ijrichter Reviews

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

As a non-reader of the book........

[9/10 · 21 May 2006]

....I got to say, I really enjoyed this movie. You can see from the very beginning that it's not a movie that people should take very seriously, yet too many people do. My parents, who did read the book, saw the film with me, and they told from the very beginning, this is a book that reads like it was made to be a movie. Well, if what I saw was what Brown wrote in his book, I couldn't agree more (I did read the beginning, but couldn't really get past that). It has great action, and the mystery is plotted very cleverly. Ron Howard is one of my favorite directors. Even if he's not exactly the most creative director out there, he's made some of my favorite feel-good films (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, the Grinch), so I was really looking forward to this because of him. Even though this could've been done by anyone else, he does a great job with the locations, and his inter-cutting scenes between modern times and old times, and his great tricks for keeping the mystery, all impressive. What really stands out here though is the cast. I've heard some people didn't think Tom Hanks was right for the part of Robert Langdon. I say, Tom Hanks can do just about anything.He's one of my favorite actors with roles like Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Big, Saving Private Ryan, Toy Story, even Catch Me if You Can (which I agree is one of his weaker roles). Here, he plays a man who can crack any code at the blink of an eye, as an expert in symbols. I love his first conference scene, and from there, he never breaks character. Audrey Tautou is just lovely. She also never breaks character as the lovely Sophie Neveu, a woman who finds the past is about to haunt her. She invokes every emotion with grace, and you can't help but love her. Ian McKellen is fantastic as always. I loved him as Gandalf, and here, the moment he appears on screen, he's both funny and creepy. And, the moment he appears, Paul Bettany scares the hell out of you, but also makes you feel sorry for him. He's controlled by the people who hired him, but at the same time, his face brings out so much hatred, you don't want to come across Silas. The script has its flaws, including some underdeveloped characters, like Fache (though wonderfully portrayed by Jean Reno), and even though some lines came across as pure bull (I'm not really religious, so that's probably just the way it sounds to me), it didn't get in the way of me enjoying this fine piece of entertainment, which is all it really wants to be. It may give a message to the audience, but it's not for people to take so seriously as they are. It's fun, pure fun.

ER: 24 Hours (1994) Season 1, Episode 1

An excellent start to one of the best shows around.

[9 April 2004]

The way they start this show is not in an introductory manner. They don't do a slow introduction to every thing, every character around, slowly. They just take us into a regular day in the E.R., starting with a doctor waking up, to a med student's first day, it's kind of a sequence of different medical events. They also give us insight to some of the characters. This pilot is circled around Dr. Mark Greene (played by Anthony Edwards). It starts with a nurse waking him up, and him, going into his day. With this, they introduce to ped's resident Dr. Doug Ross (played by George Clooney), who pretends he's sick before his shift starts. A nice way to start the show. A little humor. We also look into Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), an E.R. resident, Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), a surgical resident, and the new guy on board, med student John Carter (Noah Wyle). Through their eyes, we go through different emergencies, from traumas, to cancer, to an abused baby, to Carter nearly throwing up, even to the team treating one of their own staff members, nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies, who later becomes a regular). This pilot opened doors to a great T.V. series, lots of medical emergencies, fast-paced action, different story-lines, from medical law suits, to lockdown emergencies, to staff members dying, everything you find in a County Hospital, started here.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Romantic comedy - cheasy dialogue - twisting dull ending + intense facial expressions = Lost in Translation.

[7 February 2004]

This equation sums up the movie pretty well. It's a romantic comedy, without the usual cheasy dialogue and nearly impossible happy ending. It's a script with very little dialogue (most of it are conversations), but has a lot to say.

Of course, it wouldn't have worked out if the two main characters didn't have chemistry, which is why I'm glad they found Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. They're both terrific actors, and every scene they have together is worth seeing. Also, if you look deeply at their facial expressions, you'll be able to make up your own dialogue for the movie, and be able to tell the story well. It's all about going deeper than the story, and looking into the eyes of the characters to tell the story yourself. Also, the setting of Tokyo is a perfect place to set up these characters. For what I saw in the film, it's the most boring place on Earth, with much of it's identity (you'd think that especially after watching The Last Samurai). So, it kind of brings out the boredom of these two characters, and makes you feel for them. Sofia Coppola does a great job writing and directing this film. Really, she brings out the emotions, and knows exactly what dialogue to put in it.

In America (2002)

Magic that Touches your Heart.

