Change Your Image
samoppenheim
Reviews
Return to Rajapur (2006)
Romantic Entertaining Film
I have been to India 3 times for a total of 7 months and seen over 1000 films in the past 10 years. This film is a great piece of celluloid.
It captures a romantic view of Rajapur that is slightly saccharin but so enjoyably so! The acting is good and the plot full of romance well portrayed and drama well developed. The young Samantha (Kelli Garner) is, however, too bubbly and vapid which bothered me, but I was willing to overlook this for the brilliantly played scenes from 1988 with Manoj Bajpai (Jai Singh), the beautiful and enchanting Lynn Collins (Sara Reardon) and love-to-hate him handsome asshole Justin Theroux (Jeremy).
The plot device of flashback-intergenerational-intrigue works really well despite being over- used and this film is reminiscent of, perhaps, the English Patient.
It really is a fun, romantic, dramatic, entertaining film; it's not too deep, but very well produced, especially considering it was shot in 5 weeks!!! (So Anand said at the Tribeca Film Festival)... (although one underexposed low-contrast nighttime scene really bothered me).
Five Fingers (2006)
Good Psychological Thriller!
Despite Ryan Phillipe's awful accent (as Martijn), the movie does a good job pulling you into the world they create. It is, as advertised, a "psychological thriller" and a bit of a mystery as you watch it unfold and slowly flashbacks illuminate the present situation.
Laurence Fishburne is EXCELLENT and makes the movie. Phillipe does a good job and although other characters play pivotal roles, it is really about the two of them.
Most of the film is shot in the same location, but it never gets boring or drags and keeps a lot of tension in most of the scenes. A real psychological treat if you just enjoy it! Not the best movie, but certainly a solid piece of entertainment that gets you to look at things from a slightly different perspective than most treatments of the subject of 'terrorism'.
I'm Reed Fish (2006)
Excellent Indie-mainstream flick
Parts of the movie were brilliant! The acting was on cue, Schuyler Fisk was so wonderful, I wanted to fall in love with her, too! She actually wrote and performed original songs for the movie!
Basically a coming-of-age story set in a very small town, but what sets it apart from some other films is a visceral down-to-earth reality that makes it somehow better. It has that Indie feel to it without any pretension or unprofessional elements.
It is a really well cast and well done semi-indie film that will garner success if it gets distributed. The crowd at Tribeca Film Fest were laughing & people had so many questions for the director and writer, it was awesomely received and really a pleasure to watch.