Change Your Image
melissa-feagin
Reviews
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Moving
Alright let's get the negative out of the way.. it was very slow-moving.
And now, the positive... with an achingly poignant plot and convincing characters, I teared up several times during the film. Not necessarily about being gay, the film portrayed a forbidden love... so some critics say Romeo and Juliet is great and this is bad? Hmm...as far as all those who ranted on about the "cheating"... I guess I didn't see it that way because honestly, they were cheating on themselves to be with their wives. The raw emotion seen in scene after scene was heart-wrenching, and one of the final scenes where Heath Ledger finds the shirt of his dead lover is an absolute tear-jerker. I heard every negative thing there was to hear about this film, mostly because of the homosexual aspect of it. But after seeing it myself, I found the acting superb, the directing top-notch, and I agree that one almost feels numb after the emotional plunge of the film. Kudos to the actors and director.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Just sexy
Oh, fun, fun, fun.. two gorgeous people on screen for a couple of hours... delish.
I love the way the idiots don't know each other's true occupations... my hubby and I call each other at work, pick each other up from work occasionally, etc...don't they notice the depositor at the bank account for the payroll?? And he conveniently has a box o' guns "hidden" in plain view in the garage-buuuut other than the obvious unbelievability of the plot line, there's tons of action, quirky humor, and straight up sexy photo ops (on both parts). A bunch of fun, but not something someone would probably watch more than a couple of times.
Hellboy (2004)
Good, fun movie
OK, I'm a GIRL who does NOT like comics, X-Men, anime, or any of those other genres of people that would usually like this type of movie. But for some reason I love it! I usually prefer chick flicks, feel-gooders like Forrest Gump, etc (typical girl), but something about the dark romance of this movie and how the freak loves the pretty, normal looking "freak"...awww. Just gotta love it. Also, plenty of punchy action with lots of eww-gross moments like the Hell Hound who has to salivate and bleed more gross gunk than the aliens in Independence Day, but also the historical factor of the conspiracy theory with the Nazi's... I love a good c. theory, especially with the Nazis...always adds a fun kick. But I think this film appealed more to women because of the initial introduction to Hellboy as a little red baby wooed by Baby Ruths and who loves kittens..that big ol' teddy bear. I can watch it with my son, and he won't get bored, and I won't want to blow my brains out, so it's a great mix. Not to pretentious as other "comic" movies...still lets viewers who aren't comic nerds have a good time watching and enjoying without rubbing their face in the fact that they haven't seen Parts I thru IV and that special remake they made in '98 with ben affleck.. I mean, come on. Those "other" comic/movies, OK, OK, X Men... they expect everyone to know their story line and history and so they ruin it for people who don't. So Hellboy is a fun, action packed, light hearted romance for the family to watch and is a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours even for those of us who don't live in the comic world. Two thumbs up!
Forrest Gump (1994)
How could someone dislike?
I'm not sure at why I read some of the "hated it" reviews, but what I read was shocking and disturbing. If people can't go to the movies and relax their tight political, antagonizing viewpoints for a few hours to relax and take it a pure bit of goodness, then they obviously don't need to see a movie that advertised just that. Forrest Gump is what many "special" people are in the world... I have a close family member who is mentally challenged, and he sees the world in a much different way than the rest of us. He doesn't think of money first, nor of popular opinion, and sometimes he doesn't even think of the consequences. He acts upon his upbringing, his knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil, and what will bring a smile to the faces of others, and that is the mentality that carried the character of Forrest Gump through some of the toughest times in our nation's history.
My parents went through the same time period as Forrest.. I guess if he were real they'd be around the same age. They stuck to their guns (and morals) during the 60's and didn't partake of any of the drugs, partying, etc... (and yes, they voted for Reagan), and they are the two most conservative, Boring people I know. So I'm not naive enough to believe that everyone who sailed through those times on the coat-tails of Jesus himself emerges wealthy...being naive and stupid does not result in wealth. However, speaking of Jesus, he does say, "The meek shall inherit the earth" and to have "faith like a child". And those are the two themes that I personally believe are being conveyed throughout the movie. Lt Dan's injuries and consequential behavior had nothing to do with his political views..it had to do with him being unappreciative that his life was saved!! Instead of being thankful for having more days on earth, he was cynical and jaded and almost drowned in his own self-pity...forgive me if I don't see a connection to his political affiliation there. So I'm confused by the critics who try to over-politicize this "feel good" movie and make it more than it is.. this is a simple statement on mankind and the pleasure of living the good in life. Tom Hanks has a stellar performance, and I can watch this film over and over and over, as it is truly my favorite.
Jarhead (2005)
Good military movie
Being someone in the military, this movie had lots of moments that hit home. Being in the Navy, we (although we'd never admit it publicly) envy the Marine Corps and their tight-knit units. In the Navy, people are transferred as individuals and a Marine unit sticks together always, so they are much more like family..with goofy ways like a family and silly traditions. Marines are crazy, tough, hard-shelled teddy bears that have people they love fiercely and a cause they love even more. So this movie had many moments that, while revealing the absurdity of the war in the Gulf, brought a personal spin to it that CNN has just forgotten. For some reason, during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and pretty much every other war until Desert Storm, soldiers were called, well, SOLDIERS. Now that they're referred to as "troops", it takes so much personal care out of it that people don't think of our soldiers as humans with lives and loves of their own. Jarhead is a great movie for showing that even rock solid Marines are humans, too. His girlfriend, who he dreamed about and missed, left him while he was there, and that's something that almost every military couple has had to deal with..cheating, being cheated on, the fear of it, and that's a very real concern to young Marines, or Soldiers, or Sailors, or Airmen. The film has so many anti-climatic moments which make the viewer sort of antsy and unfulfilled, which is perfect because that's exactly how many of the characters were portrayed to feel. In a war with minimal violence but high "terror factor", exactly like the war that's going on now, service members are taught to "always be on the ready" but never get a chance to release that coiled tension. Other wars have been "kill, kill, kill" and these are "watch, watch, watch." People who are trained to kill tend to go a little loopy when they're not able to kill, which is captured perfectly in the scene in the tower where the main character has a perfect shot of the enemy lined up only to have the shot canceled in lieu of an air strike and his only "kill" is taken away from him. Sadistic, yes, but to be expected when people are trained for just that purpose. Many touching moments if you are in the military and understand that tight, delicate brotherhood you develop. The way the main character wore his dress uniform to go to his girlfriend's house when he returned home, in a desperate attempt to impress her and make her understand a tiny bit of what he was about, only to be shot down, a proud Marine defeated on the home turf... it was an incredibly touching moment to those of us who have been separated for months and months at a time and dreaded that very moment. All in all, an excellent "war" movie as it applies to the current "desert" wars...great characters and many poignant scenes. I would recommend highly to anyone in the military or related to a service member, but anyone else just might not "get it."