L'Ecclise(dir. Michelangelo Antonioni)
Since he died recently and I've had an interest in seeing his work, I decided to check this out. I was hestitant about seeing his work because usually I hear the word "boring" to describe it. This film surprised me because it wasn't boring at first and was actually really compelling, but this director obviously doesn't know when to stop with some scenes and go on to the next. The stock market scene when Vittoria is not present and the end come to mind. I feel the theme that this film is supposedly dealing with doesn't get examined as thoroughly compared to how it gets examined in a film by Tsai Ming-liang, who obviously was influenced by him. I can see the detachment especially when it becomes almost painfully obvious in a scene where Piero is more concerned about the shape of his car than the dead body in it. It's kind of superficial in it's examination. Sure, this must have been ground-breaking at the time, but it seems kind of ridiculous to show the rich as stereotypically out of touch with humanity and more concerned with material goods. I think the greatest aspect of this film is the sense of impeding doom that is felt throughout most of the picture. During the end, you almost expect a nuke to go off since it feels like a horror film with it's score and images of vast open streets. The newspaper shown at the end must have had some importance since the subtitles translated it for the audience. It could be Antonioni saying that detachment can cause nuclear war to break out in the days of the Cold War, which is a sound judgement, but it feels too far-reaching especially since the film has a relatively intimate and contained story. The film doesn't really adhere to a typical narrative structure, but you still get a sense of moving to some point. The end was a little much in terms of length, but I can see how individuals could think it was bold because it is. I just can't say it was entirely successful. Monica Vitti, while not really that sexy especially compared to someone like Claudia Cardinale, makes detachment almost seem fashionable with her performance. I hated the sound of her laugh, though. It was good and I will check out some of his other work.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Oh Makika Esumi...
Pistol Opera(dir. Seijun Suzuki)
He is fucking nuts. A poet of insanity. This film mesmerized me up until a little bit before the end where two fairly monologues took me out of the experience. The main actress was easily the best out of the film by being bad ass and amazingly sexy. The underage nudity was kind of off-putting, but it wasn't displayed in an erotic way so I can't be too offended by it. The ending is rather abrupt, but it fits in with the rest of the insanity. I almost feel like I'm underrating this and I'm pretty certain that the next time I watch it, I will feel it deserves ****, but for now, it gets
***1/2 out of ****
He is fucking nuts. A poet of insanity. This film mesmerized me up until a little bit before the end where two fairly monologues took me out of the experience. The main actress was easily the best out of the film by being bad ass and amazingly sexy. The underage nudity was kind of off-putting, but it wasn't displayed in an erotic way so I can't be too offended by it. The ending is rather abrupt, but it fits in with the rest of the insanity. I almost feel like I'm underrating this and I'm pretty certain that the next time I watch it, I will feel it deserves ****, but for now, it gets
***1/2 out of ****
Monday, August 20, 2007
Oh David and 23...
16 Blocks(dir. Richard Donner)
The movie was good up until the bus situation. It could have ended there with the bad cops winning and the good cop losing and I would have been a happy camper, but Mos Def's character had to get back on the bus and ruin it. You realize at that moment that good guys will come up on top and the bad guys will take the fall. You also get taught the message that people can change which is taken to an extreme with it's cheesy ending. David Morse gives a good performance as the main bad cop. He has more charisma than either of the leads. Mos Def's voice gets annoying after awhile, but he has a sweet scene with a little girl and Bruce Willis competently plays his role. It was decent.
**1/2 out of ****
The Number 23(dir. Joel Schumacher)
The fact that it takes it's plot seriously is easily the worst aspect of it. It's just so ridiculous seeing the number 23 everywhere. As you get point of view shots of all the 23's he sees, you almost want to burst out laughing, but it isn't ridiculous enough to pass off as camp, which makes the film dull. For some reason, I liked the ending, while most reviewers did not. I felt it made the insanity seem kind of grounded in terms of what happens. The twist is clunky and preposterous, but it makes his insanity feels less like insanity and actually gives the audience the ability to sympathize with the characters mildly since their obsession wasn't a complete waste of time. It's definately not good, but it's definately not as bad as something like Premonition.
** out of ****
The movie was good up until the bus situation. It could have ended there with the bad cops winning and the good cop losing and I would have been a happy camper, but Mos Def's character had to get back on the bus and ruin it. You realize at that moment that good guys will come up on top and the bad guys will take the fall. You also get taught the message that people can change which is taken to an extreme with it's cheesy ending. David Morse gives a good performance as the main bad cop. He has more charisma than either of the leads. Mos Def's voice gets annoying after awhile, but he has a sweet scene with a little girl and Bruce Willis competently plays his role. It was decent.
**1/2 out of ****
The Number 23(dir. Joel Schumacher)
The fact that it takes it's plot seriously is easily the worst aspect of it. It's just so ridiculous seeing the number 23 everywhere. As you get point of view shots of all the 23's he sees, you almost want to burst out laughing, but it isn't ridiculous enough to pass off as camp, which makes the film dull. For some reason, I liked the ending, while most reviewers did not. I felt it made the insanity seem kind of grounded in terms of what happens. The twist is clunky and preposterous, but it makes his insanity feels less like insanity and actually gives the audience the ability to sympathize with the characters mildly since their obsession wasn't a complete waste of time. It's definately not good, but it's definately not as bad as something like Premonition.
** out of ****
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Oh McLovin...
Superbad(dir. Gret Mottola)
It wasn't as good as Knocked Up. The cop characters are a little much and they milk the McLovin joke for all it's worth. It was really raunchy and made American Pie look family-friendly. I definately recommend it because it has some really funny moments, but don't expect it to be hilarious the whole time. The whole idea that these guys grew up over one night just seemed a little preposterous, but it's a comedy so I forgive it.
*** out of ****
It wasn't as good as Knocked Up. The cop characters are a little much and they milk the McLovin joke for all it's worth. It was really raunchy and made American Pie look family-friendly. I definately recommend it because it has some really funny moments, but don't expect it to be hilarious the whole time. The whole idea that these guys grew up over one night just seemed a little preposterous, but it's a comedy so I forgive it.
*** out of ****
Friday, August 17, 2007
Oh Ryan and Shohei...
Fracture(dir. Gregory Hoblit)
As a mystery, it's not very mysterious and as a thriller, it's not very thrilling. As a movie, it's also not that compelling. It starts off fine, but it continually becomes increasingly dull and predictable. It's predictability isn't a crime against cinema, but it just seems like the film tries to prolong reaching it's inevitable "good" guys win conclusion.
** out of ****
Vengeance is Mine(dir. Shohei Imamura)
I like how upfront he is in displaying the character. He doesn't really expect audiences to be rooting for the guy, but the character does have his moments. I felt relatively detached throughout the film because it's hard to really sympathize or even understand the character. I guess that's the point. His romance with a woman that runs a inn was easily the best part of the film and that character brought some humanity and warmth to the picture. It's a shame what happens. The end was rather strange and awkward. This was definately good and I think I should probably rewatch this in the future. Definately interested in seeing some of his other films.
*** out of ****
As a mystery, it's not very mysterious and as a thriller, it's not very thrilling. As a movie, it's also not that compelling. It starts off fine, but it continually becomes increasingly dull and predictable. It's predictability isn't a crime against cinema, but it just seems like the film tries to prolong reaching it's inevitable "good" guys win conclusion.
** out of ****
Vengeance is Mine(dir. Shohei Imamura)
I like how upfront he is in displaying the character. He doesn't really expect audiences to be rooting for the guy, but the character does have his moments. I felt relatively detached throughout the film because it's hard to really sympathize or even understand the character. I guess that's the point. His romance with a woman that runs a inn was easily the best part of the film and that character brought some humanity and warmth to the picture. It's a shame what happens. The end was rather strange and awkward. This was definately good and I think I should probably rewatch this in the future. Definately interested in seeing some of his other films.
*** out of ****
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Oh Point Break...
Hot Fuzz(dir. Edgar Wright)
When the film turns into pretty much a mindless action movie, it is hilarious. Before, it had some funny moments, but it's not nearly as good as what it eventually turns into. It takes too long to get to the good part, but it's still really good and funny. Not as consistently funny as Knocked Up and the blood and gore, which some might find funny, was kind of nasty.
***1/2 out of ****
When the film turns into pretty much a mindless action movie, it is hilarious. Before, it had some funny moments, but it's not nearly as good as what it eventually turns into. It takes too long to get to the good part, but it's still really good and funny. Not as consistently funny as Knocked Up and the blood and gore, which some might find funny, was kind of nasty.
***1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Oh Lena & Vanilla Ice & Jesus & Pauly...
300(dir. Zack Snyder)
Homophobic and homoerotic? You bet. This film's idea of manliness is defending a society with such good wholesome morals as throwing babies in pits to die if they won't make good warriors because of deformities or some visible sign of weakness. The film's look isn't all that great. There's been a lot of hoopla about the film's look, but it's visually uninteresting when compared to a film like Sin City. The most visually interesting aspect was one of the few non-computer generated aspects of the film and that was the main actress, Lena Headey. A breath of fresh air in this sausage-fest of a movie. The film throws around words like freedom and slavery to add weight to their cause, but you don't really care because the acting and dialogue is bad. It would have been fine if the movie was trying to be campy, but the film takes it's idea of masculinity too seriously and expects people to buy into it. Probably the most manly scene doesn't even concern any of the 300 spartans. It concerns Lena Headey's character and a politician. There's actually spontaniety and excitement to that scene that is seriously lacking in the rest of the film. The action is dull because of the extreme amount of slow motion intended to make all the teenage boys in the theater to go "that's hella sick, bro." Snyder makes Mel look like a minimalist when it comes to use of slow motion. It can't even deliver on the violence either because of the computer generated blood looking extremely fake. I'm sure, some could make an argument that it's stylish, but it's still shitty looking especially when the rest of the film is bland and fairly one-note. The color that you'll come away with is gold because the sun always lights the scene in a dull gold shade. I actually liked Xerxes more than any of the spartans because he was flamboyant and actually had personality. It was obvious that the director intended for all the male viewers to view Xerxes as a freak because he's pretty much a drag queen, but I find him more sympathetic than Leonidas or his men because he's accepting of the hunchback character. The hunchback's betrayal was probably supposed to be some huge blow to the audience and I could imagine the audience wishing Leonidas would have killed him, but he has way more personality than any of the 300 spartans. This movie sucked.
*1/2 out of ****
TMNT(dir. Kevin Munroe)
No Shredder + No Personality + No Vanilla Ice = No Good
*1/2 out of ****
The Life of Jesus(dir. Bruno Dumont)
I like how he displays these asshole characters as pretty much assholes. I think the title applies to the Arab character because he's easily the most sympathetic guy in the movie and well, he dies. He adds a sense of humanity to the picture that the film was lacking. The shots of actual penetration during the sex scenes were unnecessary. Along with seeing Freddy's mom's vagina after she got out of the bath, which amounted to about 2 seconds of the film and seemed as if the editor just didn't cut in time or something. The ending was moving in a sense, but you could picture it having a stronger emotional impact if you were able to sympathize with Freddy's character more.
***1/2 out of ****
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters(dir. Paul Schrader)
This is the way you make a film about an artist. You show bits of his life and you show bits of his work. It shows how his life shaped his work and it shows how his work shaped him. Phillip Glass's score is amazing. This film would have been amazing if a moment near the end didn't feel so ridiculous and akward. It's easily the best film I've seen by him so far.
***1/2 out of ****
Homophobic and homoerotic? You bet. This film's idea of manliness is defending a society with such good wholesome morals as throwing babies in pits to die if they won't make good warriors because of deformities or some visible sign of weakness. The film's look isn't all that great. There's been a lot of hoopla about the film's look, but it's visually uninteresting when compared to a film like Sin City. The most visually interesting aspect was one of the few non-computer generated aspects of the film and that was the main actress, Lena Headey. A breath of fresh air in this sausage-fest of a movie. The film throws around words like freedom and slavery to add weight to their cause, but you don't really care because the acting and dialogue is bad. It would have been fine if the movie was trying to be campy, but the film takes it's idea of masculinity too seriously and expects people to buy into it. Probably the most manly scene doesn't even concern any of the 300 spartans. It concerns Lena Headey's character and a politician. There's actually spontaniety and excitement to that scene that is seriously lacking in the rest of the film. The action is dull because of the extreme amount of slow motion intended to make all the teenage boys in the theater to go "that's hella sick, bro." Snyder makes Mel look like a minimalist when it comes to use of slow motion. It can't even deliver on the violence either because of the computer generated blood looking extremely fake. I'm sure, some could make an argument that it's stylish, but it's still shitty looking especially when the rest of the film is bland and fairly one-note. The color that you'll come away with is gold because the sun always lights the scene in a dull gold shade. I actually liked Xerxes more than any of the spartans because he was flamboyant and actually had personality. It was obvious that the director intended for all the male viewers to view Xerxes as a freak because he's pretty much a drag queen, but I find him more sympathetic than Leonidas or his men because he's accepting of the hunchback character. The hunchback's betrayal was probably supposed to be some huge blow to the audience and I could imagine the audience wishing Leonidas would have killed him, but he has way more personality than any of the 300 spartans. This movie sucked.
*1/2 out of ****
TMNT(dir. Kevin Munroe)
No Shredder + No Personality + No Vanilla Ice = No Good
*1/2 out of ****
The Life of Jesus(dir. Bruno Dumont)
I like how he displays these asshole characters as pretty much assholes. I think the title applies to the Arab character because he's easily the most sympathetic guy in the movie and well, he dies. He adds a sense of humanity to the picture that the film was lacking. The shots of actual penetration during the sex scenes were unnecessary. Along with seeing Freddy's mom's vagina after she got out of the bath, which amounted to about 2 seconds of the film and seemed as if the editor just didn't cut in time or something. The ending was moving in a sense, but you could picture it having a stronger emotional impact if you were able to sympathize with Freddy's character more.
***1/2 out of ****
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters(dir. Paul Schrader)
This is the way you make a film about an artist. You show bits of his life and you show bits of his work. It shows how his life shaped his work and it shows how his work shaped him. Phillip Glass's score is amazing. This film would have been amazing if a moment near the end didn't feel so ridiculous and akward. It's easily the best film I've seen by him so far.
***1/2 out of ****
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Oh Chevy Chase...
Fletch(dir. Michael Ritchie)
The first movie I've seen with Chevy Chase where he's actually funny. His other movies usually rely on ridiculous situations to make him "seem" funny, but he's actually funny in this. The movie took it's plot a little too seriously and the actress playing Fletch's love interest made Chevy look like a good actor. It was good.
*** out of ****
The first movie I've seen with Chevy Chase where he's actually funny. His other movies usually rely on ridiculous situations to make him "seem" funny, but he's actually funny in this. The movie took it's plot a little too seriously and the actress playing Fletch's love interest made Chevy look like a good actor. It was good.
*** out of ****
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Oh Get Off My Plane!...
Air Force One(dir. Wolfgang Peterson)
It was dumb and it took itself relatively seriously, but it was still fun in it's dumb and uninspired way. The "Get Off My Plane!" line is what attracted me to the film and was screaming to be parodied by YTMND. I might be growing soft, but I can't really knock a dumb action movie for being a dumb action movie unless it attached itself to an issue like say the diamond trade in Africa. Harrison Ford for President.
*** out of ****
It was dumb and it took itself relatively seriously, but it was still fun in it's dumb and uninspired way. The "Get Off My Plane!" line is what attracted me to the film and was screaming to be parodied by YTMND. I might be growing soft, but I can't really knock a dumb action movie for being a dumb action movie unless it attached itself to an issue like say the diamond trade in Africa. Harrison Ford for President.
*** out of ****
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Oh Jackie Chan...
Rush Hour 3(dir. Brett Ratner)
I came into the theater expecting to hate it, but somehow, I came out of the theater liking it. Was it as stupid as I was expecting? No, it was stupider. There's something brilliant about Jackie Chan swinging on a swing and singing a romantic duet with Chris Tucker. A lot of the humor is just so ridiculous that you can't believe it made the final cut. One example: Lee and Carter get in a fight and after the fight, they decide to order the other's favorite food. Carter gets Chinese food and Lee gets fried chicken and sweet potatoe pie. It's not exactly funny because it's so stupid, but you sit there amazed by it. It's stupidity is mesmerizing. This film has two important messages: don't let Roman Polanski give you a rectal examination and French flags make good parachutes.
*** out of ****
I came into the theater expecting to hate it, but somehow, I came out of the theater liking it. Was it as stupid as I was expecting? No, it was stupider. There's something brilliant about Jackie Chan swinging on a swing and singing a romantic duet with Chris Tucker. A lot of the humor is just so ridiculous that you can't believe it made the final cut. One example: Lee and Carter get in a fight and after the fight, they decide to order the other's favorite food. Carter gets Chinese food and Lee gets fried chicken and sweet potatoe pie. It's not exactly funny because it's so stupid, but you sit there amazed by it. It's stupidity is mesmerizing. This film has two important messages: don't let Roman Polanski give you a rectal examination and French flags make good parachutes.
*** out of ****
Friday, August 10, 2007
Oh Renée, Mel, and Shirley...
Miss Potter(dir. Chris Noonan)
Too cutesy. The sad moments in this film could possibly pass off as the happy moments in another bleaker film. The characterization was shallow, but the film was still kind of whimsical in it's overtly cute way. It seems almost drunk on it's cuteness. How cute.
**1/2 out of ****
Apocalypto(dir. Mel Gibson)
I really don't know what to say about this film. It feels wrong, but I got some enjoyment out of it. Mel obviously isn't a very subtle director and obviously loves to fuck around with slow mo a lot. The characters are all pretty over the top and while some will think the violence is disgusting, it seems almost comic-book-ish. It reminds me of a videogame like Mortal Kombat and if Mel ever played that, he was probably a fan of Kano's fatality. The violence is just there. The cinematography looks TV-ish probably due to using digital. The jungle is probably lush and beautiful, but the film doesn't really make it look all that beautiful. The New World? This is not. It's like a mindless action movie masquerading as a National Geographic documentary. It's almost scary that people actually watch this and feel like they're learning about Mayan culture. The film has a mad genius to it in terms of it's scope and attention to detail. I slightly recommend?
**1/2 out of ****
24 Hour Party People(dir. Michael Winterbottom)
I'm a fan of Joy Division. Just wanted to get that out of the way. One review I've read concerning this film talked about how it doesn't really give you a completely truthful view of the era. I'd understand that especially how nonsensical the film can become especially with it's more fantastical scenes like pidgeons dying for no apparent reason and a UFO sighting re-enacted. These scenes, thankfully, have a very artificial feel so it never feels like it's totally trying to interwine these events with the storyline, but makes them seem like playful excursions. The film as a whole is playful in terms of it's self-reflexive nature. The style is excessive, but so are the characters on display. I really liked it.
