Nicholas Ayres

    Spoiler Warning           Jesus, if this wasn't the most Oscar-bait-y movie I've ever seen.      Sure, I do think that Brendan Fraser did deserve his Oscar for his performance, but The Whale is quite melodramatic at points.      It is quite pretentious and full of itself, too, with the 4:3 aspect ratio and the forced conflict of Charlie leaving his wife for a man.      And that ending, it's really trying to be thought-provoking. In reality, it just feels like a flat finish.      I was gonna write a joke for this review, but I really wanted to talk about this film. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

     Hard Boiled is a technical masterpiece. The practical effects alone are a good enough reason to watch.       The effects hooked me, and I stayed for the great acting, the impressive cinematography and the cheesy detective story tropes that tickle my brain in the right ways.       I really want to watch some of John Woo's other works, (because apparently, he went on to make Face/Off??) I like his style.      Oh, and the score is fantastic too.      TL;DR - Basically, this movie knows what it is, and does a great job at it.