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Reviews
Syriana (2005)
Was there a story here somewhere?
When the best you can say about a movie is that the cinematography was good and that the death of a child was moving, you know you just finished watching a bad movie. Well, that's all I have good to say about "Syriana." Unfortunately the screenwriter's (and for this film, director's) success with "Traffic" has led him to believe every story should be told the same way. That sad disease has also afflicted Altman ever since at least "Nashville." You can see the desperate need for us to connect with the characters in all of the non sequitur home life scenes, such as the lawyer's alcoholic father, whose character appears to be in there for no other reason than to emphasize that This Guy is Stressed.
Sadly, despite all of the added time due to these "context" scenes, there is no payoff. The story does not come together, it just ends. The viewer doesn't care about anything that just happened, save maybe Matt Damon's character's (the father of the dead child mentioned above) home life.
Save yourself a couple of hours and skip this wreck.
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Overrated
I saw this on 8/20, and I must say I was disappointed. I saw a lot of hype about it from critics of all people, saying it was right up there with "Wedding Crashers" for comedy. My wife and I enjoyed "Crashers," so, despite pore-hype and review misgivings, I figured it would be worth it to hear her laugh that hard again.
Well, I didn't hear her laugh very much. I had a couple of chuckles, but let me assure you this is nowhere near the level of "Wedding Crashers'" relatively low bar.
It did have its moments, but it seemed to be "let's cuss a whole lot; that's always funny." Don't waste your money, wait for the DVD.
The Great Raid (2005)
Rousing, Spirited, and Clean
I saw this movie August 6 as a sneak preview. I enjoyed it very much, as I have always been a history buff, particularly of the Pacific Theater of WWII and have always enjoyed well-made war movies.
The acting is good, the action well-choreographed, and the suspense palpable. I do feel a bit more of the interpersonal stories should have been cut, but it did not overly distract from the film.
In retrospect, I can't recall any foul language and the violence was chiefly of the implied rather than graphic variety, aside from showing the aftermath of some off-screen violence.
I highly recommend it.
What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004)
Complete Load of Crap
I was extremely suspicious of the ideas presented in this movie, but being relatively ignorant of quantum physics aside from what I recalled from the excellent "Short History of Nearly Everything" and what I was able to choke down in "A Brief History of Time," it sounded interesting at times. However, the obvious nonsense of the story of the Indians being unable to see the ships of the explorers was ridiculous. I really started questioning what was being shoveler at that point, but then the clincher was the revelation that one of the speakers was actually "channelling" some loony named "Ramtha" completely upset the applecart for me.
What a waste of two hours.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
I like Wes Anderson but...
...this was a poor product. Obviously a lot of money was spent on talent, effects, etc., but this finished movie is just a mess. I saw it for free and still feel cheated.
If not for the Bowie songs, I can't say I would have enjoyed this movie at all, and I'm not much of a Bowie fan. Well that,a nd some of the animal antics.
The characters had no depth, the plot had no point (aside from the glaringly obvious personal vindication of a major character for whom I did not care a whit), even the effects--and there were many--seemed to have no point.
Don;t waste your time. 5 out of 10, and that's generous due to the director's history.
Sin City (2005)
Excessive Style, Almost No Substance
I was very excited about seeing this movie after the reviews on this site, despite the lackluster review my local paper (Dallas Morning News) gave it. I have to say the paper was more correct than the IMDb reviews. The film had its moments, but unfortunately they were few and far between. I'd say there were several good acting jobs, if you consider caricatures acting, among them Willis, Rourke, and del Toro. Brittany Murphy almost seemed like she belonged, but they let her talk too much.
If you're looking for lots of skin and lots of gratuitous violence with a dearth of story, this is the movie for you. I hope the next time someone films Frank Miller material it is "The Dark Knight Returns."
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Was there a point?
This movie was a total waste of time. It caught my interest all of three times: When Sandler saw the car wreck and the harmonium was dropped off, when he landed in Hawaii (I recognized the airport), and when he was attacked the second time.
