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Reviews
Bratya Karamazovy (2009)
Very Good Adaptation
I read the book over a decade ago, the entire 900 pages plus, and then saw the 1958 Yul Brynner movie version which was okay and all the principal actors were terrific but the story left out the Grand Inquisitor and Ivan's hallucination with the devil, two of the most memorable chapters in the book. So needless to say there was some disappointment with the Hollywood version. Though I will say it's understandable why those very lengthy chapters, philosophical in nature and not something most Americans have patience sitting through, were omitted.
Thankfully with this 12 part mini series the most essential parts of the book are covered, including the Grand Inquisitor and the Devil scene. The Brothers might have looked differently than what I imagined when reading the novel over a decade ago, but I genuinely found them to be the characters in the book. And since this was filmed almost a decade ago, it's a great companion to anyone who has the read the book. I'm only reviewing this now because someone I know just watched the Hollywood version, but she didn't know about the more complete storytelling of this novel is found in the Russian formats (with necessary English subtitles). This is definitely better than the 1958 Hollywood version, but I still recommend reading the book first.
On it's own this 12-part mini series re-tells the story as close to written words as possible. Really well done, not dull and yes it has a "soap opera" quality that makes it entertaining. Recommended for anyone who had patience to read the novel, then see it in action!
Megamind (2010)
Good Always Triumph even when it's evil
To get away from scamming car mechanics, I decided to take a break from reality for 90 minutes. Going to to see an animated movie was one way to forget about those overcharging a*!!!! Having already seen Despicable Me earlier this year (which was more of a tearjerker), the comparisons to it, other than the evil guy turning good, there's really not much the same.
Megamind has an evil blue guy, but for all his evil, he seems like a guy just wanting a good time, and he finds it in his fights with Metro Man. In the very cliché story of always being the overlooked kid so he turns evil story, Megamind finds purpose in life being the bad boy. When he finally conquers his nemesis, Metro Man, the victory seems empty because he has no one to share it with other than his best buddy, some strange fuzzy transformer fish thing he calls Code.
Despicable Me finds happiness being a father, Megamind finds happiness with a news reporter. He transforms himself into some guy name Bernard (didn't anyone feel sorry for that guy?) and gets to know reporter Roxanne Ritchi then suddenly falls for her. All this after he tried to make camera man Hal the new hero, Titan. only to have that backfire as his creation becomes the new face of evil.
This movie begins with action, is fast paced, and has a hilarious send up of Marlon Brando as Jor-El in the Superman movie. In all it was a cute movie, and the voice acting was great all around. It's refreshing to see the good guy lose once in a while, but having this not so evil MegaMind character as the focus isn't too bad either
Up (2009)
Not such a fun movie
Pixar animated movies like "Toy Story" & "A Bug's Life" were fun, creative and amusing. Up is strangely "adult" in nature and it's appeal to the very young maybe minimal. The best line in the entire film "I finally get to meet my childhood hero, and now he wants to kill me". Seriously, this should have been a PG-13 movie. Pixar films were more upbeat before they teamed with Disney. Now with Disney, their films have an added drama to them. Disney is great at musical animation storytelling, but I wish they had left Pixar alone.
The story isn't that great, although the love story between Carl & Ellie is admirable, ultimately it's about the widowed Carl and an obese stowaway but determined boy scout, Russell. Their encounters with a strange bird and a talking dog lead them to the villain in the movie, who probably should have had more screen time. There was no explanation of why he needed all those talking dogs.
I thought the animation was superb but the scenarios when the main characters were put in peril, were a little too unbelievable. It seemed with all those bright colored balloons it would be a fun movie, but "Up" can be a downer sometimes and I'd only recommend it to fans of animated films.
Doubt (2008)
Film Doubt
The draw of this movie was based on all the Academy Award nominations it received (with help from Miramax, of course). In fact all the lead actors and director/screenwriter were in contention, but Doubt was shut out.
It's the story of students in a parochial school run by Father Flynn (Hoffman) and an aggressively tough principal (Streep). The film slowly takes you to it's main plot, and at the end, it will leave you wondering, if the Sister did the right thing, hence the film's title. The actors are all good, in particular Streep, no surprise there, but some of the film sequences were bizarre, such as the wind blowing or the camera angle when Father Flynn and Sister James (Adams) are talking on park benches, as if the audience would recognize it's meaning.
