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Reviews
The Terminal (2004)
A very bad movie from a master filmmaker
The Terminal is by far the worst Spielberg film so far. Not only the story is ridiculous based on a true story that has a solid political/legal base but Tom Hanks' portrait of this Western European man is also his worst work so far. Mr. Hanks - a good actor -being helped by the script and the Director portraits this man like a mentally challenge person, making this film extremely condescending towards Easter European people and foreigns in general. This is not a matter of language barrier or being in another country, is a matter of Mr. Hanks character's IQ. He speaks, moves, acts and reacts like a child or a grown man with a serious mental illness or simply like a stupid person, so the whole movie just doesn't work at all. Another problem is the Director wants us to believe that Mr. Hanks is an Easter European citizen only because he speaks with an accent; they should have made this movie with an unknown good foreign actor. On the other hand, the three characters that work at the airport and play poker to win stole objects are an African American, a Latino and an Indian man. If this is not racism, then what is this? Regarding the plot, it so unbelievable ridiculous that this movie can easy be science fiction. The true story on which this film is based on, it's quite different. It's a Hollywood obsession to change interesting stories to make then more "American," making this last word sounds like more "stupid." Just to make things even worst, the only female character in the film is a flight attendant portrayed nicely by Catherine Zeta Jones; but in this film the character is having a relationship with a rich married old man
another stereotype for the "whore" flight attendant
it's just too much. This is just a very bad movie that insults the viewers with condescending remarks over non-US characters and stereotypes.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Just a very bad, bad, bad film.
If you have several excellent A-list actors, such as Bill Murray, Cate Blanchet, Willem Dafoe and Owen Wilson, among others, but if some people walk out of the theater or if they fall asleep, as the two couples who were seated just behind me did, well, then you have a very, very, very bad script and a very, very, very bad director. This movie has poor dialogue, no story, and boring characters. I loved the preview, but If you saw the preview, you saw the best of it, and actually the only good of it. The director has a total lack of understanding of story telling, pace, camera work, use of lens, rhythm, taste, etc. Also the movie is racist towards Asian people... I don't see nothing different from mainstream Hollywood. This seems to be a movie shot by a "private college" kid who has access to a lot of money to waste... an awful work that tries to imitate the movies from the 50's and 60's or an Ed Wood from the 2000's but it just doesn't work at all. It's in my ten top lists of the worst movies of all time. An IMPORTANT tip for the director: being different does not mean being good!
Diarios de motocicleta (2004)
A masterpiece about humanity
This film is a great accomplishment for Director Walter Salles. He, in a very simplistic way, portraits the very nature of south America in the 50's, its inhabitants, its dreams, their hopes. The script develops the story of 'Che' Guevara, from an innocent student to a man who realizes and confront - the injustices that surround him. He's a regular guy, like many of us, but the one who experiences the unbalanced fairness of the society like in today's Sudan, India, etc
It's also a tale of two friends, a common place in time when we were younger, sharing adventures with our best childhood's friends. A quite nostalgic memory in our present. We learn that these 'revolucionarios' are not a bunch of terrorists, but a bunch of idealistic people real Christians in essence that are just in search for justice and peace. The photography is stunning, showing us the incredible beauty of the natural landscapes a theme for Pablo Neruda's poetry's images in the snow, the forests, the desert, Machu Pichu, the lakes, the jungle
all parts of this magnificent South American continent, masterfully shown with its people as the very product of its landscapes. The actors portrait the two main characters in the most sincere, simple, human, truthful and likable way. This is one of the very few films in where the people of each country are portrayed just like they are in the way they talk, behave, smile, think, etc. We don't see the Hollywood's clichés of the Latin world, in where Latinos are portrait in one single way, leaving their human essence to the imagination of others. This film is a tale of friendship and the true spirit of sacrifice for the ones who need our help. A MUST SEE!
Machuca (2004)
A masterpiece!
Machuca is by far one of the best Chilean movies ever made.
A story that touches the soul of the Chilean people and show in a dazzling way the atmosphere of 1973, just days before the September 11 coup. Director Andres Wood knows how to direct children a-la Truffaut and he knows how to handle the camera and the emotion at a great level. The photography of the film as well as its editing shows the great development of the Chilean film industry in the last years.
This film have to be nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Film.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
A masterpiece!
Mel Gibson has had the courage of committing himself to create a film beyond any economic and marketing considerations. An extinct species for Hollywood and a soon-to-be-extinct-species for the contemporary art world.
This film is a masterpiece about love and tolerance.
Every element in this film is breathtaking: the direction, cinematography, the performances, the music, etc.
In a society in where the bare breast of a woman - the maternal gift that feeds life - shown in TV is considered a profanity, but our children can watch the live TV coverage of bombing others, Mr. Gibson's film is a bare breast.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
A masterpiece!
This movie is a masterpiece, plain and simple. A poetic time machine that transport us to the world of the beginning of the 19th Century. The story, characters, pace, music, photography, etc. are just perfect. Peter Weir is one Master Director that has not been seduced by the MTV-video-fast-paced-no story- no characters-movies and still respects his audience, giving us a truly masterpiece that probably won't be at the reach of the common viewer. With this work of art, Peter Weir deserves the Oscar as Best Director, the one that he should've gotten long time ago.. Gallipoli.
Underworld (2003)
One of the worst movies ever made, plain and simple.
One of the worst movies ever made, plain and simple. The dialogue, story and fast pacing direction insult the audience. The characters are laughable. The effects and choreographies are cheesy. This is an extremely violent movie targeted for teenagers. What a shame!