Other than that, the movie was boring, pointless, and FAR from being the director's best effort. I'm not a big fan of the director anyway, but this was just putrid. I can't understand the glowing reviews, and I am a film fan. I think the ratings are pretty much riding on his reputation, similar to the way Scorsese's have been ever since Goodfellas.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Overrated and Tiresome
I sure am tired of all the snobbery displayed by the self-anointed film afficionadoes over the "Kill Bill" movies. The films are simply not good. Yes, they are stylish and have some great action sequences, but the dialogue is poor (unusual for Tarantino), the plot uninteresting, and large swaths of the footage wasted. I understand he dragged it out in order to split it into two films, but to me, the best part is still the very first sequence of the first film. It would have made a better single film; instead we get two pieces of drawn-out schlock.
KB2 is most noteworthy in that the body count and gore is way down from the first film. Best of all, as a kid who grew up on Kung Fu, I really enjoyed seeing "Grasshopper" again. When the best thing you can say about a film is that it evokes nostalgia, you know you have a stinker on your hands.
Crusades (1995)
Long on image, short on fact
While a very well-crafted, creative, and funny documentary, it unfortunately falls short in the fact department, glosses over long periods of history, and falls yet again in the "Christian Bad--Everyone Else Good" camp.
I found most interesting the use of "never before published" accounts written by Muslims at the time of the Crusades. What a treasure trove, if they are legitimate. Additionally, building and testing siege engines and actual armor long before Discovery and TLC made such things commonplace was a masterstroke.
I found least interesting the very end of the show, detailing the sack of Constantinople by showing a topless woman (the prostitute on the throne) singing Louisiana blues in Venice.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
Almost Total Crap
What a waste of a couple of hours of my life. Cinematography was pretty good, some of the plot devices effective, but story terrible. Good actors in cameos provided really the only interesting moments in this fictional tale about a marginal talent.
Lathe of Heaven (2002)
No sense
I just finished watching this and was so disappointed I logged right in. I have never read the book upon which this is based, but being a science fiction fan, I have heard of it. Now, I'm not so sure I even want to read it.
This movie was just terrible. It made no sense, the characters were empty shells, everything seemed completely contrived.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Good Movie, Nothing Great
This movie does an excellent job of making the viewer feel he is on a sailing ship. It constantly reminded me of "Das Boot" one of the best film ever made, IMO, in that regard. It was suspenseful, the action scenes were powerful, Crowe's acting was top notch, and you got a feel for the mind of the sailor of the times. That said, it is not a movie that you will reflect on after the closing credits roll, which to me is a sign of a great film.
Spoilers below
I could have done with a lot less of the doctor. It almost felt like I was sitting in an evolution class. Yes, he made a compassionate character, but...we get it. He's enlightened for his time, and he would have put Charles Darwin out of business before Darwin was even born if he had been able to save his specimens. But...so what? Shorten that sucker up and let the film stand on its strengths
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Very Enjoyable
I've seen more movies than usual this year, and I can't recall one I've enjoyed this much save possibly "Two Towers," which could have used some more editing IMO. "Catch" is just pure fun with a great performance by DiCaprio, and as usual, Hanks makes it all look easy. I have no idea how close this film is to the true story, but I sure enjoyed it. 8 out of ten.
Gangs of New York (2002)
Over wrought, over long, and over-rated
Just got home from seeing this movies, and it bored me to tears. it had its moments, and was at times shocking for its violence and sex, but it seems as if those instances were put in as merely that...shock value. I felt that summed up the essence of the movie: a long drawn out "E-P-I-C" wanna be that showed lots of thing while telling nothing. Wait for it at the dollar show.
Minority Report (2002)
Good movie that stays pretty close to author's style
SPOILER WARNING
I saw this last night and absolutely loved the first two thirds of it. The ending devolved into a drawn-out mish mash that strayed away from the spirit of Philip K. Dick's writing, but was still satisfying. The first part of the movie did a very good job of sticking within Dick's style of story, common elements of which are: 1) What is reality?, 2) drug use (he had a problem), and 3) who is good/evil?
