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Reviews
Léon (1994)
One Bad Motha...
I love this movie. I think it is the best performance Natalie Portman has offered us, followed by Beautiful Girls. I Love this movie. Jean Reno does an excellent job. He's impnetrable and unstoppable one moment, and at teh mercy of a twelve-year old girl the next. Fantastic. No women. No kids. And there you have it. Simple ideas in an amazing film...
Minority Report (2002)
Fitting of the time
I must confess that some of the philosophical undertones of this movie were poignant to me. Nonetheless, I found this movie difficult to endure. The plot wasn't very suspenseful, although it was clever. Some of the major plot twists were very predictable while subtle details were handled in a creative fashion. **My personal disclaimer is that I think such notions of law enforcement are absolutely preposterous, and my stance on the issue left me too far removed from the debate to even enjoy the exploration of the possibilities. That said, I think the filmmakers employed some cute effects, and the vision of our world in the future was eye-candy.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Standard Formula -->Disappointing
I went and saw The Bourne Identity on a hunch. The possibility that this action flick would offer something different from the ho-hum and drum of Hollywood to this point. I must admit the possibilities presented by the plot are numerous, but the script just failed to take advantage of them. Of course, we all knew how it was going to end up, before we even took our seats. Matt Damon was obviously going to be the amazing hero that we know and love him to be. Unfortunately, it was no Legend of Bagger Vance comeback, but we knew what we were getting ourselves into. My highest expectations lay in the realm of what would make this particular action film unique. I didn't find much. I had to moan out loud when the Bond-esque, and wholly gratuitous romance began. Granted, I have a soft spot for our sexy Lol(it)a, but I just didn't want this film to be a standard repitition of movies past. The ending was the biggest disappointment. It was just a bit too BLAH. I think the confrontation in the safe house was p*** poor, and left me longing for the excitement of the car chase that occurred way too early in the film. The movie was down hill from there...
Tortilla Soup (2001)
Cultural Discrepancy
I greatly enjoyed Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. I found Tortilla Soup a failed attempt to adapt this film to a different audience. First off, I think the plot development is hinged on the relationship between the father and the daughters. However, it is important to note that this dynamic that drives the conflict and action is not so easily found in Latin-American culture as it has been (re)established in LA. With the Asian family in Asia, the father-dauthers dynamic was on the money. The new cultural paradigm for Tortilla Soup simply lacks that essential element. From this, the development of the film is beyond the realm of belief. Adding to my disappointment, was the discovery that the scripts for Eat, Drink, Man, Woman and Tortilla Soup are practically identical. The variations are few and far between, and I think the duo that put in such hard work scripting this film should have stuck to their Asian success.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
You're Kidding, Right?!?
In a word, crap. This installment of the Star Wars saga was satisfying only in the fact that it couldn't have been any worse than Episode I. With that said, it was still terrible. The dialogue was seemingly unnatural, and every scene felt like a Herculean trial. "Soft like you..." I can't imagine that any budding young jedi feeling The Force coursing through his veins could resist Natalie Portman. However, did we all forget the ludicrous age discrepancy that existed between our young love birds. As Anakin has obviously aged his appropriate ten years, our dear Amidala seems to be right where we left her. This has one positive attached to it, and that is the realization that if Portman's character had actually appeared to age ten years, then the filmmakers would not have been able to pull off the sexy action vixen role that she fell into once the fighting began. How amazing is it that she goes from Senator Amidala wear to Pop Star bimbo? I can appreciate it for what it is, but certainly a distraction. Was it an attempt to give a basis for the hutzpah of Princess Leia? I hope so, although it was poorly done. I greatly enjoyed watching Yoda kick butt. It certainly was an unnecessary scene in the movie, but by far the most entertaining. My date was not excited about having to believe that an old thing with a cane could suddenly start doing flips and stuff. They should double-check stuff like that.
All in all, I paid my 7.50 to be able to say I saw it in the theatre. It wasn't really worth it, and my expectionas for Episode IV couldn't possibly be any lower.
Kagemusha (1980)
On Identity
I enjoyed this particular Kurosawa film because it prompted me to think about identity a great deal. The question of who we are, and why we are here underscores much we encounter in art...This film doesn't presume to answer such questions, but beautifully illustrates one facet of a complex question. The interactions between the numerous characters doesn't deviate from our expectations and understandings of the characters' roles. As these roles change, however, we are left to ask ourselves about what the deciding factor is. I think this film's brilliance is beyond my ability to convey it. A must see for anyone that likes to think when they watch a movie.