If you watch Ferrari expecting a racing movie about how this bigger-than-life brand started, I have bad news for you. This movie doesn’t cover that it only focuses on one specific period (the summer of 1957), and by then, the Ferrari was a known brand, but it struggled. Also, Ferrari doesn’t cover many races either; only about 30% of the runtime is racing. This movie is mainly a biopic about one particular summer when everything seemed to come crashing down, professionally and personally, for one Enzo Ferrari.

Luckily, I didn’t expect this to be mainly a racing movie; that’s why this movie worked for me a bit more than it seemed to work for others (based on early reactions). The main driving force (pun intended) behind this movie is the titular duo Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz. I know many (myself included) have horrible flashbacks when they see the name Adam Driver in an Italian setting, as, unfortunately, the memory of House of Gucci (2021, my review here) is still pretty fresh. But what happened in that movie wasn’t his fault, although nobody came out well in that film. But Ferrari is Driver’s redemption; he grounds this titan and portrays him as what he ultimately was, a human whose name is now synonymous with luxurious cars. His performance was great; he made us understand what makes Enzo tick, and it shows him as a human with flaws.

But it was Penélope Cruz who almost stole this movie for me. What she can do with just her eyes is phenomenal, and she continues to prove every year why she is currently in the TOP five living actresses. Her first scene with the phone, gun and her waiting for Enzo, followed up by the conversation they have, gave me every single information I needed to understand that she was not “just a wife”; she was his equal, business partner, and a force to be reckoned with. And then we get the cemetery scene, as both visit their son’s grave (not a spoiler, as it happens within the first 15 minutes) even though they purposefully don’t go together and effectively “swap”. Whilst Adam Driver has about a four-minute scene showing emotional range, Penélope has one take that lasts approximately 30 seconds with no cuts, no dialogue, just a close-up of her face looking at her late son’s gravestone and in those 30 seconds, we see several different emotions. We see her pain, remorse, guilt and anger, and again, with no dialogue, just a close-up of Penélope ‘s face informs you about everything you need to know about her. That moment was when I knew what movie I was in for.

The rest of the movie covers this period of Ferrari financially struggling whilst prepping for a big race they need to win so they can potentially merge/raise money. At the same time, Enzo is dealing with his mistress (played by Shailene Woodley), with whom he has an illegitimate child. We quickly learn that “everyone but Laura (Penélope’s character) knows about him”, so it’s only a matter of time. This part of the film was when I was the most intrigued, not knowing anything about this history; I went on this ride with them and didn’t even mind that the movie didn’t have that much racing going on.

When the racing finally happens, it’s shot beautifully, as one would expect from a legend like Michael Mann. He shoots everything with precision; this movie is technically brilliant and fun to watch, even though, on occasion, I got lost when the big race was happening as to who was who and which car was which. What didn’t help was that Maserati (Ferrari’s main competitor in this film) also had red cars, so in some quick scenes, I had to focus to understand what just happened. But that doesn’t take away anything from the camera work and sound mix/design. This movie shines on a cinema screen and sounds beautiful.

Also, there is one more thing this movie deals with (and I thought well), but I won’t spoil that. If you are a petrolhead, you probably know; if not, don’t Google anything and go to this movie blind. Mann shoots the racing scene masterfully; you are at the edge of your seat every second, as danger is looming everywhere; even Enzo mentions how that week is the anniversary of when two of his friends died racing. But when that scene came, it was still brutal to watch. It was cold, quick and shot in this almost anti-cinematic way. It was almost as if Mann wanted us to feel like we were no longer in a movie and were just watching a live race from 1957.

The other tiny thing I will say about Ferrari is that occasionally, there were some pacing issues. I read after this movie finished that this was Mann’s dream project for over 20 years, and it shows because, on the one hand, he managed to transport us into Italy in the late 50s. On the other hand, some scenes went on a bit too long (the middle part of the film felt a bit dull at times). Again, I wasn’t expecting a full-on racing movie, and I am glad we didn’t get it, as Ferrari was great. Did it have to be 130 minutes? I think not. If you cut a scene here and there, mainly in the middle part of this film, this movie would have flown much better.

