jesse3 Reviews

City Baby (2013)

The future lands at a young model's doorstep--forcing her into adulthood.

[8/10 · 9 March 2014]

I know David Morgan and Cora Benesh. They are friends of mine. I rarely go to my friends screenings, because it is not healthy for our friendship 19 out of 20 times. (Not kidding about this) This was the one exception. This film is a small indie that is actually about something; it actually has a storyline that is both comic and poignant -- and it's well told by the writer/director, David Morgan. This film parades Portland talent like no other. The casting by the producers, including Timothy Whitcomb, was exceptional. I am a voting member of the Academy and am sent all the top films every year, so I watch films until I am blue in the face -- but this one worked. I have seen it twice now. No car chases, no slashing, no zombies or vampires, just astute minds at work. Take a look, if you like small indie films without name talent that soars high above the usual crap that is out there. If you aspire to make a good film with a small budget that is actually distributed, let this film be a source of support. It can be done.

The Lives of Others (2006)

The most underrated film of 2006.

[10/10 · 17 January 2007]

Holy cow! What a terrific movie! I am a voting member of the Academy (actor's branch) so I get all the films for free. I've seen everything---60 films. This was one of the last 3 films that I saw---because I was completely unfamiliar with the title. This film slowly gripped me, but by the end, the grip was merciless. The lead actor, who should be doing The Life Story Of Peter Jennings, was wonderful. Everybody was terrific. Congratulations to the writers for their perfect structure---and to the director for his flawless storytelling---and his eliciting of top performances from his actors. How well cast it was.

But now I'm totally bewildered. Why haven't I heard anything about this film? Where was this film at the Golden Globes? I haven't even seen any reviews about it. Nothing! What's going on? I'm very active in the film business. I follow this stuff. This film (that I never heard of) took me by surprise as no other film has ever done.

Note to the IMDb: This is not a spoiler.

Jesse Vint III

Tristan + Isolde (2006)

Magnificent! Most underrated film of 2005!

[10/10 · 17 January 2006]

Whoever marketed this film should have their butt kicked. This film was extraordinary. I cannot recall being so moved by a medieval romance since Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet. Very powerful in every way. The visuals were sheer poetry, great dialogue, amazing performances, perfect casting from A to Z, the story told flawlessly by Kevin Reynolds---and yet, all I heard about at the Golden Globes was---the mountain. Well, I guess the critics are waiting for a gay film with Lancelot and King Arthur---then they'll heap awards on it.

It's an outrage that this film was so overlooked at the awards. What's going on in this country----is dystopia in, or what?

The Last Movie (1971)

A vastly underrated film.

[4 February 2004]

I watched this film twice. The second time I watched it I was simply trying to figure out why I liked it the first time---but like it I did. Usually I don't like this kind of film, because I think they're pretentious. (NORTHFORK, as an example.) I think if ten people watched this film, those ten people would take ten different journeys and wind up at ten different destinations--so I can only describe what I felt---and it really was, for me, strangely enough, only a feeling.

For me it boils down to this: I'm from Oklahoma. During the early years, growing up in the great American heartland, the moral compass is very clear for most people. But the feeling, as you grow older (and migrate away from your roots), that with each season something precious is slowly draining away, and that things you care deeply about become like sand dunes that change shape and form with every rising sun---and there seem to be a progressive sense of loss---loss of the north star, reference points, meaningful trails in your life, until one day you are forced to stop and ask yourself, "Where am I, and what the hell do I care about anymore?" That's when you go to the pound and adopt a dog. I'm sure that my response to the film had absolutely nothing to do with what the authors intended, but I liked the film very much, and can't help but feel that this film is vastly underrated and was never given a fair chance.

City of God (2002)

The opening of this movie is classic, and then it gets better.

[10/10 · 3 December 2003]

There has never been a film like this. I have worked on over a hundred productions as an actor/writer/director/producer, and I don't have a clue as to how they captured a world that dwells beyond Dante's inferno. What a ride! Congratulations to these brilliant, dedicated soldiers of filmmaking. This film deserved multiple oscars. May their (the writers/director/producer/actors) cinematic spirit live forever. Holy cow.

Lost in La Mancha (2002)

The capturing of an extraordinary disintegration of a dream.

[10/10 · 30 September 2003]

This film is the capturing of an extraordinary disintegration of a dream. For those who have never planned the making of a film (which very much resembles a military excersize where diverse forces have to converge on a given point at exactly the right moment, otherwise everything around you can easily collapse) this is a filmmaker's must. Lou Pepe' and Keith Fulton knocked it out of the park. I would rather watch this documentary for the 5th time then just about everything that is playing around town at this moment. Great work!

Northfork (2003)

Boring, pretentious, and stupid.

[1/10 · 21 July 2003]

This is the most boring, pretentious, and stupid film I have seen in a long time. I saw it at the Academy in Beverly Hills, and there were quite a few people in the lobby who had left the screening and were seeking refuge there. All were solemnly shaking their heads and looking as though they had been to a funeral. What a waste of time and money. Even worse are the critics who gave this pretentious blimp good reviews. What's with them? Are they just afraid they won't be considered "hip"? Were they bribed? This film is staggeringly bad. Don't take a date to it expecting to have an in-depth chat at the Cheesecake factory afterwards. If going to see this film was your idea, she'll browbeat you and hold it over you the rest of your life.

The 13th Warrior (1999)

A grossly underrated film.

[9/10 · 1 December 2001]

Great production value, attention to detail, terrific acting, a story well told, a movie that you can watch several times. Costumes, set, art direction, cinematography---it's all excellent. This movie is grossly underrated, in my opinion.

Crossfire Trail (2001 TV Movie)

Excellent performances; great locations; story well told by the director.

[9/10 · 3 February 2001]

The performances were non-cliche (a rarity in westerns), script was tight, locations in Calgary were beyond stupendous, and Tom Selleck brings a humanity to a tough cowboy that few actors, if any, can bring. He's the most charismatic and likeable of all leading western actors today. Best television show I've seen in ten years. Hats off to TNT for the foresight.