[Faust]

Casino 1995

4.5/5

Amazing movie with great performances and unique Terry Gilliam-like lighting in many scenes. Watched part of it during transport which I normally don’t as I have a home cinema, but it is a testament to how engaging the movie is

[JonE(vil)]

Narrow margin. 1990.
6/10
Mid level thriller set on a train starring Gene Hackman and Anne Archer. He is a lawyer trying to get a witness across the country to testify against a high profile criminal.
Hackman brings his usual style, rough but dependable, Archer is solid as the woman thrust into the situation. Its a remake of a 1952 film, but with a padded out plot. Some points drag a little but its well filmed as 90 percent of it is on the train. No quick edits or jumpy action scenes, with a group of characters that each play small but important roles.

[JonE(vil)]

12.12. The day.
9/10
Political thriller involving the army.
Based on true events it tells the story, in some detail, of what happened in the weeks after the assassination of the president. With a large cast involving different elements of the army, loyal to certain generals, it does well at making sure the viewer knows who they all are. It slowly ramps up the tension as strategies are planned on either side. No prior knowledge is needed of the events, which does add a added level.
The man standing next (2020) deals with the assassination and is good political thriller.
A taxi driver (2017) depicts events in the '80s
The attorney (2013) depicts a lawyer defending a student during a 80 civilian uprising. Both are these are character driven dramas.

[JonE(vil)]

Red one. 2024.
3/10
Santa goes missing.
Starring Chris Evans as a hacker-for-hire, and Dwayne Johnson as a head of security elf. They 'team up' in a buddy cop/odd couple way to find Santa Claus. The film overall is interesting, but with a run time of two hours it plods along with only the cgi to keep the viewer interested. The cgi adds a very modern view to the film and kinda highlights the lack of spark. Nothing really interesting between the two leads as both has a cynical view of xmas. It also takes the legend of Krampus and crowbars it in very little effect.
Best watched as background noise, which is what i did.

[JonE(vil)]

The jigsaw man. 1983.
5/10
A british agent who defected to Moscow, undergoes surgery and goes back to Britain.
Starring Micheal Caine, its a dull but interesting spy film. There a few characters and it follows, what typically would the norm for such a film. Lots of names, intrigue and drama. It doesn't have a real sense of dread, somewhat because of Caine and his low key acting style.

[JonE(vil)]

Gomorrah. 2008. Italy.
9/10
(rewatch) A series of stories set in the same area play out over a period of time.
Based on the book by Roberto Saviano, it's a very down to earth look at organized crime. There is no high action or dramatic tension, its a slow burn that is captivating and intense. The stories reflected different aspects, such as the garment designer that goes to work for a rival company to make extra money, two young blokes who are seen at the start emulating 'Tony Montana' (Scarface) and young kid drawn into a war. The characters come across as real people, which when the violence starts, it quick and shocking.
Excellent film about the ruthless nature of the underworld.

[JonE(vil)]

We still kill the old way. 1967. Italy.
5/10
A bloke and his friend are killed, a professor and the widow of the initial target, try to find the killers.
Slow crime drama that relies on plot. Set in a small village, it transpires that there is a history between some of them. A product of its time, well filmed with a character driven storyline.

[JonE(vil)]

Zacma. Blindness. 2016. Poland.
7/10
Based on a true story, a woman nicknamed 'Bloody Luna', who was personally responsible for the torture, death of people during the USSR control of Poland, seeks a meeting with a cardinal, who suffered time in prison under her watch. The film shows a woman who is still strong willed, but with no power or authority, is now crumbling mentally, and looking for forgiveness. Mainly set in the convent, its a series of conversations with a few key characters. Some flashbacks help show what kind of person she was then. It builds a nice tension to the final conversation. That in it self was tense, her looking for a spiritual way forward and how to process her fear of prosecution.

[JonE(vil)]

Nosferatu. 2024
8/10
Written and directed by Robert Eggers. The film is adapted from the original and Bram Stokers novel. It has a very gothic style with only a few jumps scares, and a easy pace in the way the scenes don't feel rushed. For most of the film, its dimly lit, which adds a real dread when dealing with Nosferatu itself. Set design and costumes are outstanding. This all adds to the performance from each actor, no matter their length of screen time.

[JonE(vil)]

The seed of the sacred fig. 2024. Iran.
7/10
The director is a well known critic of the Iranian government, and escaped the country after a heavy prison sentence and flogging judgement against him.
Plot wise it deals with the family, his strict morals and want for a secure life, the wife who adheres to his wishes, their two daughters, who have a 'liberal' way of thinking.
Set during the riots that ensued after the death of a young woman in custody, it uses real footage depicting the incident, and the rioting/crackdown later. When he loses a gun given to him for protection, tension increases, and its not hard to see the parallels of society, playing out between all the characters. Well filmed with a nice soundtrack, engaging and thoughtful. But a slow film with a run time of 2hrs 45mins.