Brick

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_(film)#/media/File:Brickmovieposter.jpg

For the seventeenth film of the month we have Brick

First off, we have the story which has a teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. I thought the story was very entertaining and as the mystery was unfolded it got better and better

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were entertaining to watch and were all well acted especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brendan as he attempts to solve the mystery. The dialogue between the characters was also interesting as it mixed dark comedy with noir styled dialect to build up the style and interactions.

As for the film's visuals I thought they were one of the best aspects about the film with the camera framing and lighting to build a Neo-Noir styled aesthetic which give the film it's look that adds to the story and characters. Moving onto the tone of the film which i thought was really well built up with it's Neo-Noir style of direction. I thought the soundtrack of the film was fantastic and helped to build the dark and unsettling atmosphere throughout the film. 

Overall, I thought this film was an amazing film with the way it presents it's story and characters to build up the mystery and characters you wouldn't think would fit the style of film that was being presented. 

I give Brick a score of 10/10

Breathless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathless_(1960_film)#/media/File:%C3%80_bout_de_souffle_(movie_poster).jpg

For sixteenth the film of the month we have Breathless

First off, we have the story which has a small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he reunites with a hip American journalism student and attempts to persuade her to run away with him to Italy. I thought the story was very enjoyable and the length worked to show the essential parts and not get bogged down by filler.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were very enjoyable as well as being well acted especially the main character because even though he did some bad things he was still interesting to watch.

As for the film's visuals I thought were very interesting through the location shots in Paris which helped to give life and a setting to the film but also through the editing of the visuals during dialogue which which helped add to the style. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought was simple but effective which is all you need to create a consistent style throughout. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very stylised and it definitely suited the style of the film. 

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film through it's effective story, enjoyable characters and fast pacing. Being the second film by Jean-Luc Goddard I have seen, I thought it was another great film and it makes want to check out more of his films and ones from the French New Wave era. 

I give Breathless a score of 8/10

The Royal Tenenbaums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Tenenbaums#/media/File:The_Tenenbaums.jpg

For the fifteenth film of the month we have The Royal Tenenbaums

First off, we have the story which has the eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons. I thought the story was very enjoyable and the family drama was very compelling to see unfold.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were very well acted and the chemistry between all the main characters of the Tenenbaum family was shown off well and all had their part to play. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were different and stylised and you can tell it is a Wes Anderson film because of his camera movements as well as the colouring that is used throughout the film. Moving onto the tone of the film which was both funny and heartfelt at times which worked for the family drama going on. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and suited the film's style.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film from start to finish and another achievement for one of my favourite directors Wes Anderson continuing his run of great films that influence me. 

I give The Royal Tenenbaums a score of 8/10

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind#/media/File:Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind.png

For the fourteenth film of the month we have Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

First off, we have the story which has a couple who undergo a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories when their relationship starts to deteriorate. I thought the story was very entertaining and the ideas about love, loss and relationships presented were very interesting. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were very interesting especially because of the relationship situation between the two main leads you see how it starts and how it ended. The chemistry between them had to seem real and both Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet give excellent performances.

As for the film's visuals I thought were absolutely fantastic and very surreal and the use of the camera and lighting helped to boost the visual style of the film during the memory erasing scenes where they were at their best. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought had a good mix of personal drama that was depressing in parts but then in the light hearted moments there was some nice comedy. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and added to the atmosphere the film presented. 

Overall, I thought this film was a great film that took an interesting look into relationships with a captivating main cast behind it that give their all to the film and showed off the chemistry to give weight to the film. 

I give Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind a score of 10/10

Submarine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_(2010_film)#/media/File:Submarine_poster.jpg

For the thirteenth film of the month we have Submarine

First off, we have the story which has 15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life. I thought the story was very entertaining as well as having some heartfelt moments throughout. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were one of the best parts about the film both through the acting as well as the characters they were playing with the main standout being Craig Roberts as Oliver Tate who steals the show with his unique characteristics and dialogue. 

