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Reviews
Look Back in Anger (1959)
Interesting, however...
Being an early fan of black & white flicks from the late fifties, as well as a devoted Richard Burton follower, I must say I have waited for this movie with great anticipation. I must say, sadly though, that, despite the picture's attempts of shedding some light on the so-called "British reality at the time", only the performance of Richard Burton really saves this one from drowning in the sea of typical semi-documentary movies.
Basically, I do believe and respect the message of the movie influenced by the various events of those particular times, but it doesn't really work here. I mean, I understand the crisis people were facing back then and I agree it was an important issue, but showing us the historical background by presenting the effects of such a process on a typical family just ... well, frankly, doesn't prove to be interesting. That can also be a very lame excuse for the lack of character depth, Jimmy Porter being the most developed. But even Porter has many character flaws ; he plays A trumpet (ok, but what does that mean to him, how does it fit in his character image and the plot), he's mad with grief and everlasting sorrow transformed into anger because of his loved one's loss (ok, it does play a part in the plot later, but basically no one gives a damn about it, no one really pities Jimmy Porter, everyone seems to float in a state of blissful ignorance around him, treating him like a 100% savage monster and practically stripping him of natural emotions). In short - Burton's character, no doubt being the best character in this picture, could be developed in these typical and non-typical branches, making him a worthy and interesting figure.
The rest is... well, close to pathetic. The wife is coming towards a breakdown in the beginning of the movie and yet she ends up in Jim's arms in calm reunion, no outburst, no equal conflict, no nothing. The pretty boy, Cliff, is someone really strange and definitely not fitting for this kind of situation. He can't seem to be holding to any logical rules of morality when it comes to protecting Jim's wife (which he does with two or three muttered words throughout the entire picture). In the same time, he's all friends with Jimmy, like an unnatural, transparent entity, floating from one character to another. And it's not like I don't see an attempted analogy to the bridge thing between two sides, I see that perfectly - it's just frigging' unconvincing and shallow. And of course, Claire Bloom. Oh, my dear Ms. Bloom, the same actress has been praised by me about a year ago when watching "The Haunting". The wasted potential, the wasted opportunities that came up when Claire Bloom joined the crew and apparently became a character opposite to the little, meek wife of Jimmy Porter. Besides going through series of irrational behavior and bad performance, the rest of the crew really can't bring out the intended emotions out of their characters, truly a pity.
The music, mostly consisting of Jimmie's trumpet solos, was quite enjoyable as it added a droplet of the good old British pub climate. It's a shame the spell was quickly broken by an unfortunate or bad time dialog.
Having no more to say, I would like to recommend this movie to all Burton fans because I believe it shows an interesting stage in his career and evolution as an actor. Here, Richard Burton is, little by little, morphing into that perfect form of acting which he presented later to the delight of the audiences worldwide.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Satisfaction yet again
The very first time when I've watched Apocalypse Now was about a year... say two years ago, the version with additional scenes. I must say that back then it didn't really make a powerful impression on me. I thought "Hey, so this is Apocalypse Now, cool, let's move on to other stuff and leave the war for a while".
Recently however, I have found the movie in the original version, and I watched it again in the soothing solitude of my household. After the credits started rolling, I was close to being awestruck. Not only has it been the most accurate movie about the Nam war I have seen in my entire life. More to that, the war story isn't the main thing going on in the movie still making it the best on its field and that is what I call a masterpiece.
Like one of the users said, the entire war event is a background to a personal and yet a universally metaphorical quest, a mission to carry on, a clash of idealistic views and political reality. To me, the greatest achievement of the movie is telling the Vietnam war story beside the point, in a very unique way (as it is a tale worth telling), loosing the historical style radiating either with pathos or overgrown dread.
The main plot, surprisingly, Willard's journey and his way of viewing his surroundings (evolving during the film), his attempts of understanding Kurtz and finally the act of confronting him, is far more powerful than the already strong background construction.
Another really interesting thing is that Francis Ford Coppola mixed the typical war climate with an element of, well... coolness. The choppers, the napalm, the troops... what they do does now transcend beyond a mundane war assignment and turns it into a kind of ritual, in a way that viewers are bound to remember for the rest of their lives.
Next, the actors. I'm very proud of Coppola and basically the 70's, 80's and the early 90's for their crew combinations of great, really great movies. Although they may not be packed with the mega stars of the current decade (if you know what I mean), the important thing is those movies' actors have merged with their parts, making them indivisible from their roles. This does not always result in a skyrocketing career, but I greatly respect lesser known actors who had played a medium role and they played it good than a superstar who had plummeted from the peak of Olympus to the pits of Hades and still remains a superstar.
Sheen creates a kind of demented, wild and in the same time craving for peace, character. I believe it was a quite difficult job to do and I respect that. Duvall as the big old' USA cowboy with a liking of Wagner and the smell of napalm is an interesting and pleasant interlude. Same goes for the cracked up Dennis Hopper. The character of Kurtz however is a real cherry on the cream mountain. Those few scenes which include him or remains of his speeches, photos, history are conjured with evident mastery of storytelling. The last scenes when Brando is shown emerging, bathing in the shadowy sea, bearing the weight of existence and the burden of his actions... beautiful.
