Everyone Says I Love You

Movie Name: Everyone Says I Love You
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Woody Allen, Drew Barrymore, Goldie Hawn, Edward Norton, Natasha Lyonne, Alan Alda, Gaby Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Lukas Haas, Julia Roberts, Billy Crudup, Tim Roth, David Ogden Stiers,
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:
After "Mighty Aphrodite", Woody Allen's 1996 release, "Everyone Says I Love You" was a fantastic come back to good form, in what turned out to be a celebratory and musical film. The film focuses on a group of characters, starting with Joe and his daughter DJ. DJ's mom, Steffi, has remarried and has a new family with Bob: they have a large family that also includes Skylar, Lane and Laura. Skylar is about to marry Holden, while Joe has gone through another separation, which prompts him to go to Venice, where he meets the beautiful Von. He ingratiates himself to her, and makes her believe he's the man of her dreams. These romantic complications start to unravel the lives of all these characters. 

Woody Allen's productive status during the 90s continued, and after the success of "Bullets Over Broadway" and the divisive "Mighty Aphrodite", "Everyone Says I Love You" was a beautiful ode to romance and the power of musicals. Woody Allen creates an interwoven narrative, where the characters sing classical torch and romantic songs, that are perfectly suited to each situation they are in. It's reminiscent of the classic Hollywood musicals and features great opportunities for the fantastic cast to have fun and be playful with beautiful songs (amongst the talented cast members belting songs, we have Edward Norton and Goldie Hawn). The cinematography from Carlo DiPalma is stunning, as is this film, that has become one of Allen's staples from the 90s.

Ex Machina

Movie Name: Ex Machina
Year of Release: 2015

Director: Alex Garland

Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno, Claire Selby, Symara A. Templeman
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
"Ex Machina" is the feature debut from celebrated writer Alex Garland (who worked previously with director Danny Boyle on "The Beach", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine"). The film focuses on Caleb, a young promising software developer who wins a surprise award, to meet the reclusive and brilliant CEO of his company, Bluebook, a company emulating Google. Caleb is initially intimated by the brilliant Nathan, particularly when he finds out the real purpose of the visit - to test the limits of the AI he just developed (an artificial creation by the name of Ava). As the tests begin, Caleb starts realizing there's more to the story than he was initially aware of - in parallel Ava also has her own motivations that become transparent.

Alex Garland in all the features that he has worked thus far (which also includes Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" and Pete Travis' "Dredd"), always introduces a dystopian future and central characters that are discouraged and disillusioned by the state of things. "Ex Machina" introduces the concept of artificial intelligence, created by a billionaire genius (emulating Mark Zuckerberg), with an alarming message that the creation is in fact the demise of the creator. The android figure (fantastically well designed and executed) slowly starts unpeeling her own angle, allowing for this triangle to become a very interesting perspective, between the innocent view, the machiavellian creator and the creature. Unlike the classic story of "Frankenstein", the android isn't feared - she has developed her own plans and agenda. It's a menacing view of the concept of artificial intelligence, and what that represents for humanity. The film features a trio of great performances: Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander, and also a terrific score from Geoff Barrow (from band Portishead) and Ben Salisbury. A very good film worth watching.

It Follows

Movie Name: It Follows
Year of Release: 2014

Director: David Robert Mitchell

Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe, Jake Weary, Daniel Zovatto, Loren Bass
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
"It Follows" is David Robert Mitchell's sophomore effort, and is a successful horror feature. The film focuses on a high school student, Jai Height, who after a sexual relationship with a young man, is warned she'll start being followed by some entity. Jai initially doesn't believe this story, but these entities eventually start showing up, following her non stop. Her sister and her friends try to help her, and Jai comes to find out that by having intercourse with other people, she can pass this entity onto them. Her increasing shock and fear lead her to make some dramatic choices.

David Robert Mitchell has successfully created a horror film that is intelligent as is enigmatic. The film smartly builds the tension, allowing the viewers to get familiar with the quiet surroundings where the action takes place, giving us insight into the lives of these young people. When the entities appear, they are unexplained, unstoppable and lethal to whomever they find on their path. This is a film that lives from the suggestion of menace, and the tension builds increasingly since the protagonists never know when the entities will appear. It's simultaneously reverential towards the horror films of the late 70s and early 80s, but with a modern aesthetic. There's also a tone in the film that is increasingly distant and cerebral, similar to the early David Cronenberg films of the early 1980s (such as "The Brood" and "Videodrome").  The film benefits from a stunning score from Rich Vreeland, which is very nostalgic of John Carpenter's films, as well as the beautiful cinematography from Mike Gioulakis.  The young cast is uniformly good. A very good surprise worth watching.

