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Reviews
Enemy (2013)
Not quite a thriller...
Expected to see a good thriller and instead ended up watching an art house flick. The opening sequence was terrific, but the rest of the movie, in my opinion, did not hold up.
"Enemy" had a poetic feel to it, with some hints of Lynch here and there, and it did not lack originality, though it still felt like a parody on good movie making.
Another problem I had was the pacing -- I usually am patient when it comes to contemplative films, but found this one to be a bit too draggy. The cinematography was probably the best feature in "Enemy", but wouldn't give it 5 stars either.
The Bag Man (2014)
Guaranteed to be an all time classic.
I see that someone else on here posed the question as to whether this movie will become a cult classic. I don't think that there are any polemics surrounding that question. This is one of the great movies period. Admittedly it hasn't received wide acclaim yet. Some critics call it a must see, while many others have taken advantage of the fact that it only had a limited theatrical release to attack De Niro and Cusack. Sure, they may make too many films and they may like money but this movie and their performances should be judged on their merits and not by some predisposed dislike.
I saw it in a test screening in Las Vegas and then I saw it in New York. Both times there was loud applause at the end. I think the current negativity comes from an amazing lack of understanding as to what this movie is about. Just like some of the posters state, inspired by a Romanian fairy tale "The Cat" which is a weird but intense dream like story so is this movie weird but intense and dream like. If this had been directed by a different David, David Lynch not David Grovic then it would already be hailed as a classic.
It's very intense and gritty but it's also very funny. Real laugh out loud moments which relieve the tension.The performances are truly amazing. Da Costa steals it from De Niro. That's quite a compliment because you can see that De Niro did not phone in his performance. Truly vintage De Niro. This must have been a passion project for him. Cusack and Crispin Glover were also noteworthy.
Most of the negative comments are based on two topics. Unintentionally funny. All I can say is that if someone can't tell that this was intentionally laced with smart humor then they need to get out more. The other negative area is violence on women. But the violence here is not against a civilian. The violence is against a conspirator. If there was no violence then that would be demeaning to women. She's no nun!
Freerunner (2011)
Amazing
Why are some reviewers so amazingly dumb or amazingly devoid of a sense of humor or amazingly jealous? This is a fun, lighthearted movie showing off terrific free running. No cgi, no wires just very talented athletes demonstrating their incredible prowess. Here is a clearly small budgeted movie that raced (no pun intended) to number 12 on the IMDb rankings. It's as if many of the reviewers are being paid by a rival free running movie to throw pathetic insults at this fun movie. Some reviewers complain about British gangsters "running" a city in America. Sorry, American gangsters don't have an absolute monopoly. Another reviewer bitterly complains that Ryan's (Sean Faris) girlfriend Chelsea (Rebecca Da Costa) says that she isn't going to sell her Volvo and then in the next scene she does sell it. Wrong. She does not sell her car. Another reviewer complains that Da Costa isn't American. It isn't good enough that she speaks English with a very understandable accent, but simply that she doesn't have an American accent. Sorry to break the news that America is now a country comprising many accents and many nationalities. The fact that Ryan dares to have a non- Caucasian girlfriend seems to upsets some members of the kkk. Let's "look" at another reviewer who complains that she is prettier than this Brazilian Beauty. I suggest that reviewer goes to the You Tube video of Rebecca Da Costa Hottest Woman in Hollywood and sees what the public think. Alternatively, let's try to give credence to another reviewer who complains that the movie is ruined because Sean Faris looks too much like Tom Cruise. Then there's the reviewer who doesn't like the opening sequence because the photographer was athletic enough to shoot in the style of the photographer from The Bourne Identity, running alongside the athletes. Of course, let's not forget a reviewer who's upset that the Freerunners are never seen out of breath. Welcome to the world of movies! If you prefer a documentary then this movie is not for you. But if you want a fun movie with action and stunts that have never before been featured on the big screen then you'll enjoy this movie.
Stiletto (2008)
Stiletto
Just watched Stiletto - great movie. Lots of action. Well known cast -Amanda Brooks is showing all her range - a must see. Think the ensemble cast work really well together. Original revenge story - and you have to wait till the very end to connect the dots. Nice to see Michael Biehn again after an absence for a while. This is the second Villalonga movie i have seen and i like his work. For action lovers its a real treat. Berringer plays a great crime boss - but not in the Italian style. Chemistry between Biehn and Brooks is electric. Amanda Brooks is really hitting her stride. You can feel the anger flowing out. Very convincing in this role.
D-War (2007)
A lot better than I thought
I was unsure what to expect some friends loved it and others were very mixed. In fact D-War is Very Entertaining. It is far better than King Kong. The chemistry between Jason Behr and Amanda Brooks was riveting.She is a lot better (and prettier) than Naomi Watts. Jason showed that he is more than sugar candy. The CGI was top class. It's hard to find what the budget was. The consensus appears to be around $70 million. That's almost Hollywood blockbuster standard. I think this movie is going to have the same reception in America as in Korea. Bad from the critics but a big success with the public. The group that I went with ( there were 6 of us) all loved it.