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cjamesm
Reviews
Sahara (2005)
excellent escapism
I really enjoyed this movie.Its an old fashioned blend of swashbuckling adventure in which men are men and women are chicks.
Obviously different to the book that inspired it SAHARA is humorous and action packed.
Matthew McConaughey- not normally an actor I have the slightest faith in-is surprisingly effective as the treasure seeking rogue with an eye for the ladies.Steve Zahn is a fine foil as sidekick Al Giordano ( admittedly completely miscast if you want the character from the novels, but he has a strong chemistry with McConaughey that really works on screen).
William H Macy is a decent Sandecker.Only poor Penelope Cruz is underused as Dr Eva Rojas..although thankfully she is given practical wardrobe rather than the usual miniscule tat action heroines wear.
The action sequences are diverting, the score is memorable but the main thing about this production is the wonderfully evocative cinematography.
It seems there has been a hate campaign against this movie- no doubt from fans of Cussler's work.I liked the books too but they were at least as full as silliness and illogical plotting as the movie.
Trust me.This is worth a watch.
Alone (2002)
good cast wasted
There is a nice idea at the back of this film, and the director has assembled a talented cast.
Unfortunately the novelty of the approach wears thin and the idea - that we see only through the eyes of the killer- becomes incredibly iritating by the end of the film.
Aditonally the "twist" is predictable after about 5 minutes.
This is a shame as the actors are very talented and could undoubtedly have made a decent fist of the role given half a chance.What a wasted opportunity!
Technical details are excellent and the editing and sound design are superb.Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the movie.