paintingariver Reviews

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Thrilling and fun, but disjointed plot and characters

[27 December 2012]

Packed with action, suspense and laughs, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey proves to be a thrilling adventure story--however, the plot feels discombobulated at best. Although The Hobbit is a fun adventure story (as compared to the serious quest of the trilogy), the film adaption has a plot that branches out in too many directions. For example, viewers hardly know which villain on which to focus their wrath--there is the white orc, the necromancer, the goblin king, Smaug and, of course, Sauron. Add to that the frequent sidetracks from the main plot (the brown wizard, for example) and the lengthy amount of time spent in the Shire before the band of travelers begins their quest, and viewers' confusion may well be complete. Another criticism is that overall I found that video game-esque action sequences overshadowed character development and acting potential. Thorin is--by far--the most developed of the dwarfs, but he does not draw viewers into the story as a sympathetic character. As portrayed on screen, there is nothing that sets Armitage's character apart from the typical fantasy action hero--a tough cookie and a bit aloof, but skilled with the blade. He comes off as rather one-sided in his stereotypical strong, silent character. In fact, viewers don't really invest in any of the dwarf characters because their development as characters is discarded in favor of jokes and action sequences. Thus, it is hard to care if they win or lose in battle. There is no sense of urgency or stakes being raised during the quest (despite the ever-present fact that The Hobbit is undoubtedly lighter reading material than the trilogy). If the dwarfs fail, then they simply continue to wander the wilderness. End of story.

On the bright side, Freeman is excellent as Bilbo, though I would've liked Freeman to have more screen time in the traveling scenes instead of the dwarfs and goblins. I hope in the future films he will be allowed more opportunities to act. McKellen does a fine job portraying Gandalf and, surprisingly, lightening the mood on many occasions. Serkis is masterful in his portrayal of Gollum. My favorite scene (besides the hungry trolls and the dwarfs' arrival at Bag End) was Riddles in the Dark. Bilbo and Gollum's game of riddles, fraught with tension, is captured skillfully in this scene. I also enjoyed the many allusions to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, though I hope the loose ends created by these hints (especially by the morgul blade and the necromancer) will be addressed in future installments. I am also glad that The Hobbit has its own musical theme, but still I wish not so much of the trilogy music was used (trying to apply the Gondor coronation theme to a dwarf scene threw me for a loop).

Overall, The Hobbit is a thrilling adventure, but do not expect it to have the same cohesion in plot and character development as the trilogy.

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Dog Lover's Symphony (2006)

Worst movie ever made

[14 August 2012]

This is quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen. The best actors are the dogs, the script sounds worse than a yapping terrier and the plot needs to be scooped up and tossed into a plastic baggie. Although it had a promising start, Dog Lover's Symphony quickly took a turn for the worse. The romance between ex-convict and dog trainer is so hackneyed and the "acting" is so devoid of emotion--of anything, really--that this movie is bound to bore humans and dogs alike. Also, this "family" movie does not have any children in it whatsoever. The story revolves around a lackluster, PG-rated romance between two adults, which has a cheesy, melodramatic ending that merely seals this movie's fate. Do not watch.

Amistad (1997)

Masterful directing

[14 August 2012]

Combine an award-winning director, a talented cast, a poignant musical score and breathtaking cinematography with one of the darkest hours of world history, and you get Amistad, widely regarded as the definitive film about the trans-Atlantic slave trade. While the plot is focused on the Amistad case, the film itself reverberates with the broader issue of slavery, including anti-slavery figures such as John Quincy Adams. My favorite scene was when the African men enter a church and thumb through an illustrated Bible, able to identify with the sufferings of Christ, after which Spielberg ingeniously shows the masts of three ships, resembling the three crosses. Brilliant and heartbreaking, Amistad captures the struggle of these men and a very determined lawyer to win their freedom. With masterful directing, Spielberg draws upon the lessons of history to forge an acclaimed film that celebrates hope and freedom even in the darkest of times.

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Water (I) (2005)

Top-notch acting, cinematography and music

[14 August 2012]

Emotionally intense and dramatically portrayed, Water relays the message that Hinduism, as with all world religions, has had dark moments in its history. By depicting the women in a widows' house, cut off from the rest of society, Water conveys the sorrows, struggles and search for freedom that these women experience behind the compound walls. The acting and cinematography are spectacular, as well as the musical score, combining traditional and modern elements to create an eclectic and emotionally-charged atmosphere. The lack of color--the widows are dressed in white and the compound is a drab gray--until the last scene, which takes place during the colorful festivities of Holi, symbolizes the joy that the women must rediscover after so many years of suffering. All of the actors, including the child actress, give exceptional performances. I especially like Raghuvir Yadav as the eunuch who supplies the head widow with her ganja and helps her prostitute the widows for income. His acting talents brilliantly portray his character. Really, all of the actors in this movie are outstanding. With its top-notch acting, cinematography and music, Water is definitely worth the watch.