[9/10 · 6 February 2004]

(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS) I saw the trailer of In America when it was supposed to come out in May, and from there, I thought that the film looked really cute. I just had a chance to see it today (I live in Mexico, and it takes an Oscar nomination for a good film to get here), and I was deeply touched by the film. It didn't make me cry, but it came really close. The film came to me. The story really touched me. What I liked the most, is that they mix a harsh reality, with a little bit of magic. They took some really dramatic moments, and adding in what you might call, a happy accident, or a miracle, however you want to interpret it.

This film has three Oscar nominations. Best Original Screenplay (Jim Sheridan, and his daughters Naomi and Kirsten) for their subtle, yet touching dialogue, and story. Samantha Morton for Best Actress, in her role as a mother, struggling with her family, trying to get over the death of her son, while looking happy for her daughters. Djimon Honsou for Best Supporting Actor, for his powerful performance as Mateo, the downstairs neighbor. A tortured artist, re-discovered by this family, and brings a miracle (won't go beyond there) to their lives. Paddy Considine also did a great job as a father, who hasn't gotten over the Death of his son, and has lost his feelings. But this film belongs to Emma and Sara Bolger, the little girls. Emma plays Ariel, the younger sister. She's really cute, and her way of looking at everything is special, and her friendship with Mateo is beyond special. Sara plays Christy, the older sister. We're hearing this story from her eyes. She's the backbone of this family, and we see how she struggles with the memory of her brother, but she also has a side of her that believes in magic. She believes her brother gave her three wishes, and she uses them throughout the film. the final shot, when she's closing her camcorder (she records on it throughout the film) and says she wants to remember her brother as an image in her head, and not on the camera, she says "Do you see me now?". Her expression in that scene, stays in your head after you leave, it's just wonderful. Bonus, she has a beautiful singing voice. I almost fell in love with her in this film. She's young and talented, and hope she does more.

This film really touches your heart. It's really magical, and not many films do that. In fact, they mention another movie in here that does that, which is E.T. (love that as well). This film recieves all my love. It should've been nominated for Best Picture, Director, and why not, Sarah Bolger should've been nominated for Supporting Actress.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Seriously, free your mind.

[22 November 2003]

I think one reason why people seem to hate this movie is because they think about it too much. They have expectations, and want everything resolved. I heard so many reviews from so many idiots that kept me from seeing this film, but one day, I decided, I need an opinion of my own. So I went to watch it, without expectations. I just sat there, in the front row, leaned back, and watched it. I had already seen the first two (loving the first, and having mixed feelings of the second), so I kind of thought of what I'd see. I wasn't paying much attention to the story, or the characters. I was just watching it. And after a while, I felt like I was plugged into the Matrix. I had forgotten that the world exists. All the visual effects, the camera shots, the sound, and above all, the lighting, made me feel like a part of it. It was all stunning visual effects that made free my mind, and lose myself, which is what made me enjoy the film so much. One thing that I think the Wachowski Brothers did smartly here, was to keep it low on dialog, and high on visuals, since that's what these films are good at. Visual effects. But what would these battles be, without the actor's facial expressions to express intensity. That was another thing that made me sink into the drama of this film. The writing's not that good though, and the acting wasn't either (with the honorable exception of Hugo Weaving, as Smith). The main characters are not shown that much anymore, which makes this film feel kind of distant from the first two, but still, it's an enjoyable film, that if you sink into, you forget about the flaws, and just become a part of the Matrix. So, seriously, free your mind, and enjoy this.

Everwood (2002–2006)

A Wonderful Fairy Tale

[7 June 2003]

This is one of my favorite dramas on T.V. It's both touching and heart-breaking. Even though it is a drama, and it deals with a lot of very serious subject matters, it has some elements of a fairy tale. Everwood is kind of a fairy tale land, where there are two kings, a prince and a princess, a giant, a little elf, and even a wise wizard. I got all this from the Thanksgiving episode. In fact, I think what makes this look like a fairy tale is the opening and closing narrations. I love those. They tell us the magic of finding your heart, the wonder of home, the magic of snow, and a bunch of other things that make this show feel very magical, like a fairy tale. I'm a writer myself, so it's natural for me to feel this way. The acting is wonderful. Treat Williams is wonderful in the part of Andy Brown. Gregory Smith finally found a role where he can prove his acting skills, which are quite a pleasant surprise. After her debut in A Beautiful Mind, Vivien Cardone shows the innocent and "can't help but fall in love with" side of the show as Delia Brown. The Abbotts are also all great. I especially like Dr. Harold Abbott. He gives a little comedic side to the show. Edna and Irv are both very pleasant characters and funny characters. If you like magic, and fairy tales, and a good drama, you can't let this show go. You will not regret it. 10/10

The Pianist (2002)

The first movie that's ever made me cry.

