Change Your Image
natedrizzle
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
The Lighthouse (2019)
A Brilliant Experience Beyond Linear Comprehension
7.8/10
Two Lighthouse keepers visit an island. The main plot is that simple. That simple. Yet it's still so brilliant.
This movie is incredibly nuanced and brilliant. The black and white helps capture the raw emotion and atmosphere incredibly well.
I've heard of the theory of it being actually one keeper and not two and the two personalities conflicting and this is just one interpretation. The work has soooooo many themes and conjoined plot points that make little sense at times but ultimately drive the experience more deeply. The film is more of a journey than it is a movie. Many instances make it seem incomprehensible at times and that's perfectly fine when the movie plays little to any barriers and offers so much to contemplate.
Our two characters have no extremely attracting attributes but they manage to keep hold of the entire movie with wonderful acting and raw emotional projection throughout.
There's not much to explain here. It's just a movie you have to see for yourself to understand. It's just extremely intricate, but unfortunately this makes the movie a little unwatchable.
The Batman (2022)
An Incredible Beginning to Hopefully Another Spectacular Batman Trilogy
8.7/10
This movie is epic. It's amazing. Like this movie did everything I didn't know I wanted and did it ten fold.
Reeves saw the Dark Knight and knew it was a big mantel to climb. After The Dark Knight it was hard to see something topping the greatest superhero trilogy or even standing up to the worst of the three. Most superhero films fall into cliches and end up being just good at best. This was not the case here. He decided to go the complete opposite direction and release and amazing Batman film like none before. Matt Reeves exceeded all of my expectation by a HUGE amount. Damn is this good.
Instead of being action centric and light yet powerful the movie became extremely dark and nothing like other superhero movies. It's really not for everyone. It teeters on the edge of being rated R and you can tell. It's a very dark film and it keeps the ambience steadily.
The atmosphere is perfect. Absolutely unique and matches Gotham like no other attempt before. The Gotham in this film is perfect. Surpasses all of Nolan's trilogy. This Gotham is dark, expansive, and menacing. The lighting fits the esthetic perfectly and overall it's such an enticing yet sinister world portrayed perfectly by this film. The overall dark world and the constant use of varied lighting and rain help to depict the world like no other before
Also may I say the opening scene is badass. Like does every Batman film have to have an amazing opening scene to introduce the villain. A true symbol of a masterpiece in the making. First The Joker, then Bane, and now the Riddler. Oh yeah and the Riddler is badass. He's played amazingly. The actor is definitely inspired by the Joker by Ledger but he puts his own spin to it. He plays the character amazingly.
Now the biggest quirk is that Bruce Wayne hardly gets an appearances in the movie. It's centered around Batman and boy does this create polarization. But let's talk about the positives because it is mostly positive. The Batman played by Robert Pattinson is equal if not better than Bale and this is the first film. His mannerism are perfect. He moves slow when not fighting and the way he slowly moves his eyes and body fit the mannerisms perfect. Also the way he fights is badass. His fighting style is perfected and the mercilessness allows by the film pushing the boundaries of PG-13 add to the movie tenfold. Oh yeah might I add this is the best action we've seen in a Batman movie. Sorry Nolan but the fight scenes here are perfect. The way Batman fights here is soooo mesmerizing simple and menacing. He fights with much more darkness hitting heavier and most shots are one take and wide angled so there no cuts and the fighting style The Batman here uses is sooo damn cool. Siliat is one of his main fighting techniques and the dark bitter and way action scenes are shot make it sooo damn good. The only downside to having no Bruce Wayne is we don't get to see Wayne and his action or his path to finding himself. We don't really delve into any personal life's or side cast either. We see him in a point of his life where he's bitter and angry.
The cinematography is at its best. The lighting is perfect and matches Gotham perfectly. The way everything is shot is amazing and is definitely the best art style of any Batman yet. Also the Batmobile scene is badass. Easily the best Batmobile scene of any Batman and that's saying a lot. The scene is shot amazingly and the Batmobile is perfect. It doesn't try to replicate The Dark Knight and instead goes for a less armored and refined style. The scene where Batman fights the gang members in Falcone's place with the only light source being guns shot is badass and so damn amazing. So brilliant.
The detective plot is perfect. Going for a more Batman detective side instead of the fighting side was perfect. The movie is poetic and the plot is dense as hell. Exploring the Gotham underground scene helps to bring Gotham to life. Exploring the corruption and Falcone and the Penguin was a perfect way to set up the movie. The movie's plot is amazing and Batman following the Riddlers clues was recently exciting, innovative and enthralling. The movie is very smart and play itself really well too.
