One Movie A Day Review Thread

DAY 65: November 4th, 2008.

Big Fish



I always wondered what a Tim Burton film would look like without all the Gothic undertones and scenery with that scary vibe throughout. I always thought Pee-wee's Big Adventure was one of the scariest films ever made so that fits into the category as well. Well, Big Fish I think was the first film to answer my question. Don't even try to say Mars Attacks! or Planet of the Apes.

Big Fish is a spectacle to see. It's beautiful and heartfelt. Granted it still does have that Burton eerie vibe, let's face it, it will always be there, but it's also one of his more mature works. Burton has a great body of work, all of his films seem to have their place in someone's heart and Big Fish feels like one of those films that is a critical success but no one ever mentions it when they think of Burton's best work. It's a shame because it truly is.

Ewan McGregor is in the lead role as a younger version of Albert Finney who in on his death bed. His son is trying to connect to him, to get to know the real father. It seems that all his father ever did was tell this stories to his kid that were always too mystical to be true. Or were they?

The ending to Big Fish is great and always puts a smile on my face. It's a feel good movie that makes you smile, even when there is tragedy soon to be seen. And yes, there is a BIG FISH in the film, so the title is relevant.

The film has a strong supporting cast, including the ever present Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Lang, Billy Crudup, Dann DeVito and Steve Buscemi. All play their roles well and never feel out of place in this wacky tale.

With all Burton films they seem to fall just short of true greatness, just shy of being called genius or a masterpiece. I don't really get it, all the ingredients are there, but the final step is never really taken. Big Fish is another film of his that falls into this category.

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Suspect's Reviews

I am a big of both Pleasantville and Big Thanks

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Loved the Dazed and Confused review.

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I thought you might.

I havent seen Big Fish but from your review im looking for it to buy.

Cheers dude nice review!

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and no, I don't have a cold!

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Yes, I agree with Ðèstîñy too, and all right-thinking people who realize Fright Night is a joy. Roddy McDowall alone as Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer raises it high above The Lost Boys.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Count me in!

I love Fright Night!

Welcome tooo Frrright night! Chris Sarandon was so great in that role.

I still really liked the film and realize it is a 'joy'.

I did give it a after all.

I half-watched it on Foxtel on Halloween (when I say "half-watched" as in, I didn't go through the trouble of paying attention the whole way through or turning off the lights). Seemed like a decent enough movie - the third act was certainly a bit of an eye-boggler. Not really sure if I'll ever make the effort to watch it properly, though.

I missed this review by you, UsualSuspect. Big Fish is hands-down one of my all-time favorite movies. I think it has one of the most emotionally impactful endings of any film that, at least, I've ever seen. Very nice review.

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My Movie Review Thread | My Top 100

He is easily my favorite character, and I love how spooked he gets, once he knows the truth. I like the sequel, but it's nowhere near as good as the first one. I doubt I would have liked it much at all, if he hadn't returned.

He was perfect for this part. He's very handsome, too. (I thought I'd throw that in there.) I've only seen him in a few things. Including The Princess Bride, and my Law & Order, of course.

Yep, I was happy with your rating on both this, and The Changeling. Everyone needs to see these.

DAY 66: November 5th, 2008.

Love Actually



This film surprised me. I did not know what to expect, I thought it was going to be another cookie cutter romantic comedy, only with a big cast. What I got is my favourite romantic comedy of all time. This film is touching, hilarious and extremely well made considering the amount of characters it had to juggle with.

Everyone in the cast is wonderful, from Hugh Grant as the dancing Prime Minister to Liam Neeson's brooding widow father role. My favourite character was Bill Nighy. This was my first introduction to him and I loved every minute he was on screen. He was so funny and has been in every role since then. This was also my introduction to Keira Knightley, who doesn't really get that much to do but looks gorgeous. I final shout out to Martin Freeman as the porn stand in, too funny.

This is a great film to watch to get in the mood for Christmas and ranks in my top 5 to watch during that season. Richard Curtis, in his directorial debut, handles numerous characters and story ines with ease. Not once did I think they were concentrating too much on one or not enough on another.

