Movie Review: The World’s End

From my DVD pile I found this movie! And it was unexpectedly funny! It’s the story of Gary King (Simon Pegg) who seriously did nothing after high school and who always lived in past glories as a teenager. One day he decides to reunite with his schoolmates and relive one of their best adventures, which was drinking from 12 bars in the same night.  His friends who are all moved on and living their lives with wives and kids are reluctant to join him, but they do in the end. The movie is not about drinking, it’s actually about the World is actually ending with aliens suddenly attacking them in the first bar!

I was so shocked hahhaa, but in a good way. If you haven’t watched the trailer like me, you won’t guess it from the first fifteen minute, but that’s made it even better for me. It felt just meh at the beginning, but keep on watching, it gets so much better. It was really a well-crafted Comedy and worth the watch. I cracked up a lot and the end was awesome too!

The idea of the aliens is fun and not too much. There's a lot of action! The cast is great and the script is funny. I’m getting to become a huge fan of British movies. I’m so happy I found this in my pile! 

For more info and trailer, click her.

Till the next one!

Kemz

Movie Review: Into the Woods

The Disney musical is finally out and its just super awesome! I was laughing the entire time and just enjoying the movie! If you’re not into musicals or fairytales, this ain’t for you, but if you were like meee, loving all the magic in the world, then you will LOVE it!

The movie is about five fairytales coming together as the main character of each story travels through the woods. You have, Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) going to sell his cow, Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) who is sneaking into the ball, Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) going to visit her grandma and the Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) who were sent to the woods to collect four items for the village Witch (Meryl Streep). There’s also Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) who was a bit useless in the movie hehehe.

From the first scene, the cinematography and the beautiful use of colors in the costumes and the setting caught my eyes! It was very pretty and just puts me in a magical mood. The story as well is mixed in a great way. All the characters are blended in one big coherent plot. And I also was happy to see that the versions of the fairy tales in this movie kept to the original tales, the ones with some bloody details.

If there was one thing that made it work in this movie, it was the cast!! Such a brilliant ensemble!! Johnny Depp was perfect, PERFECT as the Wolf! Even though his part wasn’t that long, but he nailed it! Chris Pine played Cinderella’s Prince and he was super hilarious! He really over played the prince charming and was even comical about it. I loved Emily Blunt. She was supper funny and her role was so genuine. She’s already nominated for a Golden Globe. Meryl Streep is nominated as well and in this movie she tops them all!! I LOVE HER!! She’s a genius actress, no one is like her! In this movie she is AMAZING and her voice and the way she sings, it’s awesome!

The movie as well is full with all the good messages that each fairytale had, like be careful what you wish for and other. They are more than just a story, they really do have nice messages to deliver.   

So, if you enjoy fairytales and musicals, this is the movie for you! For more info and to watch the trailer, please click here.

Till again!!!

Kemz

Movie Review: The Seven Year Itch

I’m still digging into my DVD pile and I thought, why not this time try a classic, The Seven Year Itch with Marilyn Monroe! The movie is funny, cute and just the perfect movie to chill out. It also won Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy.

It’s the story of New York in the summer of 1955 when the men send their wives to the country to cool off while they work in the heat. Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell ) said good bye to his wife (Evelyn Keyes ) and their son and everything was normal until a girl (Monroe) moved on the apartment on the top floor of his building. Sherman try his best to resist her charms, but can’t help but ask her for a drink and his struggle to not have a summer affair begins.

What I really enjoy in the classic is how the humor is light and cute. Even if it had a sexual context, it still keeps the elegance side of it and in this movie it was funny, smart and entertaining. I also really enjoy the scripts written in that era! This movie was good as well in that department, however because we follow Sherman and his wild wild imagination, there’s a lot of monologue lines, which was a bit boring.

For me, Monroe is never to be missed! She is so much more than just a pretty face. I really love her performances. She’s really good, even though people don’t know that. I’ve seen her in more than movie, and I truly wish she was born in this time. She would be so much more as she is so smart and brilliant. It was only how back then they really didn’t understand depression as we do today.

