jackasstrange's Reviews

Bus Stop (1956)

7/10

The best film starring Marilyn Monroe ever made!

2 August 2014

Warning: Spoilers

And I mean it.

*The acting is very good. Bo is supposed to be an obnoxious hick.*

I don't get why it gets so many hate. I mean, just take a loot at it's message board. A lot of users talking about how 'obnoxious' this film is, and specifically how Bo's character was annoying. Well, the character is supposed to be annoying. He's a jerk, who had never been in contact with civilization before. As an ignorant, hick jerk, he doesn't understand that people need to respect the free will of others. The film isn't glorifying anything, and Bo ISN'T a bad person, he is only immature, and he definitely learnt his lesson in the end. Don Murray was also great in it.

*Bland cinematography, just like many films from that same age.*

I didn't like the cinematography, it just isn't advanced enough nor there is a lot of craft put on it. But compared to other films from the same age, it allows a deeper immersion of the modern viewer in the story so I give it kudos for that. There is a few awesome shots and a nice editing work, such as in the rodeo sequence, and the fight scene between the Bo and the bus driver.

*Quite formulaic, but the story is enjoyable enough.*

As I mentioned already, the film wouldn't show an ignorant hick as the character who is the bully if it had any intention of glorifying his actions. Is quite the opposite, actually. And I didn't find this film all that annoying at all. In the final 10 minutes there is a bit of insufferable melodrama, and is quite formulaic, but besides that, is enjoyable and even funny at times.

"Conclusion:" *Isn't what I would call "a good film", but is definitely the best film starring Marilyn Monroe ever made. At least, the less annoying one...*

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...And God Created Woman (1956)

4/10

Awful, awful, awful.

2 August 2014

Is that supposed to be a joke?! What an awful film.

*Extremely sexist and absolutely nonsense.*

I mean, Brigitte Bardot's is only there to show her legs and semi-nude body _ of course, she's stunning. But why exploit her in such an outrageous and blatant manner? There is no character development whatsoever, we simply get to see a few caricatures; stereotyped characters popping out of nowhere while the leads_"also stereotypes, the 'whore' horny wife married to the 'typical' husband who loves his wife but needs to defend his honor_" and the couple is either *beep* or talking nonsense. There is also a background story between the husband and a bald old rich man who wants to buy his supposedly 'valuable' lands, story which is left unsolved at the end. Is really a miserable, nonsense screenplay.

*More nonsense...*

Also, why Bardot's character was shooting people in the street? I mean what the hell?! Probably the best example I could give of how nonsensical and moronic this film is. The ending is almost as moronic as this scene too.

*DESPITE being extremely screwed, the editing makes the film interesting (at times...)*

Yes. Is a very screwed editing work, have no doubts about it. BUT...it actually worked sometimes. In the first half of the film, there is really a nice pace -and not so many nonsense going on- and the film got even watchable at some point, and really interesting to look at DESPITE EVERYTHING. But the second half of the film is absolutely awful in that aspect.

*Conclusion*

I can firmly say there was no intention in telling a story in that film. The only thing director Roger Vadim wanted to do was show Bardot's semi-nude body, arousing the man around her. I said it. There is simply no artistic values in this film, there is no craft put in this film, there isn't even enough effort put in this film. Horrible. No matter how bad the censorship "cut" this film at the time, there is simply no excuse to why it sucks so bad.

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L'Avventura (1960)

10/10

A fantastic film that subverts the cinema's language itself.

23 July 2014

Warning: Spoilers

This film is simply fantastic. Is definitely very different from what I thought it would be like. "Is actually a story about the disappearance of a girl, even that culminates in an odd romantic relationship between her boyfriend and her best friend. "

*One of the very best screenplays ever written in film history. *

Is an extremely well written film, with very well thought dialogs and with a very creative form of developing characters. And everyone who watched it knows the narrative is far from being conventional. I guess it must've been very groundbreaking back in 1960. Despite the film being more about the character's dramatic relationships, L'Avventura is often very funny as well. All the males of the film (mostly 40 year old men) took that very well done stare at Claudia's (Monica Vitti) legs, be her just walking on the streets or in a luxurious mansion. I also found weird that the protagonist looked so much older than her,and he wasn't attractive at all. Go figure."

