Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (Freedman, 2005, Grade: B)

This does capture the life and times of McQueen, even if it's abbreviated. It's not that superficial though, since many of the most important people in his life are still here to tell his tale. The movie clips are good, if a bit minimal, but the clips of his wives, kids and friends are even better. This definitely should whet anybody's appetite.

Oh yes, I saw Episode III: Revenge of the Sith a couple of weeks ago.

Not a bad movie at all. In fact, I don't know if I could have hoped for a better conclusion to the double trilogy, all things considered (*coughqualityofprevioustwomoviescough*). Best special effects in a Star Wars movie to date in my opinion, well-paced - never getting boring or going into overkill with big set-piece action scenes, and surprisingly, not too badly acted.

My score: 8/10

I saw the original "The Longest Yard" the movie is pretty funny in parts but really wasn't all that great as far as the plot goes. 70/100

Sons and Lovers (Cardiff, 1960, Grade: B+)

This is a powerful coming-of-age film based on a semi-autobiographical story by D.H. Lawrence. Dean Stockwell does a fine job as the young man whose mom (Wendy Hiller) loves him but is overprotective, while his drunken coalminer father (Trevor Howard) struggles to maintain a position of respect within his family. Heather Sears and Mary Ure are the other two women in his life, the ones who love him and teach him that he needs to still grow. The acting and script work on a much-higher level than most films, with the characters ACTUALLY talking about their lives and not making just a bunch of silly chit-chat. Throw in some great Freddie Francis photography, and you've got some prime cinema.

The Phantom of the Opera (Schumacher, 2004, Grade: C+)

Well, it's not a disaster, but it's not very satisfying either. The script, credited to Schumacher and Andrew Lloyd Webber, seems extremely muddled, and although the production is opulent, it just seems too fake too often. The score doesn't really seem that good, with only a couple of memorable melodies. The Phantom is still pretty charismatic, except when he's phrasing his songs similarly to Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas. There is one scene near the end where the Phantom takes over for the performer in the opera he wrote which shows what the whole film could have been. I guess if you like the play (I haven't seen it), you'll probably be happy with it, but I think this falls far below the film versions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.

Well I just saw Ocean's 12, the follow up to Oceans 11 which I would give 9/10. I was very dissapointed with Ocean's 12. It's much slower than Oceans 11!! I was really bored!!

I would give it 5/10

I thought Ocean's 12 was great! I felt "at home" with those actors because it appeared that no one was acting, they were geniunely having fun! That shines through in movies like this.

Goin' South (Nicholson, 1978, Grade: B)

I can't really explain why I have such a soft spot for this western comedy, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, who got together with several of his buddies in Durango, Mexico, to film the story of a horsethief saved from the gallows by a spinster (Mary Steenburgen in an adorable debut) who utilizes the town ordinance to marry him and put him to work in her secret gold mine. Maybe it's the wonderful, if underused cast, which includes Christopher Lloyd, Danny Devito, Veronica Cartwright, Tracey Walter, Jeff Morris, Ed Begley, Jr., Luana Anders, and John Belushi (also in his debut). Maybe it's how the film is an offbeat comedy, but the characters actually feel like they're flesh and blood and really relating to each other. Maybe it's Nestor Almendros' beautiful cinematography which makes something this low-key seem like a work of art. Whatever the reasons, I don't care. I was laughing out loud much more than normal, and I've seen this sucker MANY times already. Maybe it's just that it somehow matches my own WEIRD sense of humor. Check it out since even the dreaded Blockbuster has it now.

Saw Cinderella Man last weekend. What an amazing film. I know it's a little early, but I might go as far as to say Howard's best. He is only getting better with age. He just put this picture together so well, and it was acted superbly by all involved. The Great Depression was such a horrible time in our nations history and I can't imagine what it would have been like to have lived then. This story is about so much more than a boxer. It's about a man who will do anything to help his family survive, including not eating himself. It's about a man not driven by fame and glory, but by keeping his family together...by making just enough money so he won't have to send his kids to live with someone else just to they can eat.

I can't say enough about this film. I haven't cried this much at a movie since The Green Mile.

Also recently saw Madagascar. On the same token as Cinderella Man, I haven't laughed this hard at ANY movie in a long time. This one is fun for the kids or just a great time at the theater for adults. The youngest in our group was 17 and we ALL laughed hysterically. There aren't a lot of movies that I immediately want to see again in the theater, but I can't wait to see this one agian.

The Brown Bunny

Vincent Gallo seems like a damn cool dude. I was biased in favor of this movie before seeing it, and so I looked for and found things to like about this.

Vincent Gallo is in a motorcycle race. He then drives across the country to get to the next race, and also to find Chloe Sevigny. He drives a lot, occaisionally runs into attractive females, arrives in LA, meets up with Chloe Sevigny, gets his penis sucked, and then afterward acts like even more of a wierdo than he does in the rest of the movie.

That's a great review and self-commentary at the same time, Buck. Now, I hope you don't feel the need to come after me with any garden shears.

Saving Face - B

Very funny idependent Chinese movie based around immigration and cultural differences.

