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Reviews
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Derivative and boring
The dialogue was laughably bad, and the acting (from some of the best in the biz) was sub-par for the most part. I recognize this is a "thriller" and that doesn't always mean good dialogue, but there were far too many lengthy pseudo-intellectual scenes with no action to excuse bad dialogue. Oh, and of course, a chess game--the universal symbol for a complex sub-plot. I did enjoy Hartnett's character, but when I can see the end coming from a mile away it really takes a lot out of the movie for me. The ending was far too much like The Usual Suspects without being nearly as surprising or complex. If you see it free, like I did, it's not that bad, but don't waste money on it.
Shakespeare's Merchant (2003)
Horrible sound production ruins Shakespeare
The primary reason people watch Shakespeare plays made into movies is for the dialogue. The muffled and echoey sound in this potentially good movie ruined it completely. You can't always hear what the actors are saying; I know the story line, but I still want to be able to hear the actors say the famous lines. (And yes, I'm sure it wasn't the theater's fault for the poor sound. The producer and several of the actors were present at the screening and said nothing about the sound.)
Additionally, several of the actors were very poorly cast and seem to have attended the William Shatner school of acting. Nerissa and Lancelot are especially bad. It all had a very amateurish feel.
The thing that prevents me from giving this movie a lower rating is that I admire the interpretation of the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio as one of lovers. It seems obvious - why else would Antonio go into so much debt for Bassanio, and on such terms? I have seen this interpretation quite successfully done on stage. Too bad the production values of this movie were so bad that I couldn't appreciate it.
Crónicas (2004)
Disturbing, but very good
It's hard to rate a movie that you find intensely disturbing and a bit nauseating. I saw this at the Philadelphia Film Festival, and the friend who saw it with me was equally disturbed - we both wanted to give it a rating of F***ed Up. Then again, if you spend the next two hours talking about how much a movie bothered you, that means it was well acted and directed, right?
The reporter (Leguizamo) crosses the boundaries of morality and goes too far in pursuit of his story, and the movie ends on a very unsatisfactory note. Still, the bad guy is very good at being a psychopath, and the reporter and his crew are very good at being morally bankrupt. See Cronicas, but brace yourself for unpleasant subject matter.
Sex and the City (1998)
People who impugn this series are morons
That's right, I'm calling all the twits who gave this series a low rating based on political correctness or some kind of male idea of what it's like to be a single woman wrong. This series speaks to single people in their mid to late 30s, both male and female, because we've all been there. It's not giving up, it's an attempt to find what's left, what's good in the world, despite what we've learned otherwise in our erstwhile attempts at love. Sometimes, that includes (shockingly!) sex, and sometimes, that includes things other than sex. You'll have to watch to find out which episodes are which, but all are true in the pursuit of love - I've been there, and obviously, so have the writers, which is what makes this show the one you watch over and over again.
Shrek (2001)
Can't remember the last time I laughed so hard in a theater.
I think the first thing I need to say is that normally, I don't like toilet humor. Fart jokes and nose-picking are the kind of things that keep me away from a lot of "comedies." There *was* a lot of that in Shrek, and yet... most of it was funny. There's such an overall feeling of irreverence in the film that I surprised myself by laughing at that very humor, because it seemed to fit. Maybe it's the knowledge that you will *NEVER* see a character in a Disney film put out a fire by peeing on it that makes it so delicious. Speaking of the Evil Empire, I noticed that several reviewers considered the regular stream of Disney-knocking to be a drawback. Personally, those were the jokes I laughed at the hardest.
There are 2 sides to how I feel about Disney, sort of a love/hate thing - I love most of their products, but I hate who they are. I grew up on Disney animation, and still hold many of their films dear to my heart. I also lived most of my life within a 2 hour drive of the Magic Kingdom and have spent more than my fair share of time there, so I think I know more about Disney the corporation than your average American. Frankly, they're a little scary with their, "You'll be happy, it'll be magical, or else!" attitude, which is what makes Shrek so funny. There were sendups of several other well-known and well-loved films, but the Disney jokes were the best. I think you have to love Disney and have a first-hand knowledge of the Disney experience to really appreciate those lampoons to the fullest.
