Tag: timothée chalamet

Your songs are like an oil painting at the dentist’s office. “A Complete Unknown” (2024)

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directed by James Mangold
© 2024 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Are you ready for Oscars 2025? I don’t expect too much cheering, because last year hasn’t been anyhow mind-blowing when it comes to cinema. I’ll definitely watch the ceremony, because I like all the dramas and awkward situations that may appear, but I’m not really that excited about this year’s nominees. There are several good films, indeed, but I feel like none of them left me truly speechless… at least not the ones nominated for the Best Picture. However, let’s focus on positives and one of them is “A Complete Unknown” by James Mangold. I was postponing watching it because I’m actually not a big fan of Bob Dylan. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I dislike him – I do appreciate him as a musician and some of his songs, but my music heart is definitely more into hard rock and such. So watching a film about a musician you haven’t really followed much in your life doesn’t sound tempting, does it? But trust me, it’s worth checking out for sure. If you like Bob Dylan’s music, then you’ll be thrilled because this film is basically one big music video, which to me was quite pleasant. Thanks to so many songs included, I could actually dive into Dylan’s world. Still, the most important reason to watch this biopic is Timothée Chalamet, playing the main role. When this young man appeared in cinema, I wasn’t so sure about him, but with each performance he proves what a talented bastard he is. I cannot say Bob Dylan is my favourite role of Timothée, but considering all the nominees, I do believe he deserves to be awarded. I compared some parts of the film with some recordings of Dylan and I guess Mangold couldn’t have found a better man to do this job. Besides, according to my research, Timothée not only sang in the film, but also played the instruments (guitar, harmonica), which is impressive to me. I believe it’s really thanks to this young actor that we may appreciate the film so much. I’m not sure what true Bob Dylan’s fans might say about such biopic, but as a rather neutral person in this matter I enjoyed it very much and I felt somehow welcomed in this story. Maybe it’s thanks to Dylan’s relaxing music, maybe it’s thanks to the director, maybe it’s thanks to the main actor – maybe all of those and even more. Generally, I give a thumb up and wish the film crew all the best during the upcoming ceremony.

My rating: 7/10
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You cannot see the future without seeing the past. “Dune: Part Two” (2024)

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directed by Denis Villeneuve
© 2024 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve waited for this part almost as long as Fremen waited for their Lisan al Gaib. Inside joke for nerds have been shared, I can peacefully begin my post. In case you don’t remember my text about the first part, I shared there that I hadn’t read the book so I went to see the first film without any clue what I was about to experience. Right after leaving the cinema, I grabbed my phone and ordered the first book, because I honestly had fun and wanted to know whether the book’s equally engaging. Back then I promised myself I’d read the first book before seeing the second film. And now… do you think I’ve succeeded? I hope you believe in my at least a little because yes, I finished those 700 something pages and the following day I was sitting in a comfy red cinema chair excited to see this never-ending desert with worms on a big screen. But getting back to the plot – as you might be guessing, this is the continuation of what we could see in the first part. I definitely recommend you to see them both in the correct order, because you may not understand certain relations in the second part without knowing the book or the first film. Whatever I write next might be considered a SPOILER (the charm of sequels), so just feel informed. House of Atreides have been destroyed and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is hiding in the desert with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), her son. They are living with Fremen, probably only people who know desert and its specifics, and who were expecting someone from “Outer World” to come and save them. Some Fremen believe that Paul is their long awaited prophet, but some others want to banish both strangers. Luckily, the leader of the group, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), is supporting Paul and offers him different kinds of trials, which may clarify whether Paul is their actual messiah or not. In the meantime, Baron Vladimir of House Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) is continuously destroying everything he wants and in this part we get to know his heir (also called “na-Baron” – don’t you just love those names?), Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), who’s equally creepy as his uncle. We generally get introduced to many more figures in this part, but it’s best if you see them yourselves in the film. Is it worth seeing this film in the cinema? Yes, absolutely, and if they make another part – I’ll also want to see it on a big screen. Such productions are meant to be seen in cinemas, because there are those elements which may not amaze you that much if you see them on a small screen, such as the desert. You may think “meh, just a lot of sand”, but if you see it on a big screen and be exposed to the soundtrack (by marvellous Hans Zimmer), you may then feel how overwhelming it is. I’m still amazed by the actors and my heart is stolen by Rebecca Ferguson – all chapeaux bas to this talented woman. Also, some people complain about Chani and how annoying she is in this part and that she’s acting like a spoilt child. Personally, I disagree with this opinion and I see Chani as a much more logical character than she is in the book (yes, I’m complaining about the book, sorry to all the fans). In the film, she’s concerned about her people, Fremen, and she wants to be extra cautious, even though she has feelings for Paul – that’s very mature if you ask me. Then, she’s pissed off when she sees Paul making strange decisions – here, I also have an explanation. At some point, when it was almost clear that Paul is the awaited prophet, the relation between those two got weaker and Chani felt like she’s losing him as a trustworthy partner. So she focused on herself and her tribe. And I believe Zendaya performed it just as it was supposed to be, so no hate, just love, my dear! Before I finish, you probably expect me to say what I liked more – the book or the film? Well, definitely the film. It was a nice experience to read the book, but I’m not going to read next parts. This story is very complex and it’s tiring for me to follow all the weird names and relations between characters. The film is much clearer and thanks to it I understood the book better, so I’m team Denis Villeneuve and big screen. And I can’t wait to see next parts, so let’s cross fingers nothing else disturbs the crew. And Javier Bardem screaming “Lisan al Gaib” is this year’s icon for sure.

