nocturnerose Reviews

King Arthur (2004)

Better than "Troy" but probably won't be better than "Alexander"

[30 October 2004]

Yes, you may think I am crazy to say this. I saw "Troy" in May and I was highly disappointed by it. It was too long, the acting was wooden (as wooden as the Trojan Horse), and it could have done without Brad Pitt (I know, that sounds even worse!). "Troy" had some great scenery and warrior scenes, but it wasn't nearly as close or as good as "Gladiator." It truly was my Achilles heel.

On the other hand, "King Arthur" moved swiftly, had some comedy, quick dialogue, and heck, at least a steamy love scene. One may ask why Kiera Knightly could get away half naked in the middle of winter and battle, but read about battles around that time, and they did just that. It wasn't uncommon for some city-states to fight in battle completely naked.

The film "Alexander," staring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie will be out Nov. 5th and will probably be a much better film than both "Troy" and "King Arthur," so I am anticipating that. Don't watch Alexander without reading how Alexander won his battles or how he became king when he was only 16. One can not understand why he was called "Alexander the Great" without knowing his history and his madness.

Brush with Fate (2003 TV Movie)

A nice drawback to the power of a Painting

[8/10 · 3 February 2003]

This made for TV movie presented by Hallmark was something I looked forward to seeing this Sunday, since it dealt with the painter Johannes Vermeer (a favorite painter of mine) and how a certain painting of his got in the hands of an eccentric woman and her father. The woman is Glenn Close, looking very mousy and spinster-ish, she tells the story to a young man (Thomas Gibson) of how that painting turned out to be in her family. The performance by Kelly Macdonald (Gosford Park) is the highlight of the movie as she plays it like a young Kate Winslet, with a lot of fire and mischief in her eyes. The performances were much better for an actuall theatrical release. Too bad the ending was rather lame, and left many questions unanswered about Glenn Close's character. Still, if you have a fascination with paintings and the stories behind them, this is truly a nice piece of Made for TV fanfare. If you still want more, watch the movie "The Red Violen" for a similiar story and intrigue.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

Charming Comedy Not to Be Compared to Others

[6/10 · 15 December 2002]

This film, starring the usually rigid, placid Ralph Fiennes with a jazzy, hip Jennifer Lopez seems like these two may need sometime to warm up to their very polar opposite personalities. Yet, in "Maid in Manhattan," the chemistry between the two was very subtle, touching, and nearly believable. Very much like the film "Notting Hill" with Julia Roberts playing the famous one and Hugh Grant playing the normal, streetguy; the same subtleness worked. So, in romantic comedies like these, they seem to pull off a very predictable plot with unrealistic circumstances very well because of the two (or three) characters warmth, which brings the whole film back down to earth.

Also, with good acting, it helps, too. And though these aren't Oscar worthy performances by Lopez and Fiennes, they certaintly are not unbearable to watch in any way. Remember the film "It Could Happen To You," from 1994? Very similiar fluff, but the very warm chemistry between Nicolas Cage and Brigitte Fonda was undeniably likable and admiring. And how about "America's Sweethearts" from 2000, which some people are comparing "Maid in Manhattan," to, as well? Hardly a good film, as nearly every character was selfish, using gags to get back at eachother and hopelessly stupid (Julia Roberts is the only one worth watching in the movie). A very bad comparison to this film. And what is missing from "America's Sweethearts"? A true romance, something to learn from, and comedy and melodrama we have already experienced enough.

So, enjoy this film as it is all that I have said above.