Always Good Movies

Direction: Matt Reeves
Country: USA

With its brooding atmosphere and formidable cast, this haunting superhero flick directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, 2008; War For the Planet of the Apes, 2017) has an infatuated, if depressed, Batman (Robert Pattinson doesn’t disappoint with his impersonation of the vigilante at a younger age) joining forces with the seductive Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) to fight the organized crime in Gotham while trying to grapple with the ghosts of their own families.

This renewed installment puts on display not only unscrupulous villains with cynical postures - spearheaded by the cruel psycho killer Riddler (Paul Dano) and rounded out by the underground crime kingpin Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and a blander Penguin (Colin Farrell) - but also crooked politicians and police agents, exception made for the honorable officer James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).

Reeves’ self-possessed direction digs into the character with gravitas and precision, making for a reinvigorating return to basics. Effectively paced, with sober special effects as well as depressingly noir scenarios, the film embraces this darkly captivating mood that, even clocking in at 180 minutes, never felt exhausting. Although falling short of brilliant, The Batman follows a competent plot that translates into some seriously spellbinding moments. It's definitely no ordinary movie, standing on its own as a solid piece of entertainment. Nirvana’s fantastic song “Something in the Way” bookends the story, reinforcing the gothic and the nihilistic in it.

Directed by Matt Reeves
Country: USA

“War For The Planet of the Apes” is the third installment of the saga and the second directed by Matt Reeves (“Let Me In”, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"), who knows how to structure tension at the same time that pursues an undeviating narrative line without falling in excesses or trivialities.

Co-written by Reeves and the executive producer Mark Bomback, the film unsurprisingly sets humans and apes battling for the control of the Earth. The modest cast includes Andy Serkis once again as Caesar, the leader and bravest of the apes, and Woody Harrelson as Colonel, his ruthless opponent and human supremacist.

After trying to preserve the peace through pacific ways, the fearless Caesar cries the loss of his wife and two children in an ambush led by Colonel’s troops. He sees no other choice than abandon his vulnerable home and search for revenge. Firstly, he needs to find the monkey who betrayed him and then deal with Colonel, who runs a concentration camp for apes, forcing them to hard labor and depriving them of food and water.

On his way to accomplishing this impossible mission, Caesar and his allies show their compassionate nature when they rescue and accept an orphan little girl they call Nova (Amiah Miller) as she was part of their own clan. Because to give is to receive, they are helped and guided by Bad Ape (Steve Zahn), a traumatized, frightened yet funny former prisoner of a human zoo.

The highly appealing scenarios, compellingly photographed by Michael Seresin, emphasize blazing emotions that arise from a powerful quest for freedom and justice, which makes “War For The Planet of the Apes”, one of the most accomplished blockbusters recently released. Besides being the most satisfying module of the series, it kept the expectations high until the end without ever disappointing in its procedures and moral examinations.

This epic war fantasy is painted with the dark hues drawn from the suffering and despair of losing loved ones as the menace of extinction becomes real.
Matt Reeves confirms his directorial skills by using a positive, clear, and resonant cinematic voice.