As the last three movies I've seen have been put in genres: thriller/horror and none of them didn't really deliver that "horror" part, I decided to put them all in one bag and make a tiny entry. And here we go:
Don't Breathe:
A movie which will soon come out in theaters and will be quite thrilling, no doubt about it. In short: three youngsters decide to rob a blind guys house to get some money to help them get out of the town they live in. Things don't go smoothly, shocker! Anyways, what I liked about this - operators work (really enjoyed how they "zoomed in and out"), the fact that it was thrilling and kept me interested, some unexpected and disturbing bits and pieces (not gonna give those away) and that's about it I think. What I didn't like - some other maybe not fully thought out scenes (especially at the end of the movie) and things (like, it shouldn't be allowed to have basement where there are no decent stairs leading from the doorway. That's just wrong.).
As I said - interesting, intriguing enough and I can recommend to go and see it.
The Shallows:
A good (not great) shark-survival movie with an amazing Blake Livelys' performance. Plot: a girl finds a kind of a secret beach where she goes surfing and BAM! There's a shark! And so things happen and she can't really reach the shore and tries to survive and not get eaten by this shark.
What I liked - Blakes acting - she managed to reach me from the screen. And what I mean by that - I almost felt the pain she was feeling (I'm saying almost because I can't really feel it you know), I was thirsty for her, I was feeling just as exhausted. That almost never happens, so this was great. Also enjoyed the ocean view and sounds (not soundtracks). What I didn't like: the ending and other unrealistic things, for example - how a guy who lives near a beach doesn't know CPR and doesn't know if a person starts coughing up water you should turn him to the side? Bizarre.
However, this also was a thrilling piece and I sure did live through that "event" with Mrs. Lively.
The Neon Demon:
From all these The Neon Demon was the most unusual. As it is hard for me to give you the plot, I will read it in IMDb and then type something similar here. I saw it yesterday and still can't really come to terms with it. So a young wannabe model comes to LA and is devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has. Actually after seeing the movie and now reading what IMDb said, I'll say - spot on, IMDb, spot on!
It was a strange (but not necessarily bad) experience. Short in dialogues (just a fact, be prepared) and relatively full of stop motion frames. What I liked - soundtracks, colors, costumes and make-up, design, the mood of the movie and fact that it was strange and I couldn't really figure out what was happening. Also many looks of Elle Fanning. What I didn't like: maybe "not like" is too strong but somehow I was expecting for this film to run through more smoothly, more like a contemporary dance. One scene was too disturbing for my eyes to see and brains to comprehend. It wasn't great (for a thriller/horror movie) but I definitely don't regret seeing it.
And so, when all is said and done -->
Despite being different, all three movies get the same:
Rating: ★★★½
As the screening ended I came to a conclusion if I have only LOVED one of Woody Allens' movies (Blue Jasmin, if interested. And I have seen about 10-12 of his movies. Not much but good enough) and others have felt kind of "meh", he might not be director for me.
