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Reviews
I Am Sam (2001)
love is all you need (but a good lawyer always helps)
I've heard two big complaints about this movie. The first has been in regards to Sean Penns performance as a mentally retarded man. It's not as good as Rainman, or What's eating Gilbert Grape say reviewers. They're right. It's better. The complaints sound similar to those who frequently complain about movies taken from popular books. It's different then how they saw it the first time, or how they imagined it should be so it's bad.
The second common complaint is that it's a "sappy" film. It's classified as a drama, so you should come to expect a little sappiness. Otherwise, maybe you should check out a different genre.
The chemistry between Sean Penn and Lucy is good. Both their characters are likable, esp Lucy's. Michelle as a cold-hearted lawyer, is far less likable, but I believe that was intended.
If you're looking to see a film about ordinary people fighting a flawed system check this one out. If you're not into heavy, heartfelt dramas pass on it.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Mistaken Identity
There's one big reason I like "the dude" better than so many other films. While Lebowsky has his share of flaws, they aren't really the cause of his problems. It's simply stirs from a case of mistaken identity. And I think people can sympathize with him so much more for that.
The characters are quirky and memorable. It's far more original than most movies.
And while there's several scenes that are a stretch, to say the least, realizing that they come from the dudes imagination somehow make them that much more acceptable.
It's one of the few movies that I've had the pleasure to just sit back and enjoy. I'd recommend this movie to most of you out there, especially those who appreciate subtle almost strange humor.
Le ballon rouge (1956)
A simple, short and sweet classic
This is a simple, short and sweet story about when boy meets balloon. The thing that surprised me most was how the balloon seemed to take on a life all it's own. During the film I somehow became concerned for wellbeing of this inanimate little object. I curiously watched it float along the movie screen, the way a dog watches a flashlight being shined against the wall.
Of course the film does show some of the limitations of it's time. If you look closely enough you can see occasional wires used to guide the balloon. But if you're not a screen hawk, searching for film mistakes, then I'm sure you probably won't be bothered by this.
All in all a great film. But don't set yourself up for disappointment by setting your expectations too high. This is, as I said before, a simple short story from 1956.
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
Aliens of the Bleep!
THIS REVIEW DEFINITELY CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!
OK, we've got the sun, a couple of kids and a sprinkler, a thriving city... And space... I've got no idea how this all relates.
This next series makes a little more sense... Growing grass, cow eats grass, fat kid eats hamburger... I still don't see how that relates to Aliens or fish, but hey maybe the 3-D glasses blurred my view... It might have been a fish-burger the fat kid was stuffing his face with.
Thank God for narrative. We're talking about the food-chain here, everything lives off plants which live off the sun. Everything on land and in the sea. And we're diving into the movie.
Just kidding. They stopped to show off the subs and give us everyones qualifications. After several minutes of explaining the technical side of things, they sum it up perfectly when they say "Finally, everything was in motion."
The 20 minute mark is really where this movie begins.
When I first heard criticism about the dialog, I thought no problem, just hit the mute button and watch the pretty pictures. But the pretty pictures are few and far between, so I went ahead and sat through the dialog. Was it all that bad? I'll let you be the judge. Here's a few excerpts.
"Wow, look at that. We've got a rock."
"...that's like the ugliest fish in the world."
"These chimneys reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit. And that's hot enough to melt the windows of your submersible. That's a bad thing."
"Holy pancakes batman."
"How cool is this? This is way better than a cardboard box."
"Baboom. You did it."
"Now do you care where we put the crab traps?"
"Preferably where there's crabs."
"Oh yeah, bingo baby."
"We have crabbage."
They only showed about 30 minutes total of deep sea creatures and over an hour of the crew, so I've come to the conclusion that the crew must be the Aliens of the Deep the title refers to.
