Frightened Inmate No. 2's Reviews

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I'm gonna make this thread now. I haven't watched a movie recently, but when I do, I'm gonna post some sort of review here. They probably won't be very long reviews, or very good, but I'll write something here anyway. I'm probably gonna watch Say Anything next.


Reviews so far:

Page 1:
Say Anything...
Donnie Brasco
LA Confidential
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Rain Man
Changing Lanes
An Officer and a Gentleman
Terms of Endearment


Page 2
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Margin Call
Holy Motors
Dances with Wolves
Duck Soup
A Fish Called Wanda
Inglorious Basterds



Page 3
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
12 Angry Men
Serpico
The Game
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Bernie
Die Hard
Man of Steel
Silver Linings Playbook

Page 4
Magnolia
The Road
Broken Flowers
Killer Joe
The Royal Tenenbaums
Eyes Wide Shut
Adaptation.
Before Sunrise

Page 5
Before Sunset
Before Midnight
Gosford Park

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

http://www.therideronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/say-anything.jpg

Okay, so I watched Say Anything last night, and it was pretty enjoyable, for the most part. My biggest complaint was that it was kind of dull and uninteresting at times, and that it almost became a little soap opera-y at times. I clearly am not the target audience for this, because I generally feel indifferent to romantic movies, and I didn't grow up at this time, and I'm not a teenager, so I can't relate a whole lot to the movie. The ending kind of came out of nowhere, but it at least added something unique to the love story, so it wasn't unwelcome.

It feels like all of the good things to come out of this movie were from Jim Brooks, who executive produced it. The relationship between Diane and John Cusack felt real, in the same way that the relationship felt real in As Good As It Gets, which Jim Brooks directed, or in the same way that the relationships in seasons 1 & 2 of The Simpsons feel real. At the same time as he's making you feel for the characters, he inserts a few laughs, that feel really natural. He is one of the most talented people in Hollywood when it comes to that stuff.

John Cusack gave a great performance, and he brought some depth to his character. John Mahoney did good, and the actress who played Diane was pretty good, too. I don't really have any complaints in the acting department.

Overall, a pretty good film, even though it was a bit dull at times, and it is kind of overrated. I don't know if I know what I'm talking about, though.
3
or more specifically, 3.3/5.

[spunder]

I love that movie. Kind of gets me thinking...memories..bla bla..the good old days..

P.S. "Frightened Inmate no.2" is from Arrested Development right?

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

yeah, it's from arrested development.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

http://clzimages.com/movie/large/08/08_d_16981_0_DonnieBrasco.jpg

This movie was great. Johnny Depp gave a great performance, and his character was great. It was fascinating just to see his character change throughout the course of the film, and his relationship with Al Pacino was so believable and great. Pacino gave a great performance as well. It was amazing how some scenes felt so intense, and when they ended I just felt amazed at how much Donnie changed. It's kind of hard to describe, but I could almost feel my heart pounding after certain scenes, even though they weren't that suspenseful, or exceptionally action-packed. It was just a great story of friendship, and guilt, and about how you can completely change when put in a different environment, and it's hard to change back.
4.5
or more specifically: 4.6/5

[honeykid]

Donnie Brasco is a great film, I have it on my 100.

BTW, there isn't any pics showing for me.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I just fixed the Donnie Brasco picture. It should work now. Now to my next movie:

LA CONFIDENTIAL
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d8/La_confidential.jpg/215px-La_confidential.jpg

The beginning of this movie was kind of odd. I was initially worried that I was missing something. It didn't attempt to introduce a real plot. Instead it set up the town of LA, the characters, and the LAPD in general, and it took over an hour. As Roger Ebert said, "For much of its running time, 'L.A. Confidential' seems episodic." Those "episodes" were quite entertaining by themselves, but they felt kind of empty, and weren't very compelling. There wasn't really a strong plot connecting a lot of the events, or so it seemed. Towards the end, a shocking twist reveals that just about everything preceding it was essentially connected. Besides this, there are some pretty suspenseful scenes, including a great shootout at the end.

For further information on what I thought of the movie, just read Roger Ebert's review.


EDIT: forgot the rating
4

[honeykid]

I really like L.A. Condifential and I've never watched it thinking it's slow or boring. I know that's not what you said here, but I've heard that recently from a few people watching it for the first time. I'm there from the very start.

[mark f]

It's one of the few films I call "no boredom".

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GGJVIqjwSiY/TiOGDlAy1uI/AAAAAAAAAcc/r9c9wBGnVDM/s1600/One%2BFlew%2BOver%2BThe%2BCuckoos%2BNest%2B01.jpg

I watched this movie on Saturday, and it was pretty great. Jack Nicholson gave a great performance as always, as did everyone else in the cast. At times it was laugh-out-loud funny, and most of the time it made you think, or just cry. It was so fascinating how Nicholson's character was helping the patients more than anything else, and it was interesting seeing how he impacted them and the way he interacted with them. The ending was pretty damn sad, and it was a perfect conclusion. That last scene with Chief was just perfect.

4.5

[teeter_g]

I'm gonna make this thread now. I haven't watched a movie recently, but when I do, I'm gonna post some sort of review here. They probably won't be very long reviews, or very good, but I'll write something here anyway. I'm probably gonna watch Say Anything next.

I like your style. :)

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

http://amazingmaterial.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Whats-Eating-Gilbert-Grape-1993.jpg

I really don't have much to say about this movie. It was certainly good, but it wasn't that good. It was generally just kind of bland, but it was just entertaining and interesting enough to keep my interest. Donnie Brasco made me a Johnny Depp fan, and he gave another great performance here. Leonardo DiCaprio played his mentally challenged brother, and he did a great job making it realistic and believable, but I wish they would have done a bit more to make his character endearing to the audience, so you would have more reason to care about the character, besides just the fact that he's handicapped. I would have liked one more scene with Depp and DiCaprio bonding. Besides that, I really liked Depp's character, and I thought their family was interesting in general, and I liked his relationship with Juliette Lewis, but none of it was particularly great or intriguing. I don't mind having a movie without any gimmicks, but then the movie would need exceptional characters and character relationships, and this movie was just about average in those departments.

3
3.3/5

[seanc]

I can't say enough about Cuckoo's Nest, one of my faves. I remember really liking Grape but been a long time.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Rain Man
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b2/Rain_Man_poster.jpg/215px-Rain_Man_poster.jpg

So, I watched Rain Man the other night. It was pretty good. The main reason it was good was because Dustin Hoffman's character was so interesting and entertaining to watch. It was just fascinating to watch "Rain Man" go about his daily life, and I really wanted to learn more about him. He was certainly annoying, but he was more endearing and a more likable character than DiCaprio in Gilbert Grape. It was also interesting seeing Tom Cruise's character change as he grew to love his brother. Hoffman gave a really great performance, and Cruise was more tolerable than he usually is. It was just a very sweet and interesting film.

4
4.1/5

[honeykid]

Rain Man is great, but I think it's Cruise's performance that makes the film what it is. However, it took me about 4 or 5 viewings before I started to think that way, so I can't blame you for thinking as I did the first time out. :)

I've not seen What's Eating Gilbert Grape? in forever, so I don't know how it feels these days, however, back in '93, OK, it was probably '1994/95 by the time I saw it, you didn't see too many small, independent smalltown America films. Especially ones about 'everyday/real people'. Now, of course, these films seem to be two a penny, but I remember this being among the first of the, post Reservoir Dogs, American Independent cinema that found its way over here and everything was just so small and intimate. So unlike what we were used to seeing from the US. It really had quite the effect.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Changing Lanes


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/60/Changing_Lanes_poster.JPG/220px-Changing_Lanes_poster.JPG

Last night I watched Changing Lanes. As many people have noted before, it is not at all what you expect it to be. It is much more of a character-study than a revenge film. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson both give strong performances, and make you feel for their characters, especially Jackson. They both try various ways to ruin each others lives, and you can see the character starting to change. There are some very nice character-analyzing scenes, such as the scene where Samuel L. Jackson talks with his sponsor, William Hurt, and is told that he is addicted to chaos, rather than alcohol. Jackson gives a fairly reserved performance, except for the times when the character really cracks, and destroys his bankers computer. Even then it doesn't go over-the-top, and you can't help but feel bad for his character. Some scenes might seem silly to some people, but they are handled well. You also see Ben Affleck growing fed up with the corruption in his law firm, after initially being a heavy part the corruption. The character change happens very gradually, yet very effectively and noticeably. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it.

3.5

EDIT: I'm gonna change the rating to 3.4/5, because the more I think about it, the more I like it less than when I was liking it more because I was thinking about it more.

[seanc]

I was very underwhelmed by this film but I had pretty high expectations for it. May be worth a rewatch at some point.

[honeykid]

^^This^^

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

An Officer and a Gentleman

http://i46.fastpic.ru/big/2013/0511/37/4fd3f35cb4f40f7ef1e364774608a337.jpg

I just finished watching An Officer and a Gentleman, and the best I can say about it is that it was amusing. The reason I say that is because of the main character. Richard Gere gave a perfectly fine performance, but there was just generally poor character writing. I never felt any emotional attachment to the character, and I never felt like we got to know him. I could tell the movie was desperately trying to add something interesting to him, but in the end he just felt bland and basic. The supporting characters were better, but they weren't outstanding. His friend was fine, and you do start to care for him a bit, but it was fairly unremarkable. The romance between Richard Gere and his girlfriend was fairly well-done, but it was generally unremarkable. The reason this movie was still worth watching was just seeing his Navy training, which was greatly helped by a great performance by Louis Gossett Jr., who played the only genuinely interesting character in the movie. It was fun to watch him yell at the candidates and watch them go through their training. Otherwise it just had fairly thin characters and a decent romance.

