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Reviews
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
One sided tripe
I got to the end of this movie and didn't feel a thing. During Juliane Moore's big apology at the end all I could keep thinking was that it's just another apology. This movie should have been called "The Kids are, I'm Sorry". It took until the next morning to hit me. So Nic is a nasty crank; I'm sorry (apology accepted). Jules sleeps (repeatedly) with Paul; I'm sorry (apology accepted). Paul sleeps with Jules; I'm Sorry... reply? Eff you! I couldn't figure out why Paul came off so flat. I kept thinking that his motivations and responses were, well, off. Jules wasn't happy with Nic. That was the problem, not Paul. If it wasn't Paul, it would have been something else. So Paul, who really has no kind of motivation, no dream or expectations (convenient for the writer) is just there to push the buttons. So I thought, who could create two strong characters like Nic and Jules, yet not really have a clue about the motivation and emotions of men. I jokingly thought "a lesbian". And then I get to work and look this up. Bingo. I guess "write what you know" fits here. Except Paul. Paul turns out to be the exclamation point to the sentence: WE DON"T NEED MEN! That was all he was there for. And, frankly, its hurtful. This character was built out of hurt and anger of the writer. This writer has no idea about the internal workings of men. Paul has no direction, no motivation. So I would like to take a moment for Paul. You have met your biological spawn and wish to have a relationship. You slept with one of the mothers and hurt that relationship. You regret, just like everyone else in this story, so, apology accepted. So that was one star (since that is the lowest we can go). The other is for the actors that tried to save this one sided compost.
The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Hmmmm
I found TDE very entertaining and my girlfriend and I talked for quite a while about some of the symbolism that we had actually missed in the movie. Some only catch the tossing of the baggage at the end, but the movie STARTS with symbolism. I have brothers and the rolls were uncannily out of my life. I could put my own personal names to the characters. If you begin to understand the fact that they are brothers and what that really means; how they suffer together, and also still meddle in each other's lives for what they think is best for that person, then it clicks. The talking behind each other's backs, only to come back to them rang so true. I guess I can say that I liked it because it seemed to speak to me personally.
Ashita no kioku (2006)
Beautiful film, beautifully made
I saw this movie at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, MI. It was so well done. The producer was there and to everyones surprise, he was American. He explained to us that Ken Watanabe is like Clint Eastwood over in Japan. He said that Ken was reading the book of this story and really wanted to make it. He also said that the Japanese have only really seen him do Samurai movies and that this was apart from what they usually see him in. This movie won the Japanese equivalent to the best motion picture Oscar. But of course here, no nod in the foreign film category. It is emotionally stirring, visually stunning and extremely well acted. There is no moment in the film where things feel sappily cliché' or manipulative. It is a pure film about its topic. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. Please watch, and enjoy.
Crash (2004)
crash....ed
Wow. Not good. I mean at all. I keep seeing all of these 8 to 10 star ratings and wonder what kind of mindless cineretards we've become. Mindless garble beginning to end. Contrived to the point to where it was actually physically making me ill I thought every thing was going to fly at the TV like in the cable commercial because it downright sucked so bad. The only decent acting was Matt Dillon, and that takes a lot since I don't really like him either. I wish there was a rating less than one star. I would sad that it was horrible, but horri was all I could get out before I throw up. So since I hated it so much, why did I keep watching it. The folks who were in it, and that's it. I wanted to see what they could pull off to salvage such a mess.
The Village (2004)
So, so
I almost hoped that I was wrong when, half way through he movie, I leaned over and told my girlfriend the twist. There were little things here and there that lent to it. I was a little put out, but upon looking at it in a different light and seeing that it was impactive in other ways, it grew on me. The idea of creating a better today through living more simply. The innocence and persistence of love. And it showed that even in their Utopian ideal bad things happen (to Lucius). But the village would still try to do their best to preserve themselves and grow beyond it.
Would I have gone and seen it knowing what I know? Maybe not. Rent? Yes. Very good acting.
Lose your expectations and be open to all of the messages that the movie sends and there will be more points to enjoy. 7 of 10