***1/2 out of ****
Too cutesy. The sad moments in this film could possibly pass off as the happy moments in another bleaker film. The characterization was shallow, but the film was still kind of whimsical in it's overtly cute way. It seems almost drunk on it's cuteness. How cute.
**1/2 out of ****
Apocalypto(dir. Mel Gibson)
I really don't know what to say about this film. It feels wrong, but I got some enjoyment out of it. Mel obviously isn't a very subtle director and obviously loves to fuck around with slow mo a lot. The characters are all pretty over the top and while some will think the violence is disgusting, it seems almost comic-book-ish. It reminds me of a videogame like Mortal Kombat and if Mel ever played that, he was probably a fan of Kano's fatality. The violence is just there. The cinematography looks TV-ish probably due to using digital. The jungle is probably lush and beautiful, but the film doesn't really make it look all that beautiful. The New World? This is not. It's like a mindless action movie masquerading as a National Geographic documentary. It's almost scary that people actually watch this and feel like they're learning about Mayan culture. The film has a mad genius to it in terms of it's scope and attention to detail. I slightly recommend?
**1/2 out of ****
24 Hour Party People(dir. Michael Winterbottom)
I'm a fan of Joy Division. Just wanted to get that out of the way. One review I've read concerning this film talked about how it doesn't really give you a completely truthful view of the era. I'd understand that especially how nonsensical the film can become especially with it's more fantastical scenes like pidgeons dying for no apparent reason and a UFO sighting re-enacted. These scenes, thankfully, have a very artificial feel so it never feels like it's totally trying to interwine these events with the storyline, but makes them seem like playful excursions. The film as a whole is playful in terms of it's self-reflexive nature. The style is excessive, but so are the characters on display. I really liked it.
***1/2 out of ****
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Oh Harry...
Fool for Love(dir. Robert Altman)
An engaging mess. It's pretty obvious that this was a play before it turned into a movie. I'd imagine Bug is similar to this with it's white trash hotel setting. The end is compelling to an extent, but it's a little too crazy for it's own good. I recommend.
*** out of ****
An engaging mess. It's pretty obvious that this was a play before it turned into a movie. I'd imagine Bug is similar to this with it's white trash hotel setting. The end is compelling to an extent, but it's a little too crazy for it's own good. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Oh Jean & Sterling...
Decoy(dir. Jack Bernhard)
Jean Gillie is excellent in this as the femme fatale. Everybody does a competent job. Most memorable scene is easily Jean running over her thug "boyfriend." The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense especially concerning how the doctor was able to survive two bullet wounds and make it back to San Francisco and Jean's character developing an evil cackle was pretty outlandish. It was solid enough to recommend.
*** out of ****
Crime Wave(dir. Andre de Toth)
Sterling Hayden is the man. I wish he was the main character instead of that other guy. Pretty much everybody else does a better job than him. You can't really get involved with the story because you can't really sympathize with his plight. The actor doesn't do a good job, but everybody else does. The end was actually pretty exciting probably because Sterling came back into the picture. Charles Bronson was in it so that's always a plus. It was disappointing, but it was still good.
*** out of ****
Jean Gillie is excellent in this as the femme fatale. Everybody does a competent job. Most memorable scene is easily Jean running over her thug "boyfriend." The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense especially concerning how the doctor was able to survive two bullet wounds and make it back to San Francisco and Jean's character developing an evil cackle was pretty outlandish. It was solid enough to recommend.
*** out of ****
Crime Wave(dir. Andre de Toth)
Sterling Hayden is the man. I wish he was the main character instead of that other guy. Pretty much everybody else does a better job than him. You can't really get involved with the story because you can't really sympathize with his plight. The actor doesn't do a good job, but everybody else does. The end was actually pretty exciting probably because Sterling came back into the picture. Charles Bronson was in it so that's always a plus. It was disappointing, but it was still good.
*** out of ****
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Oh Freddy Wiseman...
Hospital(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
The mundane and the beautiful. There are some "scenes" that take too long, but that's fine because in order for this to be a complete portrait of hospital life, you must show the monotony that doctors and nurses must experience since it is their work and all work can become monotonous. It's heart-breaking to see a man being so embarassed and ashamed for going to the doctor to see if he has testicular cancer that he almost bursts into tears. There are a lot memorable moments that Wiseman allows the viewer to see. One memorable "scene" is where a man who has taken an unknown pill fears that he is going to die. A user on IMDb said the "scene" was unnecessary because it is used for comedic effect, but I was honestly scared that the guy might have died even if the doctor kept reassuring him that he wasn't going to. His fear is so real that you can't help, but wonder if he will in fact die or not. He then throws up in a room, which is disgusting to see, but it is necessary to see it. My favorite moments were when loved ones of the patients came to see them and started showing affection towards them. One lovely, but horrifying scene is of a man who has been stabbed in the throat reaching out towards his lover's hand to hold it. Another moment that is both heart-breaking and uplifting is of a daughter seeing her mother as doctors try to restore her health and she goes over and strokes her head, kisses her on the chin with tears in her eyes. It's moments like these that provide warmth and reassurance that we're a flawed species, but we're still good at heart. This film shows that we all need individuals to help us out sometimes even if we're ashamed or too proud to get this help. The only Wiseman film that has rubbed me the wrong way was High School because it felt like he was critical of the people on screen and that just seems sleazy for a documentarian to do. It's easy to show the worst of people, but it's definately harder and more rewarding to show the beauty of an ugly situation. Amazing stuff.
**** out of ****
The mundane and the beautiful. There are some "scenes" that take too long, but that's fine because in order for this to be a complete portrait of hospital life, you must show the monotony that doctors and nurses must experience since it is their work and all work can become monotonous. It's heart-breaking to see a man being so embarassed and ashamed for going to the doctor to see if he has testicular cancer that he almost bursts into tears. There are a lot memorable moments that Wiseman allows the viewer to see. One memorable "scene" is where a man who has taken an unknown pill fears that he is going to die. A user on IMDb said the "scene" was unnecessary because it is used for comedic effect, but I was honestly scared that the guy might have died even if the doctor kept reassuring him that he wasn't going to. His fear is so real that you can't help, but wonder if he will in fact die or not. He then throws up in a room, which is disgusting to see, but it is necessary to see it. My favorite moments were when loved ones of the patients came to see them and started showing affection towards them. One lovely, but horrifying scene is of a man who has been stabbed in the throat reaching out towards his lover's hand to hold it. Another moment that is both heart-breaking and uplifting is of a daughter seeing her mother as doctors try to restore her health and she goes over and strokes her head, kisses her on the chin with tears in her eyes. It's moments like these that provide warmth and reassurance that we're a flawed species, but we're still good at heart. This film shows that we all need individuals to help us out sometimes even if we're ashamed or too proud to get this help. The only Wiseman film that has rubbed me the wrong way was High School because it felt like he was critical of the people on screen and that just seems sleazy for a documentarian to do. It's easy to show the worst of people, but it's definately harder and more rewarding to show the beauty of an ugly situation. Amazing stuff.
**** out of ****
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Oh Nick Nolte...
Affliction(dir. Paul Schrader)
This film doesn't feel fully developed. Pretty much all the stories and relationships feel underdeveloped. I don't really see how his father's actions when he was a child has any effect on the present. I'm sure it scarred his character, but Nolte performs in a way that doesn't seem like his actions are propelled by his past. His actions seem like they stem from his present situation with his ex-wife and child and the hunting accident. I'm sure someone could explain to me those are just ways to release his frustration from all the pain his father inflicted on him, but his flashbacks are not nearly as horrific as what his character ends up doing. His father is pretty much a monster and Nolte's character is pretty much nuts especially at the end. The end was oddly moving probably due to the fact that the imagery becomes hauntingly beautiful for the first time in the film. Watching Nick Nolte drink his alcohol in front of a window with a farm on fire is amazing within itself. Willem Dafoe's narration feels completely unnecessary especially since this is Nolte's character's movie, not his character's. I might rewatch this at a later date.
**1/2 out of ****
This film doesn't feel fully developed. Pretty much all the stories and relationships feel underdeveloped. I don't really see how his father's actions when he was a child has any effect on the present. I'm sure it scarred his character, but Nolte performs in a way that doesn't seem like his actions are propelled by his past. His actions seem like they stem from his present situation with his ex-wife and child and the hunting accident. I'm sure someone could explain to me those are just ways to release his frustration from all the pain his father inflicted on him, but his flashbacks are not nearly as horrific as what his character ends up doing. His father is pretty much a monster and Nolte's character is pretty much nuts especially at the end. The end was oddly moving probably due to the fact that the imagery becomes hauntingly beautiful for the first time in the film. Watching Nick Nolte drink his alcohol in front of a window with a farm on fire is amazing within itself. Willem Dafoe's narration feels completely unnecessary especially since this is Nolte's character's movie, not his character's. I might rewatch this at a later date.
**1/2 out of ****
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Oh George and Scarlett...
Ocean's Thirteen(dir. Steven Soderbergh)
The first one was cool and suave. The second was I don't know since I didn't see it. The third one was dumb and clumsy. It's dumbness and cluminess was probably what was entertaining about it. It's attempts at cool were the weak portions of the film like it's use of split screen in an extended sequence. It really doesn't enhance the experience, it just felt like an uncool film trying so hard to be cool. The film's best portions were the most ridiculous. A revolution at an Mexican dice factory was ridiculously entertaining and seeing Brad Pitt and George Clooney crying to Oprah was another highlight. The film is pretty visually uninteresting, which made the stretches that weren't comedic drag. It's definately not as good as the first one and it definately needed more Elliot Gould, but it was still fun nonetheless.
*** out of ****
Scoop(dir. Woody Allen)
A light, fun romp. I don't really understand the critical reaction to this film. I guess Match Point is an easier film to praise just because it was serious and didn't feel like a Woody Allen film so you could easily state he was growing, but that film was surprisingly underwhelming and it was pretty much a retread of the same thematic territory that was in Crimes and Misdemeanors, which is much better in it's handling of said thematic territory. This film isn't deep. It's just a lot of fun, which is good enough for me.
***1/2 out of ****
The first one was cool and suave. The second was I don't know since I didn't see it. The third one was dumb and clumsy. It's dumbness and cluminess was probably what was entertaining about it. It's attempts at cool were the weak portions of the film like it's use of split screen in an extended sequence. It really doesn't enhance the experience, it just felt like an uncool film trying so hard to be cool. The film's best portions were the most ridiculous. A revolution at an Mexican dice factory was ridiculously entertaining and seeing Brad Pitt and George Clooney crying to Oprah was another highlight. The film is pretty visually uninteresting, which made the stretches that weren't comedic drag. It's definately not as good as the first one and it definately needed more Elliot Gould, but it was still fun nonetheless.
*** out of ****
Scoop(dir. Woody Allen)
A light, fun romp. I don't really understand the critical reaction to this film. I guess Match Point is an easier film to praise just because it was serious and didn't feel like a Woody Allen film so you could easily state he was growing, but that film was surprisingly underwhelming and it was pretty much a retread of the same thematic territory that was in Crimes and Misdemeanors, which is much better in it's handling of said thematic territory. This film isn't deep. It's just a lot of fun, which is good enough for me.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, August 03, 2007
Oh Cate & Hal & Stanley...
Somersault(dir. Cate Shortland)
This movie has some scenes that are almost laughably bad and they concern Heidi when she gets mad. The first one is at a restaurant and she is mad at her "boyfriend" for not knowing if she is his girlfriend or not so she decides to eat some chiles. That'll show him. Another scene concerns her and her friend at the gas station mart where she yells out of frustration. There's another scene that felt completely unnecessary. She goes out in the cold naked trying desperately to get her "boyfriend" to come back in the house. I'm not complaining about the nudity just how it's handled. Why would a girl go out in the cold winter naked? I don't think being drunk really excuses it. This film has it's flaws, but it's definately gorgeous to look at. The actress plays most of her scenes perfectly and is beautiful in a bland sort of way. The character doesn't seem like the most intelligent person, but you still take interest in her story. This film almost seems like it was trying to be Morvern Callar, but unlike Morvern Callar, who is mysterious and bewildering, Heidi just seems like a blank slate. The ending redeems the faults I had with the film with it's simplicity and serenity. It's definately one to check out even if not all the scenes completely work.
***1/2 out of ****
Surviving Desire(dir. Hal Hartley)
The version I saw didn't have 6 minutes of it, but still, I got a good idea of how the film is. It's good, but definately not up to par with his other work probably due to the fact that it felt rushed. It also felt too lovey dubby. Yeah. It was good.
*** out of ****
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(dir. Stanley Kramer)
This film is not graceful at all about it's subject. I guess I have to kind of respect that it is so upfront, but did every conversation really need to feel like a speech about racial inequality and how interracial relationships shouldn't be that big of a deal. I agree with what it's trying to say, but it's ridiculous in how repetitive it gets to the point where you lose all interest in the film. It keeps banging you over the head with it's message that you almost want to reject whatever it's saying. It was OK.
** out of ****
This movie has some scenes that are almost laughably bad and they concern Heidi when she gets mad. The first one is at a restaurant and she is mad at her "boyfriend" for not knowing if she is his girlfriend or not so she decides to eat some chiles. That'll show him. Another scene concerns her and her friend at the gas station mart where she yells out of frustration. There's another scene that felt completely unnecessary. She goes out in the cold naked trying desperately to get her "boyfriend" to come back in the house. I'm not complaining about the nudity just how it's handled. Why would a girl go out in the cold winter naked? I don't think being drunk really excuses it. This film has it's flaws, but it's definately gorgeous to look at. The actress plays most of her scenes perfectly and is beautiful in a bland sort of way. The character doesn't seem like the most intelligent person, but you still take interest in her story. This film almost seems like it was trying to be Morvern Callar, but unlike Morvern Callar, who is mysterious and bewildering, Heidi just seems like a blank slate. The ending redeems the faults I had with the film with it's simplicity and serenity. It's definately one to check out even if not all the scenes completely work.
***1/2 out of ****
Surviving Desire(dir. Hal Hartley)
The version I saw didn't have 6 minutes of it, but still, I got a good idea of how the film is. It's good, but definately not up to par with his other work probably due to the fact that it felt rushed. It also felt too lovey dubby. Yeah. It was good.
*** out of ****
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(dir. Stanley Kramer)
This film is not graceful at all about it's subject. I guess I have to kind of respect that it is so upfront, but did every conversation really need to feel like a speech about racial inequality and how interracial relationships shouldn't be that big of a deal. I agree with what it's trying to say, but it's ridiculous in how repetitive it gets to the point where you lose all interest in the film. It keeps banging you over the head with it's message that you almost want to reject whatever it's saying. It was OK.
** out of ****
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Oh Sinitta...
Last Life in the Universe(dir. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang)
The lead actress is quite foxy. It's not entirely successful artistically. The actresses switch in the middle of the film rather slyly, but it sounds much better on paper than how it is in the actual film. Probably due to the fact that I found the actress playing Noi more attractive than Nid. Near the end, the picture seems to fall into place. The film's biggest problem is that it doesn't quite achieve that dream-like feel it wants to have, but the end was definately whimsical and romantic.
***1/2 out of ****
The lead actress is quite foxy. It's not entirely successful artistically. The actresses switch in the middle of the film rather slyly, but it sounds much better on paper than how it is in the actual film. Probably due to the fact that I found the actress playing Noi more attractive than Nid. Near the end, the picture seems to fall into place. The film's biggest problem is that it doesn't quite achieve that dream-like feel it wants to have, but the end was definately whimsical and romantic.
***1/2 out of ****
Monday, July 30, 2007
Oh Bill and Cary...
Meatballs(dir. Ivan Reitman)
Sure, it's not a comedic masterpiece, but there's something amusing about Bill Murray hanging out with a bunch of 20 something year olds and being the coolest one in the group. Some of the jokes are lame and the film is fairly dated and cheesy especially it's painful story about the shy kid that Bill's character befriends. Bill Murray is the only reason to watch this especially when he goes nuts in a speech about how beating another camp doesn't matter.
**1/2 out of ****
To Catch a Thief(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
This was pretty entertaining. It's not as good as some of his other films, but Cary Grant and Grace Kelly make it entertaining enough. The story isn't all that great and there's a serious lack of suspense, but sub-par Hitchcock is still good.
*** out of ****
Sure, it's not a comedic masterpiece, but there's something amusing about Bill Murray hanging out with a bunch of 20 something year olds and being the coolest one in the group. Some of the jokes are lame and the film is fairly dated and cheesy especially it's painful story about the shy kid that Bill's character befriends. Bill Murray is the only reason to watch this especially when he goes nuts in a speech about how beating another camp doesn't matter.
**1/2 out of ****
To Catch a Thief(dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
This was pretty entertaining. It's not as good as some of his other films, but Cary Grant and Grace Kelly make it entertaining enough. The story isn't all that great and there's a serious lack of suspense, but sub-par Hitchcock is still good.
*** out of ****
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Oh Shorts...
The Heart of the World(dir. Guy Maddin)
The reason why I watched Cowards Bend the Knee was because this short was amazing. It was hilarious in it's melodramatic nature and it's spoof on old soviet propaganda films. Bitching.
***1/2 out of ****
Cashback(dir. Sean Ellis)
Seeing this short, you kind of wonder how this became a feature film. I'd imagine it's pretty awful because this was just OK and it only contains 17 minutes from that film. It's pretty ridiculous at the end when he is able to freeze time and uses this technique to undress all the women in the supermarket. I'm not complaining about the nudity, but this already shallow film just got even more shallower. It tries to justify this gratutious use of nudity by an explanation of how he's obsessed with the beauty of the female form and makes him an art-type. He undresses them to paint pictures of them. The whole thing felt kind of sleazy and misogynistic. I have no problems with gratutious nudity when it knows that it's gratutious nudity instead of trying to justify it as being for artistic reasons or some lame excuse like that. It bewilders me that this was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, but most short films are shitty anyways so I guess it makes sense.
** out of ****
The reason why I watched Cowards Bend the Knee was because this short was amazing. It was hilarious in it's melodramatic nature and it's spoof on old soviet propaganda films. Bitching.
***1/2 out of ****
Cashback(dir. Sean Ellis)
Seeing this short, you kind of wonder how this became a feature film. I'd imagine it's pretty awful because this was just OK and it only contains 17 minutes from that film. It's pretty ridiculous at the end when he is able to freeze time and uses this technique to undress all the women in the supermarket. I'm not complaining about the nudity, but this already shallow film just got even more shallower. It tries to justify this gratutious use of nudity by an explanation of how he's obsessed with the beauty of the female form and makes him an art-type. He undresses them to paint pictures of them. The whole thing felt kind of sleazy and misogynistic. I have no problems with gratutious nudity when it knows that it's gratutious nudity instead of trying to justify it as being for artistic reasons or some lame excuse like that. It bewilders me that this was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, but most short films are shitty anyways so I guess it makes sense.
** out of ****
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Oh Steve and George...
