dvlbr Reviews

You've Got Mail (1998)

Nora Ephron Never Misses

[9/10 · 6 June 2024]

I have a very soft attachment to Sleepless in Seattle and I had to check this out. I mean, Nora Ephron's screenplays and how specifically she crafts the romantic aspect and pushes it until the very end is something that works every time. The waiting works every time, just like in life.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan again delivered some great performances and confirm that fact that they have great chemistry. Tom Hanks looks so soft. Meg Ryan feels so comfortable on screen, spontaneous, vulnerable.

The business story line gets a bit forgotten at the end, but this gets easily forgotten by the big moment of the realisation. It honestly didn't feel like a romcom at all, until the last ten minutes. Genius.

The Band Wagon (1953)

The Magic of Dancing in the Dark

[9/10 · 5 June 2024]

How much I missed this. I've been dying to see this for years, after watching stills from a particular sequence, that is the whole movie for me, that sequence. It honestly feels like a Singin' in the Rain spin-off.

Despite a weaker plot than other musicals, you get what you expect-what I expect-from a musical: laughter, goosebumps, a good time, entertainment. Fred Astaire is one of my favourite people in the whole universe, and it was good seeing Cyd Charisse as a lead.

The Dancing in the Dark sequence is truly something. The analogies with Chazelle's A Lovely Night are many, but let's not get into that. The Technicolor, the movements, the music, the street lamps, everything. It's the whole film for me. I wanted to watch it for this sequence, and I was satisfied. So magical.

Play It Again, Sam (1972)

Underrated Film Written by Woody Allen

[9/10 · 26 May 2024]

Underrated film. Hilarious. Strong. Woody Allen basically plays himself, more than he ever did in his other movies directed by himself. His comedic acting in this one is truly something. Don't think I ever laughed this much in a film by/with him (the sequence in his house where he's waiting for his first date!).

The whole concept is intriguing. Although it could be predicable at times, especially towards the end in the airport sequence, it still was an interesting and almost emotional piece of cinematographic citationism and pure love for this art form.

The juxtaposition of Allen's and Bogart's archetypes is what makes this film great and hilarious. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Plus, Diane Keaton is great.

A Rainy Day in New York (2019)

A Peculiar Connection with Allen's Films

[6/10 · 17 May 2024]

Feels great to be back. Missed movies so much. I wasn't living. A film a day is the bare minimum to survive. Now, to the film. This was comfortably sitting on my shelf for at least three years. Of course I'm going to say that I was deeply disappointed, the potential it had was huge.

But I have a peculiar connection with Allen's films and to his characters, no matter how bad the film is. That means I'm always going to enjoy them, despite the insufferable and non-existent plot, the cringing dialogue or the predictability of some plot points.

The jazz, the performances, the vibes, the hopeless romance of it all will always save the day for me.

The Fall Guy (2024)

The Goal of the Film is Very Clear

[8/10 · 4 May 2024]

Fun movie with a very crucial message in a very crucial time. The literally me Ryan Gosling saga continues. I'm going to try crying to Taylor Swift in my car very soon. He keeps delivering. His comedic timing is gold. Love him.

It's been fun and heart-warming to see a film about a (action) film being made, and it's always special when that happens for us movie lovers. I felt the magic on the set despite the simplistic but very realistic rivalry.

The producer-actor-stuntman triangle does nothing but translate into moving images Hollywood's current hierarchical problems, with producers having way too much power and the unknown's being the silent heroes, which is also a metaphor for what really happens every day on a movie set: without stuntmen you have no movies, we have no movies.

And that Oscar reference! The goal of the film is clear from frame one.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

The Perfect Film

[10/10 · 17 April 2024]

Here today because of a similar story I'm writing and thank God I watched it today. I never truly appreciated it or thought about it, kind of underestimating the film. Today is the day I write and state that this film is a masterwork in every department.

Writing, directing, composing, acting, location scouting, everything is perfect in this movie. Everything. Every little detail, every little word, every little action or smirk or expression. This is a film that comes from a place of love and dedication and I can feel it. The oscar for best screenplay for Damon and Affleck is probably the most deserving one.

From now on, I will defend this film with all my life.

Zelig (1983)

A Satirical and Sociological Masterwork

[9/10 · 16 April 2024]

Woody Allen's genius at his finest. After it ended and I realized it wasn't actually real that's when I appreciated it even more. To me, this is probably one of the most implicitly autobiographical films of his, on the same level of Radio Days. It's all metaphorical.

Looking back at it now, I could associate Zelig's life phases with Allen's. But that's just on the surface. This film goes unimaginably deep. Childhood trauma. Mental disorders. But that's nothing new in a Woody Allen film. The depth is acquired once he starts to make jokes about deep topics.