A good point to classics as well which shows in this movie, is the main male character. They were so different back then! What happened to them? Where are those men? Just a thought.

Anyway, the movie is fun and its funny to watch a married 39 year old man following and trying to get the attention of this gorgeous 22 year old.

For more info, please click here.

Till again!

Kemz

Movie Review: White House Down

So, I finally started watching movies from my DVD piles! I’m still into Channing Tatum and so I watched the only movie with him in it in my pile :p! And it was really really fun! I really wasn’t expecting it to be this good. It’s action packed, thrilling and true entertainment without being too action. 

The story of Cale, (Tatum) an ex military solder who goes to the white house for an interview to be part of the secret service with his daughter (Joey King) by his side. The interview goes bad, but to make his daughter happy, they stick around for the white house tour. They meet the president (Jamie Foxx) and everything is cool until it’s not! The whole house is invaded by unknown terrorist. And I think you can guess the rest :p.

It’s a really good movie! Like I said, it has good action scenes, but without being over the top. There are some big booms, but we’re used to that by now hehe. I really enjoyed Jamie Foxx’s performance! From all times I’ve seen him in a movie, he always brings a new life to the character he plays! He’s brilliant, even as he played the soft heart peace wanting President Sawyer, he still managed to capture the strength in him.  And Channing is as good as ever! I love how he brings soft emotions to his tough characters.

Funny thing this movie came out the same tine as, Olympus Has Fallen who had the same exact idea (with minor differences). I watched Olympus at the theater and it was still good. But I think this one wins it for me. Though I don’t remember that movie very much, which isn’t a very good sign hehehe.

And that’s about it! It’s a good action movie to watch when you’re bored! For more info and the trailer, please click here.

Till Again!

Kemz

Film Interview: Made in Qatar Filmmakers

In Ajyal Youth Film Festival, I attended the briefing for the Made in Qatar Directors. The room was packed with all those awesome talented people, but I only had the chance to talk to few. Those who were there and the ones I managed to see their film before the interview. I managed to talk first to Maryam Al Sahli, director or Tboy:

KM: I just saw your film and it’s really good and I wanted to ask why did you choose this kind of a story?

MS: I was participating in a workshop by the New York Film Academy and it was my graduating project. We had a month of excessive film training courses with them here in Al Jazeera training center and the film was written in two hours, filmed in six hours and edited in six hours because we were supposed to do it in a very short time. This wasn’t the story at the beginning. I had a different story in mind that I wanted to do, but because of limited resources, so I talked to my lead character Zaki Khan who is playing Sam and he said he would act for the film and we sat down together to develop the story and write the script. I chose the concept about people who are tricked by those who use them and that’s a story I wanted to tell. Zaki on the other side developed the character and that’s why he played it so well and it was his first time acting and first time writing a script and I’m very proud of him and I truly owe it to him to have this film made.

KM: I know you personally and I know how you made films in university, but the stuck with editing and you’re one of the best I know, so what made you go back to filmmaking? Is this your new path or you’ll still be editing?

MS: I started with directing documentaries in collage to understand all the aspect of filmmaking but after graduation I found out that the part that I enjoyed most was post production. I joined Doha Film Institute as an editor and started editing films and just my luck I was the only female Qatari film editor and I still think of myself as an editor first and director second. But I want to direct again, so hopefully there will be a second and third time.

KM: So, do you have a story you would like to make it as a film? One that you will take more time one and develop it more?

MS: This is the first time I’m saying this, it’s Kemz Movies Exclusive: I have another film in the writing process. The script is almost over and I’m working with friends one it.

Then I got the chance to talk to director of Lumière, Aisha Abduljawad.

KM: Your movie is experimental and it has a lot of play with black and white footage and sounds, why did you choose that kind of direction?

AA: I took a film class at Northwestern and most of our classes are about classic filmmaking like animation, drama and documentary. Then they offered an experimental film class and I was intrigued because it’s something I never experienced before. So, I took the class and it was about exploring architecture, which is something I am interested in. We traveled back and forth between France and Qatar and because of that class I decided to do an experimental film.
 

KM: And after making the film, do you like experimental or the classic filmmaking more?