My rating: 7/10
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We’re all gonna die. “Don’t Look Up” (2021)

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directed by Adam McKay
© 2021 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

If you told me last year that 2021 will be even worse and at the end of it I will recommend a film by Adam McKay, I would definitely have a good laugh. But here we go. Not sure how you’re doing, but I’m literally counting down the seconds till the end of this truly horrible year. However, to finish it with something surprisingly good, I’m giving you “Don’t Look Up”. Most of you reading today’s post have already heard of it as it’s advertised everywhere, but I’d like to write a few words and maybe encourage you to see the film. I was very sceptical about it, veeeery sceptical as I’m not the biggest fan of McKay’s style. But I’ll get back to it, first – the plot. We get to know Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), a PhD candidate in astronomy, and her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) who discover that in about six months a comet will hit our planet and, considering the size, totally destroy it. They decide to contact NASA and together inform the US President and media about the upcoming tragedy. However, despite the proofs and efforts, people don’t seem to care, which leaves Kate and Randall helpless. In order to convince the world and make them realise about the seriousness of the situation, those two need to play the ridiculous game called civilisation, which we’ve been playing for many years now. Shortly speaking – it’s a film about the ignorance of people and how toxic we’ve become in our actions. And it’s honestly the first film by McKay that I actually enjoyed and appreciated. He has a messy-looking style, loves chaotic editing and telling the story in a confusing way. And as much as a lot of people appreciated his “Big Short” and “Vice”, I’m still not buying their style. But here, McKay and the idea for “Don’t Look Up” go together like 2021 and existential crisis – marvellous combination. Fast editing, not letting characters finish their lines, random and often ridiculous inserts and this general fuss on the screen are what you may have in your head while analysing the story, so for me it was brilliant. The film shows how insensitive we’ve become, how we care about absolutely pointless things, how we keep searching for ways to earn money no matter what, how we’ve been sucked into this virtual world where getting likes is more important than spending time with our beloved ones, how normal it is for us to pretend people we’re not, how fake and dumb we’re slowly becoming in our actions. This is what this film is about. And we might be laughing or saying that McKay is not being serious, but he is serious. It’s just a dark comedy, but in the end it tells a lot of true things we’re not noticing anymore. So yes, I definitely recommend you to see it and perhaps it’ll be a strong eye-opener for the upcoming year. Stay healthy, be good, stop ignoring and hope you won’t be eaten by a bronteroc.

My rating: 7/10
S.