I lost it when Zelig became a Nazi. That's just Allen's life in a nutshell. It was hilarious on the surface. But if we go deeper, I truly felt the desperate need to fit in that those people must have felt during those tragic years, because it was a matter of life or death, showing simultaneously, through the history of Zelig, the sociological and psychological aspects behind those processes of decision-making.

One of the most underrated and now enters my top five of his.

Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

Elegance, Regret, Paris

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

Woody Allen? One of my favourite artists. Musicals? One of my favourite genres. It's not the best musical ever made, but it's still something. I appreciate literally anyone who dares to make a musical, because it's such a magical experience and a precious part of our cinematographic heritage.

If the story supporting the musical aspect would've been stronger or more interesting it would've been a more engaging movie. That's what happened to me. The musical bits and numbers overshadowed my lacking understanding of its message. Maybe too vague, too frivolous.

Got to say, though, that the final sequence touched me. Elegance, regret, Paris. Some of the bits of this film gave life to the jewel that is Midnight in Paris.

Match Point (2005)

Not Allen's Best in my Opinion

[9/10 · 11 April 2024]

Not at all what I expected. The plot twist just changed it all, as it often happens with Woody's characters. I think this is a darker and more serious interpretation of the same tale told in Crimes and Misdemeanours, where the famous quote from Seneca, already quoted in some other films, takes a whole different tone and meaning.

The theme of luck and its representation with the golden ring is pure cinema. Luck is a tricky thing, and like Allen, I do think too that it plays a major, invisible role in our lives. I do not think this is Allen's best, like a lot of people do. Not even close. Getting used to the early Allen style of the 70's and 80's, this felt a bit strange. Scarlett Johansson is the whole film, by the way.

Deconstructing Harry (1997)

Erotically Metaphysical and Introspective

[9/10 · 10 April 2024]

This is the horniest Woody Allen so far. Jokes apart, weirdly enjoyed it. This film felt like an erotically metaphysical introspective experience into Allen's mind-a part of his mind. He explains and critiques and condemns parts of his identity with each film he writes, at least he used to.

Sometimes I wish I was Woody Allen, I mean, one of his characters. If I could be like him and respond like him every time I have a conversation with someone about religion I too would become a narcissist and by happy about it. Laughter and complete satisfaction.

The ending sequence where all of his characters make him a standing ovation just made me laugh. I was there too. Then I realized that that was Paul Giamatti standing behind him, and I started laughing even more.

Boyhood (I) (2014)

Nothing Greater than Linklater's Dialogue

[9/10 · 7 April 2024]

This is, I guess, what Terrence Malick wished he made. Linklater could never be boring. This is an experimental, psychological, sociological, existential masterwork. Linklater had the balls and the philosophical need to make this film.

I've never, ever heard more interesting, introspective, analytical dialogue. That makes Linklater a poet. I'm sorry that the message hasn't been received by some. Maybe it's too stereotypical? Maybe it's a bit cliché at parts? But I was immersed. I re-lived my life through theirs. Because it's not just their lives, it's everybody's.

But I'm also truly fascinated by the experimental nature of the project. The cast grew up together, imagine how that must've been like. This film made me re-evaluate Ethan Hawke as an actor and as a human. Felt like it was my dad. Linklater is a philosopher.

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

One of the Funniest Woody Allen

[9/10 · 5 April 2024]

I don't think I've ever had this much fun while watching a film. I never watched a funnier murder story. I just... Woody Allen is my kind of humour. It's just a perfect match for me. Say what you want, but his creativity as a writer and his acting just make me cry laughing.

That's because, I believe, he jokes about tangible and living things and aspects of life that are so common. If I happened to get stuck in that elevator I'd have probably fainted... or acted like Woody. Identification-laughter. And it's not just this film. But Allen's whole oeuvre. I guess we share something.

Every character in this is great. The table scenes where they're trying to come up with a plan to bluff the guy are so engaging. I wonder if the murderer is bald as a homage to Hitchcock. This has just become one of my favourite films, and not just of Woody's filmography.

Radio Days (1987)

The Origin of Woody Allen's Inevitable Genius

[9/10 · 3 April 2024]

Always will have a soft spot for nostalgia movies, but other than that, I have an indescribable interest and fascination for biographies and films that document a life, especially if that person is a director, like in this case. Through some radio anecdotes from the golden days Allen relives his life, narrating it.

But it goes beyond that. For its whole duration I felt a strong sense of community, of togetherness that involves the entire world. That's because Allen's movies are so constantly soaked with politics and with the only questions that truly matter. In this film we see the origin of that.

