Change Your Image
marshmallow_pies
Reviews
Oxygen (1999)
Interesting concept, poor script.
This is not a good movie, but is compelling enough to sit through. There are two reasons for this: 1) Adrien Brody is absolutely brilliant. I have nothing bad to say on his part. 2) The idea was interesting. Quite frankly, if the film was a cinema release, and had a bigger budget, it would have been a worthwhile thriller. But it didn't.
I would recommend this for any Brody fans. This is probably the most interesting role he has ever played, and he does it well. He just shouldn't be an evil freak, but there you have it! He is! And it was impossible for me to hate him because he is so amazing to watch.
However, stay away if you are one who tends to try and make sense of a B-grader. For you will end up confused and irritated. The rest of the cast was pretty shocking, and they should stick to TV.
Amusing enough for a lazy rainy day.
The Hours (2002)
Dissapointing fiction.
!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!
I thought the Hours would be a different film. Very different. I am not, at any point, directing critiscm towards any of the actors, who, lets face it, were brilliant. They all pulled off stunning performances...but not stunning enough to save this film. There seemed to be something missing in this movie, like a vital part of the script had been removed, or similar. It had the energy, and the sheer presence of these amazing women, but its actually story was not compelling enough to turn it into a memorable film. It just wasn't intriguing enough for me to enjoy. It was in fact, a boring movie. The ending was so bland and predictable. It was obvious that the connection needed to be made between the two women, but it was not a good connection. I don't know how one would acheive the ending, without making it a little melodramatic and dumbed down, as it was- but I do know that it wasn't acheived. There was no final chaos control juxtaposition. The death of Virginia was visually a superb scene, but mentally, left me feeling empty.
It could have been a lot better.
The Pianist (2002)
Beautiful, heartfelt film.
This movie was absolutley stunning. And I find it very depressing that it will be, no doubt, completely overlooked in the Oscars. In many ways, it reminds me of another overlooked film (which also starred Brody) The Thin Red Line. However, both these films were made to make impacts on people; not win awards. That is what The Hours and Gangs Of New York are for.
I sat in my seat completely transfixed on the screen. Everything had such an amazing presence. It was completely believable, in both acting and story, and the hardest thing to believe is that this actually happened.
This film had soul, Polanski had suffered at the hands of the Nazis, and could direct with knowledge and experience. When reading the credits, I also noticed that most of the names were Polish or German. So this film was much more real than I had thought. I recommend this film to everyone. For the wonderful performances, especially that of Brody, who was hauntingly mezmorising. For the beautiful cinematography, for the perfect directing; for everything. This was an amazing film.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Complete Triumph
Ok, so I figured out why i didn't like the first movie.
In FACT this is the reason that anyone didn't like the first or second movie. Here is the answer: We all go into the film LOOKING for trouble. We all sit and reread the book before going to see the film, and then leave hating the movie because it was so different to the book, or because it left out a tinsy winsy joke or line. This is not fair. Being overly critical will always end in disaster. But this time, I didn't bother rereading CoS (Mainly due to how much i despise Lockheart and Colin Creevy) and I loved the film.
The effects were vastly improved, and Quidditch looked more like people and less like computer graphics. There was a lot more suspense, and the talking in the walls was genuinely creepy. Tom Felton and Jason Isaacs were perfect as Father and son bad guys, and Christian Coulson stole the show with that amazing charm and good looks (and who could forget that cowleck of hair?) and even Alan Rickman looked better as Snape (has he lost weight or is it just me?) The characters are growing up, which is really good to see. Someone told me it was bad, but it shows natural growth. At least these people aren't playing 12 year olds when they are close to 30! Better acting, better graphics, better story (in my opinion) and it flowed pretty well even with the gaps from the book. I suggest that to enjoy this film to its fullest, watch it as a film, not as a book. :) 10/10~
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The finest animated film of all time.
Mild Spoiler.
This is my absolute all time most favourite movie. I have never really figured out why, and never really tried. It just is. This is about the remastered version, I still hold it in the highest respect. The sound is no longer boxed, the picture is sharper and I love being able to watch it in widescreen. But the idea of "cleaning up" or recolouring the cells, well it is all good in practice, but the end result did not move me that much. The film is now TOO bright. Before it had atmosphere and a "lived in" look. Now any darkness of the gothic castle is gone, and all you get is a vividly grey building, and the soul of the characters is lacking, there is no texture to the colour. The overall effect reminds me of a cheap disney cartoon series of the late nineties such as "Hercules" or "Aladdin" no shadow or feeling of real life.
