Change Your Image
theronman2001
Reviews
Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)
Could not be happier
I have been waiting 30 years for this movie and I was not disappointed in any way. Releasing the movie in three parts was a stroke of genius. For those that say it was lacking, I say; there is no way the epic novel could have been been given justice any other way. For those that have not read the book, it was a great way to develop the characters and whet their appetite to read the book. Last year when I saw that Taylor Schilling was cast as Dagney, I was dubious. It took no time at all for to win me over and decide that she was a perfect choice. The best analogy I can give is, it is like waiting for a date with Dagney Taggert and getting to first base.
Twentynine Palms (2003)
Like watching paint dry
This review will bore you enough. Do not bother renting the movie. One star is too many.
There are two characters, Katia & David. Katia is French. She does not speak English. But, she understands it perfectly. David speaks English & understands French.
They embark on a trip from LA to the desert. The first thing I noticed was how unattractive both of them are. Not a problem, there are lots of attractive ladies with hot bodies. Well, not in this movie. Her breasts are saggy & her butt is flabby for a skinny chick.
The cinematography is poor. The front head rests were obviously removed from the Hummer they were driving to accommodate filming from the back seat. Why not just use a different vehicle? They drive down the road, 3 or 4 minutes of desert scenery. Gibberish dialog. They get out and look at a tree. She has to pee. They get back in the car. He lets her drive. She does not know how to start the vehicle. He has to show her where the gas petal & brake are. She scratches the side of the Hummer on branches. He gets out and looks at the damage ... for 3 or 4 minutes. Boring The plot has no continuity, pointless & makes no sense. After a walk from the hotel to an ice cream stand, they leave. Suddenly, boom, they are having sex in the hotel. Just as suddenly, and without a word of dialog, David is outside touching up the scratches on the Hummer. Then back to the desert. The same scenario. They get out She has to pee. They get back in the car. He lets her drive. She does not know how to start the vehicle. Blah, blah, blah. They switch drivers. Suddenly, boom, they are in the hotel finishing up her giving him a BJ. Again, no dialog.
Segue, I stand corrected, here are no segues. Boom, David is sitting on the bed, a towel around his waist, drinking a beer and loudly chomping on pizza. For no apparent reason, Katia has locked herself in the bathroom. She storms out of the room mad & paces along the street for several agonizing minutes. Eventually, David comes out, tackles her in the middle of the street; yet they make up.
Suddenly, boom, they are back in the dessert. They drive down the road, 3 or 4 minutes ...
The climax is stupid. They are forced off the desert road by 3 guys in a PU truck. One grabs Katia, rips her dress of & holds her down. Another pulls David out and bashes his head with a baseball bat. The third pulls David's pants down & rapes him. When is is finished, for some reason beyond my comprehension; the rapist starts bawling. The three then just get in the truck & leave. The rest is not worth mentioning. Not that any of it was.
If I have ever seen a worse film, I do not remember its name.
The Island (2005)
An unoriginal adaptation of "Logan's Run" meets "The Fast & the Furious Furious".
How disappointing & predictable. The entire premise was cloned from a story about clones. Instead of Logan 5, the hero's name is Lincoln Six Echo. In "Logan's Run", Jenny Agutter played Jessica 6. Scarlett Johannson's character is Jordan Two Delta. Oh yeah, Richard "Jordan" was the antagonist in Logan's Run. Coincidence or plagiarism? Logan & Jessica were destined for "renewal". After "decontamination", Lincoln 6E & Jordan 2D were promised life on "The Island". in the predictable finale, the destruction of the underground complex & subsequent exodus scenes were almost identical to "Logan's Run". Frankly, I do not recall so many car crashes in a Sci-fi thriller. They were obviously miniaturized. The Island" is an embarrassing blotch on McGregor's & Johansson's otherwise stellar resumes.