3
3.1/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Terms of Endearment


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bf/Terms_of_Endearment,_1983_film.jpg/220px-Terms_of_Endearment,_1983_film.jpg

I haven't updated this in a while, but I saw Terms of Endearment a few nights ago, and I was disappointed. It was mostly just very bland, and it didn't have the typical James L. Brooks charm. As Good As It Gets is one of my favorite character-based dramas of all time (probably just behind Good Will Hunting), because it was effortlessly entertaining. This movie just felt like it wasn't putting any effort into being entertaining, and it wasn't. I might be missing something, but it was just boring. I felt that Debra Winger's performance really brought the movie down in the first half, but she was definitely better by the end. I never even felt particularly sad at the end, because I didn't really care about it anymore. I did like the scene where she was talking to her sons at the end, but that's the only scene that got any sort of emotional reaction from me. Jack Nicholson was definitely the best part of this movie. He gave a great performance as always, and was really fun to watch. John Lithgow and Shirley MacLaine both did good jobs as well.

It was moderately funny at times, but they didn't feel as hard-earned as they did in some movies like As Good As It Gets. I must say that the characters were pretty good, and it was certainly very realistic, but I wish it would've made me care.

2.5
2.9/5

[Mr Minio]

2,9 is approximately 3, not 2,5.

[mark f]

Why do you use a comma instead of a decimal point? (2,9 instead of 2.9)

[Mr Minio]

Aren't they interchangeable? In Polish we use a comma I guess, but sometimes a dot as well.

[mark f]

I saw one other person here do that, but I've never seen it elsewhere and I'm a math teacher. Good to learn about other cultures since it's a key to understanding movies. :)

[Mr Minio]

In Mathematics we use commas. We only use dots when writing about a version of a computer program etc.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I know a 2.9 is closer to a 3, but with the way I think about the rating in my head, a movie that gets a 2.9 feels more like a 2.5 to me.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas


http://notboxed.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Boy-in-the-Striped-Pyjamas.jpg


I really liked this one. It told the story of the Holocaust from an eight'-year-old's point-of-view, and the story crafted here was equally compelling and touching. The ending is incredibly sad, and is mostly great. The one complaint I have with this movie is that the ending is almost too frustrating. I won't spoil it, but it became hard to enjoy it because of how bad you feel. There is a very fine line between being on the edge of your seat ready to cry, and just wincing because of what's coming. Besides that, there were some very likable characters, and some great performances all-around. I was still enthralled in the plot, and I enjoyed myself for most of the film.

4

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Margin Call

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjE5NzkyNDI2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTYzNDc2Ng@@._V1_SY317_CR0,0,214,317_.jpg

I did not like this movie. I found it incredibly boring, and not at all enjoyable. I never felt that there were any stakes, despite the movie's best attempts at emphasizing them. About the only thing going for it was that there was some decent dialogue and a few good performances, most notably Kevin Spacey, who is always great. I kept waiting for something moderately interesting to happen, and it never did. Very boring film.

1.5
1.8/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Holy Motors

http://www.artistxs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/holy_motors_1.jpg

This movie was weird. It was by far the weirdest movie I have ever seen. Just when you thought it couldn't get weirder, there he is biting off a woman's finger. Then he starts randomly playing the accordion. It was so insane, yet I really liked it. The film could go wherever it wanted. I felt so many emotions while watching it, and it was a fun ride. This was the first "foreign art" film I've ever seen, so I'm not that experienced in the genre. I couldn't tell you what it is really about, but the nearest I can tell is that it's making a statement about film in general. It communicates the message eloquently yet insanely. The movie probably didn't make any sense, and it never explains much, but it really didn't need to. It was kind of hard to get into at first, but that was partly because I had to get used to it.

4

[JoeHorrorFanatic]

I've seen some reviews of Holy Motors, and I'd like to see it. The weirder it is, the better. And I've been getting more and more into art films within the past few months.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Dances with Wolves

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/82/Dances_with_Wolves_poster.jpg/220px-Dances_with_Wolves_poster.jpg

I really liked this one. First of all, Kevin Costner gave a really good performance. He doesn't have great range as an actor, but he really pulled this off, not to mention his great directing. The ending is pretty heartbreaking, but they definitely didn't overdue it as much as they could, and it clearly isn't based around the fact that it's a tearjerker. It does it more naturally and doesn't rely on a sad ending too much, even though it probably could have. Watching Kevin Costner's relationship with the Indians, and Stands with a Fist in particular, was fascinating and there was something charming about it. I can't help but feel that that would be the way a meeting between a friendly white man and an Indian would actually go. There was some great attention to detail, and it all paid off. Even if you know where it's going, it is still an epic and captivating story that will hold your interest all the way through, despite the three-hour run time.



4
4.3/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Duck Soup

http://www.filmsite.org/posters/duck.gif

Going into this, I was expecting this movie to feel very dated and I expected to not get a lot of the humor in it because I've never really seen a film like it before. But I actually found this movie quite funny. It's amazing how this movie is still hilarious after all these years. There are certainly some bits that I'm sure aren't as funny now as they seemed then, and the songs were pretty dumb, but there were some great scenes. Most notably the mirror scene, but I think the one where they keep knocking on the door, hiding behind the bushes when the person comes out, and then entering the house made me laugh the hardest. I didn't expect to be able to appreciate this movie like I did, and I suspect there is still more I could have appreciated. There were some scenes where I wouldn't laugh, but that's because the humor doesn't have anywhere near the impact now as I'm sure it did then. It's really amazing how much all performers since have been influenced by the Marx Brothers at some point. For instance, you can clearly see Rodney Dangerfield in Groucho Marx. The joke style is often very similar to that of The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and even Arrested Development. Almost every modern joke can practically be traced back to the Marx Brothers. Duck Soup is a very influential and funny movie, even if it does inevitable feel dated at times.

4

[akatemple]

Holy Motors

This movie was weird. It was by far the weirdest movie I have ever seen. Just when you thought it couldn't get weirder, there he is biting off a woman's finger. Then he starts randomly playing the accordion. It was so insane, yet I really liked it. The film could go wherever it wanted. I felt so many emotions while watching it, and it was a fun ride. This was the first "foreign art" film I've ever seen, so I'm not that experienced in the genre. I couldn't tell you what it is really about, but the nearest I can tell is that it's making a statement about film in general. It communicates the message eloquently yet insanely. The movie probably didn't make any sense, and it never explains much, but it really didn't need to. It was kind of hard to get into at first, but that was partly because I had to get used to it.

4

Sounds amazing really can't wait to see this, thanks for the review Inmate No. 2.

[Mr Minio]

I meant to watch it but then got frightened I may hate it, but after seeing the accordion scene on YouTube and liking Fando and Lis I am again thinking about giving it a chance.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

It's a very polarizing movie, but if your into art films, you would probably like it.

I first heard about it on another forum where a lot of the members are into those kind of films, and they all really love it.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

A Fish Called Wanda

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41TSFPMJP5L.jpg


This movie was pretty good, but not great. It definitely could be a bit dull at times. I may have laughed twice in the first hour of the movie. Fortunately it made up for it by the end, and was quite funny for the last half. It never reached outright hilarity, and I never cracked-up while watching it, but the ending was certainly very entertaining and funny. Every actor gave a great performance here, and they created very interesting characters, which is what the movie mainly relied on. Kevin Kline was a very likable a$$hole, and was the comedic star of the film, but John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis did a great job of playing some surprisingly complex characters, who believably fall in love, somehow. Even though it was sometimes dull, the movie still brought some laughs, and was still very well-written.

3.5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Inglorious Basterds

http://www.dbcovers.com/imagenes/posters/malditos_bastardos_2009//malditos_bastardos_2009_8.jpg

I liked this movie, but it was not as good as I was expecting. I was expecting a fun movie, with some great action and some great characters. It delivered on the last two points, but it really wasn't that fun, or particularly entertaining. It was certainly was entertaining at times, but it required long periods of inactivity, with long, drawn-out periods of dialogue. The dialogue wasn't especially boring, but it definitely could've been trimmed down. Sometimes the dialogue, especially in the opening scene, added to the suspense, but usually it just felt gratuitous. With that said, there were some great scenes, like the aforementioned opening scene, and the scenes with the Bastards, and the theater scene. I wish Brad Pitt and his Bastards would've been given more screen time, because they were by far the most entertaining part. Brad Pitt was great, and quite funny. Cristoph Waltz was absolutely phenomenal as the villain, and gave one of the best performances I've seen. I still liked this movie, even if it was pretty boring at times.


3.5

[seanc]

Basterds is certainly dialouge driven, that is why I love it so much. You mentioned a couple scenes you really liked, but how did you feel about the bar scene? I go back between that and the opening as my fave in the film.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I liked the bar scene, but I wouldn't call it my favorite scene. That scene had a lot of dialogue, and it probably went on a bit too long, but the ending of the scene was a worthy pay-off, which is something you can say for a lot of the dialogue driven scenes.

[Watch_Tower]

Great stuff, keep it up! I'm not really a big fan of Dances with the Wolves or Cuckoo's nest but they were good enough to keep me occupied for 2 hours or more.

