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CountryJim
Reviews
Inland Empire (2006)
Tedious, belabored and manipulative
Normally I enjoy off-beat and unfathomable movies. This certainly fell into that category. But it was incredibly slow-moving and tedious. Lingering scenes of blank screen or repeated motifs, cheap and scary-movie bursts of loud music or screams into the camera to occasionally awake a sleeping and bored audience. A whole film-maker's bag of tricks of pseudo lead-ups to something, then going nowhere.
I felt that I had been tricked into spending half a day (yes, half a day!) watching a director's tedious indulgence, with payoffs and existential meaning that could have been achieved in around an hour. Other directors have enough respect for their audiences to edit down a bit to at least keep interest up.
The BIG irony is that this is supposed to an evocative, non-linear expression. Yet the audience is FORCED to watch it as a linear experience.
Meet the Applegates (1990)
Predictable and flat
How is it that otherwise good actors allow themselves to take part in a banal script like this? Characters are unidimensional (well 1.5 dimensional at best). I can see how it would appeal to average and undemanding movie viewers (that is to say the statistical 50% mark of sophistication).
It had a lot of "zany, wacky, goofy, madcap, off-the-wall, weird" antics. Not funny, just antics and very predictable. I think I chuckled once at Dabney and once at Stockard - a testament to their abilities to at least rescue a moment here and there.
If you have a very undemanding and unsophisticated sense of humor, you will like find it quite amusing with its zany, wacky, goofy, madcap, off-the-wall, weird antics. But if you have a mental age of over 14, you will likely get bored.
But movies like this are valuable to watch. They are so juvenile and bland, that they remind one what a good movie is when you see one. But not this one.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Action flick, light on intrigue and character
With all the hype and slavering about the "Bourne Franchise", I rented this DVD. I was expecting complex intrigue, deep complex character development, and believability.
What I experienced was an action flick, with mostly wooden characters (exception - Clive Owen's brief appearance was most memorable). The car chase was wayyyyy too long and looked hokey and staged for the last two thirds. The movie could have been a good 20 minutes shorter.
But it meets the needs of its demographic - 17-22 YO males, or those whose discernment for more intelligent and well-crafted suspense-intrigue has not matured beyond 25.
The chemistry between the two leads seemed contrived.
And Julia Styles - why? Not a credible character in this movie.
I was so disappointed. I had been really looking forward to this and the other two.
The Last Winter (2006)
Gripping and well crafted
I was engaged for the whole movie. The sense of being out in the snow, building tension and sense of dread was totally captured. The characters were very well scripted and portrayed.
If anything, the underlying threat could have been totally left to the imagination without a reveal. Having said that, the total impact of the movie was nevertheless not spoiled.
The snow scenes and landscape were captured with a bleak and beautiful starkness. The action scenes were done with incredible realism and not overdone.
Ron Perlman did a great job of portraying the rough and tough oil man, yet was able to shift as the plot unfolded. All the actors and characters were totally believable, and sustained their correct arcs through the movie.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006)
Surprisingly poignant, yet entertaining and funny.
Garlin did a great job. Nice concept well executed, and tightly produced. Came across as a very sincere story. As a fan of "Curb Your Enthusiasm", where Jeff was pretty much the straight guy role, I was delighted with how much depth he brought to this role in a simple yet effective portrayal.
Much of the humor was understated and subtle and drew on poignancy, which I really liked, rather than being slapstick or over-explained. And there were some nice little surprises and twists. The convenience store vignettes were a delight.
When I say it is a wonderful "small" film, I don't mean budget or quality. It is simple, intimate and hand-crafted. It tells a highly believable everyday story. Relax and go see it. Let it wash over you, and you will feel good for having done so.
Wild Seven (2006)
Drags on way too long, shallow, trite, one dimensional characters
Had been really excited about seeing this at the LA Film Festival. Other festival films had been excellent. This one really disappointed. And the audience also thought so...
Mostly at a festival screening, the audience of movie buffs applaud at the ending, and stay through to the end of the credits. For this bomb, there was no applause, just a puzzled sigh of relief when it finished, and the audience bolted like they do in a multiplex - the theater was practically empty by the time the credits finished rolling.
It had the feeling of a high school play, written and performed by a high school drama group, with the exception of the three seasoned actors who did a valiant job to breathe some life into the narrow characters they had been saddled with, with way too many unnecessary lines.
Too many characters, that were lightweight or had non-existent back stories. The "sunrise- sunset" device was way overused and became tedious. Dialog and editing was way too loose with many pauses that served no purpose. Doubt if there was much on the cutting room floor, as there were many scenes in there that did nothing to advance the story or give more depth to the characters.
Half the dialog consisted of a group of unexplained twenty-somethings getting drunk and accusing each other of gayness. This alone could been edited to trim 20 minutes from the overly long film. Script did not reflect a great depth or breadth of life experience, and often came across as corny.
A few good moments - the father and son scene in the convenience store, the smartass getting smacked in the face, and some of the acting by the older actors, particularly Loggia, whose angry and credible racism made me genuinely uncomfortable.
But the ending did not deliver any real emotional payoff, and any chance of plot payoff was lost long before the ending finally arrived.
And the main credits - cute device, but quickly became as tedious as a child who won't stop asking the question "Why?" over and over.
Which leads me to my final question on this movie, "Why?"
Deux lions au soleil (1980)
25 years later, concept still deeply affects me
I saw this when I lived in my country of birth, Australia. I was studying sociology, and was deeply into social class issues, especially around workers and the meaning of work.
Seeing how these two "heroes" sought to bring "some poetry" to their lives, and the ultimate consequence, was so universally sad and a comment on the human condition.
Now, living in Los Angeles, I see enormous social differentiation, and shallow movies that are all about things blowing up, and ever increasingly young and beautiful heroes.
Almost 25 years since I saw the film, I want to watch it again. I will update this comment with my new views of it.