Change Your Image
graffixalley
Reviews
Stadt Land Fluss (2011)
Pretty, but serious waste of time
I saw this film last night and when it was over, I was rather disappointed. I came to see what others had said about it and noticed it only ran for 98 minutes. It felt more like 3 hours.
Its only redeeming quality is the depiction of the farming profession in post-Communist Germany. One does get a feeling of what it is like for the younger generation in the area, where the adults still have a bit of the old way in their methods and the kids are not quite convinced it is for them. We see some of the beauty of the farm, but also a bit of the decay that was left over from the old days.
I do give the two leads a bit of credit, both for being easy on the eyes and for conveying tons of meaning with their looks and actions. It does not, however, make up for the lack of plot or character development.
Apocalypto (2006)
Stunning movie experience
I went to see this movie because I studied the Mayan culture quite a bit in college and was curious to see what would make it to the screen. For the most part, I was not disappointed. The camera work was absolutely breathtaking and the dialog was minimal, so I didn't have to read subtitles constantly while the action was going on around me. The jungle and city scenes reminded me of the actual places I visited in the Yucatan peninsula and further south. What was really amazing was the actors use of the Mayan language. While I am no expert, the rhythm of the speech sounded pretty close to what I remember from my travels. Kudos to both the actors and the dialog coaches!
The only big problem was the historical accuracy. From the theories that I learned (20 years ago, BTW), the Mayan city scenes were most likely separated by several hundred years from the 'ending' of the movie. Still, I gave this a high rating because it just works as a very exciting movie. I would recommend this to anyone who can watch a movie with subtitles.
El crimen del padre Amaro (2002)
Great expectations not realized
After having been completely engrossed with the performance of Bernal in 'Y tu mama tambien', I must say I was a bit disappointed with El Crimen. Yes, there was relevance to current cultural ideas, just like the former, but that's not all that makes a movie good. I went into the theater expecting to see some reflections of my own uneasy feelings about the Catholic Church and organized religion in general. I got that but it was not enough. I think what I needed was character development. The character of Padre Amaro went from innocent child of God right to biggest sinner in the town without a clear pathway. I probably blame that more on the writers and director than the actors, but they were not entirely guilt-free, I'm afraid. On the other hand, I felt the filmography was superb. Having been to many remote areas of Mexico, I really felt like I was back there with the richness of the scenery. *As for the Oscars, I don't expect it to win anything. I saw Hable con Ella the same night and it was much better, so I can only assume Spain's entry in the Foreign Language category (which beat Hable con Ella) is hugely better. Still, I would recommend this movie for anyone patient enough to read the subtitles (the Spanish dialog was less than clear) and interested in seeing a bit of how Mexico really is.
Ground Force (1997)
This show is all wet...
I too, have found this to be a delightful program. One of the more interesting features is the cultural and climatological differences between the USA and UK. Seems like every episode that I have seen has had to deal with rain of some sort. One almost wonders if they plan it that way so as to show off Charlie's assets...
But torrential downpours aside, It always amazes me that the gardens are so small. I would be hard pressed to park my compact car in many of them! I guess we North Americans are spoiled by having so much space to work with. Many of the ideas presented in the series are very well suited to the space but I find myself wondering if those same ideas would look out of place amidst my 2-acre back yard.
Nonetheless, the show is entertaining and I never have to worry about the kids watching. Especially interested is our 17-year-old boy. I know he is interested in the agricultural aspect but can't help wondering if Charlie has something to do with it...
Hamam (1997)
drab, dreary, mystical, magical
I have seen this film twice now, and both times felt enchanted at the end. I was impressed by the fact that while in Italy, colors are bright and edges are sharp but life was just dull. In Turkey, the screen was inundated by drab colors, worn edges and crumbling buildings, but the humble people and surroundings were full of life.
While never afraid of subtitles, I felt their use was enlightening in this case. I was able to put myself in the main character's shoes in not understanding everything being said (well, I could read, but still...) The use of what I perceived to be 'broken Italian' also added to the mood.
The letters being read has been done before and I expected it to be a foreshadowing of things to come but I didn't expect the way it was carried out.
