lukecon-63436 Reviews

Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004)

A moving and deeply personal ten-hour epic

[9/10 · 1 August 2022]

Lav Diaz's ten-hour epic Evolution of a Filipino Family tells the story of a poor and struggling family and the evolution of their farming clan--we gradually see the rise of their farming clan, and then also see the gradual downfall and eventual collapse of their clan--over the process of ten hours.

Also intertwined with the primary storyline are scenes depicting the time period in which these characters' lives are set against--these characters and their storylines being set against the backdrop of the authoritarian government led by dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

I must say that like I felt while watching this ten-hour epic, you might just feel easily swept away by the many characters and their storylines that inhabit this film. When reaching the two-hour mark, I forgot that I still had eight and a half hours left to go. I felt this feeling that I was almost there with the characters, living with them, and being with them in their most difficult and tragic moments in their lives.

In a strange way, you begin to bond with these characters in a more personal way, as if you have known them and lived with them--the characters feel more real to you, rather than simply feeling like fictional characters in a film. You feel as if these characters embody reality in their own sense, and the characters feel real to the viewer as the viewer becomes swept in the characters' lives.

As you watch this ten-hour film, you may wonder why this film is so long. However, once you get acquainted with Lav Diaz's style, you will notice that most of his films follow the same pattern you will notice in this film: they usually run over four hours long (some other films of his ranging in length from 6 to 9 hours long).

You will also notice that in many of Diaz's films, including this one, Diaz makes great use of long takes--many of his shots last very long lengths of time, some lasting 15-20 minutes long (one shot from another film of his lasting a full hour). Diaz uses these long and uninterrupted takes to convey the passage of time, the slow and gradual process of time and how time passes by very slowly and gradually. To convey this process, Diaz will use very long takes in his films to show this effect.

It might take some time to get used to Diaz's unconventional style of filmmaking--also, Diaz is known for his frequent use of still shots in his films. Most of his shots in his films are static and involve minimal to no camera movement.

However, this technique of using still and static shots also makes everything in his films seem real and believable, being that everything is portrayed objectively, rather than from the perspective of certain characters--everything is shown as it is, and usually from a far-away distance to present that objective view of reality that Diaz presents in his films.

Also, Diaz's films are shot on very low and below-typical production values. This can affect the quality of the film, usually in terms of the quality of the cameras used and the video quality--being that a lot of his films are shot on low production values, his films will usually have a Standard Definition quality to it instead of the typical High Definition quality films usually have.

However, Diaz doesn't focus on high production values and quality camera equipment--he also doesn't focus as much on the length of his films--Diaz's focus is simply on capturing the simple, beautiful, tender, warm, yet also the despairing, sorrowful, bleak, and melancholic moments of life--he captures these moments at their realest--and with the finest sense of detail and patience these moments ought to be given more of in the typical Hollywood productions of today.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)

Animal abuse scenes did it for me

[1/10 · 25 May 2022]

Yes, this is a neorealist film. I could understand the director's intentions behind making this film, and I could understand why this film runs at the slow-moving pace that it runs at. I could also understand why this film doesn't have much of a resemblance of a plot in the first hour that I saw of it, and seems more like a slice-of-life drama of 19th-century peasant life in Italy.

However, I cannot understand why it is so long (3 hours to tell a story so simple and easy to tell in less time than that) and I also cannot understand why animal slaughter is necessary to portray on camera to give us a better sense of peasant life.

I already understood most of what the director was getting at about the tough life that a lot of peasants and poor people had to go through, and what people still go through today. But animal slaughter and cruelty is never admissible or acceptable to show to prove a point as simple as the point that peasant life was difficult and hard.

How can the depiction-mind you, a very graphic depiction-of animal abuse, be ever justifiable due to the subject matter of the film? Yes, I'm sure that animals were slaughtered and cooked in that time period, and I'm sure that that was a commonplace practice, but is it necessary to portray that? Surely, we understand what it was like for them at the time, but should such a practice as that be portrayed on full display for the camera?

