RonenRecommends | All posts published by author 'Ronen Divon'

Ronen's Rating System:

*****	A must watch
****	Worth seeing
***	If you must watch a movie and there is nothing else out there
**	Don’t bother
*	It’s so bad its almost good... not... These are films I walked out on, or just fell asleep
(K: stars)	Rating by my children. As they are easy to please, would typically be higher than mine...

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) ****

Posted on 6/19/2015 8:18 AM By Ronen Divon

Mad Max is back and it’s a blast! Thirty years after George Miller originally conceived the first film in what had become a franchise, that same filmmaker manages to reboot the series, and quite magnificently. As with its predecessor installments, Mad Max presents a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, where savagery supersedes most other human qualities. While the earlier series in which Mel Gibson played the lead rule was focused mostly on necessities such as oil and water, Miller wisely selects to point his brain-child at a different direction.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) ***

Posted on 5/16/2015 7:00 PM By Ronen Divon

Avengers: Age of Ultron could have been a much more interesting film if Whedon would have actually followed through on the opening theme of film: Tony Stark, ignoring his friends’ advice and listening only to his inflated ego, deciding to play the role of God. But the plot quickly turns onto the usual explosions, special effects and fighting scenes, aimed at pleasing the audience and thus increasing the popcorn consumption of the enthusiastic moviegoers. Much like the empty calories of the Diet Coke that shamelessly escorts the Silver Screen’s snacks, Avengers: Age of Ultron is quickly forgotten. Consider it a preview for typical mid-Summer entertainment.

Ex Machina (2015, UK) ****

Posted on 5/16/2015 5:38 PM By Ronen Divon

Despite several shortcomings, all in all Ex Machina is a film worth watching. It packs in intelligence, style and questions that we should be addressing. AI is no longer a near-future possibility; with home automation and the soon-to-arrive the Google car that drives itself, that future is already here.

The Age of Adaline (2015) ***

Posted on 4/27/2015 10:26 AM By Ronen Divon

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger to a screenplay by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz, The Age of Adaline is a romantic drama with elements of fantasy. It stars Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, and Ellen Burstyn.
The Age of Adaline may feel epic at times, yet ultimately it ends up saying close to nothing. While having its moments, this film is neither a science fiction flick nor a historical period piece; it has not much in terms of a great romance nor is it a commentary about time, karma and the role chance has in our lives. Thus I recommend you save yourself precious time: no need to rush see this one at the theater.

Samba (France, 2014) ***

Posted on 3/23/2015 4:40 AM By Ronen Divon

Samba is a French comedy-drama, co-written and directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano; the due behind the successful 2012 blockbuster The Intouchables. Samba is a well-intended film that attempts at objectively introducing us to the issue of illegal immigrants. While wittingly avoiding loud statements about injustice, the story’s implementation is mediocre at best. The filmmakers choose to soften the harsh reality faced by such foreigners, by using occasional humor, and by intertwining the main plotline with multiple side stories that end up, more than once, serve as distraction, hampering the film’s pace. I found myself siding with Jordan Mintzer, of The Hollywood Reporter, who wrote of Samba that it: "...wears out its welcome without bringing its message home."

Wild (2014) ****

Posted on 3/13/2015 3:44 PM By Ronen Divon

Wild is a biopic road movie, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, to a screenplay by Nick Hornby. It is based on Cheryl Strayed's 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Wild does a good job navigating through murky waters, applying filmmaking techniques that do justice to both the story and the people who brought this tale to the big screen.