Reviews by MaxL

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

With its exaggerated sets and deadpan performances, this is unmistakably a Wes Anderson movie. I haven't yet seen his earlier, more familiar works (I've only seen Fantastic Mr Fox and Moonrise Kingdom, both of which I thought were okay at best), but if this movie is anything to go by, I'd say I'm in safe hands! :) It's basically a mystery story about a hotel concierge being falsely accused of murder and setting out to clear his name. And, as a straightforward mystery, it works really well; I was genuinely invested. Wes Anderson's trademark humorous direction may have enhanced that considerably: the actors are so straight-faced and so serious that it makes the cartoonish world around them seem all the more hilarious – particularly the overly speedy ski chase. :) The only thing I wasn't overly fond of was how it's told in flashback, and then in a flashback within a flashback. But the rest was a real treat: both a dryly humorous comedy and an effective mystery story all in one.

My rating: 80%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This review is going to mark a change in pace for me. I've long since lost the passion, the drive I used to have for writing reviews; it's just becoming a chore by now. I now have all the more respect for people who can keep it up long-term! :) So, depending on how much I have to say about the movie, the review may be reduced from the 200–250 words I used to write to something short and sweet – as is the case here.

I'll be honest: when this film started, I thought I was going to hate it, what with all the made-up slang. But, as the film progressed, I began to gradually grow more fond of these characters, to the point where I was completely along for the ride. To me, that's the mark of a good drama (comedy or not): how much you get invested. The performances are all top-notch, and Jason Reitman's direction strikes the perfect tone. It's also been quite a while since I came across a movie that even inspired me to buy the soundtrack! :) The only slight disappointment is that it doesn't really go into how the pregnancy affects Juno's school life. But overall, this is a funny and increasingly charming movie.

My rating: 75%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was intrigued by this movie's premise: a secret agent and a terrorist swap faces and pretend to be each other. But, sadly, it turned out to be the kind of action movie I don't typically enjoy.
First of all, the overabundance of action scenes and all the panning shots… any movie that reminds me of Michael Bay is not on good terms!
But more importantly, the first action scene, for me, sums up why this movie doesn't work. The characters are barely set up at all before they're thrust into a big action scene, so it's hard to get invested. And when the entire premise depends on playing another character, you really need to make sure the characters are fully developed and understood. We know absolutely nothing about them before they're transformed, so we don't have a clue what they're supposed to be like as each other aside from the basic disposition.
Also, the film is so stylish that that actually works to its disadvantage. For example, in the Mexican standoff scene at the end, what does it do once the guns start firing? It goes into slow-motion, which completely ruins the impact.
Now, what did I like? Well, John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are both excellent, especially at playing both personalities and demonstrating how they clash. I also really like the "let's kill each other" scene with the mirrors.
But overall, this movie puts style so firmly before substance that it's distracting and disappointing.

My rating: 50%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Gravity follows Dr Ryan Stone after her shuttle is destroyed by satellite debris, leaving her stranded and drifting in orbit.
I ignored all the hype surrounding this movie, intending to go in with neutral expectations. And… it was pretty good. :)
I can see why James Cameron declared it the best space movie he's ever seen, because it perfectly nails the illusion of being in space. The way they simulate zero-gravity is utterly convincing – even down to the little details like tears and flames. Also, naturally, they keep in mind that there's nothing to carry sound. Even when there are explosions in the background, they're completely silent.
This flawless recreation of space only enhances the inherent desperation of the story, too. At first Sandra Bullock came off to me as pretty wooden, but I found myself progressively feeling for the character more and more as she succumbs to loneliness and the pressures of the danger she's in.
But (and I never in my life thought I'd say this!) what really makes this movie stand out is the 3D. I saw it in IMAX, and I could go on forever about how well it suits the format! I do have to wonder how well it's going to hold up on the small screen, though.
Still, on its own terms, this is a good, solid thriller whose single greatest strength is how well it captures its atmosphere. So my conclusion is: not quite a five-star rating, but close. :)

My rating: 85%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The ancient race of Dark Elves are reawakened when their ultimate weapon, the Aether, finds a host body in Jane Foster, forcing Thor to team up with his convicted brother Loki to escape Asgard and confront them.
I liked the first Thor, but did think it was a tad uneven. So I may be in a minority on this, but I actually enjoyed this sequel even more. It's more focused and more consistent.
Even as the movie started, however, I didn't think I'd come to that conclusion. Though the first act is often laugh-out-loud funny, tone-wise it feels like a typical lesser sequel. But as it progresses, it keeps building on top of itself at a seemingly constant rate, to the point where I was on the edge of my seat during the climax – helped all the more by the concept of hopping through portals! :)
On the whole, I was very much satisfied with it. The only nitpicks I can think of are so minor and far between. For one thing, I really can't stand the character of Darcy: annoying as all hell! And maybe it's just because I'd read about it in advance, but Anthony Hopkins seemed very unenthusiastic.
But most of my nitpicks are ultimately negligible. This is a standard blockbuster in many ways, but with enough wit and enough focus on its simple premise to keep it consistently entertaining, and its sense of momentum is almost perfect.

