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The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Supreme Disappointment
Although the original was an engrossing thriller, this is like a theme park thrill ride version of it, with the faces & scenery painted on the walls.
The story & acting were passable, but the direction & filming technique made it almost unwatchable. 'Shaky-Cam' is a stylistic trend that needs to end ASAP. About 40% of the film is so badly shaking it almost made me nauseous.
Perhaps watching on a small TV in daylight would help.... Naah, just skip it. Way too short, also. No resemblance to the quality of The Bourne Identity at all. The whole result seems like an attempt to quickly git'r'done & go count the money. Thumbs WAY down. If you can't stand to miss it anyway, it's certainly one to rent before buying!
Taking Lives (2004)
Should'a been Taut, but turned out Flaccid
Overall, a real stinker. What a mystery. NO, not this plot - this multitude of nearly right-on negative reviews. There is a consensus, but it is hard to define what's wrong with this near-miss which you'd like to like, but just can't quite... Yes, unless you're eager to see Miss Jolie overexposed there is no redeeming aspect of spending the time watching this mis-fire of a movie. Too bad, because it could'a would'a been pretty OK with a little more thoughtful editing of the screenplay. The holes in this plot are way too numerous & obvious to list (plus would be considered SPOILERS by anyone who watches it in spite of all these negative reviews.)
The one that really killed it for us was having the female lead (supposedly a very intelligent & professional top FBI agent) literally jump on the male lead, having never so much as touched each other - not even a kiss - nor generating any believable chemistry/tension between the characters. (Is that supposed to make it "hot?' Thumbs down.) Plus, if she was so good, she'd have known the truth about him already & never gone there. By that point it was already obvious to US...
The mostly indiscernible muttering of the French-Canadien English-speaking policemen didn't help either. Looking for a REAL good thriller? 'Seven' is obvious, 'Fargo' is another. Want a fairly taut cop drama with lots of believable character interest? The largely overlooked 'Falling Down' is excellent. No gratuitous gore & overexposed starlets, though. You'll have to suffer through this one if that's what you really want to see.
Something the Lord Made (2004)
Delightful Surprise
I shouldn't have liked this - not a fan of HBO 'original' movies, nor rap stars turned actors. Great movies are made by studios or independents, not networks. Great actors come from the world of acting; not singing, painting or sports. Heck, I don't even like Barbara Streisand, in either discipline. But Queen Latifa did very well in "Bone Collector" and LL Cool J didn't quite ruin "Deliver Us From Eva." The HBO description sounded like a good story, so I gave it a chance...
WOW. Excellent story, very fine acting, authentic looking cinematography, compelling and well-developed screenplay; and a real zing for your heartstrings. The particular subject matter is interesting enough, but the real story is the human relationships, both within/among the characters & American society. As we travailed through the growing pains of integration and striving for equality whether by race, gender or social class distinction; the story of how we coped and progressed has seldom been depicted with such artistic clarity. Also, a real Believe In Yourself, Do What You Love, Don't Give Up kind of story.
Not a perfect film, might seem a bit slow-paced at times for some, but very engrossing. Along with the lead actors who portrayed their characters wonderfully, Kyra Sedgwick also turned in another fine appearance. Watching it unfold it was easy to become involved, by the end I was very pleasantly surprised to be reminded that the brilliant young leading man was Mos Def. I certainly didn't expect such a performance, but gladly admit he's most definitely a fine actor.
Glad to see it's available on DVD, definitely a MUST-SEE.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Fun for anybody 13 & over
This is a cute & fluffy Romantic Comedy with some very sweet & well-acted characters. If you've already had enough actual thinking & running around like crazy for one day, you deserve to be able to shut down & veg with the family.
Escapist? You betcha! The whole concept is based on escapism, so why not relax with an extra-large supply of popcorn & soda, put the pre-teens to bed, and enjoy!?! Watch the trailer, the movie (dig the funky 80s threads) and after sending the teens to bed - watch the deleted scenes.
This isn't a work of classic cinematic history, it's FUN. Excellent performances, a few scenes that seem a bit awkward - a couple of the deletions should've been left in, would've helped - but overall a much more engaging & energetic film than the oft-compared 'Big.' Anybody who grew up in the 80s will be falling out over the opening sequences, anybody who's been a teen or parent or worked with a bunch of 2 faced suck-ups will relate to the whole thing. (And yes, BTW, I am a 40-something man; it still worked for me. Adults like to have fun too!)
Plus, a new favorite movie-character quote:
"Champagne for my real friends, and Real Pain for my Sham friends, that's my new motto!"
(Actually, from a deleted scene)
Pay It Forward (2000)
Sweet and Sour
Wonderful concept, but not a wonderful movie. HJO did a fantastic job, K Spacey and Angie D were provocative & delightful. HH just isn't a compelling BIG Screen presence - she has the same 6 facial moves in every role she gets, and they just don't always work. This 'mom' part is way too gritty for her - contrast that with Angie's incredible grit & tenacity in the Grandma part.
The time-shifting written into the screenplay seems to be a distracting and unnecessary ploy, trying to make the story more mystical than it really is. And the "score," if you can call it that, is truly vapid. A single 2 bar 6 beat phrase, beaten to death throughout the movie. Puh-leeeeeze.
The idea of Pay It Forward is a great idea. Never gonna happen in the real world, but a nice gesture. The strong classroom scenes, and very convincing & fine work by HJO & Spacey are worth the time spent. During the 'setup' (first half or so of the story) it really seems like it will turn into a great movie. The characters are interesting enough, and the story is increasingly compelling.
