Gendarmist Reviews

Siberian Sniper (2021)

Siberian Sniper 2021 - masterpiece by Dmitry Koltsov

[9/10 · 20 November 2022]

This is a gripping thriller IMHO. Other than how clean everyone is in the movie, it depicts war in the Russian trenches during WW2. It is precisely the evolution of becoming a sniper. Bravery, honesty, morality and brotherhood are depicted 'matter of factly'.

If you are a student of war and a student of russian history, this movie adds to the narrative in a way that you will remember. It is not just another propaganda film. War between the Russians and Germans was an incredible time of sacrifice by both countries. The men who were part of it are shown in this film as compassionate and vengeful at the same time. It is a testament to the director viewing the war through the eyes of the soldiers who were part of it. I should like to share a beer with this director and wish him well in future films.

Note: As I watch movies like this I tend to pause the movie and look up what I see to see how true it is. This movei was suprisingly well researched.

The Man from Beijing (2011 TV Movie)

Man from Beijing is an excellent movie about revenge!

[8/10 · 7 December 2013]

I have no idea what the other reviewers were doing while this movie was on but none seem to have watched it. I have come to expect great things form the movies that Michael Nyqvist is in. This one is no exception. It deals with an event that is so believable, I'd bet it is a depiction of an actual event.

The movie is a treatment of a single historical event that many of us did not get in school - the building of the Central Pacific Railway! Since I live near Truckee and Reno, it was really fun for me. The event took place over 150 years ago and is reaching its conclusion in this movie. Of course there are subtitles - it takes place on 3 continents! The casting is excellent, the costumes are accurate (or they look like it) and the plot is so amazingly complex yet simple. You can really sink your mind into it. Not one minute of boredom for me.

They give you enough of a hint at the beginning of the movie so you are not lost. I always hate it when a movie leaves you wondering what the heck this is about and when you find out, you have to see the movie a couple more times just to figure it out. No in this one - I suspected what happened at the beginning and really enjoyed how it slowly developed - FOR 3 HOURS! Great rainy day movie - although it is snowing here.

The War Boys (2009)

A movie that portrays more reality than most.

[21 November 2011]

This movie is a coming of age tale of 3 young men who are thee same but very different. Living in a border town does things to you and the acting in this movie portrays exactly what life in the desert is like from a modern perspective. The plot is rather ill defined and apparently some people are unable to find meaning in it. But for me, I understand the complex nature of this screenplay. The Director did a great job putting a time line on what has happened. My hat is off to the entire cast and staff for making this movie interesting and memorable. I enjoy a movie where I have to think and this one just presented the characters in a slice of time with little else to go on. Very Brave, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Local (2008)

A great movie with actors who are naturals

[9/10 · 28 March 2010]

I was bored with Hollywood fare and began looking for something different. This is the perfect example to keep you excited on a Sunday. I was totally engrossed in the movie. I was once beset with hard times, picked myself up and this is the part I relate to most in the movie. But that road is long and hard. Thank the lord my path to success was not the same one this character had to follow. The Director portrayed the route perfectly. The characters look like they are straight out of my personal nightmare. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this movie. It was powerful. Some of the actors look like they are coming direct from the streets. You simply cannot predict your own feelings at the end of this movie. Everything in this movie is a metaphor. I cannot wait to see more movies with the main character, the writers and the director. Absolutely a great movie made on a small budget. Amazing!

Come Hell or Highwater (2008)

It's a throwback to the Drive In days

[4/10 · 12 February 2010]

This movie has many aspects. One is the old film style. If this was not done on Film then Digital has come a long way. The filming style set the expectations. I knew it would be a scary film. I don't recognize the actors but the characters are familiar and look real. No SUPER White Teeth in this film. The locations, lighting and camera angles are a throwback to the days of Great filmmakers. The acting is a little stiff but that may be what the director wanted. I just could not tell.

