four out of ten
It seems all the movies I avidly awaited are one by one disappointing. Last night I watched Pride and Prejudice featuring Keira Knightley. I expected good things since I a) Loved the book b) Loved the BBC Version c) and heard raving reviews. I was terribly disappointed. I understood they'd be edited parts from the book since its only a 2 hour film but I felt I was watching it in fast forward. Everyone seemed to be acting. In the BBC Version I felt Colin Firth was Mr. Darcy, and Lizzie was truly Lizzie but here I was watching a period peice. I knew they were acting, they knew they were acting. She was ridiculously young to play Lizzie whose supposed to be around 26-28... Kate Winslet would have blown her out of the water and the only reason I can presume they picked Keira was her star power to bring in the big bucks in the box office. Perhaps I'm watching this as miniexpert on the book but I felt if someone came in with no background knowledge of the movie they'd be pretty puzzled by what was going on. All in all, way overhyped. If you want to watch a good Pride and Prejduice movie, invest 6 hours and watch the BBC version.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Brokeback Mountain
I dont know what to rate this...
I dont know if a summary is necessary for this movie since if you haven't heard of it, it can only mean you live under a rock, and if you perchance live under one, odds are you arent reading this anyhow :). I was very eager for this movie to come out on DVD and I ordered it from netflix as soon as it was available. I am not sure what I was expecting. The acting was great but there was so much I didnt understand.
Did Jack die of a flat tire or was he beaten to death for being gay? I know that Ennis said he saw a gay man laying dead on the road as a child so I wasn't sure if Ennis was just having a flashback of what he feared happened, or if it really happened?
Did Jack's parents know he was gay and accept it?
The ending just didnt give me closure, and the way they got together didn't give me a full fledged belief in it. I guess I thought they'd develop an emotional closeness that would lead ot other things, not the other way around.
Why did his wife say nothing when she saw her husband cheating on her? Why was she silent all those years, even after the divorce?
The movie ended with me feeling sort of incomplete. There was a lot more I didn't get to understand I guess.
I dont know if a summary is necessary for this movie since if you haven't heard of it, it can only mean you live under a rock, and if you perchance live under one, odds are you arent reading this anyhow :). I was very eager for this movie to come out on DVD and I ordered it from netflix as soon as it was available. I am not sure what I was expecting. The acting was great but there was so much I didnt understand.
Did Jack die of a flat tire or was he beaten to death for being gay? I know that Ennis said he saw a gay man laying dead on the road as a child so I wasn't sure if Ennis was just having a flashback of what he feared happened, or if it really happened?
Did Jack's parents know he was gay and accept it?
The ending just didnt give me closure, and the way they got together didn't give me a full fledged belief in it. I guess I thought they'd develop an emotional closeness that would lead ot other things, not the other way around.
Why did his wife say nothing when she saw her husband cheating on her? Why was she silent all those years, even after the divorce?
The movie ended with me feeling sort of incomplete. There was a lot more I didn't get to understand I guess.
Just Friends
four out of ten
Okay I thought the beginning was funny with the guy from "Two guys a girl and a pizza kitchen" in a fat suit, and I thought it was great that he ended up makign it big in hollywood, and yes there were some funny scenes. But it was dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. If you want a cheap giggle and some slapstick watch it. Personally- I'd wait till it came on TBS on a Saturday afternon when its raining and there is absolutely nothing else you could be doing instead.
Okay I thought the beginning was funny with the guy from "Two guys a girl and a pizza kitchen" in a fat suit, and I thought it was great that he ended up makign it big in hollywood, and yes there were some funny scenes. But it was dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. If you want a cheap giggle and some slapstick watch it. Personally- I'd wait till it came on TBS on a Saturday afternon when its raining and there is absolutely nothing else you could be doing instead.
Paradise Now
ten out of ten
This movie has an almost documentary feel. It follows two boys who work at an auto shop and go about their day. One of the boys is starting to like a worldly traveled daughter of a "martyr" who is back in Palestine to live. Despite the fact that they do not appear especially angry, political, or even religious in the film, when they are called to become suicide bombers they accept it with the casualness of agreeing to cover someone else's shift at work. Perhaps even more so. One boy asks if his picture will be displayed on the streets like a hero's. In the middle of his dramatic "martyr film" send off, he interrupts his solemn patriotic pledge with a shopping reminder for his mother. It shows clearly that they are they are simply that, they are boys.
I liked the editing of the film because it kept going without one checking the watch. I liked Suha's character who pointed out the error in their logic. She was born and raised in a more western culture and she tries to affect these boys and their thought process.
It's a good movie but its sad. Very sad because it portrays a real life situation. Can't help but think of Steve Earle's song, I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham will lay down their swords in peace in Jerusalem. Looking at the world today I dont know if I believe that will ever happen... but I pray for it anyways.
