Tag: 2021

The Year the Film Was Released

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Movie Review

Making the Day (2021) Movie Review

Making the Day – Brilliant

Director: Michael Canzoniero

Writer: Michael Canzoniero (Screenplay)

Starring: Steven Randazzo, Sondra James, Aubrey Hardwick, Juliette Bennett, Gus Randazzo, Dan Fogler, Natalie Knepp, Timothy Levitch

Plot: A has-been character actor attempts to complete a movie honoring his deceased wife, when divine intervention leads him to a free-spirited actress who just might be his perfect leading lady.

Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Making the Day starts as we meet Nick Fazio (Randazzo) who along with his son Tommy (Randazzo) visiting the grave of their wife and mother, as Nick continues to battle to get his script turned into a movie. The financial side of the script is becoming more difficult turning to different producers hoping to get the move made in his wife memory.

Once Nick gets the funds, he starts looking to make his movie, despite struggling to find the leading role of Lisa that is based on his late wife, until he meets struggling actress Samantha Vanderputten (Bennett), as it could be her big break.

Thoughts on Making the Day

Characters & Performances – Nick Fazio is a has-been character actor whose career supported his family, where he worked with the Hollywood elite. He has always had a dream of making a film about how he met his late wife, he spends most of his time trying to secure financial backing for the film, a challenge which is seeing him take on his connections he has made through the years. He is reaching his limits about getting in made, even if it is the most important part of his life. Steven Randazzo brings his years of experience to the role, where he does give one of the best performances of the year. Samantha Vanderputten is the actress that is struggling to make an impact in New York, getting bit parts here and there, always finding herself being disappointed with what she gets, she has the script fall at her feet and starts doing everything she can to help make this picture, proving she is as determined to get the lead role in a movie, showing the pure dedication required to be part of the industry. Juliette Bennett is wonderful too in her role, showing us just how easily an actress can feel chewed up in the system, but will keep fighting for their own dream. When we dive into the rest of the cast, we get the loyal agent Mike that is always trying to find connections for Nick, knowing what this means to him, we also get the connections that Nick has made through the years, showing us how important making friends in the industry really is and we get the shady figure that has put money in the film that wants it back. The performances from the whole cast are wonderful to watch, each person gives us a performances that feels nature for the conversation and environment.

Story – The story here follows a has-been character actor that is looking to make a movie to honour his late wife, but has been struggling to find the financial support to make this a reality. He does meet a struggling actress that is willing to help him find the money to make this dream a reality, but can he follow her passion to make his dream a reality. This story does give us an important insight into the actors that take on the smaller roles in films, the ones that could make a big impact, but don’t always get the recognition. We see how losing a loved one will bring to life a dream to honour them in a different way and the connections an actor makes could help make their dream a reality. The whole story does give us a look at how difficult making a movie can be without the right financial connections. As is the troubles an actor could face to try and get their break, with the endless amounts of misleading meetings or roles, with the positive motivation being the most important part of chasing the dream.

Themes – Making the Day is a drama about making a movie honour a late relative, we use the New York setting showing us the different locations people might turn for financial backing, with behind the scenes on other movies, looking for the connections to help. The locations help us see how each different person involved in making a film works in to make their part important.

 

Making the Day is one of the most essential films to watch this year, filled with heart, soul and dreams from the people that don’t get the praise they deserve in the film making process.

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Movie Review

Echoes of Violence (2021) Movie Review

Director: Nicholas Woods

Writer: Nicholas Woods (Screenplay)

Starring: Frank Oz, Sam Anderson, Sean Dillingham, Amy Tolsky, Jennifer Levinson, Verity Branco, Heston Horwin, Michaella Russell, Chase Cargil, Taylor Flowers

Plot: An immigrant travels from Sedona to Los Angeles to seek revenge against the immigration lawyer who ruined her life.

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Echoes of Violence starts when real estate agent Alex (Horwin) saves Marakya (Russell) from an attack on the land. Alex learns that Marakya has been abducted by Kellin (Cargill) who isn’t going to stop until he gets her back, leading to the pair needing to travel to LA so Marakya can get revenge on the people who have put the target on her. Along the way we learn the true motives of everyone involved, leading to the intense outcome for Marakya.

Thoughts on Echoes of Violence

Thoughts – Echoes of Violence brings us a new approach on human trafficking, with the victim being saved and looking to go after the people that ruined their life. It will take us on a journey and will give us the different perspectives of the characters motives, which will help us understand what is going on in their worlds. The performances in the film are strong throughout, showing the ordeals the characters would have been through, along with the difficult decisions characters must make throughout the film. The locations will take us across America in the battle for revenge, with the pursuit following along the way.

