Requiem For A Dream

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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

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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

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

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For the final film of the month we have McCabe & Mrs. Miller

First off, we have the story which has a gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene. I thought the story was very enjoyable and the slow pacing helped that. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of the main stars of the film very good but the rest of the cast provided a good backing to the films story to add conflict and chemistry. 

As for the film's visuals I thought it looked really good with the gritty and dirty styled in terms of the cinematography with the camera movement/positioning as well as the lighting choices. Moving onto the tone of the film which I enjoyed as it helped build the slow pacing of the story in order to escalate it. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and one of the best parts about the film which added to the atmosphere felt throughout the story and setting of the film. 

Overall, I thought this film was a very entertaining film and again decided to take a different turn with the Western genre of film which made it more enjoyable and makes it stand out to others of the same genre.

I give McCabe & Mrs. Miller a score of 8/10

How The West Was Won

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For the penultimate film of the month we have How The West Was Won 

First off, we have the story which has a family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the nineteenth century - including the Gold Rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads. I thought the story was very entertaining as it went from year to year covering the events of the West.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were mostly well acted over the course of the film with a lot of famous actors and actresses from the time the film was released in this film. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were interesting since the film was spilt into sections so someone different directed each part so although they all come together as a film the visuals stand out because each part required a different look. Now we have the action which when it came in certain parts of the film was thrilling especially a certain train scene. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought got a great balance of adventure, drama and a mix of action to make the film more enjoyable. I thought the soundtrack of the film was great at capturing the Western atmosphere.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film from start to finish and I thought everything gelled together well from the different time period stories where you see certain characters progress to the adventurous tone and soundtrack to fill it all out.

I give How The West Was Won a score of 7/10

High Noon

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For the thirty-third film of the month we have High Noon 

First off, we have the story which has a town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at high noon when the gang leader, an outlaw he sent up years ago, arrives on the noon train. I thought the story was very interesting as Will, the marshal had his back against the wall which built up his situation as impossible. 

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of acting very good especially the main lead of Will Kane played by Gary Cooper especially when he is left alone in the situation to face the outlaws. 

As for the film's visuals I thought were pretty consistent throughout. Now we have the action which was built up to over the course of the film and when it came down to it it was thrilling and entertaining. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought did a great job at building up the suspense of the situation. I thought the soundtrack of the film was good with the use of classic Western tracks and ones that built up the tension.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film and in terms of the Western genre used a lot of the familiar aspects you would expect to see but the story itself was what made it interesting.

I give High Noon a score of 8/10

Hell Or High Water

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell_or_High_Water_(film)#/media/File:Hell_or_High_Water_film_poster.png

For the thirty-second film of the month we have Hell Or High Water

First off, we have the story which has a divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's ranch in West Texas. I thought the story was very enjoyable as it was fun to see what a modern Western was like.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of acting fantastic and you could see the chemistry between the two main leads and both of them helped realise the drama they were going through.

As for the film's visuals I thought it looked really good especially in turns of the camera positioning/movement and shot choice. Now we have the action which i thought was thrilling and entertaining as well as being shot well. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought managed to have some good family drama throughout as it helped to focus in on the story and characters. I thought the soundtrack of the film which I thought was very good and used tracks that worked for a modernised style Western film.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film with a great story and good characters in it to help build the drama and situation that the characters find themselves in and you want to see what will happen to them.

I give Hell Or High Water a score of 8/10

3:10 To Yuma (2007)

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For the thirty-first film of the month we have 3:10 To Yuma (2007)

First off, we have the story which has a small-time rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who's awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher. I thought the story was very enjoyable especially with what elements were changed from the original film I saw the other day.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of acting very good with the main leads working off each other very well and managed to give their own take on the same characters from the original to differentiate themselves.  

As for the film's visuals I thought the look of the film was one of the best parts about it with it's gritty and dark cinematography to match the films style and themes running over the course of the story. Now we have the action which I thought was enjoyable with some decent sequences throughout. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought did a good job at building the tension and drama of the story. I thought the soundtrack of the film was very good and worked for the suspenseful scenes throughout the film.

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film and between the two films I would take the original one because of the tension and better chemistry between the main leads even though this film did a good job at capturing some of the elements used in the original to make it it's own version.