*Interesting from a visual standpoint.*

Is also a very well shot film, I mean, really well shot, despite not being a very well lightened film, the placement of subjects, scene's profundity, the narrativity in every shot etc is very unusual and cleverly done. The final shot is a prime example: Claudia puts her hand in Sandro's back. This is the most powerful and intimal moment between both characters in the film, because is when finally Claudia understands Sandro, who fell apart and shows his angst. This scene was very oddly crafted, because we only got to see their by behind, in a wide shot, and they are not the focus of the scene. Is what I would call "subversion of filmmaking'. The film also ends in a very unconventional manner anyway, with a very abrupt cut. Which kinda fits the film overall atmosphere of indecision and weirdness.

*Acting was underwhelming. *

The film got a few flaws though. Besides a few goofs in the set's lights, the acting isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, far from that. The actors ranged from decent to bad, but none of them I recall being good. Monica Vitti was certainly a stunning beauty but not very talented.

*The use of music...*

To finish, the use of music. It was weird. That main theme is certainly very good, and very catchy, I admit, but there were a few times, specifically in the ending, that the soundtrack became similar to one used in a psychological horror film, and added to these quiet final 15 minutes, resulted in a haunting atmosphere. Which was odd, since there wasn't really anything to justify the use of such soundtrack.

Conclusion:

*Is a masterpiece and definitely a must watch for anyone. *

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Léon: The Professional (1994)

9/10

One of the best crime films of the 80s or 90s...

23 July 2014

My rating: 9,0/10

Is actually a bit cheesy at times. But overall the film is very effective, and effective in all aspects. Starting with the cinematography: an oppressive look in the interior scenes _ houses with tight halls and grimy walls_ and a cold, desolated one in the exterior scenes _with a mostly gray palette of colors, streets with big corners and dead ends. This odd, dark ambient, added to a lovely romantic soundtrack, gives this film a distinct, perfect atmosphere.

*About the story:*

"There is poetry in the dialogs, and there is definitely some artistry put in this film. Is very similar to TDK in that aspect. Very good character development, something extremely rare in this sort of film. A few things felt forced here and there, but overall, a good and moving story about a kid growing up all by herself in a totally hostile environment."

*And to finish, the acting:*

"Great performances by Oldman, Reno and Portman. They are definitely the highlights of the film. Oldman is a scene stealer here, with his ultra over the top acting."

*Conclusion...

One of the best crime films of the 80s or 90s.

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Umberto D. (1952)

10/10

A hard reality that needs to be faced.

23 July 2014

Is a film that captures perfectly all the aspects of the retired, poor old man's life and his place in a miserable, dirty society.

What happens in this film; the message it brings, can still be applied to MOST of today's societies, because unless if you are a millionaire, being old is a heavy weight, because no one cares about you. What really happens is the opposite: actually, everyone despises you. I like this kind of film, because while sad, depressing and all, is there to show us a truth that we often try to hide of, and this kind of film needs to exist to remind us that we might be the Umberto D. of tomorrow, so we, the people who got "the control" of the world, should be a bit more sensible and then respect the lifetime of these people who once contributed to the society with their hard work.

About the film: I like the use of certain objects as metaphors (The old man selling a clock; as an example) and is much superior than the other neorealist films I've seen from Italy. Is very well crafted, very realistic.

I just wished the acting _ of the entire cast_ was better. I thought the protagonist did good, but he's certainly not great at acting. I am aware of the fact that the neorealist directors preferred to cast amateurs instead of professional actors, and this was one of the weaknesses of their movement.

My rating: *10/10 *

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The Ladies of the Bois de Boulogne (1945)

7/10

Surprisingly good.

8 July 2014

A minor film in Bresson's filmography, still surprisingly good though. There is really a lot of craft put in the film, the shaping of the lights and shadows, if you pay attention, various objects are put purposefully next to the characters to represent their current emotional state (the flowers, ivory jars etc.) .

Is a story mainly about revenge, but also deals with subjects such as oppressive exterior forces vs the individuals will, manipulation, and a very obvious critic to the socialites and their behavior. Interesting I'd say, though it kinda drag at times. Oh, and I liked very much Maria Casares acting too. By far the best of the entire cast.

