droorogers Reviews

Babel (I) (2006)

Could Have Been So Much More

[7/10 · 19 February 2007]

Upon first seeing the trailer for Babel, I put it high up on my "To-See" list. After seeing it, I enjoyed it, but was left feeling underwhelmed.

The best parts of the film are easily Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi's roles. Of course neither of them are listed on the poster or in the trailers. If the film had been just Barraza's story, or Kikuchi's, or even both, I'd rank this much higher. The Morrocan family dealing with the shooting was good, but not as great as the aforementioned subplots.

Which brings me to Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Love them both, but they were pretty useless in this. Without getting into spoilers, all I'll say is that in the grand scheme of things, the shooting ended up seeming really unimportant in comparison to ALL the other subplots. Maybe that was the point, but still. Meh.

I do want to say that Adriana Barraza is one hell of an actress. Superb performance, and incredibly powerful. If only the movie had been hers entirely.

Flushed Away (2006)

Underrated Surprise

[8/10 · 19 February 2007]

I knew little about this film when it first came out, and due to the premise I dismissed it as yet another 3D film that would most likely be filled with toilet humour.

Working at Blockbuster, I saw the trailer for this in the store and fell in love with the screaming slug. It makes me laugh every time I see it. I decided to give the movie a go (it's a free rental for me) and was shocked at how funny it was. Although there certainly is a bit of toilet humour, most of the jokes are very sophisticated and aimed at an older audience (WE SURRENDER! and the Batman reference).

I think this one only failed because of timing and competing 3D films.

Man, I love those screaming slugs.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Phenomenal

[10/10 · 10 February 2007]

I saw the poster for this film and read some really good reviews of it before it received its theatrical release, but never really looked twice at it. I'm not much of a comedy person, so this sort of missed my radar. Once the Rotten Tomatoes rating of 95% positive reviews (at the time) came in I decided to watch the trailer online, and fell in love with it immediately. It also had Steve Carell, one of my favourite comedians, in a starring role, so I knew I had to see it.

Seeing the film in theatres was an experience. Every joke was dead-on, and everyone in the theatre was roaring. When the credits rolled, the theatre applauded, something I had never seen happen before. I was applauding right along with them.

Every single performance in this film is incredible. Abigail Breslin has overtaken Dakota Fanning's position in my mind as the greatest child actor of our time. Not only is she a great child actress, she's a great actress. Period. Steve Carell hit emotional depths I didn't know he could. He's come a long way from The Daily Show. Paul Dano's performance makes you think initially that he's an unlikable moron, but the character ends up so well developed by the end.

The music was also very strong. As a musician, I often notice soundtracks and film scores where others ignore it. However, everyone else I saw this with noticed the score. It perfectly compliments and underlines the events of the film without overwhelming it.

Dark, cynical, hilarious, oddly uplifting, quirky yet accessible. I loved every second, and consider it to be one of my favourite films of all time. A+.

Frailty (2001)

Astounding

[9/10 · 9 February 2007]

I first saw the trailer for Frailty on Yahoo Movies way back in the day, after hearing Stephen King praise it to high heaven. Not really a fan of either star, I still wanted to see it because I'm a huge thriller fan.

I was not disappointed. The acting was superb, especially from the two young boys. Usually I loathe child actors, but Young Adam and Young Fenton were excellent. Bill Paxton really did a good job of directing it too. It was beautifully shot.

One must also note the plot twists. The three twists at the end hit hard and fast, and I didn't see them coming. The final twist of the film, coupled with the gravity of what had just been revealed, gives me chills to this day, even though I've re-watched the film so many times.

A true gem.

The Quiet (2005)

Teen Suspense Flick No Teen Should See

[8/10 · 9 February 2007]

I've been wanting to see the film since I first saw the trailer for it. The piano music in the trailer really made it look interesting. Then the heavy metal music came in. While this made me wonder if maybe this was a teen suspense film masquerading as a serious thriller, I decided to take a chance and see it when I came to our local artsy theatre.

I was pretty blown away by it. Yes, it's somewhat of a teen suspense film, but it's a teen suspense film no one should see. It has some awkward moments in it, but I feel they add to the overall sense of disquiet (no pun intended) the film has.

Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle both shine. Camilla was easily the best thing (the only good thing) about When A Stranger Calls. She seemed like a good actress trapped in a bad movie. I'm glad to see that it didn't hurt her career. This was a wise choice for her to follow that stupid movie with. Props too to Edie Falco for playing such a risky, complex and yet oddly sympathetic role.

While I found the twist somewhat predictable, it was such a well-done ride that I didn't much care.

8/10