afortiorama Reviews

Best Sellers (2021)

Really liked it.

[9/10 · 13 August 2023]

I don't understand the low score for this movie. It is funny and moving.

The story of a young publisher trying to keep her father company afloat. Constantly undervalued and constantly undermined by the men surrounding her, and of a old alcoholic, provocative and foul mouthed writer who wrote one good book and for reasons that will be explained while their relationships develops has lost hope.

I found the character development and the evolution of their relationship compelling. They grow together. The publishing and comunication world based on internet memes and selling of merchandise is exactly what this world is going through. I'm actually surprised the bookstores presented don't have a coffee shop and a large non book section. The ending is full of hope.

We Have a Ghost (2023)

Funny

[9/10 · 4 March 2023]

Family ghost story like Beetlejuice (appropriately referenced in the movie) was.

A family with two teenage sons gets into a haunted house. The younger of the two sons, the broody loner one, sees the ghost but doesn't find him scary and tries to befriend him and help him.

The dad is a tendentially loser always into some sort of scheme to make and be someone sees the potential into having a ghost in the house and posts the video of it online attracting a lot of attention included that of a former CIA paranormal unit agent.

It has a bit of everything comedy, drama, action,fantasy.... but is mostly a fantasy comedy with some family themes particularly related to father and son relationship and the friendship between the ghost and the teen boy is well developed.

I liked it. It is a good weekend movie. It'd be an 8 but I give it 9 to compensate a number of really unfair reviews.

A Private Affair (2022)

The story is not bad

[6/10 · 22 September 2022]

The story is not bad and the ending is quite surprisingly tragic. My problem is that she is unbearable. She's a condensate of cliche': the rich spoilt brat who jumps to conclusions and recklessly endengers herself but is surrounded by men ready to catch her in the moment of danger. This kind of character is so tiresome I struggled to get through all 8 episodes and I confess I skipped some parts. It kept me going that I was curious to know who the killer was. And the last episode was rewarding. Jean Reno as a not in your face delicate gay butler is sweet. I still remember him as a gentle but ruthless assassin in Leon.

Birds of Prey (2020)

boring

[3/10 · 11 August 2022]

I wish it wasn't, but it seems when it comes to superhero women centred movies the writers start to write forgettable stories, lines and characters.

The only character that actually stands up a bit is the kid and that says it all since her main role is that since she swallowed a diamond and she has to be protected until she expells it or some psycho proposes to cut her open.

And nobody should really complain about the men being all bad. The women for decades have been all cardboard characters designed to propel a man story in practically *every* movie so so what if the men are all bad one movie every 1000? The problem is that the women are still cardboard characters even with the men not be prominent or likeable.

I didn't particularly like the fights either.

Girls Can't Surf (2020)

amazing people

[10/10 · 6 August 2022]

What great characters and fantastic stories! Best quote "I got a kick out of being famous I can't deny that, but that's not why I did it. I did it because I wanted to be number 1 in the world". Favourite part when they finally take a stand and don't go in the water with crappy waves but, because it was women not really grown up to stand up for themselves, they weren't exactly sure what would happen and you find yourself waiting with them.

I loved it.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015–2017)

Nice

[8/10 · 30 April 2022]

I can't say I've seen much after Gundam 0078. I found most series completely lost what made the original Gundam unique. But the first series of this one is quite impressive and deserves a 10/10. Second series is more confused and introduces too many twists. I appreciated the finale though albeit sad it couldn't end in any other way for them.

Furie (2019)

Deserves more

[8/10 · 14 February 2022]

She doesn't utter the iconic words "I will find you and I will kill you" and the settings are a poor Vietnam instead of Paris. But the action is breathtaking and she's deadly. I thought that the flashbacks to explain where she was coming from and her father teachings were a nice touch too.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

mmmhhh

[5/10 · 16 January 2022]

I cannot but agree with some of the reviewers saying Karate Kid has been disneyfied. And to be fair had it not been for my nephew I wouldn't have gone past the first 3 episodes of season 1. Having seen all 4 series I can claim for sure that the only character I like is Johnny Lawrence. The other character I liked was Aisha but she was removed after season one, talking about tokenism. All the other characters are unbearable. Daniel LaRusso (and family) above all.

