koliasblog

caffeine addicted, netflix fanatic, just a guy who loves music, movies, tv series, books, travelling and his friends. based in thessaloniki, greece. born in 1999.

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16/02/2020

mother nature

Florina, Greece

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06/12/2018

Leidseplein

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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06/12/2018

Vincent van Gogh - Zelfportret als schilder (1888)

Van Gogh Museum

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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03/03/2020

spring

Thessaloniki, Greece

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04/12/2018

the city of freedom

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Little Women (2019), Review [Spoiler-Free]

Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age period drama proves Gerwig is one of the directors that will define the next decade of the film industry.

Greta Gerwig’s new movie, based on the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, tells the story of the March sisters, Josephine "Jo" March (Saoirse Ronan), Margaret "Meg" March (Emma Watson), Amy March (Florence Pugh) and Elizabeth "Beth" March (Eliza Scanlen) - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms. The cast also includes: Laura Dern (Marmie March), Timothee Chalamet (Theodore “Laurie” Laurence), Meryl Streep (Aunt March), Tracy Letts (Mr. Dashwood), Bob Odenkirk (Father March), James Norton (John Brooke), Louis Garrel (Friedrich Bhaer), Chris Cooper (Mr. Laurence) and Jayne Houdyshell (Hannah).

Gerwig intelligently keeps the main plot of the movie intact and adds new and modern aspects, while maintaining sensitivity and affection for the original material. Gerwig’s direction and screenplay puts the March sisters on the center of attention, as it should, although Amy’s storyline sometimes overshadows Meg and Beth’s. 

The performances of the ensemble cast is fantastic, with Ronan, Pugh and Chalamet standing out. Ronan shines as Jo March, a powerful and independent woman. Her expressions and acting skills bring more depth and empathy to the character of Jo, while her romantic chemistry with Chalamet pours out of the screen in their scenes together. Pugh’s Amy March is a scene stealer, she successfully brings all of Amy’s emotions to life with warmth and sensibility, transforming from a spoiled little girl to a strong woman, who struggles to make a career for herself.

Overall, Little Women serves as a fantastic follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Lady Bird and puts Gerwig and Pugh on the map of the most promising talents in Hollywood today. Plus, don’t forget - the movie’s original score is composed by Alexandre Desplat, which earned him yet another Academy Award nomination.

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mood

Carol (2015), directed by Todd Haynes.

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15/02/2020

National Bank of Greece

Florina, Greece

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Homeland, Season 8, Review (Showtime) [Spoiler-Free]

Showtime’s spy thriller returns for an eighth and final season, maybe one of the best of the show (review based on the first five episodes).

Starting off, Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is struggling to recover from the psychological repercussions of her brutal imprisonment in Russia. Claire Danes, one of the best actresses working on television today, continues to deliver a stellar performance as Carrie, whose memory is deteriorated and is now treated as a compromised officer from the Bureau, just like Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) back in season 1. After seven seasons of Carrie protecting the US, this seams like a fitting main plot for the series’ final season, the central protagonist being treated as a traitor.

Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), Carrie’s former boss and mentor, now National Security Advisor for newly inaugurated President Ralph Warner (Beau Bridges) travels to Afghanistan to negotiate peace with the Taliban and takes Carrie with him. Maury Sterling, who potrays Max Piotrowski, also returns and is joined by Costa Ronin, who potrays Yevgeny Gromov, a mysterious figure from Carrie’s time in captivity, Nimrat Kaur as Tanseem Qureishi, the head of the Pakistani intelligence agency, Numan Acar as Haissam Haqqani, the head of the Taliban and Linus Roache as David Wellington, the White House Chief of Staff.

The writing of the final season has improved significantly from the past seasons, with twists and turns that may be predictable, but keep the viewers at the edge of their seats and raise the stakes for the upcoming episodes.

To conclude, the final season of Homeland is definitely worth your time, especially because of all the season 1 vibes, that remind us of the TV show we all loved.

[kolias-gr]

20/04/2019

collage

Thessaloniki, Greece

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05/12/2018

Anne Frank House

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Altered Carbon, Season 2 Review (Netflix) [Spoiler-Free]

Netflix’s cyberpunk series returns for a second season which sometimes works, mostly it doesn’t.

Takeshi Kovacs finds a new face and body (literally) at Anthony Mackie, who doesn’t give his best performance in the show and that’s because he doesn’t have the same material to work on as Joel Kinnaman did back in season 1. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not bad, but the role of season 1′s Kovacs was more challenging than season 2′s Kovacs, resulting in Kinnaman pushing himself and his acting skills more than Mackie did. As a result, Kovacs takes a step back as the main protagonist of the series.

Renée Elise Goldsberry returns as Quellcrist "Quell" Falconer and is joined by Simone Missick (Trepp) and Lela Loren (Danica Harlan). The series acknowledges the power of its female characters and the acting skills of its female cast, so it gives them more screen time and more space to grow and develop. Missick is undoubtedly the best addition to the cast (You’ll love Trepp, I personally did), while Loren’s Danica Harlan makes a decent villain.

Poe (Chris Conner), our beloved robot, returns and is joined by Dig 301 (Dina Shihabi), who helps him on his own quest. Also, Torben Liebrecht joins the cast as Colonel Ivan Carrera, a mysterious figure from Kovacs’ past, while Dichen Lachman (Reileen Kawahara), Martha Higareda (Kristin Ortega), Ato Essandoh (Vernon Elliot), Hayley Law (Lizzie Elliot) and Will Yun Lee (Original Takeshi Kovacs/Kovacs Prime) return as guests.

The visual effects and stunt coordination are top notch, just like in season 1, and continue to overshadow the series’ bland plot, which sometimes makes the series worth watching just for its visuals and its action sequences.

To conclude, season 2 of Altered Carbon is not worth your time, BUT the finale of the season raises a lot of questions and opens up to new possibilities for the next season.

[kolias-gr]

11/08/2018

summertime sadness

Asprovalta, Greece

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04/12/2018

in case of emergency

[kolias-gr]

I remember everything.

Call Me By Your Name (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino.