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Alex_Glass
1. Bonnie & Clyde
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3. The Silence of the Lambs
4. Pulp Fiction
5. All About Eve
6. The Godfather
7. The Shawshank Redemption
8. Rear Window
9. Chinatown
10. Crimes & Misdemeanors
Favourite Actors 1. Paul Newman
2. Michael Caine
3. Jack Nicholson
Favourite Actresses (no order)
1. Jodie foster
2. Samantha Morton
3. Elizabeth Taylor
4. Katherine Hepburn
Favourite Directors
1. Woody Allen
2. Milos Forman
3. Alfred Hitchcock
Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Overrated
Could their be a more over-rated film this year. While okay in part, I think the main reason behind it's success is the fact that some people take a liking to Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. It has problems classifying what type of film it is. Not enough action to be a action film. Not enough laughs to be a comedy. It has also been put up for major awards, yet it is clearly a blockbuster. 'Its both of these,' you may say. That is not the case as the poor attempts at jokes do not work. Johnny Depp probably deserved his Golden Globe nomination, not his Oscar nomination though. His character, along with everyone elses, is one-dimensional and conforms to stereotypes. Bloom plays Legolas very well to say the setting has changed. the other actors are fairly decent in their roles. A plot that i could predict in my sleep and a boring script prevent it from being good. What could have been a great 90 minute blockbuster has been stretched to 2 and a half hours on a plot that cannot manage it.
*1/2 out of ****
p.s. It has been hyped up recently. If you have'nt seen it yet, don't.
Cold Mountain (2003)
A Review of Cold Mountain
*Slight spoilers but if any one has read a review of this film, they will probably know them all ready*
Synopsis: Cold Mountain tells the story of Inman (Jude Law), a wounded Confederate soldier fighting in the American Civil War, and his journey home to meet his love, Ada (Nicole Kidman). Meanwhile, Ada is struggling to maintain her father's farm since he passed away. That is , until farm hand Ruby Thewes (Renee Zellwger) comes along.
Many people have dismissed Cold Mountain as being boring and too romantic. Just because it is not an 'indie' film, it has rescieved mixed reviews. In fact, it is an excellent example of an epic and it is easy to see why the all star cast chose to star in this movie. It features drama, comedy, action and romance and is a movie and is a movie most people can enjoy.
Inman's journey is similar to Homer's Oddysey and the colourful cast of characters he meets along the way are almost as interesting as the three leads. Natalie Portman in particular shines as a young widow. The two plot threads, Inman's journey home and Ada maintaining the farm, could stand alone quite easily. As much I liked Inman's action-packed voyage back to Cold Mountain, I thought the scenes with Renee and Nicole were more enjoyable.
Ada loosing her reverend father, played by Donald Sutherland, is the first major emotional scene and it is done well without being cheesy. The introduction of Zellweger perks up the film. Her character is definatley the most interesting character and she is sure to win the Oscar this year. When first introduced, it is hard to understand her dialogue and it appears Zellweger is going for easy laughs by portraying stereotypes. Within about three minutes these thoughts are abolished and she helps to make the film more enjoyable. People who have seen it will know what I mean, especially on the 'bag of diamonds' scene. Ruby helps to make the emotional scenes less schmaltzy. Nicole portrays a subtle performance in Ada and proves once again why she is the greatest current actress in Hollywood. Ada's and Ruby's struggle to rebuild the farm complements Inman's chapters of the film.
Overall, Cold Mountain is a marvel in film making and is one of this years best films. The three leads are excellent, as are the supporting players and cameos. Cold Mountain is well directed and well made. My only fault is that it could have been edited slightly but the time passes quickly anyway. 9/10
Misery (1990)
A excellent adaptation of an excellent book. A modern classic.
*there may be possible spoilers but I doubt they will ruin the film or give away the ending)
I picked up the Misery DVD in my local cd/video/dvd store and read the synopsis at the back. Then I remembered where I had heard it before. On the Steven King novel. I rushed out and bought the book, the film sounded interesting but I wanted to read the book first. It was wonderful a brilliant, tense thriller that had hints of humour. It was definatly the best Steven King book I have read (The others are Apt Pupil and Shawshank Redemption).
I know this is'nt a book review, so i'll get back on track. I got the dvd for Christmas and was delighted at how good it was. Kathy Bates and James Caan are perfect in their roles and often funny aswell. Kathy Bates truly deserved her Oscar. She does'nt just play Annie Wilkes, her performance is so realistic, she is Annie Wilkes. She can turn from calm to total psycho, yet appears pretty normal. James Caan often goes unrecognised for this role, yet he portrays Paul brilliantly.
The film has the same plot as the novel, but it is not really faithful to it's original source. Many differences occur, and the film is better for it. It is interesting to see a different view on the story, rather than just seeing the book. Differences are the hobbling scene, the policeman scene and the added bonus of the hilarious candlelit dinner.
Annie and Paul's characters are different in on film than the book. For instance, Annie wasn't following Paul on the night of the crash. Also Annie does'nt predict things about Paul, e.g. cigarette after finishing a book, he has to ask her.
On a whole the film is an excellent adaptation. It offers a new insight to the story. I don't think that I managed to get the most out of the film because I read the book first. The film would have been more enjoyable if I did'nt know what was going to happen. Overall, its a cock-a-doodie marvel.
9/10
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
Up there with Schindler's List and Life Is Beautiful. One of the best holocaust movies
The film is about a girl, Anne Frank, and what happened to her during the holocaust. We know this through her diary.
The film opens with her diary being discovered by her father and the couple who helped them hide. They flash back to when the frank family shared a loft above a factory with another family. The film is set in Amsterdam and not only gives insight to what life was like in World War 2, but shows how two families are struggling to live together.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a brilliant film. It is moving and has humor, romance, tension and is touching. Anne Frank, played by Shelley Winters, is likable but people around her find her annoying. I have not read the book, and I am sure it portrays the holocaust more accurately, but the film is brilliant. In parts it is unrealistic. The main characters have not eaten much for months, yet they still look perfect.
The tension build up in certain scenes is done perfectly by director George Stevens. The emotional scenes make you want to cry and Anne Frank makes you laugh with her mannerisms.
From the start of the film, to the last line, (" Despite all this I still believe theres good in people") The Diary of Anne Frank is an enjoyable cinema experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
9/10