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Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – Review

September 22, 2020 by Safi

The Casual Cinephile reviews the second instalment in the Rambo franchise, Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Director: George P. Cosmatos
Writer(s): Sylvester Stallone (screenplay) and James Cameron (screenplay)
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier

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Filed Under: The Casual Cinephile

Tenet (2020) – Review

September 11, 2020 by Safi

Lost (specifically, season 5) meets Primer but with 100x the budget. Something tells me this will become better over time once I consume all of the “Tenet Explained” videos, made by people way smarter than me. Not a perfect film, though.

For starters, Branagh, while great, is in a totally different movie. Perhaps by design, his performance skews more traditional cartoon Bond villain, robbing him of any real menace or nuance. By contrast, Washington, Pattinson, and Debicki are all excellent, each displaying enough vulnerability – and mystery – to have me invested in their arcs.

Also, the first half is more interested in getting to the (amazing) set pieces rather than concern itself with plot or character development. However, once the machinations of the time inversion conceit are revealed about halfway, I was hooked.

I also appreciate that Nolan isn’t overly concerned with the minutiae of heists, a la Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy, for example, but would rather just get on with it. While some may see the hand waving in Tenet as lazy, I don’t need to know how certain details will unfold via a montage, only to then watch them play out again. The world building is sufficient enough that I forgive Nolan for eschewing many expository scenes in favour of spectacle.

I saw Tenet in IMAX with two other people present (all socially distant) and boy what a treat. A near private screening, no discernible green screen, practical effects, a pounding score by Ludwig Goransson, and sumptuous 70mm detail of real-world locations. What a concept!

4/5 stars

Filed Under: Reviews

Mulan (2020) – Review

September 8, 2020 by Safi

The Casual Cinephile reviews the latest Disney live-action remake, Mulan.

Director: Niki Caro
Writer(s): Rick Jaffa (screenplay), Amanda Silver (screenplay), Elizabeth Martin (screenplay), Lauren Hynek (screenplay)
Stars: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong

You can follow Safi on Twitter @safisaad.

If you liked this review, please consider subscribing to the podcast & channel!

Filed Under: The Casual Cinephile

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Welcome to Cinephile Magazine! Richard and Safi are content creators who have a passion for cinema. On this site, you’ll find episodes of The Cinephile Magazine Podcast, The Casual Cinephile, and ongoing specials & series covering various topics of interest. If that sounds good to you, please consider subscribing via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and/or YouTube.

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Latest Posts

  • Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) – Review December 27, 2020
  • The Old Guard (2020) – Review October 10, 2020
  • Mystic River (2003) – Review September 26, 2020
  • Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – Review September 22, 2020
  • Tenet (2020) – Review September 11, 2020
  • Mulan (2020) – Review September 8, 2020
  • Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – Review August 22, 2020
  • Split Second (1992) – A Commentary Special August 22, 2020
  • The Cinephile Magazine Podcast Episode 143: Regression, The Assassin, Anomalisa February 7, 2016
  • The Cinephile Magazine Podcast Episode 142: Top Ten of 2015 January 23, 2016

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