Fargo

Movie Name: Fargo
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Stars: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare, Larry Brandenburg, John Carroll Lynch, Tony Denman, Steve Reevis, Bruce Bohne, Steve Park
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
Following their bigger budget experiment with "The Hudsucker Proxy" (done for Warner Brothers studio), the Coen brothers went back to their independent roots, and came back with what turned out to be one of their biggest hits and one of their most iconic films to date, the celebrated "Fargo". Based on a true story, the film focuses on the story of Jerry Lundegaard, a car salesman in Minnesota, who's going through financial problems. Jerry devises a plan to get ahead, by forging a fake kidnapping of his wife, getting the ransom money from his extremely wealthy father in law. For that purpose, he hires two unscrupulous crooks, who kidnap his wife, but in the process end up killing a bunch of people and derailing what was originally a simple plan. This sparks the attention of chief of police Marge Gunderson, a resourceful and very pregnant police officer who starts untangling this messy ordeal.

Joel and Ethan Coen have made a career of showcasing humor in surreal and extreme situations. "Fargo" is one of their most successful features, since it perfectly captures habits and language of a small community located in the Midwest. The characters are perfectly depicted, showcasing their traits and how they react to situations that become increasingly more bizarre (and the humor that comes from these surreal scenarios). The film also has a perfect combination of a cast of characters and the space surrounding them: the frozen tundra that exists in Minnesota also becomes one of the central characters of the film. The actors are uniformly fantastic, from the always superb Frances McDorman (who won the Oscar), to William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare (most of whom collaborate with the brothers frequently). The cinematography from Roger Deakins is stunning as is the score from Carter Burwell. A classic always worth watching!

Basquiat

Movie Name: Basquiat
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Julian Schnabel

Stars: Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Wincott, Claire Forlani, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Willem Dafoe, Christopher Walken, Parker Posey, Paul Bartel, Elina Lowensohn, Courtney Love
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Celebrated artist Julian Schnabel made his debut feature with the biopic for fellow artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film focuses on the beginnings of the artist, as he struggles in the streets of New York, basically living on the streets and doing remedial tasks to survive. Basquiat eventually gets discovered by Andy Warhol, who becomes a friend and a patron. He has a meteoric rise in popularity in the art world, but in the process alienates some of his friends and former partner, not to mention he becomes increasingly addicted to drugs.
Julian Schnabel introduces us to Basquiat when he's already an adult and living in the streets of New York. The fact that the artist had a big connection to the music world, is somewhat sidestepped, but his involvement with Andy Warhol, is deeply explored, which is where the film actually soars. The director captures the dynamics of an artist with fears of fading away, versus someone who's rising on the scene, and for whom everything is fresh, unique and challenging. The film is surprisingly hollow in terms of understanding why Basquiat was the artist he was, but deftly manages to create an interesting fabric of the relationships he built, populating the story with interesting supporting characters and providing insight into the art world of New York in the 80s. It's a film that lives more from broad strokes, than an integrated narrative, and unlike Martin Scorsese's "Life Lessons", the audience is never really ingrained in this artist's process. The cast is uniformly good, particularly the fantastic Jeffrey Wright and David Bowie who has a fantastic performance as Andy Warhol. An interesting first feature from a director who went on to do far superior work.

The English Patient

Movie Name: The English Patient
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Anthony Minghella

Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth, Julian Wadham, Jurgen Prochnow, Kevin Whately, Clive Merrison
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
Director Anthony Minghella premiered "The English Patient" in 1996 to critical and commercial success, following a discrete career, that was up until that point, more focused on writing than directing. The film is an adaptation of the book by Michael Ondaatje, which won the Booker Prize of 1992. The story takes place in the aftermath of WWII, and introduces us to a survivor of a lethal fire, who is badly scarred, and who is being taken care of by a beautiful nurse. We get to know this patient through numerous flashbacks - his name is Count Almasy, an Hungarian count, who during the 1930s was exploring the Sahara Desert for the Royal Geographic Society. Part of this expedition across the desert includes Geoffrey Clifton and his wife Katherine, who become friends with Almasy. When Geoffrey leaves to explore further areas of the desert on his plane, a relationship emerges between Kaherine and Almasy. This relationship between the two has a tragic development. In parallel with these flashbacks, we also see the relationship of Hana, the nurse, unfold with a young soldier by the name of Kip.

