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Reviews
Get Him to the Greek (2010)
So much potential
I'm a fairly rabid Brand fan, mostly because he brings a sense of philosophy and sophistication to his truly crass comic material that is unseen with most modern comedians. Accordingly, I went through to Get Him To The Greek with high expectations. The opening scene - a hilarious satire of Bono/Geldof-style charity music videos - had me just about convinced that this would live up to Brand's reputation. Sadly, for the rest of the film his own comic sensibilities jar somewhat with Stoller's awkward scripting. Every part of me wanted to like this film, even the reliance on toilet humour and unfunny celebrity cameos. It worked about 50% of the time, hence the score. What I see in place of a really good movie is a really good idea that could have, with the right people at the helm, become a classic rock 'n' roll spoof in the vein of Spinal Tap and The Rutles. Instead it's a generic, bombastic '00s Hollywood comedy script crafted around the music business.
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Why all the cynicism?
Having read the book shortly after watching the movie, I was quite amazed at the comments I've found everywhere - it is very true to the book and it seems quite pointless to complain about trivial goofs. In my opinion, the story itself is the most important part of the movie. It was wonderfully bittersweet and deserves far more recognition than it is currently receiving.
Seeing as all of the reviews I've read (not just on this website) have provided no reason for their hating it, I will provide my reasons for thinking that it is the best movie of the Oscar year. Firstly, the acting was simply superb, especially well-selected child actors. Secondly, the Oscar-worthy and -nominated soundtrack especially the cello-playing by Yo-Yo Ma. Thirdly, the trueness to the story while still remaining an original film was just brilliant. Fourthly, the costumes looked just brilliant as was the Geisha makeup, all very authentic.
The film gained the position of #20 on my very exclusive top 50 movies, up there with other Oscar nominees and gorgeous movies. I was also quite surprised that Stephen Spielberg had produced it so well - he tends to either get it very right or very wrong and this movie was certainly the former. Enjoyable to watch and fantastic performances culminated in this superb production. I most definitely think that it should be a top 250.
Memoirs of a Geisha was one of this year's sharper knives in the drawer and it deserves every success. I just wish that people would see what a beautiful production it is and why it's not racist or full of 'subtitle fear'. I can think of many films which do not use subtitles (eg The Pianist, which uses little bits of Polish and German to set the scene as per this film). It's not often that you see one of these period films which is both an educational insight and a stunning story. It was just a gorgeous, enjoyable film.
Anger Management (2003)
Trying Hard to Manage my Anger
The movie Anger Management leaves something to be desired in the area of
well, everything you see in a good movie. It is badly scripted, not funny and above all, Adam Sandler is the most annoying actor since Woody Allen first hit the screens. The horrible, stuttering Dave (Sandler) is not an entertaining far from giving a vivid sketch of his character, it simply makes him annoying to watch and I found myself reaching for the remote control's 'volume up' button on more than one occasion.
However, despite Sandler's shocking performance (as per his other films), one person who did lighten the film up slightly was Jack Nicholson. Despite this, I found this to be his worst film. It was obvious he was trying to make the best of his shockingly UN-funny lines and he did a fantastic job of getting into character.
Anger Management is a very self-explanatory title. It is a story that revolves around Dave Buznick (Sandler) who is sent to Anger Management after having an argument with an air hostess. Once there, Doctor Buddy Rydell (Nicholson) immediately begins to wind Buznick up and get him to commit acts of angry behaviour. After singing I Feel Pretty on Williamsburg Bridge, going on a blind date in Boston, insulting his boss, beating up his childhood bully, breaking up with his girlfriend and seeing Rydell take her for his own, Buznick wins back his girlfriend at a Yankee game.
However, having watched this three times, I still cannot comprehend the ending. The girlfriend explains to Buznick after their engagement that the whole thing was a set up, forgetting to mention one crucial point 'WHY'. The movie ends with a terrible scene which was clearly not written by the same people (it was in a class of its own, somewhere between other Sandler movies and Daddy Day Care).
If I had to give my favourite part, it would have to be the one in which Rydell and Buznick are trying to get out of a car park at the top of a multi-story complex. A car is parked directly behind them so Rydell, cool as anything, gets out of the car, tests the weight between a baseball bat and a golf club, picks the baseball bat, smashes the window of the car and turns the brakes off. Getting back into his car, he then pushes it down the car elevator shaft. It's not a fantastic scene, but it is the best in this monotonously mediocre movie.
I would personally recommend this movie to younger audiences with a taste for silly humour, not somebody who likes subtle or dry humour. It is very 'in-your-face', too much so for an adult audience. My age range is probably around eight to fifteen.
