TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer (2023) presents the events leading up to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings from the perspective of the creator of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film is based on the book American Prometheus, written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film stars Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Emily Blunt (Kitty Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Stauss) and Florence Pugh (Jean Tatlock).
These are some of our reviews:
Nolan succeeds, as usual, in creating a gripping story that, while lasting a full three hours, never feels too slow or dull. The use of innovative filming techniques, talented actors and a suspenseful script have created a film that can only be called extraordinary.
~Theodora
It's a very good film, based on real facts. The narrative thread is done in such a way that it keeps you hooked and interested in what is about to happen. The actors, in my opinion, were chosen very well. I liked the idea of the presence of how the WWII nuclear bomb changed the world. Overall, I liked it and it's the kind of movie that the more times you watch it, the more details you understand that make the story even more complex.
~Georgia
An excellent film. A story about humanity. The character portrays some guilt experienced by the creator of something disastrous and that not all bad things are made by bad people. All the very talented actors managed to convey the full emotion of the character and the audience. The film also gives details on the science side of the story for the enthusiasts. It makes you think about the people who lead us. Who represents you? Who makes the decisions for you? Who really affects human history?
~Irina
I give "Oppenheimer" a 9/10, 9 because of the far too frequent special effects and the film's focus on politics. "Oppenheimer" portrays the famous scientist during the time he created the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project, which ran from 1942 to 1946. Cillian Murphy really took on the role. It is known that the famous scientist lived on martinis and 100 cigarettes a day and weighed less than 52kg. The actor kept to the following diet: an almond a day to reach Oppenheimer's constitution.
~Miruna
Barbie
Barbie was one of the most anticipated films of 2023 and has grossed over $1.34 billion so far. It is the fourth film directed by Greta Gerwig and the cast is made up of a host of famous actors, such as Margot Robbie (Barbie), Ryan Gosling (Ken), Will Ferrell (Mattel CEO) and America Ferrera (Gloria). In Romania, the film has provoked discussion about the importance of education about feminism because of the mistranslation of the word "patriarchy" as "patriarchy" and "patriarchism" instead of "patriarchy".
These are some of our reviews:
I really liked the set design as it avoided imitating reality to stay in Barbieland, giving the look of a dollhouse. The main character, Barbie, is going through an existential crisis, trying to find her role in her doll life. In this way, the film "dismantles" the idea that Barbie represents beauty and that's it. However, the scenes often feel too politically correct and try too hard to avoid any form of conservatism. In the end, the relationship between Barbie and her creator is a touching one especially towards the end of the film. However, the moment is ruined by the rolling credits tune.
~Irina
A film that achieves exactly what it sets out to do, without becoming pretentious - "Barbie" doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't go beyond the limits of ridiculousness, managing to portray, with a sense of humour, modesty, caricature, but with taste, current social issues, wrapped in pink and nostalgia.
~Teodora
The film was not at all what I expected. From my point of view, the marketing raised expectations a lot and that's why I was quite disappointed. It was a funny movie with a good message, but overdone.
~Georgia
Greta Gerwig stands out with a successful new film that aims to put the image of Mattel and Barbie dolls in a new light. I really appreciated the attention to detail, especially in the Barbieland setting. I also think the approach to the film's theme is original and different from any other Barbie movie. The film has been praised for its feminist message and I agree that it was mostly well presented, but I felt that it sometimes tried to give Mattel credit for things it doesn't actually do. Instead of acknowledging the problems with the Barbie brand, the film often seems to downplay them and try to convince you that if you have a problem with Mattel, it's not the company, but rather that our society is too misogynistic to accept the Barbie doll for what it is. All in all, it's a fun, original film with a well thought out story and I enjoyed it, despite some minor issues.
~Theodora
Parasite
The film "Parasite" was released in 2019 in South Korea and has been a huge success internationally. It tells the story of the Kim family, who, trying to improve their financial situation, take jobs in the Park family home, pretending to be experts in certain fields, when in fact they have no experience in the careers they claim to have. The film is directed by Bong Joon-ho and has won numerous awards, including 3 Oscars and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Bong has directed several successful films such as Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), these also have social themes, one of the director's most famous quotes being "we all live in the same country, it's called capitalism". His next film, called "Mickey 17", will be released in 2024.
These are some of our reviews:
Probably the most impressive execution around the theme of capitalism in my eyes, Parasite is one of the best films I've seen released in the last 5 years. The film doesn't have to impress the audience with strong emotions or unrealistic moments, managing to illustrate its main theme implicitly and explicitly. Parasite introduces some symbols representative of a social class or social concept. The whole almost 2-hour construction is destroyed, reminding the audience that, in essence, people's lives have the same value. At the end, however, the main concept of the film reappears, returning to the harsh reality of the beginning. This film manages to tick all the boxes for what I think would make a good film, but there are more impressive films in terms of cinematography and thematic relevance for me. It's a film for everyone.
~Serban
Score:4/5
It's a gripping film, having a sudden shift from comedy to drama to tragedy.
~Georgia
Score:4,5/5
The film addresses social discrepancies and material differences, but also how these result in two opposing perspectives on the same world. It shows us how "what you don't know can't hurt you" when you're doing well, oblivious to what's going on outside your own illusory world.
~Irina
Score:4/5
The film presents the issue of class disparity in South Korea through both humor and drama. The characterization of the two families, who come from two different worlds, raises the question "Who is the real parasite?" more and more clearly. I think it's an excellent film with a strong message, but the only aspect I didn't entirely like was the ending, which I feel could have been handled differently. Nevertheless "Parasite" has become one of my favourite films and I think it is well worth seeing.
~Theodora
Score:4/5
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
At the last meeting of the club, we discussed the film "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days", released in 2007 and directed by Cristian Mungiu. It takes place in communist Romania, when Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) helps her college classmate Găbița (Laura Vasiliu) to get an abortion, which was illegal at the time. The idea came from a story the director heard 15 years before the film was made. It was a huge success, winning the Palme D'Or award at the Cannes film festival and being nominated for a Golden Globe award.
These are some of our reviews:
The film succeeds in raising the bar for Romanian cinema. It covers quite a lot of important themes for our culture and captivates with tension-filled scenes that make you feel like Otilia and understand her psychological turmoil through the way it is shot. I think it's quite good and worth seeing, especially for people who are passionate about cinema.
~Serban
Score:3/5
The film depicts a fictional event from the communist period, inspired, however, by the reality of those times and still relevant today. The condition of women during those years in Romania's history is shaped by the fear, pain and abuse that the two protagonists have to go through in order to have an illegal abortion. I recommend it as both a good film and a history lesson.
~Theodora
Score:3,5/5