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grahamskelly
Reviews
Sicko (2007)
lives of ordinary people can make better film.
People have learned that the lives of ordinary people are just as interesting if not more then the lives of fictional characters, which is why the documentary as an art form has taken off.
The pacing of the film is good, the humor is enough to help us through the terrible stories we here in the film. the shots and framing of the shots are often interesting to look out. The sound track is well matched to the film and should be enjoyable for anyone.
on Politics; unlike F' 9 11 this is not a partisan film. While Michel is a liberal and the film can be seen to lean to the left, he has tried to make the film on the side of ordinary Americans and their health care needs. He is not calling for a Canadian system he is calling for a better American system. Conservatives I think should be able to view this film, see whats wrong with government and come to the table ready to make a better health care system for America.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
trend of putting little in jokes in films
lots of comments, so I don't need to go over how brilliant Bill Murry is in this movie. etc. etc.
instead I wanted to comment on how movies are so proud of little references to pop culture so you can feel like your in the know. And it can make you wonder what your watching if you don't know the references.
and at first I thought some of the references in this film were to something, and i was missing out but then i became more convinced that the references weren't references or at least weren't references to anything I an audience member would have seen. I stopped worrying and set back and enjoyed the film.
These are not card board characters but real life complex character that you can not get the full sense of because a film can't ever do that, and people often have different sides to them. The animations I felt at first out of place at first, until I used them to contrast Bill Murry's character.
Amazing sets, that helped place you in the world of Steve Zissou, and his unreality. This is a mental picture, and you have to think, it was darkly funny and witty. that if you just go with it, it is deeply moving.
Duze zwierze (2000)
not as advertised, instead I got something better.
I would comment but I couldn't write a better comment then "Beautiful film ... I wish I hadn't seen it ..., 15 June 2004 Author: profhound from Chicago, IL"
It is a beautiful, self critical look at Polish and rather all Human Nature. It shows the power of conformity and social pressure. awesome film.
also a note this film was presented as a laugh out loud funny comedy, and maybe that is what the theaters wanted advertised to get people in the door, and instead I found something better.
Major Credit to the Director for staying true to the writers work, a truly wonderful film
Under the Rainbow (1981)
This is the party I wanted to be at.
I am surprised this film is rated so poorly, it is one of my top 10 movies. A zany farce that takes place in a absolutely crazy party that I would so want to be at, with the glamor of the old Hollywood movies and a spy thriller thrown in.
This film has been attacked for being discriminatory to Japanese and Dwarfs, I feel the film's Japanese character is shown to be sympathetic and and the dwarfs are shown to be doing fun athletic things, while the two stars of the film that happen to be dwarfs, needn't necessarily have been dwarfs to make the film work.
If you don't take this film seriously, if you realize this is a wacky fun time, then you should love this film.
Trois couleurs: Blanc (1994)
What we want and what we have when we get it are different.
My favorite of the three. More things happen in this movie then in the other two, thus making it more accessible in some ways to viewers who need that, it is also the darkest of the 3 films which may be why it is popular. As I am sure you know the film is based on the colours of the French flag and their symbolism blue white red, is thus liberty, equality and fraternity. This is a movie about equality then, what can happen when there is inequality, and how you react to that person once equality is restored.
Again this film shows how ordinary peoples lives are often more interesting then cardboard cut outs that sit in for people in Hollywood films it is beautiful to look at thought provoking and a some what disturbing pleasure to watch. A film that teaches us what we want and what we will have when we get it are two different things.
Trois couleurs: Rouge (1994)
a satisfying end to a puzzle
Of the three films in this trilogy my favorite was white. The first to films, Blue and White have a some what darker feel to them, which may be what attracts or repels viewers to them. The theme of the series seems to be what connects us to each other, How ordinary people are complex and often more interesting then the Hollywood stereo type characters that fill most of it's movies.
The movie is also a puzzle, while watching them in order is not necessary it is probably better to watch red last. Pay attention to background places and people through out the movies, they may show up again.
I love a movie that is beautiful to look at, wonderful to listen too, and makes me think, this movie and this series did that, But Gladiator it was not.
Cthulhu (2007)
Not everyone is going to love this movie.
I saw the film at Seattle International Film Festival (best film I saw at the Festival this year) This is a unique film, not everyone is going to love it, and you do have to accept that everything is not going to be presented to you in a neat package when you watch this film.
I having been to Astoria where much of the film was filmed, and a few people there think HP Lovecraft meant Astoria when he talked about his fictional New England town. I doubt Lovecraft even knew of Astoria, however the rise of the old ones is about a world wide event so I imagine there were other towns involved in the plot. And this movie seems to be a continuation of the plot of his books, not a movie of his book.
I also found the horror to be like Lovecraft's books left to your own mind rather then explicitly spoon fed to us, so thankfully you wont see buckets of blood in the movie.
There were a few funny moments that helped break up the film, some hints of plot that was left on the cutting room floor, some beautiful images, a great soundtrack. And finally some good acting, while it may be hard to imagine how a fish person is going to act at the end of the world the main actors did some fantastic performances, especially (to my happy surprise) Tori Spelling.
The film despite some press to the otherwise isn't overtly anti Bush, anti Religion or overly Gay. The film also doesn't try an tie up everything neatly for you, So if you like to think when you go to the movies and don't need your movies explained to you you might really like this film.
It gets extra points for being the first film of the Director, and independently filmed and produced in the NorthWest, but i would have loved this film even if it was a Hollywood film. But as I said this is a unique film, I am not sure Hollywood could make such a film.