The Penguin is cast perfectly and the dialogue in the movie is pretty funny too without sacrificing any of its ambiance. Catwoman cast by Chloe Kravitz is amazing. She does an amazing job bringing her to life and although the chemistry is sparse she still does an amazing job. The soundtrack is also perfect. The tone and themes are sooo damn good and are so dark and suspenseful and The Batman theme is sooooo killer.
The interrogation scene with the riddler is also perfect. Amazing and very well acted. Definitely up to the standards of the one in Dark Knight though but definitely not better.
The script is not as complex as Nolan's or refined but it is still damn amazing. It is soooooo good. The writing is still pretty good though the dialogue is no where near The Dark Knight thematically or in any other category.
I pray this is the start to an amazing trilogy because as the start to this Gotham and Batman it's damn near perfect. Reeves doesn't play by the books and chooses to go all out helping him make an amazing film. Overall, this I hope is the start to a dynasty for the best hero of all time.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
An Amazing End To One Of The Greatest Trilogies Ever
9.4/10
The starting scene is epic. The whole plane takeover and holding onto it via another plane and the introduction of another villain this time Bane is an amazing way to introduce the next main villain.
Bane is an amazing antagonist. Amazing. He has very smart dialogue and his fighting style is amazing to watch. All in all an amazing character keeping up with the amazing characters of The Dark Knight.
The plot is amazing as always. The path to the destruction of Gotham is done much more seamlessly and enjoyable then in Batman Begins. The additional lore of the League of Shadows is also screen entertaining. The plot is complex and matrical as per usual for a Nolan film albeit it isn't as grand and constantly adapting as the Dark Knights'.
The fight scene are the best yet. Both battles between Bane and Batman are perfect. There choreography is amazing and both perform very well. The darkness line by bane in the waterway is also extremely iconic and badass. Bruce Wayne's rise beyond Batman is an amazing story to behold and his escape beyond the pit is amazingly progressed toward and showcases his newfound power within and motivation. The action scenes are the greatest yet too.
Also Michael Caine as Alfred does exceptionally well here. He does amazing in the first scenes of the movie and explain Bruce his situation perfectly. His entire conversation with Bruce Wayne is extremely well done and emotional. Selena played by Anne Hathaway also does an amazing job as well. An amazing Catwoman, albeit second to The Batman's (2022) cat woman.
Overall a near perfect movie and a perfect end to one of the best trilogies ever.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Best Superhero Film Of All Time
10/10
This movie goes above and beyond the basic superhero cliches and narratives. This is a Shakespearean level superhero film. It's beautiful amazing, endearing, complex, and dark.
The beginning scene is one of the best ever. The bank robbery brings out the brilliance in the complex film and brings out The Joker in the best way possible.
The Joker is perfect. The best comic book villain portrayal of all time. Out of an enormous many Heath Ledger's The Joker stands as a top 5 villain of all time out of the hundreds of millions of movies out there. Every scene The Joker is in is perfect. His screen recording for the news brings out so much sheer maniac energy and his improvisation is perfect. His clapping when Gordon gets promoted might be one of the most simple yet amazing pieces of improvisation ever. His scene when he crashed Harvey's fundraiser and he goes around asking where Harvey is and then grabbing Rachel's face is just a beautiful piece of acting. The script is also perfect and helps bring out all of The Joker. Him telling Rachel how he got his scars then telling the Batman and then telling one of the Mafia leaders all different stories of how he got his face is just a show of The Jokers complexity exemplifying him being a pathological liar. His performance at the hospital alone is beautiful and him improvising the multiple clicks in the nurse outfit is just perfect. The Batman integrating the Joker and the entire scene is perfect. Heath Ledgers mannerisms are also PERFECT. He brings out the all in him. The way he speaks, the way he walks, his whole persona, him licking his lips every so often blinking his eyes turning his head quickly then turning back to who he's talking to, the way that he fights waiting for someone to go at his opponent then getting some quick hits in. It's all perfect. Beautiful.
The movie possibly has the most complex script of any superhero movie courtesy of Christopher Nolan. No matter what's happening there is always, always something in play. Harvey admitting he's Batman so the real Batman can get The Joker and Gordon playing his death so he can help capture The Joker and the allowing himself to get caught on purpose to get into the Gotham P. D. The Joker setting up The Batman by making him choose between Harvey and Rachel and telling him the reverse and Rachel's death is just villain intelligence at its finest. There's always something bigger at play throughout.
