Movies & TV series

Top Movies – The Shape of Water Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

The Shape of Water is a love letter to classic monster flicks. It intertwines a lush fable world effectively with old-school cinema.

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Romance

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Hewlett, Nick Searcy, Allegra Fulton & Lauren Lee Smith.

Run Time: 123 min.

US Release: 22 December 2017

UK Release: 14 February 2018

German Release: 15 February 2018

Guillermo del Toro’s latest fantasy feature was screened along a ton of festivals late last year. I am a big fan of his projects because the man has a good sense of transforming fairy-tales into mythical visual marvels. While I wasn’t sold on the first Hellboy or Crimson Peak, I need to admit that del Toro always manages to capture the essence of mystic and awe in his fabrications. For that reason alone, I was looking forward to seeing his new film, not quite sure what to expect. What I obtained was a beautiful blend of mystery and drama.

Set in the American Cold War era of the 1960’s, a secret high-security government facility experiments on a bipedal amphibian creature (Jones). The experiments are overseen by the cruel Colonel Strickland (Shannon). When the isolated and lonely Elisa (Hawkins), a cleaning maid working in the facility, discovers the creature her world is filled with love and excitement.

This is a sweet and innocent love story about two lovers from different worlds, using a similar style as the French romantic movie Amelie. While it might show an unorthodox relationship between Elisa and the Amphibian Man, the two are more alike than first sight might let to believe, especially since both don’t feel whole; Elisa because of her muteness and the specimen due to the fact that it was taken from his home and brought to the human world. Contrasting the naivety of the romance is a brute and bloody violence from an evil government employee. A perfect metaphor for this tale’s message – the fantasy of love versus the harsh reality that life can be.

The plot also contains a surprising amount of humour, which emerges unexpectedly but works well in the context of the narrative. What impacted me positively, is the fact that this picture is a visual evidence for del Toro’s love of classic films and monster movies. He respects and understands the genre so well, that he created one of the best original fantasy tales I have seen since Pan’s Labyrinth. The script does have one issue, though, which is the pacing that slows down dramatically in the third act. On the other hand, the dialogue was quite mesmerizing and emotional, especially given fact that the main character communicates through sign language.

I need to give praise to all of the actors, as there is not one person who gave a bad performance. All of them are at the top of their game, believable as the person (or creature) they played. Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins alone, give some of their top renditions for their side roles. What I found fascinating about the different personalities was that every single one experienced the same emptiness and incompletion, but they all dealt with it differently.

Sally Hawkins is simply fantastic as the lead character Elisa, there is no other way to describe it! Elisa is mute, meaning that Hawkins can’t express her sentiments verbally, yet she manages to overcome that obstruction by gesturing her emotions, using some of the best body language I saw on film. Elisa herself is a really likeable person; a little bit naive but incredibly smart and attentive. She works for a shady government agency as a cleaning lady but secretly learns about that place by listening and observing.

Michael Shannon is amazing as the main villain. He plays Richard Strickland, a Colonel of the U.S. Army and a horrible sadist, who enjoys watching others suffer in pain. It is fascinating to watch as the narrative slowly turns the tables on his character and that of the fish-man. The end result could not have happened without the terrific performance by Shannon.

Doug Jones is the “Andy Serkis” of costumed acting. The man portrayed several roles under tons of makeup, including a similar role in the Hellboy series and I am always surprised at how much emotion he can express facially under all them masks, especially in this role where he does not speak. Similar to Hawkins, Jones uses bodily gestures and facial grimaces, to convey what he is thinking and feeling. He became the Amphibian Man.

Visually, this is a picture book that came to life on the big screen, making use of striking blue and green tints that enhance the story. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen and del Toro took beautiful master-shots, which focused equally on the characters as well as the fantastic locations. This also adds some optical comedy to the plot. The sets and locations depict the 60’s perfectly, and the apartments look like something out of a fairy-tale, with their large arched windows. The makeup design looks great, especially that of Doug Jones, who was transformed into the Amphibian Man and the costumes contrasted the atmospheric colour-palette at times, with the bright reds and humble gold.

The soundtrack, composed by Alexandre Desplat, is amazing and just as the cinematography, enhances the feeling of this dream-like world. I was instantly hooked at the suave tunes, which sent chills down my back during the more emotional segments.

Verdict: Guillermo del Toro proved once again why he is the master of the fantasy genre. This is a beautiful fairy-tale about love, pain and finding a place of acceptance. While the pacing is a little off during the last act, the story itself is absolutely gorgeous and uses the genres of romance and drama as metaphors to two contradicting emotional spectrums. The characters are written incredibly well and the portrayals are all powerful, with Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones giving some of the best bodily performances on screen. Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins are extraordinary in their side roles, while Michael Shannon absolutely nails it as the villain. The camera-work is compelling; with each scene looking like a painting that came to life and the music is hauntingly beautiful, complimenting the relationship between Elisa and the fish-man. I adore The Shape of Water and will give it a 9 out of 10.

I do recommend you go see this fantasy-romance in theatres, I know I will go again and already pre-ordered my copy on Blu-ray. As a side note, I will review all previous Hellboy adaptations before the new flick comes out in theatres next year. Thank you for reading my review and if you liked it, please give it a thumbs up and share it.

Top Movies – Father Figures Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

Two brothers hit the road, in search of the father they never got to know but figure out that it won’t be as easy as previously thought.

Genre: Comedy

Director: Lawrence Sher

Cast: Ed Helms, Owen Wilson, Glenn Close, J.K. Simmons, Terry Bradshaw, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, Katt Williams, Harry Shearer, Katie Aselton & Zachary Haven.

Run Time: 113 min.

US Release: 22 December 2017

UK Release: 16 February 2018

German Release: 15 February 2018

Father Figures was released in the U.S. late December of last year but is coming out in Europe early 2018. This is Sher’s directorial debut, who previously worked as a cinematographer on projects like The Hangover trilogy, Due Date and I Love You, Man, just to name a few. His experience with comedies should have given him the upper hand for this feature but it was plagued with problems from the beginning and it really shows! Be it the development hell it was stuck in or the constant changes in release dates and not to forget the title change from “Bastards” to what it is now, this movie went through them all.

