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Clint_Movie_Maniac
Reviews
V for Vendetta (2005)
Unlike anything I've ever seen...in a good sense mostly.
THIS COMMENT IS COMPLETELY SPOILER-FREE, SO FEEL FREE TO READ IT IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE. THANK YOU.
I had never seen anything like this before, truly! The plot is so rich and filled with mystery and intrigue that not once during the story do you know what will happen next (as often happens with cheap Hollywood productions), making it completely unpredictable and breath-taking.The strongest element in creating this atmosphere is the historical background. Although this movie is set in the near-future England, the plot provides a rich "history" of what is going to happen in the years between 2010 and 2020 (all of them of course fiction). Some might argue that it is a little too extreme to be plausible but I don't think that this movie was ever meant to be plausible in the first place! It also has that political element that bugs a few people out but the well-developed characters make the movie very watchable to a willing audience. The story also uses the Guy Fawkes story to relate to its own plot.
The characters are also unique. From the mysterious and strong V (Weaving) to the megalomaniac politician Adam Sutler (Hurt); from the scared and fragile Evey (Portman) to the brilliant Inspector Finch (Rea), the plot is filled with memorable characters that give the story a believable cloak despite its rather implausible storyline.
The acting of this production is also memorable. The whole cast gave a wonderful performance, but I was completely astonished with the two main characters (i.e. Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey). V was a very difficult character to portray, since his face was obstructed by a Fawkesian mask throughout the whole movie, but Weaving totally pulled it off using his mortifying voice and remarkable movements. On the other hand, Portman as Evey was also magnificent as is to be expected from such a stunning actress.
The screenplay was also awe-inspiring. Examples: both V fight scenes; the rain scene on the roof; the scenes with Sutler speaking to his minions on the big screen. All these are thanks to the Wachowski brothers as screenwriters and director James McTeigue for giving us these memorable scenes giving this movie a magical feeling. The soundtrack and sound effects are also very cool and go very well with the story.
While watching this movie, I couldn't help but feel that sort of epic feeling; it's like this movie is telling us a story that has already happened. There should be more movies like this one and i recommend it to everyone who enjoys movies that, like this one, have a lot of soul from its legendary beginning to its jaw-dropping ending.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Average storyline but great in many other ways!!!
I had barely heard of this movie before when a friend of mine recommended it to me and i watched it. and in may ways, i was impressed.
first off, i haven't read Jeffery Deaver's book so i cannot judge whether this movie was a good adaptation or not. what i can say is that the script is nothing out of the ordinary and merely consists of police trying to track a serial killer and trying to stop him from doing his next crime, which is quite simple. I, for one, would have liked to see more action scenes.
The characters, however, is what kept the plot afloat and the actors portraying them pulled off wonderful performances: 1)Rhyme (Washington)is a brilliant near-paralyzed detective who is often asked assistance with some cases despite his condition. Washington's performance continued to confirm that he is a marvelous actor. i say this since during the whole movie, he only got to move his face and finger, but still managed to make the character believable and intriguing 2)Donaghy (Jolie) is a doubtful but brilliant officer whose character develops marvelously during the story. Donaghy was not that seductive tantalizing super-hot woman that Jolie is usually casted in most of her movies. her character is deeper and she portrays it beautifully. 3)Thelma (Latifah) is a helpful and caring nurse. It is not a big character in the movie but Latifah seems to make the most of it and gives, as usual, a strong performance 4)Cheney (Rooker) is a meddling officer who helps to create a certain tension to the story.
The soundtrack and sound effects were OK and it did not interfere with the action on screen.
Over all, i think this movie is worth watching as it keeps you entertained and interested. The Directing and screenplay are also very well done. If I were you, I would not miss this movie. I give it 7/10. It is not a masterpiece but it is worth praising.
Alias (2001)
this series is worth watching although it is far from perfect
i've just finished watching season 2 and i think that by now i know more or less what this is series is worth. well, to be clear, this series is FAR from flawless but all the same it does not deserve all the bad comments its been receiving. what i mean is, there are some aspects that need fixing but others that have quite a good potential too. for example, alias has wonderful and hot actors,well-developed characters, acceptable special affects, a riveting and exciting plot, some jaw-dangling twists and at times incredible soundtrack. still, it would be pointless to say that there isn't a remarkable number of goofs and plot holes. also, alias provides awe-inspiring sceneries and it is basically a tour through the most beautiful cities and locations on Earth. over all, alias is worth it. it is both satisfying and spectacular but it could have been greatly improved with a few more efforts.
p.s. i'm a bit disappointed with victor garber...he s too mobile. grrr