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Ikarus65
Reviews
Ying xiong (2002)
As beautiful as it is repulsive
"Hero" is beautiful to watch thanks to the stunning cinematography by Christopher Doyle, who once again showcases the trademark style he has so successfully exercised in collaborations with Wong Kar-Wai and others. That's the sparkling surface of this movie, but unfortunately it's rotten at the very core. We can be sure the Chinese government and other totalitarian regimes very much like the message, since it serves perfectly as a justification for whatever action they deem necessary for the greater good of forming a "great nation". "Hero" is no laughing matter either. The movie is so obsessed with conveying its oh so important deep and meaningful message about the virtue of individual sacrifice for the greater good, that there is no room for humor and irony, even though there would have been plenty of opportunity for it.
Ed Wood (1994)
No way!
Compared to the rating on IMDb, this movie was a big disappointment. How it can rank in the top-250 completely eludes me. I appreciate many of Tim Burton's other works, but this one is going nowhere for the most part. First and foremost, it is too long for the little bit of story it has to tell. Most of the problems are with incoherencies of the script and bad timing of those scenes intended to be funny. The acting is also less than stellar (with one noteworthy exception). Depp is portraying Wood as a retarded moron all the way through the movie and Patricia Arquette's acting is more wooden than Pinocchio's would ever be. Why would anyone care for the fate of such characters? Martin Landau, of course, shines and saves the movie single-handedly. His performance of Bela Lugosi is well worth the Academy Award it earned him.
Magnolia (1999)
A glorious triumph
Without the shadow of a doubt an incredible, extraordinary, unique, daring, moving, extremely well-crafted, amazingly acted masterpiece of a movie. As long as it is, one would not want to miss a single second of it and the time is more than well-spent. This is the ensemble movie that Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" would have liked to be, and it almost dwarfs P. T. Anderson's other fine efforts like "Boogie Nights". It is no less than a daring and ultimately successful attempt at capturing some of the most quintessential facets of human life: fate, love, death and forgiveness. I predict without hesitance, even though I know that the evidence might still be around when I'm long gone: this movie will be considered as one of the most essential cinematic works of our time. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it now! You have much to gain and nothing to lose, except perhaps that you may never again look at frogs the same way.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
A sequel is a sequel is a sequel
... and 'The Matrix Reloaded' is no exception. It suffers from the same weaknesses as most sequels. The first installment has raised the bar in both critics' and peoples' expectations, but then the old dilemma pops up... nothing can be new a second time. So what does one do as a movie producer? You pour more money in and beef up the special FX budget. That's just what they did with this one and in this respect and ONLY in this respect the outcome is indeed remarkable.
Unfortunately there is barely any coherent story-telling to speak of. Especially the architect scene close to the end is a near declaration of bankruptcy as far as the authors' ability or willingness to focus on engaging story-telling by visual means is concerned. Much of the time wasted earlier on the latest and coolest visual effects should have been invested here. As the time budget was obviously running short, we're confronted with a mostly verbal and rather rushed illustration of the very key elements of the overall story.
To summarize, The Matrix Reloaded is a must-see for fans of the franchise and for everyone who loved the first part and wants to know how the story continues. Also, fans of movies that are heavy on the special FX side should not miss it. Everyone else may safely pass.
De noorderlingen (1992)
You haven't seen anything like it
I had a great time watching this black comedy which ranks high up there with the finest of the genre. It's not like any other movie I have seen before, but I think that if you like a movie like Delicatessen, you will also enjoy this one. I only wish it were available on DVD!
The Big Lebowski (1998)
"Obviously you're not a golfer"
This is the Coen Brothers at their very best and it is hard to believe they will ever be able to top this one, which I see as at least at a par with their critically acclaimed "Fargo". This is easily the funniest and most quotable movie I've ever seen and it is still wonderfully entertaining after many, many viewings. The cast is perfect - Jeff Bridges and John Goodman arguably gave the performances of their careers to date in this movie. The only reason I could see why people could have problems with this fine work is the language, which does not exactly adhere to the commonly accepted concept of good manners. If you don't mind that, this movie is a definite must see. Great idea for a fun evening: go bowling first and then watch the Big Lebowski with a couple of 'Caucasians'. 10 out of 10, and yes, it really tied the room together, did it not?
Reuben, Reuben (1983)
A rare gem
This is one of my favorite movies of all times. It's funny, moving, tragic, hilarious, just all in one. Tom Conti gives a memorable world-class performance and the stunning beauty of Kelly Mc Gillis is a feast for the eyes. I wish this one-of-a-kind masterpiece were available on DVD.
Storytelling (2001)
Refreshingly different movie, very annoying censorship
If you got the region 1 DVD, don't even bother watching the R rated version. Once you've enjoyed the unrated (i.e. uncensored) version of this very fine movie, it is well worth checking out what you would have been robbed of. Just skip to the interracial sex scene in the R version and you'll be in for a very unpleasant surprise about how absolutely ridiculous censorship can be in the US of A.
Brazil (1985)
Are you up for a challenge?
No other movie before and after has left me this speechless for hours after watching it the first time. I was just baffled by it's richness and complexity and I didn't immediately know what to make of it. After it had sunken in, I had no doubts that this had to be my favorite movie. I must have watched it in the order of ten times since then and I'm still discovering new things here and there. This movie is not for everybody and even if it is for you, you should pick a time when you feel relaxed and alert. Don't even try if you were having a stressful day and don't want more than pure entertainment, because Brazil is definitely a whole lot more than just that. Brazil is quite a challenge to watch, it takes a sober and sharp intellect not to get lost in all of its subplots, but if you're up for it, you'll be in for a hell of a ride. And just like me, you will want to watch it again, and again, and again...
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Surprise, surprise!
The first Kubrick movie I saw was 2001 and it made me think of him as a director obsessing so much about what he thought was innovative filmmaking that he would readily forget about all sense of dramatic timing, humor and decent storytelling. I thought I'd never bother watching any of his other movies, well.. until I ran into this one. If you're into movies like Brazil or Mars Attacks, you will recognize quite a few of the patterns and techniques employed there, only that this one here is decades older. A must see for those who appreciate intelligent entertainment!