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jyancura
Reviews
The Island (2005)
I wish that I could have turned off my brain and just enjoyed The Island
I wish that I could have turned off my brain and just enjoyed The Island as a straight-ahead action film. However the film seems to beg to be taken seriously. The premise is potentially interesting: evil doctor runs a city of clones used as replacement parts for rich people. Of course the clones are oblivious to this. Two young and attractive clones discover they are all being duped and escape to semi-futuristic Los Angeles. The film seems to take the moral high ground on such issues as man playing God and the right to life. Unfortunately, things go downhill from there.
The remainder of the film consists of some decent chase scenes and otherwise great actors trying to save a very confusing script. Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, and Ewan McGregor (in two roles) all try to salvage a troubled movie. Scarlett Johansson had the hardest task trying to breathe life into the adolescent fantasy character of the naive, loyal, sex object. The film's creators are likely hoping that the audience has not seen or doesn't remember such films as Logan's Run, THX 1138, or Coma because The Island liberally borrows from the better films. Don't worry about my including a spoiler because the two people with whom I saw the movie and I disagreed about what actually happened the last in the final 20 minutes. I'm wishing that I spent the 20 minutes elsewhere.
The Aristocrats (2005)
A celebration of laughter
The Aristocrats uses a warhorse joke to give the audience a window into humor, obscenity, and the American conscience. I am not aware of another study capable of inducing such laughter. The premise is devilishly simple and almost a modern version of comedia delarte. This allows some of the best American comic minds to muse wildly about humor. A great achievement of the movie is the raw footage of a who's who of comedians. Comic greats such as George Carlin, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Godfrey, Jason Alexander, Robin Williams, Phyllis Diller, Drew Carey, Sarah Silverman, and many more weigh in on how comedians put their signature on jokes.
The editing and pacing of the movie insure that the audience goes no longer than two minutes without a good laugh. There is no shortage of obscenity and lewdness in the film. The Aristocrats is not a family film. However, the film proves that there is much to be gained from wading into the lake of obscenity. Packed between laughs about bodily functions and social taboos, are searing insights about improvisation, character, show business, and things which most of us would not willingly put in our mouths. The movie hits on many different levels and stands as an insightful sociological achievement garbed in laughter.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
I was wildly amused
I was wildly amused by the big screen version of Hitchhiker's Guide. It has been awhile since I've read the book and my wife has never read the books. None the less, we were charmed by the cheeky randomness of the script and performances. Sam Rockwell gives and over the top as Zaphod Beeblebrox. He pushed the character to the maximum level of absurdity. Alan Rickman also shined as the voice of Marvin the Robot. John Malkovich's cameo added a nice touch. However, I felt like Mos Def was not able to run with the Ford Prefect character.
This movie is not for those who take themselves too seriously or believe that only art should make it to the big screen. I wouldn't venture to call the film a classic and from what I remember, it is less than the book or radio show. However, Hollywood has been kinder to this franchise than it has others. At times the movie approaches creative and original. It is not as good as it could be, but it is definitely not as bad.
The Hebrew Hammer (2003)
The Hebrew Hammer adds a colorful, new dimension to parody
What Spinal Tap did to the Rocumentary and what Austin Powers did to the spy flick, The Hebrew Hammer attempts to do to testosterone induced rebel films. One's appreciation, or even toleration, of the Hebrew Hammer depends on whether or not they buy into it. It is ridiculous, sophomoric and potentially offensive to Jews, African-Americans, and even Christmasphiles. However, the script is witty and multidimensional. In addition, the performances delivered by Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, and Mario Van Peebles strike a fine mix of funny, sexy, and cool.
On the surface, the film is almost a series of sketch comedy scenes. Notable of which are when reindeer butcher Santa (shown silhouette a la Hitchcock) as the Christmas patriarch gasps, "Et tu Vixen.." Also when the hero's mother guilt-trick-manipulates him at the dinner table into doing exactly what he said that he would not do, save Hanukkah, five minutes prior. The amazing thing to me about the script was that, instead of existing in isolation such as in films like Anchorman, there is a sense of pacing, texture, and plot to the sketches as they make up a greater whole.
The Hebrew Hammer is not going to change the world or revolutionize the film industry. Those very sensitive to racial stereotypes being exaggerated for humors' sake or generally possessing a PC disposition may want to avoid the movie. What the Hebrew Hammer does best is add a colorful, new dimension to the action, rebel-genre, parody.
Mitt liv som hund (1985)
Subtle, irony can result in a powerful human tale
This film shows how a blend of subtle, irony can result in a powerful human tale. Universal themes like abandonment, loyalty, and love are responsibly explored. The universal awkwardness of late childhood and adolescence are humorless exposed without ridicule and such pressing questions as "who will load the bananas" are answered. I don't think that I have ever laughed as hard during a movie as when I watched "My Life as a Dog." In addition, such pathos is rarely captured on film. I realize that it is cliché to say that I laughed and cried during a movie. However, this is one of the only movies in which I actually did this. I am hard pressed to think of another movie that risks the range of emotions embraced by this film. I would put this film on the level of great Czech literature as Bohumil Hrabal and Vasclav Havel.
Closer (2004)
likely fallen for this film when I was 20
I would have likely fallen for this film when I was 20 years old. The dialogue is masterful and the four principals give fantastic performances. Scenes from the film will likely become audition pieces for aspiring actors. However, the film seems to be simply a vehicle for the sharp dialogue and a series of powerful, emotional scenes. The characters' motivations were unclear with the most obvious explanation for actions being, "well they were just a little messed up." A great movie/story need more clarification than that. I have not seen the play from which the material is adapted. I imagine that the story/script would work better as a play. All this considered, Closer is still a better film than most of the other movies in circulation. The film is well packaged Euro-trash, pseudo-intellectual entertainment.
Celsius 41.11: The Temperature at Which the Brain... Begins to Die (2004)
High comedy
This may be the funniest movie released in 2004. I am hard pressed to find a comparable example of shameless propaganda and selective use of data. Such a shallow presentation of the status quo undermines that political ideology it represents. This film should be archived with such classics as "Reefer Madness" as a narrow minded, vanilla, prefabricated analysis to complex issues. Not how all previous US support the Taliban regime and for Saddam is omitted. In addition, the present generous support for the Karimov regime is absent. I especially liked the sentimental conclusion set to the music of Holst. This film furthers the notion that conservative art is a leading oxymoron of our epoch.