"The English Patient" is a film with an epic scope, and a sense of classic storytelling that makes it feel and be seen like a film from the Hollywood golden age. It drinks a bit of inspiration from David Lean, but also from Sydney Pollack's "Out of Africa". The director successfully manages to create a mosaic of relationships, expanding particularly well on the flashbacks, where Almasy and Katherine slowly get to know each other, and where the film acquires most of its dramatic edge. It's a romantic film that is utterly sold based on the fantastic performances from Ralph Fiennes (quite possibly one the most underrated actors working to this day) and Kristin Scott Thomas. Anthony Minghella also captures the different stories that define the arcs of the supporting characters, namely Hana, Caravaggio and Kip. It benefits from a stunning cinematography from John Seale and a wonderful and alluring score from Gabriel Yared. A beautiful film always worth revisiting.

While We're Young

Movie Name: While We're Young
Year of Release: 2014

Director: Noah Baumbach

Stars: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Grodin, Adam Horovitz, Maria Dizzia, Matthew Maher, Peter Yarrow, Dree Hemingway
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
Director Noah Baumbach's new feature, comes after the critical success of "Frances Ha". The film focuses on the story of a couple in their mid 40s, Josh and Cordelia, whose best friends just had a baby, and whose life seems to be consumed about having and dealing with children. Josh is a documentary film maker, and has a strained relationship with Cordelia's father, himself an established film maker. In one of Josh's presentations he meets Jamie, a young man in his 20s, who is a big fan of his work. He soon introduces Josh to his wife Darby - this young couple is the epitome of trendy, with their love of vinyl records, bike rides and spontaneity. However Josh starts noticing they also cash in on the generosity of others, and what they present as their lives may not be entirely so.

Noah Baumbach has successfully made a career for himself capturing the life of elite intellectuals in New York with problems of integration or finding their own footing in life. With "While We're Young" Baumbach has written a story that pierces the core of two interesting subject matters: learning to age and mature, and how younger generations have a somewhat lack of scruples and are generally inconsequential about their choices and behavior. The film is perfect in its depiction of how these two couples meet and how the older one feels energized by the dynamics of the younger couple, yet as the reality of these relationships start to materialize, there's a darker tone that starts emerging. The director smartly manages to build a comedy that showcases the idiocy of some behaviors, while also contemplating some darker themes in how some people are parasitical of others. The cast is uniformly good, particularly Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, that give their characters respectively a certain angst and a depth that make this couple both endearing and relatable. Another great film from Noah Baumbach!

Breaking the Waves

Movie Name: Breaking the Waves
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Lars Von Trier

Stars: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr, Adrian Rawlins, Jonathan Hackett, Sandra Voe, Udo Kier, Mikkel Gaup, Finlay Welsh, Phil McCall, Roef Ragas
Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 10

Synopsis:
Following the critical success of "Europa", director Lars Von Trier came back to the Cannes Film Festival in 1996 with "Breaking the Waves", which again would win the Grand Prize of the Jury. The film focuses on the story of Bess, a young and deeply religious woman, who lives in a small town in Scotland. Bess meets and falls in love with a danish oil-rig worker by the name of Jan. After getting married, Jan returns to the rig, where he suffers an accident which leaves him unable to walk and also to have sex with Bess. Jan asks Bess to seek out sexual satisfaction with other men, and report back to him on those experiences. Bess becomes convinced that her sacrifice is making Jan's health improve, and she progressively becomes tangled in riskier situations. 

Lars Von Trier has by now built an impressive body of work, and "Breaking the Waves" increased his visibility to a whole new level. The film is a stunning exploration of the power of faith and sacrifice, and much like a lot of his latter efforts, the central character goes through a dramatic expiation of her sins, in order to give a second life to her loved one. Much like the tribulations of Selma in "Dancer in the Dark", Bess' life slowly starts to unravel as her realization becomes more apparent to her. The film showcases a fantastic central performance by Emily Watson, who bares her body and soul as Bess, the enamored woman, who goes to every length of effort to make her loved one live, including doing acts that are shameful for her and her beliefs. Lars Von Trier divides the film in different chapters, much like the circles of hell written by Dante Alighieri - each chapter is a further sacrifice for Bess in her path. The film features a beautiful cinematography from Robby Muller. A simply stunning film!