Final Thoughts – Echoes of Violence is a strong thriller that will give us the smart decision to showing us how each character is truly thinking.

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Movie Review

Silk Road (2021) Movie Review

Silk Road – Not So Stylish

Director: Tiller Russell

Writer: Tiller Russell (Screenplay) David Kushner (Novel)

Starring: Nick Robinson, Jason Clarke, Alexandra Shipp, Katie Aselton, Darrell Britt-Gibson

Plot: Philosophical twenty-something Ross Ulbricht creates Silk Road, a dark net website that sells drugs, while DEA agent Rick Bowden goes undercover to bring him down.

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Silk Road starts when Ross Ulbricht (Robinson) decides he wants to change the world, his vision is a website on the dark web, which could hook people up with drugs, not giving them any need for proof of ID. His builds the Silk Road website, one that does deals using Bitcoin, leaving no digital footprints behind.

DEA agent Rick Bowden (Clarke) starts trying to hunt the owner of Silk Road down, but his lack of knowledge of the dark web means he will need to work with his informant, as Ross starts to see the success spiral out of control, making him one of the most wanted men in America.

Thoughts on Silk Road

Characters & Performances – Ross Ulbricht is the young man that believes in the freedoms that America can offer you, he wants to make more happen in the world, with his vision for change being a way to buy drugs without trading details. When his idea becomes big, he must find a way to stay ahead of the law, who are tracking him down, looking to close him down, showing him becoming more desperate and isolated. Nick Robinson does a solid enough job in this role, it would be fair to say we know he is capable of much more, with this role having the potential that could have changed how people saw him like it did for Jesse Eisenberg. Rick Bowden is a DEA agent that gets demoted to the tech division, making him a fish out of water, not knowing anything about computers. He starts looking into the case with Silk Road, using his street connections to make something happen, continuing to get involved when he is asked to walk away, pushing his family away more than he wants to. Jason Clarke is the strongest of the performers in this film, giving us a character, we can sympathise with more than anyone else involved.

Story – The story here follows the twenty-something year-old that builds a website called Silk Road which will be used for criminal activities, with the ability to track the users being withheld, as we follow a disgraced DEA agent try to crack the case. This is a story that seems to try and turn criminal into the hero, this is a style of story we get two or three of a year, which makes the minor criminal seem like the most important person in the world. This does flow in the typical fashion, without giving us much going on, but does end up seeing characters drop out of the story without giving us a chance to learn about what happened to them. It does the basics well, it just gets everything together smooth enough to fill like one we have seen before.

Themes – Silk Road is a crime thriller that follows the invention of Silk Road, seeing the cat-n-mouse battle between the creator and the DEA agent trying to catch him. The locations show the change in life that Ross gets with his home environment changes.

Silk Road is on digital platforms 22 March from Vertigo Releasing

 

Silk Road is a by the book thriller that puts the spotlight on a criminal over the people that are tracking them down.

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Movie Review

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) Movie Review

Zack Snyder’s Justice League – True Epic of the Superhero World

Director: Zack Snyder

Writer: Chris Terrio (Screenplay) Zack Snyder, Chris Terrio, Will Beall (Story)

Starring: Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Jared Leto, Jason Momoa, Robin Wright, Ciaran Hinds, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller

Plot: Zack Snyder’s definitive director’s cut of Justice League. Determined to ensure Superman’s ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

Runtime: 4 Hours 2 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Zack Snyder’s Justice League starts when Steppenwolf comes to Earth in search of the three mother boxes, one guarded by the Amazonians, one by the Atlanteans and one with humans. Bruce Wayne (Affleck) sees the dangers coming to Earth and wants to put together a team, he knows he can rely on Diana (Gadot) and now he turns to the mystery man Arthur Curry (Momoa) who has a connection to the waters of the world, young men Barry Allen (Miller) and Vince Stone (Fisher).

Once Bruce puts the team together, he must find a way to bring Superman (Cavill) back from the dead to help them defeat Steppenwolf and the new threat coming to Earth, Darkseid.

Thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Characters & Performances – Bruce Wayne is the man that must put together the team to fight, he knows he can’t win this fight without the help of the stronger heroes. He recruits and fights alongside the heroes, bring the human factor to the fight, showing his own weakness in the fight. Ben Affleck does make for a great Bruce Wayne, showing us the older version, we haven’t seen before. Diana/Wonder Woman is the one person Bruce can rely on from their previous fight, she has seen the wars before and knows the danger of the next one and will help recruit for the fight. Gal Gadot continues to show just how perfectly cast she is in this role. Superman is the one being that could the table in the fight, needing to be bought back to help secure the battle. Henry Cavill did always look the part here never looking out of place in this role. Arthur/Aquaman might well be the reluctant hero who is still waiting to embrace his own place in the world, while we have seen a different version of him in his own film, he does feel like the outsider and reluctant father figure to the group. James Momoa does this role well, even though he is one of the few characters it would have been nice to see more from. Victor Stone/Cyborg is by far the most interesting addition to this film, he has the tortured past that is still adapting to the changes in his life, with a connection to technology, he must embrace the change in his life to become the most valuable member of the league. Ray Fisher is wonderful here, giving us the strongest of the performances in this film without a shadow of a doubt. Barry Allen is the Flash he has started using his abilities to help people and caught the eye of Bruce, he is in need of a father figure in his own life and now he gets to see his lighter hearted nature to the big fight. Ezra Miller does bring us a few laughs in the film, while also being the most naïve member of the team. Steppenwolf is the villainous figure collecting the mother boxes to destroy the world, he will use his team to kill anyone who gets in his way, all for a chance to prove his own worth in the world. Even with the small human roles of major importance, they get the scenes that will make an impact in the film.

Story – The story here follows Bruce Wayne’s attempt to bring together a group of fighters that will be needed to help fight back against a new evil in the world, one that is after global destruction. The story might well still have the same core motivation behind everything going on with good versus evil. Where this version excels is in the character development for the newest additions to the cast, with Cyborg become the key factor to everything going on in the story, as well as other members of the team getting a fuller part of what is going on in the bigger vision of the world. If this story was the one we had seen, the universe would have been infinitely better for everyone involved going forward.

Themes – Zack Snyder’s Justice League is filled with the superhero action that will use the powers of everyone involved, using the large-scale moments which are always going to entertain. It uses the locations to bring forward more questions, with what we see in the epilogue. The special effects are brilliant to watch unfold, never looking out of place in the universe created.

 

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the epic DC movie that could redefine how we see the mega powers combine.

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Movie Review

Nemesis (2021) Movie Review

Nemesis – Lacks the Final Punch

Director: James Crow

Writer: Adam Stephen Kelly (Screenplay) Adam Stephen Kelly, Jonathan Sothcott (Story)

Starring: Julian Glover, Nick Moran, Bruce Payne, Billy Murray, Frank Harper, Lucy Aarden, Rupert Holliday-Evans

Plot: An underworld kingpin’s past catches up with him when he returns to London, igniting an explosive chain of events which ends in revenge and murder.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Nemesis starts when John Morgan (Murray) returns to London with his wife Sadie (Sothcott) with the simple plan to meet his daughter’s Kate (Moore) new partner. His arrival has seen detective Frank Conway (Moran) come after him, looking to lock him up for good, while rival crime boss Damien Osborne (Payne) gives him a strict warning.

When the past does start to catch up with Frank, he will end up caught up in the middle of revenge and murder, a path he can’t escape from without leaving a few more bodies left around him.

Thoughts on Nemesis

Characters & Performances – John Morgan is the crime boss that has returned to London, his actions have caused many people problems and now his meeting of his daughter’s new girlfriend, will see him facing his past. Billy Murray will always get the crime boss character done well, here is no different. Frank Conway is the cop that saw his childhood ruined by John, he has been waiting for him to return to get his own revenge on him, never wanting to cross the line of the law. Nick Moran strong as the brooding character. When it comes to the other characters, we get the family of John who has lived the life of luxury because of his actions and other people who have been waiting for him to return.

Story – The story here follows a crime boss who returns to London only to find himself getting caught up in the middle of a string of revenge plans against him for his previous actions. This story could very well have been one of the best ones in the gangster, crime boss style ones for years. We end up spending so much time just meeting the crime boss and seeing him try and leave the world behind, by the time we learn about most of the main targets motives, we are a long way into the film. This story does seem to lack the structure to make us care about any of the characters, because with the right build up, we could have given a lot of these characters sympathy and supported their decisions, instead of just ending up watching them make the same basic mistakes, talking too much. The story does try to be so clever with how everything is unfolding, but ends up falling flat because of the lack of interesting characters in the film.

Themes – Nemesis is a crime thriller that takes us into the locations you would expect to see around London, the local pub for the criminals to roam around, nothing that ends up being unique.

 

Nemesis is a movie that has so much potential with a concept, but doesn’t manages to put the pieces together to make it click.

