teh Forum

I want to start commenting on every movie I see (worth commenting on). Since I just saw a couple yesterday I'll start. Please feel free to add your comments about these movies or others.

About Schmidt - My second adventure in to a Japanese cinema, this time looked like a time warp into a theater of the 70s built to look like a theater of 2003. It had strange white seats and 2001-ish decor...but anyway... I enjoyed the movie and especially Nicholson. He is, of course, a true master. The plot was slow at times and I thought Hope Davis (as Jeanie) did a fair bit of over acting. Also, was the Kathy Bates nudity really necessary? I, for one, could have done without. Overall it was a well crafted movie, but not one I left the theater wishing to run out and tell everyone to go see.

Moonlight Mile - This movie is beautiful! I highly recommend. The cast of Dusitn Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, and Jake Gyllenhaal is unbeatable. I think Sarandon's performance especially stood out. Newcomer Ellen Pompeo (Old School, Catch Me if you Can) really shines as the postal worker/love interest. Was this movie just totally overlooked at Oscar time. It is really a shame. The Soundtrack is wonderfully put together as well and reminiscent of Cameron Crowe's style. See this movie for sure!

City of God - Amazing true story about gang wars in the slums of Rio de Janeiro in the 70s between kids. In Portugese (a very interesting language) with English subs. This is a really great movie and really well done but it is incredibly graphic. The story follows a kid that just tries to keep a low profile as everyone he knows eventually gets caught up in the gangs. It has great camera work and some interesting visual devices. I highly recommend it if you can take the violence.

American History X I know, I know, but somehow I never saw this movie complete from end to end. It was good. Very graphic but a good message. Edward Norton's performance is amazing of course and puts whiney little Edward Furlong to shame. To bad they couldn't find a decent actor with any shred of emotion to play the little bro. Luckily it is really about Norton's character. The movie definitely does have its flaws though. The plot has about as many holes as an inner city high school bathroom. (ouch)

Daredevil - Saw this one on the plane. Ummmm, well it was watchable. Ben Affleck did all right, but the story was pretty weak. Man there are a lot of Marvel stories being turned into big budget movies right now! This is the worst of the bunch so far.

Pleasantville - Plane movie #2. This was considerably better than Daredevil. Great story and brilliant acting by the whole cast. Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, and Reese Witherspoon. Very good use of color/b&w. Really well made and a good message.

Impostor - Mediocre sci-fi flick based on Phillip K. Dick story. Gary Sinise coasts through the role without giving much emotion to his character, a scientist thought to be an alien robot doomsday device. Vincent D'Onofri was poorly cast as the way too unlikable "bad cop" trying to track him down. Anyone not expect a surprise ending here? One bright spot was the performance by Mekhi Phifer, who was also good in 8 Mile.

The Matrix Reloaded Hey come on! What's with the bad rap?? I totally dug it. Maybe it was another case of low expectations after hearing so much so-so-ing, but I really enjoyed it. Great action (I love the Kilik style Neo with the stick) and the whole car scene is great. Jada Pinkett looked great and did a fine job and French actor Lambert Wilson was awesome as Merovingian. Of course it didn't have as many plot twists as the first one, but we already knew the secret! All in all I thought it did a wonderful job of advancing the Matrix universe and was a real joy to watch.

right now I have nothing more constructive to say than the ("french" :oops: ) italian chick in the matrix was dope.... and that french dude would've stole the show if his character had more of a role in the story.

Mista Sparkle: That "French chick" was Italian, yo! Didntcha ever see "Malena"? Get wit da pasta, pizano!

Italian Job - Fun movie but not very smart.
Charlize Theron is smoking hot, but doesn't get naked (thought she got naked in all her movies!).
Action scenes are cool, but not very original. Felt like a big Mini-Cooper advert for most of the movie. Of note: Edward Norton's worst role since Keeping the Faith; Seth Green does well with the comedic relief; and Marky Mark is boring. Not worthless, but not worth movie theater prices...wait for the DVD.

Italian Job: Ronin meets Oceans 11. I liked it, course i saw it for free.

