Darts & Flowers

Apart from the very good performance delivered by Hathaway, this second adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel is way worse than the first, and the result is a stereotyped, boring and weary product. Mark: 5 / 10

A tense and crucial week in the filming of one of the most iconic American tv shows, that is "I Love Lucy", and her charismatic lead actress, the one and only Lucille Ball. Nicole Kidman is phenomenal in portraying her (as is the rest of the cast), and the movie is pretty interesting and enjoyable. Mark: 8 / 10

Visually stunning, but definitely boring. And, in my humble opinion, the songs are completely forgettable (except for the one in Spanish). Not sure if it's worth seeing it. Mark: 5.5 / 10

It didn't thrill me, nor made me enthusiastic. It's an average animated feature, with tons of recycled ideas. Absolutely perfect for an under twelve audience. Mark: 6 / 10

Not an easy adaptation from a pretty controversial novel, this movie boasts a stellar cast and an awesome mise-en-scène, and tends to be more introspective and whispered than sentimentally clear and shouted. Hence, not for everyone's taste. Mark: 8 / 10

Though maintaining the spirit of MCU, this movie has a refreshing, interesting and incredibly entertaining approach, and the final result is completely satisfying, from the astonishing visual effects to the great cast. Mark: 8 / 10

Trying to catch up with the whole MCU, I decided to watch this origin story: not bad (acting and visual effects are awesome), but the subject itself, in my opinion, lacks originality. An enjoyable movie, though. Mark: 7 / 10

An almost acceptable romantic comedy with a dark side, but, in my humble opinion, the result is definitely too weak to consistently appeal audiences. Mark: 5 / 10

A pretty consistent cast (Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Charlie Day deserve to be mentioned) and a good pace are not enough to save a weak script. Overall, an average product. Mark: 6 / 10

Well, well, what can I say about this second chapter of the horned "good-tempered" witch? That it lacks originality and rhythm, and the subject is pretty feeble. But the cast is definitely good and the technical aspect is magnificent. Mark: 6 / 10

The cast is pretty good and some ideas are definitely original, but this origin story trudges and doesn't succeed in involving the audience (in my humble opinion). Mark: 5.5 / 10

After a really destabilizing beginning, this live action version of the 1992 animated feature finds its way and succeeds in successfully entertaining the audience. Mark: 6.5 / 10

The shocking finale is definitely ...a shock. The movie itself isn't a weak or bad product, but for the people who are not fans of the 007 saga, some cuts here and there would have been useful. Mark: 6.5 / 10

When I started watching it, I was not aware it was part of the DCEU since the name of this superhero didn't ring any bell in my head: in any case, even for not being a fan of superheroes, I enjoyed it. Nothing special, but somewhat entertaining. Mark: 6.5 / 10

An enjoyable sequel to the pretty good first instalment, with an interesting plot and the usual magnificent technical result. Mark: 7 / 10

At last I succeeded in watching this enjoyable animated feature, technically superb and with an important message and a pretty original subject. Mark: 7 / 10

A less than acceptable sequel, with annoying songs and a forced plot. The second chapter of an incredibly successful first installment implemented just to make some money, as now it is, unfortunately, in so many cases. Mark: 6 / 10

I'm not a big fan of the growing phenomenon of origin stories, and this movie sounds like a confirmation. The cast is undoubtedly good, but the subject and development of the story, in my opinion, are pretty boring and not particularly original. Mark: 6 / 10

Nature or nurture? Conscience or culture? Biological or adoptive? From a true, though surreal, story, an interesting documentary about an extremely controversial experiment conducted around sixty years ago. Mark: 7 / 10

A joy for the eyes, the heart and the soul. Masterfully animated, this movie tells so many things about loyalty and trustfulness, sometimes in an unconventional way, that has to be praised, no matter what. Mark: 8 / 10

The new Pixar creation is a nostalgic, sweet portrait of friendship set in the Italian Riviera around sixty years ago, and it's undoubtedly charming. More introspection and a deeper analysis of the metaphors could have helped, though. Mark: 7.5 / 10

After his second and third installment of the Batman saga, and above all after "Inception", Christopher Nolan was on the verge of losing me forever: with this product I still have some doubts about his recent approach to "making movies", but, at least, I see a sort of turnaround. Mark: 7 / 10

Maybe it couldn't be particularly original, and maybe not incredibly introspective, but this brand new Italian movie about contemporary gay men struggles and doubts dealing with life and love is definitely worth seeing. And when you genuinely laugh and cry more than once in the same picture, the result has been accomplished. Btw, the cast is excellent. Mark: 8 / 10

A pretty weak and definitely shallow portrait of Italian soccer legend Roberto Baggio. The cast, on the contrary, is absolutely perfect, with a dutiful mention for Andrea Arcangeli. Mark: 6 / 10

