Change Your Image
Harrison
Reviews
Jibeuro (2002)
wonderful and heartwarming
A wonderful and heartwarming tale about the relationship between a small boy and his mute grandmother. The boy is a product of modern consumer culture: He knows only what's on TV, values only what he can possess, and wants only what you can buy at the store. When he is sent to stay with his grandmother in a rural, impoverished part of Korea, he is faced with one of two options: Grow up and get used to it, or throw as many tantrums as you can to try and get your way. He's just a boy, so of course he chooses the latter, even though you as the viewer are hoping at every turn that he will somehow be able to see his situation through the eyes of a mature adult.
The performances in this film are amazing. The grandmother says nothing, yet she is easily one of the most endearing characters to have ever graced the motion picture screen. And even though the boy is a little brat, there's something in his eyes and something of him in all of us that makes us want to see him become a better person through it all. Easily one of the best films I've seen in a long time, and I'm not even Korean! Enjoyable for all audiences. This is one you can take your whole family to, or at least your girlfriend, so that she can cry on your shoulder and think that you're a sensitive guy.
The Quest for Length (2002)
honest, insightful, and hilarious
Roger Fan decides to get his penis enlarged. This sets him off on a "quest for length," in which he makes a plaster mold of his penis, asks men and women on the street about its size, compares it to rubber phalluses at a sex shop, consults a sex therapist, a Chinese herb doctor, a urologist, an African shaman, and finally a surgeon. A fantastically entertaining journey, and the film forces us to ask ourselves why Americans are so obsessed with appearances, exteriors, and size? A great film, very enjoyable and educational.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Terrific Fun
I read the "lifeless disappointment" review of this film and I couldn't disagree more. Admittedly, I was surprised that a director as good as Soderbergh wanted to do a remake of a simple heist film, but this film is absolutely brimming with fun. It's a great piece of entertainment that is paced exceptionally well. The chemistry between the characters is amazing. Reviewers will love Clooney and Roberts together, but my personal favorite pairing was Clooney and Pitt. They were marvelous. And clearly, Soderbergh let his actors take the parts and run with them. Great direction and cinematography, great dialogue, and an absolute joy to watch.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Most Frightening (and Smartest) Movie Ever
The Blair Witch Project is easily the most frightening film that I have ever seen. It taps into a common sense of fear in the audience: the fear of unexpected noises in the night, as well as the source of those noises, when there is no hope of rescue. There are some who say that this movie was not at all scary. These people were obviously raised by the television in such a way that they have no imagination and no tolerance for intriguing dialogue. And that really is the key to enjoying this movie: Every word that is said is a key to understanding the situation in the film, the mythology of the Blair Witch, and why the three filmmakers choose to record their situation on tape, rather than experiencing it with their own eyes.
The Blair Witch Project is an achievement for daringly creative, low-budget filmmaking. Definitely worth all of the nightmares that it will undoubtedly cause.