rdowb Reviews

Friday Night Lights (2004)

Nostalgic

[16 August 2008]

This is the most human sports movie I've ever seen. Most sports movies follow a very basic formula of being either inspirational or comedic. Some try to be dramatic, but most fail because unless a person is playing a sport they often don't feel the tension, the struggle, the pain, or the elation. Where most others fail, Friday Night Lights soars.

Peter Berg does a wonderful job using the shaky-cam technique to create a documentary type of feel to the movie. We see the characters in their daily lives as if we are walking side by side with them. This is especially effective considering the plight many of those people feel. They all want to escape. Through football they can. Berg captures this.

The acting is extremely balanced. Even Tim McGraw surprises. Derek Luke is exceptional tackling(no pun intended) a tragic superstar. Everyone shines.

For anyone who loves sports and remembers when nothing else mattered when you played, this is a beautiful parallel.

Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)

A fulfilling experience

[16 August 2008]

This a movie that excels both content wise and theme wise. That's something that only real quality movies do. The directing and cinematographyb are excellent. The story and the acting are superb. Things We Lost In The Fire makes you understand and feel the pain of its characters, not just see it.

I've always been a big fan of Benicio Del Toro. True to form he is spectacular. However he outdoes himself. Arguably a better performance than Daniel Day Lewis for his award winning role in There Will Be Blood. Even Halle Berry, who I am not a fan of, was very good. She perfected the misty eyed so-close-to-tears-but-not-ready-to- cry look.

Susanne Bier does an exceptional job with the content. She works the scenes very well and it shows that she really knew how to guide her actors. Not just that, she has an eye for beauty and building on it to match theme to content.

Only three moves have ever made me cry. My Dog Skip because it's about a dog, Saving Private Ryan because I was extremely sick that day, and Cinema Paridiso because it is the most moving film ever made. Things We Lost In The Fire came thisclose to being number four. If I didn't have a reputation to uphold, it would have done it.

The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

I wanted to believe

[6/10 · 16 August 2008]

For what it's worth, the X-Files: I Want To Believe isn't a bad movie. It's just a bad X-Files movie. I liked how they decided to do a monster of the week format and avoid all the hype associated with continuing the mythology of the show. The only problem is it's a very boring, bland monster of the week.

I will admit I enjoyed the character driven story, but when you watch the X-Files you're not watching for JUST Mulder and Scully. You're more watching for the mystery. And the mystery and how it is developed in I Want To Believe is just well, not believably any good.

There are a few odd musical cue choices and even a horrendous CGI effect. On top of that, there's some oftentimes goofy camera-work and questionable acting(keep an eye on Xzibit doing his best to be SO SERIOUS!)

Luckily this was the X-Files because if Duchovony and Anderson weren't on screen it would be a much lower score.

When We Were Kings (1996)

The most elusive man outside the ring

[27 July 2008]

Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest sports figure of all time. He is remembered for his athletic achievement, political stances, and larger than life personality. Yet we never knew him.

Michael Mann made a decent movie called Ali a few years ago. He tried his best to draw a portrait of an elusive human being. But what he was trying to achieve had already been done before with When We Were Kings.

When We Were Kings is a phenomenal documentary. In my opinion, the prototype for all documentaries. Taking place in and around perhaps the best boxing match of all time, the Rumble In The Jungle, in which Ali faced George Foreman(of grill fame...). Ali is shown as a man brimming with confidence, yet his constant boasting becomes a coat of armor that protects him from his own self-doubt. Yet he endears himself to the African people who embrace him like he's one of their own. In these moments Ali appears both invincible and mortal.

There are some cool musical numbers by James Brown and B.B King as well as appearances by Spike Lee, Don King, and the controversial president of Zahire at the time, Mobutu Sese Seko. These appearances add depth to the amazing events of the film.

If you love documentaries, sports, or character stories, When We Were Kings is among the class of each.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Paradise

[26 July 2008]

The first and only time I have cried during a movie. This was a film that cradles you in its arms, keeping you warm and safe. This is a movie that tells you everything will be OK.

For those of you who haven't seen any Italian films, you're missing out because they are tremendous in their portrayal of family and relationships. Cinema Paridiso does not disappoint in that regard.

This is a brilliant movie in that it is both romantic and nostalgic. It reminds us of youthful love. It brings back memories of long gone friends. It reminds us that we are who we are because of those things. These are things that can never be changed and can only be remembered. Cinema Paridiso.

The Proposition (2005)

Welcome back the Western

[26 July 2008]

The Proposition is a dirty western set in Australia. This a movie that revels in the dust and sweat and blood that appear on screen. You feel the wretchedness of the times.

There is brilliant symbolism in this movie. Like any western, you have your lawmen and your outlaws. The lawmen want to civilize the country with this being reflected in their little cozy homes and proper attire. The outlaws don't care for structure so they appear dirty and unkempt, like the dust that refuses to be cleaned off the lawmen cozy homes. The western genre has always been a breeding ground for matching theme to content. The Proposition is no different and excels.

This is a very real western. Blood, grime, dirt, and gunfights.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

The long and winding Road....Warrior

[10/10 · 25 July 2008]

This is my favorite post-apocalypse movie ever made. This portrays a world so bleak that people wander the deserts looking for gasoline to power their vehicles to wander the deserts to look for gasoline to power their vehicles....you get the idea.

