ghent1 Reviews

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Visually stunning but missing the core of the story

[6/10 · 21 March 2024]

Like the first part, the second part is visually stunning, though having read the book twice, I regret to say that unlike the David Lynch version from the eighties, De Villeneuve almost deliberately destresses the mystical/mythical core of the story. This makes for an impressive viewing that somehow left me unsatisfied. In De Villeneuve's hands the story becomes one of political grandstanding which is but part of what the book is about, both in relation to the hidden ways of the Fremen and the natures and missions of Paul and his mother. For example, in the second part those scenes where Paul Atreides becomes the Kwizatz Haderach are rather weak and not very convincing.

Having left this essence out of the movies, they become a bit of an emptied out visual experience. A kind of secular, profane Dune. Still nice, but also a bit disappointing.

The Creator (2023)

Not bad, not good

[5/10 · 9 October 2023]

A movie typical of the kind with a script full of potholes but a lot of high tech action and imagery.

The planet is divided into two camps: west and east, or west and maybe the rest. We are told that the hero is looking for the main secret weapon from the other side, so the hero is looking for the secret weapon from the east.

The west already has its own weapon hovering about the enemy: Nomad, a kind of high-up space station shooting down missiles onto enemy bases.

Only, nobody explains why the east lacks the power to attack an obvious station hanging in space in the sky above the east. The team is looking for Nirmata, the secret weapon of the east, but when they find it, the base seems not to be very well defended at all, to say the least. In a scene towards the end, when the hero is taking the boy to a space-plane to fly to Nomad, suddenly from one scene to another they go from war-victims to being washed and clothed as if they just came from a holiday hotel. Any of this makes no sense whatsoever. And like this it goes on and on and on.

This seems to be a movie for young teenagers who might not be ready to see all the enormous potholes in the script but want to see flashy action.

The Pope's Exorcist (2023)

Not bad but there's better

[6/10 · 1 May 2023]

Being culturally a christian I quite like this kind of movie and theme, so in a curious mood I went to see this new movie.

It's not too bad, but there's also better. It's a bit scary at times, but not too much. The story is ok but could have been better. This movie reminds me a bit of The Ninth Gate.

If you like this kinda stuff, I recommend also checking out The Gift (2000) with Kate Blanchett, Frailty (2001), What Lies Beneath (2000), Dragonfly (2002), and if you are in for a really strong drink based on a true story: The Conjuring (2013). There are also good older movies to check out, such as Angel Heart (1987) with Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke.

In literature there is also the splendid, short book by Bill Wiese, "23 Minutes in Hell" which the author claims is also a true story.

Chinmoku (1971)

Ok but not great considering Scorsese's version

[5/10 · 27 February 2023]

This movie is not too bad but it's also not good. There are nice landscapes and at times a contemplative or a gripping feeling, but Scorsese's version captures the metaphysical anguish and the essence of the book better than this early seventies film on which the author of the book cooperated. Acting is also often rather bad I must say, especially from the American actors, and the ending is both not very realistic and also not in accordance with the ending of Endo's book.

All in all, if you are a fan of the book and of Scorsese's version of it, like I am, watching Chinmoku is an addition is not obligatory. Scorsese's movie is the definitive version.

Chinmoku is a typically early seventies movie in just about every way.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

When Matrix meets Marvel

[5/10 · 2 January 2022]

As others have written, this is quite simply a sorry sequel to a brilliant trilogy. In really every department -concept, screenplay, photography, editing, directing etc- it lacks the genius of the original films. In truth the fourth movie feels at times more like a Marvel film than a continuation of the original Matrix movies. Just like with the final three Star Wars movies, to leave intact the majesty of the original films, Matrix: Resurrections should never have been made.

Jesus of Nazareth (1977)

Gorgeous to the point of being divine cinema

[9/10 · 12 September 2021]

This is truly cinema at its very best. Though Mel Gibson's grim 'The Passion of the Christe does add something to the whole, this is by far the best movie about the Christ thus far.

