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***** 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...

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From category archives: RonenRecommends

Drama

Ex Machina (2015, UK) ****

Ex Machina (2015, UK) ****

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.
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
The Age of Adaline (2015) ***

The Age of Adaline (2015) ***

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.
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
Samba (France, 2014) ***

Samba (France, 2014) ***

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."
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
Wild (2014) ****

Wild (2014) ****

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.
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
Mr. Turner (2014) ***

Mr. Turner (2014) ***

Mike Leigh latest film, Mr. Turner, which tells the story of the accomplished British painter J. M. W. Turner’s (1775–1851) later years, is a film I appreciated but did not much enjoyed. It is a British, French and German production, falling into the biopic genre. While acting, art direction, camera work and other related production roles, are superb, at a 150 minutes, the film feels an hour too long. Mr. Turner is a film about a renown painter, yet it is the person behind the name that Leigh tries to uncover. It is a film that, as a friend of mine with whom I watched Mr. Turner commented, you appreciate more after the end-credits roll than during the show.
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
Selma (2014) ***

Selma (2014) ***

A historical drama, Selma was directed by Ava DuVernay to a screenplay by Paul Webb and DuVernay. The story revolves around a turning point in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement; the events that took place in Selma around 1965. It includes the hate-crime in which four young black girls were murdered, followed by the bloody protests and the famous march from Selma to Montgomery, a march that was led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis.
Selma should be watched, just with lower cinematic expectations and a high focus at the message at its heart.
Currently rated 0.0 by 0 people
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    Re: Logan (2017) ***

    I agree about the relationship with Logan and Charles - added a lot of depth, especially with the next...

    -- ed

    Re: Eye in the Sky (2015, UK) *****

    Great Review Ronen!

    -- Scott

    Re: Top Five (2014) ***

    wonderfully expressed review and very accurately describing the movie...

    -- Zoes mom

    Re: Begin Again (2014) ***

    such great performers - would have expected more of.... very disappointing to hear....

    -- mother of four

    Re: Waltz with Bashir (2008) *****

    Stunned. Speechless. This is a powerful movie. Its objectivity and lack of judgment IS its power, and...

    -- Monroe Movie Lover

    Re: Inception (2010) ***

    Special effects are more than ever present even in drama movies, its almost normal that an action thriller...

    -- Alvaro

    Re: The Real Dirt On Farmer John (2005) ***

    Interesting though i was expecting more of the film.

    -- rondnor

    Re: Midnight Run (1988) *****

    great movie indeed

    -- rondnor

    Re: The Bounty Hunter (2010) *

    wont bother then

    -- superair

    Re: Stardust (2007) *****

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this movie :-)watching Robert De Niro in a dress what could be better.Enjoy

    -- YRD

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