Symbolic of this world plight is the life of our main character Max. Following the events of the first film his life consists of wandering the deserts with no destination ahead of him. How can a world be so aimless and bleak? That is what The Road Warrior is about.

Despite the hopelessness, there are still people who live for more than wandering. Max has an attack of conscience as to whether to defend those who wish to live for more or fend for himself. This is a real dilemma of life.

Sadly, this movie is known mostly for Mel Gibson and it's highly realistic action scenes. There is more to this film, as any good science fiction film is. It's about ideas. Thank goodness someone had the idea to make The Road Warrior.

Children of Men (2006)

Children of Men

[10/10 · 25 July 2008]

Children of Men is a simple enough idea: what would happen if humans were unable to procreate? Yet from this idea, Alfonso Cuaron builds a world dominated by potentially real crisis. No other science fiction film I has done so in such convincing fashion. It's less science than it is fiction and that's where the beauty comes. This is not a science fiction movie of flying spaceships or laser beams. This is a science fiction movie about ideas, and ideas are always the most powerful.

The set designs are superb because they look like the landscapes we inhabit today, just more decrepit to reflect the decline of the society around them. Think World War II, but modern day.

The editing is brilliant because it is so patient. There are two long takes that will make you smile. Also, pay attention to some nifty camera-work in a few scenes.

On top of that, this movie has a great story. The relationships, the ideas, the social commentary; they're all there. Everything you could want from a great story.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

The Machine!

[10/10 · 25 July 2008]

For the acting ensemble alone this movie is a 10/10. Put together some of the best writing and fantastic editing, and you've got the formula of a winner.

Each actor gets their chance to tear up the screen. But even while the actors interact on screen, none of them steals the show. Talk about an ensemble working together. The confidence and chemistry from shot to shot will bring a smile to your face.

The writing is fierce and fast. You want to see a movie where even curse words carry meaning? This is it. Alec Baldwin is in the film for maybe seven minutes, but the writing in those seven minutes chews up the set.

On top of everything, the set makeup is amazing. The whole film takes place in three locales and yet not once does it become static.

This is vastly underrated movie because it doesn't appeal to your average movie fan. But if you have good taste, you will like this movie, guaranteed.

The Dark Knight (2008)

I'm gonna tell them it was all your idea...

[10/10 · 24 July 2008]

Great film. I had to see it twice, in one day, to verify it was actually as good as the public opinion believed. I've never believed public opinion is accurate when it comes to movies. If it grosses this much or how many people say something is great doesn't matter to me.

Sadly, I felt this film has been a product of tragedy. I remember finding out Heath Ledger was going to play Joker and thinking, "He's perfect." Yet public consensus was negative. That was a mistake. So I was very conflicted when the public praised him for his work. I found it unfair to him that many people wanted to see this movie because he was dead. Granted, I haven't talked to everyone who has seen the movie and did not originally like him as the choice, but you should get the idea...He did as good a job as any actor alive could have done, and I'm proud he proved the public wrong about him. It was his Don Corleone. It was heartbreaking, creepy, and fitting that his best, and darkest, work was his last.

Regardless, Christopher Nolan is the best director working today. This is on par with The Prestige and Memento(other superb films he directed) in it's ability to tell a complicated, compelling, and memorable story seemingly without trying. The atmosphere was amazing. The cinematography was amazing. The editing and the camera-work are amazing. The characters were amazing. The only thing that was not amazing was the stunt work...which was phenomenal. This is some of the most unique action you'll ever see. As much as I'm annoyed by people who say things like, "That was sick." after something happens, I somewhat had no other adjective to describe what was happening but that way.

The Dark Knight did things that had not been done before in the genre. I don't just mean the comic book genre. This is a movie that is so good being a comic book adaptation it branches over and stands up as it's own. If Batman Begins had not been made, it would still be amazing. If Batman himself had not been invented it would still be amazing. In that sense it's as original a movie can be without being based on something.

See this movie. If it's the one movie you see this year, make it that way.

Blood Diamond (2006)

A Hollywood version of a world story

[6/10 · 10 February 2008]

I get a great deal of satisfaction from watching Oscar tabbed films. Why? Because like most people, I love dissecting which are deserving and which are not. Everything about Blood Diamond screams it deserves, yet these cries are hollow. Because Blood Diamond echoes 'Hollywood'.

Blood Diamond features an Oscar 'worthy' cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly. They play Oscar worthy characters with accents, faulty personalities, and sad stories. It is directed by an Oscar worthy Director in Edward Zwick(Glory, The Last Samurai). It has an Oscar worthy story that taps into the human condition. It has an Oscar worthy release date(can anyone say Christmas holidays...). It has an Oscar worthy conclusion. Are we noticing a theme here?

The sad truth is that a truly meaningful story that needed to be told was done to manipulate. The plight of 3rd World countries tugs at any persons heart strings. We all want to say we're doing our part to help those in need. Blood Diamond is made to reaffirm this. Then why is Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role when a real South African actor is not? Three words: Hollywood Star System. Why is their a romance in the middle of a larger conflict a la Titanic. Three more words: People like it.

I wanted to say I liked it. Trust me, I did. But what message does this movie send by having an ending that concludes everything? The problems of that region are not solved. The reading at the end is a cop-out for a film that didn't want people to stop and say, "Wait, what happens now?" Because in all truth, there were little gold statues and green dollar bills floating in producers heads...

So for all these reasons I give Blood Diamond a 6/10.