The Focus Features: 10-Movie Spotlight Collection is a good selection of dramas, some better than others and one that is a personal favorite of mine (Lost in Translation). That being said, this is only worth picking up if you don’t own any of the 10 films, though the cost per movie is reasonable.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood may not be Tarantino’s strongest film though I did enjoy this experience more than The Hateful Eight thanks to his attention to detail for the era along with some fun performances by both DiCaprio and Pitt.
Mortal Engines is to say the least imperfect and I suppose even disappointing considering Peter Jackson was involved as a producer and co-screenwriter, and indeed it’s not very well written and yet I did find myself relatively entertained.
Kalifornia is one hell of a road trip of a movie that excels thanks two amazing performances from Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis, and if this film had found any traction, Pitt at the very least should’ve gotten an Oscar nomination.
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right.
This Robert Zemeckis helmed WWII romance-drama doesn’t exactly live up to its potential. While the production and costume designs were impressive, I found the performances particularly that of Brad Pitt, to be stilted and a story that failed to connect emotionally.
The Big Short was easily my favorite movie of 2015. The strong cast helped but the writing by Adam McKay and Charles Randolph was sharp and in conjunction with Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling’s performances made for one fun yet thoughtful flick that worked so well from beginning to its bitter end.
Fury isn’t the best war drama around, not even in the top 5, but it’s still well made and features a great cast, with Brad Pitt delivering a fine performance (one of his best in some time), that elevates the writing while Ayer’s direction keeps the pacing just right. The Blu-ray released by Sony has excellent video/audio transfers while the bonus material is quasi in-depth with 50+ minutes of deleted/extended scenes.
World War Z isn’t a bad movie, far from it, as it efficiently entertains from beginning to end though Brad Pitt more or less sleepwalks through his role. However, this film is the epitome of wasted opportunities as this could have been one of the best in the genre to come out but instead it’s just a safe movie with nothing discernibly memorable. The Blu-ray combo set released by Paramount provides excellent audio/video transfers but the features leave much to be desired.
World War Z isn’t a bad movie, far from it, as it efficiently entertains from beginning to end though Brad Pitt more or less sleepwalks through his role. However, this film is the epitome of wasted opportunities as this could have been one of the best in the genre to come out but instead it’s just a safe movie with nothing discernibly memorable. The 3D Blu-ray combo set released by Paramount provides excellent audio/video transfers but the features leave much to be desired.