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Reviews
Billy Elliot (2000)
Your going to cry, unless you're made of stone.
This movie was an extraordinary feel good movie. No doubt in my mind why the director of this film was nominated for an Oscar, for it is well-deserved. Also nominated was Julie Walters, who played Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy Elliot's dance teacher. The woman honestly made it look like she wasn't acting. However, I am a little perplexed why Gary Lewis was not nominated for best supporting acting for his role as Jackie Elliot, Billy's father. I was moved to tears at the powerful range of emotion which this man portrayed throughout the movie. In the scenes in which he led, he reigned supreme. Yet, he was also generous in scenes led by others. I don't remember seeing him before this movie, but I will certainly watch out for him in the future.
Also wonderful was newcomer Jamie Bell who played the starring role. The camera work was incredible and daring. Truly a great film.
The Color Purple (1985)
One of the best and underrated films I have ever seen.
The Color Purple has never been truly appreciated and I have no problem figuring out why. It deals with issues most people have a hard time facing. That is precisely why Spielberg is one of my favorites, because of the level of integrity in his work. The situations that he brought to the service in this film, ugly as some of them were, are reminiscent of that time period. We don't like to see our ancestors in such a hideous depiction because it's like holding up a mirror to humanity and saying, "Take a good look at who you really are". I like films that disturb our senses and strip away arrogance and false pride. I like films that say "It wasn't always great to be an American, but whatever we went through, we're still here. We're not dead yet." Whether Spielberg gives that voice to difference sexes, races or species, I think it is a message that needs to be heard again and again, because that it where our sense of pride can come from. Not from a false idea of who we were.
Beyond the moral issues of this film, the cinematography was wonderful. The luscious landscapes of purple flowers and verdant feels was enough to take my breath away. The performances were just as wonderful. Whoopi Goldberg's film debut proved her ability as a future top-notch actress. Danny Glover, who gave his usual intense and mind-bending performance, also stole the show as well as actresses Avery Brooks, Oprah Winfrey and Rae Dawn Chong. Overall, nice performances by everyone and a great screenplay adaption of Alice Walker's work.
The Color Purple (1985)
One of the best and underrated films I have ever seen.
The Color Purple has never been truly appreciated and I have no problem figuring out why. It deals with issues most people have a hard time facing. That is precisely why Spielberg is one of my favorites, because of the level of integrity in his work. The situations that he brought to the service in this film, ugly as some of them were, are reminiscent of that time period. We don't like to see our ancestors in such a hideous depiction because it's like holding up a mirror to humanity and saying, "Take a good look at who you really are". I like films that disturb our senses and strip away arrogance and false pride. I like films that say "It wasn't always great to be an American, but whatever we went through, we're still here. We're not dead yet." Whether Spielberg gives that voice to difference sexes, races or species, I think it is a message that needs to be heard again and again, because that it where our sense of pride can come from. Not from a false idea of who we were.
Beyond the moral issues of this film, the cinematography was wonderful. The luscious landscapes of purple flowers and verdant feels was enough to take my breath away. The performances were just as wonderful. Whoopi Goldberg's film debut proved her ability as a future top-notch actress. Danny Glover, who gave his usual intense and mind-bending performance, also stole the show as well as actresses Avery Brooks, Oprah Winfrey and Rae Dawn Chong. Overall, nice performances by everyone and a great screenplay adaption of Alice Walker's work.
Tombstone (1993)
One of the best movies I've ever seen.
Tombstone was everything a western should be. Considering it was filmed in the 1990's, you have to give it serious credit for authenticity in western lingo, as well as costumes, scenery and the like. I was absolutely floored by the story and the acting. Kurt Russell was the greatest I've ever seen him. And as far as Doc Holliday goes, a better part for that character was never written than in this movie and no one ever played a better Doc Holliday than Val Kilmer. I think Val is great, no role is beyond his ability to play it. The characters he has played is in such variety, that his fans must never know what character he will play next. Tombstone made me love westerns, a genre I had not embraced (though I am a movie buff).
Sam Elliot was wonderful, no one has a more serious mustache than this man, and boy does it work in a western. Charlton Heston was a nice choice for a cameo role. Kudos to the writer (who also wrote Glory and The Mummy). This movie is in my top 25 of all time greatest.
Jane Eyre (1983)
... And my search for a competent adaption of the classic continues.
This is the second adaption of the classic book 'Jane Eyre' that I've seen, and though this one is better than the last, it is still missing the essential chemistry between the two main characters that I think is poignant to the story. What made Charlotte Bronte's story so incredible was her ability to not only create characters that were highly complex, but her tantalizing ability to create such chemistry between them. That essential is missing from this movie.
First of all, the woman who played Jane was pretty and of healthy weight. Not a plain Jane, and certainly not thin and frail. She was small only in height, which was rather odd, because Timothy Dalton is quite tall, and they were oddly mismatched. She did not seem 18, but rather like the mother of at least two kids. Timothy Dalton is a very handsome man, and it almost seemed laughable when he referred to himself as not handsome.
The BBC presented this adaption, and the British are wonderfully known for their skillful use of the english language. Yet, I feel that they concentrated so much on Charlotte Bronte's incredible way with words, that they expected the dialogue to carry the movie. There wasn't enough attention paid to the interaction of the characters here. Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, the character of Grace Poole was played by a man. Gosh, I hope I'm not mistaken, and ask forgiveness in advance if I am. Poole's character was played all wrong to me. While reciting her longest lines, I suddenly felt as if I was watching an off-Broadway play. The actor seemed uncomfortable with the part. The woman who played Blanche Ingram, who was supposed to be so incredibly beautiful, was not even as pretty as Jane.