It's not just the directing. It's the photography, the script, the casting, the music, the touching scenes, the almost supernatural performances of Robert Powell, Olivia Hussey, Laurence Oliver, James Mason, Christopher Plummer and, not in the least, Anthony Quinn as Cajaphas. And then there's all the other actors.

In short: this is the perfect movie. It's so well made that it's almost a miracle. Franco Zefirelli at his very best, which goes a long way to the best there ever was.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel trash

[4/10 · 20 July 2021]

Why a movie as this one gets such a general rating is a mystery to me: the script is full of holes, acting is terrible and human depth is nil. In short, this is a typical empty production as Martin Scorsese rightly remarked about Marvel movies. To be enjoyed by any person up to about maximum 16 years old.

Rudy (1993)

Good movie, strange story

[6/10 · 10 July 2021]

The movie was duly written, shot, scored and directed. My issue is rather with the (true) story. I fail to see what's so uplifting about someone failing to face reality (he's not made to be an American football player) even when it becomes absurd and then making a whole career of giving motivation speeches about it. I guess I'm a bit too European for this kind of film. Marvelous Jerry Goldsmith score. One might say: as usual.

Suspect (1987)

I love eighties courtroom films like this

[7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Great eighties courtroom drama with an excellent Cher, a witty Dennis Quaid and a young Liam Neeson. Very enjoyable. Great ambiance. Suspenseful.

Ad Astra (2019)

Strong on visuals, weak on script

[6/10 · 11 July 2020]

This is clearly a follow-on to Gravity and Interstellar, of which it is a bit of a mix.

Brad Pitt plays nicely, as he always does, and the visuals are very, very good.

The script, though, has more holes in it than does Swiss cheese, which is fairly obvious even 10 minutes into the film. For me, the holes in the script are so glaring that I could no longer suspend my disbelief.

To be watched and enjoyed for the space-journey while trying not to be overly annoyed by the impossibility to duly suspend your disbelief.

Could have been much much better.

Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe (2016)

Brilliant, full of integrity and courage

[9/10 · 6 May 2020]

A brilliant, eye-opening documentary made by courageous people full of professional ethics as well as personal integrity.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

This is what happens when people without vision finalise what has become 'a franchise'

[3/10 · 28 December 2019]

A life-long fan of Star Wars, the other day I harnessed my courage to go see the last film. The reason I wasn't too keen on going to see it, was that "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" were for me films lacking in about every way the magnificent see and feel of the original three movies.

My worst fears were confirmed: "The Rise of Skywalker" sinks even lower than the previous two episodes in the final trilogy. It was so bad that while watching the film, half the time I had the impression I was looking at a bad parody of Star Wars instead of the final episode of the real thing. What a horrible film in every way.

As with Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8, I'm afraid that this is what you get when people who lack the original inner vision get to lay their hands on a work of art, backed by sponsors who are just into making money.

And in the case of Star Wars, it is what you get when Lucas sells his lifelong artistic project for a huge amount of money to a bunch of people who turn it into a 'franchise' without having any serious feel for the universal mythology which inspired the original three films.

After all, when Lucas conceived of the original Star Wars films, he was deeply moved by Joseph Campbell's "A Hero with a Thousand Faces" and other modern classics on archaic mythology, of which Episodes IV to VI were novel translations, albeit in a sci-fi setting.

What remains of all this in the Disney franchise? Nothing whatsoever. Seeking to emulate Lucas' original masterpieces, they ended up maiming Star Wars into a bunch of abysmal secular action-hero movies lacking any form of deeper feel with what Star Wars was originally about.

To put the cherry on the cake, at the very end of the film Rey Palpatine -the last of the Jedi, an order since time immemorial deeply invested in truth, honesty and justice- ends up, without any shame, lying about who she is to a passer-by just to feel good about herself. What is this? Are the Jedi into feel-good little lies from now on, then?