Beautiful Thing

Movie Name: Beautiful Thing
Year of Release: 1996

Director: Hettie Macdonald

Stars: Glen Berry, Scott Neal, Linda Henry, Ben Daniels, Tameka Empson, Daniel Bowers, John Benfield, Garry Cooper
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
"Beautiful Thing" is the debut feature of director Hettie Macdonald, who has since gone on to direct prestige projects for the BBC. The film is an adaptation of the play by celebrated writer Jonathan Harvey, and follows the story of Jamie, a 16 year old boy who lives with his mom in the suburbs of London. Jamie gets his fair share of bullying at school, and overcomes it all by immersing himself in films, music and his friendship with his neighbor, Leah (a huge Mama Cass fan). His other neighbor, is also a school friend, the athletic and quiet Ste, himself a victim of bullying, but mostly domestic from his abusive father and brother. These two young men, find themselves thrown together, and slowly fall in love against all odds. 

"Beautiful Thing" manages to superbly capture the life of the English suburbs, very much in the vein of Mike Leigh, showcasing the reality of living with few means, but it also stages the evolution of the love story in a way that makes the film look like an alternate reality. Hettie Macdonald also directs the young cast in a naturalistic way, managing to capture the pains and surprises of being in love, of being different, and how the adult world that surrounds the central pair, reacts to their burgeoning relationship. All these nuances make this film truly memorable, with highlights also going to the great cast, namely Glen Berry, Scott Neal, Linda Henry, Tameka Empson and Ben Daniels. This eclectic ensemble brings this multifaceted story to life, benefiting from a nostalgic score and cinematography from Chris Seager. A great film worth discovering.

Twelve Monkeys

Movie Name: Twelve Monkeys
Year of Release: 1995

Director: Terry Gilliam

Stars: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, David Morse, Matt Ross, Christopher Meloni, LisaGay Hamilton, Frank Gorshin, Bill Raymond, Simon Jones, Jon Seda
Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
After the critical and commercial success of "The Fisher King", director Terry Gilliam returned with another film, the science fiction success "12 Monkeys". The film is loosely inspired by the short feature "La Jetée", from Chris Marker. The story focuses on James Cole, a prisoner living in a facility underneath Philadelphia in the year 2027. Cole is sent back in time to gather information on the virus that was released in 1996, and almost destroyed all of humanity. However Cole finds himself in 1990, confined in a mental institution where he meets Jeffrey Goines, another patient and animal rights advocate. In that institution he also meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, who takes a particular interest in his case, and who helps him untangle this conspiracy. As Cole gets sent back to the future and back to different time frames, the origin of the virus becomes apparent, and it's up to him and Kathryn to somehow prevent this catastrophe from occurring.

Terry Gilliam has made a name of himself as a creator of universes that are touched by a unique sense of humor and of fantastic. His most iconic film, "Brazil", is summarily, a nightmarish vision of a society tangled in bureaucracy, where the existence of dreams and of self, is completely destroyed. A lot of the characters that inhabit his stories are simultaneously dreamers, idealists, but also heroes whose souls have been crushed by the rumblings and mechanics of a state, government or a grotesque society. "Twelve Monkeys" is one of his most interesting films, existing within his universe, mostly due to the central affliction of its main hero, James Cole, who the audience is ambiguously made aware is from the future (or may be imagining everything). The aesthetic of the film is very much on par with what has become the trademark of the director: a mix of baroque with camera angles that push the characters (and viewers) into the core of the events. The cast of the film is equally interesting, with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt creating convincing and memorable characters. The cinematography from the excellent Roger Pratt (also responsible for Tim Burton's "Batman" and Terry Gilliam's "Brazil") is fantastic, as is the production design from Jeffrey Beecroft. A good film always worth revisiting.

Sense and Sensibility

Movie Name: Sense and Sensibility
Year of Release: 1995

Director: Ang Lee

Stars: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones, James Fleet, Greg Wise, Harriet Walter, Imelda Staunton, Imogen Stubs, Hugh Laurie,
Genre: Drama, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
Celebrated director Ang Lee premiered his adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" in 1995 to universal acclaim, following two films that had been equally critically well received, namely "The Wedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman". "Sense and Sensibility" focuses on the story of the Dashwood family, in particular the three daughters from that clan. The girls, alongside their mother, find themselves in a difficult situation, following the death of patriarch, who by law must leave the bulk of his estate to his son, from his first marriage. The women are left with almost no income, and are taken by a kind cousin. The lack of a suitable dowry, makes the situation of finding a suitable suitor for the two older sisters a bit more complicated. The quiet and sensible Elinor forms an emotional attachment to Edward Ferrars, the brother of her sister-in-law, whereas Marianne falls for the dashing John Willoughby, who unbknowst to her, has his fair share of issues and problems. These relationships are all put through some challenges, as the women navigate society, monetary interests and personal emotions.