The song "Human again" is sweet, and worked well in the broadway, but did not improve the film. I am being heavily critical, but sitting down with the dvd and video running simletaneously, I ended up watching the video, in monosound and all.
I am dissapointed, but have no complaints with the original film. It is a masterpiece. And does not receive the credit it sincerely deserves.
The Ring (2002)
A truly worthy remake of one of the scariest films of all time.
It had its faults, but The Ring was genuinely scary. At a point in life where chainmail and urban legends are at the maximum, I entered this film with caution, and was rather put off by the opening scene. "Well, this is just Scream all over again." Two minutes later I took that back, and sat transfixed to the screen, afraid to watch, afraid to shut my eyes (unlike my companion in the seat next to me, who assumed the feotal possition for 95% of the film).
Perhaps the creepiest part was the tape itself, and I walked out with a strong desire to hire the Japanese films on DVD and get the full story, rather than wait for the next film (which there no doubt will be, knowing Hollywood and its ability to ruin a good film in order to get a great franchise). Would you know it? None of my local video stores had the DVDs AT ALL! Which really annoyed me, because I am really intrigued by the whole idea.
I liked the reference to rear window, with the man in the cast. To the "constructive criticsm": The plot was easily deciphered. I managed to string together everything 25 minuted before the climax of the film (and I am NOT talking about the ending.) Things neatly fell into place for me.
I should like to compare the USA version to the Jap, and the original text, and see if it was realy easy to solve, or if the US version fell short due to writers dumbing down the text so that every Tom Dick and Harry will be able to understand it, even if they have had their eyes poked out and their ears blown off. An above average pyscological thriller could have become a GREAT one, with a much tighter, interlectual script (like "The Usual Suspects" crossed with "The Shining"). But "The Ring" was a fresh idea, with an interesting plot and impressive visuals. It was a nice change from the Hohum prequel to a brilliant thriller of 1992. Worthy use of my $10.50
The Shining (1980)
What more could anyone ask for at 3am?
When I first read the novel, I was 10 years old, and naive beyond all comparison. A year later I saw the film for the first time, alone at night.
I wondered until now as to why my little brothers had nightmares from just hearing the soundtrack from their bedrooms at the other end of the house. I was so stupid, that I thought that REDRUM was meant as in a RED ROOM. So much has changed. With the invention and distribution of DVD, I can now sit and watch this film in its UNCUT version (which has never been aired in Australian cinema), at 3 in the morning, and on a big screen, thanks to digital projectors. It was so terrifying to me (even though I know the "Shinning", of the Simpsons off by heart). The music was spine tingling, with a most frightening moment in the film actually being the cutscene, with the word TUESDAY. (The music built up to a climax, and was paid with many a scream) This is a masterpiece in almost every way. Jack Nicolson has always been scary looking, but this is undoubtedly the freakiest he has ever looked. I can almost go as far to say that he is the scariest monster in horror, and he barely spent 10 minutes in the make up room. The laugh of the old woman still haunts me, (and my little brothers) although not nearly as much as the Tricycle that Danny rides, and his many misadventures. Here is my question for anyone out there: What is the deal with the man dressed up as an animal. Was that in the uncut? Because I can't remember it. It was strange, completely off track, but frightening in its own way.
It also occurred to me, that the Hotel seems a lot scarier due to the 70's interior design. You may laugh at me, but room 237 was a lot scarier for me, due to the purple and green carpet. I strongly think that this film in its new and improved sense, has scared me. But really, if you want to let a child see this, even if they are tough, make sure that they understand what they are watching. For me it has made all the difference. Kubric did a great job. The film is so intense, that it has even made an episode of the Simpsons, and Rocko's Modern Life, quite chilling and freaky. I just wish that there were more horror films that were actually scary.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Just the best movie ever made!!!!!!
I havent met anyone who hasn't loved this movie. I know people who have seen it 9 times, and there are so many girls with crushes on Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom its not funny. Truly an amazing film, you can't compare it to the book, because it's its own masterpiece. Perfect cast, breathtaking locations and amazing special effects, LOTR deserved all the hype and publicity that it received. Far better than Harry Potter, which lacked anything new or interesting, LOTR put a new edge on the way I read the books. I just can't wait until the next movie!