This film comes across like a stage play, and even though it is an adaptation of an actual play, it still feels like the story would be better told in a theater. There is no accompanying dramatic music, just actors and dialogue with "cinematic" effects. Nevertheless, "Doubt" is a compelling story, well acted but probably better staged.
Enchanted (2007)
A Strange Fantasy
I watch movies to escape the real world. This movie is silly, but lets you forget the real world for a little while. It starts off as a saccharine sweet cartoon, then morphs into a live action animation musical comedy-drama. A genre only Disney/Pixar can manage to create.
Because of an evil scheme by a Disney stepmother (who else?), Amy Adams as Princess Giselle gets stuck in the company of mean New Yorkers, save a kind-hearted divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey - the former teen star that got better looking as he got older). Giselle speaks likes the cartoon character even in modern day New York, and New Yorkers believe she's just another crazy woman from the street. Both Disney Prince and Princess end up in New York, looking for each other while maintaining their cartoonish attributes. I know it's Disney and aimed at kids and family, but that was a little too unbelievable.
The minute Adams' Giselle, became an angry New Yorker, because of Robert's (Dempsey) pessimistic view of love and life as a divorce lawyer, the story became more interesting and more watchable. I guess I can't relate to cartoon characters as much. Still the fun part was not watching the special effects, it was great seeing Susan Sarandon as the evil stepmother, Narissa. That's acting and she should have had a larger role in the movie. Not the best Disney movie, that belongs to Beauty & the Beast (IMO), but a fairly good escapism film, that got better as it neared the end.
La Môme (2007)
Edith Piaf's two-hour biopic
I've heard of Edith Piaf, but never really knew who she was, only that she's been mentioned several times in the Arts&Entertainment section of my local paper. This movie kind of shows Piaf's trauma and triumph during her lifetime. It's told in flashback, then cuts to present day and back again. Piaf was an alcoholic drug abuser, which caught up with her until she could no longer perform. The movie begins with her rough childhood upbringing, her estrangement from her parents and being taken care of at a brothel. Young Edith is reluctantly taken away from the brothel to perform with her alcoholic father, and she eventually becomes a street performer singing to make money, and to avoid prostitution. Fortunately for her she is discovered by a nightclub owner (played by Gerard Depardieu), and her career takes off.
"La Vie En Rose" does its best to tell Piaf's story in the space of 2 hours. Perhaps that's why Dahan told the story in flashback - flash forward sequences. The editing can be a little rattling, because the change in time sequence is done so often. I found the affair with the boxer quite interesting, though the boxing scene went on too long, and the fact that she had a daughter was only mentioned near the end of the movie. There's a lot of characters in this movie and sometimes it gets confusing how they tie in to her, and exactly who did she get married to?
Marion Cotillard superbly lip syncs to Piaf's incredibly strong vocals. Cotillard deserved all the awards she received for her portrayal as Piaf. She is unrecognizable in this film, and her gestures and voice articulate archival videos I've seen of the "Little Sparrow" (even with the height difference). Not enough credit, imho, is given to the Academy Award winning make-up department. I was really impressed how they transformed Cotillard into Piaf at later stages of her life.
Edith Piaf's story seems like a rags to riches, to good to be true story, that came true and met a sad end. Yet her voice and music live on. The pop star of her day.
The Hoax (2006)
Literary psychological drama
What is author Clifford Irving's motive for lying to McGraw-Hill? He already had a comfortable living. As the movie starts, a publisher at McGraw Hill decides not to print his latest offering. Irving decides he needs a subject that will fascinate the public and make money for himself and his publisher. The subject is reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Irving becomes Hughes unknown spokesperson and the film proceeds to showcase Irving's many attempts at preventing his publishers from knowing the truth. With Richard Suskind's (Alfred Molina's) skillful research, Irving and Suskind manage to fool the higher ups of the publishing world.
The fascinating parts of the movie are how Irving and Suskind conduct their research of Howard Hughes and his associates. Their research goes so far as finding sources for impeachment for then-President Nixon. Also fascinating is how close Irving comes to being found out. Obviously Irving was as good an actor as Gere is in The Hoax. Irving, Suskind and Irving's wife (Marcia Gay Harden) eventually all get caught, but The Hoax makes it a fun ride.
Coincidentally I rented this movie, the same date the DVD extra of a 60 minutes interview with Irving aired January 16th. It shows a clip of the real Clifford Irving smiling (knowing people bought his concocted story), telling the same lie to Mike Wallace. I'd recommend The Hoax to those who believe reality is stranger than fiction. The Hoax is a "Catch Me If You Can" for the literary set.