Harvey Dent is perfect too. His originating to becoming Two Face is perfect and his symbolic presence is perfect as well. Bruce Wayne and The Batman are perfect too. The way Christian Bale plays them is absolutely endearing and magical. The way The way Batman fights is perfect and the action scenes are levels higher than the 1st installment. The action scenes where the Joker chases Harvey Dents car is perfect too. Michael Caine and Morgan Freemen play Alfred and Fox amazingly too. They are amazing and charismatic. The script is also beyond perfect. The quotable are amazing and spread throughout and it brings out the best in the characters as seen for The Joker.
The movies goes beyond this though. The movie focuses on one of the most prominent and intuitive concepts ever, Human Nature. The Joker continuously makes use of ideas and trials to test the will and restraints of mankind and "freak" is used constantly to refer to those who go beyond results means deemed regular by society and the whole jail scene of The Joker saying "I'm Just Ahead Of The Curve" is absolutely brilliant. Simple but so brilliant. The two ship scenes and them deciding who to kill delves farther into this engrained concept and brings the movie to life.
Everything in this movie is beyond stellar. The script is perfect. Everything is perfect. The greatest superhero film of all time.
Memento (2000)
A Mind Bending Movie On The Action of A Man With A Bended Mind
9.3/10
The movie is amazing. One of Christopher Nolan's best movies ever.
The whole concept of him not being able to retain new memories and using a photo and particular writing he uses to remember certain things or other techniques is just genius.
The whole story is being told in one of the most innovative ways and orders ever. It starts off near the end and the scene plays to the very end when he kills Teddy. Every time when the scene ends we're hit with black and white and we are taken to the very beginning where Leonardo is analyzing himself and explaining to someone in the phone a lie he's told himself in his head. Later introduced as Teddy. Then were sent back to the morning previous to the last colored scene and we see how Leonardo got there and the scene ends where the last scene began and so forth and so forth. Every time the scene cuts Leonardo also loses his memory so he's fresh too adding to the layered complexity of the whole movie and the entire movie being told in this immaculate way adds not only tension but nuance to this layered majesty.
And plot twist at the end is absolutely killer as well. I mean everything coming together and Teddy revealing everything to Leonardo like that is just disgustingly complex. Him actually killing Natalie's husband and Natalie using him thinking she's evil but he's huts as cruel. Him having had his suit and car the whole time and it making sense from the beginning when Teddy told him he didn't even know where he got the car or suit from. Him creating a whole story about a make believe character even though it's actually his story to condition himself to believing it's true so he can live to kill John G even though it's his soul he battles. Him writing down "Do Not Believe His Lies" so he can retain happiness in finding someone he's killed far too long ago, making himself believe he's right and hurting everyone along the way including killing Teddy is just so damn hard. Him on the cycle that'll continue because he keeps lying to himself in his endless search for the death of endless John G's is just mind bending. Just beautiful.
Only thing bogging the album down is that the characters aren't as amazing as they could've been. No astounding acting performances and the movie doesn't play too well on the limited location visited throughout. Not as much details throughout but the narrative and way the story progresses makes up for these faults.
Truly one of the best concept of all time and Nolan hits the mark on it thing an amazing story to a perfect concept.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
A Great Sequel To The Action Masterclass Icon That is Kill Bill.
8.2/10
Okay. Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a little disappointing I won't kid myself. I adored the 1st part and found the Japanese restaurant fight to be one of the most excellent action scenes of all time. The action settles down in this movie an immense amount. The story does start to pick up its theme though and does get a little more intrinsic so it's not without its benefits.
Budd is an amazing character and is played by an amazing actor (Michael Madsen) who stars in multiple Tarantino movies. I don't really get the 1 inch punch escape from the coffin or the fact that Beatrix Kiddo would fall to Budd's trap so easily but that's fine. A small grievance. Her encounter with Budd and all was interesting and Budd as a character was interesting as well.
Elle Driver is an amazing character and is played soooooo damn well and maliciously. Her fight against Beatrix is amazing and up to par with some of the best fights in Vol 1. The fight is amazing and shot beautifully and the encamped spacing helps give keep the fight nuanced and enthralling.
When Beatrix finally comes face to face with bill I appreciate how it was more of a battle of emotion and attrition then it was a galactic showdown. Beatrix had to overcome her emotional baggage and her ending Bill poetically with the 5 finger exploding heart is great too.