One scene, in particular, involves the slaughter of a pig, and the cooking of the pig's dead carcass. This is quite a long scene, lasting about 4-5 minutes-and I actually considered turning the movie off at this part. A couple minutes after this scene, I decided to shut this film off.

That scene is still burned in my mind now, having seen it just now. I just don't understand why it is so necessary to portray animal abuse-especially in a graphic manner-more so, why portray it at all? For the purpose and sake of realism?

I could understand what the director was getting at, but this goes too far.

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

The cold, hard truth about life

[9/10 · 25 May 2022]

***SPOILER ALERT***

Rarely do you get a film that gives us a more realistic and accurate portrayal of everyday life than the Italian neorealism films. As a movement, Italian neorealism held its influence through the 40s, especially, and still maintains its influential power now, especially with its enduring classic, Bicycle Thieves.

Bicycle Thieves centers on the story of a poor but hard-working family-the father is given a job in which a bicycle is required to carry out the tasks that come with this job. The father and son (beautifully portrayed by child actor Enzo Staiola) purchase a bicycle, but the bicycle is stolen from them, and now the father and son must retrieve their bicycle, so that way, the father can continue working at his job. And the rest includes what has gone down as one of the most memorable final scenes in all of film history.

Bicycle Thieves is a film that simply gives us the cold and hard truth about life. It is a film that examines the hard life that usually isn't given much attention in cinema-the hard life, that, if given attention through cinema, has been sugarcoated with melodramatic and predictable endings.

However, this is a film that confronts the hard truth of life that are rarely portrayed in cinema-and instead, director Vittorio De Sica subverts audience expectations-especially in the powerful final scene, where the father and son do not retrieve their bicycle, and instead, the father and son walk off in a moment of defeat and crushing sadness.

This is certainly a downer of an ending, and was certainly influential for its time, and perhaps, it still holds its influence now. This is the kind of film that is not meant to uplift, neither is it meant to completely depress. It is one of those films that is meant to be honest about life, and honest it is.

Paris, Texas (1984)

Emotionally moving and powerful

[9/10 · 25 May 2022]

Among many great things I have to say about this film, one thing is the musical score by Ry Cooder. I must say that this is one of the best film scores, quite possibly the greatest score ever written for a film. I have never heard music that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of loneliness, loss, pain, sadness, hurt, alienation, and desolation all in one beautiful melody that it is within the music and is also within this film.

Paris, Texas is a beautiful melody of loss, sadness, and yearning to find hope in one's despair. Everything about it feels so real and honest, and that is one thing I have appreciated about it-its honesty. The film is very emotionally gripping and feels real in its most emotional scenes.

While the film does run at a slow pace, I must say it picks up and adds more interesting layers onto its otherwise simple narrative, which follows an aimless drifter named Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) and his attempts to reconcile with his family again, after being found wandering through a desolate town in Texas. His brother finds him there, where they both reconnect and Travis' brother brings him back home to meet his family again.

And I won't get into spoilers, but the rest of it, I must say, is really emotional stuff, and it certainly packs a wallop in its ending scenes. However, I would recommend that you simply see it for yourself.

I also have to give credit to Robby Muller's beautiful cinematography, along with director Wim Wenders' steady hand at directing the film. And the performances are brilliant as well, with Harry Dean Stanton adding a sense of subtlety and yet emotional depth to the main role of Travis. Stanton portrays Travis not in an overly acted or performed manner, but with more of an emotional subtlety rarely portrayed by actors.

Also, Dean Stockwell, Nattassja Kinski, and Aurora Clement are great in the film, and all in all, Paris, Texas, is simply an experience you have to see for yourself.

White Lightning (1973)

Great cast in a fine movie

[7/10 · 21 July 2021]

I don't love this movie, I gotta say. The ending I found to be somewhat clunky and rushed, but otherwise I thought this was a really entertaining movie. Aside from the clunky conclusion and some unnecessary moments, this film had some great performances by its lead actors.