[22 March 2003]

I saw this movie yesterday. It was touching, and very intense. I've seen a lot of other WWII movies in my life, but this movie was so realistic, that it actually made me cry. It really showed all the tragedies that one man had to go to survive throughout WWII, and all the people he saw being killed and all the buildings he saw being bombed. You can also see all he had to go through to get food, and how he was starving. The fact that I'm a pacifist, and the fact that I'm Jewish were two reasons, out of many, that this movie touched me the way it did. I could see what my people had to go through to survive, and how people in general were being killed, which I hate. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time, getting the chills, and letting out a few tears as the story went on. Roman Polanski is a genius. This is the only one of his movies I've seen so far, but it's enough for me to know that he's a genius. His visions of the war are excellent, and very accurate. Adrien Brody is the best performance I've seen this year. He carries the film on his shoulder, and makes it come to life like no one else has. He should win the Oscar, no doubt. The music was beautiful, and the way this man plays the piano is excellent. To make a long story short, this is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. Very chilling, and dramatic. If you're one of those people who normally cries in movies, bring extra tissues for this one, but still, don't miss it. You won't regret it. 20/10

ER (1994–2009)

Excelent show! But stop eliminating doctors, will you?

[9/10 · 20 February 2003]

This is one of my favorite show, right after Friends. It has everything, drama, suspense, occasional comedy, it's an excelent show. All the actors are excelent, and the episodes are very well-written. They always leave you asking, what's going to happen to this patient. But one thing I really hate is that they keep eliminating some of the best characters in the show. First it was Dr. Doug Ross (played by George Clooney), who was my favorite doctor and really handy for the comedy on the show. They just eliminated Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), and Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), who were some of the best. They also got rid of Dave Malucci (Erik Palladino), Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Marguiles), who had to leave if Ross left, and who was the moron who had the idea of killing Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) off the show? Out of all the doctors in the E.R., the only that has stayed from the beginning of the show was Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). They've also been bringing other doctors to this show, like Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), who's a real boss of hell, Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston), a British moody doctor, and Greene's wife, and the one who really brings good comedy to the show, Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) the Napoleon chief of staff (judging by his size). I am hoping these doctors don't leave, ands there are other doctors who hopefully won't leave. Despite this eliminating doctors thing they have, it's an excellent show, and very heartwarming. Anyone who likes a good drama, you know where to find it.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Funny, thrilling, exciting- an excellent mix!

[8 December 2002]

This may not have been my favorite book from the Harry Potter series, but I still enjoyed it, and they made a hell of a movie out of it. It was a lot darker and more thrilling than the first one, and unlike the first movie, some elements are actually scary, like the giant spiders (an animal I hate with all my soul) and the basilisk. All of the characters are well-portrayed, and you can see that the boy's voices have changed quite a bit. You could already notice Daniel Radcliffe's voice changing in the Philosopher's Stone, but here, it is deep all the time. Rupert Grint's voice has also changed quite a bit, a little deeper, and crackling (he's actually 14 years old by the way) and Tom Felton seems a lot taller and meaner than the first one (Tom Felton is 15 by the way). Emma Watson also seems to have grown into a more mature young woman. All of the other characters from the first one were also good (I enjoyed Richard Harris's last performance, I'm really going to miss him), but I was deeply amazed by the new coming actors. Kenneth Branagh is a real scene-stealer as Professor Lockhart, so is Dobby the house-elf, and Moaning Myrtle, but I believe the best performance came from Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy. I'm glad they didn't change the score from the first one, and the settings are still amazing. The visual effects are again amazing (although I do wish they had made some scenes shorter). What else can I say, it is an excellent movie. 9.5/10.

Bicentennial Man (1999)

One is glad to have seen this film

[6 November 2002]

This film was excellent. It was smart, touching, heart warming, well-scripted, well-performed, all the elements you need for a good movie. Seeing Robin Williams as a robot is something I had never experienced before, he looks really good, and I love how he talks like a robot, and calling himself One and everybody else Sir, Miss, M'AM and Little Miss, who was his favorite person in the family. I really love the first part of the movie, how he meets the family, and gets attached to it, and then you can see him live through several generations, and seeing people come and go, while he is trying to become human. It is really funny and touching how he lives new experiences as a human. Like Andrew(the robot) said in the movie, "One is glad to be of service", I say, "One is glad to have seen this film".