L.A. Story(dir. Mick Jackson)
Schizophrenic. It wants to be wacky and it wants to be serious. The wacky scenes feel out of place because of the seriousness the rest of the film displays. They would feel more at home in something like Naked Gun than this. I'm really surprised at well received this film was when it came out. It was OK.
** out of ****
Day of the Dead(dir. George A. Romero)
Easily the most violent movie I've ever seen. It was pretty fucking disgusting. It was the bleakest out of the "Dead" movies I've seen, which is a good thing since it's a zombie movie. The end bothers me. It seems like Romero thought the movie was too pessimistic and decided to slap on an ending that made you question whether all the events actually occurred. I'm not a big fan of those type of endings, but this movie was still crazy.
***1/2 out of ****
Schizophrenic. It wants to be wacky and it wants to be serious. The wacky scenes feel out of place because of the seriousness the rest of the film displays. They would feel more at home in something like Naked Gun than this. I'm really surprised at well received this film was when it came out. It was OK.
** out of ****
Day of the Dead(dir. George A. Romero)
Easily the most violent movie I've ever seen. It was pretty fucking disgusting. It was the bleakest out of the "Dead" movies I've seen, which is a good thing since it's a zombie movie. The end bothers me. It seems like Romero thought the movie was too pessimistic and decided to slap on an ending that made you question whether all the events actually occurred. I'm not a big fan of those type of endings, but this movie was still crazy.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, July 27, 2007
Oh Guy and Willem...
Cowards Bend the Knee(dir. Guy Maddin)
The Heart of the World is amazing just because it's ridiculously overdramatic and it's editing rhythm is interesting and keeps you a state of excitement. This film is overdramatic, but it's not funny or exciting. He uses a similar style to the short film, but this being 60 minutes instead of 6 or so creates a fairly strained experience. The style just becomes repetitive and not all that interesting. It was still an unusual experience that I can slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Light Sleeper(dir. Paul Schrader)
Paul Schrader obviously loves Pickpocket since he used the ending two times in two of his movies. The ending doesn't really work in this one and I'm not sure how it is in American Gigolo. It is an interesting portrait of a druggie gone clean who is selling the drug that he was addicted to. It creates a sense of guilt and he even looks after one of his clients. The lost romance between him and Marianne was easily the best part and when she leaves the picture, you can feel the sense of lost opportunity John must have felt. It's naturally similar to Taxi Driver, but this character is much more sympathetic. Taxi Driver is better just because this film feels too glossy for it's own good. If it got down into the grit like Scorsese did with Taxi Driver, it would have been a better picture.
***1/2 out of ****
The Heart of the World is amazing just because it's ridiculously overdramatic and it's editing rhythm is interesting and keeps you a state of excitement. This film is overdramatic, but it's not funny or exciting. He uses a similar style to the short film, but this being 60 minutes instead of 6 or so creates a fairly strained experience. The style just becomes repetitive and not all that interesting. It was still an unusual experience that I can slightly recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
Light Sleeper(dir. Paul Schrader)
Paul Schrader obviously loves Pickpocket since he used the ending two times in two of his movies. The ending doesn't really work in this one and I'm not sure how it is in American Gigolo. It is an interesting portrait of a druggie gone clean who is selling the drug that he was addicted to. It creates a sense of guilt and he even looks after one of his clients. The lost romance between him and Marianne was easily the best part and when she leaves the picture, you can feel the sense of lost opportunity John must have felt. It's naturally similar to Taxi Driver, but this character is much more sympathetic. Taxi Driver is better just because this film feels too glossy for it's own good. If it got down into the grit like Scorsese did with Taxi Driver, it would have been a better picture.
***1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Oh Timmy and Richy...
Edward Scissorhands(dir. Tim Burton)
A Frankenstein story with a cuddly and sensitive Freddy Krueger. His attempts at satirizing suburbia fall flat and his style seems fairly superficial. I can't help, but wonder what it would have been like if it didn't have his Disney-fied Goth touch to it. I still liked it, though.
*** out of ****
Dazed and Confused(dir. Richard Linklater)
Last time I watched this was on TV, which probably actually enhanced the experience due to commercials fragmenting the "narrative." When you watch this film essentially in one sitting, you wonder what is the point of all this? I guess it takes on the aimless nature of it's characters, but there's a serious lack of narrative drive that makes it drag at times. The sense of nostalghia and the humor is obviously the main draw to the film. I liked it.
*** out of ****
A Frankenstein story with a cuddly and sensitive Freddy Krueger. His attempts at satirizing suburbia fall flat and his style seems fairly superficial. I can't help, but wonder what it would have been like if it didn't have his Disney-fied Goth touch to it. I still liked it, though.
*** out of ****
Dazed and Confused(dir. Richard Linklater)
Last time I watched this was on TV, which probably actually enhanced the experience due to commercials fragmenting the "narrative." When you watch this film essentially in one sitting, you wonder what is the point of all this? I guess it takes on the aimless nature of it's characters, but there's a serious lack of narrative drive that makes it drag at times. The sense of nostalghia and the humor is obviously the main draw to the film. I liked it.
*** out of ****
Monday, July 23, 2007
Oh Nagisa...
Cruel Story of Youth(dir. Nagisa Oshima)
First film I've seen by him and it's been one of those "holy grail" movies for me due to it's rarity. It isn't all that great. It reminds me of All About Lily Chou-Chou, but worse. It goes on for too long and the end is just abrupt and contrived. The character's aren't exactly nice either, but if the film didn't punish them in the end, it would have been more thought-provoking. I guess it came out in 1960 so I shouldn't expect it to go all the way with it's presentation of moral degradation that love can cause. It was good.
*** out of ****
First film I've seen by him and it's been one of those "holy grail" movies for me due to it's rarity. It isn't all that great. It reminds me of All About Lily Chou-Chou, but worse. It goes on for too long and the end is just abrupt and contrived. The character's aren't exactly nice either, but if the film didn't punish them in the end, it would have been more thought-provoking. I guess it came out in 1960 so I shouldn't expect it to go all the way with it's presentation of moral degradation that love can cause. It was good.
*** out of ****
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Oh Woody and Jeff...
Manhattan(dir. Woody Allen)
Hopelessly romantic. Maybe alittle too much. The planetarium scene is just whimsical and lovely, but the film eventually gets bog down by it's dialogue and story. I guess the rational side of the film takes over and it stops being hopelessly romantic, but I wish it didn't. Isaac's attempt to rekindle his romance with his young ex-girlfriend is definately romantic, but you get a sense that their relationship isn't going to make it. Starts off well, but eventually I just kind of got sick of it.
*** out of ****
The Big Lebowski(dir. Joel & Ethan Coen)[rewatch]
I never liked this film that much. Sure, there were bits and pieces like Walter flipping out with a gun in the bowling alley that I liked. I watched some clips of the movie on Youtube and thought they were funny as hell. Scenes I didn't even think that were funny were now hilarious so I decided to rewatch this. My biggest problem was probably that I didn't understand the humor. The randomness and dead-pan style of Jeff Bridges's The Dude just makes the crazy events seem hilarious. The film's greatest asset is that it tries to make sense of the randomness and almost try to make it seem logical in terms of it's narrative. A film like Anchorman doesn't even attempt to do that. I also probably paid attention to the plot alittle too much, when it is simply an excuse to create bizarre situations for it's characters. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Hopelessly romantic. Maybe alittle too much. The planetarium scene is just whimsical and lovely, but the film eventually gets bog down by it's dialogue and story. I guess the rational side of the film takes over and it stops being hopelessly romantic, but I wish it didn't. Isaac's attempt to rekindle his romance with his young ex-girlfriend is definately romantic, but you get a sense that their relationship isn't going to make it. Starts off well, but eventually I just kind of got sick of it.
*** out of ****
The Big Lebowski(dir. Joel & Ethan Coen)[rewatch]
I never liked this film that much. Sure, there were bits and pieces like Walter flipping out with a gun in the bowling alley that I liked. I watched some clips of the movie on Youtube and thought they were funny as hell. Scenes I didn't even think that were funny were now hilarious so I decided to rewatch this. My biggest problem was probably that I didn't understand the humor. The randomness and dead-pan style of Jeff Bridges's The Dude just makes the crazy events seem hilarious. The film's greatest asset is that it tries to make sense of the randomness and almost try to make it seem logical in terms of it's narrative. A film like Anchorman doesn't even attempt to do that. I also probably paid attention to the plot alittle too much, when it is simply an excuse to create bizarre situations for it's characters. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Oh Kool Thing...
Simple Men(dir. Hal Hartley)
Do I even need to write a review? It's obviously amazing through that clip, but I'll talk about it alittle more. There's something about Hartley's style that is extremely effective on me. It's probably because he realizes the concept of plot is ridiculous in films and kind of displays the plot as a seemingly random and melodramatic thing. A moment like in that clip wouldn't appear in a movie that takes it's plot seriously and I'm thankful it doesn't take it's plot seriously because it is fairly ludicrious. Some scenes point out the artifice that is inherent in movies while others resonate with a sense of true emotion and are extremely moving like the end. These scenes are moving because we notice the fake scenes and when something truly insightful happens on screen, it packs more punch. The ending is easily one of the most moving and beautiful things I've ever seen in a film.
**** out of ****
Show Me Love(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
The complete opposite of Lilya 4-Ever? Definately. The film is warm and fuzzy. Two adjectives that I would never use to describe Lilya 4-Ever to someone who hasn't seen it even though it does display a genuine warmth with it's scenes between Volodya and Lilya. The teens in this film have problems, but not nearly as big of problems as Lilya 4-Ever. That's ok, it's a different movie and much more whimsical. This film put a smile on my face. I know I'm not gonna obsess over this film like Lilya 4-Ever, but I definately enjoyed the hell out of it.
**** out of ****
Do I even need to write a review? It's obviously amazing through that clip, but I'll talk about it alittle more. There's something about Hartley's style that is extremely effective on me. It's probably because he realizes the concept of plot is ridiculous in films and kind of displays the plot as a seemingly random and melodramatic thing. A moment like in that clip wouldn't appear in a movie that takes it's plot seriously and I'm thankful it doesn't take it's plot seriously because it is fairly ludicrious. Some scenes point out the artifice that is inherent in movies while others resonate with a sense of true emotion and are extremely moving like the end. These scenes are moving because we notice the fake scenes and when something truly insightful happens on screen, it packs more punch. The ending is easily one of the most moving and beautiful things I've ever seen in a film.
**** out of ****
Show Me Love(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
The complete opposite of Lilya 4-Ever? Definately. The film is warm and fuzzy. Two adjectives that I would never use to describe Lilya 4-Ever to someone who hasn't seen it even though it does display a genuine warmth with it's scenes between Volodya and Lilya. The teens in this film have problems, but not nearly as big of problems as Lilya 4-Ever. That's ok, it's a different movie and much more whimsical. This film put a smile on my face. I know I'm not gonna obsess over this film like Lilya 4-Ever, but I definately enjoyed the hell out of it.
**** out of ****
Friday, July 20, 2007
Oh Abel...
Ms. 45(dir. Abel Ferrara)
This is Abel Ferrara's show since none of the acting is really that great, the cinematography lacks polish, and the script is pretty awful compared to King of New York. The lead character becomes more and more unlikeable as it goes along due to the fact she turns into a victim of two vicious rapes to a maniac who kills men in cold blood just because they are men. You could say the film could be viewed as feminism gone wrong. The acting from some of her victims is actually really good because the actors display a sort of sleazy charm and likeability to make their murders feel unjustified, but you can easily understand how she could murder them in cold blood because of their sleazy nature. In the middle portion, she almost takes a superhero type stance with her murders like killing a pimp beating his hooker and killing a gang of thugs. Her murders become more and more puzzling and off-putting until it goes to the final massacre that is portrayed in unflincing slow motion that makes the whole scene excruciating, which is exactly how the scene should have been portrayed. The most glaring flaws are the characters of the annoying neighbor and her dog. They're easily some of the most obnoxious characters ever put to film. It's easy to see them as a device to create suspense about the possibility that Thana might get caught, but the film's conclusion shows that they are truly unnecessary to the story. The final image is kind of ironic just because it shows that she sympathized with a dog more than all of her male victims, but it doesn't make the characters feel necessary to the plot especially given the cringe-inducing nature of the actress's performance of the neighbor and that disgusting scene with the dog. A decent effort, which could have greatly improved if it eliminated those two characters and made the final product more clean and lean.
**1/2 out of ****
This is Abel Ferrara's show since none of the acting is really that great, the cinematography lacks polish, and the script is pretty awful compared to King of New York. The lead character becomes more and more unlikeable as it goes along due to the fact she turns into a victim of two vicious rapes to a maniac who kills men in cold blood just because they are men. You could say the film could be viewed as feminism gone wrong. The acting from some of her victims is actually really good because the actors display a sort of sleazy charm and likeability to make their murders feel unjustified, but you can easily understand how she could murder them in cold blood because of their sleazy nature. In the middle portion, she almost takes a superhero type stance with her murders like killing a pimp beating his hooker and killing a gang of thugs. Her murders become more and more puzzling and off-putting until it goes to the final massacre that is portrayed in unflincing slow motion that makes the whole scene excruciating, which is exactly how the scene should have been portrayed. The most glaring flaws are the characters of the annoying neighbor and her dog. They're easily some of the most obnoxious characters ever put to film. It's easy to see them as a device to create suspense about the possibility that Thana might get caught, but the film's conclusion shows that they are truly unnecessary to the story. The final image is kind of ironic just because it shows that she sympathized with a dog more than all of her male victims, but it doesn't make the characters feel necessary to the plot especially given the cringe-inducing nature of the actress's performance of the neighbor and that disgusting scene with the dog. A decent effort, which could have greatly improved if it eliminated those two characters and made the final product more clean and lean.
**1/2 out of ****
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Oh John Turturro...
Transformers(dir. Michael Bay)
This movie suprisingly had very little action. How most people describe it makes it seem like it is a non-stop action romp similar to something like Live Free or Die Hard which probably works against the film more than helps it. I guess it would create interest in people who are expecting a mindless action movie, but those people will probably be disappointed because it only delivers on the mindless part. Most of the characters are bland and when the action finally happens, you have pretty much no emotional involvement to what's happening on screen, which makes the action not thrilling or exciting since you don't really care if anybody dies. The transformers' personalities are underdeveloped, but not nearly as underdeveloped as the humans, which is kind of funny because the movie spends most of the running time with them. The only characters that seem interesting are of the over the top variety like Bernie Mac's and John Turturro's. Some critics say the film is racist because it displays most of the black characters as crazy lunatics, but in all honesty, I would rather have characters of my race crazy than totally uninteresting. When the battle occurs at the end, you don't really have any idea what is going. You can't really tell which robot is on which side because it spends very little time on trying to make them distinct from each other especially the Decepticons. It is unclear, but it's definately more interesting than the parts preceding it and makes you wonder why the whole film couldn't have been one huge robot on robot battle since the film doesn't really get you emotionally involved with the characters to make the time spent before the battle seem valuable. If you're going to see an action movie, see Live Free or Die Hard. The action is interesting just because it's so over the top in an almost tongue in cheek way, that makes it entertaining and John McClane easily has more personality than all the characters in this. Roll out!
** out of ****
This movie suprisingly had very little action. How most people describe it makes it seem like it is a non-stop action romp similar to something like Live Free or Die Hard which probably works against the film more than helps it. I guess it would create interest in people who are expecting a mindless action movie, but those people will probably be disappointed because it only delivers on the mindless part. Most of the characters are bland and when the action finally happens, you have pretty much no emotional involvement to what's happening on screen, which makes the action not thrilling or exciting since you don't really care if anybody dies. The transformers' personalities are underdeveloped, but not nearly as underdeveloped as the humans, which is kind of funny because the movie spends most of the running time with them. The only characters that seem interesting are of the over the top variety like Bernie Mac's and John Turturro's. Some critics say the film is racist because it displays most of the black characters as crazy lunatics, but in all honesty, I would rather have characters of my race crazy than totally uninteresting. When the battle occurs at the end, you don't really have any idea what is going. You can't really tell which robot is on which side because it spends very little time on trying to make them distinct from each other especially the Decepticons. It is unclear, but it's definately more interesting than the parts preceding it and makes you wonder why the whole film couldn't have been one huge robot on robot battle since the film doesn't really get you emotionally involved with the characters to make the time spent before the battle seem valuable. If you're going to see an action movie, see Live Free or Die Hard. The action is interesting just because it's so over the top in an almost tongue in cheek way, that makes it entertaining and John McClane easily has more personality than all the characters in this. Roll out!
** out of ****
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Oh Oksana Again...
Premonition(dir. Mennan Yapo)
Preposterous. That is one word I would describe this film. It's labelled as a thriller on IMDb and it's not very thrilling. There are scenes that are handled horribly. An example is the scene where the little girl runs through the class. It almost makes sense in the context of how the scene is handled, but the director directs the scene as if a bomb was about to go off. It starts raining, she tells them to get the laundry that's on the line and they're all so tense that it just seems utterly ridiculous. The director attempts to create suspense with a number of scenes that are of relatively mundane activities. It would have made more sense if the director just shot the scenes in a more conventional manner instead of trying to make the audience on the edge of their seat. Sandra Bullock's acting is pretty damn horrible going super hysterical and crazy to Jack Bauer whisperer mode. Julian McMahon's performance is much better because in the beginning of the film, he feels sealed off from his wife and just going through a routine and then the end of the film, he feels open and accepting of his wife's love. There are some warm moments like Sandra Bullock's character telling her daughters that they're beautiful princesses. The plot makes no sense. I could overlook this if the film didn't take itself so seriously. The end also feels false. It's a good message that you should have hope during times of tragedy, but it totally overlooks the fact that she pretty much caused her husband's accident. You could say it was inevitable, but the main narrative drive is whether she can save him or not. It also appears that if her week wasn't chronically jumbled and that she didn't know her husband was going to die, the accident probably would have never occurred. Back to the end, it feels false because she displays no sense of guilt for what happened. I guess it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it's still bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Bullet Ballet(dir. Shinya Tsukamoto)
Starts off annoyingly bombastic and ends quiet and serene. When Goda performs what almost seems like a religious ceremony to fuse his soul with his gun, it starts to pick up and adds a sense of depth that was missing in the picture. The end bothers me. I really want to see some of his other work because I thought this was really interesting. It was really good until the end.