But maybe Rey Palpatine blandly lying about herself to a hapless passer-by is an appropriate symbol for a Disney franchise lacking both a coherent story-line and a genuine feel for a mythology pulsing so vividly at the heart of the original three films that people are still raving about it today.

Last of the Dogmen (1995)

Not very good but I still enjoyed it

[6/10 · 21 September 2019]

This is by all means a mostly shabby B-movie. Acting's not very good, the script is nor very credible, and so forth. It's kind of a B-movie remake of Dances with Wolves, really. But somehow I still enjoyed watching it, so it's also not thát bad.

Red Sparrow (2018)

Enjoyable though not perfect

[7/10 · 16 January 2019]

As others have noted, Red Sparrow is certainly no high flying cinema though it is a very enjoyable film to watch. At points it's not very realistic. For instance, one cannot take serious that someone as young as Jennifer Lawrence would sort of take over from a senior general like Jeremy Irons, even if this is exactly what he proposes to her towards the end of the movie. Still, it's a nice and moody film. Very enjoyable.

Alpha (II) (2018)

Great story but a bit too much CGI

[7/10 · 2 January 2019]

I'm giving this movie an 8 for story, casting and acting of the main actor and a 6 for all the CGI pervading the film, so a 7 in total. As others have noted, this is a beautiful story in its endearing simplicity, and the main actor plays it all very well. Yet, I'm not a fan of all the CGI used by the moviemakers. All these computerised images really do taint the enjoyment of a movie such as this one.

Silence (I) (2016)

Splendid but not for everybody

[8/10 · 31 December 2018]

I have seen this movie three times by now and still think it is brilliant, yet it's not a movie for everybody. It is surely no coincidence that even Martin Scorsese had to struggle for 25 years to scrape together the funds to make it.

I can also understand why so many folks feel the movie is boring and too long even if to me it was neither boring nor too long. In fact, it feels just right.

The reason I suppose many people do not truly 'feel' this movie -which takes up an unusual position in Mr Scorsese's rich filmography- is because of its theme. For surely, in times of abundant secularism and reductionist materialism, a movie such as this one cannot be else than a fossil.

Essentially this is a movie about transcending implicit narcissism into an effulgence of humble, selfless Love. It is therefore a movie about the genuine path of authentic christianity.

What makes it a special movie, at least in my heart, is that it not only sharply portrays this process of self-transcendence but also makes the link to the collective missionary adolescence of historical christianity. For surely, the Japanese are refined in their cruelty, yet at the same time they clearly are much more sane and of a deeper (personal and cultural) wisdom as are young missionaries who remain by and large unaware of the unwarranted cultural superiority with which they approach the Japanese.

To bring all of this clearly into focus and allow for the story to reach its spiritual and historical apogee took close to three hours of masterful movie-making.

Not to make this an overly long review: for those who are knowledgeable about the genuine (christian) path of self-transcendence into humbled Love, this is surely a masterful film. For others it is a boring waste of time.

Those who love this movie may also be interested in "The Assassin" by Hsiao-hsien Hou. This movie brings to the screen the taoist version of the same inner path of transcending attachment to emotions and social identity to arrive at ultimate immersion in the Tao or the natural way.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

From saga to franchise

[6/10 · 16 December 2017]

Star Wars used to be an epic saga built up from an almost Jungian archetypical level. After all, Lucas was heavily influenced by ancient mythology, by Joseph Campbell's classic on mythological archetypes and other spiritual influences. A lot can be said about the second trilogy, but even those still retained some of that magic, albeit hidden behind all the CGI and the end-of-the-republic politics. Not anymore with the new films, or almost not anymore. Since Lucas sold SW to -I thought- Disney, it's become a franchise. Other people -no doubt not as heavily immersed in ancient mythology as was Lucas- now write and direct the saga. This becomes very apparent with the latest films, Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi. It's not that it's bad, it's just not how Star Wars used to be. There is almost no spiritual and archetypical element anymore, or what is left has been reduced to -admittedly often great- grandstanding about the 'power' of the Force and of lightsabers. But beneath that, it's now become a series endlessly rehearsing staple SW ingredients but then without the deeper spirituality as its genuine base. Without this, SW is little more than action packed (American) Science Fiction: it's a profane money-maker using all the old elements without truly feeling through the, so of course the old sacred vibe is gone. A great pity. No complaints about Adam Driver's performance though. What a great pleasure to see him embodying Darth Vader's grandson.