I give 3:10 To Yuma (2007) a score of 7/10

3:10 To Yuma (1957)

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For the thirtieth film of the month we have 3:10 To Yuma (1957)

First off, we have the story which has broke small-time rancher Dan Evans is hired by the stagecoach line to put big-time captured outlaw leader Ben Wade on the 3:10 train to Yuma but Wade's gang tries to free him. I thought the story was very entertaining and thrilling because of how different it was to other Westerns.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were fantastic both in terms of the acting with the characters they played and the chemistry between the two main leads gave life to the story. 

As for the film's visuals I thought it was one of the best parts of the film with some elegant cinematography with the camera movement as well as the use of lighting and shadows that was created with care and precision. Now we have the action which I thought was very entertaining when things did kick off both in the gun-fighting but also with the confrontations between the main characters through words. Moving onto the tone of the film which I loved as the suspense of the situation and slowness gave the film more thrills while still keeping the essence of the Western genre. I thought the soundtrack of the film was great adding to the tension throughout the film.

Overall, I thought this film was fantastic older Western that shows how good they can be with a thrilling story and two main leads with chemistry that makes them bounce off each other with their dialogue. Finally there was the cinematography, tone and soundtrack which came to together to add to the already entertaining film. 

I give 3:10 To Yuma (1957) a score of 9/10

Winchester '73

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For the twenty-ninth film of the month we have Winchester '73

First off, we have the story which has the journey of a prized rifle from one ill-fated owner to another parallels a cowboy's search for a murderous fugitive. I thought the story was enjoyable and how the riffle went from one person to another was interesting.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were in terms of acting pretty good and the characters they played worked for the type of story it went for with James Stewart giving a great performance.

As for the film's visuals I thought it looked good as well as having some consistent cinematography throughout with some good camera positioning and movement. Now we have the action which I thought was entertaining especially the shooting competition at the beginning and the final shootout at the end. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought did a good job at capturing the revenge plot that usual can be found in these types of films. I thought the soundtrack of the film when used was ok at best but nothing stood out for me. 

Overall, I thought this film was a very enjoyable film with an interesting story behind it that kept me intrigued by the end to see how everything would come together and the cast managed to do a good job at the types that their characters were playing.

I give Winchester '73 a score of 7/10

True Grit (2010)

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For the twenty-eighth film of the month we have True Grit (2010)

First off, we have the story which has a stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer. I thought the story was very entertaining especially to see how this version was changed from the original

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were all very good in terms of acting and character and all of them managed to have their place in the story instead of one lagging behind like the original and all the main cast did a great job.

As for the film's visuals I thought it looked very good with some nice scenery shots as well as the cinematography being up to par with the camera positioning and lighting they went for. Now we have the action which I thought was entertaining to watch as well as being shot very well. Moving onto the tone of the film which I enjoyed as it took a more darker twist but still had the sense of Western film. I thought the soundtrack of the film was pretty good and added to the atmosphere of the film.

Overall, I thought this film was a very entertaining film especially to see what changes were made to the original film and although changes were made some good, some not so, I believe that I prefer the original film.

I give True Grit (2010) a score of 8/10

True Grit (1969)

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For the twenty-seventh film of the month we have True Grit (1969)

First off, we have the story which has a drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian territory. I thought the story was entertaining with a good script behind it.

Next, we have the characters which overall, I thought were mixed in terms of the main stars with John Wayne giving a fantastic job as Rooster" Cogburn with the type of person he was then you had Kim Darby as Mattie Ross who as the main character has the focus unfortunately felt wooden with how she played the teen out for revenge. Finally you have Glen Campbell as La Boeuf who felt like the third wheel of the trio.

As for the film's visuals I thought had some great cinematography in terms of the sweeping camera shots and locations they used and the lighting and camera positioning added to the experience of the adventurous Western. Moving onto the tone of the film which I thought had a great sense of adventure and drama that the characters had to face on the journey. I thought the soundtrack of the film was good and fit the style and genre the film was going for.

Overall, I thought this film was an entertaining film that kept me hooked throughout with an interesting story and some good characters to keep it going and the chemistry between them was great.

I give True Grit (1969) a score of 8/10