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Reviews
The Tourist (2010)
Great chick-flick -- had to go back a second time.
Rather than pretending that this is one of the all-time great adventure films, enjoy it for what it is: A remake of a classic crimi-lark, intriguing, romantic in a quirky Depp-ish kind of way, surprising, and just the movie to satisfy my need to Depp. Girls... this movie was made for US!!! And if you like a little subtlety in your films, you'll find it here. Maybe too subtle for some, but I had to go back and see the whole thing again once I'd gotten to the end. There was a shower of details that unfolded beautifully the second-time around. In fact, I'd have to say that Depp and Jolie are brilliant. Whether it was the director who brought it out of them, or the script, or actors themselves, I am liking this movie more and more (yes, I went back... again!).
Once I have it, the DVD will go on my shelf in the "Chick-Flick" category -- movies that are very satisfying for a woman, and perfect for a birthday or shower. Especially if your women-friends are a little bit intelligent and like to be challenged.
I seriously loved this movie, and would have given it ten stars except that there was not the continuity of style in the direction or editing that would have made it perfect. (Which goes to show how far a film can go on a good story, superb music, great chemistry and classy actors.) Hopefully Mr. Depp will not be smirking if he reads this review. Johnny, it was worth your time to have made the film. And Angeline was a perfect counterpart.
The Man Who Sued God (2001)
Pure enjoyment, gets you thinking, superb acting.
I loved this film. This is meaningful if you share my criteria for enjoyable movies:
Mustn't shock me into nightmares. Must be well acted by engaging characters. Must touch the heart and keep me interested throughout. Must draw me fully into the "consideration" or thematic intention of the story, sparking my own pondering of life.
This film does all this and more. But most of all, it entertained me!
The story has a clever, but really believable premise... a quirky character (like me and my friends), finds himself blind-sided by an unpredictable series of events, and starts to question why and how this could have happened.
Rather than turn into emotional pulp, he rises to the occasion with humor, facing the unknown with growing intuition of how this "place" works... how mysterious and fluid life is... and what is required of a person to be a "man" (male or female).
But there is not an ounce of heaviness in this consideration of life and Reality. It's done with humor and surprises that keep me tickled throughout without dropping the thread of the deeper questioning.
I loved it, and have recommended it to all my friends.
Le renard et l'enfant (2007)
Intoxicating entry into the realm of the non-humans
Watching "The Fox and the Child" was an intoxicating experience. The lush visuals, integrity of point of view, and utter beauty of the setting and characters left me in a swoon of pleasure.
The plot is uncomplicated. Deceptively simple. Within the container of that simplicity a world unfolds that draws you in and leaves you breathless.
I laughed. I wept. I learned.
This is a movie you can trust yourself to -- give yourself over to. Dare I say it is an act of love intended for any innocent heart. It reaches to the heart of the viewer--of any age--and reveals the world through new eyes, as if seen from the heart.
Adi Da Samraj once said that true Art draws the viewer beyond point of view into ecstatic participation in Reality. I feel I have been privileged to watch--no, to participate in--this film, a work of true Art.
Hammers Over the Anvil (1993)
Underground Classic in the works
As this year's films slip into the annals of film history, joining all the other visual works of man, the collective aesthetic speaks its choice.
"Hammers Over The Anvil" is destined to be one of those classics that is cited again and again as defining the genre.
The film is depthful, heart-breaking and heart-warming -- a lush visual journey, timeless in its insights. "Coming to manhood" is an essential human theme, and this film portrays it honestly and memorably, leaving the viewer with much to think about, deeply moved.
While successful U.S.-distributed movies "borrowed" their themes and content from this film, eight years in the making, and undercut its distribution potential in the early 1990's, they can never diminish or replace its unique brilliance.
Had its original distribution not been botched, it is my opinion that American movie goers would even now be citing this film along with "Gone With The Wind", "The African Queen", and "It's A Wonderful Life".
Today's film-goers have an insatiable appetite for excellence, whetted by the substance-less salads offered as main entrées. They will find this classic and devour it, again and again.
Final words... gorgeous, warm, chilling, real, unforgettable. This one will not go away.