Macadamian-Nut Reviews

Troy (2004)

Eric Bana steals the show, but movie remains great nevertheless

[9/10 · 8 November 2004]

'Troy' is basically your typical action film: hot actors, gorgeous actress', lot's of gore and insanely long. But if it's extremely stereotypical, why did I find myself liking it so much? The reason is that, although 'Troy' is like every other action movie around, there are certain points that stand out.

One of these is Eric Bana. He is one of the most talented actors I have ever seen, and is completely overshadowed by well-known hotties Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. Bana, however, completely stole the show for me, and for numerous other people. He led me into one of my crazy actor-obsession fazes, and I wasn't afraid to admit that he was the best part of this movie. In the movie, he got a lot of impacting lines which are laughable if you don't say them right. However, he managed to pull it off and his lines actually were inspiring. You grew to care about what happened to his character; more than any of the others.

This film is so underrated and I can't understand why. Sure, there are some cheesy lines and some bad acting, bad what film doesn't have that? A lot of people say that the storyline was weak and Hollywood-ized, and that might be true. But if you just sit back, stop thinking about everything that should have happened, etc., and watch the movie, you might find yourself enjoying it.

One thing that I really liked about the movie was that, though there was an evil character (Agamemnon), they did not show either of the two armies as being the 'bad guys' or the 'good guys'. They were equal, and by seeing both sides of the story, you can easily sympathize with both of them.

This is one of those movies where you either love it or you hate it. I can't decide for you, but I suggest you give this movie a chance instead of letting it disappear into the B-film section.

9/10

The United States of Leland (2003)

An extremely moving, touching, thought-provoking movie

[9/10 · 7 November 2004]

Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) is sent to jail for the murder of an autistic kid. When pressured with the question 'Why?' he doesn't have an answer. While in jail he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), his teacher, who decides to take matters into his own hands and helps Leland figure out why he did it. Throughout this film we learn all about Leland's troubled life, including his ex-girlfriend Becky(Jena Malone), his famous father Albert(Kevin Spacey)and his whole sad life.

This film is Matthew Ryan Hoge's second movie, and it is spectacular in nearly everyway. This is one movie which will leave you thinking in the end, and wondering about how it all works. The movie is quite dark, but if you can handle that then you will realize just how good a film it is.

In this movie, there is no bad guy. There is no one you can blame for anything that happens. There's no stereotyping, and the audience does not try to prove Leland guilty. Instead, we sit back, relax, and watch this boy's life unfold throughout the corse of the movie. All the problems depicted in the story are very real. Drug addiction, parental expectations, overwhelming sadness; they all exist in our world.

Ryan Gosling gives one of the greatest performances of his career in this movie, as the depressed teenager Leland. His father lives in Europe and doesn't really care much about his son. The only person he loves is Becky, but she has problems of her own. He knows exactly what he did, but as he says in the film, 'You want a why, but maybe there isn't one. Maybe this is something that just happened.' There is a why, but we don't find out about it until the end. As you watch the movie, the audience finds themselves amazed that such a young person could know so much about the world. Leland notices things that people tend to ignore.

A particular thought-provoking scene which really affected me was during one of Leland's conversations with Pearl. Pearl just cheated on his wife and when Leland asks why, Pearl replies that he's only human. Then Leland says something which never really occurs to anyone: "Why do people only say that when they've done something wrong?"

Another fantastic acting job was provided by Chris Klein. In the film he plays Allen Harris, the boyfriend of Becky's sister Julie (Michelle Williams). Although he is not one of the main characters, I found myself amazed at how deep his character was. You can relate to Allen a lot. You know how much he cares for the Pollard family. It's as if they were his own flesh and blood. By the end of the movie, you realize just how far he would go to help them.

Overall, this movie is a masterpiece which has been overlooked by quite a few people. If, however, you take the time to watch it, you will most likely see that everything I've mentioned above is true. And once you're finished watching it, you'll never look at the world the same way again.

9.5/10

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Stunning cinematography makes this film the masterpiece it is

[9/10 · 21 October 2004]

I've never read the book, so I don't know how different this is. The only thing I know is that this adaptation by Sophia Coppola is fantastic.

The movie is about the Lisbon sisters, whose parents are overly protective. After one of the girls, Lux, stays out late with boyfriend Trip, their grip tightens, and the girls find themselves under house arrest. This leaves one option, which everyone knows from the title.

When you read the title, you automatically assume that this movie will be insanely depressing. It's not so, as you have plenty of time to prepare yourself. There is some pretty funny dark humor, which is mostly used by the guys, and is foreshadowing what's to come.

This is one of Kirsten Dunst's best performances. I also now know why so many people fell in love with Josh Hartnett. He's absolutely handsome as popular guy Trip Fontaine.

Throughout the movie, I watched with disgust at the parent's actions. It's not right to break curfew, but do you really need to put them under house arrest?

This movie has an R rating in the U.S., but it's not really that inappropriate. There are some really touchy parts, but nothing to drastic. The cinematography is stunning, and the best part of the movie. Sophia Coppola is a fantastic director, and I love her work.

--9.5/10

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Great cinematography and good acting are only parts of this fantastic film

[9/10 · 21 October 2004]

I'm not one for book-adaptations, especially those of my favorites. I usually end up hating them for changing key things, and making my favorite characters act like total idiots. This movie is my exception. Everything about it is good, almost. It definitely doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. Of course, it is considered a cult movie a lot of the time, so many people are missing out on it.

The story is about Louis, who is changed into a vampire after Lestat offers him immortality. To Louis, it sounds good at first, but after the years go by, he realizes that this is a life of hell. On their adventures, they meet up with Claudia, a little girl who Lestat, with the help of Louis, changes into a vampire. As the years go by, Claudia becomes wise beyond her years, and together with Louis, she plots to rid herself of Lestat. From there they continue on to Paris, where they meet the legendary vampire Armand, and his troupe of evil vampires.

This is certainly one of the best performances of both Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, as well as Kirsten Dunst. As for Antonio Banderes, his character is one of the gayest men I've ever seen, and there's time when you're watching it when you can't understand what he's saying. That would be my one complaint. The majority of the accents in this movie are terrible.

The cinematography in this movie is extremely well-done, and adds to the mood. The acting is good in most parts, and the characters are well-developed.

The downside of this movie is that there are parts that are extremely disturbing and bloody, but if you can manage to survive that, you will see how great of a movie this really is.

9.5/10

50 First Dates (2004)

Hilarious film that never ceases to amuse me

[8/10 · 21 October 2004]

Henry has commitment problems. That is, until he meets Lucy. The only problem is that she suffers from short-term memory loss, so every day he has to re-introduce himself. This movie really shows just how far people will go for the ones they love, all the while providing us with funny moments throughout the entire film.

Adam Sandler has a habit of overacting in all of his movies, and the first time I saw this, I was crinching as I entered the theater. Fortunately for me, the only part where he has a lot of overacting is when he's on his boat singing the Beach Boys hit 'Wouldn't It Be Nice.' While Drew Barrymore was great in her role, the true star of the show was Sean Astin, otherwise known as Sam from 'The Lord of the Rings.' His performance as Lucy's clueless, steroid-using brother Doug is the best part of the movie. Every time he was on screen, the theater I was in was filled with laughter. I saw this twice in theaters and quoted him for months afterword, and he never ceased to be hilarious.

There are some overly sentimental scenes, as well as some disgusting ones, but overall, this movie is full of laughs, and good fun for any romantic comedy fans.

8/10

13 Going on 30 (2004)

An okay movie if you don't mind forced acting and used plot lines

[6/10 · 21 October 2004]

Jenna Rink is trying hard to survive life as a 13 year old girl in the 80's. Then, after an unpleasant event at her birthday party, Jenna wishes she was 30. Her wish comes true, and Jenna realizes that being 30 isn't everything she thought it would be. She also finds that you can't change what's happened in the past. Jenna realizes the latter when she searches for her old best friend, Matt. Nevertheless, they work together and try to forget about the past.

I know that this has been said endless times, but it's true: '13 Going on 30' is very similar to the Tom Hanks film 'Big'. At times the movie seems rather childish, with few hilariously funny parts. Although it was rated PG-13 in US theaters, many children attended, and some of the jokes in the movie are really inappropriate. Jennifer Garner's acting seems forced most of the time, and Mark Ruffalo just comes across as boring.

The movie isn't all bad, though, and there are some parts which I enjoy watching many times over. It's certainly not a cinematic masterpiece, but for a romantic comedy, it certainly isn't the worst I've seen. But it does come close.

6/10

Braveheart (1995)

A fantastic movie for anyone who doesn't mind violence (Possible Spoilers)

[9/10 · 18 October 2004]

This movie is spectacular and leaves the viewer a lot to think about. There is no specific good guy or bad guy in this story. Each character is well-developed and always has something good about them. Just as they have some problems, as well.

The story is about William Wallace, a man who had a rough childhood, and has come back to his village in Scotland to make a farm. He doesn't want anything to do with the war that the king of England does. When he returns, he falls in love with a woman, and they get married, hoping to settle down together. But after a tragedy, William goes mad and creates one of the biggest revolutions Scotland has ever seen.

Mel Gibson both directed and starred in this movie, and he proves that he is good both on and off-screen. The character of William Wallace is so dimensional, and is not as easy to like as characters in other films. He does some very unmoral things throughout the film, such as sleeping with another woman even though he claims to be in love with his late wife.

A lot of people complain about the fact that the movie doesn't follow the true story. I can't say anything about that, as I don't know the true history. All I know is that this movie is done extremely well, and is very enjoyable.

In all, I recommend this movie to anyone who won't compare this to the real story, and who doesn't mind violence, because there's a lot of it.

Braveheart, Directed by Mel Gibson 9/10

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Great film for those who love action movies

[10/10 · 18 October 2004]

This movie is one of the best I've seen. I doubt it will ever go down as a classic, but I think that everything about it is great, especially if you love action movies. It's at a good length, and you miss it a lot when it's over.

Most people know that the basis of this story is that of an event which happened in the early 90's, when US peacekeeping troops were sent on a mission in Somalia. No one really cared until so many people wound up dead on account of this tragedy. This is a retelling of the story, and it's very realistic. Throughout the telling of the story you get to know all of the major characters. Perhaps not as much as in other movies, but you know them enough to care about them.

Take Hoot Gibson, for instance. Eric Bana did a wonderful job in this role. He really puts the whole entire scenario into perspective throughout the entire film. He did things that I couldn't even imagine having the guts to do, while he did them without flinching.

Of course, there are some times where the audience is left annoyed to death when characters do insanely stupid things that would probably cause even more deaths. I know that I couldn't believe it when women and tiny children would pick up guns and shoot at the men. I nearly died when the helicopters went down, and there were hundreds of Somalians going after the few survivors.

The special effects in this movie are great and some of the best I've seen. It might be a little gory for some viewers, but that's what it's really like.

I was really surprised to see that this film is not completely one-sided. I hate going into a film which is completely pro-American. In this one, however, Ridley Scott, although the main characters are all American, does try to show you things from Somalian perspectives.

The film is rated R for language and gore, but don't mind it. There's some language but a lot of the time it's covered up well by bombs going off and if you don't listen closely, you'll miss it. As for gore, it's in almost every good action movie and there's no way to avoid it.

This is a great film, and I recommend that anyone who really likes action films watch it. It's worth it.

Black Hawk Down, Directed by Ridley Scott. 10/10