[teeter_g]

Keep up the good work! I enjoy reading your reviews.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/perks%20main.jpg?1338814769

This was just a very sweet coming-of-age film. I'm not really a huge fan of the genre, and I have a hard time loving that type of film, and this one was no exception, even though I did really like it. Emma Watson and Logan Lerman gave very good performances, and the film was filled with interesting and complex characters. You really establish a connection with the characters, and they're all very likable. I remember seeing the trailer a long time ago and thinking it was going to be somewhat of a comedy, but it definitely wasn't. It certainly had a few comedic moments, but it was usually better when it wasn't trying to be funny. It never tried very hard at all, but if it did it usually just came off as an attempt to seem more charming, even though it was charming enough as it was.

3.5
3.7/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512275P1Q5L.jpg

I know there are probably quite a few people here who don't like this movie, but I love it. It's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's jam-packed with great jokes, and most of them hit the mark. Ben Stiller gave one of the best comedic performances I've ever seen, and Vince Vaughn was pretty great too. There admittedly isn't a lot to this movie besides being funny, but that was more than enough. There isn't a whole lot more to say about it. It's really funny, and one of my favorites.

4.5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

12 Angry Men

http://doublefeatureshow.com/images/covers/12-angry-men.jpg

It's clear why this movie is a classic. It was made more than 55 years ago, and it still holds up amazingly well today. I'm usually slightly distracted by how old certain movies are when I watch them, but once it got started, I never once thought that this movie felt dated in any way. I do like the fact that there was a remake of it, but it really is completely unnecessary. I was still engrossed in the plot and the arguments between the men. It's amazing how a movie where there is never a real sense of danger can still feel suspenseful. It's amazing how you hear the whole trial without ever seeing a courtroom, except for that brief scene in the very beginning. They had to repeat practically all of the evidence given to them in the courtroom, and yet it never felt forced, and it never felt like they were saying the lines solely for the purpose of the viewer. Even though a lot of the characters didn't have a whole lot to do, they all had remarkably distinct personalities, and they were all handled very well by their respective actors. Henry Fonda gave a very classy performance, and every other actor was cast perfectly, as well. Very good movie.

I'm going to stop using the popcorn boxes for my ratings, because they can be kind of misleading when it's not a round number.

4.4/5

[honeykid]

You could've made it a 4.5 Is it really that different from a 4.4/5?

Whatever the case, I still think it's too low for 12 Angry Men. :D Glad you enjoyed it, though. :)

[edarsenal]

you have some great picks for reviews and made me curious for the ones i haven't seen. Very nice job!

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

You could've made it a 4.5 Is it really that different from a 4.4/5?


Yeah, but in my mind I tend to view a 4.4 to be closer to a 4, even though I am aware that it is mathematically incorrect. Either way, I like my grades to be precise, so it's just easier to not have to worry about it.

[honeykid]

:laugh:

OK, that's good to know.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Serpico

http://www.dbcovers.com/imagenes/peliculas/serpico_1973.jpg

I liked this movie, but I definitely think it's overrated. I really don't know why I didn't like it more, except that it just wasn't that interesting. It was more about the theme of police corruption than it is about Serpico's life, and I would have preferred it if it had been more character-based. Al Pacino did a great job, and it's clear that Serpico was a very interesting character. Even when it tried to be about Serpico, it was done in a bland way. The closest thing I can compare this film to is LA Confidential without the great ending that brought it all together, which was definitely the best part of the film. As I and Roger Ebert said in that review, LA Confidential was almost episodic in its beginning, and this film felt episodic for the whole thing, and none of the episodes were particularly interesting by themselves. Most of them were quite short and felt fairly inconsequential, and as a result I never really cared. With all that said, it was still enjoyable enough, and I did like it.

3.25/5

[seanc]

+ rep, but disagree, Serpico is greatness.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Game

http://www.dbcovers.com/imagenes/posters_thumbs/the_game_1997/the_game_1997_5.jpg

This was a really fun movie. It took me on one hell of a ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I can't imagine it was too hard to create, because it's kind of an easy premise to make entertaining, because you can do literally anything with it, but it was great fun nonetheless. I never had any idea where it was going, and it always provided something new. I have heard people complain about the ending, which I can understand, but I was satisfied with it. I didn't love it, and it probably could be improved upon, but I can't imagine there are too many pleasing ways to end such a convoluted and crazy film like this without just being a total cop-out, which this wasn't. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. This movie could have seemed really silly at times, but it usually maintained a certain level of class, mostly thanks to Michael Douglas's selfish rich man, which he seems to have perfected. He has some great character development, but it really doesn't even seem that important, because this movie set out to entertain, and it did not disappoint.

4.4/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Pink Floyd: The Wall


http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/193247/pink-floyd-wall-war.jpg

This was probably the second weirdest movie I've ever seen, right behind Holy Motors, but I liked this one even more than Holy Motors. The whole thing is like one long music video, so it definitely helps if you already like the music, which I do. But it's obviously more than just an average music video. It's meaningful and tells a complete and unconventionally cohesive story. Bob Geldof does a great job as Pink, who was a very fascinating and complex character. It's kind of a hard movie to review, considering it's a deeply personal story, so I'll just leave it at that. If you like the music, it's hard to not like the movie. If you don't like the music, you should still be able to get captivated by Pink's life, and it could give you a new appreciation for the music, like it did for me.

4.45/5

[edarsenal]

really great reviews.
Haven't seen Serpico since i was a teenager and back then i remember several slow parts and i have seen a documentary on the person, (very cool individual)
i need to see the game and great call on The Wall. Saw it when it came out, in my late teens and many times since. Actually saw it a few months ago and rather glad to see that it still has a rather strong impact. Amazing movie.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Bernie

http://thecrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bernie-poster.jpg

I liked this movie, even though it really wasn't that funny. If you're looking to laugh out loud, this isn't the best movie to watch. If you're looking to be constantly amused and entertained, then this is a great movie to watch. I usually am not a fan of Jack Black or Matthew McConaughey, but they both gave really great performances, especially Jack Black. His character was just so likable and fun to watch. The only real humor in this movie came from his performance, and poking fun at the people of Texas. It reminds me of a Christopher Guest mockumentary, except less over-the-top, which is not even something I would ever accuse a Christopher Guest movie of being. Even without the laughs, I still was very interested in the plot, and I just really liked watching it.


3.7/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Man of Steel

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4wozefHUw4/UYQSw_Nhc4I/AAAAAAAAAL8/eY5-aDts1eI/s320/man-of-steel-+new+flying+poster.jpg

I was not a big fan of this one. I loved the Nolan Batman films, and I've heard a lot of people compare this one to that trilogy, and I don't see it. It tried to add depth to Superman, and I wouldn't say it failed, but it really proved quite unnecessary and pointless in the end. The last half was pretty much all CGI action scenes that got really tiring by the end. I guess you could say I found it to be really unbalanced. The first half tried to fit in a bunch of character-developing stuff (that didn't amount to much), and the second half was all mindless action. I like most of the Marvel films, and most of this just felt like The Incredible Hulk or Thor, but without the fun, and much more CGI. I don't think a superhero film needs fun and humor, but if it's not going to have any of the things that made Nolan's trilogy great, then fun certainly helps.

Also, I just want to stress my point about overused CGI. It was pretty overused in the first scene, but the last hour put that scene to shame. Literally every shot felt like it was just showing off another piece of CGI. It never really bothered to make you really care or be too excited about the actual battle because of all the effects. It was really quite annoying, especially since the battle probably could've taken about one-fourth of the time it took.

Also, the acting was pretty inconsistent. Henry Cavill was fine as Superman. He certainly looked the part, and that's the most important thing for an iconic character like him, since they didn't give him many emotional scenes, which he was not well-equipped for. I usually love Russell Crowe, but he was slightly disappointing here. His acting was quite sub-par in the first scene, but it picked up a bit after that. It still never reached what you expect from an actor like him. I didn't really like Michael Shannon, either. His character had some pretty bad dialogue, but the actor didn't really help it much. Not to mention the fact that General Zod was never expanded on beyond your average superhero movie villain. Amy Adams was fine. She probably could've been better, but I don't have any real complaints. Kevin Costner was definitely the best actor in this. The parts when he was on screen were probably my favorites, even though the kids who played the young Clark Kent were pretty bad as well, even for child actors. Costner didn't always get the best dialogue, but he made the most of what he was given.

It might seem like I hated it, but I still found myself moderately entertained at certain points, and it never came close to "offensively bad."


2.75/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Die Hard

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7e/Die_hard.jpg/220px-Die_hard.jpg

This was my first time seeing this film, believe it or not, and I did not expect to like it this much. I know this movie has gotten great reviews, but I was still expecting just a slightly above average action film. It was so much more. I wouldn't say it was "fun," but I can't think of a better word right now, so I'm just gonna call it that. It was fun, and exciting, and suspenseful, and everything you want in an action film. To me, he amount of excitement in the film completely covered for all of the faults, to where no part of the movie is ever bothersome. I will admit that that deputy character was pretty useless and bad and I will admit that that scene at the end where John's new friend saved his life was pretty corny and didn't make a lot of sense, and I will admit that the character who tried to negotiate with the terrorists and then died was incredibly unrealistic and stupid, but none of that mattered. The fun and exciting tone of the movie never stopped, and the faults never remotely hindered my enjoyment. Every single payoff was worthwhile, and no scene ever felt unsatisfactory. Bruce Willis didn't exactly have the hardest role to play, but he was cast perfectly and he did great with it. Alan Rickman was really great, as always. I don't think the movie was as funny as some people say, but it certainly had some good humor. Alan Rickman's sarcasm with that smooth-talking idiot was probably my biggest laugh. Initially I was a bit annoyed by Argyle, but he had a really great payoff, and I liked him by the end. Just a great movie.

