[9.50/10] Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained (2012)

Brief review: Three years after the phenomenal "Inglourious Basterds", mastermind Quentin Tarantino shows us yet another different side of him with "Django Unchained" - a controversial  spaghetti western, riddled with subtle irony and a confronting mixture of originality and absurdity, that plays more like a spoof on slavery, rather than taking its subject matter of racism seriously. The answer to how is Tarantino capable to create a 165-minutes-long movie, full of many overextended scenes, that is still hugely entertaining every step of the way is: compelling dialogues, and tons of wit and playfulness. Yes, talkiness is this film's main strength. "Django Unchained" is also filled with over-the-top violence, outrageous manga-like gore, and exciting, almost shocking blood-soaked gunshots. Every single shooting location is chosen with flair and discernment, the smooth cinematography and warm color palette give the film a stylishly western-ish look, the intentionally clumsy super-quick zooms à la Shaw Brothers add edge to the already impressive camera work, and the fact that the film is being shot in an anamorphic format on 35 mm film, adds further authenticity and roughness to the visuals. Every performances her is award-worthy. Jamie Fox does a solid job as the slave-turned-bounty hunter Django, Christoph Waltz's delightfully nutty performance is simply amazing, Samuel L. Jackson delivers easily the best supporting performance of 2012, and all the tiny cameos are just fantastic.

Overall summary: Although certainly not the best movie in Tarantino's impressive career, "Django Unchained" is nevertheless a stylish, wittily-written, blood-filled, and wildly enjoyable near masterpiece of a spaghetti western like no other, which is destined to become a classic.

[9.50/10] Cloud Atlas (2012)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Brief review: Adapted from David Mitchell's 2004 novel of the same name, "Cloud Atlas" is a high-end piece of cinema for thinking grown-ups as well as viewers with very high requirements. It's basically a hypothesis of reincarnation, mutual dependence between us people, how past lives can affect us in our current lifetime, and how we build our own future. This deeply meaningful multi-layered story takes place in six different time periods - past, present and future, and despite its complexity and seemingly complicated plot structure, it easily understandable, and flows smoothly and cohesively, thanks to the gripping narrative and competent editing. "Cloud Atlas" has it all - it has originality, it has substance, it has humor, it has action, it has interesting dynamics between the characters, and even a touch of romance. As expected from such visionary directors as the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, "Cloud Atlas" is an outstandingly imaginative and visually-sumptuous film, shot in various locations, and featuring as many authentic period sequences as breathtaking futuristic ones, with those set in Neo Seoul deserving  a special mention. Also, the three filmmakers seems to be working together in perfect harmony, as their co-direction is refined, polished, coherent and inventively brilliant. Arguably the best ensemble cast of the year all deliver a wide variety of performances as impressively colorful as the actors themselves.

Overall summary: Highly complex, yet never confusing, "Cloud Atlas" is a unique, thought-provoking, and often mind-bending masterpiece of modern philosophy, flawless storytelling, eye-popping visuals and wild imagination, and unlike anything you've experienced before.

This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com

[9.50/10] Hugo (2011)

Hugo (2011)

Brief review: Based on Selznick's award-winning novel, "Hugo" is a delightful and exuberant, yet enlightening family-friendly adventure tale, that celebrates both the wonders of the imagination and the magic of cinema, and shows a whole new different side of Martin Scorsese, who pays homage to his favorite art in a deeply intimate and nostalgic way. Visually, "Hugo" is eye-poppingly gorgeous and absolutely stunning, as pretty much every single frame of this beautifully shot movie is a state-of-the-art perfection, thanks to Scorsese's innovative and impressively versatile direction, aided by the amazing skills of his technical crew. The highly-acclaimed director of photography, Robert Richardson, uses a unique color palette of dim turquoise and copper, complemented by a smooth, delicate lighting and vivid violet tint when needed, to deliver the most breathtaking cinematography of 2011, and the striking production design by Dante Ferretti gives the film a truly authentic period feel. The characters in the film are superbly written and portrayed, and the acting is top-notch. Asa Butterfield as Hugo conveys innocence, candor, purity and determination with ease, Chloë Grace Moretz is absolutely adorable as the amiable Isabelle, Ben Kingsley truly shines as the heart-broken filmmaker-turned-toy seller, Georges Méliès, and Sacha Baron Cohen delivers a hilarious performance as the grumpy Station Inspector.

Overall summary: With its magically moving story, delightful characters, dazzling cinematography and exquisite production design, Scorsese's personal love letter to cinema, "Hugo", is arguably, the most enchanting, absorbing, imaginative and visually-sumptuous film of 2011.

[9.50/10] Shaolin (2011)

Shaolin (2011)

Brief review: Benny Chan's latest effort, "Shaolin" is a martial arts movie with heart, brain and soul, and it delivers on almost every single level, as it manages to be dramatic, serious, funny and action-packed all at the same time, due to it's well-balanced and thought out script and pitch-perfect execution. Benny Chan is an incredibly versatile and very capable Asian filmmaker, and "Shaolin" is a significant projection of his talent, imagination and skills as a director. His positioning of the camera mount achieves a sensational diversity of camera angles, plus, the dynamic camera movements emphasis and enhance certain scenes. The action is just one of the film's major strengths. The fight sequences and the stunts are extremely high-octane, fast-paced, and briskly-shot and edited by the legendary action director Corey Yuen. Chung Chi Li also does a brilliant job with the choreography, as he increases the effect with a fair use of flawlessly-executed wire work and some polished CGIs. Visually, "Shaolin" also never fails to impress. The production design is as beautiful as it's authentic, and the refined, eye-candy greenish cinematography pleases the eye throughout the film. The intense, yet beautiful music score adds depth to the picture. The acting ranges from good to exceptional. The widely popular Andy Lau's delivers, arguably, the strongest performance of his career. He conveys different emotions with ease, and makes us really care about his evil-turned-good character, General Hou Jie. Jackie Chan brings comic relief, but without being over-the-top this time around. Each and every one of supporting actors also do an excellent job in portraying their characters and making them incredibly sympathetic and likable.

