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professor_asphincter
Reviews
The Longest Yard (2005)
sandlers career in microcosm
It would be easy to slate this film as a worthless mtv movie aimed at brainless teenagers. It is however very very charming, and extremely good at what it does. Its cast seem to be having a good time in general, it is very funny in key places and okay funny in most other places. there are some key points that are important to this movie.
* Burt Reynolds looks like a friggin waxwork * Sandler has built a career out of movies like this and he does them well. * made "love story" lacking in sentiment. * Many of the "non-actor" stars actually gave some decent performances. Nelly in particular during the library scene was very good. * The prison set was actually quite stunning. most sets and cinematography were very good. * Courtney Cox-Arquette should have "warning: irritant" tattooed on her forehead. not just in this movie but on general principle.
If you let this film wash over you in a "film as entertainment" rather than a "film as art" way, it is quite pleasant. a bit long, a bit to stuffed with sentiment but technically excellent.
Lost in La Mancha (2002)
a damn crying shame
This will make you weep if you love film. if you love being taken to new worlds and seeing the impossible then the faliure of Who killed Don Quioxte will affect you. The only issue in my mind is maybe gilliam needs to grow up and do some stuff he dosen't passionatly believe in to pay for the stuff he does. gary oldman did lost in space top pay for more films like nil by mouth. there may be a lesson there
Guest House Paradiso (1999)
it's pronounced 'thwaite!"
There are some bits of this film that make you want to vomit. thats fine because most of the cast end up doing just that. There are parts of the film that make you want to cringe up into a little ball until the nastiness passes. Don't do it. watch the nipple ring sequence. watch the fight sequences. thrill to the lurid green projectile upchuck that somehow manages to reference 'The Exorcist' AND 'Indiana Jones and the temple of Doom' at the same time.
Just one thing to remember about this project: it does feel like a movie. this is not just an extra long 'Bottom' episode, it is a complete movie. the sets are actually very good, feeling like a location shoot rather than a soundstage, and there are some very funny squalid moments. The cast is very well put together, and even the young children are not annoying. The subtle humour of the Plant workers lock-in when one guy is clearly drinking from a ladies half pint glass, the sequence where Eddie packs his suitcase and the state of the kitchen.
The long opening with Eddie on the bike is for me though the weak point. it seems too long and almost to silly to laugh at. It ios eceptionally well filmed and edited, and the stunt sequences are fantastic. Technically Ade Edmundson has produced a very fine result. choreography and timing are worthy of Jackie chan, and in many places the script is two of Britains funniest actors/writers going full on to offend.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
perfect in every way
This is one of those films you just know everyone will be watching in 100 years. Clooney is masterful as the clark gable esque Ulyses and the rest of the cast act their socks off. Not really a comedy, not at all a drama, part road movie, part fable. High points include John goodman as the cyclops and the water bound finale. also the dialogue is crafted from pure gold.
The Postman (1997)
Very unfairly treated movie
I know a lot of people hated this movie. I know why. It is a little saccharine in places and yes, it is not always believeable. But this is one of the few time a screenplay is better than the book it was based on. This film always fills me with such positive energy and hope. it is funny in places, sad in places, tragic and action-packed in places. Costner plays Eric with such a fresh attitude, and you can almost hear the voices in the characters head pulling his loyalties. The cast is perfect and in many places the cinamatography is sublime. The cross cuts are so clever it made my eyes ache with envy that i didnt think of them and the action sequences are fast and timed to perfection. this remains one of my favourite films and in all honesty people should give it a little more respect. no matter what you think of the script and characterisation technicly this film is top draw. Sets, locations, effects and design grab you by the hand and take you someplace you actually want to go. i would much rather make and see films like this than dross like 'chaicago' and 'moulin rouge'. this is a film for grownups with a bit of imagination and respect for the film makers art.
28 Days Later... (2002)
horror pop video but fantastic all the same.
This film is one of my faves. It is very fast, slick and clever. Boyle said he wanted to get a "ken loach" factor, meaning he wanted great human characters as well as gung-ho action scenes. I think he did this AND still managed to leave us with hundreds of un-answered questions. Just how much of the world has been affected? what will the authorities do when the survivors are picked up? why did the 'infected' co-operate in packs but not attack each other? why did the 'infected' become nocturnal? Why in a city that has been panic-evacuated is the only traffic blockage in a tunnel? If you can suspend yourself long enough to get past these questions and relax into the film you will have a very entertaining time. Hi points include the shopping montage and the first empty walk through london. I also loved the little touches, like the lime pit full of half decomposed bodies, the 9/11 reference in the notice boards covered in 'have you seen....' letters and the fact that the signal to the jet at the end said "Hello", rather than the obvious and cliched "Help" (they didn't need any)
And the fight scenes were nothing to sneeze at either. clever violence that can still make a jaded film addict like me flinch is only to be applauded.
watch this film with an open mind and just imagine if you were directly involved in its events......