Matrix Reloaded: I finally saw it, i thought it rocked. The only thing i didnt like is the overuse of CG neo-superman.

Dumb and Dumber'er: Hmm.. it was okay. Nothing like the original, but funny none the less. Those two really look like Daniels and Carrey. Once again, not worth money, but good for free.

Bruce Almighty: I really enjoyed this one. My favorite part was when he was messing with the news casters voice.

John Q: Denzel Washington in yet another talking point film.

James Woods, Robert Duvall and Ray Liota are such effortlessly convincing actors. I think you could probably make a better film just putting them in a room and letting them make up a story. Even Anne Heche is convincing.

But these opinion making films like Traffic and John Q and that one about smoking (you know, smoking, it's bad for you?) are just so boring and stupid. They're a waste of talent. They don't change anything, and they're not even particularly entertaining. We need more films like Sleepy Hollow with big name stars doing entertaining, ironic stuff that makes you chuckle.

The last movie i saw was:

Bullet Proof Monk
Nice and easy to watch. Some of the fight scenes are pretty funky and it's good to see Sean William Scott do something other than the teen comedies. I thought he did a pretty good job of it. It is pretty weak in parts but some of the camera is interesting, especially the way they portray the nazi in it. Not a bad flick at all.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Bruce Almighty. Comes out here tomorrow. Yay!

The Recruit - Fun conspiracy movie about good looking people training to be secret agents. Who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy? You don't find out until the very end... well worth the rental price.

Bruce Almighty
I thoroughly enjoyed it!! The last half hour or so was tad slower and not as funny as the rest of the movie, but dang it is a funny movie as a whole!!

Two very big thumbs up!

Igby Goes Down Kieran Clukin does a spectacular job in this off kilter comedy about a priveleged East Coast boy that isn't going to follow the rules. This is not a typical Hollywood flick, and while I found elements of the story at times a bit convenient, I really appreciated the film making style. This is the kind of movie I want to make. Susan Sarandon is amazing as the frigid mother. With her work in this and Moonlight Mile I am extremely taken with her talent. Unfortunately Claire Danes's performance is unimpressive and Ryan Phillippe seems to be playing the only role he knows how to play. But strong supporting performances by Amanda Peet and Jeff Goldblum make up for it. The only other criticism I have of this film is the way every character seems to be imbued with other-worldly confidence. I am sure it is written this way, and while I don't want to say it is a negative element, it can at times be a bit overwhelming. Check this one out if you are interested in cinema for sure.

Jack Nicholson is good value as always in this detective thriller featuring all of Sean Penn's mates.

But unfortunately, the premise that everybody but Jack's character is prepared to overlook and even deny a crucial and obvious piece of evidence in the case is a big weakness at the center of the film. It makes everything else implausible, however good the acting and screenplay may be.

28 Days Later Post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting fame. Very interesting premise revolving around a man that wakes from a coma to discover his native England is almost completely barren of humans save virus infected rabid zombies and a very few survivors fighting for their lives. The acting and script are both good, but not brilliant. The most interesting part of this movie is that it was shot completely digitally. It gives the movie a considerably more raw, un-Hollywood feel. While I did find the device interesting and still more or less unused for major cinema releases, I actually didn't care for it all that much. I will avoid the horse shit cliché I have seen in many reviews that say, "it is a harrowing and questionably timed movie because of the recent SARS outbreak." blech! But I should say that while I did enjoy the movie, don't see it expecting anything especially scary or suspenseful.

By MistaSparkle*

2 Fast 2 Furious - Watched this movie, expecting it to be complete crap ... The plot was pretty pointless and implausible. The dialogue is probably among the worst of any movie, but the car racing sequences are awesome, and the two female characters (played by Eva Mendes and Devon Aoki), are off the hook!! Worth a watch if you've got absolutely nothing better to do.

