Reviews

My first taste of Kiarostami, whom I've read about for years. I was

worried that, as a filmmaker, Kirostami would be as inaccessible

as Godard in the 80s. I was pleasantly surprised by A TASTE OF

CHERRY. It's a linear narrative, and the film's early ambiguity

concerning the driver's quest kept me guessing (I knew nothing

about this film going in, which was a real plus). The film's unusual

visual style, particularly the long unedited takes, works suprisingly

well for this type of story. I can understand why traditional

American filmgoers would be bored to tears by A TASTE OF

CHERRY, but for fans of independent and foreign film, it's a

worhwhile investment of your time. It probably works better witth

an older audience that can identify with the world-weary

characters.

My first taste of Kiarostami, whom I've read about for years. I was

worried that, as a filmmaker, Kiarostami would be as inaccessible

as Godard in the 80s. I was pleasantly surprised by A TASTE OF

CHERRY. It's a linear narrative, and the film's early ambiguity

concerning the driver's quest kept me guessing (I knew nothing

about this film going in, which was a real plus). The film's unusual

visual style, particularly the long unedited takes, works surprisingly

well for this type of story. I can understand why traditional

American filmgoers would be bored to tears by A TASTE OF

CHERRY, but for fans of independent and foreign film, it's a

worthwhile investment of your time. It probably works better with

an older audience that can identify with the world-weary

characters.

I will never see another film by Todd Phillips ever again, from the

miserably overrated OLD SCHOOL to this aimless waste of talent.

There's about 25% of a decent satirical remake of the old TV show;

the rest is nothing but misfires. 2 Hours out of my life that I will

never see again, but it seemed like a lifetime. Of all the interesting

films in release, why did my wife have to pick this one? The best

part of this film was the cameo by the original team, who both have

been hit by personal tragedies, since the end of the TV series.

You can't really blame Stiller and Wilson, though they must have

read the script before they signed up. Thumbs down, way down.

A great film to share with your daughters! Not full of treacle and false sentiment, I thought WHALERIDER struck just the right note.

I was somewhat surprised by the big-budget effects at the film's end. Up to that point, the film felt like a low-budget independent, but they obviously had enough funds to create some amazing animatronic whales. Castle-Hughes was amazing as Pai! This millennium has got to be New Zealand's Golden Age of Filmmaking. It's sad to see some of the other comments accusing the film of having a slow pace; I never felt like there was a dull or wasted moment.

I rented this on DVD and thought it was a gas! I assumed Connery would look old and toothless, but he hasn't appeared this lively since THE WIND AND THE LION. The film simply makes no real sense, but it engaged me from the first frame and never let up. It may not resonate with a younger audience who doesn't give a damn about H. R. Haggard or R. L. Stevenson, but I'm more than happy to see a sequel, and the sky's the limit since they haven't even touched on Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, Tarzan or Alister Crowley.

I saw this film on my university campus when it came out in the late 70s. For the time, it was a technical landmark, entirely shot from a subjective camera POV (For an example of a failure of this technique, see the 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's LADY IN THE LAKE). I loved the film, not just for its technical bravura, but for its disturbing tone and intriguing narrative. I don't want to give anything away, but I just loved the way these amoral, aethical bastards seemed to love the work they did. And the film seems impossible to find! How films like this one escape critical acclaim is beyond me - I met Roger Ebert at a film festival in Virginia back in 2000 and stumped him on this one, even though I wasn't trying to. DEFINITELY check Dossier 51 out if you're a fan of thought-provoking films!