Luckily, the soundtrack does also not disappoint the craving viewer. A sophisticated set of great songs which act very well on their own as well as a greater part in Coppola's production.
I'm sure I'll watch Apocalypse Now a few more times in the future to ultimately memorize some speeches, gestures worthy memorizing. A very special movie, indeed one that every human being should see.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Ron Howard, my wrath is upon thee
I cannot hide the fact that I WAS expecting this film for quite some time, and I WAS expecting something really good. I had very high hope for this movie, Ron Howard being the director, Hanks, Reno, Prochnov and McKellen being the main characters and a few years of time given to make this thing. I also cannot hide my disappointment when I saw it. What is more, I intend to show my disappointment in this humble review. First of all, the script is chopped into little pieces, I believe in order to somewhat imitate the original novel. However it does certainly not serve the production well. The action is quick, that's true, but all the rest totally sucks. The dialogs are meaningless because the action goes on "without thinking" I'd say. The viewer does not consider the things the actors say as significant to drive the action or create a mysterious atmosphere, a chilling one or whatever (I read the book a long time ago, by the way). Secondly, I was really confused by the actors' performance. I said to myself "Tom Hanks and the gang can't possibly mess this up, there's no way something like that would happen". Again, I was left speechless after the movie, and it wasn't because of my utmost admiration. The actors are surprisingly weak and uncool, not one of them showed anything above an awful sope opera (then again, sope opera characters can at least imitate extreme emotions). I was especially sad by the acting of Reno and McKellen as they are my favorites in this production, and they have always made me admire their work, no matter what. Next, the music..... WHERE IS IT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD? Music is one of the most important issues of a movie, it cannot be omitted like some petty minor role. Needless to say, the scriptwriter himself tried to be very witty, but it didn't work out. What he was trying to do was twisting the facts presented in the book (I still can't even fathom why) and make some kind of deranged version of The Da Vinci Code strictly for those who haven't read the book and don't know the brighter side. Overall, this is some kind of piece of art and it pains me to give it a whole big 3.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Truly Satisfying
I must say that this movie is one which you are bound to remember for the rest of your life. It's one of those special movies, which were made in the good old times of lesser commerce and more artistic/philosophical value. While the beginning seems trivial and insignificant, later on it reveals to be not only another mundane Bible story version of the life of Jesus, but a most inspiring vision and contemplation about the duality of this figure. The movie shows Jesus not as the simple, passion-driven demigod portrayed in the Holy Book, but tries to sketch a different scenario, of Jesus as a man who, unwillingly, becomes the one destined to sacrifice himself in order to save the world. Dafoe plays a man who struggles, who doesn't understand God's divine plans for him. He acts as a normal man, he experiences fear and anger, joy and sadness, but is constantly haunted by visions, voices calling out for him as the Son of God and the prophesied Messiah. The interesting part of this movie is that it illustrates the crucial events of Jesus' life from a different, fascinating and intelligent point of view (Judas' "betrayal", Jesus' being rejected by the Jews, etc.). It doesn't shield itself by the traditional "it had to be so, because God wanted that", but even asks and answers questions itself in a non-blurred manner. From a technical angle, I liked every part of the movie ; the actors, the music, the script, the scenery. Even though the dialogs are not the so called Bible-sophisticated, they are performed very nicely and skillfully. In my opinion it's far better than the (also "scandalous") Da Vinci Code in every way, basically because the case's center is not a primitive idea which is bound to wreck the catholic Church, but many philosophical layers surrounding the core of the idea itself. I hope people will find this production as interesting and profound as I did.
Kôkaku kidôtai (1995)
Perrrrrfect
I've just watched GitS for the second time and I must say, I'm absolutely stunned. The first time I saw it, it didn't really make a larger emotional or artistic impression on me, maybe the circumstances, who know. Anyway, I cannot truly express my most grand satisfaction and respect for the production I'm feeling now. Maybe it's the way I watch most of the movies, but this time, I've actually scanned through each important fragment that a movie production, an anime in particular, should possess. From the most basic things, like script, dialog, sounds, graphics and the idea - not only does it keep its freshness through all these years but still it enchants by what is most important in a good movie. Those who think it belongs to some underrated category just because it's an anime should be scorched by the wrath of the Alimghty. Anyhow, what's really interesting and essential in this anime is its story, very original and awesomely developed, it's a pity that some countries (including Poland) have some kind of cultural barrier that shallows their artistic horizons and so they do not embrace and glorify the really good pieces of animation art. Instead, we blindly follow primitive fashions brought from the USA. Ghost in the Shell is not an easy, pretty and flowery cute story, nevertheless it's a story with climate, passion and unmistakable, subtle beauty. For all those who want to indulge in something deep, original and pleasant to your ears and eyes - I highly recommend watching Ghost in the Shell.