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Movie Review

Coming 2 America (2021) Movie Review

Coming 2 America – Laughless Comedy

Director: Craig Brewer

Writer: Barry W Blaustein, David Sheffield, Kenya Barris (Screenplay)

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Shari Headley, Garcelle Beauvais, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler

Plot: The African monarch Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet this unexpected heir and build a relationship with his son.


Tagline – A sequel is in the heir.

Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Coming 2 America starts as we how Prince Akeem (Murphy) and his wife Lisa (Headley) have continued to live the royal life with their daughters. When King Jaffe Joffer (Jones) calls for him, seeing him looking worse for wear, he wants Prince Akeem to have his own heir to the throne, a male heir.

When Semmi (Hall) announces that Prince Akeem has his own son back in America, the pair must travel there to meet Lavelle Junson (Fowler) and see the changes in America and bring him back to his own kingdom.

Thoughts on Coming 2 America

Characters & Performances – Prince Akeem has remained in his kingdom after his adventure, he has raised his daughters with his wife and is preparing to take over as king, only he is left with the shame of not having a son to be his heir. He must take on the even deeper side of the responsible side of the kingdom, while preparing his new son to take over one day. Eddie Murphy does the basic side of his comedy without needing to do too much or ever reaching he strongest level. Semmi is the man that guided Akeem through his adventure and still keeps him safe as an advisor, he has the secrets and will do what he can to put the man on the right path. Arsenio Hall does take up a couple of roles in the film, which are usually the weaker written roles in the film. Lavelle is the illegitimate son back in Queens that Akeem learns of, he is streetwise and is start struck with the idea of being living in fame. He must learn about the new culture while still having his own desires. Jermaine Fowler does try his best in this role, but with the weak comedy, he doesn’t get to make an impact with his own brand. The supporting cast do rely on the comedy a lot more than we need and most miss or are just loud.

Story – The story here follows Prince Akeem who must look to take the throne and find his own heir to the throne once he dies, he never had a son until he learns of one night when he was in America and now he must prepare him for a new role. This is a story that could have worked very well a few years ago, with some of the serious cultural changes it wants to bring forward to the conversation, but this conversation has happened and we don’t need it anymore, life has changed already. With this interesting idea, we end up focusing too much on the new love story, which doesn’t seem as interesting as it could be, leading us down the path of watching the least interesting part of the story.

Themes – Coming 2 America is a comedy that isn’t as strong as it should be, it is however, better than most of the recent Eddie Murphy films that just end up falling flat. The locations are used well to show the change in culture both Akeem sees returning to Queens and how Lavelle learns about his new kingdom. It is very rare that I even mention product placement, this could even be the first time, but the product placement is awful in this film.

 

Coming 2 America is a comedy that feels dated already and never gets going.

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Movie Review

Heavy Duty Lovers (2021) Movie Review

Heavy Duty Lovers – Fun Rom Com

Director: Luis Estrada, Lou Pizarro

Writer: Luis Estrada, Lou Pizarro, Peter Fernandez (Screenplay)

Starring: Lou Pizarro, Lucia Blok, Leni Rico, Zamara Jimenez, Eric Roberts, David Plascencia

Plot: L.A. attorney finds himself with a broken heart and thinks his life is over until he meets his soulmate from a different country, who has just experienced the same heart broken experience from her evil spouse. They are about to realize that the one thing that cost their spouses to abandoned them is also the one thing that will bring them together, “food”.

Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Heavy Duty Lovers starts as we meet Lou (Pizarro) a LA attorney that is excellent at his job, but he does enjoy his food, with his wife, boss Mr Peters (Roberts) and co-workers questioning his weight. Elena (Blok) is a tour guide in Mexico who is also suffering from the same pressure that Lou does, with both seeing their relationships falling apart.

When Lou’s daughter and Elena’s friend set up accounts on the dating website Heavy Duty Lovers, the pair reluctantly agree to talk and get to know each other, falling in love over their fondness of food.

Thoughts on Heavy Duty Lovers

Thoughts – Heavy Duty Lovers follows two people who enjoy their food that have seen their lives suffer because of the people around them, be it partners, co-workers or even boss, despite having a friend around them that will support their kind-nature. They need to find love, like anyone, which will see them turning to a dating site, that will offer them a chance to fall in love with a like-minded people. The characters that are mean towards the pair, are the type of people they don’t need in their lives, because they are good people that just want a good life. The performances from the two leads are strong throughout, but when we get into the supporting roles, some of them don’t hit the same standards as the leading pair. It does have an important message about treating people equal no matter what they look like. The twin locations show us the busy life in LA compared to the more relaxed life in Mexico, even though it is a tourist style visit. The film does use film references that will play into the comedy, as the quotes are ones we are all meant to know.