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Thirteen Days (2000)

Fast-paced and well-acted

[14 August 2012]

Fast-paced and well-acted, Thirteen Days is an intriguing, suspenseful political drama. With a few glaring exceptions (such as Kenny O'Donnell's role in the Cuban missile crisis), this movie is historically accurate in its portrayal of the panic that struck the nation during the missile crisis, which turned out to be, arguably, John F. Kennedy's greatest political victory. What fascinated me about Thirteen Days was the top-notch portrayal of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. I was also impressed with the screenplay, especially the fast-paced, realistic dialogue (though much of the real-life language was cleaned up). Another success of the film were the beats of each scene that lent the film overall authenticity (O'Donnell's playful exchange with Jackie about the candy, for example). Although the lack of physical action may bore some viewers, Thirteen Days is a well-crafted, suspenseful dramatization of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and certainly worth a watch.

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Stellar, unexpected

[14 August 2012]

This is a stellar movie, but not for the reasons one might expect. The acting is fair, with more seasoned actors Kapoor and Khan stealing the show from the leads. The screenplay sounds stilted at times. The plot is a bit flashy and hard to focus. What makes Slumdog a stellar movie is the portrayal of the Mumbai slums and the tenacity of the human spirit. This movie doesn't treat the slum dwellers as helpless victims--instead, it portrays the people of Juhu as full of energy and life, even as they struggle to survive. This movie also brings to light real-life tragedies such as child prostitution and the maiming of children to increase their value as beggars. Granted, it's unlikely that two children as traumatized as Jamal and Latika would end up looking like supermodels at VT station. Also, the movie took some liberties with the gangster-themed second half of the film, where Jamal's brother has become a powerful figure in the underworld. However, these considerations aside, this movie explodes with life and energy, beautifully portraying the triumph of love and the human spirit over great suffering and great evil.

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The Rainmaker (1997)

Poor adaption

[14 August 2012]

Unless you have read John Grisham's novel, you probably will not enjoy the film adaption of The Rainmaker, which is as slow and boring as courtroom dramas come. Perhaps the only redeeming aspect is the talents of Danny DeVito, cast as Rudy's ever-scheming partner, Deck. The most frustrating aspect of the film is that the characters are all cast properly, but the actors did not reach their full potential due to sloppy editing and an incredibly slow-paced plot. Granted, this is a courtroom drama, not an action movie, but the plot is so fragmented that it's hard to stay focused on the Great Benefits Insurance case. Although true to the book, the Miss Birdie and forbidden love subplots bog down the film with slow, uneventful scenes that do little to challenge Rudy's beliefs and substantially strengthen him as a character. If you've read the book, then you may enjoy this adaption for what it's worth--namely, DeVito's acting and a few lawyer jokes to pocket for later.

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Schindler's List (1993)

Gritty, moving

[14 August 2012]

Perhaps no other film in history depicts the Holocaust as unforgettably and disturbingly as does Schindler's List, the title that won seven Academy Awards in 1993, including Best Picture. Powerful and immense, Schindler's List uses top-notch acting, directing, music and cinematography to reconstruct the Krakow ghetto, Plaszow concentration camp, Schindler's enamelware factory and Auschwitz. What stays with you about this black-and-white film is the imagery--children hiding in a sewer, human beings packed into train cars, Goeth shooting random men and women from the balcony of his home. The scenes in Schindler's List are chillingly realistic because Spielberg does not cut corners in portraying the actuality of the violence. There is no sugarcoating of the Holocaust and how many lives it destroyed. The camera angles capture the emotional aspect of situations, often using close-ups to portray character reactions. At times, a hand-held camera was skillfully employed to convey chaos. John Williams' stunning musical score contributes to the intensity and confusion of the film. My favorite aspect of this film is the acting of Neeson, Kingsley and Fiennes. These actors carry the film with subtle dialogue and nonverbal cues. With brilliant acting, directing, music and cinematography, Schindler's List is truly a cinematic masterpiece.

