10 movies to watch just for the scenery
A film is only as good as its characters. Things like cinematography, editing, musical score, plot, script, costumes, and makeup are certainly key to establishing the direction, but the acting is the glue that holds the story together. There’s a reason the film industry relies on star power, but sometimes even performance isn’t enough to save a movie from disaster.
Several film performances have become entrenched in pop culture memory — Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black BottomRobert DeNiro in Taxi driverand Bette Davis in All about Eve — even though they didn’t win their respective Oscars. Some of these films are quite spectacular, turning into the best possible vehicles for their actors. Unfortunately, there are far too many movies that aren’t as good as their performers.
10/10 Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren Remains The Driving Force Of The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The star wars The sequel trilogy took the franchise to new heights, combining beloved characters like Han Solo and Leia Organa with charming newcomers like Poe Dameron and Rey. While Rian Johnson The Last Jedi waived some of the more boring star wars tropes for radically new possibilities, The Rise of Skywalker essentially regressed star wars narrative.
In a review for Forbes magazine, Scott Mendelson criticized The Rise of Skywalker for “reinstating its predecessor and adding painfully conventional “twists”simply to satisfy a few overly vocal fans. Despite the film’s many downsides, Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, a sophisticated subversion of Darth Vader, remains the driving force behind the sequel trilogy.
9/10 Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight’s Chemistry Keeps the Film Afloat, Though Barely
Anaconda
Anaconda may not be great in terms of overall direction, but the film is just as memorable today as it was in 1997. Overdone acting, biogeographical inaccuracies, tacky dialogue and weak CGI put to rest. go, AnacondaThe surreal take on the man versus beast genre makes it a rare treat.
That said, this film would have disappeared into the gaping maw of time if not for Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight. Terri Flores and Sarone become sworn enemies during the story, but their sizzling chemistry continues. Anaconda afloat. Voight’s portrayal of the pompously melodramatic villain is particularly noteworthy – he crudely nods to Flores after the titular creature regurgitates its half-digested body.
8/10 Michael Caine’s Delightful Performance Couldn’t Save This Incoherent Jaws Sequel
Jaws: Revenge
Jaws is nothing less than a masterpiece. It codified the setting of the Hollywood blockbuster and established Steven Spielberg as one of the greatest directors in modern history. Jaws 2 is considerably weaker than its predecessor, and it barely passes the cinematic smell test. In comparison, Jaws: Revenge has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The final installment in what could have been a landmark franchise, Jaws: Revenge does not seem to understand the meaning of narrative coherence. Michael Caine plays a small yet vital role, but even his graceful performance couldn’t save this film from oblivion. Interestingly, the Oscar-winning actor admitted that even though he had “never seen the movie, […] the house he built [was] tremendous.“
7/10 Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter Is Perfect For A Flaw
Hannibal
Anthony Hopkins created Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Thesilenceofthelambs, for which he won Best Actor at the 64th Academy Awards. This resourceful psychiatrist moonlights as a serial killer cannibal, whose bizarre emphasis on protocol and aesthetics makes it rather difficult to interpret his character’s motivations.
Although Hopkins reprized his iconic role in Hannibal, the film fell painfully short of critical expectations. Rotten Tomatoes Review Consensus Praises Hannibalrefined cinematography, but mentions that he “misses the character interaction between the two leads that made the first film so engrossing.” Julianne Moore is unsurprisingly gorgeous, but Hannibal Lecter needs Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling.
6/10 Rami Malek captures the essence of Freddie Mercury with incredible grace
Bohemian Rhapsody
Directed by Bryan Singer of x-men celebrity, Bohemian Rhapsody chronicles the personal and professional life of Freddie Mercury, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. The biopic grossed $910 million at the global box office and won four Oscars from five nominations. Unfortunately, critics weren’t as impressed.
write for VarietyOwen Gleiberman asserted that “Bohemian Rhapsody creates a paint-by-numbers tour to look through the Queen saga“, but it’s Rami Malek who captures Freddie Mercury’s”fusion of charm and ego with suavely edgy command.” Malek won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award for his performance.
5/10 Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins Effortlessly Steals the Show
The Hobbit Trilogy
There are important differences between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The first trilogy is widely considered superior in scope, composition, characterization, and narrative momentum. On the other hand, The Hobbit was never meant to surpass its exquisitely designed predecessor, but to provide the audience with context into the adventures of Bilbo and the discovery of the One Ring.
While Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is naturally brilliant, Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins effortlessly steals the show from the whimsical wizard. Ben Child of The Guardian called Freeman’s casting “a match made in hobbit heaven“, an assessment that few can deny.
4/10 Joaquin Phoenix sinks into his role like it was handcrafted for him
Joker
The Joker is arguably one of the most complex fictional villains ever created. He serves as Batman’s moral mirror – a dark reflection of the Dark Knight’s humanistic philosophy. Heath Ledger’s version won him a posthumous Oscar, while Jack Nicholson proudly “considered [his portrayal of the Joker to be] a piece of pop art.“
2019 Joker highlights the protagonist’s relatable backstory, establishing a causal connection between his origins and Gotham City’s inequitable legacy. Joker is definitely a good movie, but its controversial themes and metaphors dampen the emotional impact of the story. On the contrary, Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is beyond eye opening; he sinks into the role as if it were handmade for him. Arthur Fleck’s makeover is so complete that it’s impossible to tell where it ends and Joker begins.
3/10 Meryl Streep was unquestionably the best choice to play Margaret Thatcher
The iron woman
To quote modern familyis Cameron Tucker,”Meryl Streep could play Batman and be the right choice.” Cher once said that she silk wood co-starring”is a machine to act in the same sense that a shark is a machine to killIt’s safe to assume the movie world holds Meryl Streep in high regard, especially given her record Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
The actress was unquestionably the best choice to play Margaret Thatcher in The iron woman, although the film turned out to be a tasteless account of the life of the former British Prime Minister. Critic Roger Ebert sadly commented that Meryl Streep was “all dressed up with nowhere to go,” and The Daily Telegraph said that “its brilliance rather overshadows the film itself.”
2/10 Judi Dench’s Ancient Deuteronomy Has Received Praise for Her Oratorical Skills
Cats
Cats is a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hugely popular musical, itself adapted from TS Eliot Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Released in 2019, CatsThe star-studded ensemble includes Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen, James Corden, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Hudson. This musical was a real disaster, with a group of nightmarish humanoid felines walking around, howling and singing their hairy hearts on screen.
Peter Bradshaw’s negative review in The Guardiana parody of Eliot”The names of cats“, is perhaps one of the most sassy film critics of all time. the new yorker cautiously extolled Dame Judi Dench’s oratorical skills, saying that “no one is better equipped to convey the challenging beauty of Eliot’s lines.”
1/10 Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn Is History’s Glorious Centerpiece
suicide squad
Despite its financial triumph, suicide squad actually falls short on its very promising trailer. Weekly entertainment‘s Chris Nashawaty praised the first arc”sparkling ferocity and punk-rock“, but said the film ultimately builds on”familiar formulas.” suicide squad struggles to maintain its kaleidoscopic extravagance before descending into a narrative wreck of its own making.
However, Margot Robbie’s performance was acclaimed by all. Harley Quinn is Suicide Squad’glorious centerpiece, a blazing firestorm of cheeky charisma that barely manages to keep the film from completely collapsing in on itself. Robbie went on to win Best Actress at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for her role.