Patch Adams (1998)

One of those movies you really got to listen to.

[10/10 · 6 November 2002]

This is not a movie that you should watch when you are going to be talking to your friends, or sleeping. if you want to be able to like this movie, you have to listen to it, and I mean closely listen to it. In my opinion, it is a very recommendable movie. Very well scripted and well-acted. Robin Williams is my all-time favorite actor, and I really love what he did here, he was being a funny guy trying to cure patients, and the good thing is, he does not overreact with the comedy, he does it lightly and non-annoyingly (in my opinion at least). In case you do listen carefully, Patch's main goal is to listen to people, and dig in to them, to connect with patients, and be able to help them, instead of just trying to cure the disease Williams was not the only good performance in this movie, there is also Monica Potter, who played a girl Patch fell for, Daniel London, as Patch's best friend, Bob Gunton, as the dean that hates Patch, and who I think did excellent, Philip Seymour Hoffman, as Patch's roommate. If you want to watch this movie, it is really recommended by me, but please, listen to the dialogue, which is a tough one by the way.

Smallville (2001–2017)

Intense and touching. I love it.

[1 November 2002]

I was never a big fan of Superman, everything I saw of him was always a flying man saving the world. Here it's different. Here, it also shows the values of life, like in family, friendship and love, and it also shows how teenagers are. The episodes are very well scripted and the characters are very well acted. The one that I think is the best performance, is Michael Rosenbaum's performance as Lex Luthor. I love that you can see this character in many ways, you can see him as a kind and friendly man, a rich and powerful world leader, an underestimated son, or even a vicious man that has some plan under his hats. There are many faces to Lex Luthor. Tom Welling is also great as Clark Kent, so is Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang. The first one is struggling with his newborn powers and his teenage life at the same time, and Lana is sort of an insecure girl who has the memory of her parents all of the time. This is truly a show for everyone, even for people who are not very fond of super hero stories.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

An excellent adaptation. Some loyalty was missing though.

[27 October 2002]

I had once started reading the book when I was in sixth grade, the beginning was pretty boring, so I couldn't go on. When I heard the movie was coming out, I went ahead and read the rest of it, I finished it about three weeks before the movie came out, and i must say, i was pleased, that I went ahead and read the four books. I went to see the movie about a week after it came out, and it was also very pleasing. I liked the fact that Chris Colombus directed, instead of Spielberg. All the characters were very well acted. The kids were all brilliant, especially Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, all the teachers were well portrayed, especially Snape, and they also did a great job with my favorite character from the book, Hagrid, played by Robbie Coltrane. The visual effects were well created. I think my favorite scene is the Quidditch game, I like all the shots they took from the air, and the scoring of the film was the best thing in the movie. Nevertheless, they missed out some parts of the book that were important. For example, Harry was pretty confident in calling Voldemort by his name, and in the book, he always says "Vol, I mean, You-Know-Who". Hermione also says Voldemort's name once, and according to the book, she was afraid of it as well. They also left out the whole story with Norbert, the dragon, and they do not show the reaction of the students for the 150 points that Harry and his friends lost. Apart from those little things left out, this was a very good movie, and I don't understand all of the bad publicity they're throwing to it. I'm looking forward to seeing The Chamber of secrets. 9/10.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

Sort of a Mary Poppins wannabe, but a good one still.

[16 October 2002]

You wouldn't believe how many similarities this has to Mary Poppins. The story starts the same way, a witch has to take care of three children, and she takes them to some magical outings, with the companion of a friend who is also magical. There is music, dancing, and there's even a sequence where they mix people with cartoons. However, what I do like about this one is that it is more of an adventure type of movie, this witch, played by Angela Lansbury, has to go in search of a spell to the headmaster Emelius Brown, played by David Tomlinson, but then it turns out that the page with the spell was torn of Mr. Brown's book, so now, with the help of Mr. Brown, and the three children (who are actually with this witch to be safe from the war) they have to find this spell. I think the form of transportation they use is pretty original, traveling on a bed, and there is even a final battle, between Nazis and suits of armor led by Lansbury(no wonder the movie won best visual effects). This movie doesn't exactly measure up to Mary Poppins, but it does come close.9/10

Mary Poppins (1964)