4.65/5

[Masterman]

I Don't think I've ever heard the word "funny" to describe Die Hard anyway. If I wrote a review on Die Hard I don't think I'd have anything bad to say, even the characters you had a problem with... I liked.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Obviously nobody ever describes it as a comedy, but the humor of it is something I usually see praised in reviews of the movie.

[edarsenal]

the laughs are always mentioned when talking about Die Hard, or rather the sarcastic dialogue
Yippee Kiyay mother---- you know the rest ;)

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Silver Linings Playbook

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM2MTI5NzA3MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODExNTc0OA@@._V1_SX214_.jpg

This is gonna be a fairly short review, because I watched this movie about a week ago, and I do all of my reviews from memory. Also, I just don't have a lot to say about this movie. Anyway, I really liked it, but I didn't love it. All of the actors did a great job, especially Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. The characters were all really interesting and funny and likable, and it made the movie seem really likable. The movie was much funnier than I expected it to be, but I can't think of any particular moment or line that I found particularly funny, but I know they were there. The movie could have easily survived without the humor, because it had that strong of a story and great characters, but I'm glad the humor was there to add an extra element to it.

3.9/5


I'm gonna do a thing where I'll say how many other movies I've seen from the main actors in the film. If I don't put one it means I probably haven't seen another movie with them, or I just forgot about them. I haven't seen anywhere near the amount of movies most of you have, so it'll probably seem pretty pathetic, but I'll do it so you can get an idea of what I've seen. It's all according to Criticker.


2nd Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
4th Bradley Cooper (Changing Lanes, The Hangover, The Rocker)
2nd Robert De Niro (Meet the Parents (I know, that is incredibly sad))
2nd Julia Stiles (The Bourne Identity (I don't quite know who she is, but apparently she was in these movies))
2nd Dash Mihok (I Am Legend (Same as Julia Stiles))
2nd Chris Tucker (The Fifth Element)

EDIT: from now on, i'm not gonna worry about the smaller actors

[seanc]

Que up some De Niro dude. I am always actually jealous of people who haven't seen a lot of the films that I consider great because you still get to experience them for the first time, while I never will get that pleasure again. There is a lot of De Niro that would fall into that category. First off if you have not seen Godfather II then I assume you probably have not seen the first. Do it, there is nothing current that you will watch this year that will compare.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Yeah, I have a lot of De Niro on my wishlist. I plan on watching The Godfather pretty soon, but I have no idea when.

De Niro movies on my Criticker wishlist:
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Casino (1995)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Goodfellas (1990)
Heat (1995)
Jackie Brown (1997)
Limitless (2011)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
The Untouchables (1987)

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

***** i just wrote up a full review of magnolia, and then i lost it all when i hit submit.

in short, i found it to be pretty uninteresting. i wish it would've done more to be somewhat entertaining, because the premise has so much potential, and they never really had any sort of climax, except for that one scene towards the end, which is a pretty bland climax, if you ask me. it's one of the better scenes, but it doesn't work as the only thing that's really ever remotely exciting. (at this point i just lost everything that i had written after this again, so it will be extra rushed) none of the stories were particularly interesting at all. the best part was the actors. this movie actually made me like tom cruise as an actor, which is something i never thought i'd say. william h. macy and john c. reilly were other highlights. everyone did really great, though.

2.9/5


4th tom cruise
rain man, mission: impossible, the firm
4th william h. macy
fargo, air force one, seabiscuit
2nd philip seymour hoffman
moneyball
6th philip baker hall
the truman show, air force one, say anything..., bruce almighty, the shaggy dog
4th john c. reilly
wreck-it ralph, step brothers, what's eating gilbert grape
2nd julianne moore
crazy, stupid love
6th alfred molina
raiders of the lost ark, rango, the da vinci code, spider man 2, the pink panther 2

and that's a brief summary of my original review

[seanc]

Just watched Magnolia for the first time last fall and had exact opposite reaction. This movie instantly became one of my favorites.

[Upton]

I demand to know how many Luis Guzman movies you've now seen, FI#2

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

well, if you insist, that was the first luis guzman film i've seen. i have seen him in an episode of frasier, though.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Road


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/The_Road_movie_poster.jpg

I liked this movie, though it did have it's faults, the most glaring of which was the acting of the little boy. I have seen a lot of praise given to him in almost every review I've read, and I don't get it. I'm sure it was a tough role, and I don't expect much from child actors, but he did a pretty poor job. I'm not gonna fault the actor, because he's just a kid and he clearly did the best he could do, but it really brought the movie down and I don't know why it's praised so much. It didn't help that his character was kind of annoying, but I'm not quite sure if that was more the writing or the acting. Apparently writing post-apocalyptic children is really hard, because I've never seen it done right. I know it was intentional, but this kid seemed way too soft, and it just got annoying. It almost made me yearn for Carl from The Walking Dead, who is the exact opposite, and who I usually can't stand. Also, Viggo Mortnensen and Robert Duvall were both great, and Charlize Theron was fine.

Also, the movie had very little emotional impact. I don't think it was as powerful as it was trying to be, and I think it relied a bit too much on the fact that we would find all of it inherently sad, which it was, but it wasn't enough. WIth that said, I never felt like it was forcing emotion on to me at all, and it felt kind of nice. It was almost unintentionally light-hearted in a really depressing sort of way. Even when I thought a scene should have been really sad or powerful, I just never felt anything. I did loved the gray color scheme, which was more powerful than anything else in the movie. I'm not quite sure what made me like the movie as much as I did. I guess I just found it interesting or something, but I can't even think of a time throughout the film that I felt especially interested, and none of it really felt new or original after watching The Walking Dead. It obviously wasn't "fun," but maybe I just had a good time watching it. Maybe I just liked watching their journey, even if I never really cared what happened, and maybe that's why I liked it so much. Maybe not being emotionally involved in an inherently depressing movie is a good thing. Whatever the reason is, this was a good movie.


3.9/5








7th Viggo Mortensen
LOTR trilogy, 28 Days, A History of Violence, Hidalgo
2nd Robert Duvall
Secondhand Lions
3rd Charlize Theron
Hancock, The Italian Job
3rd Guy Pearce
Memento, LA Confidential

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Broken Flowers

http://www.imdb.so/posters/tt0412019.jpg

Bill Murray is a perfect human-being. That just needed to be said. Once you accept that, this film seems even better. He doesn't even need to be hilarious to be awesome. Just watching him on-screen is a pleasure, even when he's just sitting silently in his house, doing nothing. He seems to have perfected every role he's ever played. This movie is definitely funny, but it isn't at all hilarious, and is just a pleasure to watch, even if it can seem bland on the surface. It's basically just Bill Murray reflecting on his past, where he clearly used to be good with the ladies. It's really similar to Lost in Translation, and is pretty much just an unofficial sequel, but it works on its own level. I think Lost in Translation might be slightly better, but this was awfully close. Many people have complained about the ending, but I thought it was the best part of the movie. It was the perfect way to do an ambiguous ending. The set-up was great, you never saw it coming, and it was probably the funniest part of the movie. The movie could have been a bit funnier at times, but it was still quite good.

4/5









13th Bill Murray
Zombieland, Caddyshack, Kingpin, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, Moonrise Kingdom, Ghostbuster, Little Shop of Horrors, Stripes, Meatballs, Scrooged

2nd Sharon Stone
Total Recall

4th Tilda Swinton
Moonrise Kingdom, Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2nd Christopher McDonald
Happy Gilmore

[Cobpyth]

Bill Murray is a perfect human-being. That just needed to be said.

I haven't seen the film yet, but just for this very true statement, you get my :up:! He's basically one of the funniest guys ever just by being there, without even doing anything.

I'll certainly watch the film in the future, as I'm a huge fan of Bill Murray.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Killer Joe

http://anthonypeoples.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/killer-joe.jpg

I don't even know where to begin reviewing this one. It was just bizarre on so many levels. Matthew McConaughey gave a great and creepy performance as Killer Joe. Everybody in the cast did a great job, but he really stood out. The pacing and the dialogue were both pretty flawless. Every scene was important and they all were just the right length. The dialogue was smart and delivered perfectly. Initially I found the characters to be a bit too unlikable, but by the end I realized that it didn't really matter if you liked the characters or not, because it wasn't really about those characters. It was mostly about Joe and Dottie, the main character's sister. I guess a complaint I have was that the sex aspect of it was a bit overdone, but looking back on it, I don't know if it was. It definitely will make you uncomfortable, which I'm sure is completely intentional, so it accomplished what it wanted to, and I can't imagine the movie being the same without it. Another problem is with the ending. It was another ambiguous ending, but I don't think it was done as well as Broken Flowers. I still liked it, and it got the intended reaction, I think, but it felt more like a cop-out than anything, but I wouldn't say it took away anything from the movie, and I still left feeling like I just saw a great movie.

4.25/5







3rd Matthew McConaughey
Bernie, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

[cricket]

I absolutely loved this movie and I loved the ending.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I just reread the review, and I made it sound like I didn't like the ending. I actually did like it, but I just have seen endings like that done better. I'm gonna edit it a bit to reflect that.

[cricket]

But you're right; it's one of those sudden endings that some people won't like, even if they enjoyed the rest of the movie.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Royal Tenenbaums

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGNao9fbX0g/T4RTlgTOm8I/AAAAAAAAAH8/6F2mR0-3HKQ/s400/the+royal+tenenbaums1.jpg

This movie was bizarre, in a pretty good way. The only other Anderson film I've seen is Moonrise Kingdom, and I think I may have preferred this one, although I really need to rewatch Moonrise. Just like Moonrise, this movie certainly wasn't hilarious, but it did have quite a few laughs in it, mostly at how quirky the whole thing was. The cast is great, and they did good jobs, even though most of them didn't really get a chance to shine, especially Bill Murray. He was criminally underused. There were some really great shots in this, as usual in Anderson's films. At times it was almost distracting, and I think it may have taken away from the comedy and the story, but it made up for it with how many times it enhanced it. The humor was about as dry as it comes, but it was amazing how many times it worked, even if it wasn't as many times as I was hoping. It may have gotten a little dull at times, but there was always some impressive camera-work to look at, so I was always entertained.