*** out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)[rewatch]
Utterly beautiful and devastating. I rewatched this relatively quickly. The mother abadoning her child still doesn't feel quite right. I think if the actress didn't cry before leaving, it would be easier to swallow the fact that she essentially abadons her. It would make sense if she reassured her that they'll be together soon and it would be easy to see Lilya waiting around for her mother to contact her. Taken on a more Bressonian level, the film makes more sense. The character's actions can be viewed idiotic by some, but she seems to be driven by an unknown force. She is a vulnerable character and it seems utterly ridiculous when people think she is pretty much a bitch. She usually reacts harshly when someone treats her with a lack of respect. She is also a teenager growing up in an environment she doesn't want to be in, which creates frustration and hostility. It didn't have as powerful of an impact as my first viewing, but it's most likely due to my mood because I'm feeling a little detached right now. Hopefully, it holds up on repeated viewings because I pretty much became obsessed with the film and think it's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Preposterous. That is one word I would describe this film. It's labelled as a thriller on IMDb and it's not very thrilling. There are scenes that are handled horribly. An example is the scene where the little girl runs through the class. It almost makes sense in the context of how the scene is handled, but the director directs the scene as if a bomb was about to go off. It starts raining, she tells them to get the laundry that's on the line and they're all so tense that it just seems utterly ridiculous. The director attempts to create suspense with a number of scenes that are of relatively mundane activities. It would have made more sense if the director just shot the scenes in a more conventional manner instead of trying to make the audience on the edge of their seat. Sandra Bullock's acting is pretty damn horrible going super hysterical and crazy to Jack Bauer whisperer mode. Julian McMahon's performance is much better because in the beginning of the film, he feels sealed off from his wife and just going through a routine and then the end of the film, he feels open and accepting of his wife's love. There are some warm moments like Sandra Bullock's character telling her daughters that they're beautiful princesses. The plot makes no sense. I could overlook this if the film didn't take itself so seriously. The end also feels false. It's a good message that you should have hope during times of tragedy, but it totally overlooks the fact that she pretty much caused her husband's accident. You could say it was inevitable, but the main narrative drive is whether she can save him or not. It also appears that if her week wasn't chronically jumbled and that she didn't know her husband was going to die, the accident probably would have never occurred. Back to the end, it feels false because she displays no sense of guilt for what happened. I guess it wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but it's still bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Bullet Ballet(dir. Shinya Tsukamoto)
Starts off annoyingly bombastic and ends quiet and serene. When Goda performs what almost seems like a religious ceremony to fuse his soul with his gun, it starts to pick up and adds a sense of depth that was missing in the picture. The end bothers me. I really want to see some of his other work because I thought this was really interesting. It was really good until the end.
*** out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)[rewatch]
Utterly beautiful and devastating. I rewatched this relatively quickly. The mother abadoning her child still doesn't feel quite right. I think if the actress didn't cry before leaving, it would be easier to swallow the fact that she essentially abadons her. It would make sense if she reassured her that they'll be together soon and it would be easy to see Lilya waiting around for her mother to contact her. Taken on a more Bressonian level, the film makes more sense. The character's actions can be viewed idiotic by some, but she seems to be driven by an unknown force. She is a vulnerable character and it seems utterly ridiculous when people think she is pretty much a bitch. She usually reacts harshly when someone treats her with a lack of respect. She is also a teenager growing up in an environment she doesn't want to be in, which creates frustration and hostility. It didn't have as powerful of an impact as my first viewing, but it's most likely due to my mood because I'm feeling a little detached right now. Hopefully, it holds up on repeated viewings because I pretty much became obsessed with the film and think it's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Oh Morgan Freeman...
An Unfinished Life(dir. Lasse Holstrom)
It would have fared better on Lifetime than on the big screen, but it is still a decent movie. It is melodramatic and seems to be filled with overly dramatic situations for pretty much all the characters. Morgan Freeman's showdown with the bear was ridiculous. Yeah...
**1/2 out of ****
It would have fared better on Lifetime than on the big screen, but it is still a decent movie. It is melodramatic and seems to be filled with overly dramatic situations for pretty much all the characters. Morgan Freeman's showdown with the bear was ridiculous. Yeah...
**1/2 out of ****
Monday, July 16, 2007
Oh Yippy Ki Yay Mother...
JFK(dir. Oliver Stone)
In Roger Ebert's Great Movies entry for this film, he talks about how the film might be factually wrong, but in terms of the emotions of the time and even now towards the assassination of JFK, it rings true. I don't entirely buy this because as a film, it seems like first and foremost, it tries to sell you the idea that these people were responsibe for JFK's death even though it is factually untrue. He could, however, have made the film as Ebert says about the emotions towards the incident, but do you really need to accuse real people for crimes and activities they did not commit to make a film that is about these emotions? I don't think so. The film's best quality is that it makes you believe there is more surrounding to the incident even if the conspiracy it presents is not entirely factually correct. I'm fine with that notion that the filmmaker realized it was fictional and wanted to make a film that made people think about the incident and question authority, but a lot of viewers accept most movies that are based on true events, stories or whatever for face value and don't question it. I'm fine with it's message to question and search for the truth, but shouldn't you also question the questioning? The film is also a tad too preachy especially with Garrison's last speech, which screams Oscar reel footage if Kevin Costner was ever nominated for his performance in this . Stone isn't a very subtle and seems to take after most Hollywood directors who hit you over the head with messages, which some could view as a bad or good thing. In this, I feel being obvious with the message is the right way to go, but I can't shake the notion that the director is taking his film a little too seriously especially when it's as fabricated as this. I'm fine with a film like The Black Dahlia because it knows it's a fictional account of a real incident, but this film spends so much time trying to explain the details that it seems like it wants you to actually accept it's story and believe that it's true. There probably was some conspiracy surrounding the Kennedy assassination, but why present a false truth when you condemn the government and all the parties that were probably involved in this "conspiracy" for lying and presenting a false truth? It seems contradictory to use an art form like cinema that is basically based on lies and fabrications and using it to attack a party for lying and besmudging the truth. But I guess the government influences our lives much more than any film could.
*** out of ****
Die Hard 2: Die Harder(dir. Renny Harlin)
Bruce Willis screaming + Exploding snowmobile = Awesome action movie.
***1/2 out of ****
In Roger Ebert's Great Movies entry for this film, he talks about how the film might be factually wrong, but in terms of the emotions of the time and even now towards the assassination of JFK, it rings true. I don't entirely buy this because as a film, it seems like first and foremost, it tries to sell you the idea that these people were responsibe for JFK's death even though it is factually untrue. He could, however, have made the film as Ebert says about the emotions towards the incident, but do you really need to accuse real people for crimes and activities they did not commit to make a film that is about these emotions? I don't think so. The film's best quality is that it makes you believe there is more surrounding to the incident even if the conspiracy it presents is not entirely factually correct. I'm fine with that notion that the filmmaker realized it was fictional and wanted to make a film that made people think about the incident and question authority, but a lot of viewers accept most movies that are based on true events, stories or whatever for face value and don't question it. I'm fine with it's message to question and search for the truth, but shouldn't you also question the questioning? The film is also a tad too preachy especially with Garrison's last speech, which screams Oscar reel footage if Kevin Costner was ever nominated for his performance in this . Stone isn't a very subtle and seems to take after most Hollywood directors who hit you over the head with messages, which some could view as a bad or good thing. In this, I feel being obvious with the message is the right way to go, but I can't shake the notion that the director is taking his film a little too seriously especially when it's as fabricated as this. I'm fine with a film like The Black Dahlia because it knows it's a fictional account of a real incident, but this film spends so much time trying to explain the details that it seems like it wants you to actually accept it's story and believe that it's true. There probably was some conspiracy surrounding the Kennedy assassination, but why present a false truth when you condemn the government and all the parties that were probably involved in this "conspiracy" for lying and presenting a false truth? It seems contradictory to use an art form like cinema that is basically based on lies and fabrications and using it to attack a party for lying and besmudging the truth. But I guess the government influences our lives much more than any film could.
*** out of ****
Die Hard 2: Die Harder(dir. Renny Harlin)
Bruce Willis screaming + Exploding snowmobile = Awesome action movie.
***1/2 out of ****
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Oh Oksana...
Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire Too(dir. Su Friedrich & Janet Baus)
Her worst film I've seen to date probably due to the fact she co-directed it and it probably was a documentary for TV. It has a real sterile and impersonal feel to it unlike her other films which feel incredibly personal and intimate like an entry in a diary or journal. The film's best moments are the interviews with individuals on the street about what they think the Lesbian Avengers are. Some are comical. Others are almost frightening to the degree of how uncomfortable they are about talking about anything concerning lesbians. It is much easier to accept what the Lesbian Avengers are trying to do with these interviews even though the biggest problem I had with the film is their approach. They seem to use tactics to make people so uncomfortable that they have to pretty much succumb to what they demand. That's not a horrible way to get the job done, but I feel that it is just going to make matters worse. All the members of the Lesbian Avengers that are interviewed seem to talk constantly about how they're lesbian and proud, which isn't a horrible thing, but I feel as a viewer I never come to relate to any of these people because they seem to define themselves by their sexuality and that's pretty much it. I'm sure these people have personalities and lives of their own, but you can't really tell with this film. Their marchs are almost the stereotype of "Gay Pride Parade" and the fact that some women take their tops off and start dancing around, while I'm not against it, just seems ridiculous and makes me the viewer uncomfortable and I'm not even there in person to experience this public display of nudity. When it reaches the point where you hear a woman recite a poem about her vagina and her lover's vagina, which was obviously influenced by The Vagina Monologues, you realize that they need to stop trying to personify vaginas and start personifying their cause. The Civil Rights movement of the 60's was successful mainly due to the cause having leaders who had strong personalites allowing individuals to put a human face to the cause. This film was thought-provoking even it was for the wrong reasons, which makes it still worthy of watching.
**1/2 out of ****
Flushed Away(dir. David Bowers and Sam Fell)
A relatively fun and light movie. I'll probably forget about it in a couple of days, but it's still better than most non-Pixar computer animated films.
**1/2 out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
How do I describe this experience? Soul crushing? Maybe. Heart-breaking? Definately. It's a painful experience not in terms of how bad or idiotic the film is, but due to the events that occur. It's easy to see how some reviewers question what the point of the film was? What is the point of all this suffering? You could argue it is to show the viewers human trafficking and how a young girl can be lured into it. But I don't know, it seems too powerful a film to have such an "important" objective as exposing issues with society that audiences might not know about. In All Movie Guide's review, it says Dancer in the Dark is a good companion piece, which makes perfect sense because Dancer in the Dark could be viewed equally depressing while this film feels much more natural and damaging. Dancer in the Dark's material is melodramatic and while this is too, you give into it. At least, I did and this film scarred me even when I already knew everything that was going to happen due to someone "spoiling" the film in a message board I scimmed. There are flaws with the film. It definately aims to depress the hell out of you and I was able to fight off it's attempts to depress me and think about the film relatively objectively throughout most of the experience. Why does her mother leave her? One review said she's a mail order bride, which would explain it, but you still don't really understand why she would so freely abadon her child especially how the actress portrays her. She cries with her daughter as she's leaving, but doesn't seem to put up a fight. The girl turning to prostitution even though she could go to Social Services seem rather strange because if I was in that situation, I would gladly give myself up to Social Services instead of degrading myself in order to live on my own. The girl probably would much rather be with her friend and on her own than with Social Services so I guess it's not that much of a stretch. Some reviewers and individuals have talked about how the girl is basically an idiot and all the events that happen are pretty much her fault. One reviewer viciously said he understands how a mother can abadon her because she's such a "brat." I don't know. You have to be pretty heartless to hate this girl, but I had a similar experience with Thirteen probably due to the fact that the actress that played the character that the audience was supposed to sympathize with annoyed the fuck out of me and the whole peer pressure excuse for doing things that you don't want to just seems utterly ridiculous when you can easily avoid them. This film's protagonist who is played amazingly by a young Russian actress named Oskana Akinshina is in a situation where there really is no escape at least in the last parts. She is living by herself and she needs money so prostitution seems like a viable option so it makes sense, but the girl in Thirteen seems not to be enjoying taking drugs and seducing boys and just does it out of peer pressure. The girl in this film doesn't prostitute herself out of peer pressure, but as a way to survive and when she sniffs glue, she seems to actually enjoy it. The actress is amazing. Her smile is so infectious and brings innocence to a film that is in definate need of it after all the shit you experience. The film damaged me. Scarred me. I felt relatively emotionally unaffected until the end, which is probably the most devastating thing I've ever seen just due to the innocent viewpoint of the protagonist and the bleak outcome to her story. Some could easily write off the angelic images as ridiculous and sentimental, but there's something heart-breaking about a girl thinking of Heaven in such a simple and naive way. I could argue that the film might not work perfectly on intellectual grounds and that's the argument that some reviewers seem to take to bash the film. All I can say is that it effected me so deeply that I didn't even realize it was possible for a film to make me feel this way and to me, that makes this film a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Part 2 of A Personal Journal with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies(dir. Martin Scorsese & Michael Henry Wilson)
Informative to a point. You could find better educational material online and could just use the list of movie connections on IMDb and pretty much look all the movies and get even more information. He doesn't seem to spend a lot of time on one particular picture long enough to give the audience a sense of that film's artistic innovation or whatever. That has to be due to the massive nature of trying to sum up the history of American cinema in a couple hours or so and have it feel extensive. The best part was seeing movies that I have never heard of or have heard of and wanting to see them. Seeing directors like Andre De Toth and Fritz Lang talking about cinema was definately a treat for me. I'm probably not going to check out the other parts mainly due to the relatively uninformative nature of the film, but it's still probably worth watching if you catch it on TV like I did.
*** out of ****
Her worst film I've seen to date probably due to the fact she co-directed it and it probably was a documentary for TV. It has a real sterile and impersonal feel to it unlike her other films which feel incredibly personal and intimate like an entry in a diary or journal. The film's best moments are the interviews with individuals on the street about what they think the Lesbian Avengers are. Some are comical. Others are almost frightening to the degree of how uncomfortable they are about talking about anything concerning lesbians. It is much easier to accept what the Lesbian Avengers are trying to do with these interviews even though the biggest problem I had with the film is their approach. They seem to use tactics to make people so uncomfortable that they have to pretty much succumb to what they demand. That's not a horrible way to get the job done, but I feel that it is just going to make matters worse. All the members of the Lesbian Avengers that are interviewed seem to talk constantly about how they're lesbian and proud, which isn't a horrible thing, but I feel as a viewer I never come to relate to any of these people because they seem to define themselves by their sexuality and that's pretty much it. I'm sure these people have personalities and lives of their own, but you can't really tell with this film. Their marchs are almost the stereotype of "Gay Pride Parade" and the fact that some women take their tops off and start dancing around, while I'm not against it, just seems ridiculous and makes me the viewer uncomfortable and I'm not even there in person to experience this public display of nudity. When it reaches the point where you hear a woman recite a poem about her vagina and her lover's vagina, which was obviously influenced by The Vagina Monologues, you realize that they need to stop trying to personify vaginas and start personifying their cause. The Civil Rights movement of the 60's was successful mainly due to the cause having leaders who had strong personalites allowing individuals to put a human face to the cause. This film was thought-provoking even it was for the wrong reasons, which makes it still worthy of watching.
**1/2 out of ****
Flushed Away(dir. David Bowers and Sam Fell)
A relatively fun and light movie. I'll probably forget about it in a couple of days, but it's still better than most non-Pixar computer animated films.
**1/2 out of ****
Lilya 4-Ever(dir. Lukas Moodysson)
How do I describe this experience? Soul crushing? Maybe. Heart-breaking? Definately. It's a painful experience not in terms of how bad or idiotic the film is, but due to the events that occur. It's easy to see how some reviewers question what the point of the film was? What is the point of all this suffering? You could argue it is to show the viewers human trafficking and how a young girl can be lured into it. But I don't know, it seems too powerful a film to have such an "important" objective as exposing issues with society that audiences might not know about. In All Movie Guide's review, it says Dancer in the Dark is a good companion piece, which makes perfect sense because Dancer in the Dark could be viewed equally depressing while this film feels much more natural and damaging. Dancer in the Dark's material is melodramatic and while this is too, you give into it. At least, I did and this film scarred me even when I already knew everything that was going to happen due to someone "spoiling" the film in a message board I scimmed. There are flaws with the film. It definately aims to depress the hell out of you and I was able to fight off it's attempts to depress me and think about the film relatively objectively throughout most of the experience. Why does her mother leave her? One review said she's a mail order bride, which would explain it, but you still don't really understand why she would so freely abadon her child especially how the actress portrays her. She cries with her daughter as she's leaving, but doesn't seem to put up a fight. The girl turning to prostitution even though she could go to Social Services seem rather strange because if I was in that situation, I would gladly give myself up to Social Services instead of degrading myself in order to live on my own. The girl probably would much rather be with her friend and on her own than with Social Services so I guess it's not that much of a stretch. Some reviewers and individuals have talked about how the girl is basically an idiot and all the events that happen are pretty much her fault. One reviewer viciously said he understands how a mother can abadon her because she's such a "brat." I don't know. You have to be pretty heartless to hate this girl, but I had a similar experience with Thirteen probably due to the fact that the actress that played the character that the audience was supposed to sympathize with annoyed the fuck out of me and the whole peer pressure excuse for doing things that you don't want to just seems utterly ridiculous when you can easily avoid them. This film's protagonist who is played amazingly by a young Russian actress named Oskana Akinshina is in a situation where there really is no escape at least in the last parts. She is living by herself and she needs money so prostitution seems like a viable option so it makes sense, but the girl in Thirteen seems not to be enjoying taking drugs and seducing boys and just does it out of peer pressure. The girl in this film doesn't prostitute herself out of peer pressure, but as a way to survive and when she sniffs glue, she seems to actually enjoy it. The actress is amazing. Her smile is so infectious and brings innocence to a film that is in definate need of it after all the shit you experience. The film damaged me. Scarred me. I felt relatively emotionally unaffected until the end, which is probably the most devastating thing I've ever seen just due to the innocent viewpoint of the protagonist and the bleak outcome to her story. Some could easily write off the angelic images as ridiculous and sentimental, but there's something heart-breaking about a girl thinking of Heaven in such a simple and naive way. I could argue that the film might not work perfectly on intellectual grounds and that's the argument that some reviewers seem to take to bash the film. All I can say is that it effected me so deeply that I didn't even realize it was possible for a film to make me feel this way and to me, that makes this film a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Part 2 of A Personal Journal with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies(dir. Martin Scorsese & Michael Henry Wilson)
Informative to a point. You could find better educational material online and could just use the list of movie connections on IMDb and pretty much look all the movies and get even more information. He doesn't seem to spend a lot of time on one particular picture long enough to give the audience a sense of that film's artistic innovation or whatever. That has to be due to the massive nature of trying to sum up the history of American cinema in a couple hours or so and have it feel extensive. The best part was seeing movies that I have never heard of or have heard of and wanting to see them. Seeing directors like Andre De Toth and Fritz Lang talking about cinema was definately a treat for me. I'm probably not going to check out the other parts mainly due to the relatively uninformative nature of the film, but it's still probably worth watching if you catch it on TV like I did.
*** out of ****
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Oh Dracula...
