1st on Film

As a fan of time travel films, timecrimes has been on my radar for a while and I am upset that I have put off watching it for so long but I finally found some time to watch it and it did not disappoint. This Spanish time travel movie was made in 2007. I\A man named Hector lives with his wife in a rather large home that is surrounded by forest. After noticing some strange things happening along his property line everything goes downhill from there. He ends up being hunted by a man for unknown reasons and in an effort to escape the man, discovers a laboratory not far from the house. This series of events sends him on a wild journey to save himself, his wife and find out who is hurting him. This movie doesn’t have a flashy budget and only takes place in 3 major settings and we also really don’t follow many characters so it is a very difficult movie to pull off and keep viewers engaged but it pulls it off with its incredibly layered storytelling. Every little intricate detail, moment and events that happens in this film comes back on in some way and changes the story that we know. As great as the writing is, the English subtitles could probably use an update as it suffered from poor translation. This did not hinder the viewing experience, it just downgraded the quality of the dialogue. I would be shocked if Director Nacho Vigalondo was not inspired by Christopher Nolan's 2000 thriller, Memento. The non-linear style of storytelling is not used too often but Christopher Nolan is known for it. The theme of the movie is a very hard one but If the film is i got any take always from film, it would be that ignorance is bliss. That is something you would only understand if you watch the film. One of my favorite things about this film is how the writing forces you to change your relationship and how you feel about characters. Each character sends you on a whirlwind of emotions that you can't help but feel but edited and filmed in a different way allows you to understand more and change your feelings instantly. If you are a fan of Science Fiction or time travel films, I would highly recommend timecrimes.

Spoiler-Free Review for Fast 9!!! The Fast Saga is like a soap opera. It has overstayed its welcome, and the only way to progress in the story is to come up with more ridiculous plots to top the previous film. The series has become so stale by repeating two simple things; casting big names to introduce as new villains only to turn them into heroes in the next film and by bringing people back from the dead to rebuild the family. This film did not even try to hide these plot points and used the return of Han as a marketing tactic. The predictable formula continues with the casting of John Cena as the main adversary who also happens to be Dom's brother. This lazy attempt to fill in the timeline by trying to add emotion to the plot falls flat and is only useful as a reminder that after 9 films, we are only just now learning about Dom's past. I could bash the crazy action sequences for hours but at this point, they are one of the main reasons why I still continue to watch the series. One of my biggest complaints after nine films is that the majority of the characters seem to be stuck. Letty, Roman, Mia, Tej, and Ramsey all seem to be exactly the same people they were three or even four movies ago. They have all become predictable, stale, and repetitive with absolutely zero character growth. I feel bad for Roman, every film he makes it aware of how dumb and stupid the mission is, then reminds everyone that it is suicide to attempt, only to completely change his mind and go join the battle anyway. The death of Han has now been rewritten three different times. It is a shame that the backstory of the characters is now so convoluted and messy because they keep trying to bring the character back in different ways. I am a fan of Tokyo Drift, but I am not a fan of this rewrite nor how they treated the Toyko Drift characters. I understand that these films are purely meant for enjoyment but that seems like a lazy way to get away with making a bad movie. Overall: 1.5/5 Stars

The first half of Invincible is available to watch on Amazon Prime. This 8 episode mini-series brings the famous 'Invincible' comic series to the digital screen. If you like the animated genre, Invincible is an incredible addition that also excites me for the future of the genre. Unlike live-action, animation has no limits in terms of budget or storytelling, and Invincible capitalizes on this by giving us one of the craziest and over-the-top superhero stories on screen. The invincible world feels like a parody of a bunch of superheroes mashed together. Think the DC universe mashed with shows like "The Boys" and "One Punch Man". It makes it a lot of fun to see parody versions of characters that we know and love like Batman, Superman, and even Hellboy. The story follows Mark Grayson who is the son of the world's most famous superhero, Omni-Man. Mark knows he will inherit and develop an incredible amount of power but he is just waiting for it to happen. We watch his origin story unfold as he learns to control his power and immerse himself in the superhero world, but he very quickly discovers that being a superhero and putting himself in danger comes with consequences. Invincible boasts a massive cast, worthy of a blockbuster; including, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, and Oscar-nominated actor, Steven Yeun. The story allows these talented actors to push the family dynamic and offer many deep character moments. The supporting cast of heroes and villains are really fun and offer so many fresh takes on many of the classic superhero abilities. In just a few episodes, Omni-Man demonstrates some of the largest displays of power next to some of the heavy hitters in the MCU. It will be interesting to see how far they push the character throughout the season considering its unlimited budget. The final moments of the first episode are not only one of the most shocking moments ever seen on screen but a pivotal one that truly separates it from the rest of the superhero genre. With such uniqueness and intrigue displayed only halfway through the series, I have high hopes for the remaining episodes and seeing what it continues to add to both the superhero and animated genres.