The Hulk Oh gawd this movie was bad. It was kinda cool, and stylish, but the plot was just plain bad. Ang Lee made the most of what he was given though and I can't fault his attempt. The problem is just how do you make a compelling and cohesive story about a giant beast that is too dumb to talk and just smashes things. The Hulk doesn't even have any villains in it, except what?...his father? the army general? the crazed NSA scientist? There were so many wholes in the plot I was left almost clueless as to what just happened. That may also because it was so slow that I couldn't help dozing off numerous times. Eric Bana as the Hulk was uninspired, Nick Nolte as the Father was cheesy, and Sam Elliot as the General was just annoyingly bad. The only thing the movie had going for it aside from some cool CG effects, was the innovative editing style that gave it an interesting comic book feel. Ouch, Hulk Suck!

Windtalkers A pretty typical war movie by John Woo (problem #1). Definitely overly melodramatic. Takes place in the Pacific during WW2. Gritty war vet Nicholas Cage is ordered to watch over a Navajo code-talker played by the inspired Adam Beach. But he is conflicted over his orders to kill the Navajo if he gets captured...blah blah. I don't really like Nicholas Cage. I think his only good roles have been Adaptation and maybe Leaving Las Vegas. He floats through this role and you don't end up especially liking his character or feeling any emotion at the formulaic ending. In fact the whole movie is way too predictable. But I did really like Beach's performance. The movie isn't bad, per se... I have just enjoyed other S. Pacific theater flicks considerably more (Thin Red Line). Plus there are a ton of racist comments and stereotypes thrown out about the Japanese soldiers. There is some lame message by one of the soldiers that comes to the realization that maybe someday we'll be friends with the "Nips" they way we are now friends with "Injuns"... but it would have been so much stronger if Woo had tried at all to bring a human face to the actual Japanese soldiers instead of just portraying them as the evil blood thirsty enemy. In typical Woo style there is a ton of blood and many people get shot up and blown up. This review turned out considerably more negative than I imagined it would. It really isn't that bad of a movie to watch. I guess the best way to describe it is just mediocre...formulaic and uninspired.

Pirates of the Caribbean Twas a good movie. As a person who's been to Disneyland 200+ times in his life and who's ridden the ride probably more times than that, It was interesting to see how the ride was translated to the movie, it was fun to spot scenes from the ride in the movie. Johnny Depp plays a badass pirate and the leading actress is smoking hot. I give it 3 1/2 stars. And those who are easily disgusted by some busted ass teeth, this movie is not for you. Ye Moviegoers be warned!

You enjoyed Thin Red Line? There was so much talent wasted in that flick. That was the war film that broke the camel's back as far as I my missus is concerned. Whenever I start fingering the vids with men in helmets on the cover, I get that Thin Red Line look. I got away with Black Hawk Down, but regretted that too.

Saw 'The Deep End' the other day. I'm getting mighty tired of flicks that seem to be trying to say something. 'The Cider House Rules' was an example of an otherwise good film that seemed to be promoting abortion. 'The Deep End' seemed to be saying something along the lines of 'gays and blackmailers can be a bloody nuisance to families, but the power of Mum is enough to defeat all evil'. Or something.

I have to comment on the 'The Cider House Rules.' I thought that it was a good movie and would have to agree with the preachiness getting out of hand, but after I read the book by Washington Irving, I couldn't believe how watered down it was. The book is not only a billion times better, it's hardly even about abortion! The book has all kinds of crazy shit about animal/woman porn (yech!), the orphanage caretaker beating syphilis out of his penis with a rubber mallet after a visit to a prostitute, Toby McGuire's character getting it on with a fellow female orphan, and most importantly, his character and Charlize Theron's character end up having a kid together while her fiance is off in the war! Talk about a major omission. So, if you liked the movie, you will like the book a lot more.

Also of note is Washington Irving's "the world according to Garp." If you are literate and haven't read this book, you are truly missing out. Garp is the WOOOOO!WOOOOOO! (he got da flows)

A Mighty Wind The latest Mockumentary by the brilliant Christopher Guest (note: Guest directed this, Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman. He did not direct Spinal Tap - Rob Reiner did - but he did co-write it. He also co-wrote the 3 latest movies with Eugene Levy - the man with 2 left feet, AKA the dad in American Pie.) While this movie definitely had its share of hilarious scenes, it ultimately fell short of the expectations that were set by Best in Show. A Mighty Wind took itself just a little too seriously, as if we really cared about the folk music. I found it to be closer to the also disappointing Waiting for Guffman than either of the other two. I still recommend the movie for Guest fans. The always fall down funny Fred Willard has some great scenes (Wha-Happened?!) and the interaction between Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer (The original 3 members of Spinal Tap) is pretty good. All in all it is a spoof of a movie that takes itself a little too seriously, but still provides some good entertainment.