This is also the last Bresson's film to feature a cast entirely composed of professional actors.

A 7.5 is a fair rating.

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A Short Film About Killing (1988)

10/10

A powerful thought-provoking modern-day masterpiece.

8 July 2014

"Krótki film o zabijaniu" or, in English, "A Short Film About Killing" was originally conceived as the 5th chapter of the famous polish TV mini-series Dekalog, by acclaimed director Krzysztof Kieślowski, and later the director himself picked this chapter (in the part of a deal between him and TV Poland) and expanded it to a 84 minute feature film.

Talk about a powerful film.

The story is rather simple: Is about two killings. The first one, committed by Jacek, and in the other one, Jacek himself is the victim of the capital punishment, applied by the judiciary system, which is depicted in a very controversial way, and there is the lawyer, Piotr, who learns his job is only for those who are tough emotionally and those without any beliefs. The story, in short, is all about that.

But of course, there is much more in the film than that.

The cinematography is one of the best I've seen, despite the ugly, unattractive look, there is just a lot of craft put in every single image. The green filter marked with big black stains gives this film a rather dehumanized, filth , disgusting look. In the exterior scenes, there is emphasis on the big spaces between the characters, showing their inability at communicating with each other, and also in showing things who represent the poor and filth, like pooch dogs, diseases, dirty floors, dead trees, an ambient taken by enormous, dirty buildings. The internal cinematography puts emphasis in the cold formality of the persons, in the narrow galleries, in the floors with a clean, but at the same time careless look. Overall, very desolated, dehumanized sites.

There is a very powerful message in the story, and the film is so wonderfully crafted, I really loved it, a deserved 10/10.

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Stalker (1979)

9/10

An intense spiritual journey...

8 July 2014

"Andrei Tarkovsky's" Stalker is a long meditative metaphor to Christianism.

"The Path of Rocks", the path of struggle filled with existentialism the three characters went through to finally reach the Zone and the device of granted wishes is one of the hints this film is about the Christianism and the guide of this journey, Stalker, alludes to Jesus Christ.

The black dog; who shows up in the film at key moments, such as in the Stalker's memoirs of being alone laid in the dirty and flooded floors of the urban city (depicted in Sepia, to give even a deeper meaning of dirty and poverty to the ambient), who somehow can cross the entire Zone, and in the ending is shown drinking milk in the Stalker's house." The Black Dog is the symbol of God". A very convenient symbol, because God is an ardently refuted and underestimated character in this extraordinary film, and the dog represents that. He is always following the Stalker; the dog is always with him, when the Stalker needs God the most, the black dog is always next to him.

The expressionist cinematography, common in Tarkovsky's films, depicts properly the distress, isolation, indecision and desolation of the characters, and gives the film an even darker and disturbing tone. Is a wonderfully crafted work, Tarkovsky's creative choice of making it deliberately slow kinda drags a bit but it never ceases to be a fascinating film.

*9.5/10 *

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X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

7/10

Rather dull and full of cheesy dialogs. Still, a watchable film.

24 May 2014

Warning: Spoilers

The film is okay. There are some ridiculous expository dialog at the beginning, some dull scenes such as when Charles(James MacVoy) punches Magneto in the face when he first see him in the elevator. I mean, what? It didn't make any sense.

Also, Raven changing her body in public, where everyone could spot her. Really? So freaking dull. Also, it's impossible to deny the inconsistency of logic in the saga so far. And the plot is basically a rip-off of every successful Sci Fi film ever made. For example, the plot is almost a carbon copy of The Matrix. Just replace time-travel with a computer generated reality, and wham. And the ending is ripped off from Inception. Even the music score is similar.

But obviously, there are good thing music s about it.m

For example, QuickSilver character is probably the most awesome of the film, and despite having few screen time, he is in one of the best scenes in the film. Also, Peter Dinklage was surprisingly good. There are some memorable scenes in the film to keep the average viewer entertained.

So yeah, is probably my biggest let down of the year. Expectes much more from this film. Worth watching, but don't expect a 'The Dark Knight' quality.