Peter Reynolds (Helms) is a bored and depressed proctologist, going through a difficult time in his life. At his mother’s (Close) wedding, he confronts her about his father, who he and his twin brother Kyle (Wilson) never met. She confesses to the fake stories she told them about a fictional father and gives them a list of names from men, who could possibly fit the profile. The two twins go on a road trip to search for their real dad.

Writer Justin Malen developed this messy story that doesn’t seem to know what it should be, as the comedic and dramatic elements in the plot are unbalanced. This makes for a very boring dramedy, with Malen trying to spice up the narrative by adding uncomfortable raunchy humour, which is coincidentally my biggest gripe with the film: It isn’t funny at all! The emotional beats also fall flat, as the plot makes ridiculous turns and twists that make little, to no sense, a shame as it did have a message buried underneath all that pile of garbage.

It did have its moments, though, such as a very sweet scene between two characters sitting in front of a bar getting to know each other. The following scenes however, turned that romantic moment into one of the crudest clichés in movie history and ruined it. The dialogues were horrible as well, most of them consisting of cheap butt and sex jokes. The rude and foulmouthed conversations did not add to the story, they were simply included for the sake of shocking the audience.

Most of the big name actors, listed in this comedy, have nothing more than short cameo scenes, which is a big let-down. They appear and disappear, without ever hearing from them again. Even Glenn Close, who should have played a vital role in this feature, gets a maximum of, maybe, fifteen minutes on screen. I honestly don’t understand why these well-known performers decided to join this cheap and cluttered mess of a project.

Ed Helms plays one of the two main characters, Peter Reynolds, twin to the second lead. Peter himself is an unlikeable person, who judges and insults people simply because he is going through a rough patch. He built an emotional wall towards his family and is alone due to being unsupportable. Helms doesn’t add any presence to his role, making him boring and uninteresting, so when the plot tries to vindicate some of Peter’s actions, I couldn’t care less for his redemption. Helms also makes the impression as if he isn’t sure about the script’s atmosphere, acting completely contrary to the tone set.

Kyle Reynolds, portrayed by Owen Wilson, is the other sibling and a more likeable persona. Wilson, however, dons the same role we saw him play in Zoolander, You, Me and Dupree and other comedic roles of the noughties, giving an uninspired performance without adding anything new to the character. Kyle is a “hippie” douchebag, who had the fortune to fall into a pot of gold. It is sad seeing Wilson like that, knowing that he gave a great performance in Wonder.

The best segment of the film, by far, is the part in which J.K. Simmons makes his appearance. Simmons plays Roland Hunt, a criminal and possible father to Peter and Kyle. He catches the personas maniacal side well and was incredibly funny, without needing to stoop down to the level of the narrative but using the bad script to his advantage.

This is a good and sharp looking comedy that makes use of strong colours, which suit the easy and unburdened atmosphere. While the lighting is good for the largest part, there is a scene playing at night that includes a hitchhiker. That segment is too dark and it is hard to make out what is happening inside the car. It also included a couple of shots that were taken from strange angles, such as the airplane scene, in which people kept passing by in front of the camera while focusing on a discussion between the two leads. It also made use of lazy and uninspired travel montages, signalling the beginning and end of the road-trip.

Verdict: Lawrence Sher’s debut flick is a chaotic trash-project that doesn’t know exactly what it should be; including both comedic and dramatic points, displayed at its worse. The story written by Justin Malen is of poor quality, dull, and uses toilet humour to create false excitement. I smirked a couple of times but sat mostly bored out of my mind, hoping for this film to end soon. The dialogue basically consists of awkward humour and nasty sex jokes and the characters are one-dimensional and uninspired. Ed Helms seems to be confused about what type of movie he is playing in, and Owen Wilson is given the same role we saw him in so many times before. The colour and pictures look nice and crisp but it also makes use of uninspirational montages and uses awkward angles. The only redeeming aspect of this horrible comedy is J.K. Simmons, who used the bad narration to his advantage, which is why I will give Father Figures a 3.5 out of 10.

Thank you for reading my review and if you enjoyed it, give it a thumbs up and share it with others.

Top Movies – Black Panther Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

If you thought Tony Stark had the coolest gadgets in the MCU, wait until you see a whole country using technology Mr. Iron Man himself couldn’t even dream off.

Genre: Action/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis, Letitia Wright, Martin Freeman, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, John Kani & Forest Whitaker.

Run Time: 134 min.

US Release: 16 February 2018

UK Release: 16 February 2018

German Release: 15 February 2018

I need to confess that I wasn’t all that hyped for this new instalment of the MCU. The trailers did not speak to me and the way it was cut made it look more like an over-the-top superhero-gangster flick. I am also not that versed in Black Panther comic book lore; I did read some of the Avengers’ stories, which included him and tales with crossovers but I never read an actual Black Panther story. Going to the theatre I was excited, as well as nervous since I did not know what to expect. Well, I am glad to say that this is a blast!

King T’Challa (Boseman), also known as the hero Black Panther, returns to his reclusive home, the technologically advanced nation of Wakanda, to serve as its leader. He soon learns, though, that factions within his own ranks challenge him for the throne. While mean, two foes emerge that threaten to destroy the country from within, leading Black Panther to call for help from an unexpected ally.

Just as Doctor Strange or Captain America: Winter the Winter Soldier, Black Panther is not the typical Marvel superhero blockbuster. This is a political thriller at its core with superhero elements surrounding it, and it delves deep into worldwide socio-political issues without ever beating the viewer over the head with its message. In fact, most of the problems that are brought up come in form of dialogues, where the characters themselves realise how they contribute to those affairs and try to find solutions to change the world for the better. Due to this reason and the fact that the story takes place during the inauguration of a young king, the plot reminded me a little bit of The Lion King.

Ryan Coogler did a fantastic job helming this story and produced something fresh and unseen as of yet. While we witnessed the vast races and places of the galaxy in other MCU features, Coogler focuses on the people of a hidden country in Africa and their technological advancements. He immerses the audience in Wakandan culture and blends modern times and African traditions with futuristic looks perfectly. The narrative is not flawless however, as it contains a lot of humour that was either a little too cheesy or awkwardly placed.

