Category: Movie Reviews
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“Joker: Folie à Deux”: That’s (not) entertainment
In 2019, Warner Brothers still had a big smile on its face: While the DCEU kept going downhill because they couldn’t manage to find the right dark tone for their films, ‘Hangover’ director Todd Philipps came around the corner and created a surprise hit with “Joker”. Not only did it earn the studio over a…
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“The Apprentice” or the American nightmare
There was a time, way before the ‘Winter Solider’, when Sebastian Stan was simply the pretty boy of network TV. He stayed in the background and embellished the overall picture, be it in “Gossip Girl” or “Once Upon A Time”, but for a few years now you can see that the actor has realized where…
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Review: “Whiplash”
Shortly after Damien Chazelle released his eighteen-minute short film, titled “Whiplash” in 2013, in which J.K. Simmons plays the eccentric and manipulative music professor Fletcher pushing the young Andrew Neiman to peak performance, the young director won the “Short Film Jury Prize” at Sundance, which supported him to make a feature-length film out of this…
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Essay: “Afire” and the glowing embers
It is night and he looks out at the open sea. Until now, he has ignored this beauty, this glitter on the water – he didn’t even wanted to notice it. But now that the emptiness envelops his body and takes over his soul, he suddenly pays attention. How a single fire, a blaze within…
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Review: “The Zone of Interest”:
“The Zone of Interest” is the very reason cameras were brought into existence. There was no visual horror provided in this film but it captivated my senses with a subtle chill thinking about what has really happened. From the first moment on it gave me goosebumps all over my body and an uneasy feeling in…
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#LFF23: “Priscilla” Review
A haunting – at first look beautiful – tale, which unfortunately corresponds to what really happened behind the glitz and glamour. Sofia Coppola is the master of showing what womanhood means and letting her main character strut through empty Graceland rooms with curls in her hair, dark shadow on her eyes and one dress more…
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#LLF23: “Maestro” – Review
No maestro has yet fallen from the sky. In its sophomore feature, one can certainly acknowledge Bradley Cooper’s ambitions, and I respect many of the creative choices of this unconventional biopic, but neither Cooper’s prosthetic nose nor the structure want to work for me. I can well imagine that there will be a high abandonment rate…
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“Oppenheimer” Review: Why it will unleash the power of the Oscars
For the first time on July 16th 1945, a light dawned on mankind, bringing forth the darkest of all sides of humanity. One man’s brilliance conjured up a fireball. An American prometheus who once only wanted to explore what happens to stars after they die. The bigger the celestial body, the greater its demise. Instead,…
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Cannes 2023 Review: The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
Synopsis: The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp. “The Zone of Interest” is the very reason cameras were brought into existence. There was no visual horror provided in this film but it captivated my senses with…
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Review: Parallel Mothers – Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar latest films all hit very much the nerve of what I search for in movies. And his latest entry “Parallel Mothers” is no exception, moreover an honest portrait that captures the emotional complexity of motherhood through its masterful use of color. Almodóvar is known for his vibrant and bold use of color in…