that are part of the film. Hugh Jackman’s voice is definitely worth an own review, but I liked it as it was unusual. So was Russel Crowe’s! Anne Hathaway’s and Amanda Seyfried’s voices were a bit weak but I absolutely loved the imperfect interpretation that made it so much more real and authentic than any other musical. I thought that not only Anne Hathaway’s superb and absolutely stunning performance but also Hugh Jackman’s passionate interpretation of Jean Valjean were oscar-worthy. 

But apart from the wonderful make-up and costumes, the glitzy performances by ALL actors and the fabulous settings, there were two things that I really disliked. The first thing were the weird camera angles that made the sets look unreal from time to time. And the second thing is the screenplay. While the first half is adapted fantastically, the second half is not! Lots of events have been left out whilst others were given loads too much time, such as the furniture-barrier scenes! The film seems unbelievably long, especially the last few scenes could have been shortened.

Don’t watch it only for its brilliant songs that stay in your mind for days to come but also for the unusually real and authentic performances and making! A very special interpretation. I hated The King’s Speech, but Tom Hooper’s got me with this one! I dreeeammed a dreeeamm!

MOVIE REVIEW: "Life of Pi"

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Every once in a while there is a movie that manages to stay in my mind forever. The last movie which managed that was “The Help”. I feel the need to watch it once a month, but I don’t do so, so it doesn’t get boring. Instead, I listen to the soundtrack 24/7. Life of Pi’s trailer didn’t move me at all, I thought it was a tribute to nature. Ang Lee’s movies were never my favorites and the novel’s contents didn’t take me to the book store either. Veronika dragged me to the movie theater and TADA I was impressed already after the opening credits.

Of course, in all technical respects, the movie is fantastic. It is brilliantly made, the best of the best managed to make the unreal scenario look real and stun us every 5 minutes. Thank God, the movie was acknowledged at this year’s Academy Awards with lots of nominees, mostly of technical nature. Let’s see how many “Life of Pi” actually wins, being rather the underdog at this year’s ceremony, probably.

The soundtrack was already acknowledged at the Golden Globes, it won! In my opinion, it is one of the best soundtracks of the least few years. It reminded me oddly of Titanic, a fact that I loved. However, what makes the movie so fascinating: it’s the contents. What a thrilling series of events. You can’t look away from the screen as everything happening is just so extraordinary. The end left me incredibly moved. I was so fascinated by the story that I had just been told, that I had to watch it again just a week later!

Let this movie win tons of Academy Awards on Sunday Night as it is one of my Top 15 favorite movies of all times. It is unbelievably touching, heartwarmingly told and beautifully acted! The end is one of the best that I have ever come across. Watch watch watch watch watch! Again and again!

 

MOVIE REVIEW: "Cloud Atlas"

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A movie that dares to be completely different from what you’ve seen. From the makers of Matrix, it does remind you at some point of the futuristic blockbuster. However, the six interwoven stories that build up this special experience of cinema are something new for everyone.

Based on the novel of the same name, the story centers around individualists; people who try to make a change. In how far the stories are connected, that you have to find out throughout the movie which makes it an event almost equally exciting and challenging as “Inception”, one of my favorite movies of all times.

The acting performances are absolutely outstanding. I don’t want to spoil why, as you know only by the time the end credits appear, what has really been behind those weird characters that have been introduced to you. The contents amazed me in every single way. Thrilling, touching, making your heart race. For those who have seen the film: I thought the best story was the Seoul-future-story and the 70ies-complott-story. Those who didn’t work as well were the future-village-story as well as the 19^th-century-sailor-story. 

I don’t want to complain on a high level, as Tom Tykwer made this German production an absolute cinema highlight of the year. Warning: THIS IS NOT for everyone. You like it or you hate it. I adored it.