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula(dir. William Beaudine)
I actually thought this film worked. Sure, the whole concept is ridiculous, but somehow combining a horror movie with a typical Western setting isn't the worst idea in the world. John Carradine's Dracula was easily the most interesting character. All the other characters were faily lame and boring, but it works just because of how flamboyant Dracula seemed made him seem queer among the simple-minded townfolk. Some moments were laughable, but that just added to the sense of fun. A really fun movie.
***1/2 out of ****
I actually thought this film worked. Sure, the whole concept is ridiculous, but somehow combining a horror movie with a typical Western setting isn't the worst idea in the world. John Carradine's Dracula was easily the most interesting character. All the other characters were faily lame and boring, but it works just because of how flamboyant Dracula seemed made him seem queer among the simple-minded townfolk. Some moments were laughable, but that just added to the sense of fun. A really fun movie.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, July 13, 2007
Oh Randy Scott...
Man in the Saddle(dir. Andre De Toth)
Charlie the crazy Mexican dude was a great character. Some scenes are imaginative like the pitch black shootout and the fight that causes a house to collapse. The film's biggest problem is that it felt it was doing too much with the story, which is a good thing and a bad thing because it makes the film feel a little overstuft. Good.
*** out of ****
Carson City(dir. Andre De Toth)
Slighty dull, but still entertaining enough to recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Stranger Wore a Gun(dir. Andre De Toth)
Same as above. Lee Marvin is UNDERUSED.
**1/2 out of ****
The Spoilers(dir. Ray Enright)
Dull and not entertaining enough to recommend. The conflict doesn't even feel like a conflict and isn't the least bit compelling. There is no chemistry between Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. The attempts at humor using racial stereotypes was a little much especially the scene where Cherry's maid(?) thinks John Wayne in black face is a black man and starts coming on to him.
** out of ****
Charlie the crazy Mexican dude was a great character. Some scenes are imaginative like the pitch black shootout and the fight that causes a house to collapse. The film's biggest problem is that it felt it was doing too much with the story, which is a good thing and a bad thing because it makes the film feel a little overstuft. Good.
*** out of ****
Carson City(dir. Andre De Toth)
Slighty dull, but still entertaining enough to recommend.
**1/2 out of ****
The Stranger Wore a Gun(dir. Andre De Toth)
Same as above. Lee Marvin is UNDERUSED.
**1/2 out of ****
The Spoilers(dir. Ray Enright)
Dull and not entertaining enough to recommend. The conflict doesn't even feel like a conflict and isn't the least bit compelling. There is no chemistry between Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. The attempts at humor using racial stereotypes was a little much especially the scene where Cherry's maid(?) thinks John Wayne in black face is a black man and starts coming on to him.
** out of ****
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Oh Haji and Su...
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!(dir. Russ Meyer)
Is this a masterpiece of exploitation and cult cinema? Sort of. It is certainly a lot of fun and has some aspects that are definately trashy like the outfits the protagonists wear and the whole story around the father. I just felt it didn't quite meet the title of "trash" masterpiece as most viewers have touted the film to be. Some of the dialogue is actually quite ingenius in a campy sort of way, but most of the main actress's line deliveries were just shouting and kind of irritating. Even though, I know I shouldn't take the performances that seriously, I still feel that her performance is weak compared to other actresses. A fun-filled romp. Good for the whole family. Put this on the next DVD case.
***1/2 out of ****
The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
Another masterpiece. There are some aspects that are a little shaky like when she tries to compare the police handling of a feminine protest she attended to Nazi Germany, but I can understand her intentions in terms of trying to get the audience to comprehend how the Nazis were able to take power and how her mother and other Germans handled it. Germans that lived through the experience must have a certain sense of guilt just like their sons and grandsons probably do as well. An intelligent film that actually explores it's subject matter on a much more personal level than some Hollywood drivel like Schindler's List.
**** out of ****
Is this a masterpiece of exploitation and cult cinema? Sort of. It is certainly a lot of fun and has some aspects that are definately trashy like the outfits the protagonists wear and the whole story around the father. I just felt it didn't quite meet the title of "trash" masterpiece as most viewers have touted the film to be. Some of the dialogue is actually quite ingenius in a campy sort of way, but most of the main actress's line deliveries were just shouting and kind of irritating. Even though, I know I shouldn't take the performances that seriously, I still feel that her performance is weak compared to other actresses. A fun-filled romp. Good for the whole family. Put this on the next DVD case.
***1/2 out of ****
The Ties That Bind(dir. Su Friedrich)
Another masterpiece. There are some aspects that are a little shaky like when she tries to compare the police handling of a feminine protest she attended to Nazi Germany, but I can understand her intentions in terms of trying to get the audience to comprehend how the Nazis were able to take power and how her mother and other Germans handled it. Germans that lived through the experience must have a certain sense of guilt just like their sons and grandsons probably do as well. An intelligent film that actually explores it's subject matter on a much more personal level than some Hollywood drivel like Schindler's List.
**** out of ****
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Oh Samantha...
Morvern Callar(dir. Lynne Ramsay)
I can't really describe my experience with this film. Disaffected throughout most of it. It was strange and haunting and challenging to get into. It was easy to watch it and be amazed by the film's rhtyhm and images, but it all relied on the character. I got into it near the end when Morvern is by herself and you're able to take her in without all the noise and music distracting you. The end is rather oblique and is kind of frustrating. I might have to watch this again, but it definately makes me want to see Ratcatcher.
***1/2 out of ****
I can't really describe my experience with this film. Disaffected throughout most of it. It was strange and haunting and challenging to get into. It was easy to watch it and be amazed by the film's rhtyhm and images, but it all relied on the character. I got into it near the end when Morvern is by herself and you're able to take her in without all the noise and music distracting you. The end is rather oblique and is kind of frustrating. I might have to watch this again, but it definately makes me want to see Ratcatcher.
***1/2 out of ****
Monday, July 09, 2007
Oh Christina Ricci...
Black Snake Moan(dir. Craig Brewer)
This was a moving experience, but when I started to think about the film afterwards, I was wondering why did it move me? The film feels false. The end brings up the question of whether Rae's "sickness" is truly cured. I don't really understand how a man could teach a woman about self-worth while she is chained to his radiater. There is a certain irony to the whole film and if the director would have indulged in this irony and pointed out that redemption is not as easy as coming across a wise black man and is a long and maybe even painful process. Sure, the characters show pain and are very emotional during their "life-chaging" process, but it all seems false. The whole idea of Rae's "sickness" being described as a "sickness" just seems utterly ridiculous. The film works when it comes down to the other relationships like Rae and Ronnie's and Lazarus and the pharmacist's. For that, the film works, but I wished the film would have not played it as straight-faced as it does especially with the end that is attached to the final product. When I think about the film, it starts to show that is an almost fatally flawed film.
**1/2 out of ****
This was a moving experience, but when I started to think about the film afterwards, I was wondering why did it move me? The film feels false. The end brings up the question of whether Rae's "sickness" is truly cured. I don't really understand how a man could teach a woman about self-worth while she is chained to his radiater. There is a certain irony to the whole film and if the director would have indulged in this irony and pointed out that redemption is not as easy as coming across a wise black man and is a long and maybe even painful process. Sure, the characters show pain and are very emotional during their "life-chaging" process, but it all seems false. The whole idea of Rae's "sickness" being described as a "sickness" just seems utterly ridiculous. The film works when it comes down to the other relationships like Rae and Ronnie's and Lazarus and the pharmacist's. For that, the film works, but I wished the film would have not played it as straight-faced as it does especially with the end that is attached to the final product. When I think about the film, it starts to show that is an almost fatally flawed film.
**1/2 out of ****
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Oh Poison...
D.O.A.(dir. Rudolph Mate)
It was exciting stuff. The basic concept is kind of gimmicky and ridiculous, but when the film picks up, you don't really think about it. The beginning kind of dragged even though most reviews talk about how amazing it is.
***1/2 out of ****
It was exciting stuff. The basic concept is kind of gimmicky and ridiculous, but when the film picks up, you don't really think about it. The beginning kind of dragged even though most reviews talk about how amazing it is.
***1/2 out of ****
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Oh Marky Mark...
Shooter(dir. Antoine Fuqua)
A rather dull action drama. Mark Wahlberg's is quite boring in comparision to an action hero like John McClane. There's really no sense of fun to the action and the drama isn't that compelling. The protagonist never feels endangered at any point to really create a compelling experience.
** out of ***
Dogville(dir. Lars von Trier)
This viewing experience was quite unpleasant due to the actions that happen on screen to the protagonist and the actions the protagonist intiate. Grace's change of heart is bewildering and puzzling probably due to how Nicole Kidman plays her. Her reasoning seems relatively logical, but the way she acts seems to contradict and make her change of heart feel contrived and unnatural. Her actions create a thematic richness. The final moments of the film could be von Trier critiquing America for milking 9/11 and using it as a rationale for going to Iraq. America switching roles from victim to victimizer much like Grace. The images during the credits show poor people who have been oppressed by society. The actions the characters inflict on Grace is oppression and it's not very faltering. This could be von Trier critiquing America for not looking out for the welfare of the poor since all the characters are all selfish and never think of the emotional damage they are causing Grace. The town itself is oppressed since it is alone and secluded. Grace allows the town to free their frustrations and oppress some other being. With all this thematic richness, you would expect an equal amount of emotional richness, but it doesn't. Or it did until Grace's final actions since Grace is the only sympathetic character in the film and then she becomes as dog-like as the other characters. Her actions are more justified, but they still feel off-putting and out of place. It all comes down to Kidman's performance and I feel if she handled the character's final moments better, this would have been really good or even great, but as it is, it gets
*** out of ****
A rather dull action drama. Mark Wahlberg's is quite boring in comparision to an action hero like John McClane. There's really no sense of fun to the action and the drama isn't that compelling. The protagonist never feels endangered at any point to really create a compelling experience.
** out of ***
Dogville(dir. Lars von Trier)
This viewing experience was quite unpleasant due to the actions that happen on screen to the protagonist and the actions the protagonist intiate. Grace's change of heart is bewildering and puzzling probably due to how Nicole Kidman plays her. Her reasoning seems relatively logical, but the way she acts seems to contradict and make her change of heart feel contrived and unnatural. Her actions create a thematic richness. The final moments of the film could be von Trier critiquing America for milking 9/11 and using it as a rationale for going to Iraq. America switching roles from victim to victimizer much like Grace. The images during the credits show poor people who have been oppressed by society. The actions the characters inflict on Grace is oppression and it's not very faltering. This could be von Trier critiquing America for not looking out for the welfare of the poor since all the characters are all selfish and never think of the emotional damage they are causing Grace. The town itself is oppressed since it is alone and secluded. Grace allows the town to free their frustrations and oppress some other being. With all this thematic richness, you would expect an equal amount of emotional richness, but it doesn't. Or it did until Grace's final actions since Grace is the only sympathetic character in the film and then she becomes as dog-like as the other characters. Her actions are more justified, but they still feel off-putting and out of place. It all comes down to Kidman's performance and I feel if she handled the character's final moments better, this would have been really good or even great, but as it is, it gets
*** out of ****
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Oh Frank White...
King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)
A celebration of violence and smut? You bet. It's easy to see how some people might not like it since it's morality is kind of twisted and bizarre, but I believe that's what makes it such a compelling film. Individuals looking for a straight-faced crime drama will probably be disappointed because this plays more like a John Woo movie than a Martin Scorsese one. Frank White is an utterly interesting character due to his contradictory nature. He wants to help people, but in order for him to do that, he has to kill some and sell some drugs to raise money to help them. Robin Hood selling crack? You bet. He's not a heroic character. You connect with him for just being himself. He claims what he does is to raise money for a hospital, but is it really? To me, it seems like an excuse for him to partake in violent and immoral acts. When he starts killing cops, you feel it was justified, but when you think about it some more, you start questioning his behavior and rationale. It's thought-provoking action cinema.
***1/2 out of ****
A celebration of violence and smut? You bet. It's easy to see how some people might not like it since it's morality is kind of twisted and bizarre, but I believe that's what makes it such a compelling film. Individuals looking for a straight-faced crime drama will probably be disappointed because this plays more like a John Woo movie than a Martin Scorsese one. Frank White is an utterly interesting character due to his contradictory nature. He wants to help people, but in order for him to do that, he has to kill some and sell some drugs to raise money to help them. Robin Hood selling crack? You bet. He's not a heroic character. You connect with him for just being himself. He claims what he does is to raise money for a hospital, but is it really? To me, it seems like an excuse for him to partake in violent and immoral acts. When he starts killing cops, you feel it was justified, but when you think about it some more, you start questioning his behavior and rationale. It's thought-provoking action cinema.
***1/2 out of ****
Oh Forest...
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Le Samourai mixed with Branded to Kill and directed by Jim Jarmusch has masterpiece written all over it, but it never fulfills that potential. If the movie was more focused on Forest and didn't have the other moments that focused on the gangsters, this would have been really good or great, but as it is, it's some uneven masterpiece. Ghost Dog performs his job with such skill that Melville would be proud, but Jarmusch's view of the criminal underworld is less flattering. I understand that's the point to show this super intense guy kicking ass compared to these dumb gangsters, but the characters are alittle too over the top. There are some moments that are forgiveable like a gangster singing along to Flava Flav. Another viewing might convince me that it's not just an uneven masterpiece, but a bonafide masterpiece. For now it gets
*** out of ****
Letters from Iwo Jima(dir. Clint Eastwood)
A much better film than Flags of Our Fathers, but it also shares some of that film's heavy-handed trappings. I enjoyed this film's unsentimental look at war to ritual suicide with grenades and the killing of prisoners of war. There is a certain bleak madness to it, but hope glimmers beneath the surface. Some moments seem to be designed to manipulate audience's emotions like Nichi giving all the medicine to an American soldier and ending up getting wounded. Most of the soldier's flashbacks were clearly designed to create some tears. The gimmick of going back to the present time to show the letters from Iwo Jima was pretty ridiculous, but the biggest flaw this film had had to deal with Ken Watanbe's favoritism of the main character. It seems utterly appalling and ridiculous to me that a man of authority would allow a soldier to not partake in a battle because he has a wife and kids. Sure, that seems reasonable, but we never see Ken Watanbe's character ask any of the other soldiers if they had a family. This film had some sublime moments and some cringe-inducing moments.
*** out of ****
Le Samourai mixed with Branded to Kill and directed by Jim Jarmusch has masterpiece written all over it, but it never fulfills that potential. If the movie was more focused on Forest and didn't have the other moments that focused on the gangsters, this would have been really good or great, but as it is, it's some uneven masterpiece. Ghost Dog performs his job with such skill that Melville would be proud, but Jarmusch's view of the criminal underworld is less flattering. I understand that's the point to show this super intense guy kicking ass compared to these dumb gangsters, but the characters are alittle too over the top. There are some moments that are forgiveable like a gangster singing along to Flava Flav. Another viewing might convince me that it's not just an uneven masterpiece, but a bonafide masterpiece. For now it gets
*** out of ****
Letters from Iwo Jima(dir. Clint Eastwood)
A much better film than Flags of Our Fathers, but it also shares some of that film's heavy-handed trappings. I enjoyed this film's unsentimental look at war to ritual suicide with grenades and the killing of prisoners of war. There is a certain bleak madness to it, but hope glimmers beneath the surface. Some moments seem to be designed to manipulate audience's emotions like Nichi giving all the medicine to an American soldier and ending up getting wounded. Most of the soldier's flashbacks were clearly designed to create some tears. The gimmick of going back to the present time to show the letters from Iwo Jima was pretty ridiculous, but the biggest flaw this film had had to deal with Ken Watanbe's favoritism of the main character. It seems utterly appalling and ridiculous to me that a man of authority would allow a soldier to not partake in a battle because he has a wife and kids. Sure, that seems reasonable, but we never see Ken Watanbe's character ask any of the other soldiers if they had a family. This film had some sublime moments and some cringe-inducing moments.
*** out of ****
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Oh Terence...
The Limey(dir. Steven Soderbergh)
It feels like an interesting experiment not reaching it's full potential. Most of the conversations are intercut with future or past conversations creating a sense of unity that is strange and bewildering. The film never dwells on the supporting characters that much adding a sense of mystery and paranoia. The film's biggest problem is that it feels it is attempting to be Point Blank, but doesn't have Lee Marvin to add emotional weight to a fairly sadistic man. Point Blank has a sense of humor about it's story, which deals with a man who (almost?) singlehandlely takes down a syndicate for a lousy $60,000. Lee Marvin's Walker's mission had some reasoning since he is bent on revenge for being betrayed by his wife and best friend in a robbery. Terence Stamp's Wilson, however, doesn't have a clear drive. Sure, his daughter died and he wants to find out more, but he seems so bent on the idea that Peter Fonda's character killed her that he fantasizes about killing him in front of a room full of guests. There is a certain sadism to his character that is compelling, but leaves the viewer feeling distant from him. The best scene in the film is when he goes back into a garage and shoots three men in daylight. The shootings are never shown and is quite chilling. The ending brings you closer to the character, but Point Blank is a better movie that has a similar story and themes. This movie was still really good.
***1/2 out of ****
It feels like an interesting experiment not reaching it's full potential. Most of the conversations are intercut with future or past conversations creating a sense of unity that is strange and bewildering. The film never dwells on the supporting characters that much adding a sense of mystery and paranoia. The film's biggest problem is that it feels it is attempting to be Point Blank, but doesn't have Lee Marvin to add emotional weight to a fairly sadistic man. Point Blank has a sense of humor about it's story, which deals with a man who (almost?) singlehandlely takes down a syndicate for a lousy $60,000. Lee Marvin's Walker's mission had some reasoning since he is bent on revenge for being betrayed by his wife and best friend in a robbery. Terence Stamp's Wilson, however, doesn't have a clear drive. Sure, his daughter died and he wants to find out more, but he seems so bent on the idea that Peter Fonda's character killed her that he fantasizes about killing him in front of a room full of guests. There is a certain sadism to his character that is compelling, but leaves the viewer feeling distant from him. The best scene in the film is when he goes back into a garage and shoots three men in daylight. The shootings are never shown and is quite chilling. The ending brings you closer to the character, but Point Blank is a better movie that has a similar story and themes. This movie was still really good.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, June 29, 2007
Oh Yippy Kay Yay Mother...
Live Free or Die Hard(dir. Len Wiseman)
I don't understand why more action movies aren't getting made and released. This film feels neutured. The blood and gore is rather restrainted while explosions are left and right. The most ridiculously entertaining part was the fight between John and the woman. I wish there were more scenes like that. The parts with no action kind of drag and the antagonist isn't very threatening. These are minor flaws compared to the censoring of John's signature one-liner: yippy kay yay motherfucker. That is unforgiveable because that's such a staple of the series and is usually the pay off to all these outlandish action scenes. I have to give it credit for going over the top with some of the scenes. The bloodless deaths just kind of took me out of the experience and most of the action scenes are cartoonish so it is hard to feel suspensful even though they were ridiculously entertaining. It was definately a fun, but flawed film.