This is only the beginning. “Dune” (2021)

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directed by Denis Villeneuve
© 2021 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I bet a lot of you were expecting this post of mine. “Dune” has been a huge deal this year, but to be honest, I wasn’t one of the people who were waiting for it. When I was a teenager, a lot of my friends were reading this series (because it’s based on a series of books in case you didn’t know) and I decided not to follow the trend. First of all, because I was told it’s fantasy (now I know it’s more sci-fi than fantasy) and I’ve never been a huge fan of this genre. Second of all, those books are really fat. I mean, really fat. Maybe now I’m not that scared of their size, but back then it was a big “nope” for me. Still, a lot of people around me were saying what a wonderful film it is and definitely worth watching in the cinema. Then okay, I’ll go. What do I have to lose? Just 2,5h, but it’s not a big deal. To be honest, the only personal reason I had was the fact that Hans Zimmer was responsible for the music in this film. In the worst case scenario, I would have just spent 2,5h listening to his pieces. Not bad. But as you can guess from my rating (I know you checked it out before reading the text), I enjoyed the film. In fact, I couldn’t stop staring at the screen for the whole 2,5h. I have no idea how they did that, but the whole production is incredibly engaging. I feel like writing you what this film is about would be A – pointless, because there are many descriptions available, B – also pointless, because I don’t know the whole story from the book, so I’m a newbie in this “Dune” world and it seems like the story is very much deep and complex. But what I can tell you for sure is that I’ve discovered Timothée Chalamet in a new way thanks to his role of Paul Atreides. Before I saw him as a decent, but rather overrated young actor. I’m sorry, just being honest. However, in “Dune” he showed a lot of talent, so bravo. It may also be because he’s getting older, more experienced, and it’s visible. Besides, cinematography is spectacular in “Dune”. Even if nothing is happening on the screen, you may still feel a lot of pleasure from looking at it. So if you’re still wondering whether it’s worth to see it in the cinema, the answer should be obvious. Fun fact, right after I saw the film, I ordered the first book of the series. Let’s see how I’ll manage to read those almost 700 pages, but if it’s equally engaging as the film, it shouldn’t be a big deal. As you can see, even if you know nothing about the book, you may still end up loving the film. So enjoy and let’s all wait for next parts.

My rating: 7.5/10
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I think it’s starting to rain. “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019)

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directed by Woody Allen
© 2019 MPI Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

I’m in a very complicated relationship with Woody Allen. I mean, his films are a lottery for me. There are some that I love, some that are rather average, and some that I wish didn’t exist. But not to focus on the bad ones, today I’m recommending you his film from last year, which, in my opinion, is very pleasant. The two main characters that we follow are Gatsby (Timothée Chalamet) and his girlfriend Ashleigh (Elle Fanning). They are both studying at Yardley College, but each of them comes from a different background. Anyway, Ashleigh studies journalism and has a task to interview Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber), a filmmaker she admires very much. In order to meet with him, she has to go to Manhattan. That makes a perfect occasion for the couple to spend a romantic weekend in the city, so Gatsby joins his girlfriend, hoping that after the interview, they will have some time for themselves. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned and Ashleigh needs much more time for her task, which means Gatsby is left alone in the city with nothing to do. But since the man actually comes from New York, he kind of has a chance to reconnect with his past. If you know Allen’s films, then this production shouldn’t be anyhow shocking. You can tell who made it because it’s 100% him. However, the story was a different way of presenting love vs desire, and I’m totally buying such form. Also the struggles of young adults, which are nothing like the problems they had as teenagers, nor the ones they might have as “proper” adults. It’s one of those films that I’d recommend for a lazy evening, yet I’m sure it’ll give you some food for thought.

My rating: 6/10
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Perhaps this is what lovers are (not). “Call Me By Your Name” (2017)

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directed by Luca Guadagnino
© 2017 Sony Pictures Classics. All Rights Reserved.

