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Reviews
My Cousin Rachel (2017)
I think you need to read the book first
I knew nothing of the movie going in, I just went because I like Rachel Weisz and she did not disappoint. All of the acting is excellent and the photography is great. The early scenes where Sam Claflin's character tries to out head game Rachel Weisz character shows that he is clearly out of his league and are very amusing. It seems even his dogs are on her side. The reason I say you need to read the book first is that the later scenes seemed rushed like the director is running out of time to tell his story. Maybe a directors cut with deleted scenes would improve my opinion of the movie. It just seems that I need to know something else to truly understand what was going on.
It Follows (2014)
The Audience was laughing
I have seen all of the great reviews, high viewer ratings and I do not get it. As one lady said on the way out " we should have seen the Disney movie". It started off slow and got stupid. It brought to mind Richard Pryor's routine about White people and horror movies. Any horror movie has to set up it's "world" but this one is internally inconsistent. The beginning could have been left off since it didn't add anything to the plot. I understand now the point was to make fun of certain horror films. I didn't get it at the time. It could have been a very good psychological thriller. The only interesting point was the Alpha male vs. Beta male starting about half way through the movie. If they had developed it more it would have been much more interesting. I don't get all of the full frontal nudity of the monsters. It didn't add anything at all to the movie. I will admit the acting was good but the characters were uninteresting. A previous reviewer said either you like it or you hate it. I would have to agree with that.
Lucy (2014)
slow
The first fifteen minutes or so were great. I was really looking forward to the rest of movie. Then it went downhill to a cheesy sci-fi movie that changed it's plot to match the special effects.
Any movie has its own constructs that it must follow. This movie doesn't doesn't follow its own constructs. . I really can't explain more with out lots of spoilers.
I was amazed at how boring Morgan Freeman was. That says a lot about the movie.
Save your money and wait for it on Netflix if you really wan't to see Scarlett. She is actually decent in this movie but she can't save it.
Transcendence (2014)
It is a love story not a Sci-Fi movie
It is like "The Terminator" in this respect. The Sci-Fi gives the frame work to the story it is not the story itself. Johnny Depp is listed as the lead actor but he is more of a supporting actor.
I have read too many reviews talking about progressive anti-big corporation actors making a movie that represents their political views. Sure, all Sci-Fi movies talk about the issues with the technologies are being created today, that dates back to H.G. Wells. The reviewers who watched this movie with their political goggles on have missed a very good movie.
Some very good actors explore the issues of taking care of a dying loved one and how at some point you lose yourself in doing so. Another issue is how much we project our selves onto our loved ones and how we want them to have our beliefs.
Yes the politics are there and you will see the same issues if you read the paper today.
Leave your politics at home and enjoy the movie for what it is.
3 Days to Kill (2014)
Don't take it seriously!
It is a lot like " True Lies" in that a lot of the movie is played for laughs. Amber Heard fits her role very well. Kevin Costner is great as a man who has spent too much time on work and not enough time on his personal life. That is something most of us can relate too. I see people complain about the subplots but they are what make the movie fun. The character actors are great. Not a miss among them. The chase scenes are good with out going over the top. There were only a couple of times where the movie goes to big explosive special effects that take away from the story. The Daughter, played by Hailee Steinfeld, is excellent. Haiee played Mattie Ross in "True Grit". It will be a great loss to the screen if she goes into directing like she wants.
Get some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the fun.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
I left early because I no longer cared what happened to the characters
Besides the ending was so obvious that there was no point to staying around. They could have done a lot of things to increase the tension. Part of the movie shows the Bay of Pigs fiasco. But other than affecting the main characters they didn't show the results. The Cuban missile crises was a result of it. I remember having air raid drills in my elementary school. And the main characters are only worried about their jobs. Some of the scenes where the main character gets betrayed are not believable. The main character doesn't seem like someone willing to sacrifice everything he loves for his country. He just doesn't have the moral fortitude to stand up to his bosses.
Angelina Jolie was way out her depth on this. Not believable at all. The rest of the characters were OK but they didn't have any energy.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976)
Should be considered a classic
I really enjoyed this movie back when it came out in 1976. It never showed up at the major theaters though. I saw it in one of the Dollar theaters. How it got away with an R rating back then I will never know. I had seen x-rated movies that had showed less. And the love scenes were a spread in Playboy. My girlfriend said is was because it had a plot. I do remember she was in a state of shock when we left. She was an 18 year old Southern Bapist Sunday School teacher at the time. Kris Kristofferson was never highly rated as an Actor but I think he did an excellent job in this movie. The child actors were completely believable. It was written by a Japanese gentleman and I am amazed at how well some examples of Japanese literature and movies translate to the US. The Magificent Seven ( AKA the Seven Samarai) and " A fistful of Dollars".
If you can find it on DVD I would highly recommend it.
Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
Better than the first
I liked it and so did the other people in the theater. I can 't say much about it without giving too much away but it was much better than the first. I know the critics have panned it but they pan a lot of the movies I like. As for those people who are complaining about the deleted sex scenes, go rent a XXX movie. If it doesn't enhance the plot it doesn't need to be there. Sex and violence scenes are to add tension to a true drama. Otherwise it would be just another slasher sex movie. Those can be fun but you normally know up front what they are about.
I can't wait to get the DVD with the director's commentaries. I know Sharon Stone had huge problems with the director of the first movie. I am curious what happened on this set.
V for Vendetta (2005)
Well done and terrifying in it's message
The message it is sending is terrifying. Near the end one of the main characters says that " people need a symbol more than they need a building" before blowing up the House of Commons. This sounds way too much like Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber who was responsible for the death of so many innocent people. There is a lot of anti-war commentary referring to "Americas War" in Iraq and of course the villains are the religious right.
I am afraid there are going to be a number of Guy Fawkes wanna be's who think that by killing people and blowing up buildings that they are striking a blow for freedom. In reality is all we will get is the Patriot Act Two.
If it weren't for all of the above I will say it was an entertaining movie. And I would rate it a six. But it really didn't break any new ground.