As for the film's visuals I thought was the both best part about the film with the way the camera is used to the use of certain colours and lighting techniques to give style and substance to the film. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought had a good mix of awkwardness but also some interesting drama and funny comedy. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and I liked the range of tracks used to add to the atmosphere.

Overall, I thought this film was fantastic film and having heard nothing about it and only a liking from one of my friends I wanted to check it out for myself and the result was a unique but also heartfelt in terms of the story and characters so you cared for them. 

I give Submarine a score of 10/10

Love Actually

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Actually#/media/File:Love_Actually_movie.jpg

For the twelfth film of the month we have Love Actually

First off, we have the story which follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England. I thought the story was very mixed with some of the working and some not and with the amount of story-lines and characters to weave and balance some of them got lost in the crowd and the length didn't help either. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all very well acted and most of the characters story-lines you wanted to cared for as they all fought for attention with one another. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were consistent throughout but that's all stood out there wasn't anything special needed. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought had some ok comedy that was funny in parts but didn't hit all the time. I thought the soundtrack of the film was good for the setting and suited the time the film came out. 

Overall, I thought this film was a pretty average film and in all honesty I can't see why it get's the hype around the Christmas period for being a good film to watch. This is probably because it isn't my type of film. 

I give Love Actually a score of 5/10

Her

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)#/media/File:Her2013Poster.jpg

For the eleventh film of the month we have Her 

First off, we have the story which in near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need. I thought the story was very entertaining and I found the ideas and themes presented were interesting and with how the future is portrayed feels like it could happen.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were great in terms of acting especially Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore who brings a lot of life to the character and his interactions with Scarlett Johansson as Samantha were great to see as the relationship evolves. 

As for the film's visuals I thought was one of the best parts about the film in terms of the fantastic cinematography with the usage of lighting and colour that tries to contrasts very well to add to the themes being played out. The camera movement and positioning were also standout especially because most of the dialogue has Theodore talking and reacting to his operating system Samantha throw his earpiece. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought managed to mix some very interesting sci-fi elements as well as some touching drama and funny comedy to create an immersive film. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very enjoyable and it suited the style the film was trying to bring across. 

Overall, I thought this film was a fantastic film from start to finish with one of the way it created a fairly real world that you could become invested in and care for the main characters and how they drive the film along.

I give Her a score of 10/10

Ant-Man And The Wasp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp#/media/File:Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp_poster.jpg

For the tenth film of the month we have Ant-Man And The Wasp

First off, we have the story which has Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past. I thought the story was very entertaining and the themes it focused on was great to see. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were mostly very good in terms of acting and the characters they were playing. The highlights were Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man as well as Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp and their interaction were fun. There was also Michael Douglas as Hank Pym was a surprise as well. The villains however were mixed with some working and some not.

As for the film's visuals I thought  it looked really good with the use of the bright colours that reflected the brighter nature of the film compared to some of the previous films. Now we have the action which I thought was fun and entertaining especially because of how the suits work and how they used them to their best use. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought felt like a usual MCU film should have with a mix of drama as well as the comedic aspects. I thought the soundtrack of the film was ok and it worked pretty well for what it is usually like. 

Overall, I thought this film was a very fun film because of how the themes and heroes character relationships and motivations drive the film which was very entertaining to see play out till the end.

I give Ant-Man And The Wasp a score of 7/10

Venom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom_(2018_film)#/media/File:Venom_(2018_film_poster).png

For the ninth film of the month we have Venom

First off, we have the story which has Eddie Brock acquiring the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego "Venom" to save his life. I thought the story was very enjoyable in parts and seeing how Venom would be done in a new film was interesting to see.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of acting very mixed with the main standout being Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock/Venom and their chemistry together was a standout part of the film. The rest of the cast ranged from average to bad such as the main villain. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were pretty lackluster with the CGi working in points but not always. Now we have the action which I thought was pretty good however the kills were lacking mostly because this wasn't higher rated film to show the kills. Moving onto the tone of the film which i thought felt very conflicting at parts which tries to use certain parts of comedy but also having action and small horror elements which makes it very confusing. I thought the soundtrack of the film wasn't that great and none of the tracks stood out to me.