Double Lover (2017)

Fine French film

[7/10 · 18 June 2017]

Good movie in the general tradition of Shutter Island and Black Swan. The film never seems to decide if it wants to work out a story or build up suspense. It's neither a thriller or a drama. Yet I enjoyed watching it. Acting by the two main actors is excellent. There's quite some open eroticism in the French style but always matched to the story. Towards the end I was moved. Worth checking out.

Equilibrium (2002)

Dressed up C-film

[5/10 · 11 November 2016]

It's difficult to label this a good movie as the screenplay is simplistic, the movie is of adolescent emotionality and the whole story feels simply unrealistic and short-through-the-curve in every manner. It's not that there aren't any good movies in the genre. V for Vendetta is a good example, and closer to the fibre of Equilibrium there's the better movie Gattaca. Of course Sean Bean and Christian Bale act great, as does Emily Watson. Stylization is also sharp and well done. But despite all that, this is in essence a dressed up C-movie in the same league as, for instance, Jupiter Ascending. The movie mainly feels geared to be somewhat of a decrepit action movie which might make adolescent viewers feel tough. For people above thirty and of even minor intelligence, though, three quarters of what is said and done is simply trash. Not my cup of T.

The Assassin (2015)

sublime depiction of the way of Tao

[9/10 · 2 December 2015]

I have no trouble understanding why this esoteric movie gets such an underrated score here on IMDb. The film is not for a lay Western audience.

To fully appreciate it you need some background in Tao and in martial arts, and you need to crack some codes. Once you have done that, the film opens up its delicious flavor.

I have seen dozens of martial arts films, and some of them are quite good. I'm referring notably to the Zhang Yimou movies and to the long version of "Red cliff". But none of these great productions capture the mood and the inner core of Tao and the path of martial arts quite like this movie. This movie is a character study of finalizing Tao or the way of nature.

It is essential to understand a couple of things when viewing this film: (1) the camera takes the view of the assassin's inner state. So, when you see her fighting guards filmed from afar, it is because the heroine is engaged in a fight which is not important to her. She prefers to remain immersed in nature. Fighting the guards is something far off. When she's engaged in a fight with emotional importance, the fight is filmed up close. If you hear natural sounds all the time, even during inside scenes, it's because Nie Yinniang melted so much with nature and the natural state, that even when inside her razor sharp ears keep on detecting all what is real beyond human affairs. When you see things through a screen, that's how Nie Yinniang sees them. That she is at one with and no longer separate from nature is nicely depicted by her absolute stillness, her silence and the way she melts naturally with her environment. (2) the story is about how Nie Yinniang is almost a Tao master, but she still hasn't transcended the wounds of her youth, when she was of royal descent and scheduled to play a primary role in Weido. But because of reasons discussed by the film, when she was still small she was taken to a nunnery. For this reason, even if she comes out of school very advanced in the Tao, she didn't really have to confront her past yet. That's by and large where the movie starts. Nie Yinniang is also still struggling to transcend her own master, the nun abbot who taught her everything...except the way of the heart as integrated with the way of the sword.

As the movie progresses, we see how Nie Yinniang transcends the last remnants of her old self, symbolized by two pivotal fights: first she transcends her old royal self by winning from the royally-clad assassin, her duplicate and old self, in the woods, then she transcends the shortcomings of her own teacher symbolized by a short fight with the nun at the very end. And so Nie Yinniang has finally fully merged with Tao and she is now free to lead an anonymous but, in all silence, an intensely vibratory life with common folks of good heart. The moment she lets all the fuss of common humanity go is nicely photographed, when at the end you see how the court in Weibo is engaged in still novel intrigues, but as the camera takes the perspective of Nie Yinniang's deeper feelings, we see how, bored and disinterested, the camera drifts away from the whole show. Nie Yinniang is no longer intrigued by all this political fuss.

