Joy (3/5, Regular)

It is a downward spiral for a woman whose dream is to embrace the American Dream. It achieves to blend a melodramatic environment with a strong sarcastic tone.

Does the new film from American Hustle's director convinced us? Pretty much yes but looses its solidness as the film gets to its end. The film is about Joy, woman over-demanded by her family and a macho-system. She rebels and decides to launch her own business with a new kind of mop. Obstacles lie ahead and grotesquely accumulate over time to leave Joy on the edge of madness.

In this third collaboration between director Russell and Jennifer Lawrence, it is probably better than American Hustle. The script comes out with a fast-pace story and sometimes enervating: Joy cannot come out of her cave and a whole society (including her own family) is decided to against her dream of entrepreneurship. In the quest to reach the top of the American Dream, she cannot but only get hard hits. Of course the exasperation felt throughout the film is good for the viewers to keep up and be curious about Joy's future whereabouts. Nevertheless this is also one of the main weaknesses of the film.

It is hard for us to understand whether the film wants to set a dramatic tone or either be satirical about the American Dream. The ending of the film makes it all blurry and confusing. Too bad because if it was not for that development, the film would have been much greater. Bradley Cooper acts great as the successful businessman and Lawrence is impeccable as this "wannabe" business woman. The support of De Niro is essential to embody the satirical tone, being both a father and the voice of a conservative society based merely on consumption. The film does not stop and keeps shouting, such as an hysterical person until the end where everything goes in silence. We did not enjoy the silence, we actually enjoyed the previous madness. 

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Cult scene with Mike Myers

If you have never seen the 1990s cult film  "Wayne's world", this scene will give a great taste of it. This scene is very well-known and funny. Enjoy the rock'n roll! 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Bad,2/5)

An already familiar tale told through the eyes of an unconfident and uninteresting teenager. A very strange film.

Another story of a teenager dying from a disease. Another foreseeable movie ending. The Fault in Our Stars rings a bell to you? We all know what is going to happen, however it is the trip to that ending that matters. Is it going to be moving? Is it going to be funny? Is it going to be dull? All those questions went through our head whilst watching this film. The film is very good at something: at being indecisive. It surely wanted to reflect the main character's personality of Greg, portrayed decently by Thomas Mann. At a first glance he has none but then it changes. Perhaps this is the strongest aspect of the film: while we discover a complexity and depth, the movie starts to be more mature in its focus and storytelling. That was pretty original. However it is a shame that the other characters (especially Earl) are deeply superficial. Even our dear Dying Girl (Olivia Cooke) does not make us feel sympathy or empathy. Simply nothing. That's a low point for a dramatic film.

Another strength of the film is in the technical part. Very fresh cinematography by Chung hoon Chung with a very special attention to colors. Also the music by the genius Brian Eno is an essential plus to it. A shame they are not able to save the film. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Jesse Andrews forgot to give a stronger personality to the characters and to the relationship between the Dying Girl and Greg. We observe it but we don't feel anything. There's definitely something wrong. It only starts to shine at the end. The end is definitely the best part (we would even dare to say that they made a whole film just to get to the well-done ending).

One the film ended, we did not understand the whole critical acclaim with this film. It has certain freshness and originality but lacks of soul. What is originality without a soul? Something forgettable. This is what this film is: easily forgettable. A shame because there were good ideas dancing around the camera but we left the cinema pretty indifferent. Our advice? Just watch the end, forget the rest.


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A fantastic tribute to Michael Jackson's Thriller

Have you recognized the characters? It is from the box-office flop 'Final Fantasy: The spirits within'. These scene was not intended to be part of the film but they definitely had fun making this special 'bonus' found in the DVD. It is important to clarify that this film was a breakthrough in terms of visual effects and computer-generated characters. Pixar had only done Toy Story (1 and 2) by that time...Have fun with the video!

Slow West (4/5, Good)

An atypical western with bits of comedy, drama and action. A solid film led by Michael Fassbender who never stops to keep impressing us.

This is the first film from director John Maclean and what an achievement it is: it has gained since critical acclaim and won a Price at Sundance Festival 2015. It approached the story through a classic frame: an innocent young boy dreaming with love discovering society's brutality and selfishness. The result is an existentialist western with black humor. The innocence of this boy enhances chaos and further violence in a world of brutality. He has no other choice that , in order to see again the love of his life, to pull many times the trigger. Life is a hard road and sometimes you have to adapt to its violence.

