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jbkatie
Reviews
Män som hatar kvinnor (2009)
Skip it (just the most minor of spoilages below)
The movie does an excellent job of remaining true to the book. If you liked the book, you'll might be able to overlook the ugly cast, crappy filming, and wooden acting. If you haven't read the book, you'll be bewildered since the movie is disjointed and the deux ex machina grows tiresome (just as it did in the novel).
For most of the movie, the filming looked amazingly like what you'd expect from a Lifetime made-for-television flick (the scene where the protagonist is running for his life in the woods comes immediately to mind). The acting was on par with a television production as well. Tori Spelling would have been more credible in nearly every role. Some of the scenery was nice, and I like how he filmed the various bridges they drove back and forth over.
I can give Oplev credit for one significant feat: he has single-handedly proved that there are some butt-ugly Scandinavians! Michael Nyqvist could probably beat Tommy Lee Jones in the Worst-Acne-Scarring-Evah contest. Noomi Rapace has the body of Iggy Pop with breasts, and one facial expression. One. If I want to gaze at ugly people who can barely act, I'll look in the mirror!
The Happening (2008)
I Hope M. Night Shy-whatever ends up in the unemployment line soon
Oh for Chrissakes, what a mess. Having watched a number of this director's fiascos, this has to be the worst. The acting is atrocious enough that this might end up as a cult film. Throughout the flick, I kept hoping the whiny wife would end up walking backwards at Superman speeds to turn the earth on its axis back to the point where she was in an incubator - then the hospital would have a power outage, sparing us from her woodened-face delivery. Mark Wahlberg breathes a lot, and talks plastic plants down from their homicidal tendencies. Annoying teenagers annoyingly try to kick through a barricaded residence, and get shot for their annoying efforts - cheerworthy if anyone even cared about the plot at this point. The reclusive old woman who succumbs to the plants' master design should have been played by Cloris Leachman a la "Malcolm in the Middle." Quit giving this loser director any money to continue to foist his crap on the unsuspecting. And Wahlberg warbling "Black Water" was a truly cringeworthy moment. Sucks sucks sucks!!!
The Young Visiters (2003)
Unexpected Gem
Costumes: Fabulous Sets: Beautiful Color: Wonderful Casting: Excellent Script: Enchanting Plot: Bittersweet I stumbled upon this little movie quite by accident, and was utterly charmed and enthralled. To think that a 9-year old child wrote the book in 12 days is a marvel in itself - to know that the director did his best to remain true to the book while crafting a film that would appeal to his audience (adults) was a treat. Sly, moving, and innocent all at the same time, it's a movie I would recommend to anyone wanting a happy diversion from the rot foisted upon us on a daily basis.
The production standards are top-notch, and the acting, particularly the character of Mr. Salteena, is extremely well done.
BBC did a phenomenal job.
300 (2006)
Quit Whining You Alan Aldas
Having read all the reviews, I had to snort at all the comments about it being a racist film. Oh my - white men fought other men of color and this is from the white mens' perspective! How dare Hollywood! Frankly, I was quite pleased to see the Persians get their asses kicked in this cartoon. I wish we were kicking their asses in a similar fashion today. Suck your thumbs some more, you pansy freaks who took it seriously and worried that the unenlightened among us would receive this comic book story as gospel.
The graphics were, at times, silly, and the dialog bordered on embarrassing, but I never thought I was about to be treated to Shakespeare, for Heaven's sake. It's a film meant to be looked at - not really listened to. Don't expect great social commentary.
Spoiler here: It's just a movie!!