Nothing beats watching a good movie.
theislandcinephile
Reviews
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In A Few Good Men, we are taken on a journey following the unfortunate death of a young man at the hands of two of his fellow marines.
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An exhilarating screenplay written by Tennessee Williams takes on a life of its own under the masterful direction of Elia Kazan. Set in New Orleans, the brash environment is a testament to the chaos that unfolds in the house of Stanley and Stella Kowalski at the arrival of her sister – Blanche DuBois – under very vague circumstances.
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The premise of And Justice for All is perfectly described by its soundtrack. It expresses that, “There’s something funny going on.”
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Anywhere but Here follows the unorthodox life of an emotionally volatile mother, Adele August, who ditches her and her daughter’s, small-town life in Wisconsin with hopes of achieving stardom in Beverly Hills.
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Author! Author! is an autobiographical movie directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Israel Horovitz. It details the life of a married playwright, named Ivan Travalian, who happens to be a father of five children, four of which are his stepchildren.
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B*A*P*S, written by Troy Byer and directed by Robert Townsend, follows the lives of two women that have big dreams, no money, and an opportunity to make them come true.
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The Barbie movie portrayed a conglomeration of real-life problems finding its way into a fictional world – Barbie land.
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The series follows the tumultuous life of a stripper, who ends up in a dangerous position with a wealthy yet dysfunctional family.
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Bobby Deerfield is an unexpected romance loosely based around the premise of a sports story. Shallow, self-important, and selfish competitive formula 1 racer pursues his dreams regardless of the familial baggage he carries around from his estranged brother or loveless relationship with his French girlfriend, Lydia.
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Polished in black-and-white, Casablanca’s colorful dialogue paints the reels of this Old Hollywood film. While no one expected its success, it went on to receive much acclamation and is considered one of the greatest and most influential films ever created.
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Cats is a live-action musical film released in 2019 based on the widely successful musical “Cats” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is directed by Tom Hooper with its screenplay written also by him and Lee Hall. It follows the story of a cat who is left in the alleyway by her owner where she encounters a bunch of stray cats known as the “Jellicle Cats.”
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Delicious, after viewing, can be summed up as a wannabe artsy film with a dialogue written by artificial intelligence.
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It has been said that if you can get the audience to care about the characters, then you have produced a successful movie. It seems that “Dog Day Afternoon”, an American biographical crime drama, patterned the wildly acclaimed film after that maxim.
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F1: The Movie is a flashy, race sports drama directed by Joseph Kosinski with screenplay by Ehren Kruger. It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and a few others, Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton being amongst them. Kosinski, Bruckheimer and Ehren Kruger had also produced and directed Top Gun: Maverick – which was a stellar film. This one had all the backing to be considered one…
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Forever Young is a drama written by J. J. Abrams and directed by Steve Miner, follows the life of a United States test pilot Daniel McCormick in 1939. We are introduced to his best friend and scientific genius, Harry Finley and the love of his life Helen, as we get a glimpse of his idyllic life. Daniel considers proposing to Helen but gets cold feet right before…
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From Justin to Kelly is classed as a musical romantic comedy released in 2003 following Kelly Clarkson’s triumph on American Idol and Justin Guarini by proxy, who was the runner-up. This movie is dubbed as such but absolutely bombs in the romantic comedy category as there are neither of those elements present.
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Guys and Dolls sashays onto the screen with vibrant colors and musical numbers in the underbelly of New York City shining a light on their illegal activities. Following a successful Broadway play, the musical is adapted for the screen with its screenplay and direction crafted by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
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Hacksaw Ridge, an Oscar winning war movie, details the real-life story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss – who refused to carry a gun during World War II.
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Imitation of Life produces a mimicry of race relations and their function in society. With aggrandizing characters from the satirical novel released in 1933 by Fannie Hurst, this film is the second film of its kind with the original book-to-film adaptation released in 1934. Though unaware of the nature of the novel, I went into the viewing blindsided.
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It Happened One Night can be described as the blueprint for all succeeding romantic comedies that followed.
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Kramer vs. Kramer thrives in the subtleties that it portrays. It uncovers the unfortunate situation of divorce between two individuals that loved each other but lost themselves along the way.
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Who knew that a dimly lit atmosphere and a shoddy pool room would declare an emergence of a different taste in entertainment during the 1960s? Gradually phasing out of those lighthearted musicals into hardened realism, The Hustler tackles the kryptonite of an average individual. It’s a nefarious thing that goes undetected by its host and when discovered, no one wishes to identify with. With an…
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Lethal Weapon, an American action film directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black, is a classically 80s film. With soulful to energetic guitar solos by Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen’s composition, this film is already elevated in my books.
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Mad Max, released in 1979, follows the descent of Max Rockatansky, into madness, as he seeks revenge against a lawless motorcycle gang in a dystopian, near-future Australia.
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A far cry from the light-hearted and sappy movies produced during the golden-age of Hollywood, Marnie is the black-sheep of motion film for its time. Not well received at its release in 1964, this psychological thriller was considered one of Alfred Hitchcock’s failures.
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Miss Congeniality is a classic action comedy starring America’s Sweetheart, Sandra Bullock. Approximately five years after the release of one of my favorite rom coms with Bullock, While You Were Sleeping, she returns with double the charm.
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Unlike the animated version which encompassed the magic of Disney, the live action prequel falls short of that.
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Pocahontas is an animated musical crafted by Walt Disney Pictures and loosely based on the life of a Powhatan woman called Pocahontas.
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The film follows the story of a selfish, up-and-coming young professional Charlie Babbitt who discovers that his estranged father died and had given his estate to an unnamed trustee – who we have come to discover as Charlie’s older brother – Raymond Babbitt.
