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Blaine
Reviews
Stealth (2005)
Eject! Eject! Eject!
If you're not receiving this signal within 5 minutes from the start of this movie your radio is busted, or you need to fine tune your TV-set. The only reason I watched Stealth to the end was that I wanted to be sure this was as bad as I thought it would be. And I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed.
I could fill this review with all the bad words I've learned over the years watching movies, reading books, etc. But I won't. My mother taught me to take the high road. Too bad no one has taught the people behind Stealth what movies are supposed to be like. The only thing I should say is stay away from this (so called movie) at all cost.
I'm one of the first to admit that any movie that is made take a whole lot of effort from all kinds of people, but they should've banked any other project available. There must be hundreds if not thousands of scripts floating around in Hollywood that show more promise than any of the treatments gaining a green light for this project.
Final thoughts: 1. If you want a movie about a computer going nuts rent 2001: A Space Odyssey 2. If you want fancy flying and a cocky pilot rent the original (Top Gun), even any of the Hot Shots movies would work. 3. If you want dialogue with more substance and less clichés rent anything between American Pie and Scary Movie. 4. If you want a movie with more fact based science rent any of the Star Trek movies. Part of me wants to write that the original Star Trek series would do but that could be considered cruel.
Eject now!
Garden State (2004)
Natalie Portman makes Garden State shine
I fell in love with Natalie Portman as soon she appeared on screen in this movie. She blew me away. She is great, awesome, amazing, but most of all she's real. She stands out in this movie's exceptional cast.
The movie itself is well paced. It doesn't rush through any of the scenes, and that allows you to take it all in. Zach Braff has made an impressive first feature with Garden State and it will be fun to see what will come next.
The things that stand out in this movie, beside Natalie Portman, are the music and the cinematography. The music is used in all the right places, and the scenes with no music at all gain strength from this. The soundtrack is superior. Other movies/directors have a lot to learn from this. The cinematography is beautiful. Simple and poignant. It adds to the context of the movie. If it's done deliberately or not I can't say, but I do know that shooting a movie with limited funds sometimes forces you to compromise. No matter what, they made it look great.
As a final thought I'd just like to say that Natalie Portman would have given Hilary Swank a run for the money at the Academy Awards if only she'd been nominated. She obviously was overlooked.
Masjävlar (2004)
Amazing directorial debut for Maria Blom
This is an incredible film. I can't remember the last time I saw a Swedish movie this layered. It's funny, it's tragic, it's compelling, and most of all it's a slice of Swedish small town life. It crushes the clichés, and dwells deeper. It makes you feel connected, not only to the main characters, but to all the characters.
Big city girl tracing back to her roots, her small hometown, to celebrate her father's 70th birthday, crossing paths with people she hasn't met in several years. Although the story itself isn't unique, it offers a fresh approach. The center of the story is the relationship between three sisters (on different stages in life), who aren't very close. Or at least don't realize how close they are.
One key reason that makes it so easy to connect to the people in this film is the immaculate cast. First, I'm more than pleased about the fact that there are absolutely no so-called 'A-list' Swedish actors in this film. Usually there is a handful of actors that has the ability to find their way into almost every major production in Sweden. This time the production company managed to keep it real by casting actors who actually seem to love their profession. Sofia Helin is probably the first Swedish actress since Eva Röse to prove that you don't need words to convey an emotion.
The writing is also very appealing. The dialogue is more than believable, and compared with other Swedish films from the past year or two, it's ahead by miles. Maria Blom controls everything from the beginning, and if you didn't know, you would never guess that this is her first time writing AND directing a feature length film. I can't wait for her next one.
Once you start watching this, you really want to see it through.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Carrey and Winslet at their best
I fell in love with this movie right from the start. The director hit every note perfectly from beginning to end. It's well paced and the cinematography is first rate. Technically there's nothing to complain about. The visual effects are believable, but all this only take the backseat to what really stand out in this film - The script and the acting.
I've never been a fan of Kate Winslet, but here...WOW! She's brilliant. Her performance is flawless. Her character, Clementine, is a multi-dimensional, layered, complex woman, and Winslet really brings her to life. It will be difficult for the Academy to overlook this in February next year. And then there's Jim Carrey. Once again I'm impressed with what he can do. He's probably one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, despite the fact that he has proven himself over and over again to be a rock-solid dramatic actor. I would actually love to see him in an Anthony Minghella-movie.
When it comes to the script I can only tip my hat, and say congratulations. You've done it again, Kaufman. It's reassuring to know that the US still can produce great films with good stories and real, human characters in them.
See this movie, but stay away from Lacuna, Inc., because this is a movie you don't want to forget.