Burt Reynolds does a very good job at portraying the main character, but I think the best performance that really shines here is Ned Beatty's. He does an absolutely fantastic job at nailing the Southern accent down, and nailing his character down perfectly.

Overall, this movie had some great chase scenes, and a really entertaining cast.

The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Boring...

[4/10 · 21 July 2021]

Watched the first 5 minutes, and that was all I could watch. Nothing about the first 5 minutes of this film is engaging. It simply fails to engage me into the story and the characters-that's how I see it. If a film cannot bring me into its story the way so many other films have done, then the film has not done its job-to engage and hold one's attention.

Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)

A masterpiece to remember

[9/10 · 21 July 2021]

If you have started this film thinking that you may not enjoy it, wait until the final scene. This entire film is very entertaining, and you are constantly engaged by the exquisitely lit cinematography. The lighting, the musical performances, it all really helps bring you into the beauty and vibrance of it all.

And the final scene-I can't express through the words the emotional power of the final scene. You will be gripped by the ending gospel performance and it's brilliance. Heck, this entire film is gripping all the way through!

Shake! Otis at Monterey (1987)

Man, this guy was amazing!

[9/10 · 21 July 2021]

I saw this on TCM and it certainly is an unforgettable experience. It really stays with you-thinking about the influence this great musician had. It only lasts 20 minutes, but I gotta say that what I did see I cannot and will not forget.

This is a beautiful document of a beautiful moment in music history.

Sound of Metal (2019)

The first 10 minutes, and that was it

[2/10 · 4 May 2021]

I decided to try this film out since everyone had been raving over it, calling it a masterpiece, and everyone was talking about the acting, writing, sound design... I'm sorry, but I didn't want to watch the whole thing after seeing the first 10 minutes of it.

First of all, does this director have any idea what pacing means? Because the first 10 minutes of this film are terribly slow and disappointing. We start out with some nicely done sound design, but otherwise, that's about it. The performances. Fine. Sound Design. Great. Cinematography. Meh. Directing. Meh. Writing. Terrible. I don't know who wrote this, but whoever did must not understand the importance of pacing, because the next 5-10 minutes of the film (after the loud opening sequence) are just plain horrible.

We get a couple additional scenes that could have easily been cut from the film, including an awkwardly extended dancing scene between the two main characters, in which they dance to some slow music (I don't know...R&B, whatever it is) and then that's when I checked out. Because I knew that even if the rest of the film got better, I didn't want to see the rest of the film because of that one word that the writers forgot about: Pacing.

Tenet (2020)

Visually impressive, weak on story/plot

[4/10 · 4 May 2021]

This is one of those films in which you will be impressed by the engaging visual effects and the action sequences that are frequent in the film, but you will probably find yourself struggling to keep up with the plot. This isn't an easy film to understand, and certainly one that will leave you scratching your head and wondering: What was Christopher Nolan thinking when he wrote this?

Now, first of all, I love Christopher Nolan and he is a very talented filmmaker and writer. However, this film just didn't work for me--and for many reasons which I will explain here.

1. Don't expect too much action in this film. As a matter of fact, a lot of the film is really just dialogue and characters talking about things that don't make sense to the viewer. Now, why is that? Well, first of all, the film doesn't keep you engaged/interested in the characters and the storyline. Second of all, the dialogue. Oh, dear, the dialogue feels very boring when the characters are doing nothing but talking and walking around. Now, there are moments when I was indeed engaged by the dialogue, but maybe those moments were in the first 20 minutes of the film.

Because the first 20-30 minutes of the film indeed are perfect. It sets up the conflict and characters just fine, and the action sequence is visually impressive. However, later on in the film is when things start to fall apart. And I mean REALLY fall apart.

In terms of story, the film doesn't do a very good job at explaining its story--and I started finding myself increasingly distant from whichever situations the characters were encountering.