This film has a large cast and includes a vast amount of strong side characters that sometimes overshadow Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. A severe issue, as he is the main protagonist! Nevertheless, Boseman gives a great performance and is really likeable as the king of Wakanda/Black Panther. T’Challa himself is a good person who carries the world’s weight on his shoulders. He is worried about his country and tries to figure out how to best rule it, while also searching for methods to save the less fortunate outside of Wakanda. It is not until his nemesis, Killmonger, confronts him that he realises what he needs to do.

Michael B. Jordan, who plays Erik Killmonger, is extremely charismatic and has one of the best introductions in this picture. In fact, the style in which he is introduced reminded me of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and his establishment in the Daredevil series. Contrary to the Kingpin though, Jordan’s screen time is cut short, meaning that most of his back-story is hastily explained in the last act. While I could sympathise with his motivations, it was that drawback that hinders Killmonger to become one of MCU’s greatest villains.

Danai Gurira & Lupita Nyong’o portray two strong and proud female characters. Gurira is Okoye, head of Dora Milaje – personal bodyguards of the Black Panther – and very traditionalist. She is a great warrior and a kick-ass character. Nyong’o plays the strong-headed Nakia and former lover of T’Challa.

Martin Freeman reprises his role of Everett K. Ross, from Captain America: Civil War and is one of the movie’s comedic points. It was humorous to see Coogler use him as the token white guy. Andy Serkis reprises the character of Ulysses Klaue, who appeared the first time in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Serkis really steals the show every time he is on screen; he has a maniacal presence that is scary and yet fascinating.

The film makes use of a great colour palette; the vibrant and rich tones suit the mystical African country well and enhance the viewer’s immersion into its culture. Yet as with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the picture looks at times very synthetic, which distracts from the story. The 3D effects are a little fuzzy, especially during some of the action scenes, making it hard to follow but once in focus, them fighting sequences look fantastic. The best computer imagery by far, are the different suits for the Black Panther.

One of the best features this blockbuster has to offer is its grand music. A compilation of African tribal drums and modern hip-hop beats that set the mood for the story’s atmosphere. It sounds spectacular!

Verdict: Black Panther is not free of flaws but it is a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has a fabulous message and uses it proactively in its plot, not talking down to the audience while doing so. This is unique for Marvel, as it focuses more on the political aspect while spreading out the superhero action segments throughout the film. It also includes a huge cast and a lot of them play powerful and charming characters. As to weaknesses; the story is a little bit overstuffed which affects a few of the characters, especially that of Michael B. Jordan. His story was rushed in the last act, causing the persona to come off as a childish hothead at times. Some of the jokes are also badly placed and sometimes weak. Other than that, it is a beautiful looking movie that includes strong colours and a killer track. It has a couple of visual imperfections, but these can be forgiven. I will give this original superhero tale an 8 out of 10.

What was your opinion of Black Panther? Is it what you expected it to be or less/more? Leave a comment and thank you for reading!

Top Movies – Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

Our favourite hero, the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, gets his third reboot in two decades. The difference is, this time around Marvel Studios is calling the shots!

Genre: Action/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Bokeem Woodbine, Michael Chernus, Donald Glover & Robert Downey Jr.

Run Time: 133 min.

US Release: 07 July 2017

UK Release: 05 July 2017

German Release: 13 July 2017

In preparation for the upcoming Black Panther comic book blockbuster, I decided to analyse Spider-Man: Homecoming, which I missed reviewing last year. The young wall-crawler is, next to DC’s Batman, my favourite superhero since childhood, so when Marvel and Sony finalised their deal, my nerdy heart was going nuts! To see a Spider-Man adaptation made by Marvel Studios that would finally include him in the MCU, was a dream I was hoping to see come true for so long. Well, last year in July we finally obtained what we wished for and it was… a mediocre disappointment to say the truth.

Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter (Holland) finds himself living his normal, “boring” teenage life again. Distracted and wanting to prove that he is more than simply Iron-man’s new sidekick, he starts ignoring his high school duties and social life. Once the Vulture (Keaton) emerges as a new villain, Peter needs to reconsider his priorities.

Homecoming manages to exhibit a good balance between Peter’s high-school life and his secret existence as Spider-Man, just as it was done in the comics. The best comedic moments are delivered when these two lifestyles collide, as he is unable to find an equilibrium between the two; often choosing his crime-fighting vigilante side than normal high school Peter. Those funny elements are mostly delivered by clever use of sarcastic dialogues and teen-anxiety. Simply put, this is a well-written coming of age/superhero plot.

The story, however, contains quite a few issues that still nag me. For one, with all the technology implemented into Spider-Man’s suit and the Iron Man/Tony Stark cameos, it feels at times less like a Spidey flick but rather like an Iron Man 3.5, with the Web-Slinger assisting. Being a Spider-Man fan, it really irritated me seeing him being downplayed in his own solo film. Also, the twist at the end, which sheds a little more light on the villain’s persona, feels unconvincing and is too much of a coincidence.

Tom Holland is great as Peter Parker (Spider-Man). He manages to portray him as a person, rather than the wall-crawling superhero and that is exactly how it should be since Spider-Man is first and foremost Parker, trying to imitate a more self-secure version of himself. I loved his constant state of astonishment and surprise babbling as if it were taken directly from the comics. Just as with the suit, though, the writers tried to update the character by giving him a few of Miles Morales’ social trades. A shame, since Holland could have carried the role on his own.

Michael Keaton plays Adrian Tombs – a.k.a. Vulture – and he is as always fantastic. The background story explains his motivation for becoming a supervillain and makes absolute sense. This is also one of the better villains shown in the MCU; Keaton gives the character charisma as well as a sense of moral, therefore being somewhat likeable and the updated look on his suit gives him more of a threatening look. Also, just as a fun fact, how ironic is it that this is his third role playing someone in a suit with wings?

Jacob Batalon portrays Ned, Peter’s best friend and one of the worst characters in this movie. He is a shitty friend most of the times and when he does preach righteousness, it’s usually too late. Batalon’s role is nothing more than a copy of Morales’ best friend, Ganke Lee, and should not have even been included in this superhero flick. I also found it unnecessary for Ned to figure out Parker’s secret identity – this was shown in the trailer, so it’s not a spoiler!

Zendaya plays Michelle, a quiet and introverted teenage girl who likes to observe and give off sarcastic comments. She is smart and I found her persona to be relatable. The only issue I have with the character is a revelation about her at the end of the story. It would have been better to leave her the way she is.

