Reviews

The movie was real as the book. A good book lives on the reader's mind. A good movie does the same. Lady Chatterly was long, not really easy to consume. It was ,however, worth looking in. Except the theme of the movie seemed a little outdated. Female sexual liberation is old as Madonna. The rebellion against male dominance, or the bourgeois society had gone so long, now we do not really see discussing socialism over the dinner table. Except its message (Someone might argue it as if there was nothing new in the story, what was the point of movie making. I totally agree, but it is an enjoyable movie at its own rights.) The camera take an honest look on human & nature. Too real as the flesh in the movie, nothing was altered to exaggerate aesthetically in the movie. All too real. The movie starts slowly as Chatterly's mind and life until it starting to shape (A very slow transition). Then finally she starting to live her own life. It is predictable but consumable. the movie has its own charm as the female leader. Openly naive but innocently guilty. The ending was weak but bearable. If you enjoyed Jane Campion's movies, which were funk, this one is classic, more like a piece of Schuman. Warning you that if you are not going to enjoy D.H Lawrence's lengthy book of female liberation, don't buy a ticket. You would fall a sleep. It goes nearly 3 hours. If you are, however, a fan of Lawrence, then it is an enjoyable piece. Indeed, the charm of the movie, is coming after. Just like a good literature, would lives on your mind. I loved it in a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Half way through the movie, I felt so ironic how the title got the double meaning, running with scissors, to cut the movie in half short. The movie was painfully slow, the transition between each shots were so painfully long, I wondered this film ever been edited in real time. It was more painful than watch this film than watching a play that is painfully long and pointless in the theater (You know the temptation to walk out but you can't). Analyzing characters and creating one is different story, but all those bunch of people weren't really devoting to the story line much and the ending wasn't really meant much as they are all escaping from the reality than trying to find an answer. The humor wasn't really bad, but it wasn't like bursting out big laughter but was a kind of hissing out. The movie was only worthy seeing Arnette, otherwise it was rather anything but ordinary. I guess the writer( director)'s fascination to scissors (NIP/TUCK) is clearly shown here too. Life isn't about cutting out the past or reality, the life will not be changed by cutting the fat on your face. It is rather something above all that. The director's black humor wasn't really deliver the full message through, I was kept thing about the scissors, if I could, if I could, cut this movie in half.. but I resisted to press 'fast forward' button too long, at the end of the movie, my brain got numbed and I was cranky, There's nothing worse than a movie that is dragging out. Don't run with scissor to cut anything! Just cut the damn movie short! And note that happy life isn't really metaphysical consequences not escaping. One thing I was really impressed in the movie was the ending credit, somewhat it was surprising to see the director wasn't one of those replica of Tom Ford, who read "Sex and the city" as a modern day bible. At least he was a real person. Glad! Indeed.

This is absolute waste of talent(Only in Visual Effect) and budget. No plot, no storyline, pure violence and selling this under the name of 'Justice"? How 'clever' it can get? The actors didn't needed much of their acting skills than wearing the 6 pack charged 'probably' rubber uniform. The subtext is clearly political and racial. How this movie was possibly made and gone into no.1 in the box office? Patriotism gone so dumb that could forgive this political suicide? Is that makes one race superior if they got 6-packed muscle, sword and leather underwear? What was the justice they were fighting for when their people never agreed in war, isn't that what dictator only could do? Also what a portrait to describe queen as somehow mindless whore, and what was the necessary of sex scene with politician? Is there a necessity? I have wondered if this movie is some kind of gay porn with head-chopping very unfunny humor embedded. Also what on earth David Wenman's accent came from? Did he tried to speak Greek in English? This is shocking from Warner Bros, provoking and selling the message of war, justifying violence, is so unflattering. Justice has been served, in the end. As all the 299 got butchered by their own sword, called 'stupidity'. I am hoping that there is no 301 or 299.

The movie isn't really about sex, more about achieving an acceptance of the self, personally and socially. Director's intention is obviously to achieve harmony in idealism (which described in the movie) which is almost lead to the fake idealism. In short (as the title 'Shortbus), movie is only exploiting characters but never penetrate fully. If as what the movie says is the orgasm is the fundamental aim for sex (which is not in most cases), need to know the importance of penetration. A good movie always penetrates the surface and exposes the truth which is hidden.

All the characters are too pathetically naive they all seemed never been exposed in reality, they never fully hurt or fully lived yet. Also they do not have the courage to see the real truth, simply, they are all lost in dreams. They never a frontier to their own sexualities and stay remained only as observers. The main female character's inability to have an orgasm is used as somewhat cultural metaphor of our misguided sexual orientation. Sex is never social but only personal. So the movie goes nowhere near the truth. It only contains highly overcharged sex scenes, creating another fake idealism as a sexual fantasy.

