How To Be Single

I went in on "How To Be Single" with very, very, very low expectations (I received a free ticket to it). So I was pleasantly surprised that I did have some laughs and had a good time in front of the screen. It's an easy-breezy comedy about women who have quite different backgrounds and how they manage their private lives - how they "cope", "learn" or "celebrate" being single. Really, nothing really interesting there but it worked - I had a good time.
Alison Brie was there and I do like to watch her stuff. Other ladies (Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Dakota Johnson) don't impress me but they were fine, as this was an American comedy and didn't require strong performances. Or maybe it did. What do I know, I'm not an actress.  .. .. Or am I?
It won't be the best movie you've seen, nor the best comedy but if you're looking for something light and easy after a hard days work and you don't want to follow the story that much - this should be a very good match for you. Nothing meaningful here to my mind.


Rating: ★★★

Hail, Ceasar!

I couldn't really enjoy this movie. I didn't find it funny (I remember laughing when watching Fargo and laughing harder when watching Burn After Reading). It wasn't bad, it just wasn't very good for me. What I did like was how it was shot and performances from Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum and Ralph Fiennes.
I read in another review that "It's not about the story, it's about how the Coens are celebrating the films we have perhaps idealized a bit too much (..)". As at this time I'm almost all about the story, it just proves this wasn't a film meant for ME. At least not now.
So yeah, if the story isn't everything to you, you might have a better time with this than I did.
P.S. I haven't seen many classic movies so I also missed bunch of references on them.


Rating: ★★★

Fathers And Daughters

A brief thought overview:
The subject was interesting, actors were good (even though I dislike Russell Crowe he didn't annoy me this time) and I liked that they used time-jumping through the whole movie.
For me it lacked emotional depth. I got to see many different emotions but I couldn't feel them. What I also didn't like were those "tiny life lessons" they put in like they usually do in family/kid-friendly movies and TV Series (and this movie wasn't that child-friendly).
Almost forgot another thing I didn't appreciate: Amanda Seyfrieds' character felt very "typical" if I may call it that. I pretty much could tell what she is going to do next and to my mind that is not a good thing - the predictability.
I would say it is an average movie which doesn't feel that real, it is quite predictable in various aspects. Didn't have a bad time, just not good enough.

Rating: ★★★

Deadpool

Deadpool....Deadpool... IMDb rating at the moment: 8.8 (from more than 21k viewers).
It's an entertaining movie about a guy with an interesting personality who is kind of forced to become a hero.
The main role is played by Ryan Reynolds and I think this part suited him oh so very much.
What else is there? Bunch of jokes (that I mostly did not enjoy (d*ck stuff you know), but that's just me. It's not going to be you. Probably) and bunch of different references from Wolverine (there we first met Deadpool if you didn't know) and other places.
Camera work kept me entertained, I also noticed Junkie XL work in soundtracks (He composed also for Mad Max: Fury Road) - quite likable for my ears.
Despite lots of shooting and knifing, some guts and blood, this piece had a light, easy aura to it. So to my mind you may love or may not love the movie but there's just a small, small, small chance you won't have a good time with this.


Rating: ★★★½

What Happened, Miss Simone?

I knew nothing about Nina Simone except some of her most popular songs (I have had her "Greatest Hits" album for some time now). And now I know a little more and I am happy I educated myself a teeny-tiny bit more.
By watching this I learned not necessarily useful but most certainly interesting things about her career and private life. I wouldn't have imagined she had this complex life (I won't say much in case you have an interest and want to see it for yourselves) but then again I guess people don't make documentaries about people who are having these "fairytale" lives and don't really struggle or go through major life disasters or what not. You know, people like me. 
Anyways, I was kept entertained and interested through the whole movie and now I also have got a new feeling towards her music, I see it a bit differently.
If you haven't read really anything about her, don't mind documentaries and enjoy jazz music from 60's and 70's this should be a treat. Okay, it should also be enough for people who are into documentaries, it's a good one it think (or maybe I lack experience in documentaries, pardon if so).
P.S. I'm glad to see it's nominated for an Oscar.


Rating: ★★★★

The Big Short

Even though I'm not big on economics, banking, stock exchange etc. (nor I really understand them) The Big Short (based on a true event) presented the global economy blow-up in a way that was very interesting and it explained some of the stuff I didn't get before. Some other stuff I still don't get even after seeing this.
It wasn't my favorite direction (not that it was bad, just not my favorite), but the performances by Steve Carell, Christian Bale and Jeremy Strong - oh boy, how I much I liked them. Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and others were fine too (their characters just weren't that strongly based) but those three and their work was the best from my point of view.
Even though it wasn't an action movie, I caught myself being quite tense in some moments. It most probably was because I knew it was based on something real and couldn't (or didn't want to) believe that that had really happened. It was hard to see that people could be that greedy and/or "evil" and that stupid (or arrogant in some cases) and not question different things...or choose not to see.
Anyways, it's a good movie to go and see for anyone who want's to have a good time at movies or who wants to understand a little bit better of what happened. Okay, anyone but children. I don't believe children will have a great time with this.
P.S. I believe it's a great time to go to the cinema - many good films out there right now in Latvia ;)



Rating: ★★★★

The Revenant

Also a bit late but still counts: The Revenant.
I won't take much space when talking about this piece. It's beautifully shot, the landscapes are wonderful, scenes make you feel cold and shrug a bit. It has a "great" villain in it and Leo's (yes, first name basis) face expressions are believable and excellent (little spoiler: he does not talk much).
And somehow I couldn't wait for this movie to end. I think it was too long. Maybe it's necessary for us to see this long, long journey Leo's character takes (and suffers A LOT) but I don't know, I started to get bored and that is not what I like to feel when watching a movie.
Who most probably will enjoy this movie the best? People who like to see long-term suffering and long, long journey.
I will say this again: It was beautiful (just don't give an Oscar to DiCaprio for this one, it would almost be a shame. To my mind, he's done a better job in other films).


Rating: ★★★