Overall, I thought this film had both good and bad elements to it but I thought most of the good just outwayed the bad aspects and I ended up enjoying most of the film but definitly not an outstanding one. 

I give Venom a score of 7/10

Deadpool 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadpool_2#/media/File:Deadpool_2_poster.jpg

For the eighth film of the month we have

First off, we have the story which has foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable. I thought the story was very entertaining with some very cool moments throughout.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all very well acted and the main standouts were obviously Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool but also Josh Brolin as Cable and when they meet their chemistry is great. The rest of the cast worked with what the story was going for. 

As for the film's visuals I thought it was great in terms of it cinematography with the lighting and camera movement throughout some of the sequences during the action between the characters. Now we have the action which I thought was entertaining and thrilling and also shot very well with one standout sequence being one of the chase scenes. Moving onto the tone of the film which had a great balance of drama with the story as well as the comedy which mostly came from Deadpool himself. I thought the soundtrack of the film was great and a lot of the tracks worked with some of the comedy throughout.

Overall, I thought this film was a very good film and as a sequel to the previous film I thought it carried it well while also adding some new aspects to it such as the story beats and themes it went for.

I give Deadpool 2 a score of 8/10

Solo: A Star Wars Story

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo:_A_Star_Wars_Story#/media/File:Solo_A_Star_Wars_Story_poster.jpg

For the seventh film of the month we have Solo: A Star Wars Story

First off, we have the story in which during an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion. I thought the story was very enjoyable and it had some very cool moments throughout but was very predictable towards the end. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought in terms of the acting for most of the characters ranged from good to just about average because some of them having to play the younger versions of famous characters so they had to get them right. The rest of the cast were mixed  in terms of the types of characters they were playing.

As for the film's visuals I thought had some pretty good cinematography with the usage of the lighting and camera movements/positioning. I also believe the action was also shot pretty well to capture each part. Now we have the action which I thought had some very good sequences throughout especially one towards the beginning on a train. Moving onto the tone of the film which i thought had a decent mix of action and the parts of comedy that would occur throughout which made parts of it enjoyable. I thought the soundtrack of the film which had the feel of a Star Wars soundtrack and had some callbacks to other tracks from other films.

Overall, I thought this film was a pretty good film with some entertaining moments throughout that were enjoyable although the predictability of it and certain cast members dropped the film a bit for me. 

I give Solo: A Star Wars Story a score of 7/10

Eighth Grade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Grade_(film)#/media/File:Eighth_Grade.png

For the sixth film of the month we have Eighth Grade

First off, we have the story which has an introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school. I thought the story was very entertaining and it touched on themes that I could relate to and it had some nice emotional and standout moments throughout.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all well acted especially the main character Kayla and how her feelings and what she goes through feels real and touches on things people may go through in life. There was also Kayla's Dad and their chemistry together was fantastic.

As for the film's visuals I thought the cinematography of the entire film was fantastic and another big standout with it's usage of colour and camera positioning and movement that gave the film a sense of realism. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought was very consistent with having a good mix of drama but also some decent comedy throughout which suits the setting of eighth grade for Kayla. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and used a lot of tracks that suited the style the film was going for. 

Overall, I thought this film was an excellent look into some of the things that people in the real world can go through and the way it portrayed all of the events worked really well and you could feel for the main character's situation.

I give Eighth Grade a score of 10/10

Dangal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangal_(film)#/media/File:Dangal_Poster.jpg

For the fifth film of the month we have Dangal

First off, we have the story which has former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters struggle towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression. I thought the story was very entertaining especially when it came towards the end as well as seeing the characters progress and age up.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all very well acted and the chemistry between the family was shown off very well and you could see how much they all cared for one another.