City Lights (1931)
A great film, and I don't even like Chaplin movies
Unlike most of the other reviewers, I'm not really a huge Chaplin fan. In fact, to be perfectly honest, most of his movies bore me to tears. But this Chaplin film was different. It had a much warmer feel to it. There was something special about it. It's hard to describe, maybe because it isn't so much any specific part of the movie, but rather the feelings that the movie brings out. I watched it, as if I was hypnotized and when the movie was finished I found myself thinking "Now that's a nice movie!" I believe the mark of any truly great film is the emotion it's able to evoke. So this movie is nothing less than a huge success regardless if it makes it on any top ten lists or not. If you're looking to see Chaplin at his best I highly recommend you start with this warm, light-hearted film.
Breakin' (1984)
A really bad movie, and I loved every minute of it!
Let's just say that I'm not surprised to see such a low rating for this movie. The acting was a joke. The plot, as predictable as can be. And Ice T sounds like pure shh... OK, now that we've gotten the bad stuff out of the way, let's sit back and enjoy the show. Because as other reviewers have said, this is an 80's flick. And yes everything about the 80's seems silly and lame to us now. But if you take a moment to think back, that's how the 80's were. Despite all it's weaknesses, this still is an enjoyable film. So loosen up, watch the movie, and have a little fun.
Oh and by the way, I'm giving this film a 9, not based it's technical merit, but purely for the fun factor!
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Not as good, or as bad as everyone says...
Moulin Rouge! The only movie I can ever remember seeing with an exclamation point in the title! But that's about the only originality you'll find in this film.
Does Moulin Rouge have great musical numbers? Of course! But are they original? Moulin Rouge samples, "The Sound of Music", "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Lady Marmelade", "I Will Always Love You" and "Like a Virgin". The list goes on and on. It's more like a Puff Daddy Remix Album than an original motion picture soundtrack.
How about the plot? A struggling writer competes with a wealthy man for the love of a beautiful girl. Nothing too original there.
So surely it must be the dialog. Yet thinking back, the only phrase that's still ringing in my ears is "The show must go on!" A great phrase, but nothing Moulin Rouge can claim to have coined.
Is Moulin Rouge a bad movie? Not at all. The chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Ewan Mcgregor is excellent, especially when they're singing duets. And while a little neurotic at times, the movie never lags or leaves the viewer bored. Despite all my complaints, the movie was over before I knew it. So while I didn't like it, I can easily see how someone else might. My biggest suggestion here is to RENT IT before you buy it. Because, while it's not a bad movie, it's also not as good as everyone says.
Chicago (2002)
Getting Away with Murder
I put off seeing this film for years. I have never been a fan of glorifying violence. And as a man, the idea of women murdering their partners just didn't appeal to me.
But Chicago isn't your typical Hollywood bloodbath. The violence is surreal and after seeing the movie, I'm sure you'll agree, you remember more about the characters than their heinous acts of violence.
Chicago takes a cast of actors, none of whom I previously liked at all, and somehow makes them all very likable.
When I heard that Richard Gere was in this film, I immediately thought "chick flick". But Chicago also has a lot of sex appeal, enough to keep any man glued to the screen.
And who would have ever thought Queen Latifah could contribute so much to the strength of any film? I surely didn't. But she does, and she is surprisingly good in the role of Big Mama.
Chicago has just the right blend of music to make this movie magical. Maybe it's the way they combined memorable songs with witty one-liners. Or maybe it's the fact that some of the music reminded me of one of my all-time favorites, Annie. Whatever it was, I enjoyed this movie and think most other viewers will too.
Evita (1996)
Evita needs to take a breather
Madonna, always captivating, whether it be music or movies. I've enjoyed listening to her ever since I can remember. And her singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is as good as everyone says.
I normally don't care much for Antonio Banderas, but as I watched on he really grew on me in this seemingly unlikely role.
Evita is interesting enough to watch. The scenes are short and somewhat effective.
The problem, as strange as it may sound, is this movie has too much music for a musical. Should a musical use music to help tell the story? Of course! But most good musicals incorporate music into the movie. In Evita the music overruns the story, overwhelming the audience. In other musicals you are allowed to listen to the music, rather than having it bombard your ears.
Like a lot of music? Like a little history? Then you just might like this movie. But if you're looking for a really good modern musical, go watch Chicago instead.