Overall it's a great end to the cinema masterclass of Tarantino. Really enjoy the film and if I had to rate Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 as a whole is give it an 8.7 and round it up to a 9. Albeit barely. Essentially I love the first part and find the second part great.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino Masterclass of An Action Film
9.2/10
The movie itself is extremely nuanced managing to capture the essence of revenge in such a spectacular and enjoyable way. An amazing action film that thrives in amazingly shot action scenes with and an amazing story.
The characters and acting is amazing as per usual and Uma Thurman kills it as The Bride. The script is amazing and the progression of events is amazing. From past to present the order is easy to follow but the way he orders the events to play is very good and an amazing division of the story in chapters that blend seamlessly.
Her introduction and her escape out the hospital. Is phenomenal. I mean damn. Like damn. Her having an amazingly directed fight straight off the bat against one of the five she seeks revenge against is amazing. The fight is shot beautifully and the blood is just blissful.
The background story for O Ren Ishii is also incredible. Having it in an anime style cartoon and showcasing her background through this means is just badass. All these different ways to capture the scene is absolutely badass and innovative.
The fight scene in the Japanese restaurant might also be the best action scene of all time period. Its a relentless battle filled with gore. An extremely nuanced scene with one part being shot in black and white and another in the dark with curtains the only sign of your silhouette. Amazing action and bodies being killed left and right. Pure action and choreography at its finest beautiful.
Overall one of the best action films of all time and a part of my favorite filmography of all time. This movie is incredible from front to back. Action is unbeatable and story is great. Love it.
Moneyball (2011)
A Redundant But Good Sports Movie Hitting The Bar By The Tip
7.2/10
Moneyball is at its essence a good attempt at making a sports movie hit all keys. However, unfortunately it's only good with too many factors bogging down this other wise relatively good showing.
Brad Pitt is amazing and gives a stellar performance as Billy Beane and his quest to change the game via statistics. Brad Pitt gave an amazing soul searching performance that left me deeply invested in him and purely him. Purely him. I had no real interest on any character as the story choose to focus nearly entirely on him. Albeit the story is primarily based around him, we see little to no interactions outside of some key events which hinder the movie.
Also the movie isn't told in any brilliant way. It's the classic sports movie told a thousand times over. It's redundant.
That being said Brad Pitt being most of the screen time as Billy Beane is good. He does an amazing job portraying the character and does keep me invested in the A's performance and also Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg is also very warming. Love his character.
Overall a pretty good movie but it being a commonplace in the industry and it not striving for anything new can only lead it so far. Good movie all things considered .
L.A. Confidential (1997)
A Classic Cop Story Told In An Amazing Yet Simple Way
8.4/10
This movie is everything you'd want from a cop movie. Classic themes such as Justice vs Revenge and incredibly intriguing characters.
Ed Exley and Bud White are amazing characters that exist as polar opposites and foils. We see these 2 cops interactions and choices in their path for justice and it is told in an immensely interesting way as they try to solve the case of the death of Stensland, a former cop.
Jack Vincennes' death is also great and although it is kind of predictable it encapsulates the state of corruption with the LAPD.
Only complain is the movie doesn't do anything too crazy and is fairly simple which prevents it for me from being a 9/10 which I reserve for amazing movies that push boundaries.
Overall a great movie and an amazing rendition in the age old tale of the good cops vs the corrupt.
Uncut Gems (2019)
An Anxiety Inducing Mess. An Unpolished Gem.
7.3/10
Simply put this movie is hectic. There is always something going on that goes against Howard. At ALL times.
Some flaws to note is that this movie is mostly close ups which in this case inhibited the movies for the most parts. Also our main character is a good person and I can feel for him but he isn't that compelling or charismatic. With something always going against Howard it's difficult to pinpoint the trajectory of the movie especially with the haphazard storytelling.
That being said the movie is so unpolished that it shine in many fronts. We get to see the psyche of an addict in line with gambling not seen in most movies. Instead we see his cognition via his action and boy do they tell a story. The movie delves into the mind of Howard very well and the constant happening around him help to build his thought process as well.
Not too mention the ending is perfect. Howard's death is a perfect way to encapsulate the essence of his life and the only way to truly end the path he had taken. He had learned nothing from his gambling experiences and was just going to hurt himself other and more had he lived so his death was necessary to end the cycle of pain he had built.
Overall a pretty good movie but it could've been more. Had it been polished more this diamond could have definitely shined brighter.
Batman Begins (2005)
Start to The Greatest Superhero Trilogy Of All Time
8.3/10
An amazing start an origin story to my favorite superhero of all time. Batman is an amazing character but was failed to be truly realized and brought to life in earlier iteration. However Christopher Nolan managed to bring Batman to life in what never will be recreated again.
The origin story is amazing. Usually superhero movies start off rocky as we learn about our hero and his path to alignment but the beginning section of this movie is amazing. Bruce learning the meaning of justice and his encounters with Ra's Al Ghul are amazingly told and extremely vivid.
The introduction to the Scarecrow and this Batman's Gotham is well done as well (Albeit Matt Reeves The Batman manages to capture Gotham the best. His Gotham is just so beautifully disgusting. Amazing Gotham. Perfect Gotham)
Also the Batmobile scene is just so badass. It's cinematography at its finest. Every single scene with the tank is absolutely stunning and amazingly shot.
The only drawbacks of this movie is the fact that it is definitely overshadowed by both Dark Knights. This movie does a great job introducing The Batman though.
Also the fight scenes are also kind of peculiar. Shot extremely close and cut at extreme moments and in weird ways, it's kind of difficult to understand what's happening. The fight scenes aren't as great as the upcoming movies of The Batman for that matter.
That being said The Batman and Bruce Wayne are captured perfectly by Christian Bale. However we don't see the maximum potential of these masks until The Dark Knight which complete overshadows this movie.
Also the movies final conflict isn't that exciting either. Ra's Al Ghul doesn't offer much and the whole destruction across the Gotham isn't captured that well. Especially now when compared to The Batman and its amazing destruction scene destroying the city.
All in all it's a great start to the best trilogy of all time. Unfortunately it is overshadowed in EVERY way and the action scenes don't stand up to par with the upcoming installments in the trilogy or The Batman.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
The Old Age Tale Told in A Brilliant Way
9.1/10
Quentin Tarantino is my favorite movie director and has some of my favorite movies of all time and this movie just increases the tally.
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is the old age story of an actor trying to maintain relevancy but Tarantino brings the story to its peak height.
The acting is perfection. Brad Pitt plays Cliff amazingly and brings out the personality of him very well whether in the final moments of the movie where he absolutely devastates the Hippies, when he's fighting Bruce Lee or when he's just being himself. Leonardo DiCaprio, one of my favorite actors of all time, does amazing to star Rick Dalton making him very likable and not falling to the trap that is the stereotypical Hollywood movie star.
We see Rick throughout trying to maintain relevance and become the actor he was once and we see the parallel perspective through the eyes of Sharon Tate who perfectly depicts the estate of Rick in a unique way.
Cliff's character also does an amazing job of showing us old Hollywood and the ruins left by cinema. The entire sequence of Cliff going to Spahn Ranch is absolutely amazing and one of the best sequences in the entire movie.
Tarantino does an amazing job in delving into the depths of Hollywood and the personas that try to maintain themselves within. We see Hollywood not in the classic sleazy hell pit that most movies focus on but as a place of mortality and talent.
The end sequence of the movie is one of the most riveting pieces of cinema and ties everything perfectly. Can't explain this scene well enough. Just perfect. Amazing gore. Amazing action sequence. Amazing dialogue. Amazing acting. And Rick finally meeting Sharon and co and presumably about to get a big time role, foreshadowed earlier in the film is an amazing end scene for this spectacular movie.
Tenet (2020)
Great Concept but The Story Doesn't Mesh Well
7.1/10
The concept is amazing and I like the whole effect vs cause and vice versa battle going on throughout. I was told it'd be a very complicated movie but that wasn't the brunt of the problem for me. I was able to follow the movie but it was just borderline dull sometimes.
The concept is great and I give it props for that but the characters aren't all that amazing. They're not one dimensional but they aren't intriguing or extremely likable either. The story doesn't do a great job at explaining the plot either. Everything is fast paced.
My biggest complaint would be that the concept is super good but the story doesn't do a great job delving into it. It could've been an amazing film if the story was completely different with the concept in tact.
That being said I think it still is a pretty good Nolan film. The reverse fight were interesting and the whole time warp scenes were very cool too. The pacing is actually pretty good and the way the effect before cause idea works is actually pretty interesting at times. It doesn't have any bad elements to it overall does a good job at setting the story, although the story could've been better.
Overall I enjoyed the film and think it's worth watching. The way everything blends in and the progression of the story is very interesting and the dynamic of Cause and Effect is really interesting as well.