4/5










2nd Gene Hackman
The Firm

2nd Angelica Huston
This is Spinal Tap

4th Luke Wilson
Blades of Glory, Anchorman, Legally Blonde

7th Owen Wilson
The Cable Guy, Drillbit Taylor, Meet the Parents, Cars, You, Me, and Dupree, Night at the Museum

10th Ben Stiller
Dodgeball, Anchorman, Happy Gilmore, The Cable Guy, Tower Heist, Meet the Parents, Madagascar 1 & 3, Night at the Museum

3rd Alec Baldwin
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, My Sister's Keeper

4th Gwyneth Paltrow
Iron Man 1 & 2, The Avengers

3rd Danny Glover
Barnyard, The Shaggy Dog

14th Bill Murray
Zombieland, Caddyshack, Kingpin, What About Bob?, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, Moonrise Kingdom, Ghostbuster, Little Shop of Horrors, Stripes, Meatballs, Scrooged

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Eyes Wide Shut

http://www.stargatecinema.com/images/magictoolbox_cache/3bf842518f40ca6b8a10b619b8e02daf/1/8/18706/thumb400x400/22200-04.jpg

I'm pretty sure I'm not enough of a film buff to really appreciate this movie to its full potential, especially considering this is the first Kubrick movie I've ever seen, but I really liked it. I'm not someone who usually looks for great visuals in their movies, but I didn't really see any stunning visuals like I had been lead to believe there might be (I've got nothin' against those naked lady visuals, but that's hardly cinematic brilliance). I was probably missing something, though, but I still enjoyed it anyway. I think Tom Cruise was fairly underrated in this role, which is something I never thought I'd say until I saw Magnolia, which made me like him. The dialogue wasn't the best, but it was hardly ever distracting, and it surprisingly didn't seem to really hurt Tom Cruise's performance. Nicole Kidman definitely gave the better performance, though. I was surprised at how suspenseful the movie could be at times. There isn't much action, but in several scenes you're hanging on their every word, and are practically on the edge of your seat. It works quite well as a thriller, even if that clearly wasn't the focus. The ending was a tad unfulfilling, I think. It doesn't answer very many questions, and the questions it does answer were answered in fairly contrived ways, not to mention that the last couple scenes were just really dull. It may have left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth after it ended, but it's mostly just nitpicking in the grand scheme of things, so I just had to remember all of the great scenes and the excitement of the rest of the movie.

4.25/5









5th Tom Cruise
Rain Man, Mission: Impossible, The Firm, Magnolia

3rd Nicole Kidman
Batman Forever, Bewitched

3rd Sydney Pollack
Changing Lanes, The Firm

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Adaptation.

http://i2.listal.com/image/4890/600full-adaptation-poster.jpg

I don't quite know why I didn't love this movie. I loved Eternal Sunshine, and this movie had all the elements to be great, but it was never more than just "good." Part of the reason might have been that Netflix advertised it as a comedy, which it is not. It had slightly amusing humor at times, but it was far from a comedy, so I don't think I came into this with the right mind-set. By the end, though, I don't think it had much impact on my views, because it got pretty good and exciting by the end. I was almost ready to turn it off at around the 15-minute mark because it was kind of dull and annoying in the beginning, and I didn't see much potential, but luckily I pretty much never turn off movies after I start them. I think the movie started succeeding once Charlie Kaufman was made into a more relatable and interesting character. Not that I didn't like him in the beginning, but the whole movie kind of depended on him, in a sense. As soon as he became interesting, the movie became interesting, and he became very interesting. The last few scenes may have been a bit far-fetched, but they were incredibly entertaining and very well-done. I don't care for Nicholas Cage, but he did a pretty good job. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper both did great as well. Still a pretty good movie, even if I don't think it achieved it's full potential.

3.75/5








5th Nicholas Cage
The Ant Bully, Peggy Sue Got Married, Raising Arizona, National Treasure 2

4th Meryl Streep
A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Ant Bully, The Devil Wears Prada

4th Chris Cooper
Seabiscuit, The Bourne Identity, The Patriot

4th Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Dark Knight, Stranger than Fiction, Monster House

5th Tilda Swinton
Broken Flowers, Moonrise Kingdom, Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Before Sunrise

http://profratigan.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/before-sunrise.jpg

This movie was literally all conversation. There was absolutely no twists, no twists, no action, no excitement, no big-name actors, no unnatural humor. It is probably the dullest concept I've ever seen in a movie... and it was great. It was nearly flawless. It was easily the most realistic movie I've ever seen, and by far the best dialogue. It actually felt like real life all the way through. The only thing that didn't feel exactly like real life was that the conversations were a bit more philosophical than I imagine the average couple has, but that's easily forgiven because of how essential each conversation was to the movie. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke actually seemed like a real couple, and you can feel their love. It was believable and consistent all the way through. Wonderful movie.


4.7/5



2nd Richard Linklater
Bernie

2nd Julie Delpy
Broken Flowers

[Cobpyth]

Adaptation.

http://i2.listal.com/image/4890/600full-adaptation-poster.jpg

I don't quite know why I didn't love this movie. I loved Eternal Sunshine, and this movie had all the elements to be great, but it was never more than just "good." Part of the reason might have been that Netflix advertised it as a comedy, which it is not. It had slightly amusing humor at times, but it was far from a comedy, so I don't think I came into this with the right mind-set. By the end, though, I don't think it had much impact on my views, because it got pretty good and exciting by the end. I was almost ready to turn it off at around the 15-minute mark because it was kind of dull and annoying in the beginning, and I didn't see much potential, but luckily I pretty much never turn off movies after I start them. I think the movie started succeeding once Charlie Kaufman was made into a more relatable and interesting character. Not that I didn't like him in the beginning, but the whole movie kind of depended on him, in a sense. As soon as he became interesting, the movie became interesting, and he became very interesting. The last few scenes may have been a bit far-fetched, but they were incredibly entertaining and very well-done. I don't care for Nicholas Cage, but he did a pretty good job. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper both did great as well. Still a pretty good movie, even if I don't think it achieved it's full potential.

3.75/5

The last scenes were supposed to be far-fetched as the story ended exactly the way he didn't want it to end in the first place. It was Kaufman's way to ridicule the classic action movie plots AND at the same time the pretentious film makers who ridicule them (even himself). It's pretty ingenious when you think about it.
I also thought it was pretty obviously a comedy, but sometimes a rather dark one, I admit. For now I rate it pretty much the same as you did, but after another watch, I might give it a 4. It all depends on how well it holds up.

I'm a big fan of Eyes Wide Shut and I'm glad you liked that one. Before Sunrise is also a very decent film. Be sure to check out its sequels!
I also liked The Royal Tenenbaums.

[seanc]

I watched Before Sunrise this year as well and loved it. I didn't however love Before Sunset so I will be interested to see how you feel about it. I think that where Sunrise was romantic and philosophical, Sunset is preachy and the character motivations irritated me. I hope you get to review it soon.

[honeykid]

I much preferred Before Sunrise to Before Sunset, too. Though, as I've said before, I've only seen it once (such was the disappointment) and I'd been waiting 9 years for Before Sunset, so my expectations were a little high, to say the least.

I'm so pleased to see how many people here are seeing, and loving, Before Sunrise. I think it's been criminally overlooked.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The last scenes were supposed to be far-fetched as the story ended exactly the way he didn't want it to end in the first place. It was Kaufman's way to ridicule the classic action movie plots AND at the same time the pretentious film makers who ridicule them (even himself). It's pretty ingenious when you think about it.


Yeah, I kind of figured that out a little after I wrote the review. It does make the movie seem even smarter. It's definitely a movie that seems better in memory, but I still wouldn't change what I wrote in the review.


Glad you guys liked Before Sunrise. I'm definitely gonna watch the sequels pretty soon.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Before Sunset

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ1MjAwNTM5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNDM0MTc3._V1_SY317_CR0,0,214,317_.jpg

Even though it wasn't quite as good as Before Sunrise, this movie was still great. It was amazing how the only real changes in the movie were in the set-up, and in the topics of their discussion, and yet it never feels remotely repetitive or rehashed. It feels so far apart yet so similar to the first one all at the same time. The only negative for this one compared to the other one was that Sunset didn't feel quite as magical as the first one. I guess that's just the handicap of being a sequel to a magical film about two people's love, and then not having the second one showing them completely in love, but it was still great. The dialogue and the acting was still top-notch, and the characters were as great as ever. Julie Delpy's character became slightly unlikable at one point, but the fact that I would think of that moment as making her relatively unlikable just shows how much you care about the characters0, because that moment wouldn't have as much of an impact in an average movie. I also liked the nighttime setting in the first one better, and the fact that it took place over a longer timeframe was a bit better for me, but the shortened timeframe didn't hurt the movie at all. It was still really great, and I really can't wait to see the third one, which many people are calling the best of the trilogy.

