xxrotini Reviews

Gomorrah (2008)

Oh Gomorrah...

[2/10 · 12 April 2009]

What a disappointing movie this was. Scattered, no real storyline or characters to grow attached to (with one exception), boring, plodding, this movie was a doozy. How it got the critical acclaim that it's received is beyond me, but honestly 10 minutes into the movie I wanted to leave, but no, I had obligated myself to train wreck, so I sat and watched, and was in a p-o'd daze for a good long amount of time.

Here are some fundamental problems with the flick: 1) the context for what's going on is either not there or it's provided at the end, so while you're watching the scenes you have no clue what's going on--the movie ends and there are a few story lines where I'm still baffled why it was even included and occupied 25-30 minutes of the movie's screen time; 2) the end of the movie has 5 factoids of what you'd want to know about the mob in Italy trying to add a rationale for watching the last 2.5 hours (that felt like 4.5 hours), and that's just lame, have it at the beginning, but don't just be like: here's a reason for spending your time on this; 3) it doesn't succeed as a drama because you don't know motive or have characters with depth (the exception being a 14 year old boy and an old man who distributes checks, both those characters worked for me), and it doesn't succeed as an action/thriller, because there's no suspense or action; 4) I was bored.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

Complex, Compelling Outstanding

[10/10 · 12 June 2006]

This film's story caught my imagination like when I read a good book. The cinematography and on-location shooting gave the film an incredibly authentic feel to it. The characters, the whole cast was phenomenal--not just how they acted but how they were drawn.

The slightly unnecessary (I'll honestly have to watch it again to see the function) segmented Arriaga beginning is a problem I had with the movie, not just because it was distracting, but because I don't understand the function it had in the story other than to throw us off at first. The thing is, I didn't need to be thrown off, the plot didn't have to have to have Usual Suspect or Memento tricks. The film was strong enough without any plot manipulation.

I loved the macabre, dark humor, and overall beautiful storytelling. Outstanding picture, and by far the best movie of the year 2005. My top five: 1) Three Burials; 2) Mysterious Skin; 3) Old Boy; 4) Paradise Now; and 5) 40 Year Old Virgin (yes I loved it). See them all if you haven't!

The Last Farm (2004)

Oustanding

[10/10 · 4 March 2006]

This film is the best movie nominated for an Oscar this year, and I have seen them all now. There is more to this short 17 minute piece than there usually are to most two hours movies. We get the sense of where this old man's life is headed, how his relationships and his family has formed, his attachment to the land.

The film has one of the oddest combinations of imagery as it combines some of the most disturbing: a woman dead in bed, a man burying himself alive, his daughter (along with his son in law and grandkid) seeing him bury himself alive--mixed with some of the most romantic images: a couple dying together, preserving the life on the farm avoiding an old person's home. The movie is very human, dying with dignity. The acting and directing and scenery are also amazing.

High Tension (2003)

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

[1/10 · 3 January 2006]

It starts off like any other horror flick, one of the ladies playing a trick on the other lady pretending to be someone spooky but nothing really happens. Soon after this really creepy guy with this tiny tiny knife unleashes hell on a family. Now I'll stop with plot, and go on with my opinions. This film is bloody, bloody awful, and bloody moronic. The only good scene in the whole film happens near the very beginning where one of the female character's masturbates for a good 3 minutes. That's it. The dubbing is distracting, and every cliché imaginable ever used in a horror movie is unleashed like it was the director who was breaking ground. The truth is, the film doesn't have the feel of an original work, it's more of a compilation of stupid horror movies, done pretty fakely, and that's about it. If you watch this movie, watch it with friends and make fun of it the whole time, because it's straight to Mystery Science Theater 3000 along with Manos Hands of Fate.

Garden State (2004)

best of 2004-so far

[10/10 · 17 September 2004]

Garden State is a film with beautiful cinematography, witty societal jabs, and lovable characters.

Braff has been knocked for his film because it is "flawed" in some technical or story-structure way, but the truth is: the film works and it's very deep.

We have the flowery love story, but at the core of the film is feeling. Braff goes back to his HS friends and they're all drowning away their pains with drugs, and then his story of doing legal drugs to numb his personal pain, anyway, the film is about how pain and love are natural and must be felt.

Feeling is the meaning of life.

