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phuang
Reviews
Ekkusu (1996)
Profound and moving
X, or X-1999 as it is sometimes called, has been compared to the comic series in detail and hence many critics claim that the movie doesn't live up to expectations.
Yet X is actually quite a satisfying movie to watch. Forget for a second that it is based on the comic series. Forget that there isn't enough character exploration involved. See the movie for what it is.
It is near impossibly to cram the entire series into a movie length feature and I believe that the movie has done a commendable job in its re-telling of the story.
The central message is still there and the themes are still present. Hence I recommend everyone and anyone out there who is interested in seeing anime at its best to check out X.
Fight Club (1999)
Male Psyche
What began for me as an action movie with senseless violence soon became a dogma for living. I walked into fight club with low expectations and yet walked out a new person. Forget for a second the anarchial nature of the film (which most of the female population focus upon) and see it as a Scream for Help from late 20th Century Males. Every single one of my mates related to it in their own way, and all of us feel the supression and depression felt by the main character Edward Norton (American History X, Rounders) who played the role with detailed intricacy. Brad Pitt, was at his usual best, delivering the role of Tyler Durden with high intensity. Without giving too much away, I will simply conclude by saying that Fight Club will be analyzed, scrupulized and moralized in future generations and best explains the social and mental state of the Males from the late twentieth century.
Stolen Heart (1998)
Fantastic Film
Recently saw this movie at the Brisbane Film Festival. Terry O'Brien (director) was there. Stolen Hearts is a fast moving movie unlike any other I've seen. With its Tiny Budget, it was suprising to see such a good quality movie made with beautiful canadian Landscape.
This debut feature by writer-director Terry O'Brien shows how solid characterisation and attention to all details of production can compensate for a very low budget, reportedly US$100,000. Sharing generic similarities and locational ambience - frost-bitten snow-bound geography - with the Cohen Brothers' Fargo, Stolen Heart stands the comparison well. What starts as an apparent kidnap for profit soon develops into a complex melodrama about dysfunctional family relationships. Joey, effectively and aggressively played by Lisa Ryder, is the pivot of the gang of three kidnappers, but she soon proves to have more on her mind than money.
The narrative unfolds with a degree of comedic edge, but emotions and relationships move the element of crime to the periphery, or rather raise a wider issue about what crime is the most serious. Skilful camera work, overall strong performances by cast members and a solid soundtrack by a range of Canadian groups have earned Stolen Heart well-deserved awards in festivals in four countries, and the film stands as an excellent model for low-budget feature filmmakers.
As cliched as the comment is, I am still tempted to say That this movie is a MUST SEE, so try and grab it wherever you can. I heard HBO has bought the rights to it. (hopes it comes to SHOWTIME in OZ.)