Criminal Minds: The Perfect Storm (2006)
Nicki Aycox blew me away, episode show be renamed "The Perfect Switch"
As usual, the gruesomeness of the crimes was presented in an excellent manner. It drew me in & put my mind into the core of the case. When she first appeared, my thoughts of Nicki Aycox were, "man, she is smokin' hot". No big deal, that happens nearly every night. Because of her performance, who could not have felt empathy for the victimized & abused Amber? As the complexity of Amber's persona evolved, an escapist could easily believe that Nicki herself was the devil incarnate. If I may speak for personal experience? My ex-wife was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). During Amber's final scene with Gideon, Nicki pulled off the perfect "switch'* in mid dialogue. It was eerily compelling. Right out of the textbook. Frankly, I cannot recall a more realistic performance on TV, ever.
As soon as the show ended, I was searching Nicki's filmography. Much to my surprise, I discovered that I had seen Nicki many many times. The more I learned of her career & found photos of her, it soon became apparent that Nicki Aycox is as good a character actress as there is. The diversity of her roles & broad spectrum of looks in her filmography is amazing. I am now her biggest fan!
* switch, I was told by doctors, is the term used when a person with MDP morphs from one persona to another
Al di là delle nuvole (1995)
The most beautiful women ever cast in one film
If you speak French or can put up with sub-titles, you will really enjoy this movie. If on the other hand you just want to see God's most beautiful creatures, this is a must see. Not an ounce of silicon in sight. Zalman King eat your heart out. Sophie Marceau's body is the epitome of perfection and everything I had ever fantasized about. Her part is even in English. Even the fact that she was nude with John Malkovich did not detract for her beauty. Sophie is a ten if ever there was one. Chiara Caselli and Inés Sastre are 9.5s. Oh yeah, it is a pretty good story. Several little vignettes are woven together in a sort of Six Degrees of Separation style.
The Recruit (2003)
Predictable
Well acted, well filmed, full of twists and turns. "Nothing is as it seems" as Walter (Pacino)says. If, at least once, they would have made something exactly as it seemed ... the moviegoer may have been surprised. What made it predictable was you always knew to expect the unexpected.
Solaris (2002)
BORING
The whole time I was watching this movie I kept asking myself ... "what's the point". The film editing was horrible. Soderberg has not done a good mystery since "Underneath". Scenes rambled from one to the next without continuity. However, Jeremy Davis did a good job with his character "Snow".
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Jennifer Connelly is being overlooked.
Her performance is every bit as good as Crowe's. She has transformed into a splendid actress and can be adored for her acting ability as well as her stunning looks. In this movie she plays the vixen and the long suffering wife with equal ability.
Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
"Commando" (Swartzenegger), "Cobra" (Stallone), "Superman" (many), "Behind Enemy Lines" (Wilson)... all movies in which the hero cannot be hit by enemy machinegun fire
I ask you! What US Navy pilot and navigator would stray/depart from their assigned flight plan ? especially if it were a no-fly zone? Not one.
If you were on the run being chased by an army trying to kill you, would you stop and sit on the concrete levee of a reservoir in plain sight? An idiot that deserves to get killed.
What trained serviceman would come out blazing holding his firearm sideways in his hand like a cowboy instead of with both hands and squarely in front of him? John Wayne, Sly Stallone, Arnold
And finally, who could survive running straight back into enemy fire to retrieve a CD-ROM? John Wayne, Sly ?
Why did the Bosnian tanks not fire at the escape helicopters? Was it just me or did some of the Bosnians look like a toy army in the final explosion?
How disappointing! I was all ready for a good really based war movie. Sure the basic premise was good and the cause was noble, but the action was inconceivable. The movie trailers I saw that day included Black Hawk Down. Knowing the real story made me weep and angry. What a dark day in our military history! Let?s hope they do not screw-up that one too. If you hear anything about those brave soldiers being rescued ? skip that one too.
Aberdeen (2000)
Lena Headey is an undiscovered beauty!!!
Starting with Diana Rigg, Olivia Newton-John, Sheena Easton and Nicole Kidman, Lena Headey is the heir apparent to my list of fantasy women with British accents. Oh yeah, she is an excellent actress also.
In many ways the movie was depressing. However, if the writers and directors were trying to express/display a dysfunctional addicted family... they succeeded brilliantly. In an era of man bashing the interjection of Clive (Ian Hart) as the Good Samaritan truck driver was refreshing.
The ending leaves you pondering the final outcome ... ala "The Lady or the Tiger". All in all, the movie is worth the time and money.