Much more can be written about the movie, but I don't want to make this review too long. For me, this movie is the best character study of the spiritual way of martial arts I have seen to date.

Highlander (1986)

Decent B-film with attitude

[7/10 · 14 October 2015]

Though this clearly is an eighties B-film level production, still there's a reason it's so famous. The story and the setting (Scottish highlands) are great. A bunch of guys fighting one another with priceless swords all down the centuries until the last couple of survivors gather to win 'the prize'. Feels like dreams of adolescent boyhood, and yet the film is enjoyable. Christopher Lambert -a fine and somewhat enigmatic actor- always played in decent B-films but he comes out splendid in this one. Sean Connery is great as ever. Queen's music nicely adds to the mix. Very enjoyable film and not without humor too. I particularly enjoyed the great opening scenes to the film set in Madison Square Garden. Very good. I would say this is one to watch on a rainy autumn or winter's day when you're somewhat sickly, as I have been these last couple of days.

The Message (1976)

Good film about the Prophet of Islam

[7/10 · 11 October 2015]

I'm no Muslim but I am interested in the story of Islam since it's the final of the monotheistic religions, as the Muslims say: its "seal". This is a seventies epic in the same style of Zefirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth" and "The lion of the desert". All three movies feature a magnificent Anthony Quinn. The movie is very enjoyable and well made. Beautiful shots, great cinematography, good score, great acting. Of course it brings a very short version of the story of Islam, mainly chronicling the most important political and military events but leaving out loads and loads of elements. At 3 hours one cannot expect more. This is why I would have preferred a miniseries double that length, as in "Jesus of Nazareth". That gives time to settle in, to give much more information, teachings, etc. Of course the movie is not as it could have. Islamic creed prohibits the depiction of the Prophet: you never see Muhammad nor do you hear an actor as his voice. That's quite a handicap for the movie. The same goes for the most important people around him. Next to none are depicted in the film: Fatimah, Aisha and in general the whole family of the Prophet, Ali, Abu Bakr, and the other first four caliphs etc. The result of the above is a movie which brings the most important "earthly" sides to the advent of Islam, but lacks a bit in spiritual depth. It also brings the story of Islam without including all its most important pioneers. Though I respect this, I find it a great pity. Nonetheless, even with these limits the movie still deserves 7/10 if alone for the beautiful photography, the acting of Anthony Quinn and the beautiful depictions of Islamic holy sites at the very end.

The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

Not the best picture around but thoroughly enjoyable

[7/10 · 24 August 2015]

True, this isn't the most splendid picture you'll ever see. The scenario is a bit sketchy, it all goes a bit too fast to take the whole span of the story seriously, the make-up of the Neanderthals looks shabby etc. Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed watching this film. I just love the feel of prehistoric stories with wide landscapes, clothes in hides, wildness in people and animals, caves, camping fires etc. Next to that, it's always a pleasure to see a young Daryl Hannah especially cloth in hides and with her legs barely covered. Sexy. But I even like the story, even though the book it's based upon could be better brought to the screen. In the book, for instance, you get a much better feel for the depth of difference between Neanderthals and Cro-magnons, which is why you better understand why Ayla has such a hard time in the clan, and why she has constant troubles mainly with Brun. In the movie all of that is not clarified. So I say: if you like the movie but want to dig deeper: read the book.