Working from a script adapted by Emma Thompson herself, Ang Lee stages the story of the Dashwood family with a naturalism and lack of artificialism, that grounds the story and characters in a time where women had little rights and where the intricate details and arrangements of finding a suitable marriage was the focus of many families. The two central characters, the romantic Marianne and the guarded Elinor are the windows, which allow us to understand the habits and the delicate arrangements of this society. Ang Lee successfully captures all these nuances, allowing for the characters to be flushed out with nuance, never allowing situations or characters to become caricatures. The actors are uniformly good, particularly Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. The cinematography from Michael Coulter is lovely, as is the score from Patrick Doyle. A very good film from a fantastic director.

To Die For

Movie Name: To Die For
Year of Release: 1995

Director: Gus Van Sant

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix, Illeana Douglas, Casey Affleck, Alison Folland, Dan Hedaya, Wayne Knight, Kurtwood Smith, Holland Taylor, Susan Traylor, Maria Tucci, Tim Hopper, Michael Rispoli, Buck Henry, David Cronenberg, George Segal
Genre: Comedy, Crime

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
Following the poor reception of "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues", director Gus Van Sant returned in 1995 with "To Die For", which is still one of the best titles of his excellent filmography. An adaptation of the book by Joyce Maynard, the film follows the story of Suzanne Stone, an ambitious small town weather channel girl, who wants to climb the professional ladder and become a nationwide tv anchorwoman. Suzanne has always, since she was a small child, aimed to be famous. She marries Larry Maretto, a local restaurant owner, who slowly becomes an impediment to her goals, which makes Suzanne devise plans to get him out of the way. Things don't go exactly according to plan, but in the end, they make her a well known name on the news.

Gus Van Sant has been able throughout his career to navigate more mainstream efforts, with his more personal aesthetic and themes (good examples of both are "Good Will Hunting" and "Elephant", respectively). "Drugstore Cowboy" and "My Own Private Idaho" clearly established him as a voiced to be heard, but "To Die For" was the first film to showcase his talents to a much wider audience. An almost perfect satire for the media obsessed society we all live in, Suzanne Stone's story is in many ways as pertinent now as it was 20 years ago. The obsession with being onscreen, the culture of vanity and attention, the ruthlessness of ambition, the lack of morals, all this is still on par with what is currently on television (it's the case of shows like "Keeping with the Kardashians"). The director smartly places Suzanne at the center of the narrative - she addresses the camera directly, since she's making her own documentary about her own life story. In parallel, there's an actual documentary crew making their own story on Suzanne - all these feeds, make the film dynamic and superbly funny. The film also features fantastic performances from Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix and Illeana Douglas (this is perhaps Nicole Kidman's finest performance to date). A terrific film always worth watching!

Strange Days

Movie Name: Strange Days
Year of Release: 1995

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott, Vincent D'Onofrio, Glenn Plummer, Brigitte Bako, Richard Edson, William Fichtner, Josef Sommer, Nicky Katt, Michael Jace, Joe Urla
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
Celebrated director Kathryn Bigelow's "Strange Days" premiered in 1995, to a mostly muted response, and followed her successful previous feature, "Point Break". The film took place in the near future, 1999, the end of the millennium, and focused on Lenny Nero, a former police officer, now dealing with shady technology, specifically discs and devices that allow people to experience whatever is recorded on those same discs. Lenny comes across a disc that showcases the murder of a prostitute he knows, which leads him to find out a bigger conspiracy involving the LA Police Department, and a racially charged situation that threatens to destroy the entire city. In parallel he's trying to pursue his former lover Faith, now a well known singer, who also finds herself involved in this situation. 