Kung Fu Hustle - A

One of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Let alone the great action.

Kingdom of Heaven - B+ - A flawed epic. I found the fight scenes entertaining but the dialogue/speeches sometimes lost me. The plot wasnt totally drawn out as well. It does not compare to Gladiator.

Crash - B+ - A realistic view on racism and African Americans today living in the community.

Motorcycle Diaries - A

A beautifully filmed story and great acting too. I had heard so many good things about it and it lived up to all of them.

Just saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It's a perty funny movie with some decent action. Just don't go expecting a kick your ass action film. It's more like a rom-com with action/intrigue used to move the story along. Liman also used his brain and quit using that damn shaky cam so much, which made for much cleaner action (and there is alot by the way). Most of the comedy comes from the average-everyday-housewife/husband dialoge and the extraordinary situation they are in and not the physicallity such a movie demands. So don't go expecting alot of Jacki Chan crap. It's alot like it's background suggested, a rom-com with an action film grafted to it, and the two parts behave exactly as you would expect them to if they were apart.

I rewatched Gladiator again, does that count? Honestly, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Great movie, Russell Crowe and Connie Neilson do a great job of bringing this to life, I also like Joquin Pheonix, but I think that he has a tendency to overact, but he fits the insane Commidus very nicely. Some of the shots were very good in this movie, and aside from the action, which was stunning, the movie as a whole echoes classic.

Kingdom of Heaven--pretty good, if not a little stylistic. I seriously doubt there were as many people fighting in the crusades that were seriously concerned with their faith. Nevertheless, Bloom was decent, but it was a little bit repetitive, I was just waiting for him to shoot his bow, and eventually he did! Big suprise: type-cast. Jeremy Irons had a diminished but good role in this one. It was pretty good though, the action was filmed well, with a bunch of over head views to let you see what was happening. I also loved the character of "Saladin" I don't know his name and I beleive he is mainly an overseas actor, but he did a great job in this movie. Liam Neeson was also good, but his parts were poorly written. I felt that he wasn't in the movie long enough to illustrate the profound impact on Orlando that the movie kept trying to tell you he had.

Still, good movie. B+

just finished watching enemy at the gates again. For some reason I place that movie above most world war II flicks. I would have to say that the biggest of the reasons is the music and the mood it creates. Someone once said music is half the movie and if that is so then at very least it has a damn good half. The story is cool to and I am and always will be a fan of the two polar opposites sticking to thier guns and duking it out, it's always cool to see. Neo/Smith Achilles/Hector RussianSniper/GermanSniper, and on and on and on. I hope I never get sick of it, so far it's the one type of theme I never tire of ... as long as it's done right....not to say any of the movies i listed were perfect, but the battles b/w the opposites were exquisite (in my oppinion)

All rated B

The Times of Harvey Milk (Epstein, 1984)

Thoughtful and touching documentary about the real-life tragedy of Harvey Milk, George Moscone, and Dan White in San Francisco in the late '70s. This is a quietly-powerful document of incidents which people don't seem to remember anymore.

Greed (von Stroheim, 1924)

The "recreation" of the visionary director's nine-and-one-half masterpiece (in only four hours), based on the classic novel McTeague by Frank Norris, provides plenty of food for thought, as well as cinematic wizardry up the yin-yang. The final scenes in Death Valley are almost TOO MUCH!

The Man You Loved to Hate (Montgomery, 1980)

This is a low-budget, but absorbing documentary about the brilliant, visionary director Erich von Stroheim, who learned his craft from D.W. Griffith, but went on to have a tremendous career as a director and actor, while simultaneously being a pariah to mainstream commercial Hollywood.

Vera Drake (Leigh, 2004)

This is probably Mike Leigh's best flick. It tells a simple, but true story of a 1950 English wife, mother, and unpaid abortionist who "helps the girls", told with an arsenal of well-earned emotional pyrotechnics. Imelda Staunton is nonpareil as the title character, but every performance is unwaveringly honest.

Went to the midnight showing of Batman Begins last night. I thought it was awesome, likely my favorite of the Batman films and definately my favorite film of the year so far! Very few complaints overall, excellent acting, great script with lots of quick comic-book style humour interlaced into the plot, and a perfect place to restart the franchise! I won't give anything away and leave it at that for now.

quote:

Originally posted by Smenkharon:
likely my favorite of the Batman films

Honestly, it doesn't have much to go up against. The other ones were pretty bad actually.

Batman Begins (Nolan, 2005, Grade B+)

This is a darker, more-psychologically-complex Batman movie with plenty of top-notch performances. It's basically a stand-alone film which tells the complete origins of the Caped Crusader. I highly recommend the film, but I do have a few qualms. Most of the fights and the action finale are shot and edited so that it's often difficult to tell what exactly is going on. They seem far too frenetic and up close. That doesn't mean that they don't provide thrills, but considering how thoughtful much of the film is, it's disappointing. I did enjoy how they wrapped up the film, with a satisfying comeuppance and the calling card of the next villain. I wouldn't trust any reviews which say that there's no good villain for Batman to fight. I'd say that there's at least THREE good ones!