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Reviews
Lilja 4-ever (2002)
I was disappointed
I won't deny that the movie contains powerful performances and horrific situations, but the director was obviously intent on little more than making a movie that would make his audience feel bad, and as a result I felt manipulated. Especially towards the end of the movie, when the wings appear. It was similar to Dancer in the Dark and Dogville, two other movies I didn't care for, in terms of creating simplistic heroines who we are invited to watch suffer for two hours (more or less). It's a very simple strategy and I find Moodysson a bit exploitative of the very women he says he's trying to help. Two similar movies that I think work much better are the silent Passion of Joan of Arc and David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Cats & Dogs (2001)
Better than Shrek
Don't listen to those people who say that this movie is only for kids. If you enjoy satire and comedic absurdity, you'll really enjoy this film, which features the best villain of any film this year, Mr. Tinkles. And all the "animal violence" is cartoonish and broad, and while it's true that one dog gets kidnapped, he is not killed. Relax, America, and listen and look carefully for the movie's comic gems.
The Cider House Rules (1999)
Good but not great
I enjoyed this movie, but the plot's development was rather bland and predictable. You could tell that there was a lot of the novel that was missing in the film. The cinematography and acting are all top-quality, especially Delroy Lindo and Michael Caine, and while this is a good movie, it isn't one of the year's best.
Return to Horror High (1987)
Not that bad.
Yes, it was a standard cheesy 80s horror movie, but it had some nice touches. The filmmakers ambitiously tried to combine flashbacks with the movie-in-a-movie they were making, which was sometimes confusing, sometimes clever, but definitely worthwhile. You could do a lot worse than this one.