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Reviews
Two Hands (1999)
Very well done
Two Hands is a highly enjoyable Aussie crime caper, which ultimately succeeds by the way the film easily combines tense dramatic moments, with very funny characters and situations, to give the film the right balance and feel. The comedy of the film occurs naturally, and the laughs haven't been set up too elaborately & haven't been too worked at. It really is very funny, thanks to the fact that each character in the movie is excellently cast, and that each actor/actress recognises and can relate to the Aussie humor. They portray it very well and very realistically. Of course, they're helped out immensely by a fantastic script by writer/director Gregor Jordan. I was reading another review of this film by an American who had seen it, and he heavily criticised it, basically passing it off as a Pulp Fiction clone. I think that that's just rubbish. This film isn't trying to be Pulp Fiction, the feel and style of each of this excellent films are totally opposite. Without wanting to sound superior or arrogant, I think to fully understand this film; the humor, the sincerity, the characters, etc....you have to be Australian, or at least understand the culture, which the other guy obviously didn't have the faintest clue about. Some Americans, whose reviews of certain non-American films, seem ignorant to (and have trouble comprehending) anything that isn't an American product. It's a real shame, because this is a really great film. The love story featured between the main character and the girl is also portrayed in a very real, sincere and sweet way. I'm very proud to have this film in my collection. 4.5 out of 5.
Face/Off (1997)
Stylish Action Flick
The plot to this film is totally outrageous and extremely far-fetched (only Hollywood could really get away with it), but because the two leads (John Travolta and Nicolas Cage) are so good at being each other, it almost makes you forget about the unrealistic premise of the film. As unbelievable as the story is, this film is very entertaining, thanks of course, as already mentioned, to the performances of both Cage and Travolta and also the distinct and electrifying John Woo action sequences. The action scenes are definately a highlight. All of the performances in this film, besides the leads are also very good, and Woo is able to build tension and suspense in a way that he couldn't really achieve in Hard Target. In the end though, Cage and Travolta put this film a mile in front of the competition. 4 out of 5
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Not all that bad......
I'm writing this review after just having come from seeing "Dawn" at the cinemas. Originally when I heard about this remake of the 1978 George A Romero film (which I haven't seen yet but am very eager to) I wasn't all that keen as many of today's horror flicks, especially a lot of the remakes, often come up lacking. However, after I read a pretty good review of this film in a newspaper, and given my fondness for zombie flicks, I ended up getting pretty excited about it and decided to check it out. While this movie wasn't up to the standard of another recent zombie flick, the excellent "28 Days Later", it certainly had some redeeming features, that set it a cut above the rest of most modern horror flicks. First of all, there was no boring opening sequence that slowly eases the audience into a feeling of dread, as soon as the flick began, there was an immediate feeling that it could be any minute that a zombie would jump out and all hell would break loose. Also, the zombies rated fairly highly with me. Even though the style of extremely rapid and ferocious zombies (rather than slow and dull, which was the case in the older zombie flicks) was most probably borrowed from 28 DAYS, the filmmakers were very wise to use fast zombies, because, quite simply, fast zombies are much scarier than slow zombies, and, to their credit, the filmmakers do succeed in making scary zombies. **SPOILER AHEAD!!**...I thought the sequence after Ana escapes from her house, where her husband, who has become infected, tries to attack her, were particularly good. I love the way there is utter chaos outside, while Ana tries to escape in her car. Cars crashing into each other, people turning against each other, zombies chasing people left right and centre make the whole thing less choreographed and more realistic, like a sudden warzone in a suburban area.**SPOILER END!!** Regarding the human characters, most were likable enough if a little dull. The characters were pretty typically, and there wasn't much in the way of character development. From about half way through the movie onwards, the movie was a bit more boring but still had some very enjoyable moments. Overall, the movies action scenes and the LOOK of the action and the zombies was very good, the characters were average and the scares were pretty decent.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Simply wonderful
This is probably one of the best films I've ever seen. Punch-Drunk Love is the strangest feel-good movie ever. Shot in a pretty sureal way that compliments the amusingly original storyline. Adam Sandler is perfectly cast and shows his expertise in executing all of Barry's little oddities, as well as his hidden talent for showing Barry's loneliness and his need for love. Barry Egan is definitely the most likeable character in any of Paul Thomas Anderson's films so far. The supporting players did a really great job as well. Some really great cinematography as well, especially during the scene where Barry meets up with Lena in Hawaii and they embrace each other. The music is lovely and quirky, too.
Brother (2000)
An entertaining & original film
Takeshi Kitano's Brother is a powerful, unpredictable and at times beautiful film about gangster warfare, the strictness and honour of the Yakuza, but above all, it is a film about friendship. I'm not too sure really where I should start on this film, but what I found so startling and enthralling (apart from the extreme violence) was the way in which each character, expecially those of Aniki (Takeshi) and Denny (Epps), was depicted; Aniki as fiercely loyal and occasionally psychotic, yet mostly restrained, quiet and polite, with an engaging sense of humour, and Denny, who embodies a certain kind of innocense and honesty, as well as oppenness and trust, which allows the friendship between he and Aniki to develop. The performance of Omar Epps as Denny is really excellent, especially during the final scene of the movie, where we really feel the extent to which these two characters have bonded, even though they barely speak the same language or share any cultural similarities. However, the top honours must surely go to Kitano. With his portrayal of Aniki, he brings this element of unpredictability to the film: one minute Aniki is just the seemingly mild-mannered, man of few words, the next, he explodes with ferious violence. His stellar direction also embodies a certain unpredictable quality, and I was impressed by the seemingly effortless way in which he transferred between the painfully violent action sequences with the beautifully staged sequences of friendship between Denny and Aniki, handling each scene with care and sensitivity. Just so I don't keep on rambling, I'll finish off now. But there's so much more one could say about this film. Especially about the final scene, which is a real stunner. The music is beautiful as well.