This is an interesting film from a variety of perspectives. It addresses sexuality as well as issues of middle eastern faith and culture. Light hearted though it is, it shows several cultures few have seen from the inside out. Modern Britain plays host to many cultures of middle eastern descent. And the stereotype of "angry fathers" and "downtrodden women" is a commonly repeated meme. This film shows strong women, compassionate men and loving families. Filmed in Britain, with very few imported actors, one sees a cross section of cultures working together to produce a good project. This is a great film to take almost anyone to.
Reviews
10 Reviews
Miracle at St. Anna
(2008)
A better WWII Film -- Great Story, Some Amazing Performances -- See it.
27 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I loved this film. Having worked with soldiers and marines for several years, I'm pretty sick of bad war movies. I'm tired of uniforms and race used to define character. I'm tired of 2D characters with no historical perspective. I'm tired of killing no one cares about. I'm tired of wars without civilians.
This is a great film. It is entertaining, some of the performances (especially that of Angelo and the Chocolate Giant) are amazing.
I remember when I first reviewed LORD OF WAR and all the reviews were negative. That was a great film . . . a great "anti-hero" very well played by Nick Cage. A story you hadn't seen 200 times.
This is that kind of film. If you miss it, I feel sorry for you. Its one of the few really good films this year (JUNO, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE DARK KNIGHT and MIRACLE AT ST ANNA).
This is a great film. It is entertaining, some of the performances (especially that of Angelo and the Chocolate Giant) are amazing.
I remember when I first reviewed LORD OF WAR and all the reviews were negative. That was a great film . . . a great "anti-hero" very well played by Nick Cage. A story you hadn't seen 200 times.
This is that kind of film. If you miss it, I feel sorry for you. Its one of the few really good films this year (JUNO, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE DARK KNIGHT and MIRACLE AT ST ANNA).
Sicko
(2007)
This film exposes the lies . . .
1 July 2007
We pay more for medical care, we get less. We are being fleeced and abused by insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry . . . and by politicians they bought and paid for. It has to end. It just has to.
We are a third world country. Health care is rationed. Medical insurance, as run in this country, just rapes patients and doctors. See the movie. Call your congressman _daily_ thereafter and demand change.
The ONLY thing that will end this nightmare is for you and folks like you to get mad enough to make the guys with their butts in our chairs in congress DO THEIR JOB. They do NOT work for Kaiser and Aetna or Blue cross. They work for us. We need universal health care. We need a well run single payer plan. We need to stop working within a system which rewards people for NOT providing care.
(Remember, when your insurance company rejects your claim or refuses to provide service, their profit goes UP. They have no incentive to provide you with great service and no reason to ensure you get adequate care. Remember . . . they profit when you DON'T get care).
We are a third world country. Health care is rationed. Medical insurance, as run in this country, just rapes patients and doctors. See the movie. Call your congressman _daily_ thereafter and demand change.
The ONLY thing that will end this nightmare is for you and folks like you to get mad enough to make the guys with their butts in our chairs in congress DO THEIR JOB. They do NOT work for Kaiser and Aetna or Blue cross. They work for us. We need universal health care. We need a well run single payer plan. We need to stop working within a system which rewards people for NOT providing care.
(Remember, when your insurance company rejects your claim or refuses to provide service, their profit goes UP. They have no incentive to provide you with great service and no reason to ensure you get adequate care. Remember . . . they profit when you DON'T get care).
Bridge to Terabithia
(2007)
Seriously NOT for Kids Under 10
18 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Great film, well done, but badly marketed. I took five year old twins to this movie and we were all shocked by the deal of the girl. I'm all in favor of learning about death, but its the kind of thing one wants to know before one goes to the movie.
The marketing for this film says "Fairytale" and "Magical" not "Touching" not "Poignant". I'll check my next Disney Movie before I attend.
For a ten year old it was amazing. The kids loved it up until the girl dies, and her parents move away, and the boy has a melt down.
You've been warned :)
The marketing for this film says "Fairytale" and "Magical" not "Touching" not "Poignant". I'll check my next Disney Movie before I attend.
For a ten year old it was amazing. The kids loved it up until the girl dies, and her parents move away, and the boy has a melt down.
You've been warned :)
Casino Royale
(2006)
A Much Better Bond!
26 November 2006
This is the best Bond ever, and the best Bond movie ever. I took a moment to review the negative posts for this movie, and they uniformally discuss deviation from some fairytale, that demands a shallow cavalier spy playing with lots of flashy toys.
Well, this is a Bond movie with a real killer running the show. This Bond has an IQ, and the villains he faces are like those that populate this world . . . cold blooded killers who comfortably trade money for lives and torture people to get what they want.
This is a Bond who bleeds. You'll have no problem believing this guy came out of special forces and was chosen to be a 00. Its plain that this is a guy who has worked in the shadows so long there is _nothing_ he hasn't seen and very little he hasn't done.
See this movie. Enjoy the 3D Bond. Be glad the gadgets are gone and that this Bond lives in the 'real world'.
Well, this is a Bond movie with a real killer running the show. This Bond has an IQ, and the villains he faces are like those that populate this world . . . cold blooded killers who comfortably trade money for lives and torture people to get what they want.
This is a Bond who bleeds. You'll have no problem believing this guy came out of special forces and was chosen to be a 00. Its plain that this is a guy who has worked in the shadows so long there is _nothing_ he hasn't seen and very little he hasn't done.
See this movie. Enjoy the 3D Bond. Be glad the gadgets are gone and that this Bond lives in the 'real world'.
An Inconvenient Truth
(2006)
See this movie - It Rocks
20 May 2006
Man, is this a good movie. Its like a science fiction thriller with real science. Its straight forward, fast paced, relevant and intelligent.
Aren't you tired of "Monster of the Week" movies, "How Fast Can People Drive" movies and "How many people can have sex" movies? If you want to watch something you haven't seen before, something that you'll actually care about after you leave the theater, you'll love this film.
There is NOTHING more misunderstood than Global Warming. People don't understand any of the theories or science behind it. Why should they? CNN, Fox News, MSNBC have better things to do than talk about climate change. They have Aruba to talk about after all.
Don't be afraid you'll be bored. Its as good as any movie you've seen in the last year, and you'll walk out of it feeling lucky to have seen it.
Gore, by the way, was a great narrator. Too bad he didn't win Florida in 2000. Ah well, he wouldn't have made this movie if he had.
Aren't you tired of "Monster of the Week" movies, "How Fast Can People Drive" movies and "How many people can have sex" movies? If you want to watch something you haven't seen before, something that you'll actually care about after you leave the theater, you'll love this film.
There is NOTHING more misunderstood than Global Warming. People don't understand any of the theories or science behind it. Why should they? CNN, Fox News, MSNBC have better things to do than talk about climate change. They have Aruba to talk about after all.
Don't be afraid you'll be bored. Its as good as any movie you've seen in the last year, and you'll walk out of it feeling lucky to have seen it.
Gore, by the way, was a great narrator. Too bad he didn't win Florida in 2000. Ah well, he wouldn't have made this movie if he had.
The Da Vinci Code
(2006)
Great movie - Ignore the Activists
20 May 2006
If you see this movie, you'll enjoy it. Strong characters, great effects, interesting premise. It is _just a movie_ so ignore the activist critics. You'll be glad you did.
The only people likely to be offended by the movie are people who have a very, very rigid view of chrisitianity. It doesn't talk about Christ's message or his work -- just what some people (fictional people) believe about his "family life".
Most christians, who understand that Christ's message can be found in the gospels, will just find the history and art in the movie interesting. Christ's message to love one's enemies and love one's neighbors and to love god are addressed in the movie. His "divinity" is touched upon . . . did he marry. Did he have a child. Does it matter? We are all children of God. We are all made divine when we decide to follow Christ's instructions to love our neighbors, love our enemies, love God. We are reborn.
In any case, go see the movie. It's cool.
The only people likely to be offended by the movie are people who have a very, very rigid view of chrisitianity. It doesn't talk about Christ's message or his work -- just what some people (fictional people) believe about his "family life".
Most christians, who understand that Christ's message can be found in the gospels, will just find the history and art in the movie interesting. Christ's message to love one's enemies and love one's neighbors and to love god are addressed in the movie. His "divinity" is touched upon . . . did he marry. Did he have a child. Does it matter? We are all children of God. We are all made divine when we decide to follow Christ's instructions to love our neighbors, love our enemies, love God. We are reborn.
In any case, go see the movie. It's cool.
Lord of War
(2005)
Great Movie -- Similar to "The Godfather"
16 September 2005
This was a great movie. Cage delivered on the "anti-hero" - a 21st century "Corleone".
