After unmanned probes detect data suggesting that life may exist under Europa's icy surface, a privately funded company sends six of the worlds best astronauts to Jupiter's moon Europa to investigate the possibility of alien life within our solar system. Sebastian Cordero's Europa Report is a low-budget science fiction flick that is a nice reminder budget alone doesn't dictate good science fiction storytelling. Europa Report is a refreshing entry in the Science Fiction genre not only because its scientific validity but because of the wonderment of space exploration. Many of these recent films consist of cynical or disingenuous characters but Europa Report's astronauts and scientists are enthusiastic about this final frontier. The film doesn't try to hard to have dramatic effect but it captures how these individuals are able to make incredibly sacrifices for the sake of science. In a way, Europa Report is as much a science fiction film as it is a celebration of scientists and what they sacrifice for the greater good. The structure of the film makes it more compelling, jumping back and forth between the crew and the woman behind the corporate funding who narrates. This approach helps give the viewers a little more insight into each crew member as well as keeping the viewer engaged. This is not a "monster movie" by conventional terms but Europa Report does not lack tension, as it unwinds to its intense conclusion. Sebastian Cordero's Europa Report is a great example of low-budget filmmaking, where story, character and theme work together to create a refreshing entry into the scifi genre. 6.5/10
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A well-respected lawyer has the life many of us could only dream of. He's in a healthy relationship with a beautiful woman, has an abundance of friends, and appears to be quite wealthy. When the "counselor" decides to enter into an illegal business venture that entails drug trafficking, his life quickly turns into a nightmarish scenario where there is no escape. Ridley Scott's The Counselor is a very peculiar but often entertaining crime story that has enough wit and humor to make it a unique entry in this over-stuffed sub-genre. One thing that jumped out at me about The Counselor is how the script feels a little too self-masturbatory. Being that this is McCarthy's first script I'll cut him some slack but there were quite a few scenes that just felt unnatural. That being said, The Counselor is a film that's far better than its reception would suggest, with a great central performance by Fassbender. I've read a lot of criticism centered around the notion that none of these characters are likeable but this didn't bother me at all. Penelope Cruz's character, Laura, was very important in that regard, the one character in the film that was likeable and innocent. Probably my favorite aspect of the entire movie was how the Cartel is never given a face or leader. So many movies these days want to show us this big bad guy in charge but in reality not seeing this makes the whole Cartel feel far more ominous, like an unstoppable force. On the other end, my biggest complaint by far would be the miscasting of Cameron Diaz. She plays a major part in this movie and the fact that she didn't fit the role really hurt its believability at times. It's funny cause for awhile there I found The Counselor to be an incredibly incendiary film towards woman but what I didn't realize is I was playing right into McCarthy's hands. Whether intentional or not, this film is in a weird way a statement on sexism, with Diaz's character being the intelligent and strong-willed woman who goes unnoticed because of her gender. Ridley Scott's The Counselor is far from perfect, lacking much of an emotional impact, but there is no denying its entertainment value featuring one of the most memorable scenes in recent memory: Cameron Diaz and a car. 6.5/10 Marco is a man whose cut himself off from everyone he's ever known, opting for a life at sea. When Marco learns of brother-in-law's suicide, he returns home to avenge him as well as help his estranged sister and teenage niece who has fallen down an incredibly dark and tragic path. Claire Denis' The Bastards is a deeply unsettling film that skillfully navigates a film noir-type structure in delivering a scathing commentary on greed. Besides Marco's journey, the other main narrative thread centers around Raphaelle, a woman whose essentially sold her soul in exchange for the financial security of her son. She is married to an incredibly sleazy, disgusting, and filthy rich man who is truly the embodiment of greed. Of course Vincent and Raphaelle's story cross paths, as they become lovers with other interesting details emerging throughout. The Bastards is a dense film with lots of great character dynamics and subplots but Denis' approach really manages everything beautifully. Denis's oblique narrative is very much intact, showing off her astonishing understanding of how to construct a story. The film never force feeds the audience anything, with Denis realizing that less can be more. There are many actions and situations that simply take place off screen, often with more resonance because of it. Played beautifully by Vincent Lindon, Marco is such a fascinating character. A man's man who is both rugged and direct, it's a fascinating exploration of a character who is forced to witness the horrifying circumstances centered around his niece. As the film moves forward it beings to come clear that Marco is the only character who isn't a slave to money, making the ending incredibly powerful. Thematically the film delivers a scathing commentary on capitalism and greed. I exceptionally loved the correlation and contrast between the two mothers of this story. Denis is essentially presenting us a war of maternal instincts vs. financial security to profound and disturbing effect. Make no mistake this is not an easy film to watch as some of the subject matter becomes incredibly unnerving and horrifying, but Denis' The Bastards is an incredibly well made piece of filmmaking that is easily one of, if not the best film of the year. 9/10 |
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June 2023
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