Commanding a search for a daughter.

Commando - Searching - You Were Never Really There
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I've been wanting to keep this up a little more frequently. Let's crack on with it:

Commando

[1985]

Well, I just came across it a few nights ago and since I know that this role really propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger's career forward as a bonafide action star, I think I should give it a go as a movie enthusiast myself just to have the knowledge that I actually watched it. After finishing the film, I can see why he's poised to dominate the silver screen with his prominent strength prowess that are being used to ridiculous degree so many times throughout the film. I know that Hollywood used to showcase carnage and violence without any sense of discreet at all and I can see why they were famous for it and giving credits where it's due, explosions and bullets are aplenty and they are used to the detriment of the action flick despite having to suspend my disbelief on how over the top the whole thing is. I was entertained for what's it worth and the film does its job by giving you what it says on the tin. It is a product of its time, all right. Good on him for taking  full advantage of that.

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Searching

[laptop]

Computer screen film was such an interesting concept to be basing you whole movie on and surprisingly Unfriended did surprisingly well with that concept (but the same can't be said of the sequel). With the trendsetter playing solely on the concept of the social media and its effect on the youth, this particular iteration actually use the platforms to find a missing person and view the media platform in a different light, approaching the subject as a place to learn more of a person. And by golly, this film does it! Using the laptop as the main interface this time around, the filmmaker use the internet and its many functions to serve as a viable storytelling medium to uncover the main mystery of this particular narrative. I am so hooked on the journey the father played by the excellent John Cho that I can understand his emotions and actions throughout this rollercoaster ride. The script is smart in laying out the story bits and throw you a couple of curve balls here and there but I want to highlight how many available applications are used perfectly to overcome the shortcoming of not filming with a conventional camera, from the built-in laptop camera to phone messages to even online stream and local news. I hope other filmmakers will be more inventive when venturing into this limited yet rewarding subgenre, adding to the layers that Searching has put on top of it as another profitable branches of the medium.

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You Were Never Really Here

[amazon]

Joaquin Phoenix will always intrigues me as an actor and any project he is in will be my next film to watch (that includes his upcoming Joker oneshot) and hearing that he is making a hitman flick, I am all for it. This is not a conventional film at all and that's for the best, as this grounded and gritty take on an everyday hitman that is haunted by his dark past is really gripping to watch with a lot of ups and downs that I do not expect! He is really an enigmatic performer and I buy him as a contract killer right away and the directing shines as we effectively see the world through his eyes. Watch it for an experience unlike any other. It is a beautiful day.

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Well, that's all folks! Thank you for your time and please do come back for my future posts! :-)