Ratatouille (2007)
Kitchen rat cooks
Eww, rats in a restaurant. Well if it's an animated restaurant, where the story is just told for entertainment purposes, then this movie succeeded. I must admit, seeing that many rats (even if animated), can be disturbing. Once they started speaking English in Paris, and gave the little rodents characteristics comprehensible to humans, then the fear of animated rats in the animated kitchen subsided. I'll give the writers credit for disallowing the main character, Remy the rat, from speaking to Linguini, but only gestures to him on how to cook. The movie is sometimes implausible, and yet the story has an innate charm to hold your attention. This maybe an animated film, but it's also undoubtedly a "food" movie, with Remy being inspired by Chef Gusteau, the pleasures of fine dining. It is also somewhat of a morale lesson, in that, Chef Gusteau as a "ghost" supplies Remy with more than the fine art of cooking. I'd have to disagree that this is a classic Disney tale. No one dies and there's no rain. Even the chief villain (the food critic Ego) has a happy ending. It is however, a very well made animated feature with super cooking rodents.
Happy Feet (2006)
Great animation, so-so story
As an animated picture, it's one of the best I've seen, but as far as the story goes, I wish they would have focused on the 4-year old mumble who is much cuter than the teen-aged forever molting "Mumble". I've watched a dozen or so nature documentaries on penguins and while this movie was fun to watch, real "Emperor" penguins just stand around in a huddle most of the time trying to stay warm, making this film just "cute". Anyway, I didn't mind the environmental message so much but they could have told the story in a less depressing more humorous way. After all, in reality every animal eats every other animal. The penguins eat fish, seals eat penguins, sharks eats seals and humans eat fish that those animals eat and no fish, none of those animals survive either. "Happy Feet" deserved it's Oscar for the animation but story-wise, it could have been "happier".
The Departed (2006)
Good not great action movie
The Departed is a cops and mobsters movie which garnered critical acclaim and a Best Picture award but after seeing it, I began to wonder why the other nominated films didn't win. Even though IMDb score is high, the public reaction seems divided. As an action flick, it's satisfies with lots of foul language, bloodshed, gunfire and enough violence to keep you awake. The plot centers around an Boston detective (Damon), an undercover cop (DiCaprio) and a mobster named Frank Costello (Nicholson). Each character is trying to sniff a "rat" out of their operation. That's what makes this movie so interesting. Damon starts out to be the good guy be he isn't. DiCaprio isn't really the bad guy either. Nicholson is the villain throughout, but he's also an FBI informant, which did not make sense to me, since his character murders people. Mark Wahlberg, plays a foul-mouthed wise-ass detective and he got a supporting actor nomination for this movie in which he has much less screen time than his other big co-stars. I stuck with this movie because I wanted to know who was going to get who first, and how they would do it, but sometimes the dialogue just stretched too long, and the movie itself seemed like it should have ended 20 minutes earlier. It's hard to sit through a movie and not have anyone to root for (I wanted Leo to get the rat at the police dept.), and it's really hard when the audience knows who the rat is but the characters on-screen are celebrating the rat's deceptive achievements. Now I kind of wished Little Miss Sunshine had won, but at least The Departed had an action movie's version of a happy ending,
Breaking and Entering (2006)
Relationship Drama
Will (Jude Law) is an architect, married to a Swede, Liv (Robin Wright-Penn), who has a daughter,Bea from a previous marriage. Bea has some sort of mental disorder, and Liv seems depressed about it. Will is a loving family man but feels that there is still something missing from his home life. At work, he tries to construct a new building, at an undesirable area of London, called King's Cross. His building is burglarized by some young acrobatic teenagers so Will ends up staking out his construction site hoping to catch the perpetrators. While he does this from inside his car, a prostitute approaches him and Will becomes a client of hers.
Like any other couples, Will and Liv have their fights and make up, so Will agreeing to a hooker, and yet trying to spice up his marriage, did not connect with this viewer. Even more surprising is he begins an affair with the mother of the teenage burglar. Amira (played by Juliette Binoche, doing a very good Bosnian accent), is a Muslim immigrant and seamstress who meets Will by chance at his step-daughter's gym practice. Will asks Amira for some tailoring to be done for him then begins an affair with her. When Amira's son Mero (Rafi Gavron) finds out Will has been to his place, he confesses to Amira what he has done. Amira and a friend then take pictures of her in bed with Will in hopes she can discredit Will from harming her son. Amira's loving protection of her son is the most plausible element of this movie.