So, as a summary, this movie was pretty bad. It was the crumbling house being held up by Nicholson with Sandler sitting on the roof admiring the view. Good luck getting through this movie without falling asleep it has a slow pace and would probably be a good fifty minutes shorter if Sandler spoke normally.
The Last Emperor (1987)
Best movie of the 80's, no competition
As a keen follower of Chinese history, watching this movie when I was twenty probably engaged my enthusiasm. It is undoubtedly the best movie of the 1980s and number 3 on my top 50 movie list, it is one of the best movies ever in my opinion. It carries with it great emotion, reaching a brilliant climax right at the end when Pu Yi goes back to the Forbidden City to die in the place he was crowned.
The story follows the last emperor of China, Pu Yi, from when he was crowned in 1909 to when he died in 1967. As is best for most movies, he is not an interesting character, but interesting things are always happening around him. He began his life as emperor of China at only three years of age before being overthrown by the nationalists two years later. After being forced to hide away in the Forbidden City for thirteen years, he and his two wives flee from the warlords to Tianjin (Tientsin) and he ends up working for the Japanese. His ancestors came from Manchuria, so when the Japanese offered for him to become puppet emperor of the state when they occupied it, he accepted. However, he did not like the Japanese policies and they immediately began to torment him, first by taking his wife away and tampering with her brain and then by locking him in his small palace. In the end, he is caught by the Russians and taken back to the PRC, where he spends nine years in prison.
The entire movie is well done - flashbacks are used effectively throughout the whole movie, and the use of the Forbidden City and the Puppet Emperor's Palace as sets was greatly effective also. For a non-fiction biography, it is surprisingly well structured and amazing dramatics are used. Final ratings - Acting, 8/10. Cinematography, 10/10. Soundtrack, 9/10. Costumes, 10/10 (very realistic).
The Pianist (2002)
An eye-opener, a stunner and a breathtaking performance
If ever a movie deserved all of the Oscars it received, this is it. Admittedly, reading the book makes it very dull to watch, but as I read the book after watching the movie, I was stunned, and even watching it again on DVD makes the reality of the book sink in. The soundtrack and the images give it a wonderfully haunting air that words can't possibly do.
The Pianist is a movie about the Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman who finds himself and his family caught as Jews in World War Two. Although the whole war story is a bit clichéd (Anne Frank, La Vita e Bella etc.) I don't think I've ever seen a movie that captures world war two so perfectly. Once the Nazis have made a ghetto in Warsaw, Szpilman must fight to keep his family together at all costs, though after little more than a year has passed, his family are predictably taken away to a concentration camp, though Szpilman survives, being rescued by a Jewish policeman. After working in the ghetto dismantling the wall, Szpilman breaks free and begins his two year life in hiding while the city of Warsaw literally crumbles around him.
I think that this movie is driven by the true horror of world war two for the Jewish people. As I said in the introduction, it is haunting and sticks around with you for a few weeks. Also, the movie starts out very scary, but rather than building up to a climactic end, it gradually gets less and less 'in your face' and shocking. As it is a Polanski film, there is a lot of gore in the beginning and the true horror of WW2 is at its highest. I was more than pleased with the performances and thought that it gives us all an eye-opening account into what life was like sixty years ago. Performance - 9/10 (especially Adrien Brody as Szpilman). Writing: Book - 10/10, screenplay - 7/10. Costumes, makeup etc. - 9/10. Soundtrack - 9/10 (it was a great idea to dub Szpilman's own music).
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
The one halfway decent Disney movie
I have personally seen many Disney movies in my lifetime, though absolutely none of them match up in any way to Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Although I personally wouldn't have crossed live-action with animation, it was an improvement on trying to dress people up as animation characters. The movie pits three evacuees from world war two who are sent to stay with a silent and socially awkward woman in the country. I would have to say that the casting was brilliant. Angela Landsbury made a perfect Miss Price, while David Thomilson made a great desperate entertainer love interest. Endings always surprise me and this was no exception. It was neither happy nor sad, though I do not know if this was intentional. The dialog wasn't great, but considering it was designed to be a kid's movie, that is alright. Overall, I would give the performance nine out of ten, the dialog six out of ten, the casting nine out of ten and the costumes eight out of ten.
Before Sunrise (1995)
What a masterpiece
We start off with a great shot of what reminded me of a waterfall, a blurry torrent of color, which metamorphoses into moving train-tracks seen from above. This opening shot already had me hooked. On the train, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, the best screen couple that I have seen, meet by chance, and a fantastic, intelligent and also very sad love story evolves.
