Change Your Image
gary-hill57
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againIt's been well over two years since I put up this list and there have been some significant changes...I will try to fix what I feel needs fixed. Remember, it's only my opinion and it's natural to disagree...feel free, and thanks for checking it out. Gary
Reviews
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
One of the best 10 movies of this century
This is one of the most dramatic and compelling movies I have ever had the pleasure of watching. After Aronofsky's PI made a bit of a splash I was really looking forward to what he'd do with some top Hollywood talent and a bigger budget. I was not disappointed! This is not a "feel good" movie by any stretch of the imagination. But if that's a requirement for a good movie then this is the wrong film for you to begin with.
Arofnosky's direction in this movie is flawless and in some ways even groundbreaking. Jared Leto, Jennifer Conneley and Dayman Wayans all give real solid performances. But Ellen Buryston's acting is just about as good as it gets. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role...how she didn't win it is a black mark on the Academy. In a nutshell the movie at it's most basic level is the story of four people whose lives are very much intertwined. Each of these characters has an addiction problem and in the beginning they anticipate something good to be the long term result of their drug involvement. But just as in real life the ugly head of addiction rears up and grabs each character eventually making their lives a living hell. There is so much more to the movie than that but I'm very hesitant to give anything away because this movie deserves to be seen with an open mind. To give away any more of the plot would be akin to retaining a great artist to paint you a painting and then giving him a canvas that all ready has a pencil sketch laying out the type of painting you are hoping for.
If you are interested in movie-making at it's very finest you'd be hard pressed to top REQUIM FOR A DREAM! I, with no qualms, have to give this movie a 10 out of 10. " - gary-hill57
Running with Scissors (2006)
Running With Siccors, not very sharp
I love a really good satire like 'The Royal Tannenbaums' (a superior film all around) or even the less known 'Neighbors,' adapted from the book by one of my favorite authors, Thomas Berger. But this slop started out going in a million directions at once and was a chore to suffer through. The satire was so unimpressive the film had to resort to sex and potty humor (literally) to gain a laugh. If you want to laugh out loud skip this piece of garbage and pick up 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang' instead, you'll be glad you did.
I also have to comment on the acting which was surprisingly uneven. Anette Bening was the wrong person for the part, while Alec Baldwin was terrific for a change, Brian Cox as the patriarch psychiatrist Dr. Finch was flat out bad, while Rachel Wood showed why she is developing into a fine young actress. The plot was so ridiculous that it went straight past satire or black comedy and ended up as a piece of junk. How this movie ever got made I will never know. A 3 out of 10 is the best I can give it,