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B
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Babel
(2006)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Blanchett and Pitt are playing a version of the "ugly Americans abroad" trope. The film does not shy away from presenting them as entitled despite the circumstances that they are in.
Posted Mar 04, 2022
|
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C
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Don't Look Up
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
There's a shorthand that makes each character's real world avatar easy to get and laugh at but that also undermines the film's intelligence. This is not smart satire.
Posted Jan 02, 2022
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B+
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Nightmare Alley
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Sumptuous look and design frame this bleak noir. A reticent at first Bradley Cooper comes alive when sparring with a stylized Cate Blanchett.
Posted Dec 19, 2021
|
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D
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Being the Ricardos
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Beyond voice work, Nicole Kidman's performance is subdued and remains at an emotional remove. Odd choice because when playing one of the most animated people in the history of entertainment, a little passion is called for.
Posted Dec 07, 2021
|
|
C
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Spencer
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
There is nothing about what Knight wrote or what Stewart plays that is specifically about Diana. The details are vague. This could be about any anonymous rich white lady trapped in a cult.
Posted Nov 04, 2021
|
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C-
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C'mon C'mon
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Who are these people? They must be aliens from an alternate universe of never ending therapy sessions.
Posted Oct 08, 2021
|
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B-
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Thank God He Met Lizzie
(1997)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Blanchett's winning in the role, adding shades to the character that are not in the script. But there's a reason this movie has been forgotten, it's merely OK.
Posted Apr 19, 2021
|
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A
|
Notes on a Scandal
(2006)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Despite the trope of the predatory lesbian being the engine behind its plot, Notes on a Scandal is delicious fun. A most enjoyable entry into the hagsploitation genre with serious art house credentials.
Posted Mar 30, 2021
|
|
B-
|
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Day gives a wondrous and fully committed performance. This is one of those instances when a first time actor finds a role that fits them like a glove and immediately becomes a star with the promise of years of spellbinding performances.
Posted Feb 19, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Passing
(2021)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Negga comes in with reckless abandon and steals the film. This is a showstopping performance. She conveys the utter chaos of the character while maintaining the actor's exacting control.
Posted Feb 01, 2021
|
|
D
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Hillbilly Elegy
(2020)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Howard lets down his actors, particularly Amy Adams. Her performance is a series of loud, exhausting moments. She is not afforded the space to build a character.
Posted Jan 28, 2021
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|
C
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The Missing
(2003)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Blanchett and Jones are matched well as two idiosyncratic people. There's a symbiosis to their performances as stubborn loners. The filmmaking is competent but never thrilling.
Posted Jan 25, 2021
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B-
|
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
(2007)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Enjoyed best in stops and starts. Doesn't cohere into a compelling narrative, but particular scenes are memorable and fun to watch.
Posted Jan 23, 2021
|
|
B+
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(2001)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Excellent well-made adventure film especially when compared with mediocre output of current superhero movies. Grand old fashioned entertainment.
Posted Jan 05, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Cinderella
(2015)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Blanchett, drawing inspiration from Joan Crawford, hits the comic hgh notes while giving this delicious villian psychological pathos.
Posted Dec 28, 2020
|
|
C
|
Ammonite
(2020)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
The choices Lee makes - austere filmmaking, minimal dialogue, drab costumes and settings - make for a very dull movie. Only Winslet is alive on screen.
Posted Dec 22, 2020
|
|
B
|
French Exit
(2020)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
the real showstopper is Pfeiffer who could have played this role like an imperious 1940s Bette Davis character; all haughty gestures and clipped tones. That would have been more memorable, fun and catnip to awards bodies....
Posted Oct 13, 2020
|
|
A
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Time
(2020)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
This is a story ostensibly about Black suffering. What's on screen though is the resilience, the fight and the hope.
Posted Oct 09, 2020
|
|
B-
|
Blackbird
(2019)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
For a film dealing with such a weighty subject Blackbird is too slight to leave a mark.
Posted Sep 21, 2020
|
|
B
|
Misbehaviour
(2020)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
It's all earnest and heartfelt but the actresses bring a sensitivity and understanding that makes the film touching.
Posted Sep 21, 2020
|
|
A
|
Blue Jasmine
(2013)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Blanchett is the true author of Blue Jasmine. It's a towering performance that remains fixed on your brain.
Posted Sep 04, 2020
|
|
B
|
Hanna
(2011)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Ostensibly a thriller about a teenage assassin, Hanna reveals itself to be a fairytale with a modern twist.
Posted Aug 10, 2020
|
|
C
|
Robin Hood
(2010)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
A more realistic / historical take on the legend of Robin Hood and his merry men, albeit not successful.
Posted Aug 10, 2020
|
|
B
|
Manifesto
(2015)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
If you want to watch 13 Cate Blanchetts coming at you at the same time, this is the movie for you.
Posted May 12, 2020
|
|
B+
|
The Aviator
(2004)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
What constitutes risk in acting? What Blanchett does here as Hepburn, daring to take on an icon in the same medium for which she was known and celebrated.
Posted May 11, 2020
|
|
C
|
The Gift
(2000)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Post Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett was trying to subvert expectations and to do something completely different. So she chose this gothic thriller from a director who is known for horror movies.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B+
|
Little Fish
(2005)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Cate Blanchett like you've never seen before, gritty and stripped down. Both in look and performance.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B
|
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(2008)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Expert voice work from Cate Blanchett, impeccable New Orleans accent, and a tired broken lilt later on indicating how old Daisy is.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B
|
Thor: Ragnarok
(2017)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Taika Waititi's irreverent humor makes this film delightful with a tongue in cheek tone.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
C
|
Paradise Road
(1997)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Never lifts off to anywhere that's profound or moving or interesting
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B+
|
The Good German
(2006)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Cate Blanchett's most underrated performance and the best she's looked on screen.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B+
|
I'm Not There
(2007)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Coming the same year as The Golden Age in which she played Elizabeth I, this proves Cate Blancheet's range and cements her reputation as the best of her generation.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
A
|
The Talented Mr. Ripley
(1999)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
Definitely the best part Matt Damon's ever had and his best performance. It's also my favorite.
Posted May 01, 2020
|
|
B
|
Elizabeth
(1998)
|
Murtada Elfadl
|
The emotions are violent in Elizabeth. Everybody's emotions are at such a high level, unlike what we are used to seeing in dramas about British history.
Posted May 01, 2020
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