4.5/5

[seanc]

I think maybe my timing was bad for watching Sunset. I just thought it was despicable how Hawke talks to Deply despite having a wife and child thousands of miles away. It really rubbed me the wrong way. Good review. I'm looking forward to Midnight as well. These are the times I wish I lived in the city and near theaters that played more than the latest blockbuster.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Before Midnight

http://worldradio.ch/wrs/bm~pix/before_midnight_international_poster_1~s600x600.jpg

Wow, this was great. It surpassed my insanely high expectations. The last hour was just so great. The weird thing, though, was that I didn't even care for the beginning much. There is a dinner party scene early on that I wasn't very fond of, and I think it's because it's the first time other characters were used heavily in the movies, and it was almost a little off-putting, because we're so used to just being with Jesse and Celine. There was nothing wrong with the characters, except that we didn't know them as well. It's still a good scene, and I liked it, but it was still a lowpoint in the trilogy for me. The last half more than made up for it, though. This is the most their relationship has been tested since we've met them, and the fight is almost kind of heart-breaking. The acting may have been the best it's been, but the acting has always been pretty flawless, so it's almost impossible to improve upon it. I don't want to spoil the ending, but it really couldn't have ended more perfectly, and everything leading up to it was pretty perfect, too.


4.9/5

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Gosford Park

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yFNpuqJQGYE/UUHE30Bfi7I/AAAAAAAAAR0/DIsHSatjhTQ/s320/gosford+park.jpg

Besides having a very similar plot, this movie was nothing like Clue or any other murder-mystery at all. Barely any time is actually spent solving the murder. The majority of the film is spent showing the master-servant relationship, and it became a bit dull at times. It had some great performances, with the standouts being Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Clive Owen, and Helen Mirren. The "twist" at the end was certainly interesting and I didn't see it coming, but it's hard to call it a twist when the movie is mostly uninterested in its plot (I don't mean to imply that that's a bad thing). It almost reminded me of Serpico, in that it focused more on its theme (police corruption for Serpico) than on an interesting story or on being entertaining. However, it does handle its them very well, so it still manages a certain level of enjoyment, just like Serpico.

3.25/5










2nd Ryan Phillippe
Crash

6th Michael Gambon
Harry Potter 3,4,5,6,7pt2

8th Maggie Smith
Harry Potter 1,2,3,4,6,7pt2, Murder By Death

3rd Clive Owen
The Bourne Identity, The Pink Panther

3rd Stephen Fry
A Fish Called Wanda, Alice in Wonderland

3rd Bob Balaban
A Mighty Wind, Moonrise Kingdom

[Cobpyth]

The image doesn't work, so some people won't know you are talking about Gosford Park. You should mention the title of the movie in your post, in case the image stops working.

I liked it a lot more than you did, but I can understand your criticism. You shouldn't watch this film if you're merely looking for a tensive murder story. There's way more to it.
I personally enjoyed every minute of it and thought it never got dull, as I was very interested in the relationships between the rich amount of characters. You obviously weren't (that much), so that perfectly justifies your rating. Good review!


P.S.

It would also be interesting to add the director (and the movies you've seen from him) to your enumerations of seen movies from all the actors, at the end of your reviews.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

P.S.

It would also be interesting to add the director to your enumerations of seen movies from all the actors, at the end of your reviews.

Yeah, I keep meaning to do that, but I keep forgetting. Either way, this was the first Altman I've seen, although I'm gonna try to explore his filmography more. In fact, the next movie I'm going to review is an Altman, and I liked it a lot more than this one.

[Cobpyth]

In fact, the next movie I'm going to review is an Altman, and I liked it a lot more than this one.

I'm very curious!

[mark f]

You said "the movie is mostly uninterested in its plot". That's extremely accurate, and if you said the director it would be even more accurate since I can't think of one film where Altman is.

[Cobpyth]

You said "the movie is mostly uninterested in its plot". That's extremely accurate, and if you said the director it would be even more accurate since I can't think of one film where Altman is.

I agree. In Altman films, plots are secondary. They are there to serve a sort of bigger message or idea and probably also to keep a bigger audience hooked.
I personally like it a lot, as Altman is never unclear about that purpose and always lets you know immediately (in the films I've seen from him so far, anyway).

[honeykid]

I love Gosford Park. It was on my 100 until I remembered a couple of films which had to be on there.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Long Goodbye


http://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads/movie_posters_70s/long_goodbye_ver3.jpg

Phillip Marlowe is so cool. Right after seeing this movie, he quickly became one of my favorite film characters of all time. My favorite comedy of all time is Fletch, starring Chevy Chase, and Elliot Gould's Marlowe reminded me a lot of Chase's Irwin Fletcher. Fletch is overall a funnier character, given that it's a comedy, but Gould had some really hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments. It was just entertaining to see him on screen. I wouldn't say the plot is particularly inspired, or that it's even executed in a unique way, but it still works on every single level. As said in my earlier review, Altman never cares much about plot, which is still true here. I would say this movie is a bit more plot-focused than Gosford Park, but he still goes for character and style more than anything here, which is fine by me. Again, the resolution is a pretty big twist, but it doesn't leave a big impact like it would under most directors because of how little it was ever built up, but it certainly worked well here. I was never on the edge of my seat, but there were some shocking and fascinating scenes, mixed in with the jokes.

4.4/5








2nd Robert Altman
Gosford Park

4th Elliot Gould
Ocean's 11,12, and 14

6th Arnold Schwarzenegger (I didn't even recognize him at first)
Total Recall, Predator, The Running Man, Conan the Barbarian, Batman & Robin

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Beasts of the Southern Wild

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f5/Beats-of-the-southern-wild-movie-poster.jpg/220px-Beats-of-the-southern-wild-movie-poster.jpg

This movie was pretty good, but I felt like it could have been better. Part of my problem was that it just wasn't very subtle. It kind of beat you over the head with a lot of the themes and scenes, when I think it's the kind of movie that would have been incredibly powerful if it had some subtleties. I do think that probably comes more with having a more experienced director. With that said, this director still did a great job. The cinematography was great, and that's coming from a person who doesn't usually notice that kind of stuff. The little girl was pretty adorable, and that actress did a really great job. Her narration was great, and the whole idea of viewing that way of life from the eyes of a six-year-old is a pretty great premise, and it led to some beautiful and emotional scenes. Even though it's a pretty depressing story, it somehow creates a feeling of optimism by having it through the eyes of a child. Entertaining and occasionally beautiful movie, but flawed.

75/100

[edarsenal]

I'm with you on the Philip Marlowe character. Enjoyed him since seeing The Big Sleep with Bogart and Bacall when i was a youngster. Good review and yeah, the end did surprise me a little, forgot how it ended since i saw it at the drive-in as a kid when it first came out and there is some very intense scenes mixed in.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/86/Mccabe_and_mrs_miller.jpg/220px-Mccabe_and_mrs_miller.jpg

I've taken about a week to start writing this review, so it might be an exceptionally vague review, but I liked it. I found it a tad dull at times, but it was never boring. It was another Altman where he wasn't really interested in the plot, and the plot was actually semi-interesting. The way it was all like a modern business film that's disguised as a western was pretty impressive, but that doesn't make a movie inherently great for me. Warren Beatty and Julie Christie both gave pretty good performances. I wouldn't say either were exceptional, but they were quite solid. Pretty good movie, but nothing special, and slightly overrated. I would still recommend it, though.

73/100


3rd Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, Gosford Park

2nd Shelley Duvall
Roxanne

2nd Julie Christie
Troy

3rd Rene Auberjonois
Batman Forever, The Patriot

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Brewster McCloud

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Brewster_McCloud.jpg/220px-Brewster_McCloud.jpg

This movie was really weird, yet it was pretty fun to watch. It wasn't hilarious, but their were quite a few humorous, surreal moments that set the perfect tone. Bud Cort isn't a great actor, but he's perfectly fine in this role. There were some surprisingly fun and clever scenes that were just really entertaining to watch. The scenes with Rene Auberjonois were really creepy, yet really great. I don't quite know what it all meant, and I don't think it was intended to mean as much as it seemed, but I liked it. I wouldn't call it a great movie, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and likable.

79/100










4th Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Gosford Park

2nd Bud Cort
Harold and Maude

4th Rene Auberjonois
McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Batman Forever, The Patriot

3rd Shelley Duvall
McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Roxanne

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Images

http://horrornews.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Robert-Altman-Images-poster-1-330x500.jpg

This movie was pretty great. It was incredibly fascinating and incredibly creepy at the same time. It's one of the most bone-chilling movies I've seen in a while. Roger Ebert criticized the movie for being a bit "cold," which I completely agree with, except that I don't think it's a fault. It wasn't a very emotional movie, but it had a ton of suspense, and as far as I'm concerned, suspense is one of the most powerful emotions when it comes to movies. I can't imagine the movie being anywhere near as enjoyable without the cold feel of it. Susannah York's performance was great, and it really added to the cold feeling, even if she isn't really a great actress in a traditional sense. Rene Auberjonois is quickly becoming one of my favorite character actors, as he can play a great and likable oblivious husband like in Images, and he can excel in a performance where his character slowly turns into a bird like in Brewster McCloud. And holy crap, that ending was awesome. I was mentally preparing myself for a huge twist, because I knew one was coming, but I really didn't see that coming. I have to give this movie major kudos for keeping me guessing until the very end. Great movie.

84/100














5th Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Gosford Park


5th Rene Auberjonois
Brester McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Batman Forever, The Patriot

[mark f]

All Altman movies are cold. Especially Quintet. :)

[Cobpyth]

All Altman movies are cold.

