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blondie80
Reviews
The Departed (2006)
Not what might have been
This isn't a bad movie, but it's average and should've been much better.
Additions and deviations and from the original story are misjudged and not needed. At times this doesn't feel like a Scorcese picture at all, and even feels like a parody at times. Di Caprio plays well, but Damon is as wooden as ever and Wahlberg is simply a waste of space.
These things said, it plays quickly and the two and a half hours flew by and Nicholson is as entertaining as ever. We should be grateful for every good performance we get.
See the original, then enjoy it's sequel.
The Majestic (2001)
Majestic by name, majestic by nature.
Carrey plays a Hollywood studio screenwriter, scripting B Movies when suddenly accused of being a communist in the Macarthy era of the 1950's. His contract and current picture are shelved until the situation is resolved, his girlfriend leaves him and Carrey hits the bottle.
Following a drunken car accident, Carrey awakes as an amnesiac and is cared for by the citizens of a small town who believe him to be one of their own - a soldier lost during WWII who has now been miraculously returned to his loved ones. Carrey believes this and begins naively to become part of the town and forming relationships with those within and a clean slate.
This film has a premise with a little bit of "Martin Guerre", and a pinch of "The Smallest Show on Earth" (The Majestic of the title is a run down movie theatre which Carrey helps to restore). This is a suitably "old fashioned" picture that sits snugly in it's 1950's setting, with a good performance by Carrey in the lead. It doesn't quite reach the dizzy heights of Darabont's previous of "Shawshank" and "Green Mile" (could it be expected to?), and it does get a touch too much "God Bless America!" towards the end, but on the whole this is a beautifully, carefully crafted picture that takes its time to tell its story and is rewarding to watch.
Number One, Longing. Number Two, Regret (2004)
Intriguing, offbeat thriller.
"Number One, Longing. Number Two, Regret."... A curious title for an offbeat film. An hermetical loner in London is questioned by the police regarding a murder. He panics and goes on the run, slowly unraveling his murky past and illustrating his current situation through flashbacks.
I couldn't empathise too much with the lead actor, but on the whole the supporting cast were very good. The mood and feel of the film was excellent and it got my brain working with some nice themes on repression and eternity and the story was a pleasant change to the norm. If you're after something a bit different, well worth checking out.
La pianiste (2001)
More shocks from Haneke
The Piano Teacher of the title is Erika (Isabelle Huppert), a middle aged woman of pent up frustration who still lives with her mother, even sleeping in adjoining beds rather than in her own room. Her mother attempts to be domineering, a sharp contrast to the personality bubbling beneath the prim surface of Erika.
Erika is an accomplished pianist and of her students, one potential learner is Walter (Benoît Magimel), a good looking, charming young man who takes an interest in her.
As always with Haneke, things aren't quite what they seem and beneath the proper exterior of Erika there lies an intense personality who views Walter as a potential outlet. The steady build up leads to explosive shocks in the third act, where Erika will finally attempt to open herself up.
The Piano Teacher won the awards for both of it's leads at the 2001 Cannes Festival. The film is impressively performed by all and beautifully composed. Soundtrack is limited to the actual piano playing, the shots are long and the cuts are sparse. It all serves to give the story it's skilfully woven structure and is compelling viewing.