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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - (1988)
I saw this for the first time at the movies, and while impressed with the realistic battle scenes the movie kind of lost me during all the varied fantasy segments. Over the years I've kind of come to like it a little more with each subsequent watch. This time around I found the movie funnier than I ever have in the past (for the most part - especially when it's John Neville delivering a comedic line) and all-up a mixed bag with a lot to like and parts to love. Munchausen and Gilliam were a match made in heaven, and as such this is teeming with quirks and spectacular visuals - funny that the Ottoman vs European battle scenes take up a relatively small part of the story, and yet the effects make it look like a hundred million dollar epic recreation. Everything is just-so though, and the art direction, costume design and visual effects are marvelous (and Oscar-nominated.) Pure fantasy and imagination hasn't always been my thing, but I like grand spectacle and fun. I don't know why it doesn't grab me completely, but I keep on watching
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen over the years, so surely does grab me on some level.
7/10
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The Brothers Grimm - (2005)
Here's a Terry Gilliam movie I hadn't seen yet -
The Brothers Grimm has the feel of being the movie where Gilliam just completely sold out and made what a studio would expect from a big budget fantasy film. Since when did Gilliam pump out studio-pleasing movies? Since 2005 it seems. He'd tried to make
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and had been studio-less since
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in 1998, while in the meantime he nearly directed the first Harry Potter film. Obviously he was desperate enough to change his ways and the Weinsteins were willing to ride him really hard. The movie, making out famous writers Will Grimm (Matt Damon) and Jake Grimm (Heath Ledger) to be spiritualist con-men who one day come across the real thing in an enchanted forest in Germany, is full of CGI, and has a neat, conventional, mainstream-friendly narrative. It just doesn't feel like a Gilliam film at all. It's as mainstream as Coca-Cola, with plastic characters and only Jonathan Pryce really giving a damn. Nice production design though.
5/10
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I Was Monty's Double - (1958)
This British war film actually features the man who pretended to be General Bernard Montgomery to fool the Germans into thinking the D-Day invasion in 1944 would be bolstered by forces in the south, thus diverting German units from Normandy. Yeah - he plays himself, M. E. Clifton James, in this - and he does look a bit like Montgomery. The film is about his rehearsing, stage fright, various trouble-spots - and it adds a German plot to kidnap him, which didn't ever really happen. Neither thrilling nor boring, and kept my attention despite my skepticism.
6/10
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Revanche - (2008)
One man's plans to kill a man for revenge is becomes complex when he gets to know his wife intimately. Great German/Austrian film about vengeance and grief. Reviewed
here, on my watchlist thread.
8/10
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Deep Crimson - (1996)
Two Mexican lovers start killing lonely old women when their plans to con them go awry - thanks to jealousy. Very sad, farcical and fascinating version of the "Lonely Hearts Killers" story. Full review
here, on my watchlist thread.
9/10