7/10

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Harakiri (1962)

10/10

Well, is a jaw-dropping masterpiece to say the very least.

11 May 2014

So yeah, I just watched this film. And I'm gonna say that is one of the best films I've seen in my life. Such a twisted, depressing, clever and instigating story. Is not the 'typical' samurai flick, this is indeed a serious, very dark drama(hard to watch at times, specifically in the scenes. It gave us a very dark and human insight of the life of a warrior. It also talks about how the leader of 'klans' play so dirty to sustain a blind illusion of order and prosperity. Anyway, is really a heartbreaking story, and certainly a fantastic film in all aspects of filmmaking. The cinematography in some scenes is just breath-taking, the acting I thought was excellent. Really a must must watch. Need to see more works of this director, Masaki Kobayashi.

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Yojimbo (1961)

10/10

One of the greatest and epic action films EVER made...

10 May 2014

What an astonishing bad-ass film. In fact, is just way bad-ass. Is bad-ass to the point of being a flaw, really. It starts from the incredible opening credits, with that super awesome tribal theme, following the back of the bad-ass of the bad-asses Sanjuro, the samurai. And Toshiro Mifune perhaps created in Sanjuro's character the most awesome character of all times. Screw it The man with no name. This one is the real deal. Is unbelievable, really, how bad-ass Sanjuro is. He is cold,has a very high confidence in himself an has an even annoying superiority complex and is incredibly egoist. The story is also very engaging.

The final sequence is fantastic.

Anyway, the film is another masterpiece by Kurosawa. My only complaint is the following: it looks way too much with a "western" film(I am referring to western culture, and not the genre of films).

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The Conformist (1970)

10/10

A quite unique experience - A plateful for film lovers

9 May 2014

Warning: Spoilers

Flawless masterpiece. A very engaging, weird and entertaining film. The atmosphere, the cinematography(the use of lights and shadows is jaw dropping), everything is freaking great. The cinematography is really fascinating, we can see the baroque inspiration in some shots. Those who love cinema will love this film.

Anyway, is a quite unique film,there are few twists(I thought he would risk his life to help the women in the ambush, since he apparently liked her). I've never seen a film where we actually follow(and even root for) a protagonist that is a fascist. And is very interesting from a psychological viewpoint.

Anyway, masterpiece.

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Ikiru (1952)

10/10

You can't go wrong with master Kurosawa

9 May 2014

Warning: Spoilers

Is not visually stunning like other Kurosawa's efforts(though still very good in that aspect),but I think the way it was edited and how it told well the story is what matters the most about this film and it's structure is what makes it a masterpiece.

The film can be divided in two parts: The first one, is about the Watanabe's story, told through his point of view. The second one, is all about a bunch of guys(Watanabe's job mates) getting drunk and discussing about Watanabe's life.

Is a heart breaking and sad story in the end, depending of the point of view you adopt. It is a happy ending if we adopt Watanabe's point of view, but is rather depressing if we adopt the point of view of the guy in the second part, who wants to change his life(inspired by Watanabe) but he can't, due to his lack of courage. Is a film full of meaningful themes and is really a class of filmmaking. A masterpiece indeed.

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The White Ribbon (2009)

10/10

Haneke's masterpiece

8 May 2014

Wow, that is a great film. It's only the second Haneke's I watched(got introduced by Amour) and now I faced a real masterpiece. The bleakness and the very dark humor, the incredibly deep depth the characters had, despite each one of them barely having much more than 15-20 minutes of screen time..the acting was great...the cinematography was excellent...all around great.

I really loved the ending(I know it bothered some people), because if you really think about it, was the ideal ending. We saw lots of details, suggestions through the film, lots of details and things that weren't totally explained, so making a "close- ending" would actually kill all of the magic and the interesting parts about the film. Is really an entertaining film, but is even a better one to to sit around a table and discuss.

After all, a good film is the one which leaves you thinking about it through days, weeks or even months after watching it.

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Breathless (1960)

9/10

A fantastic film

8 May 2014

Very interesting and entertaining film. The camera work is very peculiar and difficult. I wonder how Godard actually managed to pull off the very long takes in this film. His direction is very great in my opinion.