2. Watch this film with subtitles. If you don't watch this film using subtitles, it will probably be very hard to understand, especially since a lot of the time, you need to really be listening and paying attention to what characters are saying.

However, a problem I have with this is that I like when a film is able to effectively explain something to me WITHOUT subtitles. That proves to me that the writer was able to engage me into the storyline without me having to turn the subtitles on. The story should just be engaging and understandable without me even having to see it a second time.

3. You just can't catch up to whatever it is that's going on. This is a major problem I have with the film. For example, the inversion scenes. A problem I have with these scenes is that a lot of the time, you can't tell who's who. What I mean by this, is that in one inversion scene, I was trying to figure out whether the inverted subject was fighting the security guard or whether it was the un-inverted subject fighting the guard in reverse.

Things just happen too fast in the film for you to even be catching up to whatever it is that's going on. In another scene, a woman is repeatedly shot--and it appears that the reverse effect may be used in this scene. However, it is very difficult to tell because Nolan just speeds it up without even bothering to explain to us the audience.

4. The characters weren't explained well enough. First of all, we don't know a lot about the main character (played by John David Washington), and most of the time he doesn't have much of an expression on his face--he is a very stoic and dull character, and this doesn't really offer a lot to help us understand the character. Other characters were better developed than this character, but at the same time, the film could use a lot of rewriting.

Essentially, to sum it up in one sentence, this feels like it was a first draft that needs some rewriting, because it certainly doesn't feel like a final draft.

Kendrick Lamar: Humble. (2017 Music Video)

Be humble and don't listen to this song

[1/10 · 26 April 2021]

Again, where is the talent in this modern music? There's nothing talented or even remotely entertaining about seeing a guy rap about nothing but nonsense. There's no message here, and if there was, you can't decipher it. It's all lost in the confusing and ridiculous lyrics.

Be humble and don't give this song a listen.

The Greg Gutfeld Show (2015–2021)

Mixing the comedy with the serious

[8/10 · 23 January 2021]

What Greg Gutfeld does best is satire. Greg Gutfeld knows how to craft satirical jabs and jokes as he's discussing a serious political situation. This is because Gutfeld's show is one of the shows that manages to find humor in the serious situations that occur in everyday life. Of course, sometimes, he takes situations very seriously when necessary, but a lot of the time, he also finds a way to create brilliant humor in politics. This is why people should watch his show--not just because what he is saying is correct, but Gutfeld manages to put a light-hearted and more comedic spin on it all.

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2008)

I keep seeing it, and I keep enjoying it...

[8/10 · 23 January 2021]

Caution for sensitive viewers: This film is definitely one of those tearjerkers that may affect you after seeing it--and has affected me in a profound way. It's definitely a powerful story with a powerful message, and that makes it all the more better. The story follows Mr. Sperry, a gentle and caring Christian man who lives by his Christian values and instructs three boys to do the same. His teachings leave a profound effect on them--and this film may, and probably will, leave a profound impact on you after seeing it. It has an uplifting yet heartbreaking story--and it may be best for viewers who can handle certain scenes, but, having seen it a third or fourth time recently, I keep enjoying it nonetheless--and I can't help but be moved by its beautiful message.

For the Birds (2000)

The message behind the humor

[8/10 · 22 January 2021]

For the Birds is an amazing short film that manages to be interesting rather than just an entertaining experience. The really interesting message that the short has to offer basically handles our perceptions of one's weakness, and how we underestimate one's potential power and then soon realize our misjudgments. This is allegorically represented by the birds and their conflict that they encounter. How they view this particular character, however, is the misjudgment they make when he winds up wreaking havoc on them.