The radio's filter makes the songs vibrate in my gut. In particular, the bit where young Woody goes, for the first time, to the movies, and Sinatra's If You Are but a Dream echoes in the vast golden hall. The sequence hypnotised me.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Allen Gets Almost Political on Humanity

[9/10 · 2 April 2024]

Clearly in my Woody Allen period. I've been wanting for years to check Allen's crime films. Of course it's going to be different from everything else. I feel like this particular film goes beyond the cinematographic borders to reach a broader and greater purpose in the vastness of its message and echo, like the ending sequence shows.

So it's kind of difficult to rate it. Of course I've liked to see how each of the story lines would've ended. But everything gets stopped before the ending, where Allen takes a minute to give answers to all the existential questions on humanity, with an almost political and universally recognised tone.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Love, Philosophy and Hypochondria in Allen's Funniest Film

[9/10 · 2 April 2024]

"A week ago, I bought a rifle. I went into a store and bought a rifle. If they told me that I have a tumour I was gonna kill myself. The only thing that might've stopped me, might've, is... my parents would devastated, I would have to shoot them also first. And then my aunt and uncle, I would have... you know it would have been a bloodbath".

I was going though the exact same thing years ago. It's rare to talk about hypochondria in films. That's why this film feels very close... and too damn funny. Those lines truly echoed in my head during my darkest times and made me laugh. A message of hope, love and community. Surely in my top five Woody Allen.

How Do You Know (2010)

Unexpectedly Had a Good Time

[7/10 · 24 March 2024]

In my romcom period. Sundays are about lightness and crap movies. I think I'm in the minority here, having read some awful reviews, but I had a good time. I know the film is bad. The message is weak. But I found this unexpectedly good and comforting.

Reese Whiterspoon is so warm and delicate, she's doesn't miss. Paul Rudd plays himself, and his romcom version is just peak Paul Rudd. Owen Wilson is my comfort actor and I just need an Owen Wilson "wow" to like a film. Some scenes were really warm and welcoming, with those long dialogues and perfect performances that helped set a tone of authenticity, despite the bad plot.

Hans Zimmer scoring this helped some scenes reach the right amount of emotion. Reese Whiterspoon is climbing the chart of my favourite actors. Really fast.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

To the Strongest People on Earth

[9/10 · 21 March 2024]

The film I needed right now. I always appreciated Ben Stiller, even more in dramatic roles. I found his performance really emotional. It's his presence, his looks, his behaviour. His direction is also something worth mentioning.

Of course I found this really emotional and close to my heart as I struggle every day with what you see on screen: taking risks, being confined in your own little world, social anxiety. What you see on screen is not even exaggerated and I found it to be very true. Kudos to that.

But more importantly it's the message that the film wants to spread that I feel so tangible and true and not even a bit clichéd or somehow overused: you don't know what's on the other side until you try it. That's true. And I felt it on my skin. And when I had the courage to do it, to go to the other side, despite the anxiety, despite the shyness, despite the racing heart, it was beautiful and liberating, something close to true happiness, and some of those days will forever be the best of my entire life.

So, thank you Ben Stiller for this rendition of the story and for your performance. It's a voice that represents some of us. In the film the fine line between dreams and reality is very subtle, that sometimes you don't understand what's what. That changes progressively as when go on. That's what everything should be.

A person's life is defined by what he or she does, not what he or she says. Rule no.1 in screenwriting. To life and the strongest people on Earth: introverts!

May December (2023)

What's the Need of This Story?

[6/10 · 18 March 2024]

This is obviously the kind of script where the director prays the performances are going to be good otherwise the whole thing might not work. This is the kind of script based entirely on performances. The actors deliver, and Charles Melton is an exciting discovery.

Having said that, I'll just say that films become memorable when there's a universal quality attached to it. I saw no universality. No need in it. What's the point in telling this story? How will the world change after this story is told? The film doesn't answer these questions. The message will remain hidden and closed in the memory of that family.

Lady Bird (2017)

Spontaneity is the Key to Emotion

[9/10 · 16 March 2024]

Third or fourth rewatch. This film has become a classic in my life. This will always be Greta's best, no matter what happens in the future. I can see and feel how much personal it is to her. And the more personal, the better and the more original, the more it's going to work.

The dialogue is very personal and emotional. Greta's direction is masterful, and I'm not exaggerating. The performances are really spontaneous and I felt them in my soul. I first watched this film more than four years ago and I didn't understand it. A film can watch you grow, and when it's good, it can create various ramifications of meaning and introspection that you connect with.

This film whispers to me and reminds me that I'm not alone.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Heath Ledger Steals Bale's Spot

[8/10 · 14 March 2024]

My feelings have not changed. Surely there are a lot more scenes full of quality action and visual effects that increase the overall quality and enjoyment of the film. The main characters get overshadowed by Heath Ledger's performance, and I don't exaggerate when I say it could be the best in film history. Couldn't care less about Batman, all I wanted was the Joker.

