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Reviews
Local Color (2006)
Poor
There are pretty landscape shots. Writers putting trite mouthings into actors mouths. With lesser actors this show would be silly. 'Art must uplift humanity or it's BS.' Not so because art of all those mentioned is also to stir humanity and express the dark side. The lead character even says those who don't drink hide the shadow side. Wrong , he lived in darkness and repressed his dark side by drinking and being one dimensional not expanding his horizons with something other than landscapes. There wasn't a breathing organism in his work nor expression of his pain. All the artist did was limit himself to dime a dozen landscapes. The discussions between the characters was grade school, trite stuff always giving the one character the upper hand the writer wanted. I tried to like it after reading all the first wow comments on here. I had to dig deep to see those i agreed with. I figure the great comments were from those connected to the movie. I was moved only once towards the end. The kid was way too passive. The scenery was nice and the music ridiculous. Just my opinion but nowhere show for me.
37°2 le matin (1986)
it was OK
i saw the 185 minute version and maybe that's why i don't give it a higher review...i don't agree with Roger Ebert's take on this but i do think it's way over rated...the acting is good enough and the settings, hues, rooms, buildings, camera work etc. are spectacular and beautiful to look at...the couple's relationship gets to be a drag to watch...one, no nuttier than they other...if he cared about her he would've come up with a shrink or something...i felt, after awhile, the thing was too contrived...i heard one reviewer say Betty Blue is great and Million Dollar Baby was lousy and i wished i hadn't read that dude because he told the ending...at least this is a spoiler...i think Betty Blue is OK but Million Dollar Baby light years more enjoyable and moves along telling lots more in the time alloted...this is a pretty film, a slow film, well acted and put together...the story is contrived too much...a different, but same, Cuckoos Nest...it's a comedy at times cutting itself up i think...some of the characters , at times , 'over acted'...i enjoyed it though.
The Savages (2007)
So So
'The Savages' moved me more..this one is about a rather wishy washy son playing against a rather exquisite Dad but he wants to stay in self pity mode not appreciating his Dad who gets more attention than he does...he spends most of the film resenting his spunky father with little insight as to his father's caring for him while faulting and whinning about his father's escapades and envying his Dad when he could be minding his own business...the film is slow and didn't move me much..to each their own, eh...disappointing...the camera work is enjoyable with lots of breath taking English country side..the Father is a pleasure to watch as he dances brilliantly through the film making it bearable to sit through.
Lie with Me (2005)
Long, Arduous
there were some photographically decent scenes but this flick , on the whole , is tiringly repetitious, draining stressing neediness needlessly...many other films i can think of working around the same theme which are far more to my liking than this without the incessant groveling...also, the acting is mediocre in range with a flatness which doesn't move me..not believable, carries little weight...in a way, the film would be more enjoyed with the sound off..the play of light, some locations, events, costumes made the show interesting, captivating enough to watch but as far as creating any in depth emotion or much rationality this doesn't hold my attention...all in all the film is 'flat' as far as i'm concerned.
Mr. Brooks (2007)
Wowsa
whelp, i saw this the night before last and will see it again shortly..the first time i wanted to laugh louder and felt a little reserved because of the couple infront of me..i have the advantage of going to a 'stadium style' theater at 10pm where there's a huge screen and great sound system..i get there an hour early if i can to sit in the back row and get the most out of it..down side i have to through those horrid pre movie stuff for 45 minutes which drive folks away..anyhoo, all well worth it..i'm not going to tell ya about this show because there's plenty on this site to get that kind of information...because of who i am i laughed with my identifying so much with the character, the sheer excruciatingly awesome acting of Costner and Hurt and fine by the others too..i'm not into telling any of the plot or reading about it..i'll just tell ya some shows i like and how this fares with those..for starters i have a 5/5 rating system so all the shows i'm mentioning i did give a '5' to but some fives i like 'better' than others and, of course, some shows ya just can't compare with other shows but i'm gonna do it anyway..e.g i can't compare 'Water' with 'Little Miss Sunshine' or 'TransAmerica' with 'Proof' or 'The Proposition' with 'Knocked Up'..all Fivers but i'll compare apples with potatoes if it helps get my point across..so, i liked 'Mr. Brooks' as much as i liked 'Magnolia', 'Syriana', 'Munich', 'Flags of Our Father', 'Million Dollar Baby', 'Departed', 'The Proposition'...i liked 'Mr. Brooks' more than 'Silence of the Lambs' and i love 'Silence...' and Hopkins..and Mr. Brooks one can find 'legitimate fault' with more than 'Silence...'