burgerific Reviews

Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle (2006)

Profound Film-making That Transcends Sport

[10/10 · 4 June 2007]

This is the most affecting, profound piece of documentary film I have seen in years. That said, it is a challenging work that doesn't fully reveal it's power until well into the viewing. As much a meditation as a film, the net effect is similar to that of watching "Winged Migration". Watching the simple, relatively unaffected actions of Zidane over the course of a match begins to work on you. I pondered politics, commercialism, world conflict, fame, economics, the media and more over the course of my first viewing. There is no easy way to encapsulate the overall feeling, the ebbs and tides experienced while watching the film, but afterward you will view the world in as if with new eyes.

It is also a masterpiece technically. I couldn't help but admire the precise and exquisite sound design and music, how they blended to the action and psychological state being portrayed to the moment. The cameras seamlessly take the viewer from sprawling, epic points of view to the most intimate. The use of subtitle without voice over narration used to portray Zidane's thoughts is nothing short of revolutionary.

This film may disappoint a soccer fan simply seeking a piece of sports entertainment, but for a lover and student of film it is groundbreaking, important work that must be seen.

Europa Europa (1990)

Wonderful Film Exploring Cultural Assimilation in a Time of Survival

[8/10 · 3 May 2006]

The Good: *Outstanding portrait of a young man forced to adopt the culture of three distinct peoples in a time of war. *Beautiful cinematography that captures the moment without imposing itself. *Beautiful insight that looks beyond creed or culture, as Jupp forms meaningful relationships among Jews, Russians and Nazis. *Interesting to note how Jupp's beautiful appearance plays a large role in his survival story. *Incredibly touching, small moments, such as when the mother tries to pack many large jars for her children's flight. Impractical? Yes, but that's a mother's love. *Outstanding performances from supporting cast including a young Julie Delpy.

The Bad: *Marco Hofschneider's performance is uneven. At times brilliant, at times less than brilliant. Very well cast from a physical standpoint, but I don't know that he was fully up to the enormous task. *Would have liked another 15-20 minutes as the end seemed to come very abruptly.

The Bottom Line: This is a WWII film with a very unique point of view; that of a young man who must adopt vastly different (and often abhorrent) cultural paradigms in order to survive the Holocaust. I couldn't help but be deeply moved by the human connections he was able to make throughout the film with people of all beliefs. In that regard, it stands as a bold affirmation of human goodness, and universal morality, that is not often explored in this genre. Delpy and the rest of the supporting cast are nothing short of spectacular. This is an epic film that will change the way you think about WWII forever.

Friends with Money (2006)

Been There, Done That

[5/10 · 2 May 2006]

Not only is this not a groundbreaking film, it's not a particularly pleasant, or enjoyable one either. It centers around a group of early 40s-somethings who hate their lives, their spouses and their place in the world. The casting of Aniston is strange, as she is easily 10 years younger then her circle of friends.

While you'd think that the film is trying to state "happiness has nothing to do with how much money you have", the opposite appears to be true as the more elevated couples do have less problems. And, if fact, all of Aniston's problems are seemingly solved when she manages to snag a wealthy (albeit slacker) guy herself. While the three married couples do have children, they don't add anything to the story, as they seem more like convenient accessories than meaningful relations. While that may be a creative choice, the fact that it runs across all three couples identically makes me inclined to believe it's just sloppy, two-dimensional screen writing. None of the story lines are brought full circle and the entire exercise feels like a long death march towards irrelevance. Several interesting notions are addressed, but none closely examined or fully developed. While there are poignant moments and some nice creative decisions (i.e. allowing the actors to look their age), this genre has been mined before to better results (i.e. "Grand Canyon").

Repulsion (1965)

Watch a Half-Wit Go Completely Mad

[6/10 · 2 May 2006]

While Polanski's direction is first rate, and there are plenty of memorable moments throughout this film, the problem of having a central character without any empathetic moments makes everything fall somewhat flat. From the beginning I got the feeling that this woman had some serious mental issues which other women seem to ignore and men want to exploit. I can accept the fact that this is a disturbed woman, but that alone does not make her interesting or sympathetic. We rarely see her happy, and have no idea what has driven her to this point. Has she always been a half-wit? Did something traumatic happen to push her over the edge? We don't know and the film as a whole suffers as a result.