Laura Harrier is great as Liz, Parker’s love interest. A smart and popular girl, who focuses on school and extracurricular activities. Although limited in screen time, she manages to give her character some depth. Marisa Tomei got a lot of backlash for obtaining the role of Aunt May, but she is great and I had never an issue with a younger version of the character.

As with most Marvel pictures of late, Homecoming looks handsome on screen; using strong and vibrant colours, however, it also has a very synthetic touch that distracts at times. Ironic, since it is a comic book adaptation after all. The action sequences are choreographed and captured really well, contrasting the more grounded camera work for the high-school scenes. It also makes use of terrific aerial shots mixed with the breathtaking New York landscape. The CGI is great for the longest part, but I was able tell at times that the web-slinger is completely animated, due to the acrobatic movements he performs on screen, while swinging from building to building.

Verdict: As an absolute Spidey-fan, I need to confess that this blockbuster was kind of a letdown, leaving me fairly cold. While it contains a lot of facets that work really well and make it a true Spider-man film, the story also includes a few aspects that drew away from the ultimate web-slinger experience. This included: too many Tony Stark and Happy Hogan cameos, the suit containing too much tech, a couple of side-plots with twists that felt forced and one character I could not stand! Ned is an incredibly irritating friend, who doesn’t know how to shut-up and tries to ride on Peter’s fame as Spider-Man, once he figures out his best friend’s secret. On the other hand, Tom Holland is amazing as both, Peter and his web-headed alter ego while Michael Keaton totally nails it as the Vulture – by far one of the best villains the MCU has to offer! In the end, I will give Spider-Man: Homecoming a 7 out of 10.

As I also missed reviewing the second and third Thor, as well as both Guardians of the Galaxy flicks, I decided to catch up on them shortly before the release of Infinity War, so look out for these reviews. Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below, letting me know what you thought of Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Top Movies – Fifty Shades Freed Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

Less sex, more story but still a terrible movie. Fifty Shades Freed doesn’t aspire to become better than its predecessors but at least this trilogy comes to an end!

Genre: Drama/Romance/Thriller

Director: James Foley

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes, Max Martini, Arielle Kebbel Amy Price-Francis & Marcia Gay Harden.

Run Time: 105 min.

US Release: 09 February 2018

UK Release: 09 February 2018

German Release: 08 February 2018

We reached once again that time of the year when one of E.L. James’ book adaptations is released in cinemas. There is also a silver lining in the dark horizon though, as we finally reach the end of the road and that alone is a reason to celebrate. That is right ladies and gentlemen, no more Fifty Shades, it is done and over! I am still amazed at the fact that this became a successful cinematic franchise, since the story or characters did not evolve one bit, along all three films. In other words, this third part is simply more of the same crap we obtained since 2015.

After his proposal at the end of Fifty Shades Darker, Christian and Anastasia get married and spend their honeymoon travelling through Europe. As she starts embracing her role as Mrs. Grey, a shadow from their past appears and threatens to destroy their new life as husband and wife. Can Christian put his dominant personality aside and can Ana truly grow in her new role, as one of the most powerful women of Seattle?

There is nothing I haven’t said about the previous two movies that don’t apply to this one. The franchise is still boring, with the plot simply showing 140 minutes of a newlywed’s life, who fly to their honeymoon, or drive a weekend to Aspen with their friends. The story depicts an unhealthy marital relationship and plasters it on the silver screen, including dull sex scenes that aren’t lustful. Then there is the fact that an important plot point, concerning one of the characters, is wrapped up in the last five minutes before the screen fades to black. And yet, although still being the biggest garbage, these flicks keep getting surprisingly “better” with each instalment.

As for pros; at least something is actually happening in the last act that could be described as exciting, though, silly in the way it is executed and of course, it is once again involuntarily comedic. The dialogues themselves are still absolutely cringeworthy, adding extra layers of cheese with each scene and the sex talk is, once again, one of the worst I have heard in cinematic history. At least the actors had fun with it, knowing that the script was terrible.

Just as with the plot, none of the characters managed to evolve in the course of three films.

Anastasia Steele, played by Dakota Johnson, is still naive and a hopeless romantic who expects to be able to change her husband, Christian Grey, to become emotionally more accessible. She is the worst female lead I have seen in a motion picture and a terrible role model for young women, as her actions speak false messages to the audience, about abusive relationships and how there is a chance to change violent partners if you stick with them.

Christian Grey, is still the controlling psychopath he was in the last two features, with the slight exception that he included lying to his resume. He promises Anastasia that there would be no secrets and that he would change for her, but he never does. He even puts her job in jeopardy, as he trespasses a business meeting of hers, simply because she did not change her work mail with her new surname. That is not a healthy behaviour! He persistently tries to control what she wears and where she goes on her free time, ignoring her pleas to stop as his jealousy is drowning her. This is not a man to date and least of all to marry!

Jack Hyde, portrayed by Eric Johnson, is an absolute expendable character. His presence and actions have no outcome on the story whatsoever, and his true motivation to hurt the Greys comes out of the blue and is not relatable at all. The character is a one-dimensional villain with no depths or personality.

I am aware that I keep repeating myself, believe me, it is not easy to review a series of films that don’t change. Still, it is also true for Fifty Shades Freed that its best segment is the camera work, lighting and picture. Both montages at the beginning and end, however, were creatively lazy and visually uncomfortable. The soundtrack for this romantic thriller consists again of more pop songs, to enhance “action” scenes or “set the mood” for sex scenes.

Verdict: It comes as no surprise that even the last instalment of this pseudo-romantic flick is a disappointment but it was even more depressing to see how full the cinema was, during the screening. I simply don’t understand what it is that draws women of all ages to see these stories. Is it the lazy writing? Because there is nothing of interest happening throughout its runtime. Or maybe it is the BDSM and lovemaking segments, which lack absolute sexiness? It would be great if somebody could answer the question below. The dialogue is terrible and the characters are naive, as well as stupid. Christian tends to have a psychopathic personality but that is already well documented. The only reason why I didn’t lose my mind in the theatre was the knowledge that this franchise would end with this feature. Fifty Shades Freed might be a little bit better than Darker, but it still gets a 2.5 out of 10.

If you enjoyed the previous movies, you will probably like this one. For all others, stay away from this horrible want-to-be romance. Thank you as always for reading my review!

