Fast & Furious 6 (2013) Incredible! Thoroughly enjoyable!

 

Movieshared.net - It's crazy to see that this franchise has gone to a sixth entry, but what is even more surprising is that it's actually been getting better. The first four Fast & The Furious were pretty cheesy action movies that would cater to a certain demography, but when Fast Five came out in 2011, I was very surprised at how much fun I had with it, and If I did review movies back in 2011, that would've been on my Top 10 of Best for the year. Now two years later we have Fast & Furious 6, which takes place where Fast Five finished, Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew are living large as millionaires but Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) shows up and needs Dom's help, as a new group of criminals led by Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) is after an important computer chip that could lead to a even bigger threat. But the big reason why Dom and his crew will help out, is because one of Shaw's right hand men is Dom's former lover Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) who died in one of the previous films, but turns out to not be dead. Dom, Brian, Roman, Tej, and everyone else returns to rescue Letty, and clear they're names for good. Now for starters, does this film have the greatest writing or acting in the world, of course not, but it is insanely fun and without a doubt one of the most entertaining films this year. This film is extremely well directed with Justin Lin (Fast Five) at the helm, the action sequences look incredible and every time something big and exciting was about to happen, I was pumped up and was giggling with excitement. In fact, the final action sequence is one of the coolest action scenes I've witnessed in a long time. The pacing is also quick and hardly slows down, whereas for the story is simple and hardly focuses on it, unless it involves the overall message about family and togetherness. Fast & Furious 6 has what was missing out of Pacific Rim, which the problem with Pacific Rim was too much story, not enough action, Fast & Furious 6 is all action, little story, and it works so well. The acting is fine, everyone has been doing these movies for a while so they know what their doing and they do it well. The humor is great as several times I cracked up (most of it is from the comic relief of Tyrese Gibson's Roman), the soundtrack is great, and although the writing is pretty silly, it does serve for some truly perfect quotes. Problems are that logic is thrown out the window for this film, if you think more than you watch, you'll just hate watching this because hardly anything makes sense. And some scenes around the middle go on a little too long, especially the prison scene. But Fast & Furious 6 is comfortable with what kind of film it is, a silly, over the top, but extremely entertaining crowd pleaser. I haven't this much fun with a movie in a long time, all you need to know is fast cars, hot girls, explosions, and muscles. Just leave your brain at home and enjoy the ride.

Inception (2010) Nolan's first true masterpiece

 

Movieshared.net - Usually I try to be careful with over hyping a film, or setting the expectations too high, as film geeks all are guilty for, however for Christopher Nolan's Inception, this really is not possible.

This is possibly one of the only perfect films I have ever seen. It is absolutely confident in every way, something which is extremely refreshing, even more so than Avatar. Christopher Nolan gets some slack for making great to look at but ultimately heartless affairs, which I for one do not agree with, however I do not think anyone can argue that here. The emotional aspect of this film not only ties it all together but is really the centre of this film, it is the focus.

I do not want to over simplify the film, by simply calling it Kubrick doing Bond, or Gondry on a huge budget, because I am sure it will be called that but it is far more than that, it is something I do not think Kubrick could have ever made. It is pure Nolan, and pure greatness.

I hate writing something which is pure fan-boy gushing, but its really difficult here. I did not find a thing I did not like about it, I am sure if maybe I saw it a second time, maybe I would find something about it I didn't like, but not the first time. The way it is cut, means that there is always action on screen, if not, then the visuals are interesting enough to keep your eyes glued.

The final hour of the film, is possibly one of the most complicated action sequences put on film. You have to constantly be paying attention to remember all of the layers of what is happening. Without spoiling anything, all I have to say is that is what this film is about, that is what makes this film so great, layers. Once you have seen this you will now what I am talking about.

All of the actors are fantastic too, Di Caprio is the stand out here. Yes, this is probably due to the fact he is the star and given all of the emotional weight, but he handles it perfectly, similarly to his performance in Shutter Island. Ellen Page, whom I usually hate, gives a great performance here. Tom Hardy gives a break out performance here, he is quite the bad ass.

I hope audiences are ready for a film like this, a pure auteur driven film which does not sacrifice a single frame for the studio. I would hope this film will change Hollywood, as it is 100 percent the directors vision yet it is definitely a marketable film, much like District 9, yet I do not think it will.