This is really a story about Will trying to find a broken link in his marriage to Liv and her daughter. Will and Liv, like their daughter, is upset then calm, then upset, then calm. Their relationships lacked any consistency so that Will having affairs is incomprehensible. Maybe Will's character could have been more fully developed, as well as Wright-Penn's Liv, so we can get a clue as to why Will does what he does. While, watching Will start these affairs, I was reminded by what some girlfriends have told me, "men are scum". Yet Will is really a decent guy. I enjoyed the pacing of this movie, and the cat and mouse game at King's Cross (really that's what makes most of this movie interesting) and I liked watching the young acrobats jump from building to building (better than Spider-Man, they're human). But what it lacks is thorough credibility. It's an engaging movie that could have used a little more livening up.
Shut Up & Sing (2006)
For the land of the free and the home of the brave
Terrific display of freedom of speech (or lack thereof) in the United States. This film should be used as a study of the first amendment. Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines opposition to President Bush's (being a fellow Texan) and his decision to enter into a war with Iraq is met with threatening letters, and controversy, as country music stations decide to abandon their music. What's most refreshing is Maines and the Dixie Chicks refuse to give up their right of the first Amendment and more importantly, they make a remarkable comeback. Remember King George of England (where Maines made the infamous comment), when the United States was just 13 colonies? He's kind of reminiscent of the George in the White House today. In the long run, Bush's legacy will be an incomprehensible war in Iraq and the Dixie Chicks, despite losing some mainstream country music fans, have gained a whole new generation of admirers and some new music lovers, who now listen to country music. Long live the Chicks!
Far from Heaven (2002)
Drama 50 years later
The music and look of this film, was an homage to films of the 1950's and Julianne Moore reminded me of Carol Brady from the Brady Bunch, sugary sweet, a time when things were "simple". But looks are always deceiving, and I thought I'd fall asleep through most of it, but Moore, Quaid and Haysbert deliver in their respective roles. Moore, especially, after discovering her husband, played by Dennis Quaid, kissing another man and falling for "afro-american" Dennis Haysbert's gardener character (isn't he the Allstate guy?). Interesting to note Dennis Quaid appears on some of the VHS covers, but Dennis Haysbert doesn't. Somethings never change. Definitely not the most entertaining movie, but it is relevant social commentary. Quaid sees a psychiatrist about his attraction to men and Moore defies convention, by accompanying a single father from a different race (Haysbert). Overall this is a good not great drama. I liked the unhappy ending and the "what could have been" if it were acceptable at that time. Director Todd Haynes has at least reminded the public that "acceptance" of certain behaviors is still incomprehensible to many people, even if half a century has gone by.
Dogville (2003)
Stage play masquerading as movie but good ending
Before watching this film/theater experience, I read some reviews claiming it was anti-American or Americans hated it. But then why were so many American actors in it, including the legendary Bacall and James Caan. After finishing this 3 hour stage play, which concluded with some unflattering depression era photos to the tune of David Bowie's "Young Americans", I found the anti-American sentiment wasn't really justified. The first hour begins with a narrator introducing the town and townspeople of Dogville. Tom (Paul Bettany) is Dogville's spokesperson. Tom meets Grace (Kidman) and helps her escape from some gangsters. He introduces Grace to the townspeople and tells them Grace's predicament. The story then proceeds with overbearing narration, and is told through "chapters", almost like visualizing a book on tape.
The movie set or lack thereof is that of a stage. Now, I've always liked theater actors, they're raw and inspired and that's what I liked about the bare scenery in this "film", the actors had to "improvise" their actions, of closing a door, of raking leaves and this is one of the positive things in the movie. But by the 2nd hour when after the "townspeople" show Grace their true colors and they treat her with indifference and humiliate her, including all the town's male population raping her, I started to feel a little bit of that "hatred". It seemed the harassment would never cease and Tom was just a wimp. The only reason for not stopping the film was "Grace's surprise". Indeed, when James Caan, finally appears, and an extremely engaging argument between Grace (Kidman) and The Big Man (Caan) about "arrogance" takes place, viewing Dogville in its entirety became worthwhile. If the United States can be criticized for one thing, it's "arrogance", though in this film the "arrogance" was about people in general.
