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rhapsodist912
Reviews
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Not better than Zeferreli's but certainly brilliant
This film is very, very different from the genius of Zefferelli. Yet it is still a brilliant film. The frenetic editing and the wild, hallucinagenic, stimulating and eye-popping prologue and opening scene sum up the squander, the pleasures and indulgences of two great families. If I had to compare this to any other films, it would be Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas and Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, both build on the ability to hook you and draw you in as a viewer to not only respect the story and characters but come out foaming at the mouth for more. Lurhmann knows this, he also knows that this is Shakespeare, and while it's certainly genius of the highest order, most stupid and ignorant teenagers won't understand Shakespearan speech, so he knows he has to hook you in the beginning till you grow to know and accept it for what it is. Damn fine writin'! The cast is glorious, the editing flashy and genius, the cinematography dazzling, and the directing is 4-star. Can't wait for Moulin Rouge!!!
Sydney (1996)
The best small-time film ever made.
Sydney (I prefer to call it that) is the greatest small film ever made. The characters so well-drawn-out, and nothing is wasteful, excessive or over-the-top. It's so perfect, see it with an open mind. Cept for it's film noir I compare to Frank D. Gilroy's Desperate Characters and Once In Paris, other small psychological studies that are flawless except for the fact that they're not big-budget, giant opuses (like Boogie Nights and Magnolia). But that's not really a flaw if you can appreciate it, is it? Whether you choose to accept this one-of-a-kind film experience is up to you. I loved it. "Christmas Time" so fitting.
Lady in the Lake (1946)
Interesting...very interesting.
I saw this film on TMC on Christmas Eve 2000. I thought it was pretty interesting. The first first-person film I've ever seen. It really caught the first-person POV with which Chandler wrote the novel. I loved Marlowe, wise-cracking, one-liners ("Do you fall in love with all of your clients? Only the ones in skirts.") I thought the director handled the camera very well, with the mirrors to show the first-person perspective. I like it a lot. Great noir! Kept me riveted.
Gladiator (2000)
A damn fine film...cept for a few things
I expected another poorly executed sword-slashing film when I entered in to see Gladiator. I walked out of my computer room (watched it on my DVD player on my CPU) feeling very satisfied. The action sequences, editing, cinematography, and use of 48, 24, and 12 frames were spectacular. The acting was very well done as well, not the greatest, but certainly good. I thought the plot was also very good, though there were some shades of Spartacus and many other films I've seen before. However, I found one weak feature, the ending. The last twenty minutes I thought were very weak. It seemed as though the screenwriters didn't know where to go once the end was in sight. Well, it's certainly a good film, I think it deserves a some kind of technical oscar nods. Oh yes, the score is absolutely brilliant, it deserves an Oscar nod. Zimmer deserves it! -PMB