Blonde (2022)

An abstract artistic look at the life and essence of Marilyn Monroe through the prism of some events of her life, real and imagined.

'Blonde' would normally be categorized as a biographical film, but the mix of fiction and fact and the fluid, dream/nightmare-like and abstract style puts it in a completely different category - abstract semi-biographical drama? Ana de Armas offers us a completely vulnerable Marilyn (Norma Jean more precisely) and a victim of the environment in which she grew up and in which she thought she wanted to live, possibly very close to the essence of the real person, which was probably much more than the silly blonde she was sold as by the production companies that kept her under their control. The film is long, in some places it reminds one of a David Lynch film, in others it just reiterates the reality of the perpetual female drama, but it is very much worth experiencing.

Director:  Andrew Dominik    

With: Ana de Armas, Sara Paxton, Evan Williams, Xavier Samuel, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Fisher, Julianne Nicholson, Tygh Runyan, Toby Huss

Rating: 9/10

Thunder Force (2021)

Two childhood friends meet again as adults after the genius one of them has become very successful as a scientist, a fact which helped her come up with an artificial way to create superheroes.

A comedy film of more or less the run-of-the-mill kind. There are moments of humor of course, but the quality comedy that is worth its cost is pretty much nowhere to be found in all 106 minutes. There are few movies that can be seen with the whole family which aren't animated, and Thunder Force is one such example, but it just does not justify the excess investment.

Director:  Ben Falcone   

With: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale

Rating: 6/10

Jolt (2021)

A woman affected by a serious pathological form of "short fuse" (kept in check with a device that gives her electric shocks) is on a journey to avenge the murder of her new boyfriend.

An action film made in a rush in the desire to find a Crank-like success, with an angry and amped British protagonist ("helped" by electric shocks from time to time), many a one-liner throughout and a lot of gratuitous violence. The idea of ​​the story sounds worse than it is, but the execution leaves much to be desired, in that the heroine's personality becomes irritating at times, the finale is very predictable, the audio quality is questionable, and the continuity of the scenes and the lack of so-called "plot holes" are not a priority.

Director:  Tanya Wexler    

With: Kate Beckinsale, Jai Courtney, Stanley Tucci, Bobby Cannavale

Rating: 6/10

The Irishman (2019)

Istoria personala a unui asa-zis asasin al Mafiei, asa cum i-a fost povestita de persoana reala autorului cartii sursa.

De mari proportii, cu multiple fire narative intercalate la diferite momente in timp, The Irishman e un mamut de film cum numai Scorsese poate tine sub control. Prezinta istoria unei persoane reale - asa cum a fost povestita in iarna vietii sale - ca atare, fara a arata rezistenta sau dubii legate de veridicitate. In realitate exista dubii datorita continutului un pic senzationalist, mai ales in ceea ce priveste detaliile despre legaturile cu Jimmy Hoffa si disparitia acestuia.

Un mare efort si o istorisire destul de interesanta ce aduce laolalta mari nume, unele chiar reintoarse dupa retragere din actorie (Joe Pesci) sau unele chiar fara nici o linie de dialog (Harvey Keitel). E a doua oara cand cei doi "mari" - Robert De Niro si Al Pacino - se intalnesc in aceleasi scene (prima oara in The Godfather nu au impartit scene deloc iar Righteous Kill nu s-a ridicat la nivelul asteptarilor), de data asta cu success si prezentand o frumoasa prietenie ce chiar are sens.

Imbibat cu multa istorie si fapte ce chiar pot fi verificate, filmul prezinta caracterul italiano-mafiot asa cum Scorsese l-a citit si inteles si prezentat in alte mari succese ale sale. Mai putin zgomotos (poate datorita caracterului ceva mai istoric), mai putin dramatic, mult mai subtil, filmul sufera de lipsa unui personaj principal interesant. Totul e interesant in jurul acestuia, si personajele foarte colorate si bine scrise par sa detina un respect subinteles si castigat pe merit pentru acesta, dar pentru privitor nu devine nicicand evident de ce acest lucru se intampla. Si Scorsese cred ca era la fel de perplex, deoarece incearca sa isi faca personajele sa explice in cuvintele lor efectul acestei personalitati ca un fapt de netagaduit de care toti ceilalti sunt constienti.

Joe Pesci e minunat, puternic si firav in acelasi timp, Al Pacino e bombastic ca de obicei si foarte credibil, si Robert De Niro a muncit mult sa arate atat de natural plictisitor, docil, umil si violent.

Cele 3 ore sunt perect scuzabile.

Scenariu: Steven Zaillian, Charles Brandt (carte)

Regie: Martin Scorsese

Cu: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Ana Paquin

Rating: 8/10

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