Apart from the Academy Award nominated song, that is undoubtedly nice, this product is a mess, resembling a (too long) promo of the contest itself for the American audience, than a real movie. The screenplay, in my opinion, is embarassing and Ferrell's performance isn't funny at all. Mark: 5 / 10

Frankly I didn't understand the purpose of this movie, because everything seems so rarefied and somewhat fake, and the script limps from the beginning to the end. Mezzogiorno's performance, on the contrary, is strong and passionate. Mark: 6 / 10

First of all, let's reaffirm that this MonsterVerse saga has really nothing to do with the ugly, ridiculous 1998's TriStar release; then, this chapter is pretty enjoyable, with a more than decent cast and an interesting development of the story. The visual effects are, as usual, totally stunning. Mark: 7.5 / 10

That's the kind of superhero movie that leaves me quite puzzled: plot, subplot, cross-references, quotations and quiddities. The cast is good and the visual effects are no less than great, but in my humble opinion the result is somewhat cold. Mark: 6.5 / 10

That's the kind of superhero movie I want to see: visually stunning, extremely entertaining and with a nice touch of humour. Not this long, though. Mark: 7.5 / 10

An enjoyable Spanish comedy about OCD behaviors and consequences, with a good cast (Rossy de Palma is always great) and a script that more or less succeeds in creating interest till the end. Mark: 6.5 / 10

Thoughtful, poignant, somewhat ambiguous portrait of a teenage transitioning, "Girl" boasts two astonishing performances (especially Polster's) and an unconventional development, analyzing two different levels of struggle (ballet and life) with empathy and confidence. Mark: 7.5 / 10

The ambiguous ending of this powerful portrait of family and assimilation in 1980s America is doubtlessly the highlight of a convincing movie, though not particularly original in some choices of the treated subject. Mark: 7.5 / 10

A simply stunning documentary about an unusual friendship between a filmmaker and an octopus in a South African kelp forest. Heartwarming, witty and technically superb. You don't have to miss it. Mark: 9 / 10

An average product, with a pretty outdated plot and a decent cast. Nothing more to add, apart from the fact that in my opinion this movie suffers from a weak script and some questionable choices in the development of the story. Mark: 6.5 / 10

An animated feature film I missed some years ago, dealing with culture, tradition, family, life and death in an original and successful fashion. A joy to see and enjoy, with a moving touch. Mark: 8 / 10

Artfully directed by the talented Zeller, this devastating, heartbreaking and brutally honest depiction of dementia presents no weak links and could easily be considered one of the best movies of last year. Then, if Colman is no less than awesome, Hopkins delivers a simply stellar performance. Mark: 8.5 / 10

Ten years after its release, I succeeded in watching this movie, which I was extremely interested in, but missed at the time. Frankly, I was expecting something different, but in the end the result is interesting and Fassbender and Mulligan deliver solid performances. Mark: 7 / 10

More than one step below the first three chapters, this fourth instalment is doubtlessly entertaining, but in my opinion it could be considered a nice appendix of a stunning trilogy and nothing more. Mark: 7 / 10

Released almost fifteen years ago, this average movie is an adapted depiction of some bombings happened in Saudi Arabia around or more than twenty years ago. Overall, it could be watched. But don't expect a thrilling masterpiece. Mark: 6 / 10

Once in a while, Pixar creates a product that may make us rise our eyebrows: Onward, in my humble opinion, could be considered one of those. And it's a pity, since the premises were quite interesting. Mark: 5.5 / 10

Skillfully directed by Regina King, this fictionalized meeting of four legends struggles in the beginning when it has to involve the audience, but explodes in the second half, simply perfect in every part. Extraordinary cast. Mark: 7.5 / 10

In my opinion, a film that every man should see to understand what's the difference between carefree lifestyle and deliberate violence; moreover, a film that every woman should see not to be deceived by appearances or social status. Everything in this movie could be defined stunning, but the script, direction and terrific perfomance delivered by Carey Mulligan are no less than perfect. Mark: 9 / 10

A pretty unusual spy story located in Central Italy, that really struggles from the beginning to the end to maintain a sort of movie dignity. But, to be honest, it fails. Don't waste your time. Mark: 5 / 10

Featuring the extraordinary music by Ludovico Einaudi, this is without a doubt one of the most acclaimed pictures of 2020. In my humble opinion it's not a masterpiece at all, but, thanks to the two women that are the soul and the heart of it (the director, screenwriter and editor Chloé Zhao, and the great Frances McDormand), it's a pretty enjoyable movie, more sly and cunning than smart and groundbreaking. Mark: 7.5 / 10

