vabalos Reviews

Barcelona (1994)

Clever and witty

[6/10 · 27 March 2004]

This film is charming and witty and creates some interesting Cold War

metaphors balanced against the bumbling efforts of a couple of young American men trying to learn about themselves and women. it's an interesting film, not exactly a great one, but Stillman offers an entertaining premise and crafty execution. But what prompted me to write about it was the

dimwitted review by "nbott"your web site chose to post. What was obvious by his review was that he simply didn't get it. The film sailed miles over his head and then he compounded it by sharing his ignorance. Fine. But why do you chose to post that review. It offers nothing about the film and simply advertises this person's ignorance.

In the Bedroom (2001)

perhaps not my favorite film but a perfect one.

[10/10 · 21 February 2004]

A dark story told with amazing weight and balance, it is cinematically perfect. Aside from the excellent performances by Wilkinson, Spacek and Tomei, it is

Field's film. He uses a deft touch to examine the lives of a couple devastated by loss. The perfection of this film lies in the small touches, the subtle gestures, the powerful symbolism that Field displays throughout. Even the most powerful

moment, the shooting, is done off camera. It isn't so much what you see, its what you don't, what Field implies throughout the film. He creates moments in this movie that convey complex emotion through subtle actions. The film creates

unsettling scenes without being disturbing. Reflections of actors moving as if underwater through their lives, we see them caught in the windows of their

home, ghosts in their house and in their lives, struggling to cope until the film's resolution. Attempting to heal each other and themselves through a single act of redemption that seems at the same time surprising and inevitable. It isn't my favorite movie, but i still think it's as close to a perfect film i've seen.

The Chase (1966)

what were they thinking?

[2/10 · 17 December 2002]

I had to watch this movie twice to make sure I didn't miss something significant, like an interesting plot-line, or actor chemistry, or any other reason to understand why it ranked even a 6. What a cast. what a waste.

Wings of Desire (1987)

beautiful

[10/10 · 21 September 2002]

In my humble opinion...this is the best movie...ever...and the fact that a remake was made with Cage and Ryan was cinematic madness. Layers of language, subtext, emotion yet a story simply told. It is the highest form of art that cinema can create.

The Gift (2000)

what a waste of talent

[2/10 · 20 July 2001]

This film started off promisingly enough, and then headed rapidly downhill. There were so many plot holes, I stopped counting. I sat back and tried to enjoy the performances, which were interesting, given the stale and unbelievable script. This movie seemed to have been a patchwork of bad movies. But after reviewing some of the user comments and seeing the amazingly high rating it was given, I understood clearly why terrible movies like this keep getting made.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

one of those films you either love or hate

[8/10 · 20 July 2001]

For me this movie was about recovery. What separates us from "robots?" What makes us human? The film addresses those issues. It's about our search for humanity, our desire to be alive and to try to understand what that means. That involves a connection to a higher power and our powerful drive to love and be loved. The boy robot's search for the Blue Fairy was his drive to know who created him, who is God. And his search for the fairy was fueled by his desire to be loved by his human mother. This movie was all Kubrick.