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Reviews
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
I wish I could have liked it.
I saw this movie last night, and hated it. Absolutely hated it, and I wasn't alone. As soon as the credits began to roll the man beside me jumped up grumbling in disgust. I must have heard the word "terrible" coming from every direction. I had hoped I was alone in my rancor but sadly no. And then I slept on it. As I think back on the movie, most things that come to mind are things I liked. There could have been a great movie there, many plot points would have been great had the movie been executed well. The fatal flaw, however, lies deep in the writing, the directing(for dialogue, not action), and all the basics of filmmaking. It wasn't just that the movie focused way to much on action, which it did, it was that the few bits of plot and dialogue that were squeezed in were horribly underdeveloped. Don't get me wrong, many of the action sequences and battles in this movie were the finest to date in the trilogy, and the CG effects in the Zion confrontation some of the best I've ever seen. But in the face of a lack of any real emotional or intellectual substance, the extended battles eventually became tiresome. If they could have only waited another year, gone back and made sure that the Human story was told well, this could have been a truly incredible film, instead of a forgettable and unworthy addition to a trilogy based on a film that deserved to stand alone.
One last comment, a more superficial gripe, maybe it's a spoiler, depending on your definition. So you have a mech warrior, sent out to battle millions of steel octopi who are basically flinging themselves at you, and all you have to protect your body is a freaking roll bar?
Secretary (2002)
Daring, well made, and surprisingly sweet.
I was shocked to see that the featured review for this film was Negative. Yes, enjoying this film does mean putting up with some S&M subject matter, but for those willing to look past that this film *may* be a real treat. Rewatching this on DVD gave me a real appreciation for the quality product presented, artful and thoughtfully rendered. Above all, I walked away from this film with a sense of one of the absolute sweetest love stories I've seen on screen (perhaps the unconventional nature added to this). Though apparently a controversial piece, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
The Pianist (2002)
Well crafted, well meaning, yet flat.
I tried very hard to like this film. It was just near impossible to engage with it. As far as art direction, compostion and filmmaking, the film was well polished but dreadfully standard. This left the task of creating a enjoyable or powerful movie to the story and the acting, both of which were... well, flat. Realizing that the story was based on real events it doesn't seem fair to criticize the story itself, but stagnated flow made me wonder why the story really needed to be told in this format. The main character goes from respectible to subdued to squashed to positively disheveled, and yet there seemed to be no reason why He should be cared about any more than the other thousands who died. The man who acted the lead did a tremendous job of portraying the role but it wasn't enough to make the character truly compelling or interesting. He just went through the whole film with the same expression, the same emotion, this dreadful... sameness. It made me wonder why he had to be saved, when there were others around him who at least seemed to do something, feeling something, have some will or humanity.
Partly this is just a reaction to the hype, which i thought it didn't live up to. Other user comments praising this film demonstrate that there are two sides to every issue, and many different points of view, most people seem to enjoy it. skipping it then might very well mean missing a movie that you will enjoy immensely. I personally found little in the film to keep me interested, engaged, caring, or even entertained, and i'm not really sure why it won the the Palms D'Ors, other than PC reasons relating to its subject matter. Just my personal view, but i really could have put my time and money to better use.
25th Hour (2002)
masterful stuff.
spoilers. I had written a generic comment on this film before reading the comments of other users. Having done so, it has really brought my thought on this piece more into focus. Supposed to warn of spoilers, there may be some, so please dont continue if you haven't seen it. Firstly, hats off to Spike Lee. This is the first film of his that I have seen and I was quite impressed, from his use of the camera to the onset variables his control of the movie was felt and appreciated. This film shined through as a real work of art.