I’d been struggling for a long time before I decided to write this post. The thing is that I’m aware how many fans of this film there are and I knew my not entirely positive opinion would be quite controversial. If you enjoyed “Call Me By Your Name”, do not get discouraged to read what I have to say, because I believe you may be interested by certain points. If you haven’t seen the film, let me introduce you to the main idea. We meet a family living in northern Italy in the 80s. Elio (Timothée Chalamet) is the 17-year-old son of the Jewish-American couple. His father is a professor of archeology who needs help with his academic work, therefore he invites Oliver (Armie Hammer), a graduate student. At first Elio and Oliver do not seem to share anything in common. The teenager is rather introvert with a huge passion for books, while Oliver is definitely an extrovert who talks too much. At some point they start spending more and more time together. Elio has a girlfriend, Marzia (Esther Garrel), with whom he “gets to the next base” and he decides to share his experience with Oliver. And somehow talking about sex makes Elio discover feelings for Oliver. At first it isn’t a Disney production where they fall in love at first sight, but eventually those two start being more than friends. A lot of people are amazed by the way they presented the puberty period of Elio, but also the beauty of love/passion which can be found unexpectedly. I get the idea, but personally, I didn’t feel a thing. This whole affection between Elio and Oliver couldn’t be more artificial for me. They looked like two people that a family forced to dating; you know, holding hands, smiling, but deep inside wishing to have a drink and flirt with someone else. This is literally how I felt watching those two. Another thing that I need to mention is the fact that, in my opinion, this film wouldn’t be that recognised if Elio and Oliver were of different sexes. A woman and a male teenager: Ha, mid-life crisis? A man and a female teenager: What a perv! However, a man and a male teenager: Oh, they are adorable! I’m definitely not against films about homosexual couples. In fact, I wish to see more diversity in art about sexual preferences. However, appreciating films just because they show something different is not my cup of tea. I bet this film would be rather ignored if it wasn’t about a gay couple, because, unfortunately, it’s way too long and very often I wished to watch it at 2x speed. I hope the fans of this film will understand my point of view. However, to finish with some positive vibes, I think this was a very demanding and well-done performance by Timothée Chalamet. So if I had to say one reason for which you should actually see this film, it’s Timothée.

My rating: 4/10
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A king has no friends. A king has followers. “The King” (2019)

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directed by David Michôd
© 2019 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

This is a historical moment on this blog. For the first time I can say that I liked Timothée Chalamet acting. I can’t believe it either… He finally got a role in which he is a bit more than just an annoying teenager. Maybe in some years I could even say he’s a good actor? Okay, let me stop myself here. Back to the reality. As you may be guessing today’s film is telling the story of a king (wow!). Not just any king. The King Henry V. For those who aren’t much familiar with the English history, he wasn’t reigning for long (less than 10 years), but thanks to him England won a very important Battle of Agincourt and became a strong military power. Don’t mistake him with Henry VIII who was “making love” to everything that was moving next to him. Henry V is actually considered a national hero. Especially when there’s some argument between the English and French. It’s a perfect occasion to mention how a small amount of Englishmen won with the whole French army. Yes, that was thanks to Henry V, who is played by Timothée Chalamet. The film tells the story of the king from the very beginning when his father, Henry IV (Ben Mandelsohn) was dying and they needed to decide who will be the new ruler. Firstly, he wants his younger son for this position because, according to Henry IV, he’s more ready to be a king. However, not long after that the boy dies in a battle in Wales, so the older brother takes the crown as Henry V. It’s actually presented as a story of a boy who didn’t even feel the responsibility of being in the royal family and when the time came, he became one of the most significant people in the English history. Perhaps if it wasn’t for him, France would actually be much bigger right now. The film is done very well and it’s incredibly climatic. I’ve already mentioned Chalamet and, in my opinion, his best role so far. But let me tell you about Robert Pattinson who plays one of the children of King Charles VI. Since he’s French, he needs to speak English with a horribly fake French accent. Although it doesn’t sound super natural, he did a good job, because he was quite meticulous at pretending a French guy, so bravo. Besides, this film shares an important part of the European history on the screen, so I recommend you to see it.

My rating: 6/10
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