..however, though they're both '5's i prefer 'Mr. Brooks' much more..far more for lots of reasons, least of which is, 'entertainment value'..nobody will even see this film..i liked this as much as 'Little Miss Sunshine'..now, there's 2 shows i ought never compare but told you i would...however, 'Little Miss Sunshine' isn't a 'big screen movie'..'Mr. Brooks' loses 50% if not seen on a big screen..Jerry Bruckheimer said he wished he'd made 'Little Miss Sunshine' which i think is a masterpiece as is 'Mr. Brooks'..oh, i didn't laugh in 'Silence of the Lambs' but tonight when i see it again i'll let myself laugh harder because i know what's gonna happen..i liked this as much as 'Black Book' which is one of the best of the year hands down..again, ought not compare 'Knocked Up' with 'Mr. Brooks' but both equally as entertaining with 'Knocked Up' being a comedy-drama that says it all and Mr. Brooks being a drama-comedy that says it all and then some...lots of great flicks this year unlike last year..i love the movies..i'm blessed to have an 'art theater' in Ashland..i want to see 'Into the Great Silence'..how can a 3 hour long movie mostly in silence with no gimmicks be great..i'll have to find out..'Sex Lies and Video Tape', great..'Mr. Brooks' great..but, it's so so much fun..for me that is..someone earlier on here mentioned about people 'thinking too much'..i think they're correct..when i sit down in a theater immediately i have to fight judging others..little cell phone lights go on and i'd like to have 'open season' on those people who use them because i think cell phones are a 'co-dependents' wet dream..if i had someone near me with one i'd have to move or if i went out with someone who pulled one out i'd probably tell her i'm going to go get us some popcorn and leave her 'high and dry' in the theater..so, don't take my word for whether 'Mr. Brooks' is worth seeing or not..i loved it and will see it again tonight and i just saw it 1 1/2 days ago and the only reason i didn't go yesterday is the person i wanted to take wasn't home...also, consider i think 'Sling Blade' is one of the greatest films made and i saw it 6 times and had a 'Sling Blade' party at my house which is the only time i've invited anyone here in 20 years..we all got our takes of stuff and this movie is a blast..for me, way more so than 'Silence of the Lambs' yet i give both my highest honor of a '5'..a great film nobody probably saw is 'The Proposition' which i enjoy as much as this film but 'Proposition' is completely different..not totally but much 'action-wise' different..'Mr. Brooks' is a work of art on so many levels...but, what do i know, eh...john
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Okay
an okay film with great acting by all...i sat there wondering if an employee could be this stupid to put herself through this..whelp, most of the theater i sat in filled bursting with teens mainly and mostly females..cell phones (a co-dependent's wet dream) opening and closing all the time...so, there are people that would actually suck up that much defending it with lies to oneself...i came away wanting to develop the patience the boyfriend had...okay film but nothing 'to write home about' ... no 'Superman Returns' is awesome, best of the years...i appreciate such fine acting but found it unrealistic yet telling for some people really 'don't know what they're doing...thus, the film was sad for me yet so true ... Carleton
Running Scared (2006)
Fun
a wonderful time..funny how uptight and critical both professional critics and regular folk got about this movie..i pretty much knew i'd like it because i've gotten good at reading between the lines at 'eFilmCritic' , MRQE , ArrowHead and anything the Catholic Conference of Bishops says is 'O' i'll usually like..i just had a '6th Sense' about this one developed from over 35 years of going to shows..i ran out of shows that are great and it was narrowing down like last year at this time..at the beginning of 2005 i thought how horrid of a movie year and it turned out to be awesome one of the best years ever as Ang Lee mentioned..from March 2005 on it just went off into great shows one after the other but i've see them all and sometimes twice..so, i went to 'Running Scrared' not expecting much but 'brainless, corny' stuff but to be 'entertained'..a little like when i went to see 'Devil's Advocate' but i was much more delighted over 'Running Scared'..when i see shows like these i look at it maybe like i'm in the 2nd or 3rd grade but i know a lot about movies and what i like yet i can leave my 'knit picker' at home and enjoying it like watching Narnia or Harry Potter etc. ... i don't say to myself 'this wouldn't happen' or 'oh, that's silly he wouldn't do that' or 'the cops or neighbors would've heard that' or 'this director is copying so and so'...a think a few did walk out about half way through..i loved this flick..i thought of Tony Scott's 'Man Unfire', 'Sin City', 'Run Lola Run', Tanrentino, Collateral etc. and let comparing go..i thoroughly sat back and enjoyed it like i would a good cartoon..i got my money's worth and then some..great acting, fine outcome, lovely characters, wild visuals and camera schtick...just unadulterated fun but not for 'knit pickers' or those that don't like blood flying around and profanity and vulgarity...those folks ought not see this flick because they probably won't enjoy themselves..better to save their money and get the new release of "Lady and the Tramp" coming out.
Haute tension (2003)
fine show, little different , wonderful music and sounds...
excellent and contrary to one viewer there's no cheating by the trucker seen on a security camera...i don't recall any trucker / killer dude on a security camera...wonderfully gruesome and maintained tension and believability throughout ... the acting by all involved is top notch ... the music and various sounds accompanying the scenes is exquisite and shows how a movie can be made of high quality without spending a bunch of money...i trust we'll be seeing the attractive lead characters in future movies and the director and writer will be back to lay some more equally entertaining stuff on us...normally, i'm not into pop horror thrillers but had to check this out and am pleased ... i also enjoyed the mix of dubbing with subtitling...as with a lot of foreign flicks they don't have to throw a lot of words at you in order to make the film good...the less words the better and this flick didn't have to depend on words much at all ... john