Overall, Ferrari is a great biopic which stands out due to its main duo. Adam Driver is great, Penélope is phenomenal, and I hope they both get some recognition for it. The movie was a good mix of racing and biopic that has at least one scene that will leave you speechless. Also, I appreciate movies where we see people whose last names no longer sound like last names because we know them as brands. Ferrari deserves to be seen on the big screen for you to truly enjoy the camera work and sound design, as both were excellent. I don’t think you would regret paying to watch this movie in the cinema.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

This movie is fascinating on all levels. When you hear the premise and that David Fincher wanted to make this movie for over 20 years now, you imagine something dark, gritty and “Finchery”. We all know and love his uniquely twisted style. But The Killer is not what you might expect; it certainly wasn’t what I expected. It’s a fascinating movie because I had to read a review on Letterboxd by my internet friend Foster (give him a follow; he’s worth it) to understand that this is, in fact, a comedy. And once I understood that and reflected on what I saw, I appreciated it much more. I think this movie will get better on any future rewatch.

I will be honest; I felt a bit dumb as it never clicked while watching the movie, but it’s so obvious. I think what The Killer (and therefore Fincher) is toying with, is the idea of us, the audience, having seen hundreds of movies about killers. How cold and calculating they all are, and they rarely make mistakes, planning their every step, knowing their enemy’s every move before they make them. And this killer, portrayed by Michael Fassbender, isn’t “bad” by any means; he simply stumbles and fumbles a lot. The movie makes a big deal of his inner monologue and how he always has his rules to do this job, only for us to watch him break every single one or not follow them at all. In that sense, The Killer is a comedy, even though you will never laugh out loud.

Speaking of inner monologue, it was badly needed, as Fassbender barely talks in this movie. The one thing I noticed whilst watching this film was if it weren’t for that inner monologue and him talking to himself throughout the movie, Michael would have barely said 100 words in the entire film. Fincher tries to create this mood/vibe where we see him do a lot with saying very little. You know, the stereotypical “alpha” protagonists who do and don’t talk. And in his case, he does something, kinda fucks it up and then finishes the job.

I missed watching Michael on the screen as he makes this role work. He’s got the chops to convince us he could be out there killing people but has that physicality as well, where he can seem menacing when he has to. His restaurant scene opposite Tilda Swinton was brilliant, as you could cut that tension with a knife. What helped was that Tilda is a great actress. She might be on the screen for only ten minutes or so, but you will remember her after this film ends. Her character is simply brilliant and almost opposed to what our killer (we never learn Fassbender’s real name) is. She eats great food and enjoys her life, whilst we see him eat mostly fast food and not enjoying himself that much.

I might write something now a few people might view sacrilegious, but this movie didn’t feel “Finchery”, unlike his other films. If I started this movie not knowing who directed it, I wouldn’t have guessed he was behind the camera. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just seemed odd because I always viewed him as one of the most unique directors whose directing style could be felt through the screen. And The Killer felt cold, digital-like, which I suppose must have been a purposeful choice, but still… It will be interesting to watch what Fincher has coming next.

My only slightly negative thing about The Killer is that the beginning drags on for a while. In reality, the opening sequence might have only been 15/20 minutes long, but it felt like an hour. Luckily, once our protagonist goes on this revenge against some powerful people, that is when this movie kicked into a higher gear for me. And despite the reason for him going on that revenge is shown, it was never really explained; that’s my next point. Besides him and a few other minor characters, we have no idea who is who, meaning this movie finishes, and you are left wondering about… let’s say, who else lives in his house without spoiling things.

Overall, The Killer is a uniquely fascinating movie I enjoyed, and as I mentioned above, I can’t wait to rewatch it; knowing what I know now, I think this will play much better. Fassbender shines in this role, Tilda rules in her supporting role, and besides the slow opening sequence, the movie grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. I would recommend it, but with two caveats – treat it as a dark comedy and understand that this might be the most non-Fincher-like movie he has ever done.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

I didn’t know what to expect when I pressed the ‘Play’ button on my remote, and I love that feeling. The only thing I heard about this movie was a small hype for Teyana Taylor‘s performance, but that was about it. I didn’t know anything else, and that is how I like to watch any movie with as little information as possible, with no ideas about what this movie is supposed to be, letting the film speak for itself. And this one speaks loudly.