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The Pianist (2002)

Dark, epic and moving

[14 August 2012]

In this dark, epic and moving film, the suffering of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto is brought to life. Brody's performance, for which he won an Oscar, is breathtaking. With understated and fine-tuned acting, he portrays Władysław Szpilman, a talented Polish Jewish pianist who struggles to survive during the German occupation of Poland. The characters were very realistic, because they were not just good or bad--the Jews had mixed reactions toward the violence in the ghettos, the Poles helping the Jews escape had varying motives (some slightly dubious), a Nazi officer aided Szpilman near the end of the movie. The slow infiltration of anti-Semitism is portrayed realistically--first, Szpilman's family must wear stars of David on their arms, a seemingly harmless requirement. However, the Nazis' demands quickly escalate and soon the family is forced into the Warsaw ghetto. What began with a star on a coat sleeve culminates in Szpilman's family being taken to the ghetto, and then later to a concentration camp. My favorite scene is when Szpilman is confined to an empty apartment with a piano. Unable to make any noise, he sits down and runs his fingers along the keys as if playing. We hear the music, but see only his fingers making patterns across the keys. This scene is brilliantly directed and in a way symbolizes the Poland that Szpilman once knew, now forever changed by the Holocaust.

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Children of Heaven (1997)

Emotionally moving

[14 August 2012]

Crafted with care and simplicity, Children of Heaven proves that less is more. Using children as its primary emotional reference point and motifs such as shoes and goldfish to convey deeper themes, this movie explores the range of human emotions as portrayed by one Iranian family struggling to economically and emotionally survive. While the need for shoes seems to drive the plot, this symbolizes the larger issue of poverty that the family faces and brilliantly allows the story to be told from the perspective of a child. The gravity of the themes discussed in this film are represented with style and simplicity--a girl envies another girl's shoes, a brother and sister use the same pair of shoes for school, a boy enters a race for which the second place prize is a pair of sneakers. The motive of basic necessities that drives the movie's plot evokes emotionally-charged performances from all of the actors, especially the children. Consequentially, Children of Heaven ranks among the most emotionally-moving films I have ever seen.

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Cinderella Man (2005)

Great acting

[14 August 2012]

With stunning directing, acting and historical accuracy, Cinderella Man is a biographical film worth the watch. Although the plot is clearly focused around boxing, what makes Cinderella Man so exceptional is the theme of the Great Depression, which spans the entire film. Supporting characters express different emotions toward the poverty they see every day, and the constant threat of eviction hovers over the Braddock family throughout the film. Watching the determination of the Braddocks to survive, along with the boxing plot, lends this movie the feel of a timeless classic. Whether or not boxing is their favorite sport, viewers will enjoy this movie for its breathtaking directing and acting, beautifully capturing on screen the will of one family to survive one of America's darkest hours.

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The Namesake (2006)

Cheesy, didn't do justice to book

[14 August 2012]

This movie was good, but could have been a lot better. Although well-acted, I don't think the actors reached their full potential in this film adaption of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel. The pace of the movie was a bit slow, with the train wreck providing the only action. Also, Gogol's love life was treated as filler material, conveniently placed between moments of cultural unease with his family. There was no real sense of longing or searching on Gogol's part. In portraying his love affairs, the film did not do the novel justice--instead of using them as opportunities to convey Gogol's search for cultural identity, the film treats these affairs as soap opera material (cue the electric guitar, he's breaking up with her). I would have liked more emphasis on culture than on Gogol's love life. That aside, this movie is well-acted and there are plenty of touching scenes. Possibly the most emotionally-charged scene is when a young Gogol and his father stand on a cliff overlooking the ocean, talking about the journey they've made "to a place where there's nowhere left to go." The symbolism in these words--describing immigration to America--is compelling. Emotionally-charged scenes like this are what make The Namesake worth the watch.

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Iron Jawed Angels (2004 TV Movie)

Cheesy, tedious, by-the-book movie

[14 August 2012]

Despite its historical significance, Iron Jawed Angels misses the mark with its cheesy music, tedious romance plot and by-the-book acting. Some of the dramatic sequences--such as the egg yolk scene--make this film worthwhile, but many of the scenes lack the life and vigor that more experienced actors would easily provide. Huston gives by far the best performance, followed by Martindale. Swank was decent for the role of Alice Paul, but in my opinion was miscast. The romance between Paul and a young man is dull and predictable. Likewise, the opening of the film is hideously boring, as Paul and her friend playfully joke about the most frivolous subjects. Probably the worst aspect of this movie was the music, which resembled today's pop music beats and did not fit the time period at all, thus detracting from the authenticity of the film's sets. Although it has moments of good acting and thought-provoking dialogue, Iron Jawed Angels is weakly-constructed in many ways and probably not worth your time.