My advice to whomever is willing to undertake the obviously enormous task of making this movie is to please read the book until you get it. Afterwards, you may change your mind about making it, because it would have to be somewhat lengthy to maintain its integrity. The BBC had four hours in which to pull this together, but unfortunately, proper use of that time was not made.
The one bright spot was Timothy Dalton. He played Mr. Rochester a little meaner than I believe he was in the book. In Charlotte's version, Rochester was abrupt but also found humor in being taken by surprise by Jane. Overall though, I thought Timothy did a great job as Rochester considering the script he had to work with. I haven't given up yet though. There are still 'Jane Eyre's' I haven't seen. And who knows, someone might have stumbled upon greatness.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Once again, Steven Spielberg has created a film with so much depth, it took me almost 24 hours to figure out how I felt about it.
( If you haven't seen this movie and don't want to know anything about its contents, don't read this review.)
A.I. was a difficult movie for me to wrap my mind around. It is never easy to see the human condition diminished in such an oppressive way. Movies like 'War of the Worlds', 'Mad Max', and other apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic movies brings out a depth of serious sadness from us, because as human-beings, we really believe that we are going to prevail and win the good fight. A.I. forces us to deal with disturbing issues, including the responsibility we as human-beings have to those less fortunate than ourselves, and the grief of dealing with the death of those we love.
The casting for the film was well chosen. Jude Law played his role exceptionally as a robot created to service women sexually. His humorous posturing made him a likeable character as he danced in puddles of water like Fred Astaire, joyfully explaining describing his prowess with "the women". Frances O'Connor, who played the mother of the robot child (Haley Joel Osment), seemed more like a child, at times, than David, which added to the charm of their relationship. William Hurt played the role of creator of the robots, which set the tone for what I believe is one of Mr. Spielberg's most recurring messages in his larger-than-life films; the consequences of death and the consequences of playing God. Mr. Hurt skillfully plays all the aspects of the mad scientist which makes us both pity and loathe him the same way we did Richard Attenborough's character in 'Jurassic Park', the man who played God by cloning dinosaurs; his, the very epitome of human arrogance. Further, I cannot overlook Haley Joel Osment's performance as David, the robot child that would-be-human. I am torn because there is a part of me that fears the aftermath of giving too much credit to one who has so little experience. However, it has become too obvious that this kid has incredible natural talent. Haley has the ability to become the character in ways that make it difficult to distinguish the boy from the role.
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I immediately thought of a 1985 film in which a robot child named 'D.A.R.Y.L.' (an acronym for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform) is found by a married couple that have no children. The starring role was played brilliantly by one of my favorite young actors, Barret Oliver. While 'D.A.R.Y.L.' was a good film and most certainly reached the heartstrings, it was primarily centered on one family. A.I. looks at the human condition and deals with serious moral issues, which in my humble opinion, makes it a huge film that I foresee becoming a classic of the latter half of the twenty-first century.
In conclusion, I think A.I. is one of those movies that holds all of us accountable for social responsibility. Cynics may think the overall connotation of this movie out-dated or boring, yet it deals with issues that we are still struggling with today. It also deals with issues yet to come, because with technology growing at such a rapid pace, the premise of this film surpasses the metaphorical message and becomes an exacting moral issue. It causes us to deal with the possibility of a new race, whether 'orga' or 'mecca' and hopefully forces us to redefine our view of what personal freedom is, giving new hope to those who are oppressed. Those persons in denial who choose not to see the moral implications of this film, in answer to the question, "What did you like about A.I.?", will no doubt answer, "Really cool special effects." Such is the way of those who are not comfortable thinking outside of a box. I, for one, am a movie buff who is grateful when a director seeks to make the words "big screen' synonymous with "good film" and will forever contemplate the meaning of the words that Jude Law's character spoke with such an indelible sense of self-awareness, "I am!" Though, if pressed, I must also admit that the special effects, were indeed, 'really cool'.
Jane Eyre (1996)
This movie lacked the wonderfully romantic repartee between the two main characters which made the original novel so great.
What made the idea of seeing this movie so attractive was the hope that it would live up to Charlotte Bronte's brilliance of the original classic story. I was deeply disappointed to find that this movie, which seemed to be either written or filmed in great haste, had not the qualities that made the original novel so powerful. Much of the witty back and forth between the main characters, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, seemed to be either missing from the screenplay or left on the cutting room floor. Also missing was Jane Eyre's charismatic sense of self, which enabled her to suffer through her turmoil and triumph over all. The original Jane Eyre was a hero. The woman in this movie did not seem to have much to triumph over, including one of the greatest parts of the story when Jane runs away from Thornfield and Mr. Rochester. Her struggle to find food and shelter, her shame at having to beg for bread, the threat of freezing to death in the cold, all to get away from a man she loved were, in my opinion, poignant parts of the story that were simply left out of this movie. The title character seemed dry and uninspired. The story was unappealing and for those who did not read the book, I cannot imagine that this story would be the least bit interesting. The screenplay and Direction did little if any credit to the classic story.