Friday, August 14, 2020

Chihayafuru (Japan, 2016)



The movie that made Suzu Hirose a star, Chihayafuru has many interesting layers that makes it the best Japanese film of 2016. 

The story follows Chihaya Ayase (Hirose) as she tries to reach her goal of becoming the top competitive karuta player in Japan. Karuta is a card game that combines sharp reflexes with memorization and good hearing.   

It sounds simple enough, until players join tournaments and then it really becomes fast and furious. This movie has it all: it's a sports film, a high school drama, and a love story. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll end up rooting for the film's heroine. 


Rating: @@@@

Thursday, August 13, 2020

John Wick (Hollywood, 2014)


In 2005 Keanu Reeves starred in the film Constantine. He played John Constantine, an antihero who kills demons. Nine years later, he'll be playing another John, the one who became famous all over the world because some Russians killed his puppy.

This time he kills humans. Lots of humans. The movie is an exercise on how to present very stylish Gun fu with a lot of CGI blood, thanks to an almost never ending array of headshots. 

This movie is followed by Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 which are both as good as the first one. 


Rating: @@@@



The Killer (Hollywood, 2023)

  This dark action thriller from director David Fincher is a stylish "Hitman Procedural" that follows Michael Fassbender as he goe...