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Reviews
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Very disappointing. If this was the first of trilogy I wouldn't have bothered with the others....
Wow, I LOVED the first two Nolan Batman's. But what happened this time?
Either unfinished writing of details or poor editing - either way, as the viewer I felt like there were so many gaps in the final product that I was constantly trying to figure out what just happened (did the DVD skip or did they just trim those details?). Kind of like watching cliff notes of a movie - the backbone of the story was there but they skipped the extra details that make for good storytelling and character development.
I'm not much of a superhero movie guy. Maybe this one is for those guys. I loved Batman Begins for that reason - not a typical superhero movie, substance first style and bombast second. Great character development, good storytelling, believable characters, etc.
I think on this one, Nolan and company went full Hollywood instead of movie-making first. I get there were theme's he was trying to incorporate, but I feel like the way they shoved the theme's in made the whole thing feel like a contrived mish-mosh with a sequence of cool bits rather than a good story with continuity.
Props to JG Leavitt and his character. His character and storyline was the lone highlight for me. Anne Hathaway did a good job acting but her character was a bit TOO contrived and her character was one of the ones with the biggest gaps.
All that being said, it's not so much that this is a terrible movie, just not a very good one and definitely not what I expected from the involved parties in the writing and directing department.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Sometimes movies can be artistic, creative, and successful
Good characters and a well written script always left me wondering where the plot was heading next. I love non-obvious storytelling something you don't often see in movies these days - where it all seems to be about the formula that they think will draw audiences.
Bill Murray has hit a stride in recent years. He's found the perfect characters for his personality. Another stellar job.
And once again Wes Anderson joins a few other recent directors in weaving great music into his movies. Why is it when (commericial) radio seems to have sunk to new lows in quality and originality, movies seem to be soaring to new heights in choosing good creative music.
Paycheck (2003)
It could've been so much more.
The premise is great but there's no follow through.
The dialogue is pure velveeta, the action situations are often so far-fetched or predictable they're laughable. I'm not sure if the actors are really as bad as the bad acting or it's bad directing/script.
Maybe in light of the trend of remakes in Hollywood, this one will get remade by someone who cares. The director and screenwriter obviously didn't.
Philip Dick, who wrote the original short story, probably rolled over in his grave when this one hit the screen. (Check out his other credits.) Too bad Philip, cause the story was really cool.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
I couldn't stop watching.
I came across this movie the other night on TV. I had seen it years earlier and I remembered that I liked it then and thought Johnny Depp was good. But it was this second viewing that surprised me. I was just flipping channels and soon I couldn't stop watching it. This to me, is what a good movie requires and what so many Hollywood movies today neglect, great character developement. The characters experiences draw you in, you feel what they feel and relate to the real-life situations they face. I guess its not for everyone, action addicts, need not tune in. Or maybe you should watch but watch it alone or with one other so you can let it sink in and appreciate and reflect, not snicker. Everyone has s*** they HAVE to deal with in life and sometimes seeing others plights portrayed so realistically can help us deal with our own.
Johnny Depp is superb. This movie now cements him now as one of my favorite actors. Not only for his acting but for the characters and films he chooses (along with this Chocolat, Pirates of the Carib come to mind)
Finding Forrester (2000)
Great characters...could've been great but someone rushed it
I did enjoy this movie. I'm all about characters and having the movie take you inside their life. The outside is less important to me. And two really well done characters, Jamal and Forrester, did just that. They drew you into their lives.
The thing that frustrated me was the inconsistencies and plot gaps that made the final product seem rushed. For instance, after state finals, Jamal goes his own way from the team, writes his letter etc. His parents and bro show up, see a letter and Busta takes the letter to Forrester. What was the sequence here??? You find a informal letter (no address) and immediately deliver it? Then the whole overdramatized scene where Forrester shows up and reads his letter. And there were even a few parts where maybe my DVD was skipping over parts...cause the sequence just confused me. These scenes weren't the meat of the film but gave the film a second-rate feel. Again seemed as if a lot of time and thought was spent doing the scenes that were the real heart of the film but when it came time to connect the dots either the budget ran short or someone said let's just wrap it up without really doing it right. It's too bad cause with the superb characters it could've been superb rather it was drug down. 9 drug down to a 6 1/2.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
makes you want to visit Vegas
Good energy, good characters. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a clever, comedic, caper movie. Stylistically reminded my of Snatch (but not that creative or funny). All the Vegas scenes and good looking people.... Makes you want to break out your smoking jacket and head to the strip.
Joy Ride (2001)
Suspense on the edge of your seat.
Really well written and directed. There were a few points where I thought the film was going to slip into Hollywood obviousness, but suddenly there was a twist to recover.
Steve Zahn was great. His interpretation of Fuller's role really brought a good script and cool concept all together.
I found out after seeing this movie that the director also did Red Rock West. I can see the resemblance. He does a great job of keeping it intense without the need for token violence, sex, or profanity.
That truly is a Joy Ride.
Double Whammy (2001)
Sundance letdown.
Why this played Sundance I'll never know. Two-bit writing and one of the most cliche-ridden movies I've ever seen. The only cleverness in the movie is that the wannabe filmmakers are racking their brains trying to come up with bitchin' scenes and dialogue for their "big" movie. Maybe the writer was showing his own process for this movie. I want my money back.
The King of Comedy (1982)
It's all about the Characters
Two fabulous characters - Robert DeNiro and Sandra Bernhard.
Bernhard was marvelously psychotic. I've really only known her as a standup comedienne but her scene alone with Jerry Lewis was just unnerving and intriguing. Man, with that performance how come she hasn't been in more films at least as psychotics.
DeNiro was DeNiro. What a character! You felt all the unease that surrounded him, yet never got into His head. You could easily draw the line from his present plight to where he came from and probably could think of two or three people you know that could of turned into Pupkin. Worth the movie just to see his stand-up gig. How entertaining was that!
The real weak link though was Jerry Lewis' character and the lack of chemistry he brought to the movie. It left me wanting to know more of DeNiro's psychosis rather than how he could get to Lewis. It was a lot of unnerving yo-yo ing around until the last series after they captured the star, Lewis. From then on was brilliance, as were the scenes with no reference to Lewis. His character kind of weighed down the movie. If you throw him out and get a more intriguing actor and character you have a great movie, instead of a good one.
The concept and screenplay are still very good. But overall all a 7. Just make sure you watch the last 20 minutes. The kidnapping and standup act are memorable.
Hannibal (2001)
When Hollywood brainlessly tries to cash in on creative success
There's a difference between hating and despising a character. Hannibal is intriguing and hated. The two main foils, Mason Verger and Ray Liotta's character, are just despicable. They poisoned the movie every time they appeared.
This coupled with a couple of cheap gratuitous scenes of violence left me feeling I had just seen a typical "Hollywood" film. So much for creativity (i.e. Silence of).
Too bad, because visually, the movie was very well done. The shots of Firenze were magnificent. Anthony Hopkins is still intriguing. But....
A few shots of a gelateria or Tuscany countryside and maybe I'd give it a five.