I haven't said anything about the effects yet, but of course they were amazing. Shrek truly leaves all other animation, not just Disney, in the dust. It's the first animated film I've seen that really takes advantage of the technology currently available - it doesn't just pan in and out of scenes, it's three-dimensional, and pages crackle and light refracts, and characters move naturally. It was impressive, especially when compared to the trailer that showed right before Shrek started - Disney's Atlantis comes out in 2 weeks, and it looks like formulaic, flat, 2D Disney. Disney takes the same amount of time to develop a film, but they're clearly stuck in a rigid design mold - dig up a legend to animate, insert storyline here, drop in cute characters there, get famous singer to do theme song, ta-da! another blockbuster.
The final great thing about Shrek was that they turned the typical dreamy animated love quest on it's ear. As a woman, I'm thrilled to see more and more anti-fairy tales making it to the theater. Sure, you could say that it's been done, and you'd be right, but it hasn't come near to being done to death as much as the "typical" fairy tale love story. As far as I'm concerned, make anti-fairy tales until the adults want to puke - little kids can use as much reverse gender-stereotyping as possible. Here's to burping princesses who get involved in their own rescuing!
Demolition Man (1993)
Better than you'd expect
Really, not a bad film. I don't have high expectations of Sly, but I have to admit the dialogue was fairly witty with some wonderfully sly digs at commercialism. I especially enjoyed Denis Leary's underground hero and the scene where John Spartan buys a "hamburger."
Wo hu cang long (2000)
This is what filmmaking should be.
If every other movie of 2000 had been miserable, this film alone would have redeemed the entire year. I have never seen such an amazing film. The locations, the cast, the action sequences, the sets, the theme - all so beautiful you want to weep for sheer joy - that is, when you aren't laughing out loud at the audacity of the sequences. This is what filmmaking should be, and it is easily the best film Ang Lee has ever done.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a timeless story of achingly beautiful magical realism. The film seems to have something for everyone; battles to the death, intrigue, revenge, 2 epic love stories, humor, excellent acting and majestic filming. And for those of you with a feminist bent, there is nothing better than seeing a 16 year old girl beat the pants off of a bar-full of trained assassins, mocking them as she goes. In the final big fight scene between the female leads, I believe they manage to showcase every weapon known to a Chinese warrior.
The fight scenes were so fast-paced that I have already vowed to see the movie again, to better appreciate all of the fancy foot and handwork going on. But I want to see it again anyway - how often do you find yourself saying, "Wow," as the screen goes black and the credits start to roll?
Autumn in New York (2000)
How bad could it be? Even worse than you think.
This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The plot was weak and full of unresolved threads floating everywhere (Why didn't she wear the hat that she took such care creating? What is this inspecific heart disease that allows her to die gracefully and without any apparent pain?) There is more chemistry in the leftovers in my refrigerator than between Ryder and Gere, and you can see the outcome of the plot a mile away. Don't blame it all on the script, either. Gere is no heavyweight, anyway, but Ryder surely could've done something to improve her ridiculously bad character. There are many, MANY better terminal-illness-themed movies, if that's your thing. The best thing I can say about this film is that the scenery is lovely. I went to see it with my mother and grandmother as something we could all agree on - and we did. We all want those hours of our lives back.
Gladiator (2000)
3, count 'em, 3 writers on the screenplay!
If for some reason you are forced to see this movie (heavy sedation and the like), the costuming was sensational and the soundtrack is fantastic - try to focus on that.
Otherwise,the plot (!) is cumbersome, the excessive violence is tedious, the paranoid emperor thing is boring and the hero against all odds has been done to death.
Not even Derek Jacobi and Russell Crowe could carry this albatross.