As for the sexuality mentioned in other reviews, I think I would call it sensuality, and it didn't always involve naked bodies.
All in all, this was a great movie. I have also added Istanbul to my list of cities I must visit before I die.
Head On (1998)
a clash of emotions for the viewer
This has to be one of the most riveting movies I have seen in a long while, if not ever. I found myself compelled to sympathize with the lead character and at the same time felt completely repulsed by his self-destructive actions. I felt like I was being yanked about like an unruly puppy on a short leash! I was so turned on by the sexuality/sensuality and the seeming self confidence the lead character exhibits, yet his mindless substance abuse and self-inflicted pain left me feeling hollow and betrayed. The situations seemed almost absurd, yet in my heart, I know it is unflinchingly real and totally possible.
I often rate films on the level of happiness I feel as I leave the theater. Based on that system, Head On was nearly the worst I have ever endured to the final credits. I guess that scale doesn't apply here, because I can't get it out of my mind! That's saying something because I saw this movie over a year ago!
Gods and Monsters (1998)
Some are missing the point
I REALLY liked this movie. All the main characters were portrayed with grace and the technical aspects were quite well done in my opinion. What a lot of other reviewers seem to be missing is the total irony in the perceptions of viewers compared with Whale's fame in the story. Seems that he was most famous for those sordid Frankenstein movies, when he had produced many other works that were so much better. The movie itself is famous for the gay theme, but there is so much more to it than that. Whale is such a complex character that is exposed in an elegant manner and totally believable (IMHO). Fraser portraying the macho gardener with compassion, as someone else put it, is also intricate for the times and quite credible. Anyway, my recommendation is to see it if you can.
PS...This may not be Fraser's best performance. You might note that he has over 30 entries in the IMDB database and several for serious roles that might be better than this one. School Ties and The Passion of Darkly Noon come to mind (weird movie but I think he was good in it).
Queer as Folk (2000)
Terribly addictive
Sometimes I get the feeling someone followed my group of friends around with a camera. Ok, not really. But I do know people just like all the characters in QAF. In fact, I think I see a bit of myself in several of them. Like the reviewers early on, I felt the whole thing was a bit 2-dimensional in the beginning. Strange, but in my early days of hanging around in mostly gay circles, they were a bit flat too! The development seems to have taken us through that period and now, and as we grow up, we are seeing more depth to the lives of the characters. My only problem with the show is the long time span between episodes!
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
Unabashed praise
This has to be one of the wittiest films I've seen in quite a while. It's unfortunate that it saw limited release in this part of the country. The set and costumes were over the top but just enough to masquerade as normal to unsuspecting viewers. I'll admit to some slightly below par acting but in general, everyone seemed to pull their weight. I was caught off guard by a few actors in places you wouldn't expect. RuPaul as Mike was superb, but seeing Bud Cort and Mink Stole as the parents was a big surprise but also well executed. I would recommend this to all my 'open-minded' friends and even a few not so open, 'cause they just need it!
Virtual Sexuality (1999)
Take it for what it is...
It would appear that some previous reviewers may have had their expectations set a bit too high going into this film. I found it scanning the satellite channels for something (not knowing what) and happened upon it. I thought by the title it might be one of the myriad soft-core porn flicks appearing regularly on the movie channels but I was pleasantly surprised. Although there was some male frontal nudity (in fact, more than your typical soft-core title -- go figure!), this was not the focus of the film. It was just fun.
Don't be deceived by my tastes: my recent screenings have included Before Night Falls and Europa, Europa (both geat, IMHO). But I also enjoy total mental shutdown when watching a movie. Virtual Sexuality did this for me and that's not a bad thing!
Átame! (1989)
Definitely worth seeing!
While the topic of this work is rather wacky, I enjoyed it immensely and had little trouble following the plot (his stuff is known to be just a bit hard to follow, especially for non-Spanish speakers). I also felt the performances of Abril and Banderas were better than usual.
There has been some talk of the NC-17 rating and I recall that this was "awarded" more because of the topic of a woman falling in love with her attacker than the sex, per se. I might be wrong about this, though.