Also, the editing is very flashy and also interesting. Look at this fantastic work in the car scene, as an example. There is another great scene, in the very beginning of the film, where the couple is chatting, and in my opinion that scene is perhaps the best of the film. It is a nightmare for those who are lovers of the traditional edited film, and a masterpiece for those who have an open mind and real taste for cinema.

The story itself is simple, there is a lot of symbolisms and subtle meanings, commentaries about society...is very interesting. And aesthetically is great, I also liked the calm jazz soundtrack... Is an all around excellent film. Can't complain.

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Touch of Evil (1958)

10/10

Excellent, but unnecessarily frightening.

5 May 2014

That film is incredible. Orson Welles is great playing the pig corrupt officer. The film is kinda frightening though. When you think about films in the 50s you think in light hearted musicals and harmless popcorn thrillers. Touch of Evil is everything but harmless. In fact, this is one of the reasons that makes it a very interesting film.

However, Touch of Evil is kinda way too dark even for these days and age, unnecessarily if you ask me. Lots of gore in the ending conflict, deaths, and that famous strangling scene and it's aftermath is just way "WTF". Also, the whole ambient was already scary and creepy, no need to put even more scary things on it. I was in the edge of my seat when I saw the guy dead with his both eyes wide open laying over the bed. The film was so dark that I almost got convinced that the Mexican boys would indeed gang-rape Janet Leigh's character.

Anyway, the cinematography is just fantastic. Insane camera work. Is a very modern film in that aspect. Charlton Heston was kinda dull, cause he didn't look like a Mexican at all, but he did a good job.

Obviously Recommended. Not better than Citizen Kane, but is also a masterpiece.

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In the Mood for Love (2000)

10/10

A majestic stunningly beautiful and quiet film

4 May 2014

That's how all the films should be. In The Mood for Love is perhaps one of the most beautiful, subtle, quiet films ever made. And is wonderful and totally engaging as well, despite being very slow paced. The light and the color schemes are carefully treated and put in every scene in a detailed approach. There is really nothing there just for the sake of it. Everyittle detail in the set means something into the film, so yeah, In The Mood For Love requires you to pay a lot of attention as well. It also captures very well the psychological side of the characters showing only their facial expressions. Films after all, are about telling something through images, and Wong does that very well with this masterpiece. And what a great score!

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The Grand Maneuver (1955)

7/10

Interesting film from a visual stand-point.

3 May 2014

I admit, I was not very big in this film for the most part of it. But hey, is very good from a visual standpoint. We have very unexpected angles and a weird set of lights. Look at how messy the lights are in this film. It helps even more to put focus in the characters. In fact, it alone put a focus in the characters, because they become darken than the set's natural light. And the plot is kinda ugh, you know what I mean? Very cliché. Sure, back in 1955, this kind of 'Guy wants to date girl because of bet with friend" must have been interesting and very original, but nowadays? Not very much, if you ask me. Maybe this is the film that started all these clichés? Well, I don't know, further research is welcomed. But anyway, the editing, the transition of scenes is very crazy, and certainly a very good technique aesthetically talking. This technique alone can change completely the film's ambient.

Is kinda interesting and even funny at times, but yeah, for the most part there is nothing that you already haven't seen before made much better than in this film.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

4/10

What the producers were thinking?

1 May 2014

What the producers were thinking? This film is offensive to braincells.An horrible film. Terrible. It has good visuals, inspired from Watchmen and Michael Bay films, to be exactly. But the film is overall laughable. Non stop unfunny jokes, an incoherent story, full of plot holes and under-developed characters, atrocious acting and ridiculous sub-plots. The villains came from nowhere, like if they decided all at once "Lets kill Spider Man for the sake of it!". and they never attacked in group(like anyone intelligent enough would do). If they had a useful brain, Electro and Green Goblin would've attacked Spider Man together.

For those who thought SM 3 was bad, check this one out. You will pee in your pants laughing at how bad this film is.

