Oh and just so you know there might be a few slight spoilers (mainly I'm talking about the Elle review) so... SPOILER ALERT!!!
Aquarius
•Decent Brazilian drama with a strong performance by Sonia Braga. I enjoyed the music as well. It had a lot of pacing issues and could've done with another round of editing (it didn't need to be almost two and a half hours) though. My Rating: 7/10
Into the Inferno
•It's always an interesting experience whenever you watch a Werner Herzog film. This time he tackles volcanos. Or at least that's what the description said. Part of it is that but then in true Herzog fashion he goes off the deep end. At least the cinematography is nice. Not the type of movie I'd normally see in theaters. My Rating: 6/10
Jackie
•Natalie Portman give a powerful, haunting performance as Jackie Kennedy that will most likely earn her another Oscar nomination. I liked that it wasn't a typical biopic and instead focused on the days after JFK's assassination. Also, Peter Skarsgard does just a great job in a supporting role as Robert Kennedy. My Rating: 9/10
Death of a Bureaucrat
•Hilarious 1966 black and white comedy that was recently restored. A little too over the top at times but overall it's worth seeing. My Rating: 7/10
The Human Thing
•A robber steals the manuscript of an author and enters it in a contest in order to pay off a mobster. The story was good and it had some decent acting in it. Although I didn't find myself caring much about the characters until the end. My Rating: 7/10
The Companion
•I was just blown away by this amazing movie! Takes place in Cuba in the 80s during the AIDS epidemic. A disgraced boxer is assigned as a companion to an AIDS patient at a sanitarium. Powerful performances by both lead actors. Loved seeing their relationship develop over the course of the movie. I can see why this is Cuba's selection for Oscar consideration this year. I highly recommend everyone see this. My Rating: 10/10
Memories of Underdevelopment
•FUCK THIS MOVIE! I came so close to walking out of this, mainly due to the horrifying short films shown before which were basically sickening propaganda. This was such a chore to get through. I'm not going to waste anymore time with this other than to say that this was worse than Gods of Egypt. You heard me right. My Rating: 0/10
Beyond the Snowstorm
•A moving documentary about a young man trying to get to know his Grandfather better, more specifically his time as a German soldier in occupied Ukraine during World War Two. Very interesting subject but I felt like they could've done more with it. My Rating: 6/10
Elevator to the Gallows
•A classic 1958 black and white crime drama. Good acting. The best friend part was the music by Miles Davis. They don't make movies like this anymore. Did drag a bit at times though. My Rating: 8/10
Prison Dogs
•An documentary about Puppies Behind Bars- an amazing program where prisoners train puppies to become service dogs for veterans. I strongly suggest everyone see this movie. Very touching. My Rating: 10/10
My Internship in Canada
•Hilarious political satire about a young man interning for a member of parliament in Quebec who had the deciding vote for whether or not to go to war. The two main actors had great chemistry. I had a blast watching this. My Rating: 9/10
I, Daniel Blake
•Brutally honest drama about a middle aged man trying to navigate the U.K. Social Welfare system after suffering a major heart attack and unable to work. Along the way he meets a young single mother in similar situation. This really is a movie that everyone should see. Very relatable and relevant. I hope it gets recognized come award season. My Rating: 10/10
The Red Turtle
•Beautiful adult animated movie (with no dialogue) about a man stranded on an island and the encounter with a red turtle that changes his life forever. The music gave me chills and will definitely be added to my iPod at some point. My Rating: 8.5/10
Land of Mine
•A group of young German POWs in the aftermath of World War 2 are made enemies of the state and forced to dig up 2 million land mines with their bare hands. Well made (aside from needing some tighter editing) and acted, especially the actor playing the Sergeant in charge of overseeing the whole thing. It was interesting seeing him develop from the beginning to who he was at the end. Definitely something I suggest everyone seeing but be prepared for a MAJOR downer. My Rating: 8/10
The Future is Planning a Farewell Tour
•An interesting documentary about science fiction movies and their impact on the world. The movie is still a work in progress so I can't really comment on the editing and technical aspects of it. But if you're a big science fiction fan like myself it's worth seeing when it comes to Netflix. My Rating: 6/10
The Salesman
•Well acted Iranian drama about a married couple who are performing in the famous play Death of a Salesman. One night something terrible happens and things slowly begin to unravel. Wasn't quite what I was expecting but that's not a bad thing. My Rating: 7.5/10
Lion
•Impressive directorial debut of Garth Davis. Based on the true story of Saroo Brierley (played as a child by Sunny Pawar and as an adult by Dev Patel) who as a child became lost on the streets of Calcutta and eventually adopted by an Australian couple. 25 years later ,with the help of Google Earth, he searches for his birth family. I can see why this is getting early Oscar buzz. Such a heartwarming story with incredible acting, cinematography, music, etc. If you don't cry when you watch this something is seriously wrong with you. Stands a good chance of making my top 10 list. My Rating: 10/10