AA: Well, I prefer the experimental style as a filmmaker because you can have complete creative freedom without having to limit yourself to a storyline. With experimental you also don’t think about the reception amongst critics at all or whether the audience enjoyed it or not, it’s all about brining new ideas and giving them the reason to question, for example the notion of architecture in this film. However, classical style of filmmaking still has a special place and its fun.

KM: So what do you want the audience to take from your film?

AA: Just to think outside the box when they’re looking at their own creative ideas or just about what they see everyday. This film for example discusses the idea of architect through time. So we begin in the 1800s with old mosques then it goes into current places of knowledge.

And last but not least, Ali Al Ansari, director of Qarar, winner of actress excellent performance and Special Mention from the jury.

KM: Why a Zombie movie? I know everyone must’ve asked you this, but I have to ask.

AA: I think Zombie movies are different and pops out more than the other genres here in Qatar and I believe that in the Gulf we lack genre movies; zombies, sci-fi, horror. It’s something fun and entertaining as well.

KM: The movie is set in Qatar, however it’s so empty. There is no one fighting on the street and the buildings are empty, why?

AA: The story is set in like four or five years after the zombie apocalypse. We don’t see smoke on the sky or anything. It’s all calm and quite. That’s why you only see that guy. That was the idea for the movie.

KM: I really enjoyed the movie, it was made really well and I really liked the zombie make up. That was better than so many movies I’ve seen.

AA: For the zombie make up, we used on set makeup and a lot of CGI, which was the first time I ever used it, so I was a bit scared in the beginning. On the computer it looked good, so I can’t wait to see it on the screen. Using CGI is actually new to us in Innovation. We used it before in Lockdown and it was a good experiment that we learned from and now we used it for Qarar. We also used it for the location, because it was hard for us to find a place for a zombie apocalypse in Doha, so for the Doha skyline and for some additional shots that we needed to cover.

KM: For the story, you choose to make it a drama more than an action thriller, why?

AA: The zombies are just a distraction and a twist to the actual story, which is the human side of it, the drama. I have this exercise if I had a story and changed the setting what will happen? So if I took a drama story and put it in a drama movie, it stays the same, but if I put it in another setting what will change and I wanted that setting to be with zombies. So, it worked somehow.

And all the films worked for sure. I’m just so happy to see how much the filmmakers in Qatar have evolved and year after year they are getting better and better! Thanks to all the director and I'm sorry I couldn't meet the rest! 

All the best for them and till again with a movie review!

Kemz 

Movie Review: Horns

Ok, I heard about this movie and I was a bit intrigued. I heard okish things and bad things, but I was still intrigued. Hmm I shouldn’t be that much interested in watching it. To be brief, Horns is not a movie for everyone. It’s not even for me. I feel like I need my 6$ back from iTunes.

The film is about this guy, Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) who is accused for the murder of his girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple) as he drink himself to sleep every night, he wakes up one day with a pair of horns who gave him powers. His powers was whenever he was around anyone, they somehow confess their darkest thoughts and secret to Ig.

The movie is supposed to be this weird dark fantasy that discussed good and evil and it’s based on a book by the same name and written by Joe Hill. The book is given four stars so maybe the book is better. The movie was just weird.

  

I didn’t understand so many elements in the movie, like the over the top sexual scenes. The story didn’t need that. And also the humorous twist, what’s that about? I think that is more of a focus in the book, perhaps, but in the movie it was a bit odd. The only good thing about the movie is the colors and one or two scenes. And that’s coming from ME! The fantasy fanatic!  

Other than the weird story, I wanted to watch Radcliffe acting without the shadow of Harry Potter on him. So hmmm, he was so much better than I expected. Read his lines better and had better emotions in his eyes. But the weirdness of the movie confused me, so I should watch another more normal movie of him.

So in the end all I can say: don’t waste your time with this movie. It will not add to your existing on this planet. Watch something better.

For more information (if you are intrigued) and the trailer, please click here. If you watched the movie, please share your thoughts on the comment and let’s discuss ;).

Till another one and here’s hoping it’s better!

Kemz