The more I think about the ending, the more frustrated I become. I have not read the short story upon which this was based, but I would say the point at which we see Anderton lowered into Containment would probably have been Dick's ending. Not only that, it would have come AFTER Max von Sydow's character killed himself and we saw Anderton reunited with his pregnant wife, meaning the "happy" ending was a figment of Anderton's imagination. Tim Blake Nelson's character said something about "all your dreams come true" because of the halo and being in stasis. It's possible that having the warden say that was Spielberg's way of suggesting the end wasn't what we thought. It's also possible Spielberg had it right but later got cold feet when the ending wasn't happy--the closeups of Anderton's face after he was haloed and as he was being lowered into stasis, plus the dream quality of the end sequence of him with his pregnant wife and the pre-cogs on an isolated farm, would fit in to this theory--but they sure seemed to make it clear there was a happy ending.
I highly recommend "Ubik," "Man in the High Castle," and "The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick," which is a five-volume collection of his short stories, to anyone who enjoyed this movie. "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," and "Screamers" are other movies based on Dick stories, but with the exception of "Screamers" (an otherwise bad movie) they so butchered his original story it was virtually unrecognizable.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Best Picture of 2001
I'm a war movie-loving male, and I thought I would hate "Moulin Rouge." However, the wife had been wanting to see it, so I borrowed it on DVD for her to watch. I sat in the room with her reading while she watched it, and my suspicions seemed to be confirmed. Way too much weird stuff going on! Confused, random, and pointless it seemed. Then that "Roxanne" tango sung by a very annoying voice. Yep, I hated it.
However...
I sure liked that scene where they sang Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." While strange, the opera-singing moon was an interesting touch. You know, that hindu scene was kind of cool too. And the end really seemed to pack a wallop. Maybe I should sit down and watch it again, this time paying attention?
Was I ever blown away! What a wonderful, beautiful movie. I wound up watching the entire movie three times this weekend, NOT counting the time I read while my wife watched. I replayed many of the scenes several times as well, in particular the Green Fairy scene (Kylie Monogue is rather tasty), the love song medley, the hindu scene, and the forgiveness scene at the end.
Sure there are some plot holes and mistakes, but with the vision and beauty (as well as freedom, truth, and love - heh), I can overlook a few mistakes.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. 9 out of 10.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
Delightful Romp
I saw this on DVD last night and loved it. It is very similar in style to "This is Spinal Tap," another Christopher Guest vehicle, in that it is a mock documentary. It tells the tale of a dead-end town that doesn't realize its status.
Lots of quirky characters inhabit the town, and you'll laugh at them all and feel pity as well. Parker Posey, Catherine O'Hara, and Mr. Guest are particularly effective in their roles. Be sure to watch the deleted scenes; they add more pathos to the film and round it out a bit, particularly for Mrs. O'Hara and Miss Posey.
8 out of 10.
Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000)
Overrated but pretty good
I saw all the ads proclaiming this a brilliant, surprising thriller. it was fairly well done, but nothing surprising here, save possibly the lack of frontal nudity in a wide-release French film. The story seemed for all the world to me like a remake of an American movie.
Don't believe the hype, don't expect too much, and you may enjoy this film.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Blockbuster Backlash
I must say I'm not sure why so many people rate this a 1, unless it is a case of Blockbuster Backlash. They hate any big movie released by a major. Either that, or they're wanting to be in some sort of club.
I saw all the poor reviews of the movie and was disheartened because I wanted it to be good. I decided to see it anyway just for the battle sequences. Possibly my opinion of the movie was improved by my own low expectations (much as I was disappointed in "Gladiator" because of high expectations), but I think the movie is good on its own terms.
It combines good action, excellent special effects, and a so-so story with one of the defining moments in world history and comes out a winner. While its grip with history is often merely tenuous, it is an exposure to more history than the average American knows, to our shame. I think that's reason enough to see the movie.
Is it Best Picture caliber? No, but neither was "Gladiator" and look what happened to it.
The Awful Truth (1937)
Wonderful, good-hearted, funny movie
My wife and I saw this and were pleasantly surprised as to how funny it was. I knew it would be funny, but since 64 years have passed, I reasonably assumed much of the humor would be out-dated. I am happy to report I was wrong. The actors all did a wonderful job, and Irene Dunne received one of her five Best Actress nominations for her role.
I highly recommend this movie.