The Assassins (2012)

Not bad but flawed

[6/10 · 1 August 2015]

Not a bad film but not in the same league with the very best in the genre. For that the film builds too much on overblown (Asian) sentimentalism and shock surprises. Many things about this movie are not bad but could be better. For instance, I found the music a bit too cheeky to make this a genuinely stylish and balanced film: at times it was more of the quality of soap opera's, a trap the movie itself sometimes is in danger of falling into as a whole. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching the movie but only because I love the genre more in general. If you want to see something better, and without resorting to the classics by Zhang Yimou, watch The Banquet, a movie which gets the sort of things right with which this piece is struggling.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Religious/spiritual/philosophical beauty

[9/10 · 30 May 2015]

I just love this film. I am not going to try and explain the whole ingenious concept of the trilogy here, others have done this already here and on other sites. Suffice here to say maybe, that for me the first Matrix movie is ontological, the second one is postmodern and the third one religious/spiritual. Maybe that's why many people feel less for Revolutions than for the first two films of the trilogy.

Of course all three of movies have pronounced religious elements but the third part of the trilogy is special. To begin with, as someone else noted here, different characters clearly embody biblical archetypes: Neo = Messiah, Architect = the Father, Oracle = Sophia (= the female wisdom element of the ancients and of early Christianity), Merovingian = Devil (see what's written on the button when they take the elevator to his club at the onset of Revolutions) etc. Not only is Neo transformed into a pure and simple Messiah and depicted as such towards the end of the film. But if you look carefully, it seems that Neo isn't only a Saviour for the people, but also for the machines. Just look at how the machines respectfully put him back onto the floor after he delivered the matrix from the Smith virus, how they pull him carefully onto some special ceremonial carriage to then take him away in a manner which makes one think they will construct him a temple and an inner sanctuary somewhere inside of machine city. Instead of Christ solemnly pronouncing 'It's done' just before dying on the cross, it's the machine Father which does it.

In my view, Neo is thus some kind of Christ who sacrifices his life and his heart as salvation to both humans and machines. Not only does Neo set the matrix free by no longer fighting Smith to keep evil out. As Neo was the first one of his kind to plug into the machine like he did, by sacrificing himself to Smith so that the machines can heal the matrix, I feel he taught the cold, heartless machines what it means to respect humanity and feel for them. Or maybe he evoked feelings in them for the first time as such. Surely, Neo is the very first being of flesh and blood to be resurrected into pure light (see end of the movie) before being carried off as a holy chalice inside of machine city. I'm just speculating here, but it seemed to me that as a result of Neo's crucifixion upon the cross of the matrix, the Architect -originally pure and cold analysis- was a bit more warm hearted at the very end of the film, when addressing the Oracle, telling her that humans will be free to leave. In my interpretation that's the result of what Neo gave to the machines when he sacrificed his life. In doing all that, maybe Neo even brought the two opposite poles of Oracle/intuition/feminine and Architect/ratio/masculine a bit closer together, a split which is, incidentally, a classic in Western philosophy.

Some words about the overly long battle between Neo and Smith towards the end. Many people think this is all too long and tedious, but for me it makes total sense. The long battle is meant to emphasize to Neo that the path to truly become humanity's and the machine's Messiah, and maybe to bring a beginning of understanding between them, is not by trying to destroy Smith/evil/sin. By endlessly fighting him in vain, he is shown that he will never succeed that way. Neo had to fight until he almost perished from fatigue before the Oracle shows him the true path to his function as the world's Messiah: not by fighting sin can he save the world, but by taking it upon him (cfr Christ on the cross). Only then does Neo sacrifice himself by becoming Smith, his antithesis realizing that, despite all his superpowers, this is not the right path. Behind this is both a very Buddhist and a very Christian philosophy of life.

Anyway, it's clear that if you are the kind of person with no feeling for such kinds of things, as it seems there are many, you will probably find Revolutions a tedious film.

A final word on the death scene of Trinity. I for one truly felt the moment of Neo's and Trinity's love only, but intensely, upon her death. I was quite touched by this moment of tender honesty in the middle of the cold machine city. The Wachowski brothers managed to make this moment in the movie shine. In addition, it's only after Neo had to let go of Trinity that he's truly ready to sacrifice himself as the Messiah to save the world. Remember that in Matrix Reloaded Neo was not ready for that yet, as at that time Trinity could still be saved.

Brilliant film and the crowning achievement of a magnificent trilogy.