janevigor Reviews

Lola Versus (2012)

Lovely Drama / comedy

[7/10 · 14 September 2012]

I almost didn't watch this movie based on the low IMDb score, but I found it to be a lovely film. Most of the comedy is generational - so some people might not get it. The story seems true to the complications of modern romantic entanglements and the two main actresses are great. I found the movie much more enjoyable than most of the big budget films that are out there.

I really would consider this more of a drama than a comedy, although it has some comical moments. It's not going to be well liked if you're looking for a romantic comedy. It has some great moments of revelation and is more about soul searching than your typical Hollywood fluff. This is a very nice movie with a nice blend of drama and comedy.

Knowing (2009)

Oh Nic Cage, why don't you make better movies?

[5/10 · 5 July 2009]

This movie has a couple things going for it - like the beginning of the movie which is set in the 1950's is a great opening - the young girl was a great casting choice. However the rest of the movie is an pile of something stinky. Here are the problems with the movie.

1. The plot is sadly predictable. 2. The special effects on my PS3 games are better! There was one point when the special effects were so bad that I actually laughed out loud. 3. The soundtrack - totally ripped off the movie The Fall. Knowing uses the same song that is used throughout the The Fall and in the same way. This won't bother people who haven't seen the other movie, but still. 4. One word - CHEESY

The last thing I want to say is OH Nic Cage, why don't you make better movies? I mean Adaptation - you were brilliant. Wild at Heart, Raising Arizona, Peggy Sue, The Weatherman, Moonstruck, etc. etc. You were even great in Valley Girl. What happened? I know there are excellent scripts out there. I know you can act. Stop wasting your talent.

Gran Torino (2008)

I'm sorry - this movie is not good

[6/10 · 9 June 2009]

I'm sorry to all those people who think this movie is so great, but I strongly disagree. Here are the reasons this movie is horrible. I gave it a 6, because it has a cool car & good production value.

REASON #1 THE ACTING - the acting in this film is horrible & melodramatic - yes even Clint.

REASON #2 - CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, as in what character development? I found it difficult to care about any of the main characters or what happened to them.

REASON #3 THE PLOT, cmon I already saw the Karate Kid - you can't fool me.

REASON #4 IS THAT CLINT EASTWOOD SINGING? I'm not sure but during the end credits I swear it is Clint Eastwood singing, BTW He can't sing.

REASON #5 RACIAL SLURS - I can take a racial slur or 2 in a movie, hell I could take 10 or 20, but the number of racial slurs used in this movie is so high it made me slightly uncomfortable (I even learned a new one).

REASON #6 CLINT ON CLINT ACTION - This movie (Produced, Directed, and Staring Clint Eastwood) was like watching Clint Eastwood stroke himself, his ego that is. His very Dirty Harry character & his big guns? A Senior Citizen able to take on all the evils of the world? There is even a scene where he is clearly a Christ Figure - if you watch this film see if you can spot it - trust me it's not hard. Well at least he drinks PBR.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

good fun family film

[6/10 · 26 October 2008]

This film is a cute family film. I watched it regular 2D after trying the 3D version. The 3D effects are really cool, but I find it more annoying than worth while. The DVD has both versions so you can choose which one to watch. The version I watched was also on BLURAY and it looked great! This is not the typical film that I watch - I really go for more independent and avant-garde films - but every once in a while I like a fun adventure film. This one is pretty good choice - especially if you are watching it in mixed company of children, parents and grandparents. As an added bonus it might make kids actually want to read a book.

Charlie Bartlett (2007)

throwback to some classic movies

[7/10 · 20 June 2008]

Charlie Bartlett is a fairly entertaining movie and should be very appealing to 14-24 year old viewers. For me it was fairly unoriginal. It was like I was watching a movie which was a combination of Harold & Maude, Pump Up the Volume, and Ferris Buller's Day Off - right down to the Cat Stevens theme song. This won't be an issue for the younger audiences - since I doubt most of them have seen these other films(except Ferris). That being said, it was still an entertaining enough film. And just like in Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. is excellent - I added an extra point to my rating just for his charisma. The other actors also do an excellent job. It is nice to see a movie that casts it's actors based on their talent rather than their box office appeal.

Sex and the City (2008)

almost loved it

[8/10 · 9 June 2008]

Let me start out by saying that I love the T.V. show, so I had pretty high expectations for this movie.........and I was very pleased! This is a great movie for girl friends to watch together, I don't recommend it for men. That being said, if you can get over the fact that the characters spend money on $300 pillows and $400 shoes while you could use that money to buy health insurance, the movie is pretty good. It was more drama than comedy, which was a bit disappointing. I felt all the old characters were true to their former T.V. selves. Really the only problem I had with this film (aside from wanting a little more comedy) was Jennifer Hudson. She is such a horrible actress, I had to make a conscience effort while watching the film to not let her performance ruin the whole movie. I took off a whole point in my overall rating just for her acting.

Gas Food Lodging (1992)

Excellent Film

[10/10 · 21 October 2007]

This is one of those movies that is often passed over by people who would love it if they watched it. Why? The cover art and tag line make this movie appear to be a low budget skin flick - which it is not. This film is touching and beautiful and quirky. The acting by Balk is spot on and her character is very well developed. But what really makes this movie so wonderful is the story line. In the summary of this movie you will hear something like.....Truckstop waitress struggles to raise her two daughters...while this is true, the story is so much more than that. I suggest anyone who loves quirky movies (like Lawndogs or Box Full of Moonlight) watch this one - just ignore the cover art and rent it already!

Transformers (2007)

I want the 2 hours of my life back that I spent watching this film

[4/10 · 15 October 2007]

Oh, Transformers...what can I say? I really wanted to like this movie, but I just couldn't make myself. Here's why, there was very little character development of the autobots (except for Bumblebee) so I didn't really care what happened to them, also this movie should have either been PG or R. It lost so much of it's potential trying to please everyone. Very few movies can be for both kids and adults and still be excellent. I had a few other problems with the movie as well, like could they make the girl more TAN or SLUTY looking? And her character is kinda unbelievable. Also I found that the movie promoted some racial stereotypes. There were some bright spots in the movie...the back story on Sam's family was cool (although a bit underdeveloped), the actor who plays Sam is very charismatic, and of course the special effects were cool.

Gracie (2007)

Gracie - surprise! it's good.

[7/10 · 19 September 2007]

I watched this movie out of pure boredom, thinking it was some fluffy family friendly movie - but it was actually dark and engrossing. The cover art for this movie really gives the wrong impression - the sunshine on the box never appears in the actually movie, and although this movie is inspiring it manages to do it without the lollipops and flowers that one might expect. This film is more about a family as it copes with tragedy and life in the 70's than it is about soccer, which is a good thing! It has enough soccer content for those interested, but people who dislike sports movies have nothing to fear either. I will admit there are a few sappy moments in this film, but luckily Gracie is no goody two shoes, and thus a more complex character. EXTRA BONUS - the sound track is excellent featuring Blondie.