Grand Canyon I saw this on the plane to NYC. A drama about human perseverance in a world that sometimes just cannot be handled (Los Angeles). It's a good movie with an all-star ensemble cast (Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Mary McDonnell, and Steve Martin) that leaves you with a positive feeling about humanity in general. While I do remember it coming out, I was surprised to see it was 12 years ago! Mary McDonnell, the mother in Donnie Darko, is especially good in a similar role. For a little bit better Kline drama with a similar tone (and with Jena Malone!) see "Life as a House."

Stealing Harvard Actually a pretty enjoyable off the wall comedy starring Jason Lee (although Tom Green gets top billing). Lee is in great form and Tom Green does a pretty damn good job. There were some really wacky jokes and nothing too gross or stupid. Surprisingly this is not a college movie and has basically nothing to do with Harvard. Very light hearted but worth watching for the true Jason Lee fans, or if it is just on.

on the movie viewing, but Erin and I got all caught up this week.

Pirates of the Carribean-good escapist flick. We liked it a lot-I like pirate movies.

About Schmidt: almost everyone I heard talk about this movie buzzed about how slow it was and how Kathy Bates gets naked. I personally find Jack Nicholson a joy to watch, so it wasn't very slow to me-I enjoyed the study of his character. Very touching and sad, makes me want to shoot myself after retiring.

Final Destination 2: We caught this in the theater when it came out and rented it last night. Pure gore-great fun. I enjoy the creativity given to the death scenes-the story was pretty dumb though.

We also rented Adaptation and Punch Drunk Love for viewage this pm.....

I've been out of the movie gig for too long.....I love watching movies!

Tuvalu Strange German movie filmed in various shades of monochrome. Almost no dialogue. One guy works in a decrepit bathhouse. Another guy (I think it's his brother) is an evi land developer and wants to destroy the bathhouse. they fight over a girl. I'm not entirely sure what I think of this movie. There are a few very visually appealing scenes. Parts of it are remeniscent of Delicatessen.
I guess over all I thought it was pretty good...

Shanghai Knights If you enjoyed the first one (Shanghai Noon) you will definitely enjoy the second. Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan make a good team (far better than Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker). The martial arts are cool and the story is fun. It definitely doesn't take itself too seriously either. Also, I think Fann Wong, the Singaporean actress is considerably cuter than Lucy Lui.

海は見ていた　/ The Sea is Watching The last screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa is a love story...kinda. It is an interesting piece about a pleasure house (brothell, but not exaclty how we think of them) around the end of the Edo period in Japan (mid 19th century). It is great visually, with plenty of kimono and cool sets, but it almost feels like more of a stage play than a movie. It was obviously all shot on a lot. There is no grandeur to any of the exterior scenes. The acting is strong, but the movie is not. There is very little conflict. All of the girls get along very well, and the plot is a little confused. The main character, played by Nagiko Tono, first falls in love with one guy, and after he leaves, just kinda falls in love again. But the second love is far from convincing, and I didn't really find myself rooting for them to end up together. Even when tragedy strikes near the end, there is not much of a sense of urgency. I just felt from the tone up to that point that it was bound to turn out okay. It is worth seeing if you are a big fan of Kimono and the women that inhabit them...but I wouldn't run out to catch it in the theater. For anyone interested in Kurosawa and/or Kitana and Kimono, I highly recommend his earlier films that are amongst my favorite of all time (Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and more).

It sounds like an elegy to the lost joys of old-style Japanese prostitution. Reading about some of the fun and games between men in loincloths and girls in kemonas makes me pretty nostalgic about it all too...