I'm a little doubtful on some of the secondary story lines in the film and some of the character dynamics and arcs. In this superhero era Chris Nolan feels like a better Micheal Bay. I have my doubts on whether it could be the best superhero film, but if it is I think Ledger would play a big role in that. That's the only thing I'll remember from this.

Batman Begins (2005)

Christian Bale the Best Batman

[8/10 · 13 March 2024]

I feel like I'm very late to watch this. These kind of films don't work on me anymore, and maybe this would've worked if I saw it five or six years ago. Anyhow, you can't ignore the fascinating nature of this interesting character. Nolan could've showed more about him. Since I heard wonderful things and reviews about it I expected more depth and a plot more captivating.

Despite all that, a wonderful cast. Cillian Murphy is hilarious as the villain. Christian Bale is maybe the best Batman. Nolan scores never disappoint. And the last fifteen minutes give me hope for the two sequels which I feel like are going to be superior. The way the Joker has been introduced got me mildly excited.

Sing Street (2016)

More Than a Feel-good Film, an Introspective Masterwork

[10/10 · 10 March 2024]

John Carney, you pure soul. This film is a gift for the soul. It touches so many layers and parts of life that a review is not enough. Words can't really describe the emotion but more importantly the introspection that it produces. It helps, as all movies and all art, if you actually experienced some of the things that the film so authentically explores.

John Carney is a brilliant director. Genius. I felt the ups and downs of it in my gut. Pain and the hurdles of life are explored through a delicate camera, through silence and spontaneous expressions on the face. The arduous political backdrop adds a sense of delicacy and fragility to the characters, that therefore makes every little victory or progress more emotional and satisfying. Some of the themes of Begin Again come back but I do think that is a more complicated story.

2016 has really been a good year for movies, but for musical movies in particular. No need to undermine La La Land to make Sing Street more relevant or better. It already is. It's a win for musicals. It's a win for music, and for movies. The songs are absolutely amazing. The score is even better. Everything is so beautifully constructed and intertwined.

I'll come back to this when I'll have to make that decision. I believe this is what movies are made for. To give an answer to a question, not matter how big and unanswerable that is. To give a little spark of courage, whether that is through a line of dialogue, through action. But it definitely works better if it's done through music. And if it's done by John Carney.

God bless music and films! I'll put that on my gravestone.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Woody Allen Master of Dreams

[10/10 · 8 March 2024]

For all this time I didn't know about this film by Woody Allen. It's not a wild take to say that this easily makes Allen's top three. The balance between romance and tragedy is perfect. Only Allen could make this tragic period of America this romantic yet so raw. This dreamy experience of meta-cinema perfectly represents the existential paradox of us movie lovers: dream or reality? A topic that Allen knows very well and that, in my humble opinion, only him can bring to the screen this well.

The choice of putting Astaire and Rogers' Top Hat to open and close the film I believe is not casual. Yes, that duo is pure magic and the highest form of dream romance in cinema. But I strongly believe that the musical genre is the only genre where dream and reality are two different faces of the same coin, where the romance between the two can only happen as long as the music is playing, because they know that when the music ends, they can't be together anymore, i.e. The moment when the the film fades to black, just like Chazelle's Babylon, where still, you have a musical on the screen.

Cecilia has been wronged by the illusion of reality. Yet, we still go back to the place where the light dims, because we know that reality will always be more painful than the illusion of it.

One Day (2011)

Time's a Tricky Thing

[9/10 · 7 March 2024]

I am dead. Dead. I've never seen such a genuine portrayal of love in romcoms. That's what makes this film one of the best. And I believe that since it's such a unique concept they decided to use it again making a series.

The final sequence is alone worth five stars. I'd have shortened it a bit to not let the emotion dim and die, but that's nothing. I lost it when father and daughter were climbing the hill, while the young duo were going the opposite direction. Filmmaking at its best. The sequence would not have the same power without that score. Simple but emotionally explosive.

Time's a tricky thing. This film shows how deadly it can be. Wasted moments define a lifetime.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Best Film of 2023 after Oppenheimer

[9/10 · 6 March 2024]

Cinema. The best film of 2023 after Oppenheimer and Marty's best since the Wolf. Such an important story. This year, stories win. Despite its length, the script grabs you right from the beginning. I felt the human and territorial theft and the overwhelming sense of inhumanity and brutality on my skin. De Niro's performance helps to give that tone to the film. There are no rushes, no important changes of rhythm, yet the film flows brilliantly keeping you attached to the screen and not lacking twists and surprises.

I think the characters are the heart of the story. Given its length, I'd have concentrated more on them. Mollie. The Osage. Since the film it's about them. But the overall sense that the film wanted to convey and present to the world is there. And it's strong. Tough competition this year. And Leo is not nominated because every time he acts he's on another level. Rare level of dedication I see from no one else. As long as Marty keeps doing this, cinema isn't going anywhere.