GLOW (2017–2019)

Gorgeous

[10/10 · 19 June 2021]

A pity 4th season isn't coming and there is no closure, but otherwise this is one of the best show I've seen recently. Up there with 7 seconds and The Queen's gambit.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–2024)

It made me laugh

[10/10 · 25 May 2021]

This series should be have definitely more than 7. It's funny and full of references to the older series. It is made by someone who loved star trek.

For Colored Girls (2010)

Visceral and beautiful

[10/10 · 19 January 2021]

Visceral and beautiful. Brutally honest too. Rating not corresponding at all to what I just watched.

Mars (2016–2018)

Drama is excellent, science too

[9/10 · 6 December 2019]

I really like the drama. Also the documentary part exploring all the sociological implications as well as the technology and the science needed to create settlements on Mars.

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Not a silly comedy

[8/10 · 26 November 2019]

I wouldn't classify this as a comedy. I didn't laugh at any stage though it is light hearted. I felt the pain of her struggle and how difficult it is when you try to change habits and you need to look for new people.

Gravity (2013)

Wow!

[10/10 · 24 November 2019]

All I can say. I wish I hadn't missed it at the cinema. Visually stunning and incredibly eventful and never boring, got me glued and lately it doesn't happen that often. The problem of space debris is well known and the premise that a big disaster creates a volley of missiles travelling at several km/s that can hit you out in space doing some serious damage is realistic. I also like that there are no other people than George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. And the movie ends without any cavalry coming to the rescue.

Raising Dion (2019–2022)

Refreshing

[8/10 · 7 October 2019]

I thought it was refreshing. It is light hearted and gentle but I really like how diversity is represented and how it doesn't shy off from some important issue like racism, disability and even domestic violence. Some people may think this shouldn't be part of the show, but it is for the same reason I actually always liked X-men. It was all about diversity.

Minor points I didn't like were the kid isn't particularly a good actor, the goofy serviceable loser is rejected and turns out to be the baddie, it's a bit of a cliche', Charlotte a very likeable character, gets killed almost as soon as she becomes more important in the plot and barely mourned. Bring her back!

Harlock: Space Pirate (2013)

Not that great

[6/10 · 3 September 2019]

Loved the ship and the battles but the story and the dialogues were cringe worthy.

Also Harlock here is a twisted individual not the awesome hero it is in the anime.

:/

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Funny

[7/10 · 28 May 2018]

The story is the same as the original. A group of teens get suck into the game and they find someone who was sucked in years before, they have to survive until they get out of the game. The teens are textbook trope characters, so the movie is kind of predictable until they get sucked in the game and their avatars kick in (yes, because nobody plays board games anymore Jumanji gets an update in 1996 when it transforms it self in a video game with avatars instead) and start behaving like their teen counterparts. Kudos to Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Karen Gillan because they are really funny. I wasn't prepared to lauch but there are quite a few scenes that caught me by surprise. I also like the slightly different ending in which the 1996 teen is sent back to his time rather than coming back to a destroyed future. And the final kiss (because as you expect there is a final kiss) is very sweet.

Haywire (2011)

She rocks!

[9/10 · 8 April 2018]

This is a really good action movie with some really good fights and really good music throughout. I didn't know who Gina Carano was before this but she kicks ass quite credibly. I definitely like the solidity of her character and also the solidity of her body. She looks healthily muscular.

Mom or Dad? (2017)

I was in tears for laughing

[10/10 · 28 December 2017]

This is a great comedy about the craziness of divorce. From the first scene with the teens brother and sister having a row at the airport - exactly as my sister and I used to have ,I might add - this film had my attention and laughs. Giulietto, the smaller brother, instead has the most memorable quotes. It is true that this is the copy of a 2015 French movie and the scathing comedy is indeed more French than Italian, but still it is a good movie.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

Good movie nice new critters

[8/10 · 28 December 2017]

I actually liked the movie and disagree with most of the critics. The franchise has to move on. We cannot stay indefinitely with the same characters almost 40 years older. It'd be ridiculous. I like the new characters and I like how they are stiring towards a new generation, a very diverse one as a matter of fact. If Star Wars was about hope this movie gives a lot of it. I'm only sorry Carrie Fisher died because they her character development as General Organa was really good and I wish we could have seen more of her. I like all the new creatures even the sea cows Luke milks on the island. About the plot yes, ok it isn't the most linear and there are few things that could have been handled better like Snoke (who the hell is he and how did he come to power after Palpatine was killed? But then again we didn't know anything about Palpatine either in the first trilogy and I think disnay is in for the long run so they will make movies also about Snoke's origins.

