Napoleon Wilson Reviews

Snuff-Movie (2005)

Disappointing

[3/10 · 27 August 2005]

Being somewhat a fan of Candyman, I was happy and looking forward to see Snuff here at the Edinbourgh Film Festival. The subject matter looked very interesting and me and my friends thought the time is right for another Grindhouse film. I was absolutely shocked to see what I can only describe as a bad Amateur Film then. Badly edited, shot on cheap looking video, this was something you might expect from a first time filmmaker, trying to break into the business (and failing at that) and not from an experienced horror aficionado. The story is boring throughout and telegraphing the plot points 20 minutes before they occur. It also makes no sense whatsoever. It is exploitive without any justification. I might even like that, if I'd been scared or shocked at any time other than about how bad it is. Avoid!

The Man Who Sued God (2001)

Raises conflict and then backs out shamefully

[2/10 · 25 March 2005]

Although this was never breathtaking or outstanding it had it's merits before the contrived ending. Actually the first half hour is watchable though full of clichés, but Billy Connolly makes it work. When he sues god it actually makes sense at first. But when the courtroom drama really begins, nothing makes sense anymore. The exchanged dialogue adds no new insight and the final speech by Connolly is nothing but bad. It's as if the screenwriter found an interesting question but couldn't think of an answer.

SPOILER

"I cannot sue god, cause god is love." What? The film goes right down the toilet. Why should anyone watch this?

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

The Matrix Retarded

[2/10 · 10 July 2003]

Title says it all. Couldn't decide what was more boring, the endless fight scenes (felt like watching total strangers play Streetfighter for hours) or the endless talking head scenes (felt like listening to drunk fourthgraders discussing philosophy for days). Some people like it, so I can't tell you to avoid it. But then again some people like to pierce their d***s.

Die Katze (1988)

Dominik Graf's best work

[10/10 · 6 February 2003]

Seeing Dominik Graf's recent works makes me wish for the "Good Times", when he made great cinema like in this masterpiece. This is one of the best Bank Robbery / Hostage movies ever made. Great realism combined with a perfect genre thriller - almost impossible to achieve. Dominik Graf prefers to shoot on video nowadays. He claims, that he likes the quick way of shooting, and loathes the time you have to wait to get a big movie for the screen financed in Germany. He's got a point there, but all this fast made movies for TV are forgotten as fast. I will never forget DIE KATZE - for it's great performances, great story, great mood.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Overrated Rough-Cut of a Movie

[6/10 · 28 January 2003]

I saw this movie at the german premiere in berlin. Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio appeared and the little girls outside went nuts. All Spielberg had to say about the movie before the screening was "Nobody dies in this movie." Hmmm. Anyway, the movie was quite boring. If you have seen the trailer (which was good), you have seen enough. It is always very suspicious when the most interesting part of a story is, that it is based on a true story. The movie gives everything away in the first five minutes and has nothing to add in the following two hours. Camerawork, production value, design, acting - all very high standard, but the movie lacks a heart. Maybe that's because Spielberg was originally producer of this flick and had to jump in to direct it at the last second. It had some nice parts, I smiled sometimes and the characters are sympathetic. But it has big dragging holes in between and it's repetetive. All in all it looks like a rough cut and maybe it would have been better, if they took out another twenty five minutes. Well... maybe not. I gave it a six (out of ten).