McCabe approves.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aLqRGMPEy3I/ThhsTc1JvyI/AAAAAAAABBE/OCy1E-QcLtE/s640/mccabe13.png

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I'm probably gonna take a break from Altman in a little bit. Since Images, I've seen one other one that would probably be my least favorite of his. I'm still gonna watch his more popular movies, though, like Nashville, Short Cuts, and The Player, and then 3 Women probably. I might watch MASH or A Prairie Home Companion if I feel like it, but I probably won't.

[Cobpyth]

I think you'll love The Player.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

California Split

http://www.stopsmilingonline.com/uploads/photos/story/20080624110154_split.jpg

This movie was okay. I wouldn't say it was dull, but I definitely found it a bit uninteresting. I just don't care enough about poker and gambling to watch a movie built around it. Granted, there was more to it than just the gambling, but it kind of relies on the fact that you would have an interest in watching a movie about it, which I don't really have, unless it has a bit more to offer. The only reason I kind of liked it was Elliot Gould. He was what made this movie likable, and I still had some goodwill for him leftover from The Long Goodbye. So far it's my least favorite Altman. It was about as uninteresting to me as Gosford Park, except Gosford Park felt a lot smarter (not that this movie didn't feel smart). Overall, kinda boring, but pretty likable.

60/100











6th Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, Images, Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Gosford Park

5th Elliot Gould
Ocean's 11,12, and 13, The Long Goodbye

[mark f]

Too generous, but you usually are. :)

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I do admit that I'm usually a bit generous with my ratings, but I have a hard time giving a movie I kind of like anything less than a 60, and I reserve everything less than a 50 for the movies I genuinely dislike.

[mark f]

Have you rated any here that low?

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I gave Margin Call a 1.8/5, which is like a 36/100. I gave Magnolia, Terms of Endearment, Man of Steel and a couple other movies in the 50s. But I also try to make sure I watch movies I feel confident that I will like. I'm sure if I watched some of the movies on SC's 90s list, for example, there would be a lot of scores below 50.

[seanc]

Have you seen Rounders? I love that movie.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

no, i've never seen it. i just added it to my wishlist, though.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Rushmore

http://robpg.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/rushmore-1999-movie-poster1.jpg

I liked this movie slightly less than The Royal Tenenbaums, but it's really, really close. Tenenbaums was a bit funnier overall, but this one worked better with some more dramatic elements. Jason Schwartzman has been criticized for making an unlikable character, which is kind of true, but it really never affected my enjoyment of the film as a whole. I wouldn't even call him unlikable. I didn't like the character as a person, but I was never rooting against him or anything, and he was still entertaining to watch. Even so, I don't feel like a director like Wes Anderson deserves to have his films be disliked because of one annoying character, when they offer so much more. His films always create a great atmosphere, helped by his wonderful cinematography and camera angles. His movies are the only movies I've seen that can get by by just having good camera work. Bill Murray was great as always, even though he wasn't in a very comedic role. It's not really very funny, and I really only laughed a few times, but it doesn't need to be hilarious (although that would have helped it a lot). When you're not laughing, you're still entertained with great cinematography and interesting and entertaining performances by Schwartzman and Murray.

80/100












5th Luke Wilson
Blades of Glory, The Royal Tenenbaums, Anchorman, Legally Blonde

15th Bill Murray (I've seen more of his films than any other actor; he passed Steve Martin with this one)
Zombieland, Caddyshack, Kingpin, What About Bob? Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Stripes, Meatballs, Scrooged

3rd Jason Schwartzman
Moonrise Kingdom, Bewitched

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Short Cuts

http://movieposters.2038.net/p/Short-Cuts_2.jpg

This movie was so much better than Magnolia. Magnolia bored me to death for much of its three hour running time, but Short Cuts didn't even feel like it was three hours. I really have a hard time pin-pointing the difference between the two that made one so much better than the other, but I guess the closest I can come to explaining it is that Short Cuts felt effortless in the way it entertained and connected its characters. It never tried to force anything, or do anything too wild with its characters, except when it did, it didn't dwell on it, which is what most Robert Altman films are like. Magnolia had some of that in common, but it seemed to have slightly more outlandish premises (sometimes more than slightly), yet it didn't do anything worthwhile with them. It never made me interested in it beyond when we initially meet the characters, whereas Short Cuts keeps making subtle character changes, and takes the characters and stories to new places. Also, the fact that Short Cuts directly influenced Magnolia gives Short Cuts some superiority. Overall, the casts were pretty comparable (both great). I might give the edge to Magnolia in terms of talented star power, but Short Cuts entire cast helped it have down-to-Earth feel to it, that was only present in some Magnolia cast members. This whole review has pretty much been a comparison to Magnolia, but I think that's the best way for me to explain why I liked it; by explaining why I didn't like Magnolia, and how it was different. Really good movie.


85/100










7th Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, Images, Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Gosford Park, California Split

5th Frances McDormand
Fargo, Moonrise Kingdom, Raising Arizona, Madagascar 3

4th Tim Robbins
Bull Durham, Anchorman, The Green Lantern

3rd Andie MacDowell
Groundhog Day, Barnyard

4th Julianne Moore
Game Change, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Magnolia

10th Robert Downey Jr.
Iron Man, Due Date, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Sherlock Holmes, Bowfinger, Iron Man 2, Back to School, The Shaggy Dog

4th Lily Tomlin
All of Me, The Ant Bully, The Pink Panther 2

3rd Jack Lemmon
The Odd Couple, JFK

[Daniel M]

I need to watch Short Cuts again, I liked it, a lot, but in parts it was boring to me and I much preferred Magnolia to it, the opposite to you. Glad you are enjoying Altman though :up:

[seanc]

I keep meaning to watch a few Altman films but other stuff just jumps ahead of it. I didn't like The Player or Gosford Park. I really like Mash however.

[seanc]

Oh yeah couldn't help but notice Shawshank not being on your Robbins list. I would love to know what you think of it.

[Cobpyth]

I'm glad you liked it!
I was shocked after watching this film, because it was so extremely similar to Magnolia in terms of structure (it's really clear that Short Cuts was a huge inspiration for PTA). Both films have a lot in common.

Nevertheless, they are both completely different films. Short Cuts deals with very interesting themes and observes everything in a very naturalistic way, while PTA did something completely different in his 3 hour ensemble piece. He extensively dramatized his film and directed it in a very emotional way. I can see why some people would be repelled by that, but I personally think Magnolia is one of the most intense film experiences I've ever had.

I enjoyed Short Cuts from a whole different perspective. There was a lot more space and place for lighter, humoristic moments, while still staying in this kind of devastating mood the whole time. It was more down to earth. Great film.

I don't really know which one I like more. While they're very similar, they are still very hard to compare to eachother, because they are so different in tone. It depends on the mood I'm in.
I may slightly prefer Magnolia, because of the extreme intensity of every single frame in that film. It's a fascinating picture and I truly admire the sheer craftmanship of it.

Anyway, thumbs up for your review. I get what you mean, but I don't necessarily agree with all your opinions. :up:

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Oh yeah couldn't help but notice Shawshank not being on your Robbins list. I would love to know what you think of it.

Yeah, that's a movie I've been meaning to watch for a long time. I'm sure I'll get around to it sometime soon.


And thanks for all the feedback, everyone.

[srinivas1124]

hi

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

Nashville

http://www.filmposter.net/uploads/tx_dam/posters/large/8799.jpg

I did not care for this one at all. It's by far my least favorite Altman so far, and the only one I haven't liked. I just found it incredibly boring most of the time. I will admit that I thought the beginning showed some promise, but it really lost me after the first half hour, and it went for over two more hours after that. I despise country music as a whole, but I didn't even hate a lot of these songs. Some of them, like that I'm Easy song, were actually quite nice, and none of the songs stood out as being awful. The problem is that I don't watch movies to listen to new music, I watch movies to *insert one of several reasons people watch movies for here,* so the fact that it has a couple surprisingly decent songs doesn't help it much. Most reviews I've seen, including Ebert's, raved about how Altman handled the characters, and how great they were, which I don't get at all. There was so much time spent on the music that I barely felt we got to know most of the characters at all. A few of them had some depth, but I'm struggling to remember most of them right now. None of their lives were very interesting, or at least handled interestingly. I was never remotely engaged in anything going on. Altman movies do often have that quality, or at least a quality similar to that, but up until now I've never felt that it was a fault, but I guess it becomes a fault when you don't get as much time with the characters because of the music. At least the beginning was fine. Also, who would've thought that that perfectly creepy doctor from The Long Goodbye would be such a good singer?


49/100













8th Robert Altman
The Long Goodbye, Short Cuts, Images, Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Gosford Park, California Split

5th Lily Tomlin
All of Me, Short Cuts The Ant Bully, The Pink Panther 2

4th Shelley Duvall
Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Roxanne

4th Ned Beatty
Toy Story 3, Rango, Back to School

2nd Henry Gibson
The Long Goodbye

2nd Keith Carradine
McCabe & Mrs. Miller

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

American Graffiti

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e6/American_graffiti_ver1.jpg/220px-American_graffiti_ver1.jpg

This movie was pretty good, but it wasn't really anything special. It was kinda funny at times, but it really isn't that successful as a comedy. There are a few good scenes, and that's about it. I'm sure I would like it quite a bit more if I grew up around that time, or lived anywhere close to that time period, because it certainly relies on nostalgia quite a bit, which I imagine would be pretty affective on someone who lived then. The acting was okay. Ron Howard is a much better director and narrator than he is an actor, but the other cast members did fine performances for their roles. A few of the women got pretty annoying at times, though, mostly due to the actresses playing them. The only character who I genuinely liked was the guy driving around that young girl. Ron Howard was annoying. Richard Dreyfuss played an okay character, but he was pretty bland overall. The nerd guy was pretty funny at times, but he was kind of annoying. Roger Ebert gave one of my favorite reviews of his for this movie (which is weird, considering Nashville was one of my least favorite reviews he did), which made me appreciate it more. He talked about how it shows the optimism and happiness that was present in the early 60s, back before the Kennedy assassination and whatnot. It made me see the movie on a whole new level, but it doesn't change the fact that I didn't enjoy it a whole lot.