My rating: 85%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Diana chronicles the last two years of Princess Diana's life, with particular focus on her relationship with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
This one, I only saw out of morbid curiosity. And, while I didn't think it quite lived up to its overwhelmingly bad reputation, it's still pretty lame.
The biggest problem with it is just the fact that the love story takes up nearly all the screen time. And on top of that, it doesn't seem the least bit realistic; it feels like a trite piece of Sunday afternoon TV fluff. Even though I know nothing about Princess Diana myself, I can understand the animosity there: it's applying such a feeble story to a topic that, for a lot of people, is a very delicate subject.
Diana's public life is hardly ever shown, and whenever it is, it always comes completely out of nowhere, like the movie suddenly remembered, "Oh yeah, maybe I should talk about that stuff too!" For God's sake, her divorce is completely skipped over and only mentioned in passing!
Not to mention, the stereotyping is just absurd. There's one scene where the Princess is at a jazz club in disguise, and she howls with laughter when the host drops an F-bomb.
So yeah, this movie's pretty ridiculous! But the reason why I give it two stars (out of five) instead of one is because I never found myself truly angry at it; it was all just dull and unremarkable.

My rating: 35%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Rush is an account of the 1976 Formula One season, especially the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
Ordinarily, I probably would have skipped this movie, thinking it wouldn't be my cup of tea. But then I saw Film Brain's positively glowing review, and I decided to give it a chance. And boy am I glad I did! :)
In a word, wow! This movie does something that all good sports movies should: it pulls you into the sporting mindset so that even someone who doesn't give a shit about the sport itself can still understand what makes it so exciting. (I can vouch for myself!:D) You can tell that the filmmakers are huge Formula One fans, and that passion is conveyed so absolutely and so effectively that the audience can't help but feel it themselves. That's what makes the racing scenes so exhilarating – as well as how perfectly they nail the sense of danger.
The cinematography is also remarkable. It completes the period setting by adding a grain effect to the footage, so that you can't tell where the re-enactment ends and the stock footage begins.
The performances, needless to say, are all top-notch, particularly the bitter but respectful relationship between the two leads.
To sum it up, I found this movie every bit as exciting as a real Formula One fan would find the sport itself. And to think, I almost overlooked it! Hands down, my favourite movie of the year so far.

My rating: 90%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Captain Phillips is an account of the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009, in which Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage by Somali pirates.
When I first heard about this movie, the first thing that struck me was how unbelievably lame the title was! I mean, how much more generic can you get? I thought, "That can't be the official title!" Luckily, the film itself turned out to be much more interesting. :)
Since I don't know the true story, I thought it was going to take place entirely on the ship as the pirates' attacks are fended off. But actually, that's only the first half. The second half takes place on the lifeboat, as the pirates attempt to get the captain back to shore and the Navy tries to stop them peacefully. That adds a great diversity to the movie, constantly keeping things fresh and tense.
This also applies to the character of Captain Phillips himself: he's given a good range of emotions to work with, from determinedly defending his ship to fearing for his life. I'm a huge Tom Hanks fan, and here he delivers yet another performance to be proud of. The only thing that might prevent him getting an Oscar nomination is that apparently the movie seriously twists the facts in order to portray the captain as more of a hero than he really was.
Still, in its own right, this is a very enjoyable movie, rich in suspense and momentum.

My rating: 75%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Prisoners principally follows two characters in the search for two missing girls: the distraught father trying to torture information out of the apparent culprit, and the police officer on the case.
It's strange that, among so many movies this year based on true stories, this one apparently isn't! :) It plays itself so seriously that I kept expecting "a true story" to appear on screen.
And it's that sense of realism that's the movie's greatest strength. That approach perfectly fits the grim, sombre tone the movie sets up – but never to the point where it gets depressing. Nothing feels farfetched or artificial, and the characters all seem like real people. In particular, major kudos to Hugh Jackman! :) Even though the character is being driven to horrific torture, every mannerism of his performance makes him seem just like an ordinary guy every step of the way. When he flips out, you really believe it!
But while it's executed so brilliantly, it's not tailored completely to my taste. A lot of the dialogue is a little too simplistic for my liking, and the overall pacing is maybe a bit too slow to be truly engaging or suspenseful.
It's also pretty disappointing that Hugh Jackman's wife gets tossed aside for almost the entire movie, but now I'm just nitpicking.
Overall, while it plods a little too much for me, this is still one of the most impressive movies I've seen all year.

My rating: 80%

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

You play Adam Jensen, an ex-cop "augmented" with advanced prostheses, as he attempts to track down the men responsible for a brutal attack six months ago in which he was involved.
I haven't played either of the first two Deus Ex games, but as I was playing this one, it never seemed like I'd missed any important story details. It wasn't until later that I discovered this is a prequel anyway! :) So as its own game, how is it?
Well, the visuals are simply fantastic. The art design paints a pitch-perfect image of a dystopian future, completely enveloping you in a flawlessly realised atmosphere. This really is like a video game version of Blade Runner.
The gameplay, too, is right up my street. :) It allows you to tailor the game to suit your preferred gaming style. Personally, I always prefer stealth over direct combat, so I was relieved to be able to take that approach for most of the game. The various augmentations you can upgrade just add all the more to the flavour. :)
But, sadly, where the game really lost me was the story. It just never drew me in, mostly because it was all to do with politics and corporate conspiracies, which doesn't interest me in the slightest. So, for each mission, while I understood basically what to do, I didn't have a clue why.
So, while the game looks gorgeous and was a fun gameplay experience, its subject matter just isn't my cup of tea.

My rating: 70%