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Gattaca (1997)

Deserves a nod

[14 August 2012]

Despite the whiny narration, melodramatic music and romance subplot resembling a Barbie movie, Gattaca deserves a place in the movie cabinet because of its talented acting, suspenseful plot and dark, chilling message about genetic discrimination. Although Hawke's character is the lead, it is Law's character who really shines in this film, adding life and energy to otherwise flat scenes. While the pivotal scenes such as the swimming race are often plagued by sappy, violin-dominated music, they carry the movie and skillfully develop the characters. It may not be your all-time favorite drama, or even sci-fi, but Gattaca is worth a watch because of Law's superb acting, the suspenseful plot and the overarching message that genetic imperfection is no reason to discriminate.

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Gran Torino (2008)

Gritty and moving

[14 August 2012]

Gritty and moving, Gran Torino employs dark themes and the talents of seasoned actor/director Clint Eastwood to convey a message of hope, respect and compassion. Despite a slow-paced, character-driven plot with little action, this movie captures viewers' attention with its talented acting, stark simplicity and thought-provoking script. A sprinkling of humor lends the film some variety. The ending is dramatic and profound in its grisly, matter-of-fact sacrifice. What I enjoyed the most were Kowalski's talks with Father Janovich, often providing comic relief, and interactions with his next-door neighbor Sue, who opens his eyes to the bitter old man he's been and inspires him to change. If you enjoy stellar character-driven movies, then Gran Torino is well worth your time.

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A Few Good Men (1992)

Bad, bad, bad

[14 August 2012]

Despite its success at the box office, A Few Good Men falls flat because of Cruise's weak acting, the melodramatic and overly-mechanized plot and the cliché characters. The film is also plagued with military errors--for example, Cruises's angry rants at Moore and her failure to tell him what's what are not consistent with the fact that she is his superior, and she has presumably worked hard to achieve the rank she now holds. Wouldn't she logically rebuke him when he screams in her face? Another major flaw with the film is the fact that soldiers do not have the duty to obey an unlawful order--so, the defendants should have refused to obey the order in the first place. The fact that they caved in under emotional pressure probably wouldn't be enough to get them off the hook in real life, making the plot of this movie inaccurate. The most painful aspect of this film, besides Cruise's infantile and unprofessional rants, is the scathing villainy of Nicholson's character, who has the blackest of hearts and the coldest of glares. Although it may be a good way to pass the time when you're confined to a hospital bed or locked up in a jail cell, this movie is 138 minutes of guaranteed suffering and should be avoided at all costs.

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Far and Away (1992)

Awful, awful movie

[14 August 2012]

Despite the big names attached to this movie, I have to admit it's quite cheesy. Although the historical aspect of the film is impressive--the sets, costumes and supporting characters were well-planned--the story is slow, cliché and hideously boring. The leads drag the story down with their juvenile arguments and resentments, then consequential attraction to one another. The film only worsens once the leads fully realize their attraction and can think of nothing but reuniting, even as Cruise's character rides a mining company train and Kidman's character travels with a band of covered wagons. The worst is saved for last, when Cruise's character is laying on the ground after a fight, appearing to be dead (Kidman is sobbing, for goodness' sake), only to open his eyes and wake up. Cue the cheesy music and the disastrous ending is complete. If you are forced to watch this movie, then appreciate it for the historical aspect--not for the acting, script or plot.

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Hugo (2011)

Immensely enjoyable

[14 August 2012]

This delightful film transports viewers to a simple, elegant world portrayed in vivid colors, colorful music and touching acting. I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and setting of the movie, which added life and texture to the story. Although liberties are taken for the sake of romanticizing 1930s Paris, the focus of Hugo is less on the 1930s than it is on the efforts of early filmmakers and what can be learned from the past. Kingsley's acting is particularly noteworthy, though promising young star Butterfield gives an excellent performance, proving that he can keep up with the more experienced actors. Endearing and well-crafted, Hugo resounds with themes of love, family and reunion, making it a satisfying and enjoyable watch.

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Emma (1996)

Worth your time

[8 August 2012]

bitesizemoviereview dot blogspot dot com Though I have not read the Jane Austen novel, I thoroughly enjoyed this film adaption. For the most part, the acting was good and the sets were decent. Every now and then, a character would appear in a coat or a haircut that seemed out of place for the time period. Paltrow was well-suited for her role as Emma, a nosy but likable "matchmaker." The dances performed in the film seemed to be taken from A&E's Pride and Prejudice a year earlier--of course, the time period is relatively the same, but Emma would have been better off not using the exact same dance and musical score. Although the quality of this film is not top-notch, I enjoyed it for the witty acting and light romance plot.