Movie reviews

[Heathcliff]

I had been staying away from the cinema because of agoraphobia- but I'm getting better now. I also enjoy film criticism, and I thought it might be nice if we shared reviews of films we've seen. I'd just love if people shared their honest thoughts about movies they've recently seen.   I'll start.

BlacKkKlansman

I just saw this tonight, which is why I started this thread. I really liked it, I thoroughly recommend it.

This covers a black detective who phones the Ku Klux Klan, asking if he can join- and from there comes an undercover plot to infiltrate and expose them.

BlacKkKlansman is very much a Spike Lee movie, it's very much about black pride (which is not a bad thing) and I've never seen so many afros in a movie before. Be prepared that there is quite a bit of racist language- but I think it is necessary and deserved in this film.

When at the end (spoiler alert) there are some clips of recent events, and Trump. It's overtly political, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

Go and see it!

[Heathcliff]

P.S. please add your own posts if you want

 

[beijoseternura]

hello @Heathcliff, thank you for your thread. 

My favorite actor is Daniel Radcliffe - but I do not think it is necessary to write a review for the Harry Potter movies - so I will write a review for a movie I bought 2 weeks ago.

The movie is called 'Jungle' and was released back in 2017. It is a true story.

Back in 1981 the Israeli backpacker Yossi, 21 years old, and played by Daniel Radcliffe, traveled to La Paz, Bolivia / South America for several months. He meets 2 friends Kevin and Marcus, with whom he decides (after initial doubts) to go to the part of the jungle that is unexplored. Their journey is led by a guide who is not knowledgeable / whose idea was to take the three friends into the jungle. But after a few days they part in a fight. Marcus goes with the guide Karl. Kevin and Yossi decide to ride a raft along the Río Tuichi. There they fall into the current and while Kevin can save himself, Yossi is carried away by the waves and is separated from his friend.

It starts a life and death struggle for Yossi. He has to fight against venomous snakes, fire ants, termites and insects, against a hungry jaguar who wants to attack him at night. He has to cut out a worm from his forehead and through the weather his wounds can't heal. The constant hunger and thirst gradually deprive him of his strength but he tries to keep his strength to find his way to a camp called 'Curiplaya', as an aid he only has a map. After eight days he reaches 'Curiplaya', which turns out to be abandoned. The help he hoped for is 120 miles / 190 km away - the small town of 'Rurrenabaque'.

So he continues through the jungle, during the rainy season. He lives on rotten fruits that he can find, on raw bird eggs and drinking rainwater.

Due to his hunger and dehydration he gets more and more hallucinations. He thinks of his father, who humiliated him with words, he thinks his mother is present and calls him to her. When he seems at the end of his physical strength, he meets an Indian girl, which seems to have lost her way too. Together they will be contesting the next two days. Yossi wants to protect her, he takes care of her, covers her at night, assures her that everything will be all right but he also tells her all his worries something could happen to them. 

But at night he wakes up and realizes that she is not at his side - it was another hallucination. He is barely able to distinguish reality from imagination, walks the paths towards 'Rurrenabaque' in a very weakened state and so he gets into quicksand, in which he almost drowns - he loses his uncle's talisman - a Jewish prayer book. So he fights on to the shores of the Río Tuichi where he waits in semi-unconscious / unconscious state on the shore. 

He wakes up as the girl - who existed in his Imagination - talks to him. And suddenly he hears voices and engine sounds .... is he rescued after three seemingly endless weeks or is it another hallucination ..?

Should I tell you the end?

I have to say, this movie is now one of my favorite. I love it so much and it brought tears to my eyes. 

Daniel Radcliffe plays his role brilliantly. He is a great actor. I can not understand the negative criticism the film has received. There are beautiful shots from Bolivia, the Bolivian, South American culture. There are impressive nature shots - the jungle is depicted in all its dangerousness and Beauty at the same time. 

What I would have wished for: I don't want to criticize such a beautiful film, but the entry takes a long time, until you 'arrive' in the actual Story. But this way you get such a good picture why the group went apart.

Second, it would have been nice to know what happened to the girl? Is she still accompanying Yossi? Does she find her own way back to her family? But as the real Yossi told, she only accompanied him for 2 days, so you can understand it. Also, it would have been nice to see one or two scenes from the jungle, to learn which another experiences he made. But they had to make decisions not to deviate from the script. They told us a story based on true events and they did it great.

There are two insights into Yossi's past life - One with his parents, another in which his uncle prays for him before leaving for his journey. Both have touched my heart very much ❤️. I'm sorry if there are some mistakes, I translated the text into English. I recommend you the movie if you like Survival Adventure or Daniel Radcliffe is one of your favorite actors. Thank you for reading and take care.

[Heathcliff]

Wow, thank you beijoseternura.

I thought this thread had died, but thanks for posting such an in depth review! I haven't seen the film myself but it sounds interesting.

[beijoseternura]

@Heathcliff you are welcome - if I like a movie or a story very much I take the time to write a review. If you want to watch the movie, I won't reveal the end. What is also very good about the film - they express many emotions, actions only through music.

Since Yossi is mostly alone the second half of the movie, you have to read his thoughts and feelings about his facial expressions and gestures - I've posted a song / soundtrack - it's the scene where Yossi meets the girl in the jungle. It is kind of affectionate / tender and I think it shows how he gets new strength not to give up - since she greatly helped him to survive and it became his task to protect her. I hope you like it.