The photography is stunning. It is perhaps the best ingredient in the film considering the story, real short and simple, looses a bit of its charm when we realize that we do not know much about any of them. Nevertheless the beauty of the images and the acting ( fabulous Fassbender) compensates it all. The film pace is slow sometimes but everything we see at the screen is solid.

This is a great film for Western and Non-Western amateurs. It pays an homage to a dead genre and is good at telling a funny but dark story. This is the kind of films that show its love for the cinema. That is why we recommend it. 

5 Flights Up (3/5, Regular)

A mature couple decide to sell their flat in Brooklyn, New York. However a home is tied to memories and past experiences. A film about life and its ups and downs. 

We saw this film in a rainy Friday night. It was a perfect match as it is a film made with heart. Two great actors as Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman representing this married couple in the contemporary New York is magic. They are an unbeatable couple and they struggle through the challenges of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Do they really want to sell their apartment? It is because it is worth a fortune today? What about their future home? Will they ever find one? 

What is great about this film is its positive tone and its view about the city. Brooklyn acquires its own personality and complexity. It moves all the time being a 'globalized space'. People greet and leave to give place to new other people from different backgrounds. Is it because cities like New York which are changing so fast that people start to get attached to old places and memories? The couple depicted in the movie surely does. The outside world tells them to sell their apartment because it is highly valued. However the stories they shared together in that apartment goes much more beyond a penny. It is invaluable. This is a story about life that gives us so many good things that cannot be economically valued. Love and happiness are intangible. That is the most important. 

It certainly has a Woody Allen touch with the city taking over our characters. It certainly has a feeling of 'deja vu' but its lightness and heart make it a warm story that will make you smile. Sometimes it is good to remember the good things that we have around us. This film helps you to do that.

Mad Max: Fury Road (3/5, Regular)

A vertiginous apocalyptic road trip embedded in a infinite desert where the law of the strongest prevails.Very entertaining.

The fourth installment of the Mad Max franchise finally arrived! We had to wait for years to see this new feature, Most problems were related with the script and also if Mel Gibson would accept to be part of it. The producers decided to go another way: rehire the same director George Miller from previous Mad Max movies and putting new actors (Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron) in front of the cameras. Now they have an excuse to continue making new Mad Max films. Tom Hardy is a very convincing Max, adding a darker tone to the character. Thumbs up for Charlize Theron: her stolen femininity due to a world of macho prevalence is seen in her eyes. 

The vertiginous rhythm of the story does not let you breathe:everything goes so fast like if we were...mad. This apocalyptic world is scary enough to make us feel uncomfortable giving a darker touch to the saga. George Miller knew it: he had to impress the fans and newcomers. He focused his efforts on making an outstanding production design and original action sequences. The more the film goes on, the bigger the action sequences. We cannot think, it is all about survival. Survival is aggressive and you don't have time to think. 

 Another original asset is that the action sequences are all car-chasing scenes. It is hard to imagine how many technical barriers the crew overcame to shoot the scenes. The editing was key to transmit  this feeling of adrenaline. Of course, putting so much focus into the action undermines the dramatic story but Miller seems to whisper into your ear: "You want to know more? Check my other Mad Max films!". Bold move. 

The film is hugely entertaining and satisfies anyone in seek of explosions, fights and stunning stunts. If you are a sensitive person, forget it. This is not for you. The real shame is that Mad Max: Fury Road will be easily forgotten. In opposition to the 1st and 3rd films, it does not offer anything to remember. Nevertheless, it is still a Mad Max movie!


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Movies that you should have seen in the cinema and you haven't: Episode I

                                                             Empire Records (1996)

Indie director Allan Moyle continued his alternative film style (he directed Pump up the Volume led by Christian Slater) with the underrated Empire Records. Filmed in 1995, it gathered many actors which at that time were unknown to the general public (with the exception of Anthony Lapaglia and Liv Tyler-especially for her appearances in Aerosmith videoclips). Both music and script are pillars to a film who gives an homage to the ending music of the 1980s and the beginning of grunge-rock movement. 

Empire Records tells the story of a crazy group of US suburb teenagers working in a funky record store managed by former musician Joe (Anthony Lapaglia). One night, the employee Lucas (Rory Cochrane) steals money from the store's safe for personal reasons and loses everything in the casino. Knowing that he has to face the consequences of his act, a new day start in Empire Records where people meet to embrace the love of music, to reveal their deepest fears and doubts and continue building a life full of expectations. 