I must admit that by the time she murders her first gentleman caller the film had reached a sort of comic morbidity. The fact that all of these men are willing to completely ignore the signs of this woman's shaky mental state in an effort to bed her crosses a line from horror to parody.

It is especially interesting to compare this film to Antonioni's "Red Dessert", which also examines the life of a woman on the brink. However, Antonioni accomplishes more in having his central character be sympathetic. Both women are dealing with similar issues and similar threats (in the form of horny men), but Antonioni's is the hunted, while Polanski's, the hunter.

A History of Violence (2005)

The Most Overrated Film of the Last Decade

[1/10 · 29 December 2005]

While "A History of Violence" makes for some unintentionally good humor, it is by far the most overrated movie of the last decade. It is so cliché-ridden that I found myself time and again: 1. Seeing what was coming 2. Giving the director/writer too much credit and imagining no one could be that clichéd 3. Trying to devise alternate scenarios that wouldn't be so contrived, only to... 4. ...discover my first, and worst suspicions were true

Some examples: -Tom's wife says that she would like to make up for the fact that they didn't have a chance to be teenagers together. Cut to Viggo sitting on his bed, looking anxiously at the closed bathroom door. Now, the first thing that comes to my mind is "Oh God, she's going to come out in a cheerleader outfit". Then I begin to doubt myself; "No, no one could be that clichéd. Maybe it will be a school-girl outfit, or basketball jersey..." Nope. Cheerleader.

-Tom blows away Ed Harris' toadies, but is not unarmed, injured and at the mercy of Ed. Where's the shotgun? Where's his son? Pow!

-Tom returns home after killing his brother and his wife sets his place at the table, thus representing that he is welcome back into the family and his sins are forgiven...gag me.

Beyond Viggo and Maria Bello literally every other performance in cringe-inducing (and not in a good way). Harris and William Hurt deserve particular attention as their characters are about as three dimensional as a sheet of newspaper. Tom's son is one of the worst schmactors I've ever seen in any film, ever. Add to this boring cinematography, a sleep- inducing pace, stilted duologue and some of the most outrageously dishonest scenarios ever put on film (the school jock has it out for the son because he caught a fly ball...in a gym class baseball game!) and you've got a bad 1983 made for TV movie, but even that may be giving this film too much credit.

Riding the Bus with My Sister (2005 TV Movie)

Really Is the Worst Movie of All Time

[1/10 · 3 May 2005]

I am somewhat of a bad movie connoisseur. I love MST3K, TROMA offerings, and 80s direct- to-video atrocities. They are charming in their own right, especially if they have high camp value, and don't take themselves too seriously. "Riding the Bus with My Sister" is a different creature altogether. It exacts a price. There is no aspect of viewing this movie that can be deemed entertaining, insightful, or moving. Not only is it bad (and by bad I mean horribly produced, directed, shot, written and acted), but it is also pretentious, preachy and resides in the out-most boundaries of political correctness. Everyone associated with this film, right down to the extras and craft service people, should be ashamed of themselves for putting this putridity into the world. Granted, it does appeal to the absolute lowest common denominator of "film" viewers, people who eagerly anticipate TV movies of the week, but for anyone with even a whisper of discernment, this film will leave you feeling depleted, confused, angry and dirty.

Map of the Human Heart (1992)

Putrid

[1/10 · 31 January 2005]

I decided to watch this based on a strong recommendation from a friend, and am now debating whether or not she is my friend at all. This movie, as another reviewer alluded to, is actually painful to watch. I would have never finished it except I wanted to be knowledgeable about what a putrid film it is so I could write an accurate review. The only aspect of the film that is even passable is the cinematography, which, though dark, does a consistently good job of telling the story. Every single other aspect of the film (the acting, the story, the dialogue, the sound mixing, the sound dubbing) is just a disgrace to the art of film-making. The sound dubbing is so ridiculously bad that I was starting to wonder if this was a foreign language flick (honestly). The words NEVER match up to the lips; not even on accident. The story is implausible (a poor man's "Legends of the Fall"), filled with every concievable cliché. The characters are underwritten cardboard cut-outs, which at least partially explains the poor acting. I can't say enough bad things about this film, but do yourself a favor and avoid it like the plague! Life is too short.

Running Time (1997)

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right

[5 July 2003]

It seems obvious to me that the creators of this film realized early on that they were working with script that is cliche, predictable and wholly uninteresting. So, instead of trying to make the story itself interesting, they decided to shoot it in what they must have believed to be an interesting way. Long takes, few cuts, real time, real mess.

These sort of films may be attention grabbing from an experimental veiwpoint, but don't offer much in the way of good storytelling. Movies are traditionally cut and edited the way they are for a very good reason...it works. While some may consider this style of filmmaking challenging and artistic, I think lazy is more on point: strap a steadicam operator with a rig, have him run around following the action for an ungodly amount of time and it only takes you two days to edit, wow!

The negative effects of shooting a film in such a way far outweigh the possible benefits. Sickening camera shifts (think Blair Witch), stagnant camera angles, and uneven acting performances are all inevitable results. Plus, it seems to me that the value of such extended takes come as a result of their scarcity. P.T. Anderson understands this, and while he almost always incorporates a long take or two in his films, they serve as juxtapose the more traditional shooting style and, are therefore interesting.

While "Running Time" may be a fascinating filmmaking exercise, this bizarre and ineffective shooting style, when combined with a poorly written script make this movie practically unwatchable and certainly unenjoyable. It appears as if the creator of this film was making it solely for himself and not for a viewing audience, which is fine, but these sort of pieces are better suited for film school projects than feature film releases.

Over the Top (1987)

Heart-Warming Sly Flick!

[10/10 · 15 February 2003]

Seriously, I know this film is not going to be listed on the AFI Top 100 anytime soon, but it is downright entertaining (see "fun"), and heartwarming. Not to mention the soundtrack! If you don't like this film, you should have your pulse checked, then go back to your cappucino-drinking, art-house, too-cool-for-room, ivory tower and watch Dark City 500 more times with your pretentious friends.

How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000)

If you like Tennenbaums...

[4/10 · 12 December 2002]

...you'll love this movie. It too uses a lot of big words and high concepts. It too has too many storylines that don't connect (ever). It too features a bunch of rich people feeling sorry for themselves for no apparent reason (maybe pondering the meaninglessness of their meaninglessness?). It too has a bunch of too-cool-for-the-room humor that you will only get if you are very smart and very clever.

Don't get me wrong, there are good things about this movie, but they barely make it watchable start-to-finish. Branaugh, Hofrichter, and Harris all deliver spectacular performances and there scenes together prove to be the glue that holds this thing together.

Of all the things in this film I didn't enjoy I will focus solely of the putrid performance of David Krumholtz, as the flamboyantly gay director, Brian Sellars. It is, simply put, the most two-dimentional, stereotypical, and offensively poor depiction of a homosexual I have ever seen on film. Seriously folks, it is painful to watch, and Krumholtz ought to be blacklisted for it.

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

Come on, it's F-U-N-N-Y!

[24 January 2001]

No, this isn't an art-house flick, and it's not ground-breaking comic genius, but who cares!?! If that's what you are looking for I don't imagine that you would go to see this movie in the first place. What this money is, however is fun, and a lot of it. It's cheap, laugh-a-minute style is quick and harmless, so that even if only one out of 5 jokes hits your funny bone, you will still have a great time. Personally I don't like the skit on SNL, but found that Katan, Ferrell, and the writers did a wonderful job fleshing-out these loveable doofs. If you can't take this movie for the light-hearted, good-natured comedy it is, then look in the mirror and ask yourself if you shouldn't be spending less time in Starbucks and watching Casablanca, and more time just goofing off.

Budo (1979)

Imagine "Kung-Fu" in a documentary.

[9/10 · 13 July 2000]

Probably the finest martial arts documentary I've ever seen, it does for the budo of Japan what "Pumping Iron" did for bodybuilding. The only bad thing about this movie is that it is nearly impossible to locate. I have rented it whenever the opportunity presents itself, but I believe it is still out of print and will remain so into the foreseeable future. If you can get your hands on this one let me know!