edwardjones-23192
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edwardjones-23192's rating
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edwardjones-23192's rating
Small Town Crime tells the story of an alcoholic ex-cop who finds a young woman's body and commits himself to finding her killer.
It's not the most original premise, and neither is the plot, character development, or execution. And that's the first impression I got from this movie: that it didn't stray an inch from its genre's conventions. This doesn't necessarily connote a bad movie. Netflix's Stranger Things and Paco Plaza's Veronica are perfect examples of this. Unfortunately, Small Town Crime doesn't do the same for the hard-boiled crime genre.
It's an enjoyable experience, only one that you'll forget instantly. It's a popcorn flick, but not one with the eye-candy spectacle that accompanies a blockbuster budget. The plot develops in interesting, occasionally unpredictable ways. But rather than being edge-of-your-seat tension, you'll best enjoy this movie slumped back in an armchair. The acting was also good, but, don't expect it to win any awards. The the writing also holds any potential for relatable performances, particularly John Hawkes'. His unfulfilled potential and backstory cried out for more attention. Essentially, the movie presents a largely paint-by-numbers plot, which sadly forces characterisation into the backseat.
The second and third acts also rush through the plot, a little too unfocused. The script demanded a re-write if it hoped to deliver anything spectacular.
It's not the most original premise, and neither is the plot, character development, or execution. And that's the first impression I got from this movie: that it didn't stray an inch from its genre's conventions. This doesn't necessarily connote a bad movie. Netflix's Stranger Things and Paco Plaza's Veronica are perfect examples of this. Unfortunately, Small Town Crime doesn't do the same for the hard-boiled crime genre.
It's an enjoyable experience, only one that you'll forget instantly. It's a popcorn flick, but not one with the eye-candy spectacle that accompanies a blockbuster budget. The plot develops in interesting, occasionally unpredictable ways. But rather than being edge-of-your-seat tension, you'll best enjoy this movie slumped back in an armchair. The acting was also good, but, don't expect it to win any awards. The the writing also holds any potential for relatable performances, particularly John Hawkes'. His unfulfilled potential and backstory cried out for more attention. Essentially, the movie presents a largely paint-by-numbers plot, which sadly forces characterisation into the backseat.
The second and third acts also rush through the plot, a little too unfocused. The script demanded a re-write if it hoped to deliver anything spectacular.
Sensational director Guillermo del Toro is back to his roots with The Shape of Water. And it's making a serious splash.
The Shape of Water takes audiences back to the fairy-tale style of earlier movies. The story explores the relationship between mute cleaner Elsa and the creature at the government facility where she works. The premise and plot are a little bizarre, but comfortably so. The plot seems interwoven around some deeper message, as is the case with most of his movies. But there is no explicit social commentary. It is the audience's job to fill that gap.
The cold war backdrops The Shape of Water, but it never delves too deep into the background conflict. The cold war element of the movie serves more as a cinematic backdrop than a scathing social commentary, like in Pan's Labyrinth.
Del Toro uses a generous amount of tropes, especially regarding Michael Shannon's classic bad- guy role. But with the lighter tone, the movie is freer to explore other themes: love, unity, oneness. Or rather, we are freer to explore the themes within the film.
The Shape of Water is at heart a love story, although it feels abstracted enough as to be universally symbolic.
Neither the creature or Elsa can speak, and it is through this commonality that they transcend differences of species. And symbolically, other boundaries like race, class, gender, and sexuality. But it's difficult to entirely indulge in the symbolism when the couple grows more intimate with each other. Things get a little strange then, but it's all light-hearted.
The creature design was also the best we've seen yet from del Toro. He has always favoured physical costume design over post-production. The amphibian man is no different. He looks all the more real for his physical design. This feels homelier amidst the huge shift towards digital effects in modern cinema. There is still some digital effects, but they aren't noticeable. The amphibian man is of course played by long-time collaborator, Doug Jones, who plays nearly all of del Toro's monsters. His acting is impeccable, as is lead actress Sally Hawkins's.
The relationships between other characters is excellently written and performed. The one-sided dialogue between Elsa and every other character is surprisingly evocative. This puts all the more emphasis on Elsa and the amphibian man's relationship.
The colour scheme of the movie really sets it out visually. The vast majority of the sets are coloured entirely in varying shades of blue and green: a kind of teal. This reflects the coldness of the outside world, the coldness of water, and also the historical context.
The Shape of Water takes audiences back to the fairy-tale style of earlier movies. The story explores the relationship between mute cleaner Elsa and the creature at the government facility where she works. The premise and plot are a little bizarre, but comfortably so. The plot seems interwoven around some deeper message, as is the case with most of his movies. But there is no explicit social commentary. It is the audience's job to fill that gap.
The cold war backdrops The Shape of Water, but it never delves too deep into the background conflict. The cold war element of the movie serves more as a cinematic backdrop than a scathing social commentary, like in Pan's Labyrinth.
Del Toro uses a generous amount of tropes, especially regarding Michael Shannon's classic bad- guy role. But with the lighter tone, the movie is freer to explore other themes: love, unity, oneness. Or rather, we are freer to explore the themes within the film.
The Shape of Water is at heart a love story, although it feels abstracted enough as to be universally symbolic.