It is vibrant, it is very funny, it is entertaining, it is thought-provoking. Many adjectives can be found to describe this film, who was a big box-office flop, but today has gained a cult-following. It is a portrait of a young generation in the era of free-market where small independent labels were the first victims.It is not only a praise of self-identity ("music is the soundtrack of our lives") but also to stand for what your real passions are. In a context where everything is sold, there are things that are authentic and stand by themselves. The characters in Empire Records seek this whisper of a thrill and  evolve during this one-day story to be upfront with what they really want. 

We offer you a (very cool) glimpse of this rockie film! Tell us later if you enjoyed the film ;)

Horns (2014) (3/5,regular)

Alexandre Aja's latest film is a mix of drama, fantastic and horror genre. The fact of mixing these all together into one feature requires a clear vision. Sometimes Aja assures us that he knows where he is taking us, sometimes we feel he doesn't.

It tells the story of Iggy (Daniel Radcliffe) who is suspected by everyone in his town that he killed kis beautiful girlfriend (Juno Temple). Claiming himself innocent, he is ripped by sorrow and loneliness. However his anger against the people that make him feel all alone triggers something evil. He wakes up one morning with horns. These affect his surrounding: people start to tell him their darkest secrets. Iggy takes this curse as an opportunity to know the truth: who killed his girlfriend?

Alexandre Aja has experience in horror movies ( Haute tension, Piranhas 3D) and he knows how to manoeuvre the camera in order to create tension. However he decided to put other 'inputs' into the story: drama through the lead character (with good acting by Radcliffe), a big pack of black humour and a small taint of romance. The result? Sometimes it is cliché and that messes up the whole horror genre Aja knows how to build. It also puts forward weaknesses in the script: too much twists and

Two highlights therefore: the grotesque with people showing their true colours and the soundtrack. We were amazed how well picked the songs were. Every song has a meaning and a purpose for the scene. We can thus say that the film gives us some good moments of laugh and tension and others with the feeling of deja vu".

 
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Did you say scary movie?

We know, Halloween was a while ago. However scary movies are still relevant in the cinema! We thought for a while which films we would recommend you and we made a special short list. Our criteria was its ability to create tension, a (relative) good script and its originality. Turn off the lights, here we go. 

1) The Nameless (" Los Sin Nombre") (1999)

First film of Spanish director Jaume Balagueró (REC, Darkness).What a debut! It tells the story of Claudia (Emma Vilarasau) whose vanished daughter is found completely mutilated by the police and how she struggles to move on. One day she has a phone call from a desperate young girl claiming that she's her daughter and that ''They'' are going to kill her. Desperate to know the truth, Claudia leads an investigation with Massera (Karra Elejalde) a retired policeman. Red Curtain Cinema still remembers that final scene...


2) Dead End (2003)

Really good small-budget film by French film directors Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa. It tells a simple story: on his way to a Christmas dinner, Frank (the great Ray Wise) drives in an unknown road with his family. Supposed to be a shortcut, they get lost in a dark forest. Little by little, events will affect each member of the family and start to disappear.

That's all you need to know to watch this ''bijou''. Very good script and good acting (hard to find in a horror film).

3) The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi (1981)

 

Considered by many as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Such label was seen by producers and made an honorable remake (Evil Dead,2013). Directed by Sam Raimi, it was made with no money, with harsh filming conditions and many incidents on set but the result is a masterpiece. A spooky horror-film (with some gore and black humour) that makes it an inevitable reference. It is the story of friends going to a small cabin in the middle of a forest to spend the weekend. In there, they discover a tape recording along with a book. Evil emerges in the woods and Ash (the amazing Bruce Campbell) will have to fight. A must-see!

4) The Blair Witch Project (1999) 

Of course, everyone heard about this film.Cuban director Eduardo Sanchez and American Daniel Myrick started the trend of ''found footage'' (today, a concept widely used in horror films). Three students went into the woods in 1994 to investigate about the myth of a witch in the middle of nowhere in the US. A year later, the footage is found. Made with almost no money and harsh filming conditions,a great film was made. Scary until the end!

5) Martyrs (2008)

Very disturbing and violent film. It is not recommendable for sensitive souls. However its originality derives from the logic behind its psychological and physical violence. Hard to tell the story but it has a strong story and great actors. The film was so violent that it made a scandal in the Cannes Festival. However it is a great horror movie.


6) Mama (2012)

South-American horror movie! The story behind this film is incredible. Director Guillermo Del Toro saw a short-film made by Argentine Andrés Muschietti called "Mama". Very short but scary. Del Toro decided to produce a film for Mushietti and the result is this film. Not a gore-movie, horror movie amateurs can watch it. Solid story, scenes with tension, great actrices. A good horror film for a dark and cold night.