Overall summary: With its compelling story, brilliantly-portrayed characters, fantastic visuals and stupendous action sequences, Benny Chan's "Shaolin" ranks as one of the most accomplished, profoundly-engrossing and slickly-crafted martial arts movies ever made.

[9.50/10] Let Me In (2010)

Let Me In (2010)

Brief review: "Cloverfield" director, Matt Reeves, brings this masterfully-crafted remake of the 2008 Swedish phenomenon "Låt den rätte komma in", and his version of the well-acclaimed vampire story is, surprisingly, on-par with the original, and even superior in some ways. The story, while familiar, stands on its own, in a new, unique way. The pacing is subtle and exquisite, and the movie gets more and more gripping as the plot unfolds. Moreover, "Let Me In" delivers some truly chilling moments and intensity, which are rendered even stronger by the contrast with Michael Giacchino's haunting music score. The acting is also one of the film's main strengths. New comer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and "Kick Ass" girl, Chloe Moretz, both deliver absolutely magnificent performances as Owen and Abby. They act so naturally and so sincerely in front of the camera, it's fascinating! "Let Me In" also dazzles with its technical brilliance. Reeves' direction is versatile as possible, providing us with countless precisely-shot scenes and great variety of camera angles. The snowy scenery is as creepy as it's gorgeous, and the production design is first-rate. The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking and deserves a special mention. Every scene is deeply atmospheric, and "painted" in different tint - golden, bluish, greyish, sepia, as every next scene is more stunning than the previous! Kudos to cinematographer Greig Fraser, as his use of color, shades and low-key lighting is amazing! Simply put, "Let Me In" is technically flawless.

Overall summary: Beautifully-filmed, subtly creepy and thoroughly compelling, "Let Me In" is one of those extremely rare cases, where the remake surpasses the original on many, many levels.

[9.50/10] Tangled [3D] (2010)

Tangled [3D] (2010)

Walt Disney Animation Studios put a cool and modern twist on Brothers Grimm's popular fairy tale, "Rapunzel", to bring their 50th animated feature - "Tangled" - a lavish, vivid and thoroughly delightful 3D animation, that's not only wildly imaginative and visually-spectacular, but also super-engaging, hugely engrossing and laugh-out-loud hilarious! While the story is in some ways familiar, "Tangled" never fails to entertain and wow the audience with its creativity. It follows Flynn Rider, a rouge who chooses an isolated tower for his latest hideout, having no idea, that the tower is already occupied by a princess, named Rapunzel, who was kidnapped as an infant. Rapunzel, who can use her magical hair to heal, sees the devil-may-care bandit as her escape from the tower and a chance at a life of adventure – one that may reunite her with her long-lost parents and restore her royal heritage. There are not enough superlatives to express how magnificently enjoyable this 3D animated feature is. "Tangled" has everything and even more - it's joyous, exciting, action-packed and consistently entertaining, as its story moves along at a nicely brisk pace, without a single dull moment. It's full of wit, clever jokes and great tongue-in-cheek humor. In fact, "Tangled" is so funny and enjoyable, it will make you laugh every five minutes. Furthermore, "Tangled" is filled with likable and engaging characters. Rapunzel's is sympathetically naive, yet she has a true fighting spirit and great sense of humor. Plus, she's adventurous, funny and as sweet as a lollipop. Oh, and her hair's shiny, sparkly and breathtakingly beautiful! Flynn Ryder is no less interesting or likable, and he's overloaded with charm, energy and joy. However, it's Pascal, the chameleon, and Maximus, the horse, that absolutely steal the show! Pascal has to be the cutest and most adorable animated character ever, while Maximus is so hysterically funny, you can't help but laugh hard every time he's on screen. Mother Gothel is the villain, and she's narcissistic and selfish, yet delightfully evilicious. The voice acting by Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and all the other actors involved is incredible and completely satisfying. Visuals-wise, this Disney flick is nothing short of mind-blowing, as the animation is slickly-crafted, rich in detail and stunningly colorful. "Tangled" is filled with bright and striking imagery, and its CGI scenery, in particular, is so lush and jaw-droppingly gorgeous, you won't believe your eyes. The 'flying lanterns' sequence deserves a special mention, as it's very impressive and truly eye-candy. "Tangled"'s brilliant and flawlessly-executed 3D effects make for an even more atmospheric and magical experience. Also, the songs are meaningful, emotional, moving and beautifully-performed, bringing back memories of Disney classics like "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin". Filled with smart and witty dialogues, hilarious characters, eye-popping visuals and stunning 3D effects, "Tangled" is, arguably, the best non-Pixar Disney film, since their 1991 masterpiece, "Beauty and the Beast", and, hands down, the funniest animated flick I've seen in my life. Absolutely glorious!

• My Rating: 9.50/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (7.6/10)
• IMDb: 8.3/10