I Care A Lot is a film that sees Rosamund Pike starring as the ruthless Marla Grayson, a legal guardian who, with the help of her partner Fran (Eiza Gonzalez), builds a business off of abusing the system to take advantage of elderly people for profit. She eventually targets the wrong person, and her pursuits lead to an interesting cat-and-mouse game versus the crime lord Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage). The film feels like it took a lot of inspiration from the TV show American Greed, which is CNBC's shocking true crime series that examines the dark side of the American Dream. The film overall is quite engaging and the plot is sure to keep you thoroughly captivated with its interesting twists and turns. Rosamund Pike wonderfully plays another vicious, cunning character similar to her past work in Gone Girl (2014), and as a viewer, you may either really hate her or respect her hustle, but no matter what she does a great job at leading the show with her skills. Peter Dinklage, who although shows his continual tact and range as an actor in the film, I felt that his character was written in such a way that seems too unrealistic for a ruthless leader of a criminal organization. This goes for all characters in the film related to the criminal organization since they come off as rather weak. The story is rooted in exploring the lives of people with no morals, so if you can't get past that behavior, then I'd say do not watch this movie, but if you don't mind seeing a ruthless scammer at work and a crime boss coming after her, then be prepared for an entertaining watch, where you always want to know what will happen next.

Sound of Metal is a story about Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer in a metal band who begins to suffer from severe hearing loss, and the film takes us on his journey through such a life-changing event. This drama is thoroughly engaging as it features a great story, top-tier acting performances, an intriguing theme, as well as probably the best sound design of the year. (Warning: Spoilers Ahead) The flow of the story is constant and feels highly realistic, which kept me thoroughly locked in on the characters and wondering where the plot was headed next. With Riz Ahmed's character at the center of the film, he shows off some top-tier acting while portraying the raw emotions that Ruben is going through, making the audience feel every bit of anger, frustration, and other emotions on this rocky road on the path to acceptance of his hearing loss. The theme of acceptance is where the movie genuinely excelled since it hammers home that being deaf is not a problem at all, it is our thoughts about it, wherein lies the real problem. The driving force of this great message certainly has to be Joe (played by Paul Raci), who is a teacher at the deaf community that Ruben joins. His calm, collected, and soothing persona provides the film with the perfect guide for both Ruben and anyone watching the film on the path to enlightenment. Changing the way that Ruben thinks about his 'problem', was the only solution to finding his inner stillness, and letting go of all the negative emotions he was dealing with. Now, even though there's more than enough reason to watch this movie from the details provided above, what takes the cake as the element which weaves the entire film together, is the exceptional sound design. The sound throughout the film is fused seamlessly with the story elements and emotional landscape of every scene. From the simple sounds of breathing or body movement to the simulated screechy noise that Ruben experiences after getting hearing implants, all the way to the moment of silence, the craft behind the use of sound in this film was world-class.

After four years, Zack Snyder's original vision for the Justice League finally arrives and it does not disappoint. Despite its overly long runtime, the Snyder cut feels like a more cohesive film compared to the original cut. It takes the time to provide the much-needed back story on characters we are unfamiliar with. It completely overhauled the original plot all while utilizing a majority of the scenes from the original cut and raising the stakes by introducing an even stronger villain. The original plot for Steppenwolf to find the Mother Boxes still exists but a second subplot was created to entice Darkseid to make an appearance and put Earth on his radar, and this was the discovery of the anti-life equation. This new information helped to deepen the plot and add another layer to the simple race around the world to find the three Mother Boxes. Steppenwolf seemed to have the most drastic changes in the film in both appearance and motivation. This version of Steppenwolf is not only more menacing but has an added level of conviction because he is now portrayed as damaged and seeking redemption for his past failures. After already being introduced to Batman & Wonder Woman, The original cut had a lot of ground to cover as it introduced us to three new heroes, Aquaman, Cyborg, and The Flash. Cyborg's story is integral to the overall plot as he and his father are directly connected to the human Mother Box, but the original cut just did not have the time to focus on his character growth, the same could be said about Aquaman and The Flash. A ton of new scenes are added to examine the backstory and shine a light on the development of both Cyborg and The Flash and allow us to connect with them on a deeper level. The Aquaman movie coming out in 2018, one year after the original Justice League cut, allows the Snyder cut to cheat a bit because we learned a lot about Aquaman in his two-hour movie, which I felt helped a great deal to the character development, much like all of the solo character movies before the Avengers. The Snyder cut will go down as the biggest director's cut in history. Examining both films, side by side is truly beautiful and it shows how important editing is to a film. The third act produces a more engaging and emotionally impactful film compared to the original, even though it is made up of a majority of the same scenes, and this highlights the importance that editing has on the film. Although I understand and appreciate the need to focus and develop characters, the lengthy runtime makes it a difficult film to watch often. The film would have benefitted greatly from a longer thought-out development process, which the MCU seemed to master. The only other negative takeaway I have is towards Zack Snyders's overuse of slow-mo sequences. Normally this wouldn't be an issue if used effectively, but there was an overabundance of it in the film, and after the halfway point, I became very aware of these sequences, and they became increasingly annoying.