This movie has an almost documentary feel. It follows two boys who work at an auto shop and go about their day. One of the boys is starting to like a worldly traveled daughter of a "martyr" who is back in Palestine to live. Despite the fact that they do not appear especially angry, political, or even religious in the film, when they are called to become suicide bombers they accept it with the casualness of agreeing to cover someone else's shift at work. Perhaps even more so. One boy asks if his picture will be displayed on the streets like a hero's. In the middle of his dramatic "martyr film" send off, he interrupts his solemn patriotic pledge with a shopping reminder for his mother. It shows clearly that they are they are simply that, they are boys.
I liked the editing of the film because it kept going without one checking the watch. I liked Suha's character who pointed out the error in their logic. She was born and raised in a more western culture and she tries to affect these boys and their thought process.
It's a good movie but its sad. Very sad because it portrays a real life situation. Can't help but think of Steve Earle's song, I believe that one fine day all the children of Abraham will lay down their swords in peace in Jerusalem. Looking at the world today I dont know if I believe that will ever happen... but I pray for it anyways.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
A History of Violence
nine out of ten
A movie about violence and all the different ways we experience it...
If I were to judge the greatness of a movie by how it leaves me thinking of the story or its characters this movie is one of the best movies of the year.
warning: spoilers throughout
A movie about violence and all the different ways we experience it...
If I were to judge the greatness of a movie by how it leaves me thinking of the story or its characters this movie is one of the best movies of the year.
warning: spoilers throughout
I had no idea what this movie was about going into it and I think that is the best way to watch it so you can keep guessing to what is going on. The way the movie is directed if you watch it without knowing that Tom is Joey you see and feel the confusion of Edie his wife along with her. If you know that Tom truly is Joey there is a different perspective to the movie. My opinion is watching it first from her eyes is special because the confusion can only happen once, the second time around knowing what you know you see the Joey perspective.
This is a mob movie but not like the typical mob movie. This is a character driven rather than plot driven movie about a man who was born into the mob and did some nasty things in his day but chose to escape, change his identity and build a quiet life filled with simple pleasures and a family. "Tom" who once was "Joey" has lived his second life as long as he lived his first and life was going fine until he had the misfortune of having two evil men come into his store who, despite Tom urging them to take his money, and all efforts at peace, refused to listen. In that moment Tom does some instinctual maneuvering thanks to the "Joey" he once was and kills both would be murderers. His hero status catapults his picture onto the front page of newspapers bringing attention to his former mobsters in Philly, his former haunt who decide to come resolve unfinished business. That's when the movie gets interesting and the characters blossom.
You see the pull between Tom and his son Jack. With Jack you see his son who was raised by peaceful Tom but who still has his father's "Joey" inside of him. His son I feel represented what Joey/Tom would have been had he been born into a different family. I found the father-son connection fascinating as you saw what a peace loving child Jack was but how he had a violent side inside of him.... his father was the opposite a man who grew up in violence but was a peaceful man in his heart of hearts.
The scene between the two brothers is also powerful. If you watch it, on the dvd the director does some commentary there that sheds a great deal of depth to the scene when they sit across from one another and talk.
Things I didnt like:
The ending I felt could have been better I felt it just ENDED with no resolution.
The little girl Sarah could not act to save her life! She killed any scene she was in.
That's about it! The movie was great and I recommend it.
This is a mob movie but not like the typical mob movie. This is a character driven rather than plot driven movie about a man who was born into the mob and did some nasty things in his day but chose to escape, change his identity and build a quiet life filled with simple pleasures and a family. "Tom" who once was "Joey" has lived his second life as long as he lived his first and life was going fine until he had the misfortune of having two evil men come into his store who, despite Tom urging them to take his money, and all efforts at peace, refused to listen. In that moment Tom does some instinctual maneuvering thanks to the "Joey" he once was and kills both would be murderers. His hero status catapults his picture onto the front page of newspapers bringing attention to his former mobsters in Philly, his former haunt who decide to come resolve unfinished business. That's when the movie gets interesting and the characters blossom.
You see the pull between Tom and his son Jack. With Jack you see his son who was raised by peaceful Tom but who still has his father's "Joey" inside of him. His son I feel represented what Joey/Tom would have been had he been born into a different family. I found the father-son connection fascinating as you saw what a peace loving child Jack was but how he had a violent side inside of him.... his father was the opposite a man who grew up in violence but was a peaceful man in his heart of hearts.
The scene between the two brothers is also powerful. If you watch it, on the dvd the director does some commentary there that sheds a great deal of depth to the scene when they sit across from one another and talk.
Things I didnt like:
The ending I felt could have been better I felt it just ENDED with no resolution.
The little girl Sarah could not act to save her life! She killed any scene she was in.
That's about it! The movie was great and I recommend it.
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