Raw fish never looked so good
This documentary tells the story of Jiro who left his family at age 7. Since then he has worked hard to become a master sushi chef. Now at 85 years of age, Jiro's sushi restaurant is a Tokyo landmark which has been awarded 3 Michelin stars (their highest rating). At $300 per meal, it is a dining experience, one which requires advance booking, sometimes months in advance. This film is a cut above most documentaries. I don't even like sushi, but this film makes me want to eat some. What a great story and another great release from Magnolia Films!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi cooks up 4 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: David Gelb
Writer: N/A
Starring: Jiro Ono and Yoshikazu Ono
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
Metacritic: 77 out of 100
Showing posts with label Magnolia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magnolia. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Beyond the Black Rainbow
A long strange trip
Elena is held in a facility, seemingly against her will. She is controlled by a glowing pyramid. And yes, it gets weirder. Set in 1983, this film is billed as an homage to sci-fi thrillers of the 1980s. The visuals are very striking, the cinematography is great, but Beyond the Black Rainbow lacks a lot. The story is very thin, and at times is non-existent. This is resolution to the story at the end, but it could have been arrived at in half the time. It might have worked well as a short film, but fails as a feature. To say it is weird is an understatement.
Beyond the Black Rainbow gets 2 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Writer: Panos Cosmatos
Starring: Eva Allan, Michael Rogers and Scott Hylands
Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Metacritic: 49 out of 100
Elena is held in a facility, seemingly against her will. She is controlled by a glowing pyramid. And yes, it gets weirder. Set in 1983, this film is billed as an homage to sci-fi thrillers of the 1980s. The visuals are very striking, the cinematography is great, but Beyond the Black Rainbow lacks a lot. The story is very thin, and at times is non-existent. This is resolution to the story at the end, but it could have been arrived at in half the time. It might have worked well as a short film, but fails as a feature. To say it is weird is an understatement.
Beyond the Black Rainbow gets 2 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Writer: Panos Cosmatos
Starring: Eva Allan, Michael Rogers and Scott Hylands
Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Metacritic: 49 out of 100
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Melancholia (2011)
Its the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)
What if a planet were to collide with Earth? Of course that would be bring worldwide disaster. Lars von Trier takes us into the minds of a few people as they anticipate this event. The wedding of Justine and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) and later how Claire (her sister) deals with Justine's mental breakdown are the events through which we view this apocalyptic disaster. Kirsten Dunst as Justine and Charlotte Gainsbourg (The Science of Sleep ) as Claire give equally stunning performances. The emotions conjured up by the actors is convincing to the point of making the viewing experience feel more like an intrusion on some of life's more intimate, painful, and embarrassing moments. And I mean that as a positive aspect of the film. With Melancholia, von Trier gives us is a stunning viewing experience. The intro alone is worth the price of admission and could easily stand on its on as a short film. Lastly, I love Magnolia Pictures!
5 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: Lars von Trier
Writer: Lars von Trier
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, John Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Metacritic: 81 out of 100
What if a planet were to collide with Earth? Of course that would be bring worldwide disaster. Lars von Trier takes us into the minds of a few people as they anticipate this event. The wedding of Justine and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) and later how Claire (her sister) deals with Justine's mental breakdown are the events through which we view this apocalyptic disaster. Kirsten Dunst as Justine and Charlotte Gainsbourg (The Science of Sleep ) as Claire give equally stunning performances. The emotions conjured up by the actors is convincing to the point of making the viewing experience feel more like an intrusion on some of life's more intimate, painful, and embarrassing moments. And I mean that as a positive aspect of the film. With Melancholia, von Trier gives us is a stunning viewing experience. The intro alone is worth the price of admission and could easily stand on its on as a short film. Lastly, I love Magnolia Pictures!
5 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: Lars von Trier
Writer: Lars von Trier
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård, John Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland
Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
Metacritic: 81 out of 100
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Red Cliff (2008)
Not missing much if you missed this one
I love China, having lived there for three years. I also enjoy Chinese historical epics. Not many countries have a history as long and rich as the Middle Kingdom does. That history usually translates well to film. But this particular epic falls flat. John Woo is great, but this film has too many characters, too much melodrama, and not enough substance. The filmmaking is high quality, the costumes and sets and are gorgeous, and the cast is great, but the story is not interesting. And at the heart of every film, there should be a good story. I watched the first half telling myself I'd finish it the next night, but realized I didn't care how it ended so I never finished it. Maybe I've just seen more than my share of this type of film which were much better that this. Side note: this film was brought to the US by Magnolia/ Magnet, one of my favorite film distributors. They bring great indy and foreign films to the big and small screen.
Red Cliff left me hanging with only 2 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo, Khan Chan, Cheng Kuo, Heyu Sheng
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Fengyi Zhang
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 73 out of 100
I love China, having lived there for three years. I also enjoy Chinese historical epics. Not many countries have a history as long and rich as the Middle Kingdom does. That history usually translates well to film. But this particular epic falls flat. John Woo is great, but this film has too many characters, too much melodrama, and not enough substance. The filmmaking is high quality, the costumes and sets and are gorgeous, and the cast is great, but the story is not interesting. And at the heart of every film, there should be a good story. I watched the first half telling myself I'd finish it the next night, but realized I didn't care how it ended so I never finished it. Maybe I've just seen more than my share of this type of film which were much better that this. Side note: this film was brought to the US by Magnolia/ Magnet, one of my favorite film distributors. They bring great indy and foreign films to the big and small screen.
Red Cliff left me hanging with only 2 out of 5 Poblanos!
Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo, Khan Chan, Cheng Kuo, Heyu Sheng
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Fengyi Zhang
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Metacritic: 73 out of 100
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