However, the main female character's sexuality was purely based on analysis from the male side (I assume); I wondered if there were good clinical researches (from female) has been done for the movie before it's got scripted. Women are much more delicate and complex than just chasing orgasms over sex. The female sexuality can only be understood by female. Jane Campion's movie is far more accurate in portraying female sexuality. They are darker and mysterious than what has been described here in this movie. As far as I know the orgasm is not something achieved by penetration, its more of emotional than physical.

Though, I enjoyed the movie. It was a delicious eye-candy where the big cinema is fully covered with real sex and soundtracks was enjoyable. Also all those adorable casts were bonus and well acted. I didn't expect Oscar worthy movie when I walked in the cinema, so it's fair to give 8 stars just to give a credit as a 'nice try', dear. Charmingly cute try, indeed! Well, but the director should know the audience are clever, they know when they are cheated by the fake orgasm. The missing orgasm was too obvious in the film.

This is a 'fairy tale' of "Gangs of New York", there is no scary looking Irish skinhead bashing other people's skulls, or a prostitute in a love triangle, to say, for survival. Here is another story of an earthy looking Irish father and his family arriving quietly in Manhattan with shattered dreams and empty pockets. They fight for survival, but their weapon is not a gun or a fist but love and belief.

I missed the movie when it opened in Australia, the preview was intriguing enough but it opened too quiet here and disappeared too soon. Finally when I got the DVD last night and watched it in bed expecting an emotionally charged migrant drama (no violence, for sure).

It opened quietly, with the narrating voice of a girl, who is starting to see the world in her own view but there is an overlapped view from an adult who is grown up with the story that she is telling. Observing the situation in silence and distance but anticipated as a writer.

There are many heart-warming scenes in the movie, if I am too critical, yes, it is a little too much like a fairy tale, but I wouldn't say it is too many. There are moments in life you would like to erase, but there are moments that you want to keep and remember over and over again, as the camcorder in the movie, to record the memory to keep, but there are memories that need to be buried. (Such as Frankie).

There's no real miracles set in the movie, this is story of our time that just has passed and ready to be consumed in a nostalgic way. The real miracle in the movie is simply love and life. The people, who love, care and learning to know that there are things, better let it go. These are the people in the movie, so real and convincing.

The story based on Jim Sheridan (the director) and his family's experience, so it is their personal journey. I am sure there is hidden story, needed more courage to tell, but it covered it all, as the snow covers the dirt (as in the movie). Making you slide over the snow and scream with joy, with two beautiful daughters.

Maybe we were all rejected once, shattered once, roared once but we know how to believe in tomorrow, and its dreams and hopes. The make believe movie telling that life is a small 'miracle' (as it is). Another story of human victory over the obstacle in life (My left foot, a bigger miracle perhaps. To obtains a Oscar trophy, I guess needed more drama!). If you are feeling wretched and saddened, just take this movie as a'lemon-drop' and believe in magic, and make a wish, maybe one or two might become real one day, if not everyday.

If the movie is an art form that deliver the personal interpretation of the world what the artist see and feel. Tim Burton's world is exaggerated in darkness and sadness of a boy who is rejected from the world, so he creates his own world in darkest colors from a crayon box he has. Thus the movie is full of those wonderful dark colors such as charcoal black, dark blue and purplish Grey. All the characters are rejected from the society or rather intentionally ejected themselves and lives in an alienated world of their own, full of mysterious characters with those tortured dreams.

This movie isn't too far away from his previous creations but it shift little. The movie is full of colors, warmer and brighter. The camera moves faster. I assume that that's how the director's view is heading, almost dreaming and also forgiving.

The movie is totally a 'make-believe' itself, by the end of movie, you are starting to wish, to see if the 'big-fish' is real, still swimming around in the pool. Even if you know you are deceiving, you left in charm. If the cinema is fake as same as the 'big-fish', this is real cinema that makes the cinema 'real'. Make the movie as a genuine 'Big-Fish', so you feel like criticizing nothing at all when finally the ending credits rolls.

Helena-Bornham Carter's almost perfect New Jersey accent, also, Ewan Mcgregor's not-so-perfect New Jersey accent is also another 2 'Big-Fish' in the movie, we are all here to believe (so we forgive).

Albert Finney was always great, as I see him as an American answer to Britain's Sir Anthony Hopkins.

How wonderful to see a movie is so different from others that are full of 'Freud-sque' oppression of sexual desires,tortured dreams and weighed pressure (name the Kubrick). A one's life could be dark and also full of sinful mistakes from a viewpoint of psycho analysis's. This movie will open your hardest heart and will leave you to dream, once more. The Tim Burton's best movie yet, where the real people with a "big-fish' in a same can.

This film has tone of emptiness, you feel you are floating inside of the main character, how he felt the life, those daily agitation, consumed feeling, anxiety and loneness at the same time. When his most unexpected time, at his mid-life crisis, he encounter a woman on the road, not quite attractive more frankly quite ugly, uneducated, lower class woman in Spain. As he forced her sex, he just passed the point of no return. His soul are starting to suffer from guilt, desire and denial. And he is starting to realize his life was vain as his fake identity simply known as surgeon, but he never been himself until just now.

