Tag: benedict cumberbatch
Spider-Man : No Way Home (2021)
Warning: spoilers ahead
I really enjoyed the film, mostly because of the way it was written and weaved in past villains and spidermen. I loved the social commentary of heal/cure vs. kill. I felt it relevant to the covid world we live in and how much we continue struggle with it.
The acting is decent across the board, with a few light and emotional moments to pepper the action scenes and top quality special effects. The result: a well fleshed out plot with enough bang for your buck.
Comfortable seating or an IMAX experience would be great for it. It is a refreshing exploration of the multiverse and leaves many avenues open and doors to knock on for future franchises.
4/5
1917 (2019)
Sam Mendes gives us a tense masterpiece which gives the impression that it is captured in one long shot. Besides pulling off a technical and aesthetic masterpiece, it also serves as a reminder of the horrors of war and how unnecessary it is.
The film is poetry in motion, with crescendos and troughs, it keeps all your senses engaged because you don’t want to miss a thing. The sheer scale and craft will dazzle you, just as the humanity and fear will shake you. Nuanced acting by the principal and supporting cast make it a rich and deep viewing.
You come away from the film not only appreciating the freedoms you enjoy because brave people gave their lives but also contemplate how difficult the conditions were and how quickly you had to move on in grief and loss.
Worthy of all the awards and accolades, this is a bit of world history brought to life from the stories by the director’s grand father Alfred Mendes.
5/5
Doctor Strange (2016)
For the uninitiated, like me, who don’t know about the marvel hero or the plot of the film, you are in for a great viewing experience. I resonated so much with its content and philosophy that I was swept away by its many dimensions (pun intended).
The film delves on various eastern philosophies, ours included, and speaks of them with an authority and subtlety which is truly fascinating. Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect for the title role, embodying the talent and ego which would warrant a transformation. He is supported wonderfully by Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who become his world of the Mystic Arts.
He encounters Mads Mikkelsen and Benedict Wong amongst others in that world, with differing agendas and protocols. What impressed me the most was how the sifted through they subject matter so effortlessly, weaving in good quality humour. The special effects are spectacular, sometimes you feel you are looking through a kaleidoscope lense. That’s when your feet leave the floor! How I wish I would have seen this in IMAX.
An entertaining, well written film, a slick direction by Scott Derrickson, crisp at under two hours with a deep message.
4/5
The Imitation Game (2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch shows his talents lie well outside being the voice of ‘Smaug’ in his portrayal of mathematician Alan Turing, who was credited very late for working on a code-breaking machine that saved millions of lives. He is every bit the British genius who is socially awkward, has a brilliant isolated way of working out problems and is stifled emotionally.
The magnitude of his story and what he faces in his personal life is captured in great detail for the small budget by director Morten Tyldum. He has taken creative liberties from the book ‘Alan Turing : The Enigma’ by Andrew Hodges’, on which the film is based. He has added some cinematic value to what would have otherwise been dull proceedings and has a flair for characteristic British dry wit.
Keira Knightley plays a remarkably talented and driven woman Joan Clarke, who is fighting her own war of prejudice in the work place. A varied and talented supporting cast display different values and virtues, all of which complement the mood and tone of the film. Child artist Alex Lawther, who plays the young Turing, in particular, deserves mention.
An important piece of history is now a sensitive and intelligent piece of film making.
4/5
Movies&Musings 