8½ (1963)

One of the greatest cinematic achievements

[10/10 · 8 January 2004]

Deeply personal and engaging, Fellini's story has an authenticity

to it that is very unique. As we marvel at the method actors and old

American films of the 50's & 60's, it is in the foreign films during

this era where the most impressive and innovative work was

being created (8 1/2 tops that list). I find films with stage-like acting, blatant morality, and little bits of

exciting action (like the American cinema of the 50's and 60's) to

be uncompelling. Personal stories are compelling. Personal

stories that are well done and make the viewer feel what the

filmmaker feels are even better. And 8 1/2 has two personal stories. One story is the dilemma the

lead faces: should he make another flashy, "hollywood" type

movie, or should he stay true to himself. The other personal story

is from the director himself. He's claustrophobic, caught in a

horrid web of making films that aren't true to what he FEELS is

right. He must conform to producers' wishes; he must appease

important people in the industry; he must make things flashy; he

must give away what he KNOWS is truth to survive in this industry.

It is in Fellini's 8 1/2 where he and the main character of the film

say, "Stop!" This personal story resonated with me. It subtly (and I can not

stress any more the subtle quality of this film) spoke to me,

instructing me to not follow what THEY expect. Do what you feel

you must do. Do what you feel that will fulfill your soul--not your

pocketbook, your sexual desires, or other pleasures. You can read my writing and that's fine, but you must see the film

because I am not doing Fellini's film any justice. It is in viewing

the film (and the long period after seeing it) that you will feel the

power of this film. As I am writing this review about 5 months after

seeing it, it has taken some time to settle in my head. Finally after

5 months, the revelations of the film have settled, and I can now

finally fully appreciate what Fellini has done.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

LOTR is mis-ranked

[10/10 · 18 December 2003]

LOTR should be number 2 all time instead of number 164, or whatever it says. You have it listed as having an overall ranking of 8.0, when the voters voted it to have an 8.9.

I am very dissapointed that a website as reliable as imdb.com would make such a mistake.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Outstanding!

[10/10 · 17 December 2003]

Jackson transfers the spirit of Tolkien (in movie form) onto the big screen. Serkis is incredible as Gollum, Wood (and the makeup he wears has he becomes more weary) portrays the struggle of burdening the ring beautifully, and the end of the action is sped up but still done to a T.

I do not mind the inconsistencies, and people who complain of multiple endings shouldn't be angry: Jackson used about 1/20 of Tolkien's ending, and I was very grateful he cut this short. The quest to destroy the Ring is of utmost importance and Jackson transferred Tolkien's vision to the big screen. Jackson has a time limit, unlike Tolkien who could be as sentimental as he wanted to be without a page limit.

10/10, 4 stars, all my thumbs up, what have you. I went in expecting the greatest trilogy/action/fantasy/adventure movie of all time and left with all these--the power of all three, the beauty of the battle, the mystical creatures and settings, and the wonder of their peril--being fulfilled.

Seven Samurai (1954)

Emotion and Action all in one

[10/10 · 19 August 2003]

This has to be one of the most refreshing movies I've seen in a long time. It is an action movie with no special effects, no overlong sword fights, no cheezy one-liners. It's an action movie where there is no clear-cut good vs. evil, no hero... it's all a matter of honor and staying true to oneself. It's a very human movie, filled with drama that makes the 3 and a half hour running time seem shorter than some of the horrible action movies nowadays (take Bad Boys II for example) that are 1 or 1 1/2 hours shorter.

Kurosawa has mastered the fact that actions speak louder than words. And while many moments require little or no dialogue to get his point across, they do require emotion, facial expressions, and body language. The dialogue assists these actions. There is no need for explosions or overlong, final duals.

In Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai," the final dual is this: will the Samurai and the farmer girl (true love) be able to break past societal barriers? Kurosawa's execution of this complex story ends up being far more thrilling and engaging than 99% of the new action movies being released 50 years later.

Eight Legged Freaks (2002)

Super!

[10/10 · 9 May 2003]

This movie rocked my pants off. If you removed the ten rows of seats in front of me in the theater, I would've rolled all the way up to the screen: that's how good this movie is.

And a testament to that, I bought the DVD and listen to the spiders make noises. It makes a sad day happier. Also check out the short movie on the DVD, it's FABULOUS!

Insomnia (2002)

Good Movie

[8/10 · 24 May 2002]

This movie kicked so much. It has the intense psycho battle, the great acting, the intense story line. Robin Williams is demented, like usual, and Al Pacino just displays his true greatness. I loved it, best movie sense beautiful mind, and just go watch it. It'll be the best 7 dollars you'll ever spend. Time to go to bed, don't want to go insane