 

Heavy Duty Lovers is a fun romantic comedy that will get the laughs and carries a big heart.

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Movie Review

My Secret Billionaire (2021) Movie Review

My Secret Billionaire – Charming Romantic Comedy

My Secret Billionaire Poster

Director: Fraydun Manocherian

Writer: Fraydun Manocherian (Screenplay)

Starring: Victor Alfieri, Lone Skye, Sarah Steele, Talia Shire

Plot: To satisfy his father’s wish, a handsome and powerful billionaire travels alone, without money, and without using his real name to New York City. When the former playboy meets an attractive and down-to-earth real estate agent, the reason behind his father’s wish becomes apparent and they both discover that true love is something that money just can’t buy.


Tagline – Love is something money can’t buy

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: My Secret Billionaire starts when playboy billionaire Ferro Olivetti (Alfieri) learns the tragic news about his father. Left with very little time to live, which will see him return to Italy for one last visit. Ferro is asked to complete one final request by his father. To travel to somewhere without using his identity to meet someone new, without his wealth being a factor in their relationship.

Ferro adopts the name of Claude and travels around New York looking for a job. Home and he uses his good nature to meet Mr Curtis, a strict businessman. Who never gives anyone a chance a role as a chauffeur. In this role he gets to meet real estate agent Diane (Skye) who has been suffering with her own nightmares, something Ferro can help her solve.

Thoughts on My Secret Billionaire

Characters & Performances

Ferro Olivetti is a successful businessman from a traditional family. His company is on the verge of making him a billionaire. He has always followed in his family traditions. Which means when his father takes a turn for the worse, he is given one last task. Live one month like a normal person, hide his identity and try to make a living and meet somebody who will fall for him, not his money. Ferro has a patient nature that will give him time to get to know people, being one of the most kind-natured people in the world. Victor Alfieri is great in this leading role, he brings the opening nature of his confidence to make this character one of the nicest you will see this year.

Diane is the shy, struggling real estate agent that has been trying to put her life back together. She meets Ferro who helps her feel happy for the first time in a long time. Seeing her take extra chances in her life. Lone Skye does bring us a more grounded damaged character that has been through a lot that is fragile at this moment in her life.

Story

The story here follows a billionaire who wants to honour his father’s dying wish to spend a month away from his fortune. Being an everyday person, looking to find a job and love, in a place where nobody knows his true identity.

This is a story that we might well have seen before with a person needing to find love without the people around them knowing the truth. It gets the important message about treating people well and the right thing will come together in life. Showing respect to anyone who offers honesty in life. When it comes to the romantic side of the story. It does show us how people can fall in love quickly, without planning anything in life, love can just come around and hit hard.

Themes – My Secret Billionaire does bring us a romantic story that shows how love can hit suddenly without any planning. Showing it will make people think again suddenly in life. The comedy does come from the supporting roles, which will get the laughs without taking away from the bigger picture. The New York backdrop is always going to help a romantic comedy shine. As it will give you a chance to meet people who might help you in life.

 

My Secret Billionaire is an enjoyable rom com that will get the big message about treating people right in life.

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Movie Review

I, Portrait (2021) Movie Review

Director: Nathan Hill

Writer: Nathan Hill (Screenplay)

Starring: Natalie Heslop, Sienna Stass, Nathan Hill, Damon Hunter

Plot: A newly married couple receive an unexpected visit from an old friend who has ulterior motives to end their relationship.

Runtime: 1 Hour 18 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: I, Portrait starts as artist Carmen McKenna (Heslop) is looking for inspiration for her next piece, her husband Julian (Hill) a casting director who has been recruiting for years. When Carmen gets a visit from an old friend Stephanie (Stass) it seems like an enjoyable visit between the two friends.

When Stephanie starts to overstay her welcome the tension between the three increase, leading to the truth about the visit and why Stephanie has returned.

Thoughts on I, Portrait

Thoughts – I, Portrait comes into the world of why it is always hard to say anything bad about low budget movies, but sometimes you just can’t help it. The story on paper is there, but it never becomes intense, leading to a lot of the film feeling like it is filler, rather than builder to create big moments happening. The acting isn’t very good either, with some lines feeling like it is just an idea of three lines, but all three get spoken. When it comes to trying to show the intense moments, the fighting is awful, with the swings looking like first rehearsal over pretending to make it look good. This is just a film that was hard to get into, poorly acted, poorly written and never captures the thriller side it wants to.

Final Thoughts – I, Portrait is a bad movie that feels like a first draft of a poor Fatal Attraction rip off.