This movie speaks so loudly that I don’t know how much I want to reveal, as there were a few elements to this story I wasn’t expecting, and then, there was the ending that I won’t lie; I didn’t see coming at all. A Thousand and One is one of those movies that explores people making questionable choices without judging them. And then, when you think you have been “tested” enough and know where this is going, something happens and shakes up everything, from your view of this situation to you and your core. It’s only towards the end that you discover that this film needs you to actively participate and re-evaluate everything you have seen.

It will be hard to talk about this movie without going into the spoiler territory, and as I am writing this review, I still haven’t decided whether I want to spoil this movie or not. Therefore, let’s talk about performances in the meantime. I know Teyana from Kanye’s video Fade, and I vaguely remember her tiny role in Coming 2 America (2021, my review here), so I was intrigued to see what all that fuss was about, and yeah, she was great. I am not sure whether I would start campaigning on her behalf for something like an Oscar nomination, but she was definitely strong in this role.

Her character, Inez, is one of those people who is tough to watch at times due to her decisions, but you understand that at any given point, she is doing the best she can. From the very beginning, the movie sets up everything where we see her leaving Rikers and understand that she’s had it tough for her entire life. It is at this point where she encounters her six-year-old son and decides to kidnap him from foster care. That is not a spoiler, by the way, as that is the official synopsis of this movie on IMDb. We then watch her trying to give them some sort of life as New York changes.

That was one of those things I didn’t expect, and I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say, how the movie jumps in time a couple of times, covering around 15 years of living in New York and how everything around our protagonists changes, mainly politically and with changes, there are new, often racially motivated, challenges. The movie never spends too much time telling you what exactly is happening; it shows it to you effectively. One thing I loved about A Thousand and One was how it deals with politics by not being political at all. You won’t hear any cheap and simple shots at any politician, policies, etc. The movie treats it as fact and shows how Inez and her community are affected by those new laws and policies. And how people within this movie simply had to adjust and, unfortunately, make it part of their life.

Regarding other performances, I liked how natural Aaron Kingsley Adetola was. I enjoyed how vulnerable Aven Courtney was. And I understood everything about Josiah Cross. All three played Inez’s son Terry throughout different ages, and they all brought something unique to this role whilst helping you understand how and why Terry would grow up into the person he became at the end of this movie. I also enjoyed William Catlett despite not necessarily liking his character Lucky, even though he had his bright moments.

And that is where the cookie crumbles. How willing are you not only to watch flawed characters, but, more importantly, try to understand where everyone is coming from? And when you think you are finally at a place where you seem to have everything and everyone figured out, the movie hits you, and it hits you hard. Ok, I have decided it’s a spoiler time. I can’t NOT talk about it.

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

After A Thousand and One finished, I immediately thought of Gone Baby Gone (2007). Both movies leave you pondering a moral dilemma you can discuss at length. You come to terms with everything Inez has done, and then we learn that Terry isn’t even Inez’s son. He wasn’t abandoned by her when he was two, as we were led to believe she found him there. And now, his character has to deal with not knowing who he is, the fact his parents left him at that corner totally alone, and also, how Inez never told him that. The final scene hits hard and has so much going in it when we see only Inez and Terry and how he eventually grabs her hand, as a son would. Yet, deep down, we know it won’t be easy moving forward, emotionally, practically, legally…

I think this movie will play much better on rewatch. A Thousand and One is one of those movies I wasn’t clicking fully with for most of the film, as I must repeat again; it’s hard to sympathise with someone such as Inez, even if you understand where she is coming from. But as the movie progressed, I was in it, and when that twist happened, it made me realise how complex of a character she is. Does one good deed justify everything else she did? That’s up to everyone to decide for themselves, especially when the “good deed” itself can be discussed, given Inez’s circumstances and struggles. Again, no matter where you land on this movie, there is a hefty debate that could take place, and I enjoy movies like these.

