eparazak

Dolittle was directed by Stephen Gaghan and follows Dr. Dolittle who currently lives in seclusion from the rest of humanity. Instead, he lives among animals, and they act as his only friends and companions When he encounters a young boy and girl, he learns that the Queen of England is dying. With this request, he goes on an adventure to find the cure of her illness with the boy as a stowaway.

I'm just going to get the good parts of the movie out of the way first. The sole cause of Dr. Dolittle's isolation was the only well-done aspect of this entire movie. This cause is explored more and given an in-depth look during the second half of the film. I have to say, the execution of this cause is done surprisingly well, and I expected the movie to chicken out and go the easy way around. The only other positive I can think of with this film is that there is only one fart joke throughout the entire film. I expected a few, but there really is only one during the end.

Everything else about this film is just awful however. My biggest issue with this movie is the animals. The movie is usually quiet and serene, until the animals are in the spotlight. The animals Dr. Dolittle talks to are absolutely irritating at all times. When they aren't doing anything of substance, they're usually cracking bad jokes, talking about nothing or making a pop culture reference. I distinctly remember one of the animals saying "I'm not crying, you're crying!" at some point. What makes this so utterly painful is that the animals will not shut up!

With that being said, the movie honestly feels like it dragged a lot. It is an hour and forty minutes with credits, yet it felt like it was 2 hours long. This movie has some problems with its pacing, where it takes forever for the ball to finally roll, and even then it leaves the second act slow as well with a rushed third act. This movie could've been much shorter, as it feels like there's a bit of padding.

I can't stand Robert Downey Jr.'s British accent; it felt extremely jarring, other than that, his acting his fine I guess. The boy's acting was fine too I guess. It really just comes down to the animals never shutting their mouths and how terribly paced and lackluster the film's plot really is. As a January film, Dolittle is fine for the kids, but I can't see a lot of people liking it. I think this film sucks and I don't know why Robert Downey Jr. would take this role directly after Avengers: Endgame.

3/10

1917 was brought to us by Sam Mendes and tells the story of two British soldiers during World War I who are sent off on a mission to stop an attack by the Germans on another base.

War movies seeemed to have had a significant impact on cinema over the last few years with movies like Hacksaw RIdge and Dunkirk. 1917 continues this trend by giving us a unique, breathtaking and riveting experience. As a matter of fact, I consider this to be a masterpiece. The techniques used to tell this story work brilliantly to deliver intensity, excitement, discomfort and a sense of atmosphere.

If you've heard of this movie already, odds are that you've heard that it's shot with the illusion that it's entirely one-shot. This fact turns out to be entirely true. There are no montages, no random cuts or anything like that, save for one cut at around the halfway mark. I think that what makes it work so well is that this technique makes the journey that these 2 soldiers go through feel like it's being done in real time. It helped the movie feel more engaging and interesting as it showcases everything that the soldiers go through in order to accomplish their goal.

As a war film, it is rather brutal in many instances. There are many scenes and aspects that point to this being true such as the fact that there are dead bodies everywhere, there's a plane that looks like it's about to crash, and that's just from the trailers. I also really appreciate how the dialogue is very minimal. It's trying to be a story that relies mostly on its visuals, and considering its visual style, I think it really works.

It mostly comes to the film's visual style working so well to tell this story about these brave soldiers hoping to stop an attack from the Germans. All I can really tell you guys is to go see this movie if you want a very real look on war! This movie is a masterpiece in my eyes.

10/10

Uncut Gems was directed by the Safdie Brothers and stars Adam Sandler as a man who runs a jewlery shop in New York City. After he comes across a rock with several gems stored inside it, he places a bidding on it and it causes some serious problems for his store, family, love-life and his own life.

I'll be honest, I wish I could get more into the hype for this movie, but sadly, I felt it to be slightly too flawed for me to truly get invested into it. That's not to say Uncut Gems is bad, I still think it's a good movie admittedly. I feel like the flaws keep it from being a masterpiece in my eyes. There are certain times within the movie that feel a bit disjointed. I feel like certain plot-points, specifically with the main character's family, feel pointless by the end of the movie. Finally, I feel like the movie can get too loud and obnoxious at times.

With these flaws out of the way, it is FAR superior to most of his other works. Sandler's performance, for instance is really good as this unlikable egotist that gets himself into various shenanigans. I thought the plot-points that worked had a major impact on the story in the long-run. I found the story's third act very exhilarating, gripping and especially tense. That's easily where it felt most like a thriller. Sandler's character made for a very interesting one, considering that he is an unlikable jerk. Finally, I really liked the production design and the cinematography work.

7/10