In one of my favourite scenes, which is heartbreaking and a homage to Bob Dylan, Andrew Lincoln tells Knightley how he 'really' feels about her. This is all done through giant index cards and not a word is spoken between the two. Beautiful, funny and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Give this film a go if you haven't already and since you'll be reading this during the Christmas season, it's the perfect time to throw it on.

Thanks for the review I just re-watched this weekend with about 10 friends and we all loved it again

DAY 67: November 6th, 2008.

Hellboy



I looked forward to seeing this flick, ever since the trailer ended with the giant squid like creature grabbing Hellboy after proclaiming "How Big Can It Be". That really had 'bad-ass' written all over it. I never went to the theatre though and had to wait for DVD. After seeing the flick I can tell you it's not my favourite comic book adaptation, but it is a decent one.

Never reading the Hellboy comics I did not know what I was getting myself into, but the film looked like it was going to do one thing and that was entertain me. The problem I had with it was that it wasn't entertaining enough. It had all the right ingredients, it just didn't mix well. What I got was a pretty average flick with a sub-plot that I did not really care for.

Perlman is in his zone with this character and even though he is under heavy make-up, I can't really see anyone else pulling this off the way he does. The right amount of comedic touch adds an odd layer to this demonic looking creature.

The rest of the supporting cast didn't do much for me. I didn't care if the young agent died or not and Selma Blair was just too depressed for me to want to like her.

The special effects were good and interacted well with the characters. Even though most were over the top, this is a comic book film after all. So I let it slide.

Finally, it wasn't climatic enough. Remember when I told you how 'bad-ass' that end part of the trailer was with the giant squid. Well, I was prepped for an epic showdown and was let down by a 10 second fight. That really put me in a bad funk and when you're ending a film, you want your audience to feel good. Shame on you Hellboy, shame.

DAY 68: November 7th, 2008.

Raising Arizona



I don't know why, but I've been putting off seeing this film for a long time. I finally bought it on DVD, for 6 bucks and knowing the Coen Brothers track record I knew it was a great deal. (Even if the DVD is a bare bones)

Raising Arizona has that Coen feel to it, from the moment we see Nicolas Cage's character, right up till the opening credits which is like 15 minutes later. I sat my girlfriend down with me because

A: She loves babies and thinks they are so cute
B: I always joke with her about stealing a baby so she can have one right now.
and
C: Trying to get her to like something other then Drop Dead Gorgeous

And I succeeded. We both liked it.

I can say that the film isn't perfect, far from it, but it has a classic feel to it. I know I can sit back and watch this film again and not get bored by it because everything just rolls by and never feels like it drags. Cage and Hunter work really well off each other and of course John Goodman, who is a Coen regular, is terrific in his role as the just escaped jail bird friend of Cage.

At times the film goes off into a fantasy role, with the biker character and the shootout in the grocery store, but it never feels really out of place. It's the world the Coens have created and their style of telling it that make it blend so well.

Aw, that's great. I love this movie. I've watched it numerous times. One of the first scenes I always think of, besides pretty much all of Holly Hunter's 'uptight' scenes, is when Nicolas Cage swings his hands over his head, to hit John Goodman, and he drags his knuckles across the ceiling. Man, that looks painful.
Oh, and . . . "Son, you got a pantie on your head!" (Insert twang)

How can you crazy kids devote like 20 posts to middling 80's vampire flicks and not say word one about Once Bitten?! For shame.

Anywho, Love Actually and Big Fish are two pretty sappy gulity pleasures of mine. I like them both very much, but yeah, I think Love Actually works so much better round Christmastime, so I'm curious as to why you decided to watch it in early November? Hellboy and Raising Arizona (especially Arizona) are just about the balls. Are most of these movies you've seen before or have you been trying to mix in some glaring stuff you've somehow overlooked?

One of my favorite movies. I would definitely rate Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam .

What happens when you run out of movies?
Jk.