What I love about this film is that it does not try to be Hollywood style in its dealing with love. There are no dumb subplots going on, no comic relief - a welcome relief from the mass of romantic comedies being pumped out these days - and no Hollywood ending. The story is stripped bare, and in its simplicity is uncannily real. This stark, real-life story is brilliantly portrayed by hugely long scenes done on just one shot - I don't want to think how many takes some must have taken.
The plot is basically that an American boy meets a French girl on a train, they talk, get off together, talk a lot more, and fall in love. I won't even try to summarize it more than that: the plot is not important in this film. The dialog and the characters are what it focuses on. The actors portray them beautifully with some really sweet scenes, and the dialog is stunning.
All in all, I was blown away when I saw this film. It put me in a very reflective mood, and left me stunned by its frank and realistic approach.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
THE hard-out music of the century
The most insane box-office top ever created is one of the few musicals I would deem acceptable to the delicate ears of music-lovers. However, there are problems. Why does this movie randomly change from a Frankenstein parody to an attempt at 70s science fiction halfway through? You do not change the genre of a movie halfway through, it is a crime! However, this can be forgotten once you listen to (or sing yourself) the words of the fantastic songs, featured as with most good musicals at regular intervals, but not so often that you get bored or misinterpret the story. When most of us think of musicals, our mind jumps to cheesy claptrap such as 'A Streetcar Named Desire', musicals made back in the days when corny group-singing was not a tiresome cliché. However, in THIS instance, one can sit and watch the insane action on screen and fit it perfectly with the genre of the songs, a hard genre to describe. I suppose one must call it rock, but it contains a kind of weirdness, a combination between group-singing and rock, making it fall under the musical genre but also providing engaging music for the lovers of rock in the wild 70s. The characters themselves are fantastic. Frank N. Furter (played by the unexpected Tim Curry) has to be the best, his curly wig, his fishnets, his pearls and his corset (but especially his makeup) make him a piece of cinematic history. Also, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien) is wonderfully weird with his creepy sister Magenta (Patricia Quinn) who retains her position as creepiest actress I have ever seen on the big screen. The instruments used in the music also make the genre lean more towards rock, electric keyboards and guitars, saxophones et cetera. Most people love the Rocky Horror Picture Show for its wackiness, though I was more interested in the quality of the production (especially for a low budget 1975 creation) and the SONGS.The Time Warp, Hot Patootie, Sweet Transvestite, Touch-a-touch-a-touch-a-touch Me, The Sword of Damocles and the rest are all memorable and bring back the life and energy of the REAL musical. So what will it be? 'Let's Do the Time Warp Again' or 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'?
Ripley's Game (2002)
Best thriller ever made
This has to be the best thriller ever made. If I was going to be given fifty dollars to say it was shocking, I would not. John Malkovitch is superbly cast as Tom Ripley, a sardonic criminal living in Italy. He is so brilliantly calm all the way through the movie, even when he is blowing up a car filled with corpses or trying to throttle a German millionaire. Uwe Mansshardt was also wonderfully cast as Terry, an inexperienced Brit living in Italy and on the edge of death. The general idea of the story is that Ripley persuades this Terry to work for him, though after a failed murder, trouble begins to brew as sinister associates surround Ripley's villa. If ever there has been a more suspenseful or thrilling movie, I would like to know about it because nothing can compare to the brilliant execution of this movie. Amazing shooting in the Itallian countryside and fantastically scripted to leave a feeling of suspense and excitement. I can tell you it had my hands gripping the edge of the sofa at more than one point. However, the core action appears to be in large chunks, whereas the bits in between are all quite slow moving (one of the reasons it takes up the time it does), so I think a ten out of ten for acting, ten out of ten for script, but a nine out of ten for structure. Overall, I was impressed by the conveyance of such a fabulous book onto the big screen and I must say it is the only thriller that comes into my top 20 list.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Audrey Hepburn the social mosquito
Audrey Hepburn has her moments in this almost perfectly-executed display of high drama and slight comedy. She was brilliantly cast as the wild New York girl Holly Golightly, with George Peppard playing the less-wild, more sedate love interest. However, the story begins much in the way most romantic comedies do (instant success in the two relationships) and they have a great time together. However, as time goes by, Holly gets tired of her relationship with the quiet man who moved into her apartment block and moves on almost instantly to more people. She can be described very accurately as a social mosquito, spreading from one person to another and sucking them of all of their love before leaving them to die and moving on to the next person whom she shall suck dry of all of their love. I was convinced that this movie was good by the moving ending, but not by a lot of the rest of it. It is slow moving, but it builds up and is easy enough to follow. I would have to say that it is one of the best60s comedy/dramas I have seen in a good few years and recommend it to those who know they can handle high drama