Reviews
La vita è bella (1997)
Inspiring
Life is Beautiful. Not once in the movie did those words get said. And that's just another defining point of what I took away from this film. Everything that was to be said, every message in this movie was not conveyed through brilliant speeches, touching confessions, or other verbal acts. I believed everything I saw in this movie. And the reason for that was, because every thought, every idea, every feeling was not told through straight conversation, it was shown through actions. By the time Guido was getting on the P.a. System, I had forgotten about Dora. I had passed her off as another faceless victim of the Holocaust. Those thoughts prepared me for what is probably the greatest scene ever shown on film. I don't think I've ever cried because I was so happy and touched (I'm 15 years old, and a guy, far too concerned about masculinity and other such things), but I was bawling. I felt ready to be a father, to just try to emulate the love that Guido held for his wife and child. This movie isn't about the Holocaust. The fact that the family was a victim of it is just a plot point. It's not trying to make some touching social commentary about families staying together through the thick of every problem that could roll their way, it's not trying to say something about the sheer hilarity of the Holocaust. It's simply trying to tell a story about a man who loves his family. This movie inspires me daily. This movie has changed my life.
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Riiiiight.
Okay, see, this movie, it's got Keanu Reeves playing a highly successful, very smart attorney working for some kind of firm. If you can get past that (which is no easy task, as Keanu isn't the ::: cough ::: greatest actor), you'll realize it tries to play off as an intelligent thriller. Make no mistake, it's not. I wasn't exactly paying attention at the beginning, so there's a miniscule chance I missed something, but I doubt it, as there's really nothing to this movie. Okay, yeah, you've got Keanu playing nancy-boy, and he does some work, goes a little south on his morale, and realizes his boss is Satan. How many times have I had this realization? Yeah. Pretty intriguing, no? Perhaps if this had been better written, the sets had been a little better, not so overwhelming, maybe this would have worked. Al Pacino played every character he's played since Michael Corleone, oftentimes yelling at spontaneous moments, and not always making sense. Okay, yeah. The fatal flaw in this film is that the quality of it seesaws on the ending. For maybe a minute (and all of you know what a long minute it was, as it stretched on and on in a senseless slow motion portion) this movie was one of the coolest I've ever seen. But then, the laziness of the writers broke through, and you're disappointed. All the same, I'll say that if you turn it off at that moment, folks, you're looking at a grand film. Time it right, and you've got a great movie. You'll know when.
Herd (1999)
Godawful funny.
Last night, I attended the opening ceremonies for my own, and my city's first film festival (The Birmingham Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival). I made sure to get there an hour early, and get a great seat. Two hours later, I had drunk a dr. pepper, changed seats three times, and not yet seen a movie. Nonetheless, it didn't take too long to get things rolling, and as part of the movie festival feeling, they showed a short film to get things rolling. I don't remember seeing anything quite this funny in a long time. Oh, jeez, it kills me just to think about it. Rarely in this country do you get to see short films. I wish they would show more, especially if they're more like Herd. I recommend this film to anyone. Period.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Right On Target
Every decade holds a special movie for me. In the 70's Shaft holds my attention. In the 80's Blade Runner blew me away. In the 90's a movie like L.A. Confidential seem to outlast most of the other films of the decade. A movie like this has a plot so well woven, with acting to support, and a cast that will blow you away, that it can't help but stand out. I'll admit that the first time I heard of this film it seemed to hold nothing special, and after my first viewing I was slightly confused as to what just happened, so that I would know nothing, and know everything at the same time. The movie plays out like a series of events that seem to be separate but are eerily connected, and a plot like that holds the most commendment I can award a film with. I can't hardly tell the amount of time I spend thinking on the plot, how every last detail was so intricately planned.
I'm afraid to say that I personally believe that this movie was destined for much higher things than it received. I was blown away at the results of the Academy Awards, when Titanic was... Ah, screw it. We all know that Titanic was over hyped, and I don't need to go into that. Everybody shined, Russell Crowe most of all. The movie knew just when to reveal what, and I find it very hard to explain the movie to others, in fear that I would simply confuse them (and myself) and drive them away from this film. In closing, this movie has earned its way into my personal favorites, and hit every target with amazing precision. An excellent movie.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Strap In
A movie like The Usual Suspects is one that you watch the first time by yourself, and at the end, you feel stupid for letting yourself be drawn in to such a perfect story. The next time you watch it, you make sure to bring a friend. You know a movie like this is not one to be kept to yourself, and that it needs to be shared. Although the movie makes no definite conclusion, it still works because you know in the back of your mind the sick truth, and because of that you keep coming back.
Kevin Spacey shines as always, supported by an amazing story and a plethora of good actors. The movie can move from very serious to a side-splitting scene of hilarity at a breakneck speed, and the screenwriting was beautiful. Brilliantly executed, this movie is one of the greats.
Swimming with Sharks (1994)
Good, but Terrifying.
As a fan of Kevin Spacey, I went into this movie with high expectations. I got my wonderful (as usual) performance from Spacey, but I also got a real scare from a movie that I expected to be a comedy. Spacey effectively portrayed the Boss from Hell, and although at first the idea seemed to be funny, some of the torture scenes were a little too... I don't know. This film did not go over well with me, although it had an excellent cast, and a very good story. I personally like to believe in the basic goodness of humans, so this movie was a hit below the belt to me. And by God, I don't plan to reward that.