Overall, A Thousand and One is a fascinating movie I ended up liking, and it may end up even higher on any potential rewatch due to my knowledge of the complete story and all the twists and turns. I liked the idea and the concept, and all the performances were great; I will definitely be on the lookout for Teyana and what she decides to make next. Would I recommend this movie? Yes, if you can handle following characters that are hard, if not impossible, to root for. And for the moral dilemma this movie talks about.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

Another year, another Disney live-action remake of their beloved animated classic, just so they can keep the copyright on those characters and sell you the same merchandise in new, updated skin. This year, the wise “wheel of all the movies we haven’t remade yet” stopped at The Little Mermaid, and this film made the news instantly when the casting was announced due to Disney making this fictional mermaid black, portrayed by Halle Bailey. Unfortunately, in the year 2023, you can imagine why it made the news, and you can also imagine the “certain people” who were “very upset” (to put it mildly) by this the most. Anyway, enough about racists. I didn’t catch this movie at the cinemas, but I heard “okay-ish” things to be intrigued, and when I finally checked it out myself, it was… overall, I have to put “meh”, but it might be the most complex “meh” of my entire life.

Let’s start with the positives and, by far, the biggest and (quite frankly) the only thing Disney did correctly was to bet their money on Halle Bailey. Not only can you tell she loves the story and is stoked to be a part of this, but this girl will be a star. She has a presence, feels royal (a great choice for a princess), and, most importantly, can sing. And I mean, she can sing where she sends shivers down your spine. Halle might be tiny (IMDb has her height at 5′ 2″ (or for us Europeans, 1.57 m)), but she has got some lungs and voice on her. Every time she sang, this film was worth watching. I can’t judge her acting as much, as she did a perfectly fine job as Ariel, but as far as her singing… she should be a household name at some point.

What I also liked was diving more into Caribbean culture, making this film (or at least parts of it) bright, colourful and vivid. I also enjoyed performances by Daveed Diggs and Melissa McCarthy, who were both much-needed comic reliefs, even though Melissa had to dig deeper into her darker side, playing the main villain and all that, and I thought she did fine.

Now, where this movie lost me was… well, everything else. By far, the biggest issue was the length and with that pacing. I don’t mind longer films, but every film must justify its length. The Little Mermaid had no justification for being 135 minutes. Especially the middle part, where you have this massive talent, and she can’t speak (I know it’s part of the story, and it had to happen, but still) felt out of place, the pacing was slow, and it almost felt like Rob Marshall made some bizarre deal with Disney, like had he managed to stretch it over two hours, he would get a bonus.

Also, when I praised the vivid Caribbean culture above, the end of this film is… dark. The CGI mostly didn’t work for me, and weirdly, The Little Mermaid made me appreciate Avatar: The Way of Water (2022, my review here) much more. You can tell how detailed the underwater scenes in Avatar were and how they seem “smooth” and life-like, unlike this movie, where everything and everyone seemed, for lack of a better word, smudged and slightly distorted.

I briefly need to mention Awkwafina, or, better said, her character Scuttle. I know many people don’t like her, and I am not one of them. But, there is a line where her Scuttle character became just annoying, which is rare nowadays. In most kids’ movies made today, the filmmakers know where the invisible line lies and usually make sure that no side character goes beyond it. But there was definitely too much of Scuttle in this movie. I did like the first couple of scenes, but the more this movie went on, the more forced and less funny those jokes became. Again, this isn’t because Awkwafina voiced this character. I can imagine this character being voiced by anybody else and still being as annoying.

This critique can, in a way, sum up how I feel about this film overall. The Little Mermaid isn’t a flop; it is not a bad movie either. It did a few things very well (especially relying on Halle Bailey), but every other choice the people behind this movie made felt unimaginative at best and lazy at worst. Realistically, the only reason I rate this film slightly above the average is the one and only Halle and her singing, as that was worth it. It’s too bad the entire movie didn’t rise to her quality.

Overall, The Little Mermaid is a perfectly fine movie your kids might love, and you will tolerate it. The beginning gives you hope that this might not be that bad, only for the middle part to bore you to tears and the end to be pretty dark (literally) where you can’t really distinguish much. Unlike many, I have seen the original movie from 1989 a few years ago, so it wasn’t a Disney movie I grew up with, so I don’t have a bias that they would “ruin my childhood” with this remake. However, as far as these life-action Disney remakes go, this one ranks amongst them as “one of them”. For me, most of those were exactly, like The Little Mermaid, pretty average experiences with maybe one or two things that would uplift it. It bears repeating after all the hate she had to endure, Halle Bailey is that someone here. She elevates and carries this monster of a movie on her tiny frame, and it would be purely on her singing; I could see myself cautiously recommending this to anyone.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke