Stanislaus

The fairytale of the Brothers Grimm is quite different, in both the good and the bad sense of the word. Hansel and Gretel is a very brisk film with a likable cast, mixing wit, action and romance, and it's watchable in the end, but it doesn't dazzle, nor does it leave anything deeper (which is to be expected, but still). Örvarsson's music reminded me terribly of Sherlock (Zimmer as executive music producer) right at the beginning, which maybe bothered me a bit, but then it fizzled out. The plot wasn't bad, but I'm sure the overall theme could have been fleshed out more. That said, the primary purpose of the film was (probably) to serve up a crazy action-packed take on a fairy tale classic that was meant to entertain, which it did. In short, an average Hollywood film that stands out from the rest perhaps only in its approach and relationship to the source materia

I really like Alfred Hitchcock as a director, so I definitely couldn't miss a biopic about him, and with such big names in the lead roles. Even though it didn't get any significant ovations, reviews, or awards, I still enjoyed it. Perhaps I was blinded by the cult surrounding Hitchcock, or my favorite Helen Mirren, but I was impressed by the film. I enjoyed both the professional (the making of the film) and personal lines (the marital crisis, the "affair"), and the two intertwined in a purposeful way. I found the insertions concerning Hitchcock's ideas about the original killer who became the model for Norman Bates to be very original. I also increasingly came to like the acting of Scarlett Johansson, who was dazzling and likeable as Janet Leigh. In short, for me, a very well made film that stands especially on great performances and a compelling subject.

My second encounter with Star Trek (after the first film by Abrams) was again excellent. I went to the cinema for an experience, and I really enjoyed it, so I am exceedingly satisfied. Star Trek: Into Darkness is an incredibly fun audiovisual orgy with a perfect cast and script. Of the cast, I was of course most entertained by the "emotionless" Spock played by Zachary Quinto and the "fix-it-all" Scotty played by Simon Pegg. Benedict Cumberbatch was a hell of a villain as Khan, plus he has an incredible voice that added more juice to his character. There might be a few quibbles (Khan's slightly more expressive speech and a few illogical scenes that are actually allowed in sci-fi), but it doesn't affect the overall impression. In short, an amazing space sequel that is really worth going to the cinema for. P.S. (Spoiler!) And I was thinking twenty minutes before the end that there probably wouldn't be another sequel, but it wouldn't be Hollywood to turn everything upside down in the next few moments - which didn't bother me at all. I want a sequel!

Iris is a very (really very) moving story about a woman who, due to illness, begins to lose her own personality and the very essence of her life over time. The intertwining of the two timelines feels a bit chaotic at first, but this settles down over time and the end result feels good and purposeful. I found the more impressive line to be the one from the present day, as it was much more challenging in terms of acting, and both Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent played their roles to perfection and gave breathtaking performances. Of course Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville were convincing too, but the "older couple" wins. In short, an incredibly sweet and sad film with a slight musical component that is all about love in its most devoted and purest form. Rivals

As far as documentary content and technical execution go, Giant Claw is on a pretty high level. But at times I was strongly irritated by Nigel Marven's "clever" observations and "acting". I don't want to damn this film here because of him, though, because my primary interest was to learn about the owner of that "giant claw", which eventually happened. In short, a documentary that is both informative and entertaining, with the latter component spoiling the overall impression at times.

I haven't read Fitzgerald's book, so I went to the cinema full of anticipation, and not just because Baz Luhrmann, whose (much reviled) Australia took my breath away, was in the director's chair. The Great Gatsby is an incredibly evocative orgy on the audiovisual front, and I enjoy these visually arresting and artful films with decent soundtracks like a pig in shit. I may have been a little bothered at first by the overly computerized camera shots and the somewhat modern (techno, disco?) music that didn't really fit the 1920s, but on the other hand it just belonged in the film. The images and music only supported the glitz, bombast, hope, longing, dishonest machinations, love and disappointment that accompanied the film. "Young & Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey - Oh mein Gott! - an incredibly flamboyant harmony of instruments and charismatic voice. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the actors - DiCaprio is a stud, Mulligan is sheer panache and Maguire is so stiff. In short, I got a lot more out of the cinema than what I went for, and that's what counts in the end.

 Death Becomes Her is a film with a perfect stellar cast, an imaginative premise, and a fairly funny script, but I personally felt there was something missing, some kind of charge that would have given the film some juice. The special effects are well handled for the time and the makeup of Hawn and Streep is impressive, no question about it. In short, a film that makes its mark mostly with its top-notch cast, but it just didn't scare me, make me wonder, or make me laugh as much as I would have liked, which is a bit of a problem with a horror comedy fantasy.