As for the film's visuals I thought it had some very good cinematography with a consistent use of lighting and camera angles, especially during the wrestling scenes to add to the tension and weight of the fights. Now we have the action which i thought was very entertaining and thrilling and it integrated a sport I have never checked out before and when the matches came up you wanted the main leads to perform well. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought managed to give a mixture of good family drama as well as some good tension and action moments. I thought the soundtrack of the film was fantastic and gad some great tracks that fit the setting of the film and tense tracks when the tournaments came up.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film with a heartfelt story and good characters and it was about a part of history I had never heard about before and it was good to learn something new from watching this film. 

I give Dangal a score of 8/10

Requiem For A Dream

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Dream#/media/File:Requiem_for_a_dream.jpg

For the fourth film of the month we have Requiem For A Dream

First off, we have the story which has the drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep. I thought the story was very entertaining but hard hitting as well and became difficult to watch at times.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were fantastic with each of the main starts showing how far their characters will go for their different addictions and the path that it takes them down. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were very unique as well as fitting of the psychedelic atmosphere that progresses over the course of the story because of what the characters go through and experience which at times was haunting and very disturbing throughout. The editing also stands out because of this as well being fast paced and using rapid cuts. Moving onto the tone of the film which was dark and very depressing as the characters slip into darkness because of their addictions. I thought the soundtrack of the film of the film was captivating and brought you into the scenes very well so you could feel the intensity. 

Overall, I thought this film was a fantastic one but definitely one I won't watch again in the future because of it's hard hitting topic and visuals but felt it was a necessary one to see after hearing so many things about it.

I give Requiem For A Dream a score of 10/10

Amadeus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadeus_(film)#/media/File:Amadeusmov.jpg

For the third film of the month we have Amadeus

First off, we have the story which has the life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporary composer who was insanely jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him. I thought the story was very entertaining and I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all very well acted with main standout being Tom Hulce as Mozart as managed to bring a lot of life into the character that was very important to show and what layers he had.

As for the film's visuals I thought in terms of the production design was fantastic and captured the era and setting of the film very well. There was also the cinematography which additionally added to the film's style. Moving onto the tone of the film which managed to have a good amount of drama and a surprising amount of comedy thrown in. I thought the soundtrack of the film which was one of the best aspects about the film having music that was made during the time of the film and it was amazing to listen to.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film with a surprising story and an interesting lead that managed to capture the life of living in the time period that Mozart was in. As well as having an excellent soundtrack and visuals.

I give Amadeus a score of 8/10

Your Name

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Name#/media/File:Your_Name_poster.png

For the second film of the month we have Your Name

First off, we have the story which has two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them apart? I thought the story was very enjoyable with some really touching but also funny moments throughout. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were great and very compelling and likeable which meant you cared for them and their relationship throughout the film with what they go through.

As for the film's visuals I thought they were one of the best parts about the film with some gorgeous looking animation that was crisp, clear and colourful and managed to add to backgrounds, character designs and the world design to build up the setting. Moving onto the tone of the film which i thought hit a good balance between comedy and drama very well and cranked up the drama at the right moments. I thought the soundtrack of the film was also fantastic working for the very emotional moments later on in the film. 

Overall, I thought this film was an excellent film from start to finish and is one of the best anime films I have seen throughout my time of watching anime and shows what they can bring to the table.

I give Your Name a score of 9/10

M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M_(1931_film)#/media/File:M_poster.jpg

For the first film of the new month we have M

First off, we have the story which when the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt. I thought the story was very entertaining especially the morals that get thrown in later on in the film.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were very interesting and were all well acted especially when you meet the man who is doing all the murders around the city and see what he is like.

As for the film's visuals I thought it looked really good and there was some impressive cinematography throughout with the use of lighting and shadows to build up some of the scenes. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought did a great job at capturing the thriller aspects and the suspense of finding the killer and putting a stop to him.

Overall, I thought this film was an excellent film from start to finish and again proves why I need to start watching more foreign films and even more older films to get a sense of where film used to be.

I give M a score of 9/10