filmster1 Reviews

Nashville (1975)

Powerful commentary on 70's America

[1 March 2002]

If not the greatest, it certainly is one of the cleverest movies ever made, in the same league as Citizen Kane or Dr. Strangelove. This movie is jam packed with messages that hit the audience like a machine gun via its many interweaving vignettes, songs and witty dialogue. Cannot recall another movie that has so much all bundled up in one.

I will not be able to discuss all the wonderful scenes in the limited space here, but one stands out in my mind is the lady-killer Tom Frank's mesmerizing rendition of his own song "I'm Easy" to his many women admirers. The intense facial expressions of all involved spoke more than words ever could. The sad irony is that such a sensitive, talented and handsome guy is in fact the most selfish heartless male chauvinist in the whole movie. That scene has not dated one bit after so many years and probably won't for a while.

This is a film some will love and some will hate. But regardless, it's a must-see for all and definitely a landmark movie that will stand the test of time. 9/10(1 point off for lack of a plot).

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Ultra-Violent Shocker!!

[1 February 2002]

Definitely a watershed work that changed movies forever. A brilliant shocker that gets your blood boiling every time you watch it.

Many people waste too much time over-analysing this movie, trying to find its hidden meaning or message. Of course many of their interpretations are valid, some of which are even profound. However in my opinion, they have missed the point. This is not "1984" or "Faust" for crying out loud. The filmmaker's real intention is just to shock and disturb with graphic depictions of the ugliness and grotesqueness of the primal animal instincts of human nature. And on that alone, Kubrick succeeded brilliantly and gives the film a legitimate claim to being the best movie ever made. As for the message, if there is one, it's not important and who cares. It is just an ultra-violent movie made some thirty years ago when the moviegoers were still watching "The Sound of Music" and "My Fair Lady". Surprisingly thirty years later, it has not aged that much and still retained much of its shock value. Now folks, forget about the message and just enjoy the movie for what it is and be shocked and disturbed.

A true ass kicker and arguably the best movie ever made. But be forewarned, definitely not one for the under-aged and the squeamish. 10/10.

Magnolia (1999)

A collage of boring stories about boring people

[30 January 2002]

I thought the movie starts out quite strong, but it soon gets unfocused and buried in its many subplots. It's a great idea to tell several stories at the same time, but the problem here is that it does not even have one interesting story line. The result is a giant collage of boring subplots, which do not even come together well at the end.

I myself don't find anything interesting about celebrities cheating on their spouses or spouses cheating on them and incest has lost its shock value eons ago. Hasn't anybody seen a Jerry Springer show before? Let's not confuse junk with art. Junk is simply junk.

If there is one bright spot in the movie, it's Aimee Mann's music. It suits the theme well.

A colossal waste of time. Would have been 6/10 had it been shorter, but at 188 minutes, it's 100 minutes too long and it's only worth 5/10.

The Crying Game (1992)

An absolute knockout!!!

[30 January 2002]

A great movie even if there wasn't that surprise twist. That may even have ruined the movie for some. For those sensitive viewers, just ask a friend to fast forward certain graphic scenes for you, and then you can still enjoy the movie. It's a most touching story of love, loyalty and respect transcending all barriers of race, religion and sexual orientation.

The remarkable message here is that all human beings, whoever they are, wherever they come from or whatever their lifestyles, are all equally human. They love, hate, laugh, cry, feel and hurt just like everybody else. So folks, people of the world, love thy neighbors, man! Their hair may be green, their skins may be purple, but their hearts are no different from everybody else's.

One of the best movies in a long time. A must see for all except the weak-stomached. All things considered, an absolute 10/10.

Network (1976)

AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY ABOUT ABSOLUTE TRASH

[25 January 2002]

If this was any other movie, I would have said that the main leads' performances were way over dramatic, but for this film they are just perfect. Ned Beatty's rendition of a guy who can sell fridges to Eskimos alone is worth the price of the movie. Hope you don't bump into such guys in real life. Every one else rocked in this movie too and above all there is excellent chemistry and synergy between all the leads resulting in a true masterpiece of all time.

Much as I love today's movies too and much as I hate to say this, they really don't make this kind of movies anymore, a movie that relies not on gimmicks or fancy sound effects or whatever else, but solely on an intelligent plot, superb acting(5 oscar nominations and 3 wins) and a script filled with witty lines and abundant humor. Contrast this with a more recent movie such as "Magnolia", there is no comparison.

Some people commented that the part about the murder of Howard Beal is too far fetched, do they not remember the murder of a gay man on the Jenny Jones Show, a direct result of the show's obsessive pursuit of sensationalism and shock values. So it is not at all too far from real.

A true masterpiece about trash on TV and above all about our values. A must see, even if not necessarily a most enjoyable film. 10/10.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Great thriller, but slightly overrated(SPOILER)

[22 January 2002]

A great police flick with lots of twists and turns. Spacey, Crowe and Pearce all turned in great performances playing three diametrically opposite cops.

The moral of the story, the person you can't stand the sight of is not necessarily your enemy and in fact may even end up being your best ally. By the same token, the person you like and often agree with may turn out to be a real jerk, a low-life despicable scum.

Great thriller, but slightly overrated. Still deserves 8/10.

Point Break (1991)

A must see action flick

[22 January 2002]

A great but much ignored thriller, because none of my friends have ever heard of it. It's a story of a man pursuing another man or a hunter hunting a hunted, which in itself is greatly fascinating and deeply philosophical. The two guys in the movie are as different as night and day, yet they share in common many manly qualities, most notably their great determination, athleticism and love of a testosterone rush. When these two men cross paths, it's a clash of the titans. The hunter is the good guy who is determined, willing to risk it all and do whatever it takes, to get his man while the other guy, the hunted, is just as determined to break free of his hunter's relentless pursuit. When it is all over, you can't help but falling in love with both of them. They both are just so cool and charismatic.

The movie contains some truly remarkable scenes. The foot chase is so breathtaking that it just towers above the rest. The surfing scenes are powerful, awe-inspiring and unforgettable. For those of us who are even intimidated by the sight of a surf board to ever attempt surfing ourselves, this is as close as one gets to the real thing. And the best parts for me are in between the action scenes. Sandwiched between those supercharged, adrenaline filled, action packed scenes, there are moments of calm and tranquil. It soothes the nerves. All this is from the genius of a director who really knows what she is doing.

Word of advice. Must be enjoyed with the best sound system possible, most preferably Dolby 5.1 surround sound or DTS. The sound of the crashing waves is just awesome.

Great action flick. Don't miss it. 9/10.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Good, but not the best.

[15 January 2002]

Not even the best within the prison genre itself. After all the positive comments I heard, I was waiting for some fantastic ending or deep philosophic message to come through. Neither did. The ending turns out to be as clichéd and predictable as most other movies in the genre. For those who like prison movies, just go and watch some A&E's investigative reports on American penal system. They are way more realistic and gut wrenching than this film and they are free.

On the other hand, let us not be too cynical either. It's obvious that a lot of good work have been put into this film. Morgan Freeman's work alone is worth the money of the movie. The other highlight is Mozart's music over the intercom, which completely captivate the inmates. The scene is deeply philosophical and the music therapeutic. But still, it is somewhat unbelievable, as how many prison inmates really dig Mozart? If they did, they probably wouldn't have ended up behind bars in the first place. But hey this is Hollywood.

It's not a must see movie unless you have never seen a prison film before. But it is an entertaining one to kill some time for a Friday night when you have run out of things to do. So for my money, it is worth 7/10.