……………………………………………………….

Best and Worst Films from April 2018

Best Films from April 2018:

3. Henry V

The Scarlet Empress got pretty close, but eventually Henry V gets the third sport here. This Shakespearean adaptation is a major talent showcase for Kenneth Branagh who excels both in the acting and in the directorial chair. The movie has terrific dialogue of course, but it is also incredibly emotional owing to a couple of truly heartwarming moments. It is very cinematic as well and never too theatrical.

2. Central Station

This Brazilian drama is one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen recently. Yes, Central Station has a familiar storyline where an old, bitter woman takes a young, orphaned boy in and the two go on a road trip in search of his father. But the execution is so strong and devoid of any clichés as it ends in such an unexpected, incredibly moving way. The character interactions and development are so strong that the two become real and Fernanda Montenegro simply shines.

1. PK

And the number one goes to this Bollywood gem of a film. This is a great example of a crowd-pleasing, but still very sophisticated blockbuster. The movie is a funny sci-fi comedy, but also a thoughtful, very touching drama with fantastic dialogue and a lot of great, truthful things to say about organized religion and its inherent flaws. Aamir Khan steals the show here in the role of a wonderful, endearing protagonist, but the direction is also excellent and the character development is superb. The film has a lot of charm and is engaging throughout its big runtime.

Worst Films from April 2018:

3. Coquette

Now in this section this month only passable, okay films would get a mention as I did not see any truly bad or mediocre movie this time around. Coquette is a solid vehicle for Mary Pickford and it has its moments, but it’s a dated early talkie with a particularly horrible, backwards view of women and their roles in society.

2. The World Is Not Enough

This bond entry is admittedly a lot of goofy fun and the action scenes are truly memorable and very well executed. However, The World Is Not Enough features amusing, but silly villains and the overall plot and many scenes are too ridiculous to be taken seriously. Certainly the last two movies starring Pierce Brosnan were way too cartoony.

1. The Post

The Post gets the top spot for April and again, this is not a bad film, it certainly has a good ending and is undeniably well acted, but it’s such a dry, overly typical and uninspired historical drama with a particularly rushed, weak direction from Steven Spielberg. This tedious movie was shamelessly nominated for Best Picture and is a further proof of how the Academy lost touch with modern audiences and critics.