Movie night

Caught Stealing

Hank Thompson was a high school baseball prodigy. Even though he can no longer play, everything else in his life is going well. When his punk-rock neighbor Russ asks him to look after his cat for a few days, Hank suddenly finds himself targeted by a mismatched group of dangerous gangsters. Everyone is after him. The problem is… he has no idea why. Is it worth watching?

🟢🟢🟢🟢

• Darren Aronofsky tries something different directorially, and to some extent he pulls it off.
• Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz are solid in their roles.
• It’s entertaining.
• Fast pace and editing.
• It has a sarcastic tone that I liked.
• Nice soundtrack.
• It blends bursts of violence with humor that works most of the time.
• The cat steals the show 😅

🔴🔴🔴🔴

• It felt more “TV-like” than cinematic, leaning toward a B-movie style.
• It lacks sufficient character depth.
• Matt Smith’s character comes off a bit like a caricature.
• It includes some genre clichés. Inevitably? Maybe.
• Some performances are just average.
• There are moments where characters make dumb decisions, like that one with the 🔑 🤷‍♂️
• At times, it feels uninspired.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Valentín and Molina share the same prison cell and develop an unexpected bond, as Molina recounts the plot of a musical starring his favorite diva. Jennifer Lopez and a musical… is it worth it?

🟢🟢🟢🟢

• Tonatiuh Elizarraraz stands out performance-wise, expressive, with an excellent voice and a well-shaped queer sensitivity that comes across on camera.
• Diego Luna is good, though I’m not sure he was the best possible choice for the role.
• Jennifer Lopez shines on stage and delivers a solid performance, even if (for me) it lacks the “wow” factor some attribute to her. She feels perfectly cast for the role and is quite good vocally.
• As a production, it wins you over despite the low budget.
• The musical acts have a strong theatrical feel (especially if you’re a fan of the genre).
• Bright and vivid colors.
• Quite good chemistry between the leads.

🔴🔴🔴🔴

• The film’s editing feels odd.
• Overall, it lacks energy.
• The transition between fantasy and reality is somewhat clumsy and breaks the immersion.
• The songs are decent but not particularly memorable.
• It could have been slightly shorter.
• The musical acts, while visually appealing, fail to leave a lasting impression.
• The cinematography, especially in the “realistic” prison scenes, doesn’t feel convincing.