Les Misérables, Tom Hooper 2012

There are emotive performances by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, but the singing is often poor (Crowe is as awkward as a trombone playing in a woodwind orchestra). 

The cinematography and editing are a drunken hellscape, shifting disorientedly from slanted to close-ups to tracking shots, and hurl-inducing shaky cams. 

The scenes shift at such a fast pace of set expositions like a continuous string of advertisements attempting to sell the film. The neurotic melodrama verges on emotional torment. 

5/10

Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro 2025

 Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro 2025

The Gothic sheen can feel too cloying  typical of Netflix productions, and del Toro is scarcely on the nose. His sets and costumes inundate. The script often feels cliché and predictable, and many significant characters such as Isaacs' and Waltzs' feel hollow, and their performances of Isaac suffer from it. Dr. Frankenstein (Isaac) garners a modicum of sympathy from his childhood trauma, but this is quickly evicerated. In his adult ages he is just a narcissist with not a thought for life, strange for someone of his profession.

The movie picks up when the Monster emerges, though many cliches remain. The film often flirts admirably with Paradise Lost, and emphasizes the parallels. Elordis's eyes steal the show.

6/10