Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or the Sorcerer's Stone, if you like) Is a very interesting and well crafted film, based on a best selling book by J. K. Rowling. Although the main cast is basically made of children, acting was good enough, none of them soiling the film. The supporting cast, on the other hand, has some of the most talented actors in Britain (Richard Harris is a great example). It is also worth mention the small role played by John Cleese (ex Monty Python.) Chris Columbus's direction was excellent, and the special effects and art direction were an example to be followed. To add to all that, we have yet another magnificent score by John Williams. The screenplay was very well written, being closer to the book than any other film of the series. All in all, the fans of the book series will always find this film both entertaining and familiar. With very few and understandable differences, it is a very nice adaptation for the screen of J. K. Rowling's best seller.
Reviews
6 Reviews
The Godfather Part II
(1974)
The Best Sequel, for The Best Film
18 May 2012
The second part of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece managed to be at least as powerful and moving as the original. All the elements that made the first Godfather great, like the dark filmography and the beautiful music, are present in this film. Coppola, who now had more confidence and therefore, more control, managed to make a more somber film, a very successful approach. As for the cast, Al Pacino is back in his role as Michael Corleone, now head of the family. Marlon Brando gave place to another film legend: Robert De Niro, who gave a performance almost as good as Brando's in the first film. Robert Duvall is back as Tom Hagen, Diane Keaton reprises her role as Kay, and, thanks to Coppola, John Cazale (who had a regretfully short career) and Talia Shire had more screen time and gave brilliant performances. As if all that wasn't enough, master Lee Strasberg came back from retirement as Hyman Roth. The Godfather Part II is a delight to every lover of the first film, but also appeal to everyone else.
The Godfather
(1972)
Masterpiece is an Understatement
18 May 2012
Francis Ford Coppola's legendary masterpiece about the Corleone Family is a must to every moviegoer. Although everybody knows it is considered one of the best films of all time, only watching can one understand the true power of this picture. Coppola succeeded in humanizing the mafia, in a way that his main character, the ruthless Vito Corleone, became one of the most beloved icons in movie history. Under his belt, Coppola had one of the best casts ever to appear together on screen. In the main role is the legendary Marlon Brando in what is probably his best performance ever. Alongside him you see the brilliant Al Pacino in his first major role, the amazing Robert Duvall and the great James Caan. The supporting cast also counts on Diane Keaton, John Cazale and Talia Shire. Thus begin the best movie franchise of all time. Sit back and watch this powerful film.
J. Edgar
(2011)
Eastwood's Most Under-appreciated Film
18 May 2012
Clint Eastwood's boldness and creativity paid off in this excellent portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover's life. A project like that is not pulled off by just anyone, and the fact that a film like that was even made shows the importance of Clint Eastwood. His direction was marvelous, by the way, showing without fear the dark side of the FBI director, but also showing all the good aspects of this very interesting subject. Leonardo DiCaprio is another great reason to watch the film, in one of the most moving performances in his career. His portrayal of a Hoover both ruthless and emotionally vulnerable was superb, and he has excelled once again in studying the character. The make up must also be praised for allowing DiCaprio to portrayal Hoover in many different stages of his life. J. Edgar, if not Clint's best work, is a very interesting and moving film, and the fact that it is so under-appreciated is a mystery to me.
The Sixth Sense
(1999)
Horror at it's finest
17 May 2012
I don't usually like horror movies, for most of them (at least the newest ones) are more sick and disgusting than scary and intriguing. I was, therefore, a bit skeptical about The Sixth Sense... but the movie paid off. Very few horror films have made me feel like this one... and even fewer ever made me think like this one. That feeling when you watch a movie, and with every scene you become more eager to know what will come next is priceless, and you experience it on this film constantly. If there is anything at all bad to say about M. Night Shyamalan's masterpiece, it's that he only made one movie on this level. All of his other works are much inferior, but "The Sixth Sense" belongs on the top of horror film ranks, among Kubrick's "The Shining", "Hitchcock's Psycho" and "Silence of the Lambs"
Sherlock
(2010–2017)
All in all, a great series
5 May 2012
I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but I was a bit skeptical about bringing the character to the 21st century. When I decided to watch the series, I was afraid it would disappoint me. The Pilot was a very good surprise, and the following episodes were able to keep up. The chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman is excellent, and their characterization of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson was much better than that of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The plots are full of mystery and humor. The show is not perfect, however. Some episodes, such as the pilot, entitled "A Study in Pink" were supposed to allude to actual Sherlock Holmes novels ("A Study in Pink" is an allusion to "A Study in Scarlett") but were actually completely different stories, with very few similarities. Also, Andrew Scott's performance of Moriarty is, in my opinion, terrible (although it might not be the actor's fault) and the character, supposed to be an element of suspense, became a comic feature. All in all, a great series that I really recommend
Tell Your Friends