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Holes (2003)
I'm sure you'll dig it!
A Disney family movie done by the guy who made `Under Siege' and `Collateral Damage'? I thought this was going to be total crap, but to my surprise, `Holes' is a pretty good film with a lot of interesting and funny characters and a plot that deserves its name. Sure, some scenes are quite unrealistic, the flashbacks are put in clumsily sometimes and the ending may be a bit too happy and sweet, but hey: this is a film for kids and I sure wasn't so critical when I was eleven or twelve. Besides: the Kissing Kate story is really cool and makes up for a lot of minor flaws. I mean, an ex-teacher going on an almost heroic killing- and robbing-spree after the small-minded village crooks have killed her black boyfriend and set her school on fire? That's not what movies for kids are usually made of.
Ultimately, one of the film's qualities seems to be that even though it was meant for a young audience, it works just fine for adults. You won't feel bored or anything. So give it a chance, it's better than 90 % of the films I've seen this year.
Historias mínimas (2002)
Clear, plausible stories
This little film has everything you need: slightly odd and likeable characters, small everyday stories that turn out to be grand, and a vast, beautiful landscape. HISTORIAS MINIMAS proves that a small budget is enough to make a great film. All you need is believable actors, talented guys behind the camera and a decent script. If you don't mind watching undubbed originals with subtitles and if films like ABOUT SCHMIDT, THE STRAIGHT STORY or ZUGVÖGEL - EINMAL NACH INARI worked for you, HISTORIAS MINIMAS will become one of your favorites soon.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
highly overrated, way too long and very questionable
I won't give a summary or a deep analysis here, just a few questions and comments
- If Mike is so fed up with war when he returns to his hometown, why does he keep on wearing his uniform sporting his stupid medals?
- Why is the house decorated with flags when he gets home? The protagonists' lives have been destroyed in the name of the Stars and Stripes... is everybody a moron? And why do they sing "God bless America" in the last scene? Is it all some kind of bitter irony I don't unterstand?
- the Vietcong are depicted as sick, brutal, perverse criminals whose favourite passtime seems to be torturing people; there are no American atrocities shown, however... hmmm...
- the wedding scene is almost unbearable; 10 minutes would have been more than enough; I guess it was the editor's day off ?
- the plot is SO predictable and the 'hunter motif' is SO cheap; by the way, shooting animals really sucks, so maybe it's a good thing Mike suffers from a Vietnam trauma in the end