I only agree on 1 thing: Kylo Ren is excruciating as a baddie.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

good fun

[6/10 · 27 November 2017]

The premise is silly: a busy dad forgets to buy the Christmas present for his son who wants an very specific action figure: the turbo man doll. This Dad is not the only one in town wanting the doll though and the movie follows two men trying to kill each other across town while chasing The Toy every kid wants for their children and getting progressively more manic and maniac about. It made me laugh in several scenes. It was good fun to watch even in 2017.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Not perfect but enjoyable

[8/10 · 6 November 2017]

Not perfect and not the feminist icon that is herald to be, but it was kind of fun. Certainly better than several other super hero movies that have come out in the past few years. I particularly liked the first part on the island where the amazons shine. Young Diana is funny (Hello Mother! How are you today?" is my favourite quote of the movie) and the battle on the beach is really good. Antiope was the best character with Steve Trevor, I'm really sorry they both died. It was unnecessary certainly in her case, in his case he had to die as an act of human redemption.

As for other comments I agree that she is not the icon of independence and self determination that she usually is. And Steve Trevor drives the plot she follows. And she only finds her powers as result of the loss of her lover. Typically feminine. Life always spins around a man.

Many people who complain about the similarities with captain America seem to forget that they were born in the same year, 1941, during World War II. They unavoidably have some similarities.

People who complain about her destroying the tower when she jumps in I'm afraid never watched a DC cartoon in their lives or even the previous movies in which common people are tired of these super heroes destroying buildings and buldozing cities in their fights. Superhero movies don't have to be credible that way. As a matter of fact one of the positive things of this movie is that they kept her strength and also her capacity of taking a good beating as well as destroying buildings when she jumps into them.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022)

Second season is great

[7/10 · 16 April 2017]

Second season is for me a 9 it is funny and creative. Season 1 was a 6, I mean better than the other TV shows in this universe, but the whole Hawk girl - Vandal Savage story line was awfully boring. They also completely ruined Hawkgirl who was actually a cool character. With them gone though and with the emergence of Sarah as a leader and the team making mistakes and learning along the way season two was really fun to watch. From Rory's obsession with ninja's in medieval japan to 1980s via the zombie confederates and Camelot....

My favourite character is Rory "less talking, more doing!" :)

Certain Women (2016)

Interesting

[7/10 · 11 March 2017]

I have to admit I haven't seen an indie movie for a while. It was an interesting movie, though not one that deserves 5/5 as some reviews I've seen stated. The reviews focus on "independent" women is misplaced. More than independent they are disconnected. The stories are almost stills on how disconnected they are. The first is a lawyer who cannot connect with her client tragedy; the second is a woman who wants to build a house but cannot connect neither with her husband and daughter nor with her neighbour (she cannot even connect with the stones in her neighbour garden which she covets for her house); the third story is about a law teacher who cannot connect with one of her students, a young woman living an isolated life taking care of the horses on the family ranch with her dog. The latter would be perhaps the most connected of all if she didn't live in the middle of nowhere.

For now 7/10.

Supergirl (2015–2021)

gets better

[5/10 · 19 February 2017]

It started a bit slow and clichéd. But it got better with the episodes. Kara is growing not only as Supergirl but also as a person. And I really like also the other women in the show both good and bad. In fact I like there are so many women even in the extras or just mentioned, like the POTUS is a she. Many of the other comments with one * are spitting venom because of all the women, I find it refreshing. And.... this Martian Manhunter is really good in both forms. :) What I don't like is that Supergirl is not that super in many occasions for dramatic reasons. For example she is supposed to be as fast as the Flash but when 3 people jump off a building she can only save two. Compared to Alex, her sister, is more of a "hero" going beyond her own capabilities quite often to save Supergirl.

Season 2 starts with many changes, looking forward to see how it evolves.