Kathryn Bigelow has made a career thus far always filled with interesting stories, where her central characters are thrown into situations that they're unfamiliar with, and with their resources and skill, manage to overcome these odds. "Strange Days" features a screenplay from James Cameron, and the film manages to have multiple layers that start peeling away, the further the story develops. The suspense builds successfully, as the story evolves from a murder investigation, to a much larger scope, which deals with a lot of the concerns and problems that affected LA 20 years ago. Kathryn Bigelow interweaves these components, mixing media, and smartly editing the film to give the sense of urgency, desperation and also joy the characters go through. The film is an effective lesson in how to make a deft and intelligent action feature. Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Lewis create memorable characters, and the film also features a fantastic score from Graeme Revell and a stunning cinematography work from Matthew F. Leonetti. An underrated and fantastic film from a very interesting director.

Seven

Movie Name: Seven
Year of Release: 1995

Director: David Fincher

Stars: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree, John C. McGinley, Richard Portnow, Mark Boone Junior
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:
Following the debacle of his feature debut, "Alien 3", director David Fincher returned with one of the most iconic films of the 90s, the thriller "Seven". Written by Andrew Kevin Walker, the film focuses on the story of two police detectives, one about to retire, by the name of Somerset, and his much younger colleague, by the name of Mills. These two seemingly different men find themselves trying to capture a deranged and menacing serial killer, who is staging these elaborate scenarios depicting the Bible's 7 deadly sins, executing people as a means to prove his point and finish his grandiose plan. Unbeknownst to them, these two resourceful men become part of this man's schemes.

David Fincher's "Seven" turned out to be an iconic film of the mid 90s, re-imagining the serial killer sub genre, with an aesthetic and point of view, one that was simultaneously bleak and uncompromising. David Fincher would further explore this aesthetic and approach with his following feature films, but "Seven" (and its title sequence), forever influenced much of the suspense and thrillers that were released for the remainder of the 90s, and even today, that influence can still be felt on TV shows such as "Hannibal" and films such as "John Wick". David Fincher manages to create with this film a very specific universe, one where the city and its inhabitants are dominated by this relentless darkness, where the never ending rain seems ready to engulf everything in sight. The sliver of innocence, personified in this film by Mills' wife, is herself corrupted by the evil that touches everything, which gives this film the emotional arc and punch that has made it one of the staples in the genre. The performances are fantastic, particularly Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey, who walks away with one of the most iconic and villainous character creations. The cinematography from Darius Khondji is stunning as is the score from Howard Shore. A modern classic from a fantastic director.

Cinderella

Movie Name: Cinderella
Year of Release: 2015

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Chaplin, Derek Jacobi, Stellan Skarsgard, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Nonso Anozie, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Jana Perez, Alex Macqueen

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
Following the mediocre "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" which premiered in 2014 to lackluster reviews, actor/director Kenneth Branagh is back, this time around with the retelling of a classic Disney story (itself an adaptation of the classic European folk tale which had written versions of it by Charles Perrault and also The Brothers Grimm). The story follows the young heroine Ella, who is brought up in a loving household by her mother and father. Following her mother's passing, Ella's father remarries, this time around to a Madam Tremaine, who joins the household alongside her two daughters. Ella suffers at the hands of these women, something that worsens following her dad's surprise death. In one of her outbursts, Ella meets the prince of the kingdom, hunting in the forest, and who is captivated by her charm. In a sumptuous ball that is staged for the prince to choose a future wife, Ella (renamed Cinderella by her stepsisters and stepmother), against the wishes of Lady Tremaine, dazzles and enchants the prince, thanks to her spirit and the help of her fairy godmother.

The classic Cinderella story has seen multiple adaptations, iterations, and influenced so many of the crop of multiple films of the last 30 years (to name but a few, there are Andy Tennant's "Ever After", Garry Marshall's "Pretty Woman" and Tommy O'Haver's "Ella Enchanted"), that this new version by Kenneth Branagh almost feels like yet another attempt to breathe life to a tired and overused fairy tale. The producing studio, Disney, is trying to re-utilize much of their animated portfolio with these adaptations, following the success of Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" and Robert Stromberg's "Maleficent". So far the common thread across these adaptations have been the lack of a distinct point of view: all these films are marked by a decidedly generic tone, one where the production values and visual effects threaten to swallow the entire narrative. Even Tim Burton's film version of "Alice" was one of his worst features, something that again happens with Kenneth Branagh's "Cinderella". Aside from the performances from Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter (who brings some needed humor to the story), and the costumes from Sandy Powell, "Cinderella" is an anemic and generic retelling of a story that is about the enchantment and magic of love and empowerment. Another mediocre effort from director Kenneth Branagh.