*** out of ****
I don't understand why more action movies aren't getting made and released. This film feels neutured. The blood and gore is rather restrainted while explosions are left and right. The most ridiculously entertaining part was the fight between John and the woman. I wish there were more scenes like that. The parts with no action kind of drag and the antagonist isn't very threatening. These are minor flaws compared to the censoring of John's signature one-liner: yippy kay yay motherfucker. That is unforgiveable because that's such a staple of the series and is usually the pay off to all these outlandish action scenes. I have to give it credit for going over the top with some of the scenes. The bloodless deaths just kind of took me out of the experience and most of the action scenes are cartoonish so it is hard to feel suspensful even though they were ridiculously entertaining. It was definately a fun, but flawed film.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Oh Dangle...
Reno 911!: Miami[Unrated](dir. Ben Garant)
I'm not a huge fan of the show. There are some bits that are funny, but the whole mockumentary angle has been overused and not that funny or original anymore. The one thing that the TV series has an edge on this movie is that there are few moments of politically incorrect humor dealing with race, religion, or whatever. This film was amusing. It's hard to defend it because a lot of the jokes fall flat, but the ending put a smile on my face. That's probably because Terry is the funniest part of the show and seeing Paul Reubens as his dad was extremely amusing. The masturbation scene is ridiculous to the max and the star cameos were quite amusing like seeing The Rock blow himself up with his own nade and Paul Rudd doing a horrible Tony Montana impression. The first 60 minutes or so would have made a sub-par episode, but the last 20 minutes or so would have made an amazing episode.
**1/2 out of ****
25th Hour(dir. Spike Lee)
Before the club, the movie was really good. After, it turned into this pity party. I understand that the character's reactions to Monty's situation is supposed to be fueled by 9/11, but it felt alittle over dramatic. Sure, the guy is going away for 7 years, but there's something puzzling about a father willing to drive his son out west and never see him again in order for him to be free for those 7 years. It is almost touching because of the sacrifice and love the father displays, but it would make more sense if the son had a much longer sentence. When the film takes place in the club, it starts to drag and decline in quality. There is something that goes missing from the film. Probably the sense of doom and gloom that is found in the pessimistic conversation between Frank and Jake in Frank's apartment. The film seems to place a lot of focus on who ratted out Monty. It almost tries to play it off as the thing that propelled the story, but it doesn't get a lot of focus until the person is pointed out. I could probably stomach the over dramatic quality the film has if it was shot in a similar way to Do the Right Thing with overly bright colors. I understand the film is shot in a grim way because it is supposed to be a reaction to 9/11, but I can't help that the film's presentation is trying to make the film seem more low-key than it really is.
*** out of ****
I'm not a huge fan of the show. There are some bits that are funny, but the whole mockumentary angle has been overused and not that funny or original anymore. The one thing that the TV series has an edge on this movie is that there are few moments of politically incorrect humor dealing with race, religion, or whatever. This film was amusing. It's hard to defend it because a lot of the jokes fall flat, but the ending put a smile on my face. That's probably because Terry is the funniest part of the show and seeing Paul Reubens as his dad was extremely amusing. The masturbation scene is ridiculous to the max and the star cameos were quite amusing like seeing The Rock blow himself up with his own nade and Paul Rudd doing a horrible Tony Montana impression. The first 60 minutes or so would have made a sub-par episode, but the last 20 minutes or so would have made an amazing episode.
**1/2 out of ****
25th Hour(dir. Spike Lee)
Before the club, the movie was really good. After, it turned into this pity party. I understand that the character's reactions to Monty's situation is supposed to be fueled by 9/11, but it felt alittle over dramatic. Sure, the guy is going away for 7 years, but there's something puzzling about a father willing to drive his son out west and never see him again in order for him to be free for those 7 years. It is almost touching because of the sacrifice and love the father displays, but it would make more sense if the son had a much longer sentence. When the film takes place in the club, it starts to drag and decline in quality. There is something that goes missing from the film. Probably the sense of doom and gloom that is found in the pessimistic conversation between Frank and Jake in Frank's apartment. The film seems to place a lot of focus on who ratted out Monty. It almost tries to play it off as the thing that propelled the story, but it doesn't get a lot of focus until the person is pointed out. I could probably stomach the over dramatic quality the film has if it was shot in a similar way to Do the Right Thing with overly bright colors. I understand the film is shot in a grim way because it is supposed to be a reaction to 9/11, but I can't help that the film's presentation is trying to make the film seem more low-key than it really is.
*** out of ****
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Oh Edie...
Trust(dir. Hal Hartley)
Edie Falco was looking good in this. The version I saw had 8 minutes missing according to IMDb, but I don't think those 8 minutes would strongly change my opinion of this movie. It's a film wrapped in artificiality with moments of "truth." These moments are much more effective because of this. The plot is melodramatic and seems almost too crazy, but the core romance is, well, romantic and quite beautiful. It's a film that doesn't depend on stereotypical ideals of romantic love unlike chick flicks to create a feeling of romance and it feels more honest and fresh because of it. It's easy to see how some people might be turned off by this film because the delivery of the lines is unusual and the conversations sound more like interrogations than conversations. The story is melodramatic, but the film's look and performances openly admit the artificiality of it unlike some other movies with melodramatic plots (Babel? Crash?). If you are able to accept these stylistic traits, you'll be easily rewarded. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Edie Falco was looking good in this. The version I saw had 8 minutes missing according to IMDb, but I don't think those 8 minutes would strongly change my opinion of this movie. It's a film wrapped in artificiality with moments of "truth." These moments are much more effective because of this. The plot is melodramatic and seems almost too crazy, but the core romance is, well, romantic and quite beautiful. It's a film that doesn't depend on stereotypical ideals of romantic love unlike chick flicks to create a feeling of romance and it feels more honest and fresh because of it. It's easy to see how some people might be turned off by this film because the delivery of the lines is unusual and the conversations sound more like interrogations than conversations. The story is melodramatic, but the film's look and performances openly admit the artificiality of it unlike some other movies with melodramatic plots (Babel? Crash?). If you are able to accept these stylistic traits, you'll be easily rewarded. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Monday, June 25, 2007
Oh Richard Dreyfuss...
Jaws(dir. Steven Spielberg)
This movie was amazingly bland. The characters were bland. The cinematography was fairly bland. Even the shark attacks were bland except for Quinn's. The acting was laughable at some points. The most amusing part was the guy in the boat saying, "Hey fellas" and then quickly getting eaten. I know this film is historically significant in terms of cinematic history, but does that automatically make it a great movie or even a good one? I don't think so and most point out that it created this whole blockbuster mentality that still plagues cinema to this day. Is that a good thing? It is unfair to blaim Jaws or even Star Wars for that, I would probably say blame the directors that became so full of theirselves and decided to make these huge budget movies that nobody wanted to see and nobody really enjoyed. I don't know. I guess I should see Popeye and Heaven's Gate before blaming them entirely.
** out of ****
This movie was amazingly bland. The characters were bland. The cinematography was fairly bland. Even the shark attacks were bland except for Quinn's. The acting was laughable at some points. The most amusing part was the guy in the boat saying, "Hey fellas" and then quickly getting eaten. I know this film is historically significant in terms of cinematic history, but does that automatically make it a great movie or even a good one? I don't think so and most point out that it created this whole blockbuster mentality that still plagues cinema to this day. Is that a good thing? It is unfair to blaim Jaws or even Star Wars for that, I would probably say blame the directors that became so full of theirselves and decided to make these huge budget movies that nobody wanted to see and nobody really enjoyed. I don't know. I guess I should see Popeye and Heaven's Gate before blaming them entirely.
** out of ****
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Oh Su...
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[rewatch]
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[2nd rewatch]
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[3rd rewatch]
I feel the portion at the hotel and the romance between Inez and Anthony is the best part of the movie, but when you come to accept Dignan as he is, the 2nd half doesn't feel as disappointing. The 2nd half never felt horrible by any means, but you start to miss the whimsical nature of the portion set at the hotel. Much like Taxi Driver, this film relies on your acceptance of the character for ultimate enjoyment. Maybe Rushmore is the same and maybe I should rewatch that film again down the line.
***1/2 out of ****
Munich(dir. Steven Spielberg)
Spielberg's most mature "mature" film? Probably. It doesn't try to entertain or offer a fairly sentimental view on a historical event, which makes it one of his best works. The running time seems quite excessive especially during the middle portion of it and it seems to hammer the message that killing doesn't solve anything. Holds up suprisingly well as a rewatch.
*** out of ****
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow(dev. Konami)
The film is addictive at first but quickly becomes tiresome. The whole soul collection aspect of the game seems like it would be addicting and a lot of fun, but you'll quickly realize that most of the souls are useless and you should stick to a handful of souls. The level design is surprisingly bland for a Castlevania game. Playing Julius mode quickly reminded me of how much better the pre-SOTN Castlevania games were mainly due to the relatively the fast-paced nature and focus on action. Now the series's focus is on collection of items and exploring. The boss fights are the best part of this game mainly due to the old-school nature of the battles, which force you to remember patterns and exploit weaknesses.
*** out of ****
Elite Beat Agents(dev. Inis?)
I haven't completed the game so my opinion might change, but right now, this game is charming and hilarious. The cut-scenes are ridiculous and the premise is genius and alittle insane. The humor might wear off on me and the game might not seem as enticing as it did, but this game is easily one of the best rhythm-based games I've played due to it's challenging and brief nature of it's songs. The one thing that struck me as particularly frustrating with a game like Guitar Hero is that you could easily mess up halfway through a relatively long song. This game never becomes frustrating because the songs last for only a couple of minutes and the cut-scenes add an incentive to keep going and complete the songs. Best DS game I've played so far.
**** out of ****
There Will Be Blood Teaser Trailer
Don't usually review trailers, but this one is easily one of the best I've seen just because it offers a sense of possibility that most trailers and teaser trailers wish they were able to offer. You get a real sense that this film could do anything and could possibly be the greatest film on the face of the planet. It's unusual nature with it's soundtrack and Daniel Day Lewis's(sic?) menacing voice over adds a sense of dread and evil to the picture. The images shown are both beautiful and haunting. Some have said the film gives off a Terrence Malick vibe, which is easy to see due to the voice over narration and beautiful cinematography, but Malick never provides the sense of horror and ugliness that this trailer provides. I can't wait to see this.
**** out of ****
Damned if You Don't(dir. Su Friedrich)
Excruciating and compelling? This type of personal film-making could easily not resonate with some people. It almost plays like a diary entry. Maybe not as much as the next film being reviewed, but yeah. The deconstruction of Black Narcissus in the beginning seemed relatively pretentious until the ending occurs. The ending redeems all the boredom and ennui that this viewer felt during the experience. The film deals with the sexual longing that a Catholic upbringing can create. Most Catholic teachings tell you that sex is bad unless married. This film offers the argument that sex should be viewed as ultimately spiritual thing. There is a sense of release you feel at the end mainly due to the repressive nature the film has before it. You also feel that the nun character feels spiritual enlightenment due to giving into her temptations. It's hard not to be hot and bothered by the ending being a heterosexual male, but it is ultimately cathartic and outstanding on more than a sexual level.
**** out of ****
Rules of the Road(dir. Su Friedrich)
A sense of longing is felt in this picture as well, but more of a romantic kind than a strictly sexual kind. Plays like a love letter for cars and a therapy session for the filmmaker. The ending much like the film above is cathartic and offers a sense of release. It might not be as artistically successful as the film above, but it makes up with it's amusing combination of love songs and images of station wagons in various scenes.
**** out of ****
First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
Then comes marriage? The film is quite ambigious at first and plays like a mixture of Frederick Wiseman and Kenneth Anger(think Matrimony Rising) with it's stark documentary footage and use of a pop soundtrack. The film has a fairly romantic view of marriage which makes perfect sense given the film's message. The filmmaker calls for a legalization of homosexual marriage and thankfully, the filmmaker doesn't decide to offer this message in an allegorical fashion. It is upfront and literally written out for the audience. The list of countries that do not provide legal homosexual marriage is amazingly drawn out and provides a valid argument for the film's cause. The only footage is of weddings and with the use of love songs, becomes something beautiful and sacred that it almost changes my opinion on marriage and weddings. If a film forces me to question my beliefs, it obviously is a great one.
**** out of ****
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[2nd rewatch]
*** out of ****
Bottle Rocket(dir. Wes Anderson)[3rd rewatch]
I feel the portion at the hotel and the romance between Inez and Anthony is the best part of the movie, but when you come to accept Dignan as he is, the 2nd half doesn't feel as disappointing. The 2nd half never felt horrible by any means, but you start to miss the whimsical nature of the portion set at the hotel. Much like Taxi Driver, this film relies on your acceptance of the character for ultimate enjoyment. Maybe Rushmore is the same and maybe I should rewatch that film again down the line.
***1/2 out of ****
Munich(dir. Steven Spielberg)
Spielberg's most mature "mature" film? Probably. It doesn't try to entertain or offer a fairly sentimental view on a historical event, which makes it one of his best works. The running time seems quite excessive especially during the middle portion of it and it seems to hammer the message that killing doesn't solve anything. Holds up suprisingly well as a rewatch.
*** out of ****
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow(dev. Konami)
The film is addictive at first but quickly becomes tiresome. The whole soul collection aspect of the game seems like it would be addicting and a lot of fun, but you'll quickly realize that most of the souls are useless and you should stick to a handful of souls. The level design is surprisingly bland for a Castlevania game. Playing Julius mode quickly reminded me of how much better the pre-SOTN Castlevania games were mainly due to the relatively the fast-paced nature and focus on action. Now the series's focus is on collection of items and exploring. The boss fights are the best part of this game mainly due to the old-school nature of the battles, which force you to remember patterns and exploit weaknesses.
*** out of ****
Elite Beat Agents(dev. Inis?)
I haven't completed the game so my opinion might change, but right now, this game is charming and hilarious. The cut-scenes are ridiculous and the premise is genius and alittle insane. The humor might wear off on me and the game might not seem as enticing as it did, but this game is easily one of the best rhythm-based games I've played due to it's challenging and brief nature of it's songs. The one thing that struck me as particularly frustrating with a game like Guitar Hero is that you could easily mess up halfway through a relatively long song. This game never becomes frustrating because the songs last for only a couple of minutes and the cut-scenes add an incentive to keep going and complete the songs. Best DS game I've played so far.
**** out of ****
There Will Be Blood Teaser Trailer
Don't usually review trailers, but this one is easily one of the best I've seen just because it offers a sense of possibility that most trailers and teaser trailers wish they were able to offer. You get a real sense that this film could do anything and could possibly be the greatest film on the face of the planet. It's unusual nature with it's soundtrack and Daniel Day Lewis's(sic?) menacing voice over adds a sense of dread and evil to the picture. The images shown are both beautiful and haunting. Some have said the film gives off a Terrence Malick vibe, which is easy to see due to the voice over narration and beautiful cinematography, but Malick never provides the sense of horror and ugliness that this trailer provides. I can't wait to see this.
**** out of ****
Damned if You Don't(dir. Su Friedrich)
Excruciating and compelling? This type of personal film-making could easily not resonate with some people. It almost plays like a diary entry. Maybe not as much as the next film being reviewed, but yeah. The deconstruction of Black Narcissus in the beginning seemed relatively pretentious until the ending occurs. The ending redeems all the boredom and ennui that this viewer felt during the experience. The film deals with the sexual longing that a Catholic upbringing can create. Most Catholic teachings tell you that sex is bad unless married. This film offers the argument that sex should be viewed as ultimately spiritual thing. There is a sense of release you feel at the end mainly due to the repressive nature the film has before it. You also feel that the nun character feels spiritual enlightenment due to giving into her temptations. It's hard not to be hot and bothered by the ending being a heterosexual male, but it is ultimately cathartic and outstanding on more than a sexual level.
**** out of ****
Rules of the Road(dir. Su Friedrich)
A sense of longing is felt in this picture as well, but more of a romantic kind than a strictly sexual kind. Plays like a love letter for cars and a therapy session for the filmmaker. The ending much like the film above is cathartic and offers a sense of release. It might not be as artistically successful as the film above, but it makes up with it's amusing combination of love songs and images of station wagons in various scenes.
**** out of ****
First Comes Love(dir. Su Friedrich)
Then comes marriage? The film is quite ambigious at first and plays like a mixture of Frederick Wiseman and Kenneth Anger(think Matrimony Rising) with it's stark documentary footage and use of a pop soundtrack. The film has a fairly romantic view of marriage which makes perfect sense given the film's message. The filmmaker calls for a legalization of homosexual marriage and thankfully, the filmmaker doesn't decide to offer this message in an allegorical fashion. It is upfront and literally written out for the audience. The list of countries that do not provide legal homosexual marriage is amazingly drawn out and provides a valid argument for the film's cause. The only footage is of weddings and with the use of love songs, becomes something beautiful and sacred that it almost changes my opinion on marriage and weddings. If a film forces me to question my beliefs, it obviously is a great one.
**** out of ****
Friday, June 15, 2007
Oh George...
Ocean's Eleven(dir. Steven Soderbergh)
One word: FUN. Some of the attempts at humor fall flat, but it is still a highly enjoyable film.
***1/2 out of ****
One word: FUN. Some of the attempts at humor fall flat, but it is still a highly enjoyable film.
***1/2 out of ****
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Oh William...
Network(dir. Sidney Lumet)
First hour was grand. Second hour not so much. Mostly due to the fact that the satire becomes just as extreme as Howard's banter on his show. It's got the passion of a fire and brimstone preacher, but it also got the mind of a schizophrenic screaming it's head off about how the apocalypse is coming. While I'm not a huge fan of television, I can't help, but feel that this film's hatred toward that medium and how it even can be deadly is preposterous. This is almost the equivalent of Jack Thompson's crusade against violent videogames that he claims to be conditioning and training children to become killers. This is clearly a creation of a group of men that don't understand the medium of television so they decide to create this fiery sermon about the evils of it. They do hit some points of criticism that stick like Faye Dunaway's character's affair with William Holden's Max. Easily, the most effective part of the film simply because it's so tragic and serene, but this turns into a crazed rant about television much like the rest of the film. William Holden's performance, however, lends a sense of gravity to this story to keep it from spiraling out of control. He loves her, but she doesn't love him because she was raised on television and he was raised on life. There's a depressing quality to Max telling her, "I want you to love me." A cry from the writer that is out of touch with a society that is in love with television. This should have been the focus point of the film not Howard or even the network. This is supposedly Paul Thomas Anderson's favorite movie. In the making of documentary about Magnolia, he even shows it to the cast and crew. It is easy to see why since Magnolia has a similar "message", but concerning the movies. His film is far more subtle and you care for pretty much all the characters(except for maybe Stanley since I felt he was contrived). While Howard, you can't really care for him. You admire him for his passion, but you can't help to think that he is too extreme much like this film. The end was probably aiming to be tragic, but it registers with a thud. Howard is so out of a touch that he almost seems to be living on a totally different plane of existence so what happens to him isn't as tragic as it could have been. A flawed, but still good film.