69/100












7th George Lucas
Star Wars

7th Harrison Ford
Star Wars, Air Force One, Indiana Jones 1 and 4

4th Richard Dreyfuss
What About Bob?, W., Stand By Me

[mark f]

Too bad since everything about it is great. Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.

[Gideon58]

I don't this movie is overrated at all. One of the best romantic comedies of the 1980's with Cusack giving the performance of his career and Oscar worthy support from John Mahoney as Diane's father, not to mention a hysterical turn from Lili Taylor as Lloyd's bitter best friend, who has written something like 200 songs about her ex-boyfriend. Wonderful movie.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I think I'm gonna take a break from reviews for a while. I feel like I have to force myself to write them, and it just isn't enjoyable anymore. I will still post all of the movies I watch in the Movie Tab, so you could still follow my Altman exploration and the rest of the movies I watch.

[Cobpyth]

I think I'm gonna take a break from reviews for a while. I feel like I have to force myself to write them, and it just isn't enjoyable anymore. I will still post all of the movies I watch in the Movie Tab, so you could still follow my Altman exploration and the rest of the movies I watch.

Did you watch The Player yet? :p

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I'm gonna save that for my Altman finale, after I watch the other ones I want to see. I feel most confident that I will like that one, so I'm gonna try to go out on a high note. I watched 3 Women the other day (and liked it), and I want to see Secret Honor and Cookie's Fortune still, then I'll watch The Player.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

http://woodystruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/truck-accessories-Woodys-Accessories-and-Off-Road-Tyler-TX.jpg

hey, i'm gonna start doing these again, although maybe not quite as regularly as i used to. my taste has changed a lot since i last did these, so hopefully my reviews won't be as bad this time around, but i'm not making any promises. i look for different things in movies now, so my reviews won't just be "this had a good story and good characters. A+" and writing about them may actually help me digest the various themes and stuff, rather than just being an obligatory writing exercise that's just me spouting vague nonsense. i'm only going to write something if i have something to say, so i'm not going to give any plot summaries or add any superfluous sentences in an attempt to make myself sound like i have any writing skills, which i don't. my next review will be on godard's band of outsiders.


and i'm gonna try to force myself to write my reviews using capital letters, but don't hold me to that.

[The Sci-Fi Slob]

Looking forward to your reviews.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

alright, so i wasn't very happy with how my band of outsiders review was turning out, so i'm not going to do that one. if you're curious, i thought it was really good and i gave it an 84/100. instead i'm going to review rocky, in what turned out to be far longer than what i expect most of my future reviews to be.


Rocky
http://oneguyrambling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/rocky-2.jpg

This wasn't very good. Hating this movie requires far too much cynicism, because it's ultimately just a harmless little underdog film that probably accomplished everything it wanted to accomplish, but that doesn't mean it's good. For one thing, I didn't really like how it treated the "American Dream" as some sort of corporeal concept, rather than something metaphysical, and I find that definitive stance to be much less interesting than something that deals in more ambiguities like, to use a recent example, James Gray's The Immigrant. These movies are completely different, but I find Gray's much more interesting.

This also probably had of the worst romances I've ever seen. It starts off as some stupid opposites attract sort of thing, although it's impossible to care about because it forgets to give Adrian a personality beyond "shy." And then it gets worse, because after those one or two scenes of them building a relationship it decides to phase out what was left of her personality entirely. I really can't think of a single thing she does for the rest of the movie, besides that horribly cliche kiss at the end. It all just kind of makes that ice skating scene pretty pointless. It makes me wish they would've just given him a girlfriend from the beginning instead of spending time developing their incredibly hollow romance.

All of the characters were basically just lazy archetypes, with the possible exception of Rocky himself, I suppose. This movie is very up front with the fact that its a bunch of cliches and it fully embraces them. In an ideal world, embracing cliches would go along with maybe some sort of subversiveness or at least doing something kind of interesting with them, but there's none of that here. It was hard to even get very emotionally involved, since all of those iconic and uplifting scenes were really tonally out of place and way more awkward than they should've been. It probably could've elicited some sort of emotion towards the end if the fight scenes were shot better. I guess it gave me a greater appreciation for something like Cinderella Man, which is also full of cliches, but the fights are crafted to where you can feel every blow, to make the payoff that much sweeter.

As I said, I didn't hate this movie or anything. It's just kinda dumb.
56/100




Carl Weathers is awesome, though.
http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxyk82P5Ss1qaa8d1o1_400.gif

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

reading this thread is so surreal. i was literally 13 years old why was i allowed on the internet

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

however i am considering bringing this thread back with new reviews, if only so i can forget about them for several years before eventually rereading them in the year 2033 while reflecting on the ignorance of youth

[sculpordwarfroll]

That sounds like a great idea! I'm excited to read your reviews. I haven't seen Say Anything in a while, but I remember liking it. Hope you enjoy it too! Let us know what you think.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

decision to leave

https://www.filmlinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Decision-to-Leave-1-1-1600x900-c-default.jpeg

was somewhat put off by the first 45 minutes of this, despite immediately recognizing it as surely one of the most precise and formally-audacious movies of the last 10 years. i found it stylistically and narratively overcooked in a way that was overwhelming. filmmaking so slick it's just slippery. it's basically one of those examples of a film teaching you how to watch itself, as we must grow accustomed to the rules the film is going to break in order to go along for the rest of the ride. eventually i realized i had passed my entrance exam when i began gradually warming to park's hyper-detailed version of the romantic thriller, in which our motivations and desires are as inexplicable to ourselves as they are to others, and by the end i was really (spoiler alert) digging it. perhaps the virtuoso filmmaking was doing a lot of work to disguise how underdeveloped the pathology of the central romance must read on the page, but that's why movies are movies and not scripts. these characters are linked not merely through words but through collapsing time and space. you feel the connection before you can even process it. and you certainly feel the shattering of park hae-il's self-image upon realizing his love for tang wei has done nothing but damage, to himself and to others. the ending is a powerful bit of dramatic irony, even if idk how much sense it makes from a character perspective. i can't not approve of a movie with so much formal and narrative experimentation deployed so confidently it somehow coheres into a perfectly-compelling piece of alluring pulp. it also can't really be overstated how much fun it is to look at.

3.5+

[Gideon58]

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

http://amazingmaterial.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Whats-Eating-Gilbert-Grape-1993.jpg

I really don't have much to say about this movie. It was certainly good, but it wasn't that good. It was generally just kind of bland, but it was just entertaining and interesting enough to keep my interest. Donnie Brasco made me a Johnny Depp fan, and he gave another great performance here. Leonardo DiCaprio played his mentally challenged brother, and he did a great job making it realistic and believable, but I wish they would have done a bit more to make his character endearing to the audience, so you would have more reason to care about the character, besides just the fact that he's handicapped. I would have liked one more scene with Depp and DiCaprio bonding. Besides that, I really liked Depp's character, and I thought their family was interesting in general, and I liked his relationship with Juliette Lewis, but none of it was particularly great or intriguing. I don't mind having a movie without any gimmicks, but then the movie would need exceptional characters and character relationships, and this movie was just about average in those departments.

3
3.3/5
I liked this kovie a lot more than you did. Here's my review:


https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2321574-whats_eating_gilbert_grape.html

[Gideon58]

Rain Man is great, but I think it's Cruise's performance that makes the film what it is. However, it took me about 4 or 5 viewings before I started to think that way, so I can't blame you for thinking as I did the first time out. :)

I've not seen What's Eating Gilbert Grape? in forever, so I don't know how it feels these days, however, back in '93, OK, it was probably '1994/95 by the time I saw it, you didn't see too many small, independent smalltown America films. Especially ones about 'everyday/real people'. Now, of course, these films seem to be two a penny, but I remember this being among the first of the, post Reservoir Dogs, American Independent cinema that found its way over here and everything was just so small and intimate. So unlike what we were used to seeing from the US. It really had quite the effect.

Cruise's performance in Rain Man is so underrated and I think if he had allowed himself to be nominated in the supporting category than lead he might have received his first nomination for it.

[Gideon58]

Changing Lanes


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/60/Changing_Lanes_poster.JPG/220px-Changing_Lanes_poster.JPG

Last night I watched Changing Lanes. As many people have noted before, it is not at all what you expect it to be. It is much more of a character-study than a revenge film. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson both give strong performances, and make you feel for their characters, especially Jackson. They both try various ways to ruin each others lives, and you can see the character starting to change. There are some very nice character-analyzing scenes, such as the scene where Samuel L. Jackson talks with his sponsor, William Hurt, and is told that he is addicted to chaos, rather than alcohol. Jackson gives a fairly reserved performance, except for the times when the character really cracks, and destroys his bankers computer. Even then it doesn't go over-the-top, and you can't help but feel bad for his character. Some scenes might seem silly to some people, but they are handled well. You also see Ben Affleck growing fed up with the corruption in his law firm, after initially being a heavy part the corruption. The character change happens very gradually, yet very effectively and noticeably. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it.

3.5

EDIT: I'm gonna change the rating to 3.4/5, because the more I think about it, the more I like it less than when I was liking it more because I was thinking about it more.

Changing Lanes is a terrific film that has never gotten the acclaim it deserves.