Minari is one of the most inspirational family films I have watched in years. This exceptional cast pushes the limits of their family dynamic, as well as our hearts, as we see them struggle with everyday life problems. Jacob, played by Steven Yeun, moves from California to a Farmland in Arkansas with his family. The goal is to build a sustainable farm and live the American dream while dealing with many real-life issues that test the resilience of the household. He and his wife, Monica, played by Han Ye-ri, are recent immigrants from Korea in search of a better life for their kids. Jacob's dream of owning a farm brings the family to Arkansas with the purchase of a large farm and a house made out of an eighteen-wheeler. Monica is not fully happy with this plan for many reasons but goes along with the move to keep the family together. Director Lee Isaac Chung wrote and directed this semi-autobiographical film in 2018, ironically around a time he was considering retiring from directing. Though not a factual documentary, Chung included many memories into the film based on his childhood home in Arkansas. The fact that the film is based on many important moments in Chung's life is the driving force of the film. Early memories help to define who we are and Chung uses Jacob's son, David, as our guide through the film, allowing the audience to witness all these beautiful moments in his life unfold before their eyes. Moments of discovery, moments of understanding, and moments that teach him life lessons. Every member of David's family teaches him something important about life at some point in the film and these moments will define him for the rest of his life. Many of these important life lessons come from his relationship with his grandmother Soonja, who he spends all day with while his parents are at work. The two often travel down to the creek where they have started a small garden of their own with a plant from Korea called Minari, echoing the much larger garden of American vegetables that Jacob has grown. Their kids Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan Kim) are at a very delicate age in their lives and Monica knows that their new environment will be a major change for them. One of her fears is the loss of their Korean culture because there are only a few Koreans in the new town they live in. Monica's mother moving in to help out with the kids is one of the ways they try and keep the Korean traditions thriving in the house. David also has some unexplained medical issues early on and living in the middle of nowhere poses an issue in the case that a hospital is needed for him. All of these issues are just some of the things that the family deals with which are easy to sympathize with. As the head of the household, Jacob often has to deal with very difficult decisions that sometimes put the family at risk, and he often makes these decisions without even discussing them with Monica. Jacob's desire to succeed sometimes clouds his judgment and puts his family in harm's way but that he lives with his choices and continues to fight tomorrow. Regardless of how big or small; any choice you make in life has a repercussion and many of the choices made by the characters, seem to come full circle in the film. They often present themselves as new problems or make situations worse, however, it is the family's determination to learn and grow through these decisions that is most important. I really connected with this film and the Yi family, so much so that each member taught me something about myself in one way or another. Minari is now available on all Video on Demand platforms.