The locations were cool and "spectacular". From a visual standpoint this movie really does take you around the world. New York, Russia, Libya, Libera, etc. This movie is shot very, very well.
The pacing of the movie is brisk, the scenes aren't morose. Like Platoon, this movie doesn't glamorize or demonize situations. A guy who sells weapons for a living meets some violent people in some violent places. The visual style is breathtaking . . .
What I like best is, no characters in the movie are "romanticized". There are no "good guys". One could make the case that there are no "bad guys" as well I suppose. There are people who do bad things for reasons you don't understand. There are people who do nothing when they should do something for reasons you don't understand. Its a pretty accurate depiction of real life :)
I think I might have rated the movie 8.5, if there were any other movies at all about this topic that were anywhere in its league. If you make a great "Legally Blond", that's nice. If you make a great movie about arms trading with a sold antihero and supporting characters, I figure you get "extra credit".
I think you're a fool if you miss this movie. Its not about Iraq. Its not particularly political. This movie could have been made under any president in the last 100 years and been just as accurate. Its not particularly anti-gun. Its just about this guy who sells guns.
On the other hand, don't take people to this movie if they can't handle violence or movies that aren't designed to make them "feel good" when they walk out. This is a good movie, its interesting, its intelligent, its important -- but its not Ferris Buellers Day Off or Spinal Tap.
The locations were cool and "spectacular". From a visual standpoint this movie really does take you around the world. New York, Russia, Libya, Libera, etc. This movie is shot very, very well.
The pacing of the movie is brisk, the scenes aren't morose. Like Platoon, this movie doesn't glamorize or demonize situations. A guy who sells weapons for a living meets some violent people in some violent places. The visual style is breathtaking . . .
What I like best is, no characters in the movie are "romanticized". There are no "good guys". One could make the case that there are no "bad guys" as well I suppose. There are people who do bad things for reasons you don't understand. There are people who do nothing when they should do something for reasons you don't understand. Its a pretty accurate depiction of real life :)
I think I might have rated the movie 8.5, if there were any other movies at all about this topic that were anywhere in its league. If you make a great "Legally Blond", that's nice. If you make a great movie about arms trading with a sold antihero and supporting characters, I figure you get "extra credit".
I think you're a fool if you miss this movie. Its not about Iraq. Its not particularly political. This movie could have been made under any president in the last 100 years and been just as accurate. Its not particularly anti-gun. Its just about this guy who sells guns.
On the other hand, don't take people to this movie if they can't handle violence or movies that aren't designed to make them "feel good" when they walk out. This is a good movie, its interesting, its intelligent, its important -- but its not Ferris Buellers Day Off or Spinal Tap.
Beyond the Sea
(2004)
Amazing Movie - a Must See
8 January 2005
This movie was as good as Ray. Spacey (as writer, director and lead) captured a complex character. His performances were amazing. If you miss seeing this movie, you've really missed out. See it before it leaves theatres because the sound track is amazing. The script for this movie is tightly written, taking viewers from Bobby's childhood through marriage, fame, a child of his own, reinvention of himself and his passing. Its upbeat (oddly enough) and one walks away startled at the relevance of Darin's life to today's events. Spacey really can sing and dance, and his performance was truly exceptional. I think some have said he was "too old" for the part, but Darin looked much older than his years, and finding someone who can place Bobby Darin is hard enough without requiring the guy to be 19.
Great/Funny Expose of Fox & O'Reilly
7 August 2004
This is a great movie! Fact filled, straight forward, with fox employees and footage never before seen on TV. This is a must see for anyone who enjoys expose' reporting. You'll particularly enjoy the list of misinformation that FOX viewers take as gospel, the out takes from O'Reilly's show, the daily memos from the Fox News network detailing the day's "talking points", an overview of why Fox does so little field reporting (talking heads are so much cheaper) . . .
Probably the best thing about this movie is that its "no spin", just FOX people talking about working for Fox news for the most part. I can't wait to see the director for the show interviewed on O'Reilly. Not a bush bashing movie . . . just an overview of the Non-News network.
Probably the best thing about this movie is that its "no spin", just FOX people talking about working for Fox news for the most part. I can't wait to see the director for the show interviewed on O'Reilly. Not a bush bashing movie . . . just an overview of the Non-News network.
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