Geri's Game (1997)

Somber but also touching in a way

[8/10 · 22 January 2021]

Films can be both sad and touching. Terms of Endearment is an example of that. This film (or, I should say, short film) is both as well, and it works brilliantly. The director managed to craft a somber tale of loneliness but also a happier and more touching tale of the happiness one can find in one's own leisurely time. These messages are both brilliant and interesting, and this is why I strongly recommend Geri's Game for everyone to see.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968–2001)

He was a man who truly cared

[9/10 · 22 January 2021]

Mr. Rogers was a great man. That's all I can say. His achievements in improving the educational nourishment of children were amazing and he helped, supported, and inspired generations in ways that make him remembered as a person. He cared for helping educate the children of our world, and he did it. These are the shows children need to be watching, not the unproductive and unhelpful shows we get now.

The Situation Room (2005– )

The Accusation Room with Wolf Blitzer

[2/10 · 22 January 2021]

This shouldn't be called The Situation Room. If anything, it's The Accusation Room because Blitzer and his liberal friends love accusing Trump and other conservatives of negative situations when they happen, while knowing that if anything, Trump did not instigate it, but actually tried to prevent, or actually prevented it. So, you can't trust the baseless claims that come from the liberal interviewees that come on this show and make their baseless accusations. These accusations are simply not factual when you put things into perspective, but, the liberals don't care about facts, as long as their opinion gets forced down your throat. And they will do anything to make sure that happens.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

An alright Bond film

[7/10 · 22 January 2021]

This film was not a complete misfire for me. I actually enjoyed it, and had a really good time watching it. I felt it was very entertaining and overall rewarding in the end. But, this review would still not be complete without mentioning the film's flaws. But, let's start off with the pros:

Pros: The film was very entertaining for me, and I really enjoyed watching it. Other than the fact that it was enjoyable, I did also like the fact that it explored Bond's darker side--as a more ruthless and tough Bond, rather than your typical heroic Bond. This was an interesting aspect of the story that I really liked. Cons: However, the main problem I had with the film was the camerawork and editing. These two aspects of the film were very messily done, and I didn't like the fact that it was difficult to understand what was going on since the camera was moving in a very shaky and disorganized fashion. Sometimes, the editing was a bit too choppy as well. Yes, the film was a bit complicated, but the puzzle was then solved later, which was at least satisfying for me.

Overall, this is a pretty good Bond film, while not the best.

Judge Judy (1996–2021)

Interrupting galore!

[1/10 · 22 January 2021]

If you're looking for a show with a lot of unfair interrupting, look no further than Judge Judy. Don't be fooled by the Judge title on her--she's more like one of those teachers always yelling at their students, and punishing everyone in the room when only one needs to be punished. Even the good people who simply try to get a word in aren't spared by Judge Judy. Judge Judy spares NO ONE in her investigation--which I wouldn't even call an investigation. Judge Judy doesn't really get much done--if anything, she interrupts the people who she should be hearing from. She needs to be a very good listener--which apparently, she's forgotten. Apparently, she thinks that just because she's a judge, she can interrupt and talk all she wants. Well, that's not the case at all.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

The persistence of faith

[9/10 · 22 January 2021]

This is a beautiful film that I think everyone should see, mainly because of its interesting messages and Maria Falconetti's heartrendingly brilliant performance--Falconetti brings such emotional power in every scene she is in through her beautifully composed body language, how she uses her eyes to convey brilliant emotion, etc. All this adds up to the beauty of The Passion of Joan of Arc. Secondly, the theme of the film is the persistence of one's faith, and how one can choose to persevere and persist in their beliefs. This perseverance is demonstrated through the Joan of Arc story, which brings this beautiful message to light. The themes of the film are very interesting in terms of the film's view of faith, and ultimately, the film leaves it up to the audience to draw its own conclusions. Roger Ebert once stated the unforgettable eyes of Maria Falconetti, and how her eyes stick with you. Well, I can say that after watching this film, I agree.