Neither the creature or Elsa can speak, and it is through this commonality that they transcend differences of species. And symbolically, other boundaries like race, class, gender, and sexuality. But it's difficult to entirely indulge in the symbolism when the couple grows more intimate with each other. Things get a little strange then, but it's all light-hearted.
The creature design was also the best we've seen yet from del Toro. He has always favoured physical costume design over post-production. The amphibian man is no different. He looks all the more real for his physical design. This feels homelier amidst the huge shift towards digital effects in modern cinema. There is still some digital effects, but they aren't noticeable. The amphibian man is of course played by long-time collaborator, Doug Jones, who plays nearly all of del Toro's monsters. His acting is impeccable, as is lead actress Sally Hawkins's.
The relationships between other characters is excellently written and performed. The one-sided dialogue between Elsa and every other character is surprisingly evocative. This puts all the more emphasis on Elsa and the amphibian man's relationship.
The colour scheme of the movie really sets it out visually. The vast majority of the sets are coloured entirely in varying shades of blue and green: a kind of teal. This reflects the coldness of the outside world, the coldness of water, and also the historical context.
Paco Plaza took the horror genre by storm with the Rec. series (remade in English as Quarantine) and he's back to do it all over again with Veronica.
The plot is fairly generic for horror, and is based on a true story, which means nothing to anyone except the marketing team. But Veronica's success lies not in its originality but in its masterful execution. Foreign movies often miss out on the blockbuster budgets that their American counterparts are privileged with. But the producers have spared no expense with Veronica.
It's rare that movies are named after their protagonists. It would be easy to draw comparisons with Stephen King's Carrie, but there is a clear reason. Veronica is not a lens through which the story is viewed. She is the movie: her past, her fears, and her insecurities. The narrative delves deep into her character, not separately from the horror but within it. Another easy comparison to draw is with The Babadook. Veronica is not as focused, but it explores death in a more introspective way than most. Combined with more focalised cinematography, the central characterisation is second-to- none.
Characterisation aside, Veronica is still a horror movie, and it rarely strays from its genre conventions, which is fine. Originality isn't always good. There are excellent movies such as this, which excellently execute the tried and tested genre conventions. It's a clear trend, though so many ignore it, that deep, resonant narrative make more successful movies. This year's IT (see our review here) is a perfect example of this, breaking box office records.
Veronica nails the narrative expectations of modern horror.
At its core, Veronica is a story about a teenage girl who has lost her father. And with her mother working overtime, she struggles with the weight of the family on her own shoulders. The manifestations of horror within the movie emanate from this same source, which is what IT does. And which works incredibly well. Characterisation and terror inform each other. We relate to Veronica all the more for the horror she experiences. And conversely, the horror becomes more terrifying itself because we care about Veronica and understand her.
Veronica is the most cinematic horror movie to come from outside Hollywood.
The horror is in your face. Vivid and loud. Not only is the sound design incredible, but the music boasts an original mix of conventional eerie scoring and synthesised 80s soundtracks. The acting and writing are flawless. It's a thrilling, euphoric, and cathartic ride. The only thing I didn't care for was the whole 'true story' element. In particular, the movie already had a great ending, which was succeeded by another scene, which served only to emphasise the 'true story' aspect of the movie.
Review from Student Pages: https://www.studentpages.biz/veronica-review/
The plot is fairly generic for horror, and is based on a true story, which means nothing to anyone except the marketing team. But Veronica's success lies not in its originality but in its masterful execution. Foreign movies often miss out on the blockbuster budgets that their American counterparts are privileged with. But the producers have spared no expense with Veronica.
It's rare that movies are named after their protagonists. It would be easy to draw comparisons with Stephen King's Carrie, but there is a clear reason. Veronica is not a lens through which the story is viewed. She is the movie: her past, her fears, and her insecurities. The narrative delves deep into her character, not separately from the horror but within it. Another easy comparison to draw is with The Babadook. Veronica is not as focused, but it explores death in a more introspective way than most. Combined with more focalised cinematography, the central characterisation is second-to- none.
Characterisation aside, Veronica is still a horror movie, and it rarely strays from its genre conventions, which is fine. Originality isn't always good. There are excellent movies such as this, which excellently execute the tried and tested genre conventions. It's a clear trend, though so many ignore it, that deep, resonant narrative make more successful movies. This year's IT (see our review here) is a perfect example of this, breaking box office records.
Veronica nails the narrative expectations of modern horror.
At its core, Veronica is a story about a teenage girl who has lost her father. And with her mother working overtime, she struggles with the weight of the family on her own shoulders. The manifestations of horror within the movie emanate from this same source, which is what IT does. And which works incredibly well. Characterisation and terror inform each other. We relate to Veronica all the more for the horror she experiences. And conversely, the horror becomes more terrifying itself because we care about Veronica and understand her.
Veronica is the most cinematic horror movie to come from outside Hollywood.
The horror is in your face. Vivid and loud. Not only is the sound design incredible, but the music boasts an original mix of conventional eerie scoring and synthesised 80s soundtracks. The acting and writing are flawless. It's a thrilling, euphoric, and cathartic ride. The only thing I didn't care for was the whole 'true story' element. In particular, the movie already had a great ending, which was succeeded by another scene, which served only to emphasise the 'true story' aspect of the movie.
Review from Student Pages: https://www.studentpages.biz/veronica-review/