Dogville is a drama on a sound stage and has fine acting from Kidman. Caan was good too but Bacall was underused. The rest of the ensemble cast as standard theater actors, were methodical but effective. Anyone who wants to view a "unique" film, should give Dogville a chance, but be prepared, there is a lot of unpleasantness. 7.0/10
The Hours (2002)
Art film
I've been on a Kidman kick lately, meaning after watching how brilliant she was in "The Others", I wanted to "discover" more of her work. Here Kidman plays or rather IS British author Virginia Woolf. Woolf (an unrecognizable Kidman)is seen writing Mrs. Dalloway, while Julianne Moore playing a post-World War II housewife, is reading it. Fast forward to the 21st century, and the most respected of all actresses, Meryl Streep as Clarissa Vaughn, is actually a living Mrs. Dalloway. They are three women in an unenviable situation. On the surface they are leading normal lives. Inside their souls are being crushed.
Watching "The Hours" could be depressing at times. Ed Harris, as the poet Richard is dying of AIDS, Woolf is a mentally disturbed writer, Moore's character Laura Brown decides to abandon her children and all of this is happening while a party is being given. "The Hours" though, is a remarkably well told story through three different time periods. Each lead character's segment (Woolf, Laura Brown, and Clarissa Vaughn) seamlessly relate to one another.
This is a film only a true adult can understand and appreciate. It is not for impatient audiences, but I have to say, I was a little bit shocked to see all three lead actresses share a kiss with three other fine actresses (Toni Colette, Miranda Richardson, Allison Janney), but hey this is an "art film", with a great ensemble cast. What was the big deal then of "Brokeback Mountain", when this was 3 years before.
Even with the heavy mood of this film, it carries on because of such terrific performance from Oscar winners Kidman, Streep and Moore, eventually. I haven't seen Miranda Richardson in a movie in a while, so it was a great surprise to see she was in this film along with Toni Colette, Ed Harris, Jeff Daniels, Stephen Dillane, and John C. Reilly from Chicago. I can't honestly say I was impressed with the child actor who played Mrs. Brown son, but he does grow up to be the impressive Ed Harris, in the film anyway. Recommended for drama lovers.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Generally - I liked it
"Spectacular Spectacular - no words in the vernacular can describe this great event, you'll be dumb with wonderment". That line stuck with me for a few days, after watching this piece of artistry. Colorful, fast-paced, MTV video style motion picture that reminded me of Whose Line Is It Anyway Song titles game. The Like A Virgin sequence was modernly hilarious. True, it won't appeal to everyone, but there's actually a love story surfacing above the glitz and the glamour. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman both do a nice job of portraying the "doomed lovers", and they do a good job of singing too. I still think Kidman should have been nominated for "The Others", but Moulin Rouge just shows her range more for comedy, music and drama. Very exquisite. So some of the songs were after the Moulin Rouge time period, I sang along with it anyway. The movie is like a nightclub itself, fun and entertaining. Overall, an original concept and an unforgettable experience.
The Others (2001)
Oooh - Australian actors
A couple of movies I've watched lately, have all involved Australian actors. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, Hugh Jackman in X-Men, Guy Pearce and Nicole Kidman. I completely forgot she was an Aussie. Her portrayal of an overprotective British mother is incredibly good that when I played the DVD extras, that Australian accent came back on. Kidman, Flanagan as the lead housekeeper, the two young children especially give great acting performances. And like Ledger in Brokeback, when the acting is superb, and the story well told, repeated viewings are a must. I don't know why some people call it "slow". From the opening scream to the surprise ending, The Others kept me involved, not knowing if the housekeepers were diabolical or "Grace" was really mad, as her daughter suggested. Director Amenabar wrote, directed and composed the score for the film, which greatly enhanced the mood at certain scenes. The music gave a clue of what was happening but it was still effective. A really enjoyable nighttime flick, one that will make you shudder, and very well made.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
A gay cowboy movie it is NOT
Amid all the hype on a subject that's not universally popular, the curiosity became "too much". So I saw, the upset loser of the 2006 Academy Awards. All I can say is Brokeback was robbed. I liked "Crash" too, but Brokeback's acting, directing, screenplay is much better. Being that I grew up in L.A., I kinda know why "Crash" won, but just because Brokeback was the butt of many jokes and still is, it doesn't mean this film should be discarded. Movie fans will surely consider this a "classic love story" and landmark cinema. Superb direction from Ang Lee, remarkable performances from Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and the rest of the acting crew. The accompanying music, part classical, part country western, sets the mood just right. Human emotions are very complex. Brokeback Mountain sets a perfect example. An excellent drama, Yes; a gay cowboy movie it definitely is not.