Saturday Night Live (1975– )

Used to be very funny

[12 December 2020]

Having watched one of the old episodes, I can agree that the older episodes are the funniest. They just happen to draw out more effective satirical skits and sketches instead of the newer episodes. The old episodes are very effectively satirical in terms of humor, and the cast brings the humor to life in such an amazing way. Now? All they poke fun at now is just politics. It's the same topic. Politics, politics, politics, politics. Could you find something else to talk about, for a change? Ah, this just reinforces the reminder that the old ones are the best ones.

The Mind of Jake Paul (2018)

Makes me feel bad for Jake

[9/10 · 20 November 2020]

When I had heard about Jake Paul, I first had a negative view of him as a person. I found him to be reckless in his behavior and an annoying person who cares about selling merch to kids. After watching this series, however, Shane turned Jake Paul into a much better person with a good side to him instead of the normal view we have of him. This series offers a captivating look at the controversies, relationships, and reputation of Jake Paul. Shane does some in-depth exploration of Jake's character, and when you really consider the evidence gathered about Jake, you find that Jake isn't as bad of a person as you at first viewed him as. He actually turns out to be a truly broken person who has issues of his own and struggles to express these issues, now having achieved his fame. However, Jake deals and discusses his issues in an in-depth way, which makes this series very serious and best for mature teens. There is some strong language used and the language can get frequent at times, but overall, this is a must-see series that should be seen by teens and adults. This is because it offers an honest look and approach to the celebrity life and its differences to the real character of a person. We see these themes through Jake's perspective, understanding him as a person rather than a YouTuber. This helps us understand more about his real character and issues which he has dealt with. No doubt about it, this is the real version of Jake we are seeing, and instead of masquerading like other YouTubers do, Shane is very honest with us about Jake's true personality. Now, while we cannot trust everything Jake and Shane say, the message still hits home very effectively: the way we view celebrities can be different from reality-and this seems to be the case with Jake.

Courageous (I) (2011)

What a riveting film!

[8/10 · 16 November 2020]

And sure, it may not be perfect, but it certainly keeps you entertained with the cinematography. And yes, it may not have the best equipment, but the best equipment doesn't always make the best movie. It's the effective use of the equipment that does. And Courageous does exactly that. It uses the equipment in excellent ways, which adds to the effective aspect of Courageous. The camera movements and angles are very effective in creating the tension in the film. This adds to the riveting aspect of Courageous. This is a good film for the family to watch together, and also gives the characters some good depth. It provides them with just enough so that we the audience can understand the characters, and all this combined creates a perfect film for the family to watch together (aside from some tense scenes of violence which may be too mature for young kids).

Casablanca (1942)

Enjoyable piece of classic cinema

[8/10 · 15 November 2020]

This film engages you into the conflict that you almost forget the film is in black-and-white. Even I myself forget the color of old movies: black-and-white or color, I watch them anyway. Casablanca is just one of the classic old movies-especially one with a consistently enjoyable story. Of course, the film runs a little slow at times, but then picks up more as the film goes on. Therefore, the viewer feels more engaged into the storyline and conflict of the film. Not only that, Casablanca has one of the best endings in classic cinema. Everything is just brilliantly summarized in that ending, and the resolution just feels satisfying in the end. Overall, Casablanca is just one of the great pieces of classic cinema (among many).

Your World w/Neil Cavuto (1996– )

The Shady Side of Neil Cavuto

[4/10 · 13 November 2020]

Neil Cavuto has started to have a shady side to him-a pretty dark side as well. While his reporting was at first honest, now he's starting to go away from the right and more towards the left. This is demonstrated by his cynical view of Trump, even portraying him in a negative light. He acts rudely towards Trump when speaking of him, and this rude attitude towards President Trump makes him seem more like an example of CNN than Fox News. Oh, and yes, let's not forget his response to Kayleigh McEnany's honest reporting on the election fraud. Instead of allowing McEnany to state the facts, Cavuto decides to interject her factual reporting and classify it as "explosive". I'll tell you what's explosive, Cavuto, claiming that Trump colluded with Russia (which is an outright lie) is explosive.