Film 2451 - Angels & Demons

Intro: Last Fuerteventura movie before we came back to our everyday life in Dublin. Another Netflix pick.

Film 2451: "Angels & Demons" (2009), Ron Howard
Watched: From the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: This was always my favourite of the three movies inspired by Dan Brown's book, but now that I've seen it again... I don't know anymore. I mean, I still find it entertaining and I LOVE Hans Zimmer's soundtrack, but overall, "Angels & Demons" isn't as great as I remember it to be. To be honest, after rewatching the first one right before watching this one, I have to admit some details of the two plots kinda merged together, and I couldn't tell the two movies apart anymore. The Church is still involved, Silas (Paul Bettany) and the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) almost feel like the same character, and because of the nature of the two stories (a race against time, the amount of plot twists and clues), there really are similarities between "The Da Vinci Code" and this film. Plus, the plot involving the Camerlengo is so absurd that it's hard to keep a straight face.
Anyway, for what it is, "Angels & Demons" is still an enjoyable, crazy (helicopter) ride.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Box Office: $485.9 million
Worth a watch?: If you like Dan Brown's books and/or enjoyed the previous film, this one is still a decent enough watch—something that cannot be said about the third, awful movie of this trilogy.
Awards: /
Key word: Tongue.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code

Intro: Another evening at home in Fuerteventura, another movie courtesy of Netflix Spain.

Film 2448: "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), Ron Howard
Watched: On the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I had watched this movie before, but I was never a huge fan of this franchise. If anything, I always preferred the second film. But I have to admit that I enjoyed this rewatch, especially because I didn't remember much of the plot and I'd never seen it in English before.
Obviously, this is one of those movies that, once you've seen it, half of the intrigue is gone. When you rewatch it and remember what happens, it's not as fun as the first time around. That said, it's definitely an ingenious piece of media: all the references to people, places, and facts, how everything is tied up and connected, how it is all part of a much bigger puzzle that eventually leads back to Jesus, religion, and faith.
It's definitely a fun watch once the suspension of disbelief kicks in: there's so much going on, so much that is thrown at you as the audience, that it can be hard to know what's real, what's a theory, and what's just an idea that Dan Brown came up with and added to his story. So yeah, there's definitely a lot to take in—final plot twist included—but for what it is, "The Da Vinci Code" is an extremely entertaining movie, well made and with a great international cast. I'd love to see more Audrey Tautou on my screen, although she hasn't starred in a movie since 2019. Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno.
Box Office: $801.3 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Awards: Nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Golden Globe Awards and for Best Score Soundtrack at the 49th Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for 1 Razzie Award for Worst Director.
Key word: Royal blood.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2351 - Conclave

Intro: I'm obviously obsessed with this movie and I wanted to show it to Michael, who didn't have the chance to go and see it at the movies.

Film 2351: "Conclave" (2024), Edward Berger
Watched on: The TV
Language: English, Spanish, Italian, Latin
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: The more I watch it, the more I enjoy it and notice new details, pay more attention to the soundtrack (this wonderful score should have won Volker Bertelmann the Oscar), love Ralph Fiennes' performance even more.
"Conclave" is a great movie, stunningly beautiful, every shot looks like a painting, carefully crafted to please the eyes of the audience. I'm really captivated by this movie, I find it beautiful and smart, its story compelling and entertaining (although I still feel such a shocking ending isn't really necessary here: maybe it works better in the book, I'm not sure it translate well in its cinematic counterpart). And it gives me great joy to see Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto in such a prestigious production.
One of the best movies from last year, definitely my pick for Best Picture at the Oscar.
Film 2327 - Conclave
Film 2332 - Conclave
Film 2351 - Conclave
Film 2479 - Conclave
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini.
Box Office: $107.6 million
Worth a watch?: I'd watch it another 50 times. "Conclave" is great, perfectly narrated, beautifully crafted, masterfully acted. It's a thriller more than anything else, very political and extremely symbolical. Like an onion, there are multiple layers to peal here.
Awards: 1 Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay over 8 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Actor for Fiennes, Supporting Actress for Rossellini, Original Score, Editing, Production Design, and Costume Design). 1 Golden Globe won for Best Screenplay out of 6 nominations in the drama category (Best Movie, Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, and Original Score). 12 BAFTA nominations and 4 wins for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
Key word: Certainty.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2334 - Conclave

Intro: Before I went to Boston, I asked Niamh and Debbi to wait until I got back to go and see this movie together. When in Salem, though, I broke my own promise and went to the movies and watched it with Bizzy (because, to be fair, there wasn't much else to do on a Monday night). So, when I got back to Dublin a week later, I went to see this movie again without telling the girls I've watched it already until the end of the show.

