EvilPhoEniX

The exotic-looking Monos is a nicely shot borefest that suggests something interesting is going to happen throughout, but in the end we don’t get any suspense and certainly not any violence. 4/10.

Slight disappointment. The Italian mafia and courtrooms are among my favourite subjects, but neither line appealed to me here. The film is too long for my taste, with too many characters to form any kind of relationship with, the verbal shootouts in court have no charge and it doesn't really build up, it stagnates rather. It's watchable, a few sequences weren't bad, but considering the subject I expected something much more vigorous and powerful.

A confident Clint Eastwood serves up another compelling true story that is intense and suspenseful from start to finish, and Sam Rockwell has another perfect supporting role! (After Jojo Rabbit for the second time this year). Well acted, interestingly shot, emotional towards the end and overall a very entertaining piece of work where I kept my hands clenched for the entire running time. Praise should also be given to the nasty detective Jon Hamm, the bitchy reporter played by Olivia Wilde, and the unknown Paul Walter Hauser, who also gives a great performance. I hope it's not Eastwood’s last film. 8/10.

The continuation of one of the best fairy tales of recent years is a success and the Norwegians score more plus points. Among other things, I enjoyed the typical fairy-tale props (a witch, seven-mile boots, a three-headed troll, a beautiful princess and a clever protagonist). The film has pace, beautiful practical effects and a magical atmosphere. I loved it and enjoyed it.. 7.5/10.

A fairly average mafia crime drama for the French, with the clever Matthias Schoenaert's impressing the most. Otherwise, the film offers nothing to enrich the genre. It's not action-packed or gritty enough, and story-wise it doesn't impress much either. That said, fans of similarly-themed films shouldn't regret it. Not bad for one viewing. 5/10.

A solid gangster drama from the Balkans that wipes its ass with The Irishman. The story focuses on a young man who works for a gang of car thieves, he puts his gang and his life in danger when he steals a black Mercedes that Golub, a big drug-dealer from Belgrade, has been waiting for, and he will goes over dead bodies to find the car. A gritty and unpleasant Balkan setting, great pacing, solid actors, a decent amount of violence, a great bad guy, corruption and a great soundtrack. Very good. 8/10.

The underdog turned out to be a January hit, both financially and critically, and Bad Boys 3 is definitely the best part of the whole trilogy and a nice start to 2020. Will Smith is back in great form and Martin Lawrence is back to his usual bubbly self, but his humour is great again. I was worried that without Michael Bay the action wouldn't have any bite, but Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are very confident and ambitious in the action scenes, helped by some great cinematography, a large dose of violence and plenty of interesting ideas. The bad guys are good too, especially the for me unknown Jacob Scipio, who does a solid job, and his mother played by Kate del Castillo is also good. I must also praise the music and the very fast pace, where action alternates with humour and there is no time to watch the clock, let alone think. Great fun that has style and flair. 8/10.

When a domestic film with familiar faces is released cinemas, it feels almost like a holiday, as almost everyone who’s at least 40 goes to watch it – the last time I saw a cinema this packed was maybe with The Avengers. Despite my big fears, it's ultimately a digestible one-off where the humour relies on the sex scenes, which are delivered in a really funny way. The surprise is the second half, where the romantic comedy turns into a fairly dense emotional drama – you could hear a nail falling in the cinema during the dinner scene. The little girl, played by Valentýna Bečková, is the biggest trump card of the whole film, this kid will go far. Surprisingly fine. 6/10.

This new series from Apple, with two episodes directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a solid psychological thriller with elements of horror. The episodes are only 30 minutes long, so the series has a decent pace, and although there is no action or gore, the atmosphere works perfectly. The series relies mainly on the viewer's uncertainty, unpredictability and a few times even gives you a decent chill. The acting is also great, I especially enjoyed the father, who as a chef often prepares interesting dishes, the mother is mentally out of place throughout, and the mysterious nanny is not to be missed. I was a little disappointed with the finale. I was expecting a typical Shyamalan stab in the back, but I didn't get that, maybe the creators are saving the main aces for the second season. A nice eight weeks and I don't regret watching it. 8/10.

Guy Ritchie returns to the genre that made him famous and serves up a pure crime gangster flick that is probably the closest thing to Snatch. The film has a very unorthodox storytelling and at times it can seem confusing. Especially at the beginning I couldn't quite get into it, but somewhere in the middle I was enjoying truly it, and a big thanks goes to the awesome performances by the cast. Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam are traditionally excellent, Hugh Grant feels like in the role of a lifetime, and Colin Farrell steals all the scenes for himself and rips your diaphragm! Apart from the performances, the film is pulled up by the great black-dry British humour and the unexpected twists. Guy Ritche has made a playful, stylish, funny and unconventional gangster film and people will love it. 7.5/10.