Want to read my other Fifty Shades reviews? Click on the links: Fifty Shades of Grey Review, Fifty Shades Darker Review.

Top Movies – The Cloverfield Paradox Movie Review – Movie Reviews Sites

Lost in space, with inexplicable things happening on a space station. The new instalment in the Cloverfield saga raises more questions than answers.

Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Director: Julius Onah

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Brühl, David Oyelowo, John Ortiz, Chris O’Dowd, Aksel Hennie, Zhang Ziyi, Elizabeth Debicki, Roger Davis, Clover Nee & Donal Logue.

Run Time: 102 min.

US Release: 04 February 2018 (Online on Netflix)

UK Release: 05 February 2018 (Online on Netflix)

German Release: 04 February 2018 (Online on Netflix)

If you read my previous reviews of the other Cloverfield movies, you will know that I am a fan of the franchise. I liked the first one quite a bit, still believing it is one of the better found-footage flicks, and don’t even get me started on 10 Cloverfield Lane; apart from the ending it is a perfect homage to Hitchcock’s Psycho and includes a fantastic performance by John Goodman. While I was aware that a new Cloverfield production was coming this year, I had no idea that it was going to be released after the Super Bowl on Netflix. So, guess how surprised I was when I saw the advert during the game.

Seven scientists orbiting Earth, test a device known as “The Shepherd” to find a solution to an energy crisis, which is pushing the world to the brink of war. When a test run goes awry, the scientists find themselves lost in space with Earth nowhere to be seen.

Attention!!! Reviewing this movie without giving away spoilers is basically impossible, which is why this is going to be a mild spoiler review.

Let me start by saying that this is a fun space thriller at its core but it would have been even better, had it been produced as an independent story and not as part of the Cloverfield universe. The basic theme of the plot is intriguing and would have made for a great cerebral sci-fi flick, even if it is sadly wasted here. The horror and mystery aspects, on the other hand, are really well explored.

What I didn’t like was the fact that the film doesn’t really answer the questions its marketing campaign promised it would do. Instead, it creates more questions, rather than answering them and the only way the plot would make sense now, is if it plays in a parallel dimension to the other pictures. This is first of all due to the period in which the story plays in; Cloverfield plays in 2008, while Paradox is set in the future of 2028. Second, there are narrative elements in the story that would contradict the first. So, if it does play in a parallel universe, although being quite the genius idea, it would also be lazy writing, since it sets up no rules to the outcomes it could have on parallel worlds and its timelines.

The other issue is that it doesn’t feel as if it was meant to take part in the world that Abram’s set-up in the first place, since all Cloverfield references look like they where shoehorned in during post-production. Narrative-wise, the pacing is off, as it switches from the space station to a couple of events on earth, which screeches the flow of the plot to a near halt. The dialogues are mostly good, but it can get a little bit over-the-top and silly, once it starts with the multiverse theories. I also found that the picture took itself at times way too serious for its own good, while some of the comedic moments were introduced at the wrong time.

Paradox has a vast array of international stars, most of them giving fairly good performances. My only issue is that none of them react surprised or horrified at some of the stuff happening on the space station, although the most collected person would be freaking out by the things this group witness. I also took an issue with the fact that almost all characters are unlikeable.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, of Doctor Who fame, plays the main character Ava Hamilton. She went through a tragic past with her husband Michael, portrayed by Roger Davies, which strained their relationship. She is therefore afraid of the idea to leave him on Earth while working on the Cloverfield space station for an unknown amount of time. Mbatha-Raw gave a fine performance but is at times emotionally cold and distant. I had a hard time understanding her and disliked most decisions she made. Davies, on the other hand, gets a very limited amount of screen time, making it impossible for the audience to connect with his role.

Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) portrays German physicist Schmidt and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) plays Chinese engineer Tam. Both give good performances, although Schmidt is a true dislikeable person. It is also hinted that these two have some form of relationship going on, though that is never explored.

The most likeable characters are those of Chris O’Dowd & David Oyelowo, who play Mundy and Commander Kiel. O’Dowd is best known for his comedic roles; so it is no surprise that he is the funny bone of this film. Mundy reacts sarcastically to events that are inexplicable. Oyelowo gives by far the best performance; he is empathetic and seems to be truly affected by the situation the crew is facing.

On the other end of the spectrum are Aksel Hennie and Elizabeth Debicki (as Volkov and Mina Jensen respectively), whose performances are atrocious. Debicki’s face is emotionless throughout all of her screen time and she behaves like a machine, rather than a human being, while Hennie is semi-yelling most of his dialogue.

The cinematography, however, is the best aspect this movie has to offer! It makes use of great angles to sell the claustrophobic feeling on the station and builds up tension effectively through the use of dolly zooms. The crisp and clear looking and while it feels very sterile, it makes use of a few strong colours; in particular the neon purple light of the Shepherd and the gyro. The computer-generated graphics and effects look great and put to shame some of the big budget blockbusters. Honestly, I can’t find anything wrong with the way this Netflix production was filmed.

Verdict: Being a fan of this franchise, I was deeply disappointed by this third instalment. If this would have been a self-contained project, it would have made for an alright sci-fi thriller but given the fact that it plays in the Cloverfield universe, the lazy explanations used as to how each film is interconnected really hurts the movie. There are events happening that don’t make sense and are simply being brushed off. It was nice to see, though, that the cast was made up of international stars from around the world and they all did a good job, with the exception of a few that played very wooden and over-the-top. I did have an issue with the characters, however, as they weren’t likeable and thus I couldn’t connect with them. The cinematography and effects, on the other side, were top-notch and the best this picture had to offer. In the end, I will give The Cloverfield Paradox a 5.5 out of 10.

Thank you very much for reading my review and if you liked it, please give it a thumbs up and share it. If you are interested in reading my other reviews, click on the following links: Cloverfield Review and 10 Cloverfield Review.

Top Movies – Fifty Shades Darker Movie Review – Movie Reviews Sites

The second entry of the Fifty Shades trilogy doesn’t expand on what Fifty Shades of Grey already showed us. Boring plot, boring sex scenes, it simply is boring!

Genre: Drama/Romance/Thriller

Director: James Foley

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Andrew Airlie & Kim Basinger.

