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Reviews
The Ring (2002)
Very, very scary
The film about the mysterious videotape that kills you one week after you watch it. The story centres on journalist Rachel Keller (played by the beautiful Naomi Watts) who, having seen the tape, has one week to solve its riddle or become its latest victim.
Personally, I found this the scariest movie I have seen. I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre (not matter what anybody tells you, this IS a horror film) but I've seen most of the standards and can appreciate a good scary film. The whole atmosphere is downright chilling, and the scenes with Samara in the mental hospital are particularly disturbing. Great credit must go to young Daveigh Chase for her performance. Indeed, the character of Samara must rank as one of the scariest cinematic creations ever. She makes the film and the scenes involving her are the scary ones. And I mean SCARY. Her image will linger with you for long after the film has ended and you will never look at a television the same way again.
There are arguments and counter-arguments for whether this is superior to the Japanese original. I want to add my two cents and I'll say this: whichever version you see first will probably be the one you will champion. On repeat viewing the film does lose some of its impact because you know what to expect. You know how the tape kills people and the shock will be gone. Therefore, if you see this after the Japanese version it will seem inferior, and vice versa. That said, its still a very effective horror film and, in my opinion, far superior to anything Hollywood has produced in this genre for a long time. Well worth a look, but I wouldn't advise watching alone because if someone hasn't already told you what happens, it will scare the hell out of you. I gave 8 out of 10.
28 Days Later... (2002)
Starts off well, then...
Spoilers in this review!!!
This film does start off quite well. We see the central character Jim (played by young Irish actor Cillian Murphy) wandering through a deserted London and looking suitably bemused by the whole experience. Accepting that there has been an apocalyptic devastation of the population, it all rolls along reasonably plausibly for the first hour or so. Jim, alone at first, teams up with some other survivors and together they fend off the rage-fuelled, zombie-like "infected". The acting is fine and the script is okay, and the film looks great and it has some fairly tense moments.
***Spoilers now***
But things start to go wrong when they reach the army outpost. In my opinion, the films goes totally off the rails. No satisfactory reason is offered as to why the soldiers are so malevolent, and I find their behaviour highly unbelievable. I would say the same about Jim's revenge scenario. That this mild-mannered, unarmed youth suddenly turns into a calculating, and extremely effective, killing machine smacks of the absurd. The film ends rather too quickly as well, as if the writers simply couldn't be bothered anymore.
Despite all that, the first two-thirds of the film is good entertainment and I would recommend it if you like the premise of people trying to come to terms with the whole post-apocalyptic thing. For this I rated it 6 out of 10, but beware because it does degenerate badly towards the end.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Endearing, innovative film
This is without a doubt one of the most innovative pieces of cinema I've seen in a long while. Kudos must go to writer/director Richard Kelly for creating this little gem of a film, especially at such a young age. I'm not even going to begin to tackle the themes of this movie, as I'm still not sure what they are, even after several viewings. Suffice to say it is one film that you will find yourself thinking about for days and weeks after, and it will leave you hankering for repeat viewings.
The film is beautiful to look at. The camera-work and Steve Poster's cinematography are absolutely first rate and I loved the use of the slow-motion and fast forward sequences. The soundtrack is great, and Michael Andrews' original score is perfect. The film is full of very likeable characters, most obviously Donnie himself, played by the excellent Jake Gyllenhaal. Donnie Darko is surely one of the most intriguing central characters in recent years. All the cast are first rate, and relative newcomer Jena Malone is beautiful as Donnie's girlfriend. Frank is a suitably creepy creation and whoever designed his costume deserves much respect for it.
Having said all that, I must add that the story is confusing. A lot of people will be left asking "What the hell just happened?" at the end of the movie. Many, like myself, will be tempted back for another look or will visit the film's website for enlightenment. Others will just leave it and probably won't recommend the film to their friends. There are quite a few leaps of faith required and some (many?) aspects of the plot are left unexplained and unresolved. Personally, I think this is fine but there are a lot of people who won't. You shouldn't have to visit the website or watch the extras on the DVD for a film to satisfy you.
Overall, a film that will polarize opinion. I loved it and rated it 9 out of 10. However, I can easily understand why somebody wouldn't like it. A fantastic effort but by no means a masterpiece.
Nothing Personal (1995)
Interesting and moving
Excellent film from Thaddeus O'Sullivan featuring strong performances from a host of British and Irish actors. The film deals well with a thorny subject matter, and effectively captures the hopelessness and grim atmosphere of 1970s Belfast. Surprisingly realistic, it does nothing to glorify either side in this conflict. On one hand, it shows a young Catholic father trying to raise his family without getting drawn into the troubles. On the other it deals with a Loyalist gang who are intent on propagating violence. Very interesting and, thankfully, entertaining. Don't be expecting any laughs, though. 7 out of 10.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Great Escapism
Sometimes I think that people forget that The Matrix is just a film. Its not a religion or a way of life. So maybe everybody was expecting too much from The Matrix Reloaded. Its not going to change the world; its not even going to change anybody's life. There's no doubt that this film has its flaws. These are already thoroughly documented here so there's no point in me rehashing what has already been said (and very well said, I might add).
But as action films go, this is second to none. Forget the script, because some of it is really awful (Morpheus' speech in Zion is really cringe-inducing). This film is about action, and lots of it. The set pieces are amazing, the fight scenes are truly brilliant and the special effects really push the boundaries. The plot is pretty complicated, (and has a couple of holes, particularly in relation to the ending of the last film) but you'll have great fun puzzling it out for days after you watch the film. Be warned, though, it is slow to start. Its about 45 minutes into the film before things start hotting up.
Overall, a great piece of cinema that builds well on a brilliant original. Don't be put off by the poor reviews. Its a joy to watch, and those action scenes will leave you breathless. I rated it 8 out of 10. I can't wait for Revolutions.
Event Horizon (1997)
Really scary and really gory
I went to see Grosse Point Blank in the cinema a few years ago and to my dismay found that the showing was already booked out. There was only one other film starting in the next half hour; something called Event Horizon. I didn't have a clue what it was about (it had only opened that weekend) but rather than waste a trip to the cinema I decided I'd give it a go.
Jesus, I nearly wept tears of blood watching this film; it was that scary. There were scenes I actually had to look away from because they were freaking me out so much. But I loved it and came out thinking it was one of the best horror films I'd ever seen.
I raved about it to my friends and when it came out on video a group of us rented it and settled down to watch. Unfortunately, none of my friends found it remotely scary and I have to admit, as someone else here has already said, it does lose a lot in the transition to video. This didn't stop my friends slagging me relentlessly about being a pussy.
So, on reflection, it is a good film; scary and great to look at but not the horror masterpiece I thought on first viewing. I gave it 7 out of 10.
The Green Mile (1999)
A huge disappointment
After the Shawshank Redemption, I was eagerly looking forward to this collaboration between Frank Darabont and Stephen King. The Shawshank Redemption truly was a beautiful film, but I'm afraid this is a sentimental, corny mess. The characters are so 1-dimensional, the dialogue is woeful and the relationship between the guards and the prisoners is highly unbelievable. I can't believe any audience would allow their emotions to be manipulated in such a blatant, unsubtle manner. Horrible stuff.