Saint Maud packs a rather large punch in its short runtime. I was expecting a straightforward horror film about a woman possessed to do evil deeds, but Saint Maud is much more than that. It is a rather new psychological horror that focuses on the danger of mental illness left unchecked. Maud is a troubled young woman who suffers PTSD from a very traumatic event with a patient while working at a hospital. Maud turned to faith for guidance and now dedicates herself to God in an effort to cleanse herself of the traumatic event. Now working in hospice care, and longing for something or someone to connect with, Maud is given her first patient to care for. Amanda is a cancer patient who requires 24-hour care but she has a past that does not align with Maud's religious beliefs. Like any good horror film, you spend most of your time watching tensely for something to happen, but Saint Maud isn't as giving as most. The pulse-pounding soundtrack keeps you on your toes, constantly implying something petrifying will happen only to make each scene as gruesome as possible. The lighting and cinematography do their part to add unsettling mystery to each moment. Maud is not one for many words but this is important not only to her character but to the flow of the story, we only truly get to understand her as bits of information begin to come out. In some cases, we even get the full story just through a few short visual flashbacks which is more impactful than her telling us anything at all. Morfydd Clark delivers an exceptional performance filled with tension, anxiety, and sorrow. I really felt sorry for Maud, as you could feel her loneliness and longing for any human connection throughout the film. There are a few scenes in the movie where she does try to connect with others but she knows her troubled past is a barrier to any further human contact. One particular scene that stood out to me was when Maud was at a bar having a drink. For a moment, I let my guard down but it was a turning point for me that showed just how far gone Maud was. Even just a casual scene of people drinking made me disgusted. This bar scene showcases the incredible execution behind the scenes using lighting, music, and visuals to make even the simplest of moments grotesque. This is the first feature-length film for Rose Glass who also wrote the screenplay. She delivers to show us a very vulnerable time in Maud's life that many people go through after trauma but it is how you cope with the events in your life that will dictate your future. People often turn to religion after near-death experiences or traumatic events and as long as it is bringing you comfort and helping you cope, that is the most important thing. As someone who has thought about my faith a lot over the years, this film showcases the danger of religion when radicalized to do something in the name of God. Saint Maud is worth a watch if you are a fan of horror or psychological horror films. It is a great addition to the genre and also goes into depth about the importance of mental health.

The comedy-drama, directed by Tate Taylor, tells the story of Sue Buttons, a constantly ignored suburban housewife who finds out her husband Karl is cheating on her on her birthday. When Karl suddenly dies of a heart attack, Sue hides his body and tells the media her husband has gone missing so she can gain widespread attention and sympathy. If that at all sounds like the plot to a Lifetime movie, that’s because Breaking News in Yuba County has all the quality and appeal of a made-for-TV production. This is a shame because, with a premise like this, Breaking News in Yuba County could have been a solidly entertaining dark comedy. It’s unfortunate that the execution of that premise is so terrible. In all regards, Breaking News in Yuba County is a mediocre and shoddily-made movie. From bizarre camera angles that don’t make any sense, to convoluted scenes that end up not providing any real impact or entertainment value, the movie spins its wheels and barely attempts to deliver anything worthwhile. Oh God, the worst aspect of this movie by far though had to be the laughable editing. When Awkwafina headbutts Wanda Sykes (a sentence I never thought I’d write) it’s arguably the fakest looking thing I’ve ever seen in a movie. Speaking of Sykes, thank heavens for her and Regina Hall. These comedy heavyweights are as reliable as ever and seemingly the only cast members trying their hardest to save this movie from being completely unwatchable. I really wanted to like this movie but for a film that features an affair, kidnapping, murder, and ransom, the whole thing is pretty dull. Breaking News in Yuba County feels like Gillian Flynn’s first draft of “Gone Girl” before she was struck by inspiration and went, “oh, I know how I can make this 10,000% more interesting!” Review by page contributor:@lukeslivingroom See more reviews @1streviews

Jiu Jitsu stars martial arts skills in the lead role with Alain Moussi, Nicolas Cage, and other familiar faces, which all together form an ancient order of jiu-jitsu fighters who, every six years, battle a vicious race of alien invaders in order to save mankind. The movie itself sounds a bit ridiculous in terms of its plot, and I can assure you that it lives up to the description above. I'll give it to you straight with this review because if you're looking for an exceptional film with fantastic dialogue, interesting characters, top-notch acting, or intriguing themes, then this probably isn't the movie for you. However, there are some positives with the film that could have an appeal to many viewers around. Jiu Jitsu feels like one constant fight scene as it rarely takes a break from the skillful martial arts battles between the characters to lay the groundwork for something bigger. Therefore, if a martial arts action film is something that you like, then it may be worth a watch, since almost all the actors can seriously kick butt. The showcasing of the actors' skill in fighting is amplified by its cinematography, which features long takes of the fight choreography. In addition to the above, the film features some aggressive camerawork which keeps pace with the flow of the action, although it sometimes feel too over the top. In terms of acting, the cast didn't have much in terms of script to work from, but the non-lead roles tried to make the best of it with some small scenes where they can display some emotion, or provide fun comedic relief. In terms of the lead role, Jake (Alain Moussi), there never really feels like a moment where you connect with the character since it was written very one-dimensionally. The main character ends up coming off as a clueless actor standing on center stage, whose only job is to fight while everything happens around him. Jiu Jitsu is not very unique as it borrows heavily from past movies and seems to take a Jason Bourne-like approach to a Predator inspired plot. Although this may offer some intrigue, it was never executed with the level of tact that those films did. Overall, Jiu Jitsu is engaging enough to watch if you are solely focused on the action, but don't expect much more than that.