Run Time: 118 min.

US Release: 10 February 2017

UK Release: 10 February 2017

German Release: 09 February 2017

The review series of horror continues, with my analysis of Fifty Shades Darker leading up to Fifty Shades Freed, which I am going to see this week. Now, the first Fifty Shades flick as I explained in my review and my Worst Top 10 of 2015 post, was my least favourite movie of that year. This one, although a little better than the previous, continues that tradition by scoring a spot on my Top 3 worst of 2017. The trilogy is an adaptation of author’s E.L. James’ Twilight fan-fiction novels, which are written terribly!

!!! THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS !!!

A year after the events of Fifty Shades of Grey, Ana and Christian rekindle their relationship. Christian gave up on his BDSM lifestyle and promises Ana that this time around there are no rules or spanking as punishment. In the meantime, Ana’s new boss tries to sexually abuse her, an old submissive of Christian breaks into Ana’s home and Mr. Grey himself goes missing after a business trip.

James’ husband, who wrote the script, tried to add some thrilling moments to the bland plot but failed miserably at building any kind of tension. This is basically because most of the arcs are resolved fairly quickly, without the story being able to unfold. In fact, this film follows the same formula over-and-over again; relationship talks, a conflict that happens and a sex-scene that concludes the arc. I counted up to four of these miniature acts over the course of its two-hour runtime. Worse yet, it is not until 45 to 50 minutes into the story, that something remotely interesting happens but by then I had already lost any interest in watching this pseudo-romantic flick.

The worst narrative line, though, comes around the end, when Christian is reported missing after his helicopter malfunctioned. Anastasia is sitting in their penthouse-apartment with friends and family and follows the news reports about her lover’s disappearance when it is said that he was just found healthy and safe. Not one minute later does he make an appearance through the doors of the elevator into their penthouse, while the reporter is still talking about how Grey has been just found.

Then there is the sex scenes and dialogues themselves. Are they steamy? Sure, of course, but it isn’t sexy! The dialogues did improve, compared to the wooden and weird conversations they had in the first movie. The actors at least acknowledged the badly written script and went on to have fun with it, while filming. This makes for some involuntarily funny scenes. That said, the sex-talk is still very cringeworthy.

The characters are badly written and have no real development. All the men are trying to win over Anastasia’s affections in very creepy ways, while the women are jealous of her because they want to sleep with Christian Grey. There are up to three “love-triangles” popping up in this film and just as the “thriller-y” parts, they get resolved in mere minutes.

Anastasia “Ana” Steele keeps being the weak female lead that we saw in the first part. She can’t stick to a decision she made and let’s Christian control every aspect of her life, even though she clearly states that she doesn’t like his act of exerting control over her. What annoyed me most was how she draws Christian Grey back into the BDSM lifestyle, which he retreated fro, due to her leaving him for that exact reason! Then she gets mad at him again for having led such a life in the first place. Her decisions make no sense, no matter how you analyse them.

Christian Grey really crosses the boundaries of personal space in this movie. He stalks Anastasia, as a sexual predator would do, and he is unhealthily jealous of every male person that crosses her life. He is damaged goods and without applying sexual dominance quickly spirals into dangerous territory. Even Kim Basinger’s character says that he is a dangerous psychopath, who without the BDSM lifestyle would have ended up in jail a long time ago. Jamie Dornan gives a much better performance comparing his work in the previous flick.

James Foley directed this sequel and John Schwartzman operated as director of photography. This is once again a good-looking movie; the picture is sharp and the colours, contrasting the previous film, are more vivid, meant to symbolise Grey’s ability to develop emotionally, even though that isn’t true. The short action sequence with the helicopter is well shot and the CG used looks fine. Still, just because it is good looking, doesn’t make this a great picture.

The music used consists once again of modern covers of popular songs that are meant to set the mood for the sex scenes, although they frankly did the opposite.

Verdict: Fifty Shades Darker doesn’t add anything new to the franchise. It still is boring soft-porn, trying to be a dramatic-romance picture but nothing really happens along the full runtime of its two hours. Even the sequences that are meant to be gritty feel absolutely dull, as the scenarios are wrapped up in ten minutes and the tension has no time to unfold. It also includes one of the biggest ridiculous plotlines concerning a helicopter crash and of course we get more stale sex-scenes. The dialogue did improve but simply because it is unwillingly funny but Dornan does improve his wooden portrayal of Christian Grey, eventually smiling from time to time, though his character is still a creepy, psychopathic stalker. In the end, this sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey is still the same crap with a few improved aspects but that doesn’t save it from obtaining a 2.5 out of 10.

Thank you for reading and look out for my review of the final instalment in this trilogy. Who knows, maybe it will surprise us all.

Top Movies – The Disaster Artist Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

This biographical story is funny and emotional, with an inspiring message to all who have a dream they are pursuing.

Genre: Biography/Comedy/Drama

Director: James Franco

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Seth Rogen, Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, Hannibal Buress, Nathan Fielder, Megan Mullally and Zac Efron.

Run Time: 104 min.

US Release: 08 December 2017

UK Release: 06 December 2017

German Release: 01 February 2018

The first time I was exposed to Tommy Wiseau’s The Room was back in 2007, once I started my journalism course in England. One of my friends in University suggested I go watch it if I am interested in filmmaking, saying that although awful, it did manage to grow a small cult viewership. I was absolutely shocked when I saw it at first and started to Google search about the film and Wiseau himself, obsessed to find out how this picture could have happened in the first place, but the man himself is an absolute enigma. Until today, no one knows where he is really from or how he obtained his monetary wealth.

In 2013, Greg Sestero published his book The Disaster Artist, which this movie is based on, and shed a little more light into the personality of Tommy and the troubling shooting of The Room. Seth Rogen’s production company bought the rights to the semi-autobiographical satire and adopted it for the screen with James Franco directing and playing the lead role. This is the dramedy based on Sestero’s non-fictional work and it is entertaining from beginning to end.

Developing this movie, it could have been very easy to take Sestero’s novel and turn this into a critical satire, beating down on a man and his dreams, which had been already crushed by others. I was very happy to see that this is not the case, as Rogen and Franco handle the story of Wiseau’s directorial debut and its production problems with care and respect. While it documents the process of the making of The Room, as well as the director’s outbursts, in a comedic matter it also shines a dramatic light on it and shows an emotional side to Tommy Wiseau, as he is chasing his desire to become a true Hollywood actor. This is, in fact, a very inspirational film, with a great message about not giving up on personal dreams!