Two stunning performances by Ahmed and Raci, an authentic and dry depiction of the deaf condition, a marvelous rendition of the sound effects. In a few words, a must see. Mark: 8 / 10

A somewhat strange and messed up comedy, with an ending that frankly doesn't fit the package. Good cast, though screams and cackles could have been dosed better. Mark: 6 / 10

Two magnificent performances, a great script, a unique friendship. The 2018 Academy Award winner for Best Picture doesn't disappoint, and it's somewhat reassuring, from time to time, watching these movies that warm our tired hearts. Mark: 8 / 10

Sincere, poignant, brusque, direct, touching, compelling, realistic, romantic, rough and tender. This movie exceeds all expectations because incorporates and delivers a universal message of giving ourselves over to love and be loved, in the least conventional manners and ways. Stunningly written and directed, with a truly awesome cast: Josh O'Connor, Alec Secăreanu, Gemma Jones and Ian Hart are, in fact, no more than perfect in their respective roles. Almost a masterpiece. Mark: 9 / 10

It could be a courtroom movie, a political portrait, a freedom of expression treaty. Most importantly, it's definitely a very solid picture, with an incredible cast and an awesome script. A must see. Mark: 8.5 / 10

A very good performance by the endlessly talented and Italian treasure Sophia Loren doesn't save this movie from being a pretty conventional and scholastic adaptation of the novel by Romain Gary. Mark: 6.5 / 10

Inspired by a real French gay waterpolo team, laying between Priscilla and a shiny edition of the Olympics, this amusing and touching movie explores the many faces of friendship, freedom, life and death. With a gay touch. Interesting, funny and very entertaining. Mark: 7.5 / 10

Forgive me, but simply it's not my cup of tea. I didn't see the first Borat, and I guess I shoud have in order to avoid the sequel. I sincerely find this character (portrayed by the howsoever talented Baron Cohen) incredibly annoying. Mark: 2 / 10

After a very intriguing and enjoyable first half, this potentially ambitious picture gets lost in a pretty confusing second part, not entirely knowing which direction to choose in terms of movie genre. Mark: 6.5 / 10

Terrific direction of a stunning cast, magnificent mise-en-scène, masterly use of the black and white filming technique. But, alas, a tiring and wearisome script intended almost exclusively for cinema connoisseurs. Mark: 7 / 10

Between "Groundhog Day" and "Leaving Las Vegas", an enjoyable romantic fanta-comedy, wisely written and with a pretty good cast. It definitely deserves to be seen. Mark: 7.5 / 10

Probably the worst movie I've seen in the latest twenty years. Don't even try to think about wasting one and a half hour of your time to see it. Incommentable. Mark: 0 / 10

As Abbie Bernstein (Assignment X) wrote, "this movie has a perfectly good message. Still, once the director and screenwriters lead us through how things work, they fall back on convention." A must see, though. Mark: 7.5 / 10

Frankly I cannot understand why Besson decided to recreate a less classy and way less strong version of his acclaimed "Nikita" several years after. A pretty bland movie. Mark: 5.5 / 10

Entertaining just if you're under 10 years old, with the usual Jim Carrey performing his usual grimaces and his usual over the top acting. Not a complete waste of time, however. Mark: 5.5 / 10

If you watch a movie with two of your favorite actresses, Glenn Close and Amy Adams, directed by no less than Ron Howard, with an original score composed by the phenomenal Hans Zimmer, and in the end, bored and sleepy, you say to yourself "so what?", there's definitely something wrong. In fact, if we had to synthesize this picture in one word, it'd be stereotype. What a huge wasted opportunity. Mark: 6 / 10

Based on the play by August Wilson, depicting a turbulent recording session in 1927 in which the Mother of Blues Ma Rainey and her band were involved, this movie is undoubtedly satisfactorily written and staged, but it's the acting that shines: Davis and Boseman, in fact, are simply stunning. Mark: 7.5 / 10

A stellar cast (Kirby, LaBeouf and Burstyn deliver awesome performances), a script based on a true experience by the screenwriter (and his ex husband, the director), a poignant path toward self awareness and acceptance. Without a doubt, a must see. Mark: 8.5 / 10

Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence star in this pretty enjoyable sci-fi romantic action movie: not a masterpiece, but a very good product, with an interesting script. Mark: 7.5 / 10

A pretty weird thriller depicting the reactions of a bunch of survival enthusiasts after a fatal accident during a training camp: frankly, a totally useless movie. Mark: 5 / 10

An enjoyable and moving portrait of a fortysomething gay man in the seventies. Strong cast, pretty good script, with some banalities here and there. Mark: 7 / 10

Not following the storyline created by Bram Stoker, this forgettable installment of Dracula depicts a sort of origin story of the vampire, but the result is pretty boring and somewhat lacking energy and involvement. Mark: 5.5 / 10