*** out of ****
First hour was grand. Second hour not so much. Mostly due to the fact that the satire becomes just as extreme as Howard's banter on his show. It's got the passion of a fire and brimstone preacher, but it also got the mind of a schizophrenic screaming it's head off about how the apocalypse is coming. While I'm not a huge fan of television, I can't help, but feel that this film's hatred toward that medium and how it even can be deadly is preposterous. This is almost the equivalent of Jack Thompson's crusade against violent videogames that he claims to be conditioning and training children to become killers. This is clearly a creation of a group of men that don't understand the medium of television so they decide to create this fiery sermon about the evils of it. They do hit some points of criticism that stick like Faye Dunaway's character's affair with William Holden's Max. Easily, the most effective part of the film simply because it's so tragic and serene, but this turns into a crazed rant about television much like the rest of the film. William Holden's performance, however, lends a sense of gravity to this story to keep it from spiraling out of control. He loves her, but she doesn't love him because she was raised on television and he was raised on life. There's a depressing quality to Max telling her, "I want you to love me." A cry from the writer that is out of touch with a society that is in love with television. This should have been the focus point of the film not Howard or even the network. This is supposedly Paul Thomas Anderson's favorite movie. In the making of documentary about Magnolia, he even shows it to the cast and crew. It is easy to see why since Magnolia has a similar "message", but concerning the movies. His film is far more subtle and you care for pretty much all the characters(except for maybe Stanley since I felt he was contrived). While Howard, you can't really care for him. You admire him for his passion, but you can't help to think that he is too extreme much like this film. The end was probably aiming to be tragic, but it registers with a thud. Howard is so out of a touch that he almost seems to be living on a totally different plane of existence so what happens to him isn't as tragic as it could have been. A flawed, but still good film.
*** out of ****
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Oh Marisa...
In the Bedroom(dir. Todd Field)
The first hour and 20 minutes are practically perfect. After that, not so much. It still remains good, but I can't help shake the notion that it took a dive in quality, which is disappointing. When it becomes a thriller near the end, the shift feels iffy. I guess you can say it has some of the same problems as Dancer in the Dark in that the material is good at first and gradually gets worse, but unlike that film, you never feel the actions on screen are implausible. It it is still kind of unsatisfying. Good movie.
*** out of ****
The first hour and 20 minutes are practically perfect. After that, not so much. It still remains good, but I can't help shake the notion that it took a dive in quality, which is disappointing. When it becomes a thriller near the end, the shift feels iffy. I guess you can say it has some of the same problems as Dancer in the Dark in that the material is good at first and gradually gets worse, but unlike that film, you never feel the actions on screen are implausible. It it is still kind of unsatisfying. Good movie.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Oh Faires?...
Pan's Labyrinth(dir. Guillermo Del Toro)
Don't believe the hype? You better believe it. It's not a bad movie by any means, but the amount of praise it received is puzzling. The film is fairly shallow and superficial. I think of it as a cross pollination between Dancer in the Dark and Star Wars. The morality is as shallow as you can possibly get with Vidal being evil and sadistic and the rebels being the guys the audience is supposed to be rooting for. The scenes in the fantasy world and real world don't connect very well. The film almost feels like two seperate movies instead of an organic whole. The fantasy world also doesn't feel like an escape for the little girl due to it's sense of danger and horror. Why escape a real world that is brutal and cruel to a world of your imagination almost as brutal and cruel? The use of a historical backdrop is frustrating because it makes no commentary on these historical events other than a stereotypical "fascism is bad." The ending was moving because it hinted at a spirituality that was lacking from the film that it would have greatly benefited from. I feel like I would have been less harsh towards this film if it wasn't for the amount of praise it has received. It annoys me that this film is the #1 rated film on Metacritic with Killer of Sheep, which is probably the most beautiful and poetic film I have ever seen in my entire life, taking the #2 spot. Overrated, but still decent.
**1/2 out of ****
Don't believe the hype? You better believe it. It's not a bad movie by any means, but the amount of praise it received is puzzling. The film is fairly shallow and superficial. I think of it as a cross pollination between Dancer in the Dark and Star Wars. The morality is as shallow as you can possibly get with Vidal being evil and sadistic and the rebels being the guys the audience is supposed to be rooting for. The scenes in the fantasy world and real world don't connect very well. The film almost feels like two seperate movies instead of an organic whole. The fantasy world also doesn't feel like an escape for the little girl due to it's sense of danger and horror. Why escape a real world that is brutal and cruel to a world of your imagination almost as brutal and cruel? The use of a historical backdrop is frustrating because it makes no commentary on these historical events other than a stereotypical "fascism is bad." The ending was moving because it hinted at a spirituality that was lacking from the film that it would have greatly benefited from. I feel like I would have been less harsh towards this film if it wasn't for the amount of praise it has received. It annoys me that this film is the #1 rated film on Metacritic with Killer of Sheep, which is probably the most beautiful and poetic film I have ever seen in my entire life, taking the #2 spot. Overrated, but still decent.
**1/2 out of ****
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Monday, June 04, 2007
Oh Bogie Again...
The Barefoot Contessa(dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
The best aspect of this film is that it takes it's material seriously even though it should be taking it not so seriously. The worst aspect of this film is that it thinks it is a representation of life, when it clearly is not. The story is as artificial as you can get. A woman becomes a movie star then the expensive plaything of a South American millionaire then the Cinderella to an Italian count. The count's confession to his new bride is amusing just because of the dialogue and the straight-faced delivery of it. The ending is about as trashy as you can get. Another film called Duel in the Sun also had trashy material, but unlike the material in this film, was amusing by itself and didn't have to depend on a straight-faced delivery. The more I think about that particular film, the more I think it's a masterpiece mainly due to the fact it had moments of true beauty and it was wildly excessive in terms of acting and cinematography to match the overblown and trashy nature of it's script. This film, however, is just an amazingly amusing directing miscalculation.
*** out of ****
The best aspect of this film is that it takes it's material seriously even though it should be taking it not so seriously. The worst aspect of this film is that it thinks it is a representation of life, when it clearly is not. The story is as artificial as you can get. A woman becomes a movie star then the expensive plaything of a South American millionaire then the Cinderella to an Italian count. The count's confession to his new bride is amusing just because of the dialogue and the straight-faced delivery of it. The ending is about as trashy as you can get. Another film called Duel in the Sun also had trashy material, but unlike the material in this film, was amusing by itself and didn't have to depend on a straight-faced delivery. The more I think about that particular film, the more I think it's a masterpiece mainly due to the fact it had moments of true beauty and it was wildly excessive in terms of acting and cinematography to match the overblown and trashy nature of it's script. This film, however, is just an amazingly amusing directing miscalculation.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Oh Yellow!...
Gunstar Super Heroes(dev. Treasure)
This was a fun game. The story was unnecessary and the bosses were ripped straight out of the original Gunstar Heroes. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
***1/2 out of ****
This was a fun game. The story was unnecessary and the bosses were ripped straight out of the original Gunstar Heroes. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
***1/2 out of ****
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Oh Bjork...
Dancer in the Dark(dir. Lars von Trier)
The directing for this movie is good, but the material sucks. The whole central event that sets everything in motion seems something out of a bad TV movie. Her stubborness to not reveal Bill's secret is frustrating and makes absolutely no sense? Why would you keep your promise to someone if they betray you? Especially in the situation she's in? Bjork's performance would have been heart-wrenching in a better film. Peter Stormare's performance is probably the one that got me the most because the love he displays to Selma. That part of the plot is quite effective and quite depressing. Her relationship with the prison guard was quite touching as well. The musical parts seemed to go on alittle too long, but that's how I feel about a lot of the musicals I've seen. They are a breath of fresh air from the bleak reality of the film. I was really loving this movie when she broke out in the song when the train rides by. I wished it retained that level of brilliance. Too bad. It's still decent mainly due to the performances and von Trier's directing.
**1/2 out of ****
The directing for this movie is good, but the material sucks. The whole central event that sets everything in motion seems something out of a bad TV movie. Her stubborness to not reveal Bill's secret is frustrating and makes absolutely no sense? Why would you keep your promise to someone if they betray you? Especially in the situation she's in? Bjork's performance would have been heart-wrenching in a better film. Peter Stormare's performance is probably the one that got me the most because the love he displays to Selma. That part of the plot is quite effective and quite depressing. Her relationship with the prison guard was quite touching as well. The musical parts seemed to go on alittle too long, but that's how I feel about a lot of the musicals I've seen. They are a breath of fresh air from the bleak reality of the film. I was really loving this movie when she broke out in the song when the train rides by. I wished it retained that level of brilliance. Too bad. It's still decent mainly due to the performances and von Trier's directing.
**1/2 out of ****
Monday, May 28, 2007
Oh Kate...
Little Children(dir. Todd Field)
It was a very visceral experience and I'm still trying to come up with an intrepretation that makes sense of it all. The film's greatest point is that it points out the phoniness not in just some of the character's actions on screen, but also the phoniness that is inherent of cinema. This is most obvious in a couple of scenes especially the whole ending segment and the narrator. The narrator delivers his lines in such a tongue in cheek way and most of his lines are pretty much bold faced lies. He describes Kate Winslet's character as "boyish" in a dry objective tone. Many critics have criticized this point because they most likely find Winslet attractive. I would definately not call her "boyish", but I would also not call her a "knockout." The narrator also describes a football game in the usual dry and objective tone that makes the whole scene seem like a satire of all those movies about football that try to inspire its audience with stories of perserverance(sic?) and hardship. It is easy to poke fun at this scene cuz these men are grown men living in suburbia playing football and taking it alittle too seriously. The narrator's false lines comes heavily in play at the end. You could pretty much say the film explodes in a similar way as a film like Magnolia explodes. The melodrama and emotion is set extremely high. The stories are "resolved." I say "resolved" mainly because you realize that nothing is truly "resolved" especially for Ronnie. How do we know everything is "resolved?" The narrator tells us. The characters' conflicts could not be resolved in such a short amount of time and could possibly never be resolved. The scenes that show the characters acting on their desires are probably the most disturbing in the bunch, but in a sense, liberating except Ronnie's concluding his date by masturbating. You could say the scene is exploitative, but it is easy to see why Field kept it in the film. If that scene was not in the film, his character would seem harmless and misunderstood. The scene where Ronnie goes to the pool for a swim is also a scene pointing out cinema's phoniness. Slant Magazine compares the scene to Jaws, which makes perfect sense. The tension is high during this scene, but why? It is broad daylight and parents are all around the pool. Could Ronnie possibly abduct a child or do something possibly worse? The only scene that rings false and not false in the way that these other scenes do is Kate Winslet's character showing up at Brad's game to root for him and the make-out sesh afterwards. The whole scene seems to undermine Winslet's character's intelligence and just seems absurd. Other than that, this movie is great.
**** out of ****
It was a very visceral experience and I'm still trying to come up with an intrepretation that makes sense of it all. The film's greatest point is that it points out the phoniness not in just some of the character's actions on screen, but also the phoniness that is inherent of cinema. This is most obvious in a couple of scenes especially the whole ending segment and the narrator. The narrator delivers his lines in such a tongue in cheek way and most of his lines are pretty much bold faced lies. He describes Kate Winslet's character as "boyish" in a dry objective tone. Many critics have criticized this point because they most likely find Winslet attractive. I would definately not call her "boyish", but I would also not call her a "knockout." The narrator also describes a football game in the usual dry and objective tone that makes the whole scene seem like a satire of all those movies about football that try to inspire its audience with stories of perserverance(sic?) and hardship. It is easy to poke fun at this scene cuz these men are grown men living in suburbia playing football and taking it alittle too seriously. The narrator's false lines comes heavily in play at the end. You could pretty much say the film explodes in a similar way as a film like Magnolia explodes. The melodrama and emotion is set extremely high. The stories are "resolved." I say "resolved" mainly because you realize that nothing is truly "resolved" especially for Ronnie. How do we know everything is "resolved?" The narrator tells us. The characters' conflicts could not be resolved in such a short amount of time and could possibly never be resolved. The scenes that show the characters acting on their desires are probably the most disturbing in the bunch, but in a sense, liberating except Ronnie's concluding his date by masturbating. You could say the scene is exploitative, but it is easy to see why Field kept it in the film. If that scene was not in the film, his character would seem harmless and misunderstood. The scene where Ronnie goes to the pool for a swim is also a scene pointing out cinema's phoniness. Slant Magazine compares the scene to Jaws, which makes perfect sense. The tension is high during this scene, but why? It is broad daylight and parents are all around the pool. Could Ronnie possibly abduct a child or do something possibly worse? The only scene that rings false and not false in the way that these other scenes do is Kate Winslet's character showing up at Brad's game to root for him and the make-out sesh afterwards. The whole scene seems to undermine Winslet's character's intelligence and just seems absurd. Other than that, this movie is great.
**** out of ****
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Oh Denzel?...
Deja Vu(dir. Tony Scott)
Preposterous and cheesy. Got kind of exciting near the end and ended perdictably. Denzel's wierd facial expressions were gold. It was OK.
** out of ****
Preposterous and cheesy. Got kind of exciting near the end and ended perdictably. Denzel's wierd facial expressions were gold. It was OK.
** out of ****
Friday, May 25, 2007
Oh Bogie...
In a Lonely Place(dir. Nicholas Ray)
I feel this is Bogart's best performance. He seems better suited to a weathered cynical bastard then an "attractive" cynical bastard. One of the problems with The Big Sleep and one of the most interesting parts about it is how pretty much all the women in the film threw themselves at Bogart, who is definately not the most attractive guy around. Went on for too long. It's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
I feel this is Bogart's best performance. He seems better suited to a weathered cynical bastard then an "attractive" cynical bastard. One of the problems with The Big Sleep and one of the most interesting parts about it is how pretty much all the women in the film threw themselves at Bogart, who is definately not the most attractive guy around. Went on for too long. It's a masterpiece.
**** out of ****
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Oh Jingfan Hu...
Springtime in a Small Town(dir. Tian Zhuangzhuang)
A lovely movie. The two actresses easily steal the show. The scene where Liyan dresses his wife's hand wound is unbelievably beautiful. It is a tad too long and some scenes drag, but it is amazing nonetheless.
**** out of ****
A lovely movie. The two actresses easily steal the show. The scene where Liyan dresses his wife's hand wound is unbelievably beautiful. It is a tad too long and some scenes drag, but it is amazing nonetheless.
**** out of ****
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Oh Maborosi...
Maborosi(dir. Hirokazu Koreeda)
I really enjoy non-narrative films like these. I absolutely adored All About Lily Chou-Chou until the last half hour or so of the film. This film has a very mysterious quality to it that makes it particularly intriguing, but when it loses its mysteriousness in some scenes, it becomes a little too obvious. The scenes are when her friend that takes care of the kids and cleans her house asks why did her husband kill himself and her in the end asking why did he kill himself. I don't know. Her at the end kind of demystified the experience because you go through the whole film without really knowing how she feels about her husband's death, which allows you to create your intrepretation of what she is thinking and feeling. Still a really good movie.
***1/2 out of ****
I really enjoy non-narrative films like these. I absolutely adored All About Lily Chou-Chou until the last half hour or so of the film. This film has a very mysterious quality to it that makes it particularly intriguing, but when it loses its mysteriousness in some scenes, it becomes a little too obvious. The scenes are when her friend that takes care of the kids and cleans her house asks why did her husband kill himself and her in the end asking why did he kill himself. I don't know. Her at the end kind of demystified the experience because you go through the whole film without really knowing how she feels about her husband's death, which allows you to create your intrepretation of what she is thinking and feeling. Still a really good movie.
***1/2 out of ****
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Oh Quentin...
Reservoir Dogs(dir. Quentin Tarantino)
What impressed me in Jr. High, now looks immature and dated. His dialogue sounds like something a teenager would write to impress his friends. It could be that this film isn't in a hyper sylized world like his other films that could be the problem, but still all the violence just comes off as disgusting and unentertaining. The scene with Mr. Pink running away from the job was actually exciting, but the scenes in the warehouse, which is the majority of the movie, are dull and uninteresting.
** out of ****
What impressed me in Jr. High, now looks immature and dated. His dialogue sounds like something a teenager would write to impress his friends. It could be that this film isn't in a hyper sylized world like his other films that could be the problem, but still all the violence just comes off as disgusting and unentertaining. The scene with Mr. Pink running away from the job was actually exciting, but the scenes in the warehouse, which is the majority of the movie, are dull and uninteresting.
** out of ****
Monday, May 07, 2007
Oh James...
Spider-man 3(dir. Sam Raimi)
It was a mess and it's attempts at camp just come off as silly and unentertaining. There were moments like Harry and MJ cooking an omelette that made me crack a smile, but the rest of it was surpisingly boring. James Franco was the best part. It was dumb.
** out of ****
It was a mess and it's attempts at camp just come off as silly and unentertaining. There were moments like Harry and MJ cooking an omelette that made me crack a smile, but the rest of it was surpisingly boring. James Franco was the best part. It was dumb.
** out of ****
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Oh David Jaffe...
I accidentally double-posted my review for Bobby so I decided to talk about David Jaffe's response to the reviews to Calling All Cars!, which looks pretty fun to me. Biggest problem with his "review of reviews" is that he thinks the Gamespot review is unfair because they criticized the game's single-player not be longer. Jaffe's defense is that the game was not intended to be a single-player, but to be a party game for friends to talk trash onto eachother. I guess that is fine, but lack of content in a $10 game is a problem. Only 4 maps. OK. I can understand the single-player being short and if there was a ton of content for multiplayer having the score seem unfair, but only 4 maps? That is pretty shitty in terms of multiplayer. I could easily understand if the game was only $5, but $10 can get you a full fledged PC game. Hell, you could buy Age of Mythology or Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth for that amount of money. The game still looks really good to me because I'm a big Twisted Metal nut and it reminds me of that and it especially reminds me of Rogue Trip. The responses to his blog post are even worse with people saying Gamespot suxxxx and that they're basically a piece of shit. I have a ton of respect for sites like Gamespot because they can be harsh where all the other sites are not so when a game gets a good review from them, usually that means it's an actual good game unlike IGN's extremely high scores to games that were hyped to the X-treme. I also know that not all their reviews are right. Their reviews after all and your opinion should really come into play when you're playing a game. Jet Moto is a perfect example. Best racer on PS1 and they gave it a 6 or maybe even lower. They also gave the NES TMNT a 2.7, which seems harsh. I also have the same problem with Slant Magazine. They give out a lot of bad reviews for a lot of movies, but when they do give a good review, it seems to me more meaningful than some other film criticism site. Yeah... Long POST.
Oh Emilio...