James Franco blew me away as Tommy Wiseau. He adopts the strange speech patterns and body language of this peculiar person, who came out of nowhere, perfectly. This is one of the most mysterious celebrities out there, no one knows where he is from or what is real name is and I loved the way the character is introduced to the story, as it represented exactly that. Wiseau is a difficult person to understand; I am not even sure if he fully understands himself or what he does and I, therefore, do praise Franco for doing such a fantastic job.

Dave Franco plays Greg Sestero, Tommy’s best friend and co-lead in The Room. He gives a good and believable performance and manages to capture Sestero well. The interaction and relationship between both is something I really appreciated, as it explores the true meaning of friendship and the strains such a bond goes through at times.

Franco directed a stunning looking picture, the light and colour palette used to give it a natural look, making it feel very realistic. At the end of the screening, once the credits start rolling, glimpses of some of the scenes that were recreated for this dramatic comedy are shown, and I need to give my highest regards to DP Brandon Trost because he cloned all sequences perfectly. I also want to give praise to the effect and makeup artists, who worked on James Franco, because they physically transformed him into Tommy Wiseau. The soundtrack is brilliant and there are scenes that make use of songs from that era effectively, by playing them through radio or club speakers.

Verdict: I would have never expected to see a big Hollywood production that chronicles the makings of this weird, abstract independent flick and yet here I am, talking about it. I really liked how this story was handled, not just recreating ridiculous moments of The Room, which cult followers remember but also showing the emotional tale behind the creation of the movie. James Franco is absolutely astonishing as Wiseau, managing to clone the eccentric actor to the beat and his brother Dave Franco is good as Sestero, Wiseau’s best friend, and second lead. In fact, all of the supporting cast do a quality job. The makeup used to transform Franco into Wiseau is great and the camera-work and lighting gives this biography a realistic look. All in all, The Disaster Artist is a great flick film about the making of a movie and the two people behind it. I will give it an 8 out of 10.

Thanks for reading my review and if you liked it, don’t forget to share it with friends and family.

Top Movies – Den of Thieves Movie Review (Spoiler Free) – Movie Reviews Sites

When a powerful crew of gangsters start robbing armoured trucks, Detective Nick O’Brien enters a game of cat and mouse to bring them down.

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller

Director: Christian Gudegast

Cast: Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Pablo Schreiber, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Evan Jones, Moe McRae, Cooper Andrews, Dawn Olivieri & Charline St. Charles.

Run Time: 140 min.

US Release: 19 January 2018

UK Release: 02 February 2018

German Release: 01 February 2018

Well, this is something I did not expect; I left the Den of Thieves screening actually liking it and here I was sure this was going to be yet another cheap, over-the-top, action flick that stars everybody’s favourite actor Gerard Butler. Den of Thieves, also known as Criminal Squad in Germany and France, is the directorial debut by Christian Gudegast, whom Butler met at the shooting in London Has Fallen. While I wouldn’t call this heist-thriller a copy of Heat, it definitely borrows heavily from some specific plot-points of Michael Mann’s crime hit. So, ladies and gents tighten your seatbelts as I take you through my analysis.

After a successful heist on an armoured truck, Detective Nick O’Brien (Butler) and his elite unit of sheriffs are brought in, to solve the case and catch the outlaws. Their first lead is a young barkeeper named Donnie (Jackson Jr.), who guides them to Merrimen (Schreiber), leader of the robbery crew and planning their next coup. As both groups keep running into each other routinely, a tactical game ensues that will lead all of them down a dark path.

As stated above, this is not a direct clone of Heat but when it borrows from it, the references are blatantly obvious. The opening scene, in particular, is inspired by Mann’s 90s classic, resembling the notorious beginning nearly beat-to-beat. The interaction between both parties is also taken from the relationship between Vincent Hanna Neil McCauley. I ain’t saying that it is a bad thing, as many movies nowadays are partially copying ideas from others, yet Den of Thieves feels at times awkward because if you saw Heat, you can’t shake the feeling that you already saw a lot of the sequences.

Nevertheless, Christian Gudegast who also wrote the script to this movie managed to develop a fairly good story, something that I wasn’t expecting when I went to watch this action-thriller. The beginning might be a little bumpy, using way too many heist and bad cop clichés but the story is still entertaining and it had me hooked from the second act onwards. The last segment is a thrill ride from beginning to end and I was clinging to my seat, not sure which side to root for. The twist in the last ten minutes, though, is complete gibberish and makes no sense whatsoever. The dialogue contains a lot of macho-cheese and silly one-liners, not taking itself seriously in that compartment but it also surprises with more grounded talks.

Gerard Butler plays Detective ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien, leader of a Sheriffs Dept. unit. Nick is a typical depiction of the bad cop persona; he drinks too much, cheats on his wife and uses physical force to obtain what he wants, believing he is above the law. To say the truth, until the last act where he shows another side of his personality, Big Nick is not a particularly likeable character. Butler himself was very committed to the role, beefing up a couple of pounds but over-acted as always in most of his scenes.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. portrays the persona of Donnie Wilson making a good appearance and proving that he has more talent as an actor than his father. I felt sympathy for this man at first, as he made some choices in his youth, which got him in trouble. This character is the one that evolves the most during the plot and even though I applauded that, the last ten minutes of the movie showed a side of Wilson I did not buy for a minute.

Pablo Schreiber also gives a decent rendition of gangster-boss Merrimen, yet I found him very dull. The audience isn’t given a reason as to why he turned to crime, which would have helped to make the character relatable. Merrimen just gives orders, looks hard and threatens people. Schreiber doesn’t radiate charisma for this part, as De Niro did.

I was surprised by 50 Cent’s role, which is nothing more than a simple side-character. Ironically it is also his best cinematic performance I saw him give so far. Same goes for Mo McRae, who plays pretty much the same character as 50 Cent but standing on the opposite spectrum.

Gudegast managed to direct a fairly competent action-heist thriller, considering that this is his debut picture, and cinematographer Terry Stacey did a very fine job. The movie contains quite a few beautiful night shots of L.A. but what stands out the most is the gorgeous filmed action sequences. The choreography is fantastic, enhancing the tension, and looks tactically realistic, as if watching actual cops and professional gangsters fighting each other.