After that it just begins to unravel... too many scenes of 'mom' self-destructing and methodically over-(re)acting. If she's in this much constant crisis, how does she hold it together to work 2 jobs? Contrast that to the character flaws which develop in Spacey's role, actually drawing us into more curiosity & caring for him.
The sub-plot of the reporter is injected using 'is this a time-shifting scene or not' so much that in itself it detracts from the story. Too obviously, in the end it becomes a false reward for the compassion & brilliance of the young hero.
Finally, without giving a spoiler, the ending must be mentioned. It could've been written SO much better, and not have dumped ALL the momentum the film had developed. That 7th grade class could've done a superior re-write on this! It easily derails and nullifies the entire story, and for what? A simple-minded attempt for a tear jerk ending.
Especially if you have youngsters watching this movie: I HEARTILY RECOMMEND STOPPING THE PLAYBACK at the scene where the 2 adults meet between the lockers. Now, make up your own ending. Trust me, it will be better than the one filmed. OK, send the tykes to bed, and if you can't stand the 'suspense' go ahead & watch it. See what I mean?!? (Sorry, but you were warned.)
Why, oh why doesn't this DVD have an Alternate Ending??? The producers actually thought this is the only/best way out?!?? In all the thousands of movies I've seen, THIS is the single, extreme & worst example of a terribly written ending, ever. By far. And it could easily have been brilliant, and just as teary... How sad - FOR US WHO LOVE GREAT MOVIES! Insead of a 'must-buy' this is a 'must see, ONCE' because the ending is so implausible. Boooo.
Bye bye, Angie. You did real good. :(
Down with Love (2003)
Fluff can be fun
OK, this is not one of the greatest films of all time; but far from the tragic waste of time others have implied. Not a bad experience, watching this movie is "turn-off-the-brain and enjoy some harmless entertainment" time. Hollywood would do well to allow viewers to read between the lines in this way more often, rather than always bully us into the production's understanding of the story. Down With Love's basic story details have been covered in other reviews, but it seems like the point has been missed.
The majority of viewers & Renee Z fans probably don't know or remember Pillow Talk or Doris D. Besides it is NOT a reincantation/ripoff, just bears enough resemblance to be a spoofy homage to those similar films of the 60s. For those who recognize the atmosphere, it is simply disarming nostalgia. In today's film atmosphere of pro-fem man hating, this is a lighthearted romp that juggles the political agenda without turning it into a water-balloon fight. Or, it's about player-hating where the player & the hater BOTH consider the error of their ways.
Unlike 'Catch Me If You Can' which recreated the world of the 60s in detail with total loving authenticity, 'Down' is just painting the playground in splashes of pop-culture 60ish vivid colors. Even kids could watch this & enjoy a battle-of-the-sexes with the gory details left to the imagination (another touch of the classics) and a flip-flop twist ending which reinforces that 'honesty is the best policy.' Who cares when & where it's happening? It's the oldest story around & won't ever be put to rest. 'Down' handles it in a way that's more fun & less gross than 'Shrek'!
Please pass the popcorn....
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Slightly obscured, vastly inferior americanized version of 'The Pride of Miss Jean Brody'
The biggest differences are:
1 Julia Roberts is much better looking (but unbelievably so, for this role)
2 at least 'Miss Jean' had a memorable song. The score (original music) for MLS is as pretentious as the screenplay.
3 there is absolutely no way MLS could be entertaining or even watchable to a normal man. Not that many 'chick flicks' are entertaining to men, but this one isn't even possible to stomach. At least the original 'Miss Jean' was!
What an absolute farce!
Big Fish (2003)
A charming & witty emotional 'fishing trip'
Big Fish is a very clever, but not at all pretentious story-telling film. The reviewers that have not enjoyed or understood it reflect a need to be spoon-fed a story without room for interpreting & relating to it emotionally. How sad for those writers, and the potential audiences who have therefore passed up this wonderful film.
Hopefully Mr. Burton & other film-makers will not be deterred by the few who prefer not to think while experiencing a film, because this style is sorely missed by most of the industry & audience.
Probably not his tour-de-force masterpiece, nonetheless a beautifully made film with very touching and moving characters. The masterpiece itself is yet to come, but it is great fun to enjoy the results of the 'learning curve.' His touch is indeed unmistakable throughout this journey, yet more subtle than blatant here.
Anyone who doesn't get at least a bit choked up by the end of this story needs to have their pulse checked!
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
It's a psychological thriller, NOT a sexual drama!!!!
And it's not going to be understood by the 17 year old girls sitting next to me in the theater. They should've saved their money & pooled it for a DVD of Titanic, instead of tittering to each other throughout the movie. EWS is a film that will be mis-understood by many of the patrons who flock to see it because of the media frenzy surrounding the fact that it revolves around human sexuality as a plot element. But it is NOT an erotic movie, despite the titillating aspect of frequent nudity. You soon get used to the nudity (intentionally, I think) and hopefully get over it so you can begin to digest the REAL story - that emotional and physical aspects of the human psyche are so intertwined with our "normal" daily-life-selves, they are inseparable, volatile; and affect us in ways we don't think about often, until a situation comes about that brings the issue to the forefront. And the real story in this film is presented & handled masterfully by the ensemble, under the absolute GENIUS of Mr. Kubrick. This certainly should've earned him that elusive "Best Director" Oscar; but thanks to the improper type-casting (of genre, "near pornographic"??!?) the media has pronounced upon this film, that seems unlikely. Still, it is an obvious effort of genius, which successfully penetrates some issues that have been untouched in film previously. WELL DONE, Mr. K and Mr. & Mrs. Cruise!!!