Everybody Knows... Elizabeth Murray
• Documentary about artist Elizabeth Murray. If you're an art fan you'll definitely want to check this out. My Rating: 7/10
The Spiderwebhouse
•An odd German drama about a single mother of three with mental issues who goes away to "sunny valley" to get treatment for the weekend, leaving 12 year old Jonas in charge. A weekend turns to much longer. I'm not sure what to make of this. It had almost a dreamlike quality to it and was hard to distinguish what was real and not real. The three child actors were amazing, especially considering they had never acted before. My Rating: 6.5/10
Restless Creature: Wendy Whalen
•Insightful documentary about Wendy Whalen- a now former ballerina for the New York City Ballet. You really get a good look at what life is like for a ballerina and the toll it can take. My Rating: 8/10
After the Storm
•From the same director of the 2013 Japanese film Like Father Like Son (an excellent movie). While I like that movie better this was still pretty good. This directory does a nice job at developing characters. My Rating: 7/10
Julieta
•A broken hearted woman reflects back on important events in her life and that of her estranged daughter. A little too melodramatic for my liking but the acting was good and there were some beautiful locations. Plus the movie moved at a face past which is always a plus. My Rating: 7.5/10
Land of the Gods
•Well written Indian movie about a man who returns to his village after a long exile. Strong acting and peaceful music. My only complaint is they would suddenly switch from speaking in Hindu to English for no particular reason. My Rating: 8/10
By Sidney Lumet
•Documentary featuring a never before seen interview with Sidney Lumet where he talks about his long career as a director. Very insightful despite being a little dry. My Rating: 7.5/10
Things to Come
•The great Isabelle Huppert gives a good performance as a woman struggling to deal with the death of her Mother, getting fired from her job, and her husband leaving her for another woman. The movie overall felt very tedious. Not sure what the point of it was. My Rating: 6/10
Elle
•HOW THE FUCK DID THAT GET A STANDING OVATION AT A MAJOR FILM FESTIVAL?!?! For the love of god do not go see this movie!! Especially if you're a woman. It's from the director of Showgirls. I mean Showgirls was bad but at least it was funny. Elle was just fucking offensive. There were 6 rape scenes. Yes you read that right... 6!!! Isabelle Huppert is a great actress and way too good for this shit. My Rating: 0/10
The Eagle Huntress
•Breathtakingly beautiful movie about a young girl who breaks with centuries of tradition and becomes the first female eagle hunter. Such an empowering movie. My Rating: 10/10
Paterson
•Adam Driver gives a quiet yet charming performance about the week in the life of a bus driver/poet who lives with his wife and his adorable dog Marvin. That's it. I wouldn't call this a bad movie by any means but it moves painfully slow. Definitely not for everyone. My Rating: 6/10
Peter and the Farm
•Just to warn you all, this is a documentary about a meat farmer. If you're an animal lover you'll want to avoid this since it shows the slaughtering of animals in graphic detail. I just didn't care for this movie. What was the point? Only nice thing I can say is it's competently made and there's some beautiful locations. My Rating: 4.5/10
Neruda
•Drama about an inspector who hunts down Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda in the 1940s for joining the Communist party. From the director of another movie I saw at the festival this year- Jackie. You could tell by the similar camera work and color tones. Well written and acted although at times hard to follow. Also, it had too many endings. My Rating: 6/10
Loving
•One of the most beautiful love stories I've seen in a long time. Based on the true story of Richard & Mildred Loving an interracial couple who in 1958 were arrested for getting married. Their case went all the way to the Supreme Court and paved the way for many people today. I can see why this movie is getting so much Oscar buzz. Outstanding direction by Jeff Nichols and strong performances by Joel Edgerton (who plays Richard, a quiet man who loves his family so much and just wants to take care of them) and Ruth Negga. Wow!! Everyone please go see this movie when it's released. My Rating: 10/10
Fire at Sea
•A documentary about the island of Lampedus, where hundreds of refugees flee to. I felt so bad for the refugees and felt like they should've spent more time on them instead of showing the everyday life of the islanders. Those parts were so dull and pointless. My Rating: 6/10
Sand Storm
•Well acted Israeli drama about a mother and daughter both trying to rebel from traditional society in their own way. My Rating: 8/10
Toni Erdmann
•German comedy about a father trying to connect with his businesswoman daughter and get her to appreciate life and not take things so seriously. The biggest issue here is that the movie is nearly three hours long when it didn't need to be. A scene in the last 30 minutes almost makes up for it though. Very funny. My Rating: 6/10
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