JuliaGulia967264 Reviews

Fred Claus (2007)

This North Pole Visit Isn't Worth the Trip

[3/10 · 14 November 2007]

It's a creative idea. What would life be like for the naughty older brother of St. Nick? Spending a lifetime in the shadow of one of the world's biggest pop culture icons would certainly be a lonely and bitter one. Unfortunately none of Vince Vaughn's (Wedding Crashers, Old School) typical ranting monologues and improvisational humor are able to save this season's Fred Claus, another addition to the holiday stinker's hall of fame.

Fans of Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kathy Bates, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Spacey, and Ludicrous will be thoroughly disappointed. The laughs are nearly nonexistent, and the acting talents of this powerful cast are put to waste on a weak screenplay. Even Vaughn's improv humor, generally hilarious in his other well-known comedies, does not deliver. (A few of the lines were even word-for-word repeats of lines he's uttered in other films.) Ultimately there is not enough yuletide spirit to lift this movie out of the dumps. It will not appeal to younger siblings, college students or adults. The film billed as this season's newest holiday classic is a dud that will only keep Vaughn amused, as he laughs along with his $20 million dollar paycheck, all the way to the bank.

Rendition (2007)

Rendition

[9/10 · 14 November 2007]

"I fear you speak upon the rack, where men enforced do speak anything." This Shakespearean line from The Merchant of Venice is echoed again in the new film Rendition which introduces the viewer to the "enhanced methods of interrogation", renditions, which began in the Clinton Administration and have become more commonplace since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

The film features an all-star cast, with Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, and Reese Witherspoon, as well as Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Omar Metwally. Supporting roles filled by unfamiliar actors deliver as well, sucking the audience into the plot, and showing how many people can be affected by overseas terror attacks, and our means of investigating them.

Rendition follows an Egyptian born terrorism suspect (Metwally) who is taken by U.S. officials following his flight from South Africa to Washington DC to an undisclosed prison overseas. His pregnant wife (Witherspoon) ventures to Washington DC to find out about his disappearance through a family friend and Senator's employee (Sarsgaard). Gyllenhaal plays a young CIA analyst at the overseas detention facility who monitors the violent interrogation.

This film follows the emotional plights of the torture victim (Metwally), and those involved in obtaining the supposed information from him. Some, like the CIA analyst (Gyllenhaal), are visibly shaken and horrified by the methods exercised, while others, the stern Senator (Streep) and foreign interrogator (Yigal Naor), see it as necessary and effective.

The film may be described by some as a political piece, but is ultimately an emotional one. Metwally's performance as the tortured prisoner is Oscar-worthy. The film does not intend to preach, but rather to question and inform the audience on a topic that does not often have a human face put on it. Renditions have been known to work, but have also been known to produce false information from innocent prisoners. The film simply depicts the emotional struggles of those involved in such grave business, and does so in a way that will affect every viewer differently. The film will keep your interest, and have you engaged in each of the character's plights.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Worth the Watch

[8/10 · 26 May 2007]

The third installment of 'Pirates' is full of action as it follows its numerous plot lines to a finish. However, to those of you who appreciated the humor that accompanied the first two installments, you may be disappointed to see that the third is certainly lacking in the comedy department. It lacks the same character that Captain Jack brought to the first two, and instead focuses on the pirate's battles and Will and Elizabeth's romantic turmoil. Although Captain Barbossa's return (which we see in the end of the second film) is a great addition (let's face it, he's the most pirate-y of them all), his character is this time focused on the fight to save the pirates from extinction. This film is worth the watch, but the comedy is certainly missed.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

These Pirates Stole my Heart

[9/10 · 16 January 2004]

Pirates of the Carribean is not your average film. Action, special effects, a good score, romance, and great acting encompass this film and make it an adventure that you want to be a part of. And a great part of it is that the actors maintain great character and bring humor into the story. Johnny Depp is without a doubt at his best in this film, and most definetly delivers an award-winning portrayal as the adventurous, swave, and disillusioned Captain Jack Sparrow. Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley, along with others, light the screen also. However, in the end it is Depp who bedazzles the viewer. A great movie to rent and watch with others. Although may seem to be a bit of a lengthy epic, it has some great lines and moments that you'll remember days after watching it. I can't wait for a sequel!

Love Actually (2003)

Warm and Fuzzy Feeling

[7/10 · 14 December 2003]

Love actually was actually a good movie.

The plot follows several characters and their romance lives. Although the storyline can feel a little muddy, and you don't always care about some chracters as much as others, the film can hold your interest. My personal favorite subplot romance was between Jamie(Colin Firth) and Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz). It was cute. And throughout the film you grow to learn that most of the chracters are related to each other in some way or another.



***POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW, READ AT OWN RISK*** I, however, was somewhat disappointed with the resolutions for Sarah (Laura Linney) and the married couple Karen(Emma Thompson) and Harry(Alan Rickman). I didn't feel like the characters relationships were justified in the end. And although love isn't perfect and not every ending is happy, it would have been nice to see these situations treated differently.

Other than that, I'm a satisfied movie-goer, actually.

Identity (2003)

What a Suspenceful Flick Should Be

[12 October 2003]

This is the kind of movie that makes you want to guess what will happen next, and I was happy to be wrong. The surprises and smart script were just what I wanted to see.

In the beginning of the film, the director displys a techinique of showing something happen by snapping back to how this person or this object got there. This gets us right into the story where we want to be. A very very rainy night gets us in the atmosphere for the chilling events that are about to occur. One event leads to another and a flooding of all surrounding roads forces a group of strangers (all with an unknown connection) to end up meeting in a run-down motel in the middle of the storming desert of Nevada. A sequence of murders begin to take place. Although the sequence doesn't only seem to be coinciding with room numbers, it's easy to feel out what characters will stay and what ones will quickly find their fate with a room key mysteriously nearby. The key seems to have no purpose, but it helps to show that not all of the deaths were accidents. The film keeps you guessing who the killer is. And you never get it right, not even til the very end. (And I must say the ending was quite creepy!) However when they reveal what you think is the big twist about 3/4 through the movie you think "why did they just ruin it"? But still wanting to see who the killer is will get you to the ending. Performances met their expectations. Jake Busey and Ray Liotta delivered chilling performances. Amanda Peet and John Hawkes were quite realistic. And despite the fact that we learn John Cusack isn't who he seems he remains a leading man whose story we wish to follow. In fact the connection between Amanda Peet (Paris) and John Cusack (Ed) is evident and makes the viewer hope for development of a relationship. This chilling, smart film is a good flick to get for a rainy night. And I have to say it was even more creepy for me when I relaized that poem stanza repeated throughout the movie was actually something I had read earlier that day. Scary! Rent this movie for a good scare, it's not too much of a screaming stuff popping out at you horror flick, but it's definetly worth the watch.