I cannot recommend this film anymore than I have, I just have to say everyone and anyone should see it. Sorry about all the gushing, it is just so hard not too.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014) DVD Online

 

Movieshared.net - We only needed to wait one month for this much-awaited conclusion to the Ruruoni Kenshin film saga. We were just regaled last August with "Kyoto Inferno." This time we will witness the how "The Legend Ends."

The last film ended with our hero Kenshin washed up on a beach badly injured. He was carried off to safety by a new character, which we will learn in this episode to be Hiko Seijuro, Kenshin's former master whom he had not seen for 15 years.

The first hour of the film is basically spent on Kenshin training to get his fighting mojo back, as Kaoru was lying comatose in a hospital somewhere. Aside from a brief but exciting fight scene between Master and Student, there was a lot of talk in this hour about the fear of death and the will to live. Momentum really got bogged down by the philosophical arguments.

Thankfully, action gets revved up in the second hour and never let up until the end of the film. There was actually not much narrative anymore in this whole final episode. This is just a series of one big fight after the other setting up the climactic fight between Kenshin and Shishio, which we had been waiting for since the last film.

There was that elegant fight between Kenshin and Aoshi, whom we already met in the last film as the captain of the Edo Hidden Warriors who wanted to topple the man who toppled the shogun. Then there was a spectacular public execution scene on the beach, which again ended in mass fighting.

Of course, Shonosuke will again get his own featured bloody hand to hand fight scene, this time with a Buddhist monk. Kenshin will also get the opportunity to again fight with the ever-smiling Sojiro who dealt him a bad loss in the last film. The ultimate and best, most exhilarating fight scene of all is a four vs. one grand melee to the death. Shishio's flaming sword gives this fight an extra fancy flair.

For recent fans like me who have not read the manga or watched the anime version of Samurai X, this last episode is still a very good conclusion to the franchise. This is mostly because of the high-quality choreography and execution of the fight scenes. This is already the third film, yet the fight scenes are still very exciting to watch. More devoted fans may complain about how characters were portrayed or their story lines changed. But for us who did not know better, this film was a great way to wrap up the story. The first film though back in 2012 is still the best one though.

After Earth (2013) DVD Streaming

 

Movieshared.net -  Will Smith has always been THEE personified movie star. Nearly every film he made was a huge hit. The guy has an undeniable incredible charisma and yes he has a big ego but somehow it works for him. In this film he is almost a supporting actor. He spends nearly the entire film laid up and on a com headset. Still he brings a certain intensity to the role and is certainly believable as a man who has learnt to eliminate fear. I'm nearly as sick about hearing how much people hate Jaden Smith as I am about people hating Justin Bieber. I don't understand the hatred for the kid. Yes he has an ego, just like his Dad but I think he's reasonably talented, he is still pretty young to really know if he has the acting chops that his Dad has. I thought he actually did a great job in this film. He didn't show the ego that he tends to have in person and him and his Dad worked very well together. Both roles were solid and carried the film just right. Jaden was a full on action/sci-fi hero and it worked and was believable and bravo to him for that.

Somewhere along the line M. Night Shyamalan became a joke and that's unfortunate. I don't really fully understand why he became such a joke. I mean, he has made a few stinkers...one horrendous stinker (The Happening) but he has also made some amazing films. I wouldn't put this into his amazing movies but I wouldn't put it anywhere near his stinkers. This was a great, entertaining, emotionally charged sci-fi flick and I enjoyed every minute of it. I admit I was caught into the M. Night hoopla and expected a twist ending but this one is just a straight forward mainstream adventure flick. One of the final scenes between father and son was near brilliant and almost brought tears to my eyes. The special effects were very well done and some of the monsters and beasts they created were epic in stature and should be looked at as being fun and well done. I guess I just don't understand the expectations people had from this. It seems that people have a real grudge against young entertainers like Jaden Smith but I am not one of them and I encourage you if you love sci-fi to watch this and simply enjoy it

12 Years a Slave (2013) Another masterpiece from McQueen

 

Movieshared.net -  The film is based on the real story of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living in New York, who is abducted and sold into slavery in Louisiana. As the film begins, we are exposed to his talent as a musician (he plays the violin) and get a glimpse of the life he leads with his wife and two children. All is well until he meets two men who seem taken by his music and want to bring him along with them so he can play at various events. When Solomon wakes up in chains, his dark journey starts and the film never lets you take a break.

