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charles19
Reviews
High Noon (1952)
One of the All Time Great Films, Period.
Disclosure: Returning from Europe in 1952 at age 10, I nagged my mom to let me go to a "Cowboy movie." She finally relented, and asked my Grandmother, "at least take him to a GOOD one." High Noon at the Dupont Circle Theatre. No film since has topped it in my mind.
Even after seeing it dozens of times, it remains tense and stark. It builds with a cascade of gut punches, character disclosures, and suspense. High Noon, which takes place entirely in the fictional small town of Hadleyville, is shot in real time; every minute on the clock is a minute on film, with a lot of cross cutting.
Validation for us veteran is renewed every time we can attend a big screen revival. A live audience of genXers, droids, slackers and Chablis yuppies all begin watching from their jaded slouching positions. They gradually inch to the edge of their seats. The iPhones are put down, the twitter chat stops and another tribe of die hard fans is born. Welcome to Hadleyville.
Bangkok Dangerous (2008)
Awful tedious overblown poorly filmed clunker
This is probably the worst movie to come out in years. Production values of a junior high school 8 mm hand held. Cage races through this with the look of a man trying to get off this set asap. It is an exaggeration to use the word plot, the screenplay has less suspense than watching somebody paint a fence. The so called plot turns were painful to watch, and the "arty" grainy washed out look of this film was probably an attempt to save a few bucks by producers who belatedly realized they had been steering this overloaded barge onto the rocks. For the first time ever, I actually asked for my money back after seeing this dreadful film. I got it. Why did I see it in the first place? I heard Mr. Cage on the Adam Corolla show. Nick and Adam, you owe all of us a huge apology.
Postmark Paradise (2000)
Mail order bride caper
A small indie on a modest budget, but solid production values, good pacing. This is not really about mail order marriage, the films focus is less on the "bride" and intended groom, more about the small community, some strong character development. I liked it. Tantoo Renee is very convincing as the jaded barmaid with a heart of gold. The supporting actors are believable, the comedy is underplayed and doesn't detract or interfere with the story line.
It would have been so easy for the director to go for a couple of climatic scenes or confrontations, and that he did not is to the films credit. It plays out as it might in real life, with measured ups and downs, no explosions or car chases, just flawed people who we can come to care a about and identify with, growing a little, learning a little.