I have read reviews claiming that there was no plot developement, which i would strongly disagree with. While the film lacks any "hi, my names bob and here's how i got where I am..." sequences, this enhances our sense of the characters, who they are and what there motives and history may be. We are not simply told what will happen to Edward Norton's character, it is pieced together from little bits of information scattered throughout the first half of the film. It is a shame that it was introduced in all the commercials, as teh slow buildup ads a lot of texture to the story. We are watching an eventful day in the lives of a small circle of people, and the fact that we are required to use our brains to understand who they are only serves to make them more real and compelling. The cast was superb, there was not a single stand out flaw in the acting. Those who decided to turn their brains on probably enjoyed this film.
It is not a story in the usual hollywood sense, with a beginning then forward moving plot and lots of whacky hyjinks and action that leads to an end completely different from the beginning. The focus of the film is the people, their lives, their feelings, their humanity. Those who suggest a "who done it" element as one of the major plots of this film miss the fact that it is not the who that is important as much as the strain and issues between the people as a result of suspicion.
There is very little that is certain, very little cut and dried fact. Berry Pepper's character threw me a curveball in every single new conversation he started, and I left the theater still wondering about what his true motives and feelings and goals were. (spoiler) The teacher/student romance has been suggested as having no resolution or ending. Once again, this is far from true. The relationship was fantasy, which in that one moment was brought back to reality. it couldn't work, couldn't happen, and they realized that. Ok, getting bogged down in the need to argue all the points that others have made which I pretentiously view as ignorant.
Anyhow, 25th Hour is a work of art. It is solid, strong, with a theme and purpose that stays clear throughout. Excellent casting and performances along with adept camera work and direction create a work that looks and feels as real as films can get. It is well worth the price of admission, and well worth seeing on the big screen. It has been suggested to rent this movie, but if you have any interest then see it now, dont wait for it to show up at Blockbuster.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
simply amazing.
I will not say that the lord of the rings is the best film that I have ever seen, but masterfully incorporating all aspects of cinema into one package peter jackson has created a truly amazing film. I was ruing the day that some yahoo would bastardize this classic tolkien saga into a live action film. But this film, from start to finish... it simply defies usual praise. This is filmmaking and storytelling at its very best.
Blue Crush (2002)
a complete surprise
i went to see this movie solely because i thought it would be horrible. It looked so cornballish that i couldn't help but go if only to mock it from my seat the whole way through. I was thus quite shocked to find myself actually enjoying the film! From the direction, to the action, the camera work and especially the surfing shots, it was just amazing. Seeing the waves crashing fifteen feet tall, it is definitely worth seeing in theaters to get the full effect. Another shock came in the form of teh script, and the acting. While they had their holes, it was amazing how real the movie felt. They weren't actors, they were real people. From the very beginning, it starts. Other reviews have claimed that these characters were all standard hollywood barbies, but this is far from the truth. While it Anne Marie is quite attractive she is far from movie star beautiful, there is this natural and real quality to her that, if anything, makes her all the more endearing. i could drivel on, but the point is, this movie just makes you feel good. it takes you along on this enjoyable ride, and leaves you with a positive attitude and an insatiable desire to move to hawaii, rent a shack and spend your days surfing. It was cute, but there's also a lot of substance there. definitely worth seeing.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
read the book...
Kubrick got it all wrong. the main problems with the movie were the tempo, the art direction, and most of all Kubrick's twisted obsessions and interpretations. He may have been bound into the futuristic sixties-mod style, but it does not fit the book or subject matter. The movie drags on and on and on at a snails pace, completely against the flow of action in the book. And then there's Kubrick's own personal perversion. He, if you've seen moer of his work, loves nudes. everywhere you look in this movie there's nude paintings, and statues, and various impressionistic nudes and classical nudes and marble nude statues which pour drugged milk from the nipples. though i am not opposed to nudity in various forms, it completely destroyed the purpose and mood and theme and everything that was good about the book. and it was all so clean! anyway, the movie hit rock bottom for me when instead of accidently killing an old woman with a small statue(like in the book), he crushed her head with a giant ceramic penis. I cant tell you how the end was, i couldn't watch it all the way through and had to shut it off, i was that disgusted. just read the book, dont bother with this horrible interpretation.