There are no words to describe this film. Oh wait, here's one: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

[16 October 2002]

This is my favorite musical of all time. It's wonderfully done, and the story is excellent. Julie Andrews did a great job in her first ever cinematic role, she plays a magical nanny that comes to a rich man's house in order to bring the family back together. What I love about her performance is that she looks very confident and so straight forward and firm, not as playful as you may think. The film also has Dick Van Dyke in the role of Bert, who is a very good friend of Mary Poppins and also handles magic very well. That role was funny and very entertaining(the accent is a bit confusing though), and i loved all of his dance numbers, especially Step In Time, the dance on the roof-top. Another excellent performance was David Tomlinson, who did the role of George Banks, the father of the children. He is very firm and strict, but he can also be very clumsy and forgetful, which is another reason I liked him. His song The Life I Lead was also great. This film was prized with five well-deserved Academy Awards, for the excellent Film Editing, the Visual Effects, like the jump into the pavement picture, the tea party on the ceiling and the smoke ladder, the excellent score, the song Chim Chim Cheree, which may have not been the best song, but one of them had to win, and last but not least, the excellent performance by Julie Andrews. I cannot find any more words for this film, so I'll leave you with one word. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

School Ties (1992)

A movie with a great message- no matter what religion

[9 October 2002]

This movie was really touching and very important to me, it's the story of a Jewish boy who goes to a private High School, and has to hide his identity to be accepted. It was really shocking to see how they treated Jewish people back then, I'm also Jewish, and I would hate to be in David's position, to have to hide my identity to fit in. When i heard Brendan Fraser played David, I wasn't very sure about how the movie was going to be, but i was surprised to see what a good actor he is, he pulls it off really well. Matt Damon also gives a great performance, as a guy who is jealous of David and uses the information of him being Jewish to get back. Chris O'Donnell plays David's roomate, and the only guy who stands by him till the end. With the cast, the script, and the valuable message this movie gives about religion and acceptance, makes a movie that shines like no other has. 9.5/10(for the lack of success)

About a Boy (2002)

A very enjoyable book, which makes an enjoyable movie

[29 September 2002]

I read the book about a week before I saw the movie, I found the book to be quite enjoyable, a little too strong on the language, and the ending was a little too strong (thank God they change it in the movie), but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Then I saw the movie, I liked how they tell the story from two different points of view, from Will and from Marcus. They did something similar in the book, only the author narrated, and it was one chapter from Marcus's point of view, and the next from Will's point of view. Hugh Grant fits perfectly in the role of Will Freeman, and young Nicholas Hoult gives an excellent performance as Marcus. Toni Collette also gave a great performance as Marcus's suicide mother, who in my opinion, was a little to annoying in the book. I was surprised that the same directors who did American Pie (which I haven't seen, but i believe is gross) could do a a comedy which is a little more serious, and less gross, in such an excellent way. 10/10

One Hour Photo (2002)

A snapshot to the Oscar for Robin, no doubt.

[29 September 2002]

Robin Williams has always been my all-time favorite actor, which made me look forward to seeing this movie. The problem is I'm used to the hilarious, and half-dramatic Robin Williams, so seeing him in this movie took some getting used to. Actually, he scared the hell out of me in this movie, which proves that he is an excellent actor, no matter what kind of movie. Another thing I liked about this movie, is that it can be seen in many different ways, you can think that Sy Parrish is either a hero or a monster, and you never know what he's about to do next, which is the part that really scared me. This performance is a magnificent first time for Robin Williams, and should be rewarded with an Oscar, or he should at least be nominated for the role, excellent performance. 9/10.

Road to Perdition (2002)

Hey! Loosen the gun shots, will ya?

[29 September 2002]

This was a very interesting movie. The plot was very weel-thought. A kid who discovers that his father was a murderer, and the father was afraid that his son would end up just like him. The acting was great, Tom Hanks pulls the dark side role pretty well, Paul Newman does a pretty good mob boss, Jude Law's character was very original, a photographer who takes pictures of killed people, and young Tyler Hoechin does a great role as the son of a killer. The Art Direction was very well designed, and the Cinematography made it look very realistic.

I do have some negative comments though. To start, only about two to three characters, maybe four, stay alive. Everybody else in the movie dies, and everybody who dies is murdered, by a gun for crying out loud. Every ten minutes or so, somebody is shot. And if they were going to kill nearly everybody, couldn't they think of a more original way to kill them, gun shots tire you after a while, and in most movies I've seen, the villain, and the main character, die in a more original way, if they die. But this just proves that Sam Mendes just loves gun shots (watch American Beauty and you'll see what I mean.