Verdict: I left the theatres absolutely confused about this action-thriller, not sure what to think of it. On one side, it tries to stand on its own feet, on the other, it borrows so much from Michael Mann’s Heat that it borders on plagiarism and that for one gave – at least in my opinion – a bit of a mixed signal because you can’t stop comparing the two films. The script is fine and the story well written, even though it starts off with a few missteps here and there but the strong last arc makes up for it. My issue concerning the plot is about the need to use clichéd elements of the genre and then there is the absurd last scene, which came out of the blue and made no sense whatsoever. Gerard Butler overacts in a lot of scenes, as always, but also delivers some fantastic moments; especially in the action segments that look amazing! I liked O’Shea Jackson Jr. but found Pablos Schreiber’s character too boring, even though he gave a fair performance. I will give Den of Thieves a 6 out of 10.

Did you watch Den of Thieves yet? If so, what was your impression of this heist-flick? Leave a comment below and if you enjoyed this review, don’t forget to like and share. Thank you very much!

Top Movies – Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Review – Movie Reviews Sites

A lackluster story, boring dialogues and unbelievable characters. Welcome to my Fifty Shades review series!

Genre: Drama/Romance

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Andrew Airlie, Jennifer Ehle, Anthony Konechny & Callum Keith Rennie.

Run Time: 128 min.

US Release: 13 February 2015

UK Release: 12 February 2015

German Release: 12 February 2015

It’s finally done… the review I was dreading to write the last three years is finished! Given the fact that this terrible series is ending (HOPEFULLY!!!) this year, I decided that it is time to finally put it online. Back in 2015 I had a semi-finished review for this piece of crap but had real difficulty finishing it, as I didn’t know how to finalise my review of this utterly boring picture. Well, three years later I finally managed to do what I thought would be impossible.

Fifty Shades of Grey was released during the Valentines week of 2015, and is the adaptation of E.L. James’ first horrible Twilight fanfiction book. I went into a screening, three days before Valentines ‘15, with an open mind and hoped to be surprised but left the theatre with even my lowest expectations shattered. This movie is aimed at a younger female demographic, who want to see exciting sexual escapades of a young girl that gets pulled into the world of a powerful and rich man. While it is exactly that what it has to offer, it displayed it in the worst way possible.

!!WARNING THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

Anastasia Steele (Johnson), a literature student, goes to interview the wealthy business mogul Christian Grey (Dornan) as a favour to her roommate and journalist student Kate (Mumford). What starts off as a monotonous interview turns quickly into a get-to-know talk, with Mr. Grey finding comfort in the naive Ana. When both keep bumping into each other afterward, Christian confesses that he wants her but on his own terms. Once Ana discovers his exceptional taste in pleasure, she hesitates to follow her lust.

I have read the first fifteen-to-twenty pages of the book when it was released and I wasn’t impressed one bit, with the literary quality being poor and lacking talent. So I was naturally interested to see how this motion picture would polish the story up but sadly I saw no difference at all. This is an incredibly dull film with nothing happening in it! Granted the sex scenes are there and could be described as piquant, though that is also the biggest problem of the plot! Grey, who is a sadist no matter how much he denies it, pretty much forces himself on Anastasia, who is intimidated by him and does what he tells her to do. This is pretty much a two-hour soft porn about emotional and sexual abuse.

As if the boring plot wouldn’t be enough, the audience is also being punished with the dreadfully dialogue, which is completely unnatural and sickeningly cheesy. I know no one who speaks like the characters in this movie, especially when talking to someone they like. It is off-putting, wooden and absolutely passionate-less, which is a no-go for a romance-flick. I also never heard worse sex-talk than I did in this, making me physically cringe.

This brings me to my next point: the characters. Apart from the fact that none of them feel like real persons, I took issues with the full names of the main characters. For the record; Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey sound like porn-star stage names, totally absurd in a scenario that is supposed to be playing in the real world!

Dakota Johnson is at least tried to make the best out of the script she was given, and she does manage to break through, from time to time. Sadly, though, her role as Anastasia Steele gets in the way of a good performance. Steele is a disgrace for a female lead; she is weak minded and lets Christian boss her around, even though she protests at first. That is what angered me about the Fifty Shades of Grey, as it tells the story of a grey-mouse who finds the love of her life and grows emotionally and psychologically, even though she is still heavily dependent on the male counterpart. It is completely contradicting as a message!

Jamie Dornan was atrocious. He is distanced, cold and stares at Anastasia like a true psychopath. Dornan gave one of the stiffest performances I have seen an actor give. I am aware that it is not his fault but the way the character was written, and Christian Gray is, in fact, one of the worst I saw in a picture. He constantly contradicts himself by saying to Ana to stay away from him because he isn’t good for her, yet in the next scene he stalks her and tries to seduce her again.

Seamus McGarvey, director of photography, did get the best out of this film visually. I need to confess that cinematographically this is a very good-looking film, containing crisp and sharp images. The colours are sterile but suit the tone of the plot and the lighting is superb. Sadly, since nothing happens storywise, the cinematography – as nice as it looks – ends up feeling as boring as the script itself. Then there is the music, which is as un-inspirational as its written counterpart. It depends primarily on pop and electro covers of popular songs, to enhance the bland sex scenes.

Verdict: Fifty Shades of Grey is one of the worst romances I have seen on the silver screen, containing a poor plot and script that romanticizes female submission. The first hour is absolutely dull and when Mr. Grey finally decides to show Ana his BDSM playroom, the sex scenes manage to kill the rest of the mood. The characters are boring and ridiculous; Anastasia being one of the worst female leads I have seen in a movie, not having any sort of self-respect and Christian Grey bordering on being a freaky psychopath. The only good aspect this flick has is its cinematography, although the story even manages to drag that into forgetfulness. I don’t know what Hollywood expected because, in all honesty, you can’t make gold out of crap. As I said in my Top 10 Worst of 2015, this is the movie I hated most and I stand by my 2 out of 10.

Look out for my review of Fifty Shades Darker, leading up to this year’s Fifty Shades Freed. Thank you for reading my review and leave a comment below if you wish.