Film 2369 - Memoirs of a Geisha

Intro: An afternoon watch in the living room with my housemate Kate, we decided to go for a horror movie.

Film 2369: "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005), Rob Marshall
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I know it's not a perfect movie, but I really love it, especially the first part.
The soundrack from John Williams is a masterpiece (and one of my favourites), the costumes are impeccable and, in general, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is one of those movies really beautiful to look at. Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li banters are believable and Li is a great villain; also Michelle Yeoh plays a great mentor.
Some aspects of this production could have been more effective or pay more attention to the cultural baground and implications of their choices (see the casting controversy), but as a product of its time - not to mention, an American one - I still really enjoy rewatching "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Film 178 - Memorie di una geisha
Film 261 - Memorie di una geisha
Film 1775 - Memoirs of a Geisha
Film 2369 - Memoirs of a Geisha
Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, Kaori Momoi, Tsai Chin, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Suzuka Ohgo, Kōji Yakusho, Ken Watanabe.
Box Office: $162.2 million
Worth a watch?: I never read the book so I can't tell if the story was well translated into the movie, but I personally really like this movie: it's beautiful to look at and the soundrack is amazing. Not the masterpiece they were trying to product, but certainly a tachinally well executed final product.
Awards: 6 Oscar nominations and 3 wins for Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costume Design. 6 noms at BAFTAs (including Best Actress for Zhang Ziyi), it won for Best Cinematography, Costume Design, and Film Music. The movie won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score and recevied an additional nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture (Ziyi). It won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media and was nominated at the MTV Movie & TV Awards for Sexiest Performance (Ziyi).
Key word: Mizuage.
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Bengi

Film 2368 - Mickey 17

Intro: Back to the movies after the Spanish adventure, the first film we went to see was the event of the moment (so, of course, we didn't want to miss it!).

Film 2368: "Mickey 17" (2025), Bong Joon Ho
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: It's unfortunate that this movie flopped because it isn't as bad as the box-office would suggest (the movie costed $118 million, excluding the marketing costs*). Actually, I enjoyed it enough.
I'll admit I was expecting something a bit more fast-paced - it is 137 minutes long... - but overall "Mickey 17" entertained me the right amount to be engaged for the whole duration of the story.
It reminded me a lot of one of Bong Joon Ho's previous outings, "Okja", especially in its tone and visuals, although I didn't particularly love "Okja" too much. Here9 there's definitely the element of absurdity to play a good role and Robert Pattinson is as playful as ever, in a role we rarely see him playing, the funny goofball. I really enjoyed his (multiple) character(s) and, though I didn't like his voice, I think he did a great job here. Toni Collette is also great - as usual - and Naomi Ackie proves once again to be a talented actress (e.g. "Blink Twice"). I didn't like Mark Ruffalo's character, but that obviously has to do with the who he's playing.
All and all, "Mickey 17" isn't a bad movie. It isn't a good as it could have been, still there are enjoyable bits here and there and Bong Joon Ho's imagination and talent as a filmmaker are as evident as ever. 

*Variety later reported the film would lose Warner Bros. $75–80 million during its theatrical run.

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Cameron Britton, Holliday Grainger, Anna Mouglalis, Angus Imrie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo.
Box Office: $132 million
Worth a watch?: In terms of dystopian-futuristic sci-fi (and at times) action movie, I prefer Bong Joon Ho's "Snowpiercer", which I think is a great movie. This one is fun enough, although never really great. The cast is good, Pattinson is a good lead and the story is interesting. It's a very long movie, tho, so that that into consideration.
Awards: /
Key word: Duplicates.
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Bengi

Film 2367 - Wolf Man

Intro: An afternoon watch in the living room with my housemate Kate, we decided to go for a horror movie.

Film 2367: "Wolf Man" (2025), Leigh Whannell
Watched on: On the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Kate
Thoughts: Not exactly a masterpiece, I don't really think this movie serves as a great reboot of this franchise.
Christopher Abbott is a good lead and I liked how they tackled the sow transformation into a werewolf, especially in terms of how his senses change, but other than this. nothing really stood up with me. Especially the big plot twist regarding the creature that attacks Abbott's character: you can tell from a mile away who the creature is, so no surprise there.
A bit of a waste of Christopher Abbott's and Julia Garner's talent to be honest.
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth.
Box Office: $34.9 million
Worth a watch?: Not that I particularly liked the previous "The Wolfman" with Benicio del Toro, but this one isn't great either and it's not doing the franchise any favour. I mean, the movie isn't terrible, you can watch it fine, but don't expect too much.
Awards: /
Key word: Father.
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Bengi

Film 2366 - Crazy Rich Asians

Intro: Back at home after two amazing Spanish weeks, the first I watched is one that I hadn't seen since it came out in theaters.

