..ok, so he cries at a lot of movies. big whoop dee do. the point is that he cried and I did not which was astonishing. this is a very decent movie. I give it my utmost respect. although it didn't make me break down like the little girl that I am or move me to some deep contemplation, I have to say that it is a classic and must see. when I say classic I mean that the director knows his stuff.. the film is constructed well. it has a formal structure which is very fluid and easy to follow. not many anime movies do this (well not ones that I've seen) bottom line - watch this film - open your mind and see WWII from a new perspective. you'll appreciate the classic story telling and learn a thing or two about the far east.
Reviews
8 Reviews
Tombstone
(1993)
Doc Holliday rocks my world.
6 March 2004
Tombstone reverie, liquor and belligerence = hilarious bar room brawling. The one liners are endlessly quoted. There is definitely some fake and corny qualities about the movie but there is no denying that the Earps, Holliday and Ringo are some of the most bad ass gunslingers ever. Best portrayal of Doc Holliday by Val Kilmer; definition of cool. The Chopin, the Latin, the alcoholism! On a cross country trip one summer, I had to go and visit Tombstone, Arizona just to check out where it all went down. Some people like to collect airport shot glasses and some people like to get wasted on tequila and stumble through the old west. Tombstone is a must have for any movie collection Cheers to you, Doc!
21 Grams
(2003)
It got the job done.
15 February 2004
Okay, so my friend and I were walking out of the theater and I asked him what he thought about the movie and I reiterated my adoration for Del Toro. So my pal says, "Yeah, he's alright. He gets the job done." It struck me right then, that not only did that apt description sum up Del Toro's acting but it also summed up my feelings about the movie. 21 Grams made me wince, made me cry, and made me smile, but then, wasn't that the movie's intention? A dash of love, a dash of pain. UNICEF commercials make me emotional too but isn't that the point of them? McDonalds grills up my burger just right, and that's why I give them my dollar and 49. Just because the appetite was fed, doesn't mean the food deserves an award. Doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it either.
Babette's Feast
(1987)
my favorite movie of all time
20 January 2004
One evening when I was working in the lab, I developed this intense pang of hunger. I decided to go downstairs to the cafeteria and scrap together a dinner when I noticed a few random folk gathered in front of the adjacent theater. Since the building was usually empty by that hour I couldn't help feeling curious and since I always eavesdrop on conversations I soon discovered that they were showing old films in the theater. So, I bought a few vendor snacks and decided to join them for a viewing. That was one of the best work related decisions I ever made as an undergrad. That movie made me reconsider my second shift job at the lab and check out enrollment into the local culinary art schools. Well, I didn't become a chef but I did abandon biology for a more creative outlet and realized that being home before dinner is an important part of better living. Babette's Feast - a movie that had me reevaluate my life and consider a career change. How many flicks do that? Best movie ever.
Elephant
(2003)
longest 60 minutes of my life
18 January 2004
I never really read reviews myself. I usually pop in a movie, watch it and give it an ay or a nay. Someone told me that Elephant was an hour long, and I'm not sure if it really was. Maybe that was some kind of publicity gimmick or an interpretive art sort of thing. Anyways, I figured a sixty minute flick would be a good one to watch after midnight when I'm usually too tired to commit to anything longer. Well, I didn't fall asleep during it. I guess that's a good thing. I liked the kids in the movie although I wouldn't call what they were doing acting - monosyllabic improvision was more like it. Over all, I thought the movie was - uninteresting. The best thing about it was the pretty colors. Bowling for Columbine was better and I don't care what kind of story Gus Van Sant was trying to tell/sell.
Battleship Potemkin
(1925)
the steps...
5 January 2004
Saw this movie a few years ago in a film class. Dug it from the go. Great scenes, everything - great. Then, the steps of Odessa -a cinematic masterpiece. Marching, marching, marching. Kicking, shooting, crying. How disturbing. How cool.
The Big Chill
(1983)
not a b.s. movie
11 November 2003
The Big Chill has been one of my father's favorites, so when I first watched it I was expecting another "Mystic Pizza" or something akin to that. I was about fifteen then and although an adolescent and unfamiliar with the movie's issues, I had still enjoyed it. Since that time, the movie has become one of my favorites also. It is difficult for me pinpoint the precise reason for my attraction. At fifteen, the gloomy plot undoubtedly appealed to my teenage miseries, but now ten years later, I feel something more than that. An old man once told me that a day would come when I would stop caring so much about the world. His comment left me distraught because I fear the day of becoming something that I loathe. Yet, at the same time, I know that I can not avoid certain realities. This movie recognizes that fear and gently admonishes it. The Big Chill honestly portrays the fears and guilt's of its characters, without condemning them for their faults. The movie opens up with that Rolling Stones song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and this song sets the theme throughout the rest of the movie. Alex's suicide is the catalyst for each character's self introspection. By the end of the movie they each find that they "got what they needed".
movie not like book but still ok
29 December 2002
Watch the movie then read the book. If you reverse the order you will be disappointed. Jay Shapiro (producer) uses artistic freedom to concentrate on subject matter that is left obscure in the book. In the novel, there is one incredibly poignant moment between Francis and Margie that the film dismisses in turn for some rating grabbing fore play. Had Shapiro chosen to visualize that scene and skip the skin crawling make out one, it would have had a much more dramatic effect. Also, it would have enlightened many who have complained that the movie didn't justify Margie's revelations on incest with her brother. This movie leaves you aching for more character development, especially of that pertaining to Francis' ultra cool best friend, Tim Sullivan. Kieran Culkin does a nice job portraying Tim despite constant screen sharing with minor characters. He is the film's redeeming quality and reason worth to watch. He is a great actor, and had he better lines he could have blown this movie through the roof. Instead this movie falls short and becomes a quick fading memory. Hopefully it inspires viewers to read Chris Fuhrman's version because that holds the weight the film strives to capture.
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