One other thing, the mind's eye is as much a part of the movie as the actual events that are occurring. I really liked how the main character's thoughts are portrayed as a separate movie in this movie. I suppose that is the Portland Style the other reviewer is talking about.

This is a revenge film. With a small budget, the music was within expectations and a little too loud. The direction had a lot of old and new mixed together and I had a hard time making sense of it. Like the way the main character talked was at odds with an old rotary dial phone. He seemed more confused than me. It was just odd and distracting. I expect a film to progress with some attention to detail.

It might have helped if the fight scene at the beginning was prefaced by some sense of where we are. I really never did know where I was during the entire film - in the 1940's or in the future! OK... that said, on to the plot. Some men were protecting another man. I suppose they were Police. One of them had a son who is a policeman. The killer finds them and kills them in unspeakable ways. The Son investigates and begins taking inappropriate revenge along the way.

A lot of odd characters come in and out of the story as well. But none of the characters is very well developed. If you can pay attention long enough, some of them eventually develop but I would have done it much sooner. I think that would have made the film more interesting along the way.

The New Legend of Shaolin (1994)

Best Family Kung Fu Movie ever made by Jet Li ever.

[9/10 · 15 July 2009]

I have to admit, some of the cuts in this movie gave me goosebumps. The director did a great job of putting this family action movie together. The premise is one I have not seen before. The village is destroyed by an evil ex-friend - all except one man and his young baby. Eventually the Evil Ex-Friend confronts his path to doom but not before some very good twists. This is not an adult's movie in the sense that you are looking for grownup action. It is Fantasy Kung-Fu at its best. The action alternates from the Adults to the Children to the Grandparents to the Honorable Strangers and back again. And Evil pays all along the way.

I suggest you give your kids something with a lot of sugar and you have a triple-latte before watching this one. Then hold on to your seat as the movie opens in a great action sequence that feels a lot like a Roller Coaster ride. The action and comedy are perfectly woven into a memorable storyline. Many of the action sequences are one take and that is the best part. Jet Li is one of the most amazing Kung-Fu artists ever and teamed up with Jing Wong he is almost out-done by the other great members of the cast. WOW! All of the traditional Chinese story lines are here - respect for your Elders, children minding their elders and honor as the ultimate reward for even the most awkward in society. Fun, Fun and More Fun.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

The language of this film is not the words

[10/10 · 31 December 2006]

I cannot easily express the feelings I have for this movie. Watching it in Mandarin with English sub-titles made it even more "transcendental". I have never seen a movie so magical in its overall imagery. Even the Lord of the Rings cannot compare, simply because they used computers to create the magic and you can tell. In this spectacular movie, the Director is so innovative that I can never go back to the newer American-style movies. If you have your doubts, just watch this movie with an open mind. Women have the power. All the men.. are just a sideline and have their limited use to the power of these women. I gladly agree that Women have and need the most power in modern society. In this film though, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang are sexy, powerful, inspiring, controlling, dynamic in their interactions and pure magic on the screen.

Ang Lee has created a movie that will be held as a standard, not only for Martial Arts films, but all future romance films from this day forward.

Open Range (2003)

This movie made me cry

[10/10 · 28 March 2005]

I cannot help but notice the great detail Mr. Costner went to. The Shiplap construction, less than perfect windows, the dialog, even the supporting cast was superb. I grew up in a small town in Texas and this was so close to home, I cannot tell you the memories it evoked in my mind. It made me long for a day when it was cut-and-dry as to what was right or wrong. Many years ago, this was the challenge. We knew who was wrong and who was right. Today it is so complex.

I agree with the other person who made the comment "Why do they not make more westerns?" The formula is so simple and we, as viewers, can get so caught up in the storyline. And escape to the time when out Fathers and Grandfathers were trying to make a place in this world.

If I ever get a chance to talk to Mr. Costner, I want to thank him for such a powerful image. There really were people like that. I knew them. Oh they were old, but just the same.. I miss them so much.

Jerry - a real Texan!