waznojake2001 Reviews

All Eyez on Me (2017)

Am I the Only Person Who Enjoyed this Film

[9/10 · 19 June 2017]

I saw All Eyez On Me on the weekend and I loved it. It is directed with energy and exuberance and held my interest throughout. I didn't know a lot of the details of Tupac's life going into the theater so I was willing to accept what was presented. (Unlike my viewing of Miles Ahead where I knew too much about Miles to embrace that film.) Perhaps it is fair to say that the less you know about Tupac going in to the theater, the more you will enjoy the film.

The actor portraying Tupac bears an uncanny resemblance to him and is a perfect choice in casting. I also think that having the actor who portrayed the Notorious B.I.G. reprise his role in this film is also a brilliant choice. I can't verify the truth of the content that was presented, but I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.

The cinematography and soundtrack are terrific. I was moving in my seat, I recommend seeing it in a theater with great sound system. I really enjoyed this film, I learned a lot about this young man's life and I would see it a second time.

Southside with You (2016)

Better Than Expected

[8/10 · 6 September 2016]

I saw this film yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the actors captured the essence of the Obamas wonderfully; what they may have lacked in appearance they certainly had in spirit.

The movie that kept popping into my head while watching Southside With You was My Dinner with Andre. Now some may find that a stretch but really it's not. It's been a long time since I've watch two adults on screen having a conversation for ninety minutes. I found the conversation interesting and compelling. (The other movie that comes to mind is Mind Walk)

A lot of folks will skip this film because it lacks over-the-top drama, action and violence. This movie is for a mature audience but for different reasons. It is insightful and intelligent and you'll be glad that you saw if indeed you do.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

A Poetic Elegy

[3/10 · 24 September 2007]

I just saw The Assassination of Jesse James this afternoon in New York. While I had an interesting cinematic experience, it was not completely satisfying.

The film is meditative, poetic and elegiac. Which is to say that it moves at a slow pace and is somewhat obtuse. It is neither Peckinpah nor Sergio Leone, for that type of movie western you'll have to see 3:10 to Yuma.

The film is not bad, it did hold my interest. But in the hands of a better director it would have become a true modern day classic like Eastwood's Unforgiven. Brad Pitt is very good in the role and Casey Affleck is great at creating a character that you love to hate; a truly breakthrough performance.

I keep wanting to call The assassination of Jesse James an "existentialist Western." The only other film that I have given that designation to was El Topo, although the two films have absolutely nothing in common. While Unforgiven was a meditation on the nature of violence and killing, Assassination of JJ is a meditation on the pit falls of celebrity, even among the notorious.

The cinematography is the best that I've seen this year and hearkens back to the work of Nestor Almendros on Malick's Days of Heaven. Roger Deakins will be remembered at Oscar time.

I've often said that a great film by a mediocre director is not as interesting as a mediocre film by a great director. The Assassination of Jesse James falls somewhere in the middle, it's a good film by a director whose best work is yet to come