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Lemon Tree (2008)

8/10

A very good small film

30 April 2014

Lemon Tree is a very good small film. I am not familiar with Israeli & Palestinian culture further than what is told everyday on the news and all. Is a surprisingly good film. It uses various filmmaking techniques to make the story as thematic as possible. The predominant green and light-green colors in the art direction's palette scheme, for example - remind us the color of the lemon. The story itself can be seen as an allegory to the conflicts between Palestinians and Israeli. They both wants different things from a same tree, and they fight until no tomorrow to 'make their wishes come true'. Even a perhaps "small thing' can turn into a national problem. Also, the character development is just fine, and so is the acting. It goes overly dramatic a little bit, but nothing than can diminishes the qualities of the film.

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The Flower of My Secret (1995)

8/10

Very good little film

26 April 2014

Very good and interesting film. Those who like stories dealing with paradox and stuff will love it. The acting by the leading actress, Marisa Paredes, is fantastic. The art direction is very good, love the contrast of the colors and how they affect our perception about the characters. It has good production values. Again, it may not touch in new grounds on filmmaking, but is an extremely enjoyable film regardless. Keep in mind that is the first Almodovar film I've watched, so yeah. I heard somewhere it disappoints the true "Almodovar" fans. Well, I cant say nothing about it other than I don't give a damn for now.

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A Separation (2011)

10/10

Simply Fantastic

25 April 2014

Wow, oh ho. That's how it's done, boys. Simply breath taking. Is easily one of the best films I've seen in the last 6 months or so.

There are many layers in it, is indeed a complex story. But is all told with cleverness. Also, the twists were very awesome. And what is more interesting, perhaps, is the fact that most of the film is left to the viewer's interpretation(since we don't have the facts per see), so therefore you have to ask yourself "who is wrong" and "what really happened?" All in vain, since in the reality what will count is in what you believe and what are your beliefs.

I regret the fact I didn't watch this film earlier. Is certainly the best film of 2011, and now one of my favorites.

An easy 9.8/10.

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Goodfellas (1990)

10/10

It glorifies treason and criminals - yet, 8.8 here in IMDb.

25 April 2014

What a joke. Aesthetically the film is without a doubt one of the best films made, but plot and acting-wise(excluding DeNiro) it was annoying and mediocre. And it glorifies criminals and treason.

That is one of the reasons I find the recent The Wolf of Wall Street better. And it indeed is. Ray Liotta's voice was cringe worthy and weird. DiCaprio's was smooth, soft, and sounded much more natural. And is totally a sarcastic and ironic film.

So thats it. Fanboys will say that I missed the point and so on, but in the reality THEY missed the point. The film is about glorifying criminals. Obviously, if you want a class of filmmaking and insanely awesome camera-work, editing, cinematography etc. so you shall watch this film. Scorsese is great, but he usually waste his talent in lame stories.

7/10

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Barry Lyndon (1975)

7/10

Okay, certainly NOT one of the best films by Kubrick

25 April 2014

Damn, what a boring film. Shallow characters with no depth, and poor acting! The screenplay also sucks. I mean, WTF is that scene with Barry and his cousin? Looks like something you'd find in a porn film. The events on this film are so dumb and unbelievable, is a joke. It has great cinematography, I mean, very great. But so what? Is all meaningless. I would call it a style over substance kind of film, if it had any substance. Worst Kubrick film just behind Fear and Desire. Doesn't even looks like a Kubrick film. Too bad is so overrated nowadays. Still, its rather watchable after the first hour. But don't expect nothing above average apart from Kubrick's direction. The cinematography is indeed one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest. Is the only reason I can think of to watch this boring film.

7/10

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

9/10

Amazing!

22 April 2014

Simply amazing and breath-taking. This is really a great epic and lives up to its expectations. Is not perfect and there are few things who will bother the modern viewer (dated sets and lightning use are very noticeable at times) and also, the sound editing and the mixing in general is very meh and cheesy. Limitations of the time, I understand.

But overall, the acting, cinematography, editing and the story are all around great. All great. Some reviewers at the time criticized the lack of depth, but its barely noticeable frankly. The story is more about honor and spiritual conflicts rather than a conspiracy thriller, or whatever these critics meant by depth.

The way it glorified the war, however, is what will hold some viewers back, me included. Some would say its the equivalent of the birth of a nation for anti-war defenders.

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