ccolao Reviews

Miracle at St. Anna (2008)

Epic War Masterpiece

[9/10 · 27 September 2008]

Spike Lee's latest joint, Miracle At St. Anna, isn't what the majority would want to see from a war film, let alone the first story of the black soldiers during World War 2. Miracle is grim, in your face, and extremely layered; not the entertainment of Saving Private Ryan nor the commerical appeal of Black Hawk Down appear here. Based off a novel by James McBride (who adapted his own work very well), the film touches on racism, family, loyalty, honor as well as being a very entertaining and thoughtful piece. The acting (led by the superb Derek Luke) is top notch and one of the best war ensembles in recent years. Spike's direction is flawless; seamless transitions between time periods and languages are prevalent and work to the films advantage. The film is stunningly beautiful (especially the mountain scenes) and has a terrific score. Although long (2 hours and 40 minutes strong) the film never seems to drag, and keeps the viewer engaged from an intellectual and entertainment standpoint.

From reading a lot of negative reviews, I'd encourage everyone to check the film out for themselves. Although very tough to watch (a few death scenes are almost too realistic) and needing a basic knowledge of Italian as well as American WW2 history, Miracle At St. Anna is worth your time and money. The film is a very rewarding experience, and even if you hate it, you can say you sat through all 2hr and 40 minutes of it. I give the film a 10, and its my current #1 of 2008.

Caché (2005)

Confusing...In A Good Way...

[8/10 · 23 March 2008]

Cache is without a doubt...the most over analyzed film I've ever seen. It revolves around a couple with a struggling marriage who are sent anonymous video tapes with the intent to show them that they are under surveillance. The tapes wouldn't scare me, and I was confused about why our protagonists were so afraid, but I guess when someone's blatantly spying on your family, you get nervous. The film dives into many different themes, racism, trust, integrity, benefits of lying, regret, how secrets don't die with us...and my favorite...how the man is always wrong no matter what he does. There is very little dialouge, and the script is nothing special, but its intriguing because I found myself waiting for whats happening next. Cache seems to drag on and lag, but it is very suspenseful, especially towards the end. The cinematography and editing were both superb, and Daniel Auteuil was very very good as Georges. I found Julliette Binoche annoying and melodramatic, but thats what her character was. Heneke did a very good job directing, except he tried to make his film overly intelligent. I would recommend it for viewing, but expect to think more than to be thrilled.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Acting Can't Make Up For Everything

[6/10 · 23 March 2008]

Sidney Lumet's most recent picture, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead opens up with Marissa Tomei and P.S.H. having sex...probably the most promising opening of any film...ever. It then leads into the quote ''May you spend at least a half an hour in heaven before the devil knows that you're dead.'' The film goes downhill from here, besides tour de force performances from PSH and Albert Finney (who deserved an Oscar nomination). The script is very lame and predictable, the motives are completely illogical, there are plenty of plot holes, during the flashbacks, the character says one thing during the first version of a scene and a different line in the second version (Memento did it right, Lumet failed). It has potential to be a good film, but it tries to be as dark as Se7en with..well..a funny (not comical) script. It seems like during every dramatic moment, you're waiting for Borat to pop out from somewhere or for Nicholson to bust down a door with an ax. I started laughing at some scenes that were obviously designed to be dramatic. Also, the editing is pathetic...its really repetitive and obnoxious. Although the acting was very good, if you have crappy direction and a bad script...the film isn't going to be very good. That said, I would recommend that you see the movie, just for Finney's incendiary performance.

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Exceptional Crime Drama

[9/10 · 3 February 2008]

I went into Gone Baby Gone with a misconception about what it was going to be about, or rather a different interpretation of the synopsis. I was extremely pleased with the plot, but more so the realism of the story. The plot is so deep, yet understandable, and links us to a moral debate we all struggle with. I considered Casey Affleck a B-Rate actor before this film, but now I can see him becoming a prolific actor. His performance was convincing and incredible. Ed Harris was great as usual, and Amy Ryan was also terrific. The only thing keeping this movie from a 10 is what I consider a lack of character development. Affleck was such an interesting character, I would've loved to see them develop him a little more. There is some subpar acting also, by Michelle Monaghan and surprisingly, Morgan Freeman (who I feel was miscast). Ben Affleck directs well, with elements of Spike Lee and David Cronenberg clearly visible in his style. I'm looking forward to future pictures by him. I would recommend Gone Baby Gone to anyone, but I don't want to release any of the plot details, because I want people to have the same experience I did. This was definitely snubbed at Oscar time, especially the Afflecks and the adapted screenplay.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Quite Possibly...The Best Since Shawshank...

[10/10 · 2 February 2008]

First of all, I would like to say that although I am pretty young (15), I have a great appriceation for film and the craftsmanship that goes into it. That being said, I'm not old enough to have experienced the ending of Psycho in theatres, see Brando's riveting performance in On The Waterfront without the hype from my dad, but I have seen such 'epics' as Cry_Wolf in theatres. Depressing right? I had been following this year in movies play out (for the record, it was an amazing year in cinema), and have been following TWBB for months now. I tried seeing it twice during its limited release (2 theatres nationwide), but each time, it was sold out days beforehand. I finally saw it a couple nights ago and felt compelled to write a comment. I thought that NCFOM and Eastern Promises wouldn't be surpassed, and I would go and watch DDL dominate the screen for 150 minutes, and see a very good film. I couldn't have been more wrong. The movie starts out with almost no dialouge, but with characters communicating through actions. It is done so eloquently, I felt like that if this was a silent film, it would've been just as good. The film continues with more brilliant cinematography, a dazzling script, and an incredible score. DDL shined as Daniel Plainview, who is one of the most haunting villains to ever grace a screen, but Paul Dano was also very, very good as Eli Sunday (I kept thinking Anthony Perkins as I watched him) and the cast in general is superb. The film runs a little long, but I enjoy longer films. Everything was in sync and impressed me, from the end credits to the accuracy on how oil was drilled in the early 20th century. There are also a lot of subtle meanings in the movie (DANIEL Plain-VIEW...think religion) and is not overly intelligent. Its a beautiful experience, and as I left the theatre, speechless, I could only think that I was more impressed with The Godfather, and that TWBB gave me the same feeling as after I saw Andy Dufrane sitting on a boat in Mexico, gazing at the sillohuette of Red. An amazing picture which should be viewed by all.