There is nothing new as far as romance goes, they are having an affair, fell in love, declare each others, then the tragic begins.

What is extra ordinary about the film is, it is a love story from the male side, not from voice from female, its full of masculine and energy of male imagination. There are deep frustrations of modern day male, from what the society is pushing, and its hand-cupped male expectation,the pressure and revolt.

The film denies all the traditional beauties what ordinary Hollywood love story offer in traditional grammar. There is no beautiful couple, they are all too real, they have ordinary body and soul, there is no "Titanic' or "Romeo & Juliette" style sacrifice, they are all too cruel to be lover as we are in real life. Also there is no scene that forcing you to cry.

But this film will make you weep, not cry from eyes, but from the heart. It denies all the values what ordinary people would die for, fidelity, beauty and vanity, and in the end, it recovers the truth, that the love is real, no matter how it is tragic or sinful, it simply exists.

Penelope is simply brilliant for the role, she shines every minutes in the film. If you have experienced or never experienced 'real' love, see this film, it will let you crave. for the truth.

A crucified love story to save your soul.

I happened to be in Paris, and I was in Versilles on the same day I saw the movie. It was full of French poured into my mind. Also a friend I was in the cinema together was a french intellectual who very much in love with his own cultural majestic standards. So I went to see the movie with full of enthusiasm.

I never seen any of Sofia's film before, I haven't seen the 'Lost in translation' as I was little skeptical about her portrayal of Japanese culture from European oriented view. no objection, also I assume that she is very much into the crash between two culture, so the theme is a continuum from her previous movies.

It has the same elements, Marie is came from Austria to France, her provocative characters are crashed into the very cold and cynical French tradition, the isolated being as shown in the 'Lost in translation'. She was hatred and chewed by public in a very wrongful matter. So here comes justice from Sofia, she set Marie as an eccentric, artistic frontier who as an obviously misunderstood individual.

The movie follow the style of Baz Luhmna's Romio and Juliette, modern adaptation of old history, there were modern soundtrack rather than classics, also the dialogs are quite modern,humorous, cheeky and fierce.

It is soft porn, nothing really a new in the movie, colors are vibrant, music is funky, camera rolls fast but what's new in the movie is what's lack in the movie. More like a teenage movie version of French history.

Remember, how 'Queen Margot' was a magnificent movie with full of emotional and inter-wined turmoil of the history and individual? The film might be 'enjoyable' as pop song, but you won't be listening again in years later. Its not a must see movie, but if you are light-hearted, and sick of watching serious history channel, then go for it. Also a bonus, they not speak French, they speak English. If That's what you after, go for the French porn with a touch of American soda pop.

I've seen this film a week ago, it still lives on my mind. It was a beautiful cinematic experience. It was a modern language of Father & Son relationship, by only through cinematography. It was a sensational work, brave enough to starting off with the scene of physical bonding between 2 males (Not homosexual, it is purely artistic expression). How long we've been neglecting the fundamental love between Father & Son. While we are pretty much focused on Mother & Son relationship(Blame Proust for that matter).

It could have some elements can be analyzed as a homosexual content but it is purely how much we are exposed too much and damaged by cultural sensitivity in sexual content in the normal, pornographic movie and lost its pure sense to enjoy art. So objection to all other viewer's seen this movie as homo-erotic movie, the see it again how this is all well portrayed in poetical way.

How two are created their own world under the rooftop apartment under the frozen Russian sky, based on father's full sacrifice for his only son,through his agony as an adolescent young boy who is still not fully grown up as an adult, forming 'love','freindship' and 'independency', yet but still going under.

There are sub-contents such as 'male-female' relationship, which are totally based on emotion and built on the sexual difference and desire. Also there is a crash between 'musculinity' and 'sensuality'. Also, of course 'agony' as lover, and who need to separate themselves from the love to achieve its true 'love' statues.

The camera works and metaphors are the extreme beauty of this movie. The close-ups of actors are exploring emotions. Sometimes not quite in the center of the angle demonstrates their unsettled moods.Also the metaphors such as 'wooden bridge', 'football' and 'wrestling' etc, all deliberately building up the story masterfully.

The music contribute those fiercely beautiful sadness into the movie, and it also reflects their sensuality at the same time.

Men's world is not full of 'muscline' but also there are so much depths in it, as shown here in the movie. Father loves son and son does same. But they need to separate as to grow and give.

I still not sure if there are any mythology injected here, but it's all my guess, so fill me in.

It is a sensation, in its subject matter and also in depth as an art film. Not many films in decent years has passed beyond the expectation in how to tell a story. This film is a proved evidence of what film could achieve a state of art.