The gun shots and too much killing is my only negative argument, apart from that, way to go. 8/10

Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)

Great acting for some really tough dialogue.

[29 September 2002]

When I first saw this show, I found it to be a little bit as a dramatic soap opera, which I hate. I kept watching it for a while, I found that it is a soap opera, but sort of a funny one. I really love the relationship between Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai's personality is really up beat, so is her imagination, and her way to look at the world, she's really fun. Some of her dialogue is kind of quick and confusing, but Lauren Graham pulls it off pretty well. Rory's character is also fun and upbeat, but she also has a touch of reality. She loves to help people with their troubles, especially her mom and grandparents. Rory also has some tough dialogue, she has to say some confusing stuff pretty quickly, which Alexis Bledel pulls off pretty well. Actually, every character has some confusing dialogue, which fit with their own personality. Aside from Lorelai and Rory, I'm also pretty fond of Luke and Jess, the diner owner, and his irreverent nephew, who is also pretty smart. The scripts are well written, and the story just leaves you wanting to know what happens, excellent show. 10/10.

Friends (1994–2004)

My best Friends

[29 September 2002]

Friends is my all-time favorite TV show, never miss it, not even the re-runs. In this show, you see mostly dramatic adulthood problems, but what i love about it is that non of them are taken very seriously. The jokes are very smart, and really funny, and each of the characters has his or her own special thing. Rachel is in to fashion, Monica is obsessed with winning, keeping things organized and having a baby, Phoebe is mostly a freak, who has her own way to look at life, plays the guitar, and talks about her weird family a lot. Joey is an actor who is sort of a casanova, and sort of ignorant, Chandler is the clever one, with most of the jokes, with some personality issues, and Ross is the one with the PhD, who is a teacher and loves dinosaurs, but is a real relationship loser, especially with marriage. All of these life problems keep you interested, and make you feel like they're your friends, they make you feel right at home. Great show. 10/10.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Watch it twice or don't watch it at all.

[15 August 2002]

I first saw this movie in the theaters, the beginning was good and fun, but then the three hours of the movie became really long, I was getting really bored. Back then I didn't think it deserved to win Best Picture, and i was glad it didn't. I saw it again about 7 months later, and I wasn't bored at all, I really enjoyed it, the visual effects and the scoring were great, the art direction and the costumes were fantastic, and the acting was not half bad. I didn't really read the book, which is I think maybe one of the reasons I did´'t like it the first time, but who cares, the second time was great.

Rain Man (1988)

Touching and Brilliant

[10/10 · 28 June 2002]

At first, I thought this movie would be too hard for me to understand, but it really was not, I understood the whole plot, and the whole problem with Raymond. The reason might be because I myself posses a few of his bizarre features. The acting was incredible. Dustin Hoffman does a great performance as an autistic guy, with his way of talking and his facial expressions. Tom Cruise did a very brilliant job as well, and I think his part was also very important, because he is the guy who changes from rude and self-centered jerk to a guy who cares about the safety of his brother. This movie touched me in many ways, and it was brilliantly done. 10/10

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind-A Beautiful Heart-A Beautiful Story

[23 June 2002]

This is the real life story of mathematician John Nash and the troubles he suffered during a disease called schizophrenia. As I see it, this is more than just the biography of a mad man, it is a mix of logic with real life and inner feelings of love, a very touching mix. I was really excited when I saw it in the theaters, while I was seeing it, I saw things that I did not expect, like certain people being hallucinations for example. The acting was really touching, especially Russel Crowe's performance as John Nash, and the whole story of how his wife helps him through his disease was very touching. This movie has in it, A Beautiful Mind, A Beautiful Heart and A Beautiful Story. 9/10.

Forrest Gump (1994)

A Wonderfully Delicious Box of Chocolates

[23 June 2002]

Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. This movie is the same thing, a box of chocolates, and a very sweet and touching one. This movie was a surprise from beginning to end. Some parts were full of action and suspense, others were full of laughs and hilarious situations, others are full of tears and are very heart warming. The story is all about a guy with a low I.Q.(but a big heart, if you do not mind my saying so) survives through history in the United States. It is a very sweet movie, and this Forrest is a very sweet character, and I like that he is played by Tom Hanks. This movie is a Wonderfully Delicious Box of Chocolates.10/10.