Film 2366: "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018), Jon M. Chu
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I really wanted to rewacth it because I remembered I enjoyed it, although I didn't necessarily remember the story in full.
This second watch was fun, I kinda forgot that Awkwafina had her major moment thanks to this movie that launched her into mainstream stardom (though now her popularity has definitely faded a bit due to overexposure), and in general "Crazy Rich Asians" is a very well don romcom.
I think Henry Golding is particularly charming here, more a scene stealer than Constance Wu, who has more female competition to deal with (Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, obviously Awkwafina, but mostly a pre-Oscar Michelle Yeoh) and didn't necessarily pop for me as the lead character.
Overall, 9a very entertaining movie and especially beautiful to look at (I'm actually surprised it didn't get nominated for costumes and set design at the Oscars).
Film 1680 - Crazy Rich Asians
Film 2366 - Crazy Rich Asians
Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Harry Shum Jr., Ken Jeong, Michelle Yeoh.
Box Office: $239 million
Worth a watch?: If you love romcoms, this is definitely a good watch, funney enough, very pretty to look at (both visually and because of the actors in it) and entertaining. There's a sequel coming up (and possibly a third one), so no time to (re)watch it like today.
Awards: 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Constance Wu).
Key word: Our own.
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Bengi

Film 2365 - The Whole Truth

Intro: Another movie from the Netflix catalogue, another dinner at home in Lanzarote.

Film 2365: "The Whole Truth" (2016), Courtney Hunt
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I love legal drams, so I had high hopes for this one. In the end, tho, "The Whole Truth" isn't as powerul as it promises it to be when watching the trailer.
The movie has a very slow pace and the performances are a bit underwelhming, mostly because the story isn't that exciting. And it's a pity, because the cast is great and this genre of movies I usually really enjoy.
Ps. The screenplay is written by Nicholas Kazan, the son of famous director and 2 times Oscar winner Elia Kazan.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Renée Zellweger, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Gabriel Basso, Jim Belushi.
Box Office: $1.7 million
Worth a watch?: It's not terrible, but there are other legal drama pictures there are way better and more interesting to watch, like, to name just a few, "12 Angry Men" or "Juror #2".
Awards: /
Key word: Watch.
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Bengi

Film 2364 - Troy

Intro: Another night in Lanzarote, another film on the telly. And yes, we went for another epic historical action movie.

Film 2364: "Troy" (2004), Wolfgang Petersen
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: It's not a bad movie by any means, it's just that watching it straight after "Gladiator"... it's impossible not to compare the two films.
Reality is, Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy" has better visual effects and - on paper - a better cast, but that's really all there is that beats Ridley Scott's film. For everything else, I preferred "Gladiator": it's more dynamic and the story more entertaining and better paced. Again, nothing against "Troy", I actually enjoyed rewatching, it, but having seen the two films back to back, for the whole time I was comparing this one to the other one and yeah, my heart is with "Gladiator".
That said, great cast here, everyone is in great shape - especially Brad Pitt's B side - and the movie honestly looks good. I wish they wouldn't have used so much color correction, but it is what it is. Still an enjoyable ride, although not a masterpiece or the movie I would reccomend to watch to get a fast glimpse of the Iliad story.
Film 644 - Troy
Film 2364 - Troy
Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Garrett Hedlund, Saffron Burrows, Julie Christie, Peter O'Toole.
Box Office: $497.4 million
Worth a watch?: It's 163 minutes long so you better be ready when decideding to watch it. Definitely entertaining, although the end result could have been better. Still, enjoyable.
Awards: 1 Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design and 2 MTV Movie + TV Awards nominations for Best Male Performance and Best Fight.
Key word: Immortality.
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Bengi

Film 2363 - Gladiator

Intro: The first week in Lanzarote was all about relaxing and recharging (but also working, because yes, we went there to work from abroad while enjoying more favourable weather than the Irish one). So we watched quite a few movies during our first nights we spent at home.