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The second installment of Mad Max, released as The Road Warrior in the US, follows Max Rockatansky who is a shell of the man seen in the first film.
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Scarface, directed by Brian de Palma, took place around the backdrop of the historical 1980’s Mariel Boatlift where President Fidel Castro allowed an estimated 125,000 Cubans to leave Cuba and trigger a mass migration to South Florida.
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Shattered Glass, written and directed by Billy Ray, retells the drama surrounding journalist Stephen Glass and his fictitious articles written for The New Republic – a popular magazine that dominated the early 1990s.
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With unbounding creativity, stunning choreography, vibrant technicolor, and timeless songs – Singin’ in the Rain stands the true test of time as classic cinema.
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Straw is another Tyler Perry drama film written, produced and directed by him – which is obvious to see. It is overhyped and underdeveloped with unending trauma that masquerades as a successful attempt at storytelling.
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Summer Stock is a quintessential 1950s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) musical film with elements of comedy, detailed choreography, and vibrant technicolor.
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Superman is constantly facing franchise reboots, and DC’s latest one is written and directed by James Gunn. Coming in with his experience in the world of comic books and superheroes, Gunn puts his spin on the age-old tale and takes a different route than Superman’s most recent reboot, Man of Steel (2013).
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Set in the gritty, restless city of Manhattan, Sweet Smell of Success follows the lives of two men – both terribly corrupt and morally deficit. We are introduced to our protagonist, Sidney Falco, amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City.
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The Accountant 2 bursts onto the scene a staggering 9 years after the release of its parent film – The Accountant. Returning with the same director, Gavin O’Connor, and writer, Bill Dubuque, there is a lot more to love and hate.
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The Accountant, released in 2016, under the direction of Gavin O’Connor is a solid action-thriller flick. Our protagonist, Christian Wolff (an alias), is an autistic savant that has a penchant for mathematics versus creating emotional bonds with others.
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The Artist, a French film was the receptor of major critical acclaim and accolades upon its release in 2011. It was filmed in black and white with mostly silence and minuscule moments with speech.
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The Color of Money debuts nearly two decades after the major success of The Hustler. Under the direction of Martin Scorsese, the film is framed beautifully with aesthetically shot scenes. Merely a revamp of the original, the narrative remains but plunges itself into a pond of fresh faces.
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The Fantastic 4 – First Steps comes to lay a foundation for the new generation of age-old comics. Going in with low hopes, I was pleasantly surprised at the completeness of this film. This easily must be one of Marvel’s best foundational films in years since the disbandment of their original gang.
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The Gentlemen written, directed, and produced by Guy Ritchie is an action comedy that follows the life of an American drug lord in England.
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The Godfather II debuts off-the-heels of the first film a mere two years later. Bearing in mind the commercial success achieved by its predecessor, the second film attempts to strike lightning again – and it nearly does so without a hitch.
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The Godfather has sustained many proclamations throughout the years about the genius that it is, and I had not understood why until viewing it.
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The Hustler opens with an establishing scene that encapsulates the character of one who is adept in illicit dealing.
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With the release of the most recent live-action installment of Mufasa: The Lion King, I decided to review the success that started it all.
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Disney’s latest live action remake of one of their classic movies, The Little Mermaid, brings its own charm to the screen. A little less complete than the original, the remake boasts in a few changes.
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The defining qualities that prelude the birth of many classic films are hard to pinpoint. Characteristics such as potent dialogue, immersive acting, or perhaps stellar direction could be considered. Though there are many films that have a solid assembly of all three of these, yet something still falters in post-production and audience reception. This is not true of The Philadelphia Story as it boasts in a unique aspect of its triumph.
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The Pirate is an American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer featuring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.
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This American thriller details the dying marriage of an older, wealthy studio executive named Tony Potenza (Christopher McDonald) and his young, trophy-wife, Josie Potenza (Halle Berry).
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The Untouchables is a bonified, thriller film released in 1987 and is based on a true story. It retells the work of Agent Eliot Ness who worked tirelessly to take down Al Capone. Ness acts as the Captain America of 1930s New York embroiled in a war with a local crime boss – who seems to be a villain with little complexity.
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Three Men and a Baby is a classically 80s film and would be considered a time capsule from the synth pop rock soundtrack to the men’s short shorts. We are introduced to the lives of three promiscuous men living in a shared apartment in New York.
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Three Men and a Little Lady comes after the successful release of its parent film – a mere three years prior – under the new direction of Emile Ardolino. With an addition to the family dynamic, Sylvia, the film is already in unfamiliar territory.
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Director, writer, and producer Tyler Perry gave an apt description of the work he produces these days – formulaic cash grabs.
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We are Marshall depicts the rebuilding of a community and a football team caught in the aftermath of a plane crash in 1970 that killed 75 people of Marshall University. Those numbered in the crash were 37 of their players, 5 coaches, 2 trainers, an athletic director, 25 boosters, and 5 airplane crew members. Simply based off this premise alone, the film required some sensitivity when approaching the retelling of this historical tragedy.
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While You Were Sleeping is a considerably underrated and underappreciated romantic comedy film. With endearing, well-developed characters, the movie possessed a heartening quality.
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With the raving reviews surrounding this movie, there was an expectation for so much more from Wicked.
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Wicked: For Good debuts a year after its parent film Wicked, with more to love and hate. We meet with our characters Glinda and Elphaba once again but not much has changed.
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Wreck-It Ralph is an original, animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Under the refined direction of Rich Moore, this storyline flourishes. To summarize, it follows the lives of video game characters of Litwak’s Arcade who leave their in-game roles and socialize with each other when the place closes.
The Island Cinephile 