Bobby(dir. Emilio Estevez)
Dull and boring. It picks up at the end when RFK comes into the picture through the use of documentary footage, but Emilio milks his assassination to build sympathy for his characters. His characters are his own creation while RFK was a real human being. Some moments were just flat-out bad to the point that it was almost painful to watch like the scene where Laurence Fishburne(sp?) tells Freddy Rodriguez that he is a king and the whole acid trip with Asthon Kutcher. I have to say the whole acid storyline was actually entertaining, but in the context of the film, it is trying to be historically accurate with a very stereotypical idea that a lot of people were dropping acid in the '60s. I was also annoyed by the constant referencing to movies at the time in the beginning like The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde. It was bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Dull and boring. It picks up at the end when RFK comes into the picture through the use of documentary footage, but Emilio milks his assassination to build sympathy for his characters. His characters are his own creation while RFK was a real human being. Some moments were just flat-out bad to the point that it was almost painful to watch like the scene where Laurence Fishburne(sp?) tells Freddy Rodriguez that he is a king and the whole acid trip with Asthon Kutcher. I have to say the whole acid storyline was actually entertaining, but in the context of the film, it is trying to be historically accurate with a very stereotypical idea that a lot of people were dropping acid in the '60s. I was also annoyed by the constant referencing to movies at the time in the beginning like The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde. It was bad.
*1/2 out of ****
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Oh Iran...
Color of Paradise(dir. Majid Majidi)
I really liked it, but some of the techniques seemed unnecessary like the use of slow motion in some scenes and all the music used for dramatic effect. The little girls were adorable.
***1/2 out of ****
I really liked it, but some of the techniques seemed unnecessary like the use of slow motion in some scenes and all the music used for dramatic effect. The little girls were adorable.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, April 20, 2007
Oh Feeny...
The Graduate(dir. Mike Nichols)
I was really liking it for the first hour or so, but the last 45 minutes is built on such a filmsy foundation, that it is easy to see how it falters. Ben and Elaine went on one date. Maybe they went on more than one date, but to my knowledge, it seemed like they only went on one date. How do you fall in love with someone so badly to go through all the stuff Ben goes through from one date? Sure, it seemed like a real nice date after the whole strip club incident, but still. The whole idea that she thought he raped her mother and she didn't think to report to the authorties, even though the story is false, is insulting. The soundtrack is nice at first, but it became increasingly repetitive just played one or two songs over and over. The ending made me LOL. It was just completely ridiculous to see him tackle some people at a wedding and start swinging around a golden cross to keep them away. No wonder why Wayne's World 2 parodied it. You also grow to dislike Ben while the movie goes along. He goes to Berkley and basically terrorizes Elaine the whole time. The whole relationship after the first date and the fact that she took him back while he was basically annoying the hell out of her was unbelievable. Feeny and Mr. Roeper were in it, so that's always a plus. The first hour was really good and the final 45 minutes had some moments, but was pretty awful.
** out of ****
I was really liking it for the first hour or so, but the last 45 minutes is built on such a filmsy foundation, that it is easy to see how it falters. Ben and Elaine went on one date. Maybe they went on more than one date, but to my knowledge, it seemed like they only went on one date. How do you fall in love with someone so badly to go through all the stuff Ben goes through from one date? Sure, it seemed like a real nice date after the whole strip club incident, but still. The whole idea that she thought he raped her mother and she didn't think to report to the authorties, even though the story is false, is insulting. The soundtrack is nice at first, but it became increasingly repetitive just played one or two songs over and over. The ending made me LOL. It was just completely ridiculous to see him tackle some people at a wedding and start swinging around a golden cross to keep them away. No wonder why Wayne's World 2 parodied it. You also grow to dislike Ben while the movie goes along. He goes to Berkley and basically terrorizes Elaine the whole time. The whole relationship after the first date and the fact that she took him back while he was basically annoying the hell out of her was unbelievable. Feeny and Mr. Roeper were in it, so that's always a plus. The first hour was really good and the final 45 minutes had some moments, but was pretty awful.
** out of ****
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Oh Klaus...
Aguirre: The Wrath of God(dir. Werner Herzog)
Amazing. I greatly admired this film from my first viewing, but I can't honestly say that I was in love with it. This movie was much better this time around maybe it had to do with the theater setting or maybe I'm just used to his style. I don't know.
**** out of ****
Amazing. I greatly admired this film from my first viewing, but I can't honestly say that I was in love with it. This movie was much better this time around maybe it had to do with the theater setting or maybe I'm just used to his style. I don't know.
**** out of ****
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Oh Marilyn...
The Asphalt Jungle(dir. John Huston)
It pales in comparsion to other capers, but still remains enjoyable. The robbery scene wasn't particularly exciting which is usually the most exciting scene in other movies. The movie seems to hit its stride after the robbery in a way. The characters other than the German Doctor and Sterling Hayden's character are given barely enough screen time to make a dent. Marilyn Monroe is probably the highlight of the movie just because she has so much screen presence. Sterling Hayden essentially plays the same character as the character from The Killing except he had more a sense of honor in that film that made him likeable. Two moments that stood out where when the German Doctor sits down and watches a girl dance to a tune on a jukebox and Sterling's character's death around the horses. I recommend it.
*** out of ****
It pales in comparsion to other capers, but still remains enjoyable. The robbery scene wasn't particularly exciting which is usually the most exciting scene in other movies. The movie seems to hit its stride after the robbery in a way. The characters other than the German Doctor and Sterling Hayden's character are given barely enough screen time to make a dent. Marilyn Monroe is probably the highlight of the movie just because she has so much screen presence. Sterling Hayden essentially plays the same character as the character from The Killing except he had more a sense of honor in that film that made him likeable. Two moments that stood out where when the German Doctor sits down and watches a girl dance to a tune on a jukebox and Sterling's character's death around the horses. I recommend it.
*** out of ****
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Oh Kirk...
Ace in the Hole(dir. Billy Wilder)
A film noir with a conscience? A review I read just a couple of seconds ago talks about how the character's transformation seems clunky and contrived. I can easily see how someone can feel that way, but in my opinion, the picture wouldn't have had any impact if he had no conscience. He thought he had control of the situation, but when he starts to realize that he doesn't have control of the complete situation, he starts looking like a human being. One of the most delicate moments in the film comes from a family that we follow throughout the film. They have come to see all the hoopla about Leo being caved in. You naturally despise them since people like them are what propel Chuck to do what he does, but there's a moment after Leo dies, that is just so moving and you see these people aren't stupid for participating in this media circus, they're just human beings. The wife cries and it struck me in a very emotional way. I almost started to cry such a beautiful moment in cinema. Such a moment frustrates me because the ending played off as some sort of sick joke. I still highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
A film noir with a conscience? A review I read just a couple of seconds ago talks about how the character's transformation seems clunky and contrived. I can easily see how someone can feel that way, but in my opinion, the picture wouldn't have had any impact if he had no conscience. He thought he had control of the situation, but when he starts to realize that he doesn't have control of the complete situation, he starts looking like a human being. One of the most delicate moments in the film comes from a family that we follow throughout the film. They have come to see all the hoopla about Leo being caved in. You naturally despise them since people like them are what propel Chuck to do what he does, but there's a moment after Leo dies, that is just so moving and you see these people aren't stupid for participating in this media circus, they're just human beings. The wife cries and it struck me in a very emotional way. I almost started to cry such a beautiful moment in cinema. Such a moment frustrates me because the ending played off as some sort of sick joke. I still highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Friday, April 13, 2007
Oh Jennifer...
Duel in the Sun(dir. King Vidor)
I've been interested in King Vidor lately since I read an article that lumped him with John Ford and Howard Hawks. I'm sure, that nobody will say this film is his masterpiece or anything since I've read that David O. Selznick couldn't stop meddling with the picture. This is one grand epic soap opera with some scenes that are just completely ridiculous and some scenes that are just completely brilliant. The whole dispute over the train and all the men riding on horses was compelling in its grandness. The dance in town is also another moment that had me in awe over the grand scale of it. This western probably has the best production values of any western I've ever seen probably due to the fact it was one of the most expensive films of its time. Best scene in the film is actually not grand at all, but small and personal. It is between the Senator and his wife. She is dying and their relationship has been in a rut. She thinks he hates her and he professes his love to her. It such a small touching moment that could easily get lost in all the grand operatic scenes. Theres also scenes that are just laugh out loud bad like when Jennifer Jones's character wants to go with Gregory Peck's character and starts screaming and clinging to his leg to take her with him. The ending is in a way brilliant and completely presposterous. Allmovie says, "It's still good fun to watch, especially the riotous ending." I have to agree with that. Probably one of the most fascinating endings in it's sheer craziness and originality. I wouldn't say the end really works, but it still makes an interesting watch. There are moments that are just kind of dull and bland as well, but they are very uncommon. The lighting in some of the scenes are out of this world. I would label this movie as a flawed masterpiece.
***1/2 out of ****
I've been interested in King Vidor lately since I read an article that lumped him with John Ford and Howard Hawks. I'm sure, that nobody will say this film is his masterpiece or anything since I've read that David O. Selznick couldn't stop meddling with the picture. This is one grand epic soap opera with some scenes that are just completely ridiculous and some scenes that are just completely brilliant. The whole dispute over the train and all the men riding on horses was compelling in its grandness. The dance in town is also another moment that had me in awe over the grand scale of it. This western probably has the best production values of any western I've ever seen probably due to the fact it was one of the most expensive films of its time. Best scene in the film is actually not grand at all, but small and personal. It is between the Senator and his wife. She is dying and their relationship has been in a rut. She thinks he hates her and he professes his love to her. It such a small touching moment that could easily get lost in all the grand operatic scenes. Theres also scenes that are just laugh out loud bad like when Jennifer Jones's character wants to go with Gregory Peck's character and starts screaming and clinging to his leg to take her with him. The ending is in a way brilliant and completely presposterous. Allmovie says, "It's still good fun to watch, especially the riotous ending." I have to agree with that. Probably one of the most fascinating endings in it's sheer craziness and originality. I wouldn't say the end really works, but it still makes an interesting watch. There are moments that are just kind of dull and bland as well, but they are very uncommon. The lighting in some of the scenes are out of this world. I would label this movie as a flawed masterpiece.
***1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Oh Ida...
While the City Sleeps(dir. Fritz Lang)
I liked the core story concerning the mystery around who the killer is, even though we, the audience, already know since they showed him in the beginning and throughout the experience before the other characters know. I wouldn't really say that finding out his identity is the point of the movie since we know, but how the other characters find out the identity of the man. There are some subplots that are given a lot of focus within its last ten or so minutes that I wasn't particurlarly fond of, but other than those subplots, I really had no problem with the movie. Ida Lupino is easily the best part of the movie.
***1/2 out of ****
The Lady from Shanghai(dir. Orson Welles)
My DVR cut off recording it right before the end. I read the script so I know what he says in his narration at the end. I'll just assume he walks away from the amusement park narrating. His style seemed to fit with this story a lot more to me than say Citizen Kane. It is more narrative-driven while Kane is more character-driven. His acting works well with this film while with Kane, he just seemed unlikeable. All the actors play the roles at a certain intensity and the style of the film is about as intense. The scenes in the aquarium and the crazy house were pretty awesome. The guy who played George was particurlarly memorable. Rita is definately better looking than Ida, but how Ida just exudes sexiness with her performance. I loved it.
**** out of ****
I liked the core story concerning the mystery around who the killer is, even though we, the audience, already know since they showed him in the beginning and throughout the experience before the other characters know. I wouldn't really say that finding out his identity is the point of the movie since we know, but how the other characters find out the identity of the man. There are some subplots that are given a lot of focus within its last ten or so minutes that I wasn't particurlarly fond of, but other than those subplots, I really had no problem with the movie. Ida Lupino is easily the best part of the movie.
***1/2 out of ****
The Lady from Shanghai(dir. Orson Welles)
My DVR cut off recording it right before the end. I read the script so I know what he says in his narration at the end. I'll just assume he walks away from the amusement park narrating. His style seemed to fit with this story a lot more to me than say Citizen Kane. It is more narrative-driven while Kane is more character-driven. His acting works well with this film while with Kane, he just seemed unlikeable. All the actors play the roles at a certain intensity and the style of the film is about as intense. The scenes in the aquarium and the crazy house were pretty awesome. The guy who played George was particurlarly memorable. Rita is definately better looking than Ida, but how Ida just exudes sexiness with her performance. I loved it.
**** out of ****
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Oh Richard...
The Blue Gardenia(dir. Fritz Lang)
I was liking this alot until the twist near the end, but I guess you should have expected it since Richard Conte and her were becoming something of a couple, which felt really forced.
*** out of ****
I was liking this alot until the twist near the end, but I guess you should have expected it since Richard Conte and her were becoming something of a couple, which felt really forced.
*** out of ****
Monday, April 09, 2007
Oh Lee...
The Good Shepherd(dir. Robert De Niro)
It was kind of dull mainly because Matt Damon's character isn't all that interesting, but the confusing narrative added a sense of mystery to it, which made it interesting.
*** out of ****
Vive L'Amour(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
I was really really enjoying this and the end happened. It just doesn't work. I'm sure some people found it moving, but it felt extremely forced and doesn't really go well with his style or rest of the picture. Still worth seeing.
***1/2 out of ****
It was kind of dull mainly because Matt Damon's character isn't all that interesting, but the confusing narrative added a sense of mystery to it, which made it interesting.
*** out of ****
Vive L'Amour(dir. Tsai Ming-liang)
I was really really enjoying this and the end happened. It just doesn't work. I'm sure some people found it moving, but it felt extremely forced and doesn't really go well with his style or rest of the picture. Still worth seeing.
***1/2 out of ****
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Oh Will...
Pursuit of Happyness(dir. Gabriele Muccino)
It was designed in such a way to make the audience feel sorry for Will Smith's character. Some scenes were just utterly ridiculous like the scene dealing with the Rubic's cube and the rich white people in the convertible driving past a homeless shelter laughing. All the characters other than him and his son were shallow. I'll admit I was touched by the scene where he receives the news that he got the job because Will Smith plays the scene perfectly. If it wasn't for that scene, I would be giving this *1/2, but because of it, this movie gets
** out of ****
It was designed in such a way to make the audience feel sorry for Will Smith's character. Some scenes were just utterly ridiculous like the scene dealing with the Rubic's cube and the rich white people in the convertible driving past a homeless shelter laughing. All the characters other than him and his son were shallow. I'll admit I was touched by the scene where he receives the news that he got the job because Will Smith plays the scene perfectly. If it wasn't for that scene, I would be giving this *1/2, but because of it, this movie gets
** out of ****
Friday, April 06, 2007
Oh Oil...
Lessons of Darkness(dir. Werner Herzog)
Some of the most beautiful images I've ever seen. I didn't know it was possible to make fire, oil, and sand look so good. This film is like poetry for the eyes. The music of the film is very beautiful. Herzog's narration is unsettling and quite relaxing. The interviews were depressing, but opens your mind about how soldiers treat civilians in wars. The most haunting scene is when the workers blow up the oil well and it starts raining oil. That was insane. This movie is amazing. This is his best movie I've seen so far.
**** out of ****
Some of the most beautiful images I've ever seen. I didn't know it was possible to make fire, oil, and sand look so good. This film is like poetry for the eyes. The music of the film is very beautiful. Herzog's narration is unsettling and quite relaxing. The interviews were depressing, but opens your mind about how soldiers treat civilians in wars. The most haunting scene is when the workers blow up the oil well and it starts raining oil. That was insane. This movie is amazing. This is his best movie I've seen so far.
**** out of ****
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Oh Gene...
Bonnie and Clyde(dir. Arthur Penn)
One word: fun. It doesn't remain fun the whole time, but it's still pretty fun until the end.
***1/2 out of ****
One word: fun. It doesn't remain fun the whole time, but it's still pretty fun until the end.
***1/2 out of ****
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Oh "Charlie"...
The Naked Kiss(dir. Samuel Fuller)
Utterly cinematic. Great moments throughout. The scene where we find out the secret to her fiance is extremely haunting and actually handled amazingly well by Fuller, who steers to almost camp with other situations similar to this one. "Charlie" gives an especially nuanced performance. It kind of gets clunky near the end, but it still remained highly compelling.
**** out of ****
Happy Feet(dir. George Miller)
Too long. Animation shouldn't run this long because the stories are usually very simple and can't really last an almost two hour running time. It had moments that were nice and the political message was quite refreshing in an animated film. If it was shorter, it would have been way more enjoyable.
**1/2 out of ****
Utterly cinematic. Great moments throughout. The scene where we find out the secret to her fiance is extremely haunting and actually handled amazingly well by Fuller, who steers to almost camp with other situations similar to this one. "Charlie" gives an especially nuanced performance. It kind of gets clunky near the end, but it still remained highly compelling.
**** out of ****
Happy Feet(dir. George Miller)
Too long. Animation shouldn't run this long because the stories are usually very simple and can't really last an almost two hour running time. It had moments that were nice and the political message was quite refreshing in an animated film. If it was shorter, it would have been way more enjoyable.
**1/2 out of ****
Monday, April 02, 2007
Oh Some British Actor/Actress...
Wonderland(dir. Michael Winterbottom)
I was hungry and now I'm convinced that if I'm hungry, my brain doesn't function at maximum capacity and that means I won't be able to get into a movie. After I ate some food, I started getting into this. I had a similar thing with Children of Men with eating food and getting into the movie. Maybe it's only with movies with British actors. I don't know. I thought the ending was pretty much perfect in its simplicity. I'll probably rewatch it, but I don't think my opinion will change that much.
***1/2 out of ****
I was hungry and now I'm convinced that if I'm hungry, my brain doesn't function at maximum capacity and that means I won't be able to get into a movie. After I ate some food, I started getting into this. I had a similar thing with Children of Men with eating food and getting into the movie. Maybe it's only with movies with British actors. I don't know. I thought the ending was pretty much perfect in its simplicity. I'll probably rewatch it, but I don't think my opinion will change that much.
***1/2 out of ****
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Oh Clive...
Children of Men(dir. Alfonso Cuaron)
It was slow in the first hour, but had some moments of brilliance like the beginning with the building blowing up and the scene in the car. It definately picks up during its final 45-50 minutes. I think it is insane that this movie didn't win Best Cinematography just for the Steadicam work during the battle in the town alone. The illegal immigration aspect of it was interesting because I could see that possibly happening down the line. I could picture liking this even more on a second viewing, but for now it gets a
***1/2 out of ****
It was slow in the first hour, but had some moments of brilliance like the beginning with the building blowing up and the scene in the car. It definately picks up during its final 45-50 minutes. I think it is insane that this movie didn't win Best Cinematography just for the Steadicam work during the battle in the town alone. The illegal immigration aspect of it was interesting because I could see that possibly happening down the line. I could picture liking this even more on a second viewing, but for now it gets a
***1/2 out of ****
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