If you've seen McQueen's other works then you more or less know what kind of movie to expect (if you haven't then please stop reading and watch Hunger and Shame). 12 Years a Slave is dark and raw, it exposes everything, without sugarcoating it. It is definitely hard to watch; Several people walked out of the the theatre but in my opinion, it is not only worth watching but necessary. Films exploring themes of slavery are few and far in between and never has one been quite as exhaustive and effective as this one. Beautifully shot and edited, the film features moments of tension, heartbreak and a few laughs here and there. Steve McQueen has created another masterpiece.

Most actors get very little screen time. Paul Giamatti and Sarah Paulson are seen for a few minutes but both are great as usual. Benedict Cumberbatch plays a plantation owner, who recognizes Solomon's talent and tries to help him to a certain extent. Despite being a slaver, he is presented in the film as being a good man. Cumberbatch was very good, though outshined by far by Michael Fassbender. He goes through every emotion and gives it his everything. In my opinion, this is his best performance to date. Paul Dano gets a few minutes of screen time as well but makes incredible use of it. As Benedict's worker, he despises slaves and the songs he sings to Solomon makes an incredibly powerful scene, one of the most disturbing in the film. Lupita Nyong'o's first appearance in a feature film is stunning, as she plays a heart breaking young slave. I hope she has a long career ahead of her, she certainly has the talent for it. The true star is definitely Chiwetel Ejiofor. His performance as Solomon is stunning and unforgettable, I truly hope he wins the Oscar for it this year.

All in all, if you get a chance to see 12 Years a Slave, don't miss it. Not everyone will be able to stomach it but it's an outstanding film that deserves and needs to be seen.

The Other Woman (2014) This movie is seriously underrated

 

Movieshared.net - You will certainly think I'm crazy to give this movie a 10 out of 10...

Well, that's because you don't know me.

I'm used to look at "serious" films", with a depth, with a background...

But this one made me laugh, a lot. It is what, if I have could, would have done to my husband, who was cheating on me too... :-)

I wish I would have seen this movie before, it would have given me some ideas.

Now, more seriously - and being a fan of serious film, preferably English or Asian - this one really got me feel good. The 3 (or 4, let's not forget the secretary) Ladies are fantastic! I wish more women would do this to their cheating husband (ok, I know some women cheat too: I just wanted to say "in this kind of situation" - financial interests...).

Enjoy this movie!!!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - A perfect holiday without leaving home

 

Movieshared.net - It has often been said that Wes Anderson walks the fine line between folly and genius. In the "Grand Budapest Hotel", however, this distinction no longer exists: the ridiculous becomes brilliant, and brilliant has never been this ridiculous.

It is his best work, or at least the film which has all of Anderson's creative impulses working in one direction, producing a coherent work of art. His films have always been quirky, charming and out-of-this world, but never before has the audience been immersed in Andersonland as fully as with this film. The colours, the camera movement that switches between different parts of the set, the music, the lens angle distortion, the ridiculously stellar cast, all of Anderson's trademark elements, combine to produce the ultimate Anderson film. The absolutely ridiculous CGI is used perfectly to add to the surrealism of the movie. It is also extremely well crafted, not only visually, but structurally. Unlike some of his previous work, the editing, the pacing and the rhythm of "Budapest" are pitch-perfect.

Is it a great film? I'm not sure. It does not attempt to cope with the issues of death, love, despair, the big ones. On the other hand, it seeps with nostalgia, a bittersweet longing for an age long past, and the fascinating characters it produced. It is technically a detective comedy, and one has to note that the genre seems to suit Anderson's peculiar brand of filmmaking very well. But never before has Hitchcock's Macguffin been as explicitly embodied as by the "Boy With the Apple". The plot is merely a mechanism that allows Anderson to transport his vision onto the screen, a vision of a peculiar world seemingly different from our own, but filled with just as much loss and, at the same time, human compassion as ours. There is comedy, but its either very subtle or incredibly over the top, and most viewers are uncomfortable with both. There isn't a single 'ordinary shot', pretty much every image is out of place to such an extent that they begin to form one coherent film, and a fantastic one at that