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ssolow
Reviews
Absentia (2011)
Awful, boring, absurd, and ridiculous
So much for watching films based on other reviewers reactions. I hoped this would be a good horror film because so many viewers seemed to like it. What I found was a ridiculous, slow paced, poorly acted, clichéd piece of junk.
What makes it worse is that it does hook you in at first with the expectation that the plot is going to make some sort of sense or that something worth waiting for is going to happen. What happens is that some giant insect living in the 4th dimension is hanging out in some damn tunnel and kidnapping people. It feeds them some animals but I guess there is no showers there because they have to wear the same clothes for years and years. Oh, and you can trade with the big spider insect thing. If you bring it a puppy or some watches or something it might give you back your loved one worse for the wear.
Horror film lovers are so desperate for entertainment that just because this film is not out of focus and has a minimum of suspense to sustain it they forgive the most banal acting and absurd premise. The horror really is in watching this film and feeling your life blood and precious time drain out of you.
The Decoy Bride (2011)
Excellently written and acted comedy
I thought this would be crap since the plot summery sounded like so many clichéd comedies that have been done to death. I was surprised to discover however a superbly acted and well written comedy that has nice location photography and moves at a brisk pace. What more can one ask for in these cinematically barren times? And last but not least the performance by Kelly Macdonald is as excellent as one has grown to expect from watching her in Boardwalk Empire. I hope she continues to make films since I believe she is one of the best comic actresses around. She would be really good opposite Hugh Grant for instance. However, I doubt that will ever happen. Anyhow, I recommend this film without reservation.
Shutter Island (2010)
staying sane
NOTE - THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS - The funny thing about this film is that those critical of it would be correct IF they were right in their interpretation. This is not some simplistic horror movie with a boring predictable ending that reveals De Caprio was crazy all along. That would be boring. Instead I think the correct interpretation is that he was who he claimed to be and those things that he accuses them of doing on the island they are in fact doing. He has a damaged past with the war and his wife and his sanity is on edge and they take advantage of that to manipulate him and then give him the opportunity to walk away by agreeing with them that he had a sort of nervous breakdown. Instead he chooses to die rather then live in their lie. This is the only interpretation in which the movie has power. Otherwise what is the point of his last remark - would you rather live a monster or die a good man- if he was actually insane. He is a sane and good man in an insane and evil world.