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Keepin' it Reel

@joejamesfilm.bsky.social

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This account is dedicated solely to film reviews, film engagement and serves as the fastest way to share film reviews after I watch films for the first time. A collection of reviews can be found at the Keepin' It Reel blog http://kireel.blogspot.ca

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Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Feb 18

Sometimes, between New Year's and Easter, or more specifically, between Golden Globes and the Oscars, I will spring my year's best and worst list on you unsuspecting movie watching film goers. So, here it is: kireel.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...

The Best and Worst Films of 2024

The year 2024 did not turn out to be a great year for movies. Looking back at old Top 10 lists, I'd be hard pressed to place any of this yea...

kireel.blogspot.com

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 2d

A River Runs Through It; Quiet, albeit boring meditation on life, family, growth, and its parallels to fly fishing & fighting against or flowing w/(one’s) nature. Spectacular scenery and nature vistas lovingly captured, give cinematic treatment to a book that seems mostly better read than viewed; C

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Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 9d

Jaws; Excellent filmmaking pairs w/fantastic character acting to elevate what is a thread bare B-movie plot. Brass orchestration strikes more fear and suspense than a giant rubber prop with teeth, resulting in some clever shots and spooky jump scares. The humour peppered throughout lands nicely; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 9d

The 400 Blows; Kinetic filmmaking captures misguided youth and an energy of Paris in beautiful black and white. The young lead captivates from his first transgression, winning over the audience as his life’s influences and disappointments come clearer. Moments will stick in your mind forever; A

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Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 9d

Highest to Lowest; Another tight wire act by Spike & Denzel, serving up an amazing performance in a stylishly tense morality play. The shots of New York in newly minted opulent or more worn down locales are stunning and parallel the film’s themes. Confounding at times, but ultimately entertaining; B

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 15d

Blue Valentine; Falling in love with Ryan Gosling isn’t that hard but seeing him and Williams fall out of love is heart wrenchingly powerfully expressed in this intimate, realistic pastiche of life. Intercutting across moments of time lends intrigue to the amazing performances. A true hidden gem; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 15d

My Beautiful Laundrette; Raw glimpse into Thatcher era immigrant experience along w/what would have been at the time, groundbreaking gay representation. Seeing a young Daniel Day Lewis displaying undeniable screen presence is a bit jolting, as the tone & execution shifts wildly, yet effectively; B+

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · 15d

Prince: Sign ‘o’ the Times; Goofy attempts to string barely a narrative across stellar live performances looks and sounds phenomenal in IMAX close to 40 years later. A clear reminder of the powerfully dynamic troupe of musicians Prince spotlighted alongside him while delivering iconic rock shows; A

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 28

The Cameraman; Another classic from Buster Keaton, showcasing his skills thoroughly with gags galore and hard hitting emotional beats. Starts off as a rom com and ramps up the stunts, surprises and thrills as it progresses. Scenes point directly towards inspiringTom Cruise, Rowan Atkinson & more; A+

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Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 28

The Bad Guys 2; Fun little film that utilizes its great voice cast to power the quirky characters through animated hi-jinx. Revisiting the group for a sequel roots it with built-in love and concern for the characters, raising the emotional stakes a bit more right off the bat. Well animated fun; B

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 20

The Naked Gun; Does a great job mirroring the tone & gags of the OG series, but doesn’t quite feel as laugh per minute as the originals. Neeson & Anderson work well as leads, playing it straight amongst insanity. Some crazy stretches pay off for big laughs. Nice to have this comedy style revived; B

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 20

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events; Stellar production work brings the first three books alive in a delightfully sinister fashion. Carrey wickedly embodies the Olaf character and his various disguises. The orphan trio are game to go head to head w/Carrey, fabulously spot on casting; A

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 20

Happy Gilmore 2; Light on laughs, relying on nostalgic moments & golfer cameos to elicit a reaction. It seems designed to provide the Sandler family w/acting experience (they’re actually not bad) and give his pals some funny moments. The return of Shooter is wildly over the top, as it should be; C-

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Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Aug 20

The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Exquisite production design paints a fabulous world, more idealistic than any Earth we’ve known, situating the FF family in a story centred on their relationships. This allows the great cast’s acting to provide the explosiveness more so than the superhero action; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jul 30

BLACKPINK: The Movie; A Covid lockdown era gift to fans while the world slowed, this time capsule documentary celebrating 5 years is enjoyable despite it seemingly thrown together in haste. The four superstars each get their moment to shine, while remaining spectacular as a group. For fans only; B

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jul 20

Clue; A classic that hits great today, because its comedy is rooted in the timelessness of witty writing, broad slapstick physical comedy, and a perfectly balanced tone between hijinks and murder mystery. The cast is a murderer’s row of comedy greats, led by an energetic charismatic Curry; A+

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jul 20

Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires; Why make original films when Disney can trot out more tropes to give very talented performers a platform safe in franchise security? Milo & Meg will 4ever be the best duo, so having them hand off the reins is hard 2 knock. Unnecessary yet slightly enjoyable; C+

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jul 20

Superman; Exquisite casting of major roles creates a Superman story driven by character and defining attributes. Side characters serve the story well bringing levity and pathos. Hoult’s Luthor is sinisterly ripped from the headlines as the film tackles world issues in the kindest way imaginable; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jul 2

Elio; Seemingly less ambitious than Pixar’s previous films, while still striving to push animation into realms only existing in our imagination. Story is sweet and possibly tear inducing, with an affirming message but lacks the start to finish quality that classic Pixar films had in its prime; B+

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

A Minecraft Movie; Battles between a banal attempt to craft a comprehensible story out of nonsense and Jack Black and Jason Mamoa rollicking along in a bromantic fantasy. The absurdity teeters from sheer boredom to incredulous eye gouging visuals. None of it really works but what could we expect?; D

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

How to Train Your Dragon; Impeccable casting allows this remake to succeed when it had no business being as good as its source material. Somehow the blending of really scary looking dragons + the characters being cute & goofy in the face of death works on a different level. A great companion film; A

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

Ballerina; Ana DeArmas works wonderfully in the world of John Wick. She has always had an ability to kick ass while looking artistically beautiful. Her savage mission takes us through a series of gloriously staged, spectacular action scenes, culminating in a fireball of violent destruction; A

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning; Serves up 2x tense stunt sequences, w/a greater emphasis on dramatic high stakes w/somber reverence for the series/characters as a whole. It’s great entertainment, but main stunts are so far removed from what we will experience, thrill is more detached; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; A Wild Journey taken by a trio of men who differ greatly in how they handle desperate times and moments of crisis. Bogart’s character is so very frustrating to stomach, a testament to his over dramatic turn butting up against his stellar costars. Great adventure; A-

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 21

Casablanca; Classics become one on account of their individual elements excelling on all fronts. This film has the writing, acting, directing, mise-en-scène, and music to last a lifetime. With quotable moments and a stark, ominous setting, it’s one for the ages; A

Keepin' it Reel @joejamesfilm.bsky.social · Jun 2

The Maltese Falcon; A fast talking detective noir that doesn’t pull punches. The cast of characters spout dialogue like a radio play, snapping the plot along at a steady pace. Some parts seem silly to modern standards, but the entertainment value has endured nicely. Effie steals her scenes; A-