Film 2334: "Conclave" (2024), Edward Berger
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English, Spanish, Italian, Latin
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Briefly: I'm glad I saw this movie twice already because this second view felt a bit different than the first one.
Firstly, because the movie we watched in Salem had subtitles (as it was a video-described show), I admit I was a bit distracted by the text. Basically I was checking how the trasnaltion in Italian and Spanish was handled, if it made sense and was correct, but also reading the subtitles in English because when it's there on the big screen it's really hard to ignore it. This not to say that I didn't pay attention to the movie or the actors' work, but I was definitely paying less attention than usual. On a positive note, though, I didn't miss a bit of the story. (Usually, for example, I don't remember any character's name...)
That said, watching "Conclave" for a second time - and especially so soon after the first viewing - was a different experience because I knew the twists and turns of the story, so I could focus more on the actors this time. I'll be honest, I still think Isabella Rossellini gave a wonderful performance, not worthy of an Oscar nomination though. Again, not because she wasn't good, she's actually amazing in the movie, but because her part isn't big enough and doesn't have that "wow" moment, that scene that really has an impact on the viewers and stays with them even after the movie has coe to an end. She has one powerful scene and she definitely steals that moment from everyone else, but that happens literally for 30 seconds, than she disappears again. We'll see if the Academy rewards her - and if it happens I'll be ecstatic - yet I think it'd be very similar to what happened to Jamie Lee Curtis' Oscar win for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" or Keira Knightley's 2nd Oscar nomination for "The Imitation Game": the nomination comes with the movie. What I mean that the movie gets nominated in so many categories and it's so popular with Academy members that the supporting actress nom has a bigger shot at getting recognized. Because, let's be honest here, I'm glad Jamie Lee Curtis is an Oscar winner, but do we really thing she'd been nominated or even won if her movie didn't do so good on Oscars' night?
Anyway, Isabella Rossellini does a great job in the movie and I'm glad she's finally getting recognized by international awards bodies. And I'm also extremely happy that Ralph Finnes is back as a possible Oscar contender after many years of great performances but no recognition (his 2 Oscar nominations come from the 90s): his take on Cardinal Lawrence is exceptional and shows once again what an amazing actor he is. I really do think he has a shot at a possible Oscar win, althought I'm sure Timothée Chalamet will give him a run for his money in "A Complete Unknown".
Great performances aside, watching "Conclave" a second time really convinced me that this is one of the best movies of 2024. It has great actors, the story is smart and has numerous plot twists, Edward Berger's direction and vision is amazing and visually powerful, the soundtrack from Volker Bertelmann is so powerful and tense, and the movie overall presents a great story, a wonderfully written thriller that is both incredibily tense and stunningly beautiful. I'm still not a huge fan of the final plot twist, but I admit the second time around didn't bother me as much as the first time. (I still think it has a shock-value "effect" that is a bit out of place in this story, but it probably comes from Robert Harris' book and so the screenplay honours the sorce material here.)
"Conclave" is a great movie that presents a powerful story about faith, religion and doubt that goes hand in hand with politics and people's greed. Powerful.
Film 2327 - Conclave
Film 2332 - Conclave
Film 2351 - Conclave
Film 2479 - Conclave
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, Isabella Rossellini.
Box Office: $51.4 milion
Worth a watch? A must-see. Great movie, stunningly shot, with a plot twist after another. The cast is amazing, the visuals are evocative and the soundtrack is the glue to it all, for a final result that is thrilling and exciting. Not your typical religion movie!
Awards: Nominated to 6 Golden Globe nominations in the drama category for Best Movie, Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Fiennes), Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Rossellini), Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
Key word: Doubt.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi