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carlhartwell78
Reviews
King Kong (1933)
Staggeringly good
I really haven't more to add that anyone else has, other than to counter some of the ridiculous views some of the 1-5 star reviewers have written.
I actually only just decided to watch it recently, what can I say, monster films are not usually my thing. But having seen it I can absolutely see why it's still praised today. It's very easy for me to appreciate how groundbreaking it must have seemed a little under 90 yrs ago.
Some have said it was boring, I just didn't find that at all! I thought the pacing was excellent and was actually very pleasantly surprised by how captivated I was during every moment.
Another criticism was the dialogue, whilst I can't argue, I don't think dialogue during this era was generally all that great anyway, only a few yrs before there was no dialogue. However it's clear to me that the filmmaker used the score to great effect in communicating his vision to the audience.
My biggest complaint about some critiques here is about the SFX. I really don't know what to say except that this film is way ahead of anything of the time, I don't have any interest in comparing it against Avatar or the latest Marvel film, that's absurd. It looked great to me and above all, Kong looked scary!
I don't expect anyone, except maybe a 4yo, to find this as thrilling/scary as the cinema goers in 1933, but I would still recommend anyone to watch it, if they truly love cinema.
Sydney (1996)
naturalistic and character driven.
In Hard Eight, first time director Paul Thomas Anderson has constructed a subtle yet powerful commentary on redemption, it's prices and ultimately, its viability.
Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) is a professional gambler, we know nothing about his background for most of the film but it becomes quickly apparent that he spends most of his time in casinos (with only brief respites in dinners). At the outset he comes upon John (John C. Reilly) a down and out, apparent loser, whom Sydney takes under his wing. Sydney teaches John, first how to gain casino hospitality with very little loss and eventually mentors him in the ways of professional gambling.
For the majority of the film, the intrigue lies in the fact that he seems to have no motive for doing any of this, and it only grows when Sydney seems only too willing to help Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow) out of her damaging lifestyle as well. A cocktail waitress and part time hooker, Clementine, had captured Johns affections and ultimately brings things to a head with a particularly senseless mistake.
The fourth (and last) main character is Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), who is a friend of Johns, but who Sydney has little time for.
The Film is almost entirely character driven and contains impeccable performances by all involved, indeed it has to since the plot is not nearly strong enough without them. Of course it's no bad thing that the plot isn't strong, it's not that type of film, largely any "situation" that happens isn't there for any reason other than to show how the characters react. Hall's performance is particularly impressive, chiefly since his characters motivation isn't fully revealed until about 15 minutes before the end. Despite this he carries the film majestically and one cannot help but get the sense that Sydey is significant and incredibly fascinating. No mean feat when the audience knows so little about his character. Reilly, Paltrow and Jackson's performances are commendable also, but for me, their characters serve mostly as secondary characters to Sydney's. That's not to say that they come across as anything but very three dimensional, each actor has at least one scene in which to shine and shine they do.
One of the films many strengths is in it's extremely naturalistic tone, not of course uncommon in many films, but done to perfection in this one. The script constantly has all of the characters stumbling over or at a loss for words, and we're often given the impression that they're completely clueless and out of their depths, they seem like real people! Two scenes in particular stand out as testament to this, the motel room scene and the car scene towards the end with Jackson and Hall. Both are so realistic that one can imagine they were hardly scripted at all.
The film, though perhaps not a masterpiece, is extremely good and upon it's release, demonstrated great promise in it's director, who of course went on to direct the sublime Magnolia. It entices the viewer to contemplate the very idea of forgiveness. To what extent does a persons past affect how we perceive him, are some acts truly irredeemable?
Derek (2012)
Staggeringly Good
Firstly, I'm well aware that Ricky Gervais's humour is not at all for everyone, but please, if anyone let's this jewel of a program slip them by because of that reason it's a very great shame! Personally I was always a big fan of Ricky Gervais. I remember when The Office first came out and was thoroughly impressed by, not just the wit and humour, but the direction and three dimensionality of the characters. Extras continued to show just how brilliant he could be as creator of top notch comedy, but with Derek he's pushed the envelope several degrees further and in a strikingly different direction.
It's billed as a comedy but is a difficult program to classify. Some have called it a comedy drama but I'd have to say it's in a genre all of it's own, with more moments that force the viewer into deep reflection than any kind of laughter and few moments that I can honestly call "drama". Though certain films are able to pull at my heart strings enough to leave me with a runny nose and a very sore face under the eyes, this program is one of very few I've seen that's able to do so during most episodes. Perhaps "bitter-sweet comedy" is a better description.
What continuously strikes me most about it is how it draws attention, so vividly and on a weekly basis, to the terrible way we in the western world treat our aged. All of the acting is of an extremely high standard, particularly Gervais' Derek and the superb Kerry Godliman as manager Hannah, with Gervais' particular style of hands off direction (which worked so well in The Office) his actors play their roles in a sublimely naturalistic way. The tenderness with which each of the residents stories is handled is truly breath-taking, with small (what in other shows might be out of place) montages depicting to the audience memories of past youthful days, scattered throughout the series. The music used in the series is also worth a mention adding poignancy to many of the scenes.
I saw an interview with Ricky and Stephen Merchant and he was describing how, in contrast to the Office consisting of in a large part, deception, Derek consists of sincerity. I can't ever remember seeing a more sincere television program, and have seen few films with a similar level of sincerity. If this program doesn't win numerous accolades then there's something very wrong in the world!