agentmiky

Scorsese is a household name in the realm of mafia films today, and Goodfellas, made by him, is a shining diamond that stands out from afar. Like The Godfather, Goodfellas doesn’t rely on heavy doses of action and shootouts, but rather on a well-crafted story, incredibly witty dialogues, and the best ensemble cast around. The main trio of actors made no mistakes throughout the film that would cause me to rethink my opinion. The dialogues delivered by Liotta as the narrator had me laughing out loud multiple times. De Niro's stone-faced demeanor was flawless once again. And Pesci? He’s a demon who undoubtedly deserved an Oscar for his supporting role. I wouldn’t want to befriend such a hot-headed man with a gun at his side, knowing I could lose my head at any moment. If the other actors shone, Joe Pesci simply doesn’t seem like he’s from this planet. An unforgettable performance, in my opinion. Another strength of the film was its portrayal of the absurdities in the everyday lives of mobsters, which a normal person can hardly imagine. It’s a true experience that won’t easily fade from my memory. And the scene with Pesci’s removal? I haven’t seen such an unpredictable and brilliantly conceived scene in a long time. I give it 91%.

Steven Spielberg has crafted a deeply impactful drama that boasts a brilliantly polished atmosphere with immense authenticity. The topic of the 1972 terrorist attack is, in my opinion, not well known in detail by a broad audience, including myself, so I welcomed this film as it expanded my historical knowledge. The atmosphere is truly the film's standout feature. The performances are the icing on the cake, especially the flawless Eric Bana, who portrayed the Mossad agent perfectly. Some sequences are wonderfully built up (for instance, the scene with the bomb in the phone and the approaching little girl sent chills down my spine). The editing also had no noticeable flaws. I was pleasantly surprised that Spielberg wasn't afraid to present the film in a rather naturalistic way, as I honestly didn’t expect that from such a director. But that’s exactly what I liked. John Williams' music was as delightful to my ears as always. More historical films like this, please. I give it 90%.

I have Shooter with Wahlberg categorized among my favorite films, so I was surprised that they decided to give it space in a series format. Antoine Fuqua oversaw a few episodes as a producer, which significantly influenced the quality of the series. Ryan Phillippe is quite an underused actor, but after watching this, I really don't understand why. He carried the series with his charisma and likable presence, perhaps fitting the role even more than Wahlberg himself, and he delivered a brilliant performance all around. The other actors weren't bad, but sometimes their performances weren't entirely ideal. Among the supporting actors, I want to highlight Tom Sizemore's performance, which convinced me from the first minutes that his casting made sense. The action is somewhat secondary here, but when it does come, it’s worth it (especially the last two episodes). It’s true that the action sequences should have been more prominent, which is one of the few downsides of the series. I think the penultimate episode was the best, especially the ending with the two main villains. 80%.

Clint Eastwood once again delivered a film based on a true story that takes many people's breath away. I admire this man in the director's chair for being able to create such an excellent, well-crafted film at his age, one that seems to lack any significant flaws. Casting Tom Hanks in the lead role was again a safe bet; Hanks has never disappointed with his performance, and he doesn't in Sully either. Eastwood's storytelling style resonates with me, as it feels like he has experienced all these adventures firsthand, making them come across as credible. Don't expect lengthy sequences of the landing on the Hudson; this film focuses more on the investigation, which is a great unknown for the general public, making it interesting to watch what Captain Sullenberger really went through after the emergency landing. I was pleased to see Aaron Eckhart, who is one of my favorites. It's truly a film that excels in craftsmanship, with witty and clever dialogue, and the music is pleasing to the ears, complementing this gem. I give it 90%.

This film faced criticism that it truly didn’t deserve. It’s true that The Thing from 1982 was very original, with its main strength being practical effects rather than CGI, but I still enjoyed the new installment quite a bit. The cast is exceedingly likable. I'm glad there was a prequel to such a cult classic. The atmosphere here was captivating. Once the alien burst out of the ice, the action really took off and didn’t stop until the end. I must commend the digital effects, as I found them good. It may not have had the same horror atmosphere as the original, but that doesn't matter at all. The ending surprised me in that I genuinely didn’t expect it, which gives the creators a huge plus. However, I particularly liked the post-credit scene, which beautifully connects to the first film. It doesn’t get a perfect score, as that would be somewhat disrespectful to the original, and also due to a few dull moments where I felt a bit bored. Otherwise, it’s a gripping film all around, and I give it 80%.

Solace impresses with its cast, a rather dense mystical atmosphere, and the excellent performances of Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell. On the other hand, it seems to me that the creators didn't fully utilize its potential. The film started slowly, which hurt it in this case, while the last half hour finally had the right drive. The mystical atmosphere was genuinely good, and I was looking forward to Farrell's villain for over an hour. Hopkins, at his age, delivered and showed that he still has it. I also liked the music, which added extra flair to the film. The ending was quite logically concluded, which is a big plus. The script could have been better, as the film contains a few dull moments where not much happens, leaving the viewer a bit bored. If that had been balanced out, it could have been a standout of the year. As it stands, it's just an above-average detective film, from which I'll mainly remember the performances of the two leading stars. I lean towards a solid three stars and 70%.

A South Korean war epic through and through. I found online that it is the most expensive South Korean film ever made, with a total cost of 24 million dollars. I must admit that it shows. Je-gyu Kang captivated me with his previous war film Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, so I simply had to see My Way as well. While the film is inspired by a true story, the rivalry between the two marathon runners, both on the track and in war, is fictional. However, that didn't bother me at all. The period atmosphere is captured wonderfully, and the sets are top-notch. Both main actors were very likable, and their performances were brilliant. It's incredible what the real Yang Kyoungjong had to endure before getting back home. The biggest cinematic draw is undoubtedly the battles, which are truly intense, with the financial investment radiating through every action moment. In this regard, My Way holds its own against Hollywood blockbusters. The ending was emotional, albeit slightly over the top, but I shrugged that off. I expected a far worse film, but My Way, along with Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, is among the best that South Korean cinema has produced so far. I give it 90%.

The collaboration between Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg has once again worked perfectly. Berg chose a recent event as his subject, specifically the oil rig explosion in 2010. To tackle such a topic and translate it to the big screen requires considerable experience as a director, and Berg certainly has that. I want to especially commend the film's visual aspect, which was breathtaking, and the explosions felt incredibly real. The cast is truly impressive and undoubtedly benefited the film. The atmosphere was captured in a way that felt authentic to the real explosion site, which is a big plus. Perhaps the creators could have toned down the American patriotism, but there's not much I can do about that. I’ve somewhat come to terms with it in Berg's films. A minor downside is that the real action and tension started quite late; some dialogues felt unnecessary and could possibly have been cut. On a positive note, the music was a fantastic complement to an already intense atmosphere. So far, this film has no competition in the cinematic field, as there isn't anything else on such a topic. I give it 75%.