paulosnic Reviews

Antichrist (2009)

a must see movie with a food-for-thought content

[10/10 · 13 October 2010]

I'm not going to say much about this movie other than that it is a "must see" movie/experience whatever your feelings towards it may be after wards. The artistic visuals, the biblical/Freudian symbolism and the emotions that it arouses, are a rare achievement for a movie. Be forewarned though: you may feel awkward if you see it with friends (or significant others) you don't know well. It's that powerful!

However, the reason for this review is not to praise its visual appeal but to comment on the controversy about its content/premise. Ultimately the main concept is "man/reason vs woman/nature" in a "offence/crime/flaws - revenge/crime/flaws - redemption/punishment/demise" scheme, so of course it would cause controversy. The point however is that all the arguments it offers are circular and ambivalent (both ways). So the movie does not take sides unless you want it to.

Thus, it should be best called a "reflective" movie which gives plenty of room for discussion and/or self-exploration on the wrong-doings of both sides, and that's why I think it is not only a powerful experience, but also a very useful one for everyone (or every couple) who is open-minded enough to admit and accept the circularity and ambivalence of the arguments.

In other words, it's much deeper than an exploitation movie, although because it does provide closure (on the surface), it also gives the freedom to be viewed as such if you decide to... and take whichever side you decide to too!

The Time Machine (2002)

Equals the 1960 version: A worthy remake!

[8/10 · 11 October 2010]

This is a review by someone who has seen this version of the Time Machine before he saw the earlier (original version). Well, both are good and there is no "better" in my opinion. However this version IS better in terms of scenery and visuals. Sound effects are also more in accordance with today's standards.

The stories themselves are also different, in two aspects: a) This is more of a love story(-ies) and less of a social criticism story, although it does include the same allegories that the first did, but in a slightly more subtle tone. b) This time the Eloi look much more like the the Avatar's race in character and lifestyle rather than blonde-blue-eyed people in factory/school uniforms.

I believe that the younger folks will prefer this version while the older folks will prefer the previous one. That is mostly because this version is faster paced and the characters look, behave and talk more like today's people do and also the ideas that are implied throughout are more relevant by todays standards. Simply put, Samantha Mumba is more likely to attract this generation's men, while Yvette Mimieux is more likely to attract the previous generations. Sienna Guillory on the other hand, reconciles all generations :P

PS. The original version getting 2 more points in rating I think is attributed to the originality rather than the superiority of the original. So choose according to your age!

Say Goodnight (2008)

Misunderstood & unnoticed for no good reason! Give it a shot!

[7/10 · 10 September 2010]

I felt compelled to write this review because I was surprised that this movie had no reviews and so low number of votes. Also because I was surprised to see that it is categorized only as "Comedy". As for the rating (5.1 by the time I wrote this review) I wouldn't say it is bad, since "Runaway Bride" has almost the same rating yet it has 28k+ votes! However, this movie although it is narrated in a humorous manly way, with the very clever setting of four men talking over beer on a bar through flashbacks, it is mostly a story (four different stories actually) of drama/romance than comedy. As a comedy is clever and the humor does not disappoint in quality, but there is not enough in quantity to make it a hardcore/pure comedy. As a romance/drama on the other hand, it offers much insight into romantic relationships, and although it does not offer definite conclusions, it's thought-provoking but light enough to keep its "upbeat" atmosphere that a comedy requires. In short, it's a movie that does not disappoint in any way or any audience mix. Not the best movie out there, but in my opinion, a safe bet that I certainly recommend!