Film 2363: "Gladiator" (2000), Ridley Scott
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I mean, talk about an iconic movie.
Not one of my favourite pictures of all time, but definitely one I enjoy watching, we decided to go with this one first between the many options available on Netflix because a) again, it's an iconic film, b) we just saw the sequel at the movies back in November. So to us it just made sense to go with the epic story of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) on his quest to venge his family brutally murdered by the jealous Commodus (Phoenix) after his father refuses to let him rule the empire and choses Maximus over him.
The drama is all there, Crowe and Phoenix are excellent in their respective roles and "Gladiator" just works: it's entertaining, well produced and acted and has an amazing soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
Film 576 - Il gladiatore
Film 2363 - Gladiator
Film 2325 - Gladiator II
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris.
Box Office: $465.5 million
Worth a watch?: Interesting movie, it's a good outing for a directorial debut. Zoë Kravitz has a clear point of view and the story has good plot twists, enough to keep the viewer constantly engaged. Not an easy watch.
Awards: "Gladiator" won 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Actor for Russell Crowe, Visual Effects, Sound, and Costume Design) and was nominated for an additional 7 (Best Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor for Joaquin Phoenix, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Editing). It won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score – Motion Picture and was nominated for Actor (Crowe), Director, and Supporting Actor (Phoenix). At BAFTA it won Best Film, Cinematography, Production Design, and Editing over 14 overall nominations (including Best Direction, Original Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role). It was nominated for 1 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. 6 nominations at the MTV Movie + TV Awards and 1 win for Best Movie.
Key word: Afterlife.
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Bengi

Film 2362 - Blink Twice

Intro: Ready to go to Lanzarote for two weeks, the night before we left, Niamh stayed at mine and we watched this movie we ment to see but never managed to at the movies.

Film 2362: "Blink Twice" (2024), Zoë Kravitz
Watched on: On the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Actually better than expected, I enjoyed Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut.
The movie clearly has a point of view, the cast is great and Channing Tatum is a surprisingly good villain. More so, Naomi Ackie is a great main character, which she plays brillantly.
The story has a good twist towards the end and is told well, although I couldn't stop thinking about how "Blink Twice" reminded me of "Get Out". Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you like that Jordan Peele's movie in the first place.
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Alia Shawkat.
Box Office: $48.1 million
Worth a watch?: Interesting movie, it's a good outing for a directorial debut. Zoë Kravitz has a clear point of view and the story has good plot twists, enough to keep the viewer constantly engaged. Not an easy watch.
Awards: /
Key word: Perfume.
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Bengi

Film 2361 - Ainda Estou Aqui

Intro: I feel very ashamed I didn't write a single review in weeks. This only happened one other time back when I first started this blog in 2009 when, during the Summer, I couldn't force myself to write anything on here. Then something happened, I missed it, and I went back to it. Same situation here, now, but different circumstances. Life has been really hectic lately, a lot of new changes, work has been crazy for a while, events are piling up (The Second Annual Babes Awards are happening this Saturday and I'm very excited), holidays to plan, friends to see and catch up with... For a while I couldn't find the right moment (or the inspiration) to come back to this space an start writing. Sometimes it happens and yeah, it's all right.

Film 2361: "Ainda Estou Aqui" (2024), Walter Salles
Watched on: At the movies
Language: Portuguese
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Elias
Thoughts: One of the best movies I've seen last year.
Not only "Ainda Estou Aqui" is powerful on its own, but also what impacted me even more was watching this film with my Brazilian friends, as it gave me a broader understanding of what the story is about and how these real life events shaped their country and affected the people who lived through such terryfing times.
On top of that, Fernanda Torres delivers one of the best performances from last year - my second favourite, to be precise - and God she tour-de-forces you through so many emotions with just one expression or a side eye, her physicality is impeccable and she gives everything she has to her character, to the point that Eunice is almost like your friend, you root for her and her family and you suffer with her, you worries for her and her husband. Torres's performance is so powerful it's impossible to take your eyes off of her.
So yeah, "I'm Still Here" is great movie that tells a powerful story, it's wonderfully written and acted and stays with you even once the show is over. It's a tough one, but definitely worth watching.
Cast: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Valentina Herszage, Humberto Carrão, Fernanda Montenegro.
Box Office: $36.1 million
Worth a watch?: It's a tough watch, I won't lie, but Fernanda Torres' performance is so magical and worth watching that it makes this film unmissable. But get ready, because "Ainda Estou Aqui" holds no punches.
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars for Best Picture and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Torres), it won for Best International Feature Film (the first win for Brazil in this category). 1 BAFTA nomination for Best Film Not in the English Language and 2 Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, it won the latter. In competition at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, it won for Best Screenplay.
Key word: Dictatorship.
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Bengi