One-shot scene #NottingHill

We haven't seen this film in ages but we have found this very-well done scene. Check how the camera moves and how we believe in a change of seasons. Check it out!

Everest (4/5, Good)

Expecting to see another survival thriller film, Everest surprises with a story about people looking to fulfill their dreams. A good film by Baltasar Kornákur.

Director Baltasar Kornákur does not sound familiar for many people. However he already built a respectful name in the movies network with films as A little trip to heaven and 2 Guns. He approaches thriller and action themes putting the drama forward and not the action. That is something very complex to make and he is able to do it naturally. Everest is all about that: an expedition to the top of the highest mountain in the world that goes wrong. He could have made another Vertical Limit but decided otherwise and it is felt with the film's pace and great attention to the scene's dramatic tone. 

Even if a certain level of spectacular is inevitable with this Hollywood film, it does not undermine the quality of the acting (supported by an outstanding cast) and a great score. The music is sound, soft and makes us feel compassionate about these people who want to accomplish a dangerous dream. Everyone has his reason to take so many risks to achieve it but it is an interesting metaphor with life. Without taking risks, nothing can be accomplished. There is no "superhero" or neither an "evil" character, just simply people.

Of course we are far from a masterpiece. Nevertheless it is done with humility and with care, considering it is based on a real story. The dramatic scenes are the most memorable ones, especially one with Keira Knightley. It is sadly to say that she has a second-role because we see her at her best.  Gyllenhaal is surprisingly dull and uninteresting but he is also a secondary character. It is a very complex story that could have been told under many perspectives but the focus has been simple: fight for your dreams. Whether it is a matter of life or death, keep fighting. Once the film ended and the red curtain fell back over the screen we thought: "this film was a nice surprise." 

Trailer: 

Good music for a rainy night

Tonight we are turning off the lights and we let M83's music take us to the stars.

Spectre (3/5, Regular)

In this latest James Bond installment, the successful recipe of Skyfall is used once more but with less darkness and thrills. It is still a decent action movie supported by the convincing Daniel Craig.

After the masterpiece Skyfall (one of the best of the Bond franchise), director Sam Mendes accepted the challenge to make another Bond film. His recipe was the character development of Bond with unfamiliar stories of his past set within a darker story. Being Mendes an expert in telling dark tales (e.g. American Beauty,Road to Perdition), he was the right candidate to follow-up on Skyfall. He applies the same recipe but which lost most of its emotional power due to a greater focus on action scenes. Of course, this is the last Daniel Craig's film as James Bond therefore it has to be finished with style! 

We won't complain about that because the action scenes are simply marvelous. All of them reach the level of spectacular and thrilling. However as we have said before, it undermines the character's development and the relationship to each other. The new James Bond girls (Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux) look alike the previous ones in other Bond films. Maybe one of the merits in this Craig's chapter as Bond were actually the darker Bond girls, embedded by dark deeds. Too bad. 

The script seeks to close the curtains building a bridge with the previous films -Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall-  and pushing Bond to face ghosts and demons of his past. It is one of the greatest struggles the super-agent ever faced and the plot achieves to make the film very exciting. Despite a few scenes slowing down the length of the film, the overall story is coherent and entertaining.

One of the downturns of the film is actually the character played by Christoph Waltz, certainly very threatening but does not achieve to make us feel scared. Sadly for Waltz (an amazing actor) his role is the bridge with the previous films and does not fit to him. Daniel Craig is convincing as always and will be remembered as one of the darkest Bond ever. As said earlier, the Bond girls are stereotypes therefore nothing to be remembered. 

A good closing film for Daniel Craig portraying James Bond but heavily affected by the quality of its predecessor, Spectre is a good action film that will entertain you and will make you remember this Bond chapter with a smile. 

Trailer: 

Suffragette (4/5, Good)

A film about the women who led the struggle against a system who cherished the value of equality but without taking it into practice. A compelling topic accompanied by electrifying acting from Carey Mulligan.

London, 1912. City of a country kissing the values of a healthy democracy but hiding behind the curtains a repressive regime based on colonialism and exclusion of different sectors of society. This film targets the women who were struggling to have the right to vote. The suffragette were a real historical movement from women who decide to fight against the roles that society were pushing them to be: mere housewives and workers. They decided to make it otherwise, whatever it takes.

Women's vote is still a problem today. It has been legalized in Nigeria in 2003 and isn't still an option in Saudi Arabia. At a wider-scale, gender equality is recognized as one of the main issues of the 21st century. This film takes place at the beginning of the 20th century but women still fight today. Films like these are a reminder that many things in our world are simply wrong. Change must come but change comes with a price. The suffragette suffered them but they achieved what they were aiming for.

Carey Mulligan is at the center of this film, accompanied by the amazing Helena Bonham Carter and the brief appearance of Meryl Streep. Without Mulligan, this film would be a downfall because she is the perfect actress to portray this British mother, wife and worker who had to bear the costs of a repressive and macho society. Her acting is impeccable and does deserve an Oscar. The script accompanies well and seeks to highlight the most significative events in the suffragette's movement history. Maybe this is why suddenly we jump from one year to another quickly as the film wants to illustrate the evolution of the struggle. Sometimes we are so close to Mulligan's main character and we feel empathy towards her. However some other times, we are simply far from her as we don't really see an evolution in her character towards the last half of the film.

This film is a great start for anyone curious about history, democracy, feminism and societal changes. Shooted with a raw but cared photography, we are close to a documentary but the film also illustrates the intimacy of a few of these characters. It is a recommended film, not only because of its story but also because it still relates to issues today that occur in a world showing off with the values of equality and liberty. 

Trailer: 

Knock Knock (1/5, Horrible)

Keanu Reeves + Eli Roth together. That sounds promising...Red Curtain Cinema decided to give a chance to a terrible actor and to a director known for its grotesque and black-humor approach. The result: a pathetic film.  

Any film from Eli Roth rhymes with hysteria, sadistic torture and psychological violence. He embraces once more these rules in his latest film. The result of it? A pretty boring film, with nothing to give and to value from. Even Keanu Reeves (what is he doing in here?), playing the role-model father of a happy american family cannot achieve any credible acting. The two psycho girls (portrated by Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas) are merely hysteric girls enjoying cruel practices and good music.

The only good thing from this film is the soundtrack. The songs have been carefully chosen to match lyrics along with the degradation of this man's life. As the movie goes on, the violence intensifies and the narrative looses sense. We feel this is once more another Hostel or Saw film. Do we really need another round like those? Not really. Those horror films are finished. Get over it Eli Roth. 

To conclude, a poor script with a very poor acting and a cool soundtrack. The ending is fun but cannot save this terrible film. Don't waste your time watching it, you'll regret it. 

Trailer:
                                   

A little comeback with good music!

It's been a while since our cinema got back on track! Whilst you wait for another film review, we share with you something very nice to listen to. Composed by Thomas Newman, he is well-known for its dreamy and sensible musical arrangements.