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Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Amelie is born to parents who while caring and intelligent never show her the affection children crave, and shelter her from fear that she has a heart condition. Naturally as soon as Amelie is old enough she wants to venture out into the real world. She feels like an outcast but soon realizes that the people in her life feel like outcasts for one reason or another and she sets out to do the things for them they will not do for themselves to make them happy. Unless you are heartless it will be impossible for you not to find Amelie endearing, and most of us can probably relate to her insecurities in one way or another. As Amelie works through her insecurities and tries to do something to make herself happy, as well as those around her, our fondness for her grows and grows.

The title character is not the only thing that Jeunet does well in Amelie. The supporting characters are well thought out and blend perfectly in Amelie's world. This film is also beautifully shot. There are many breathtaking frames in Amelie. His use of color is also impeccable and adds much to the visual tone of this movie. The casting of Tautou can also not be overstated. She is perfect in this role, I can't imagine another actress playing her as well.

The themes in Amelie are not unique and are presented in a straight forward way. But rarely have I seen them done so well, with such an endearing character, and with the style of this film. Amelie is an endearing feel good film that I will enjoy coming back to again.





Director: Darren Aronofsky


The tree of life and the fountain of youth. The possibilities for themes and visuals are endless. Unfortunately Aronofsky chooses to bog us down in a melodrama with two characters that he never gives us a chance to connect with. This film is trying very hard to be complex but the story arc is simple. A doctor is trying to save his dying wife. She knows what he will not accept. The rest is surreal visuals revolving around the afterlife.

All of this would be a great idea if there were characters involved that I cared about. My second issue with the Fountain is the visuals. For a film that is relying heavily on visuals they are pretty bland here. If there is a bright spot I think it is Jackman's performance. I don't think I have ever seen him convey emotion in such a believable way. The Fountain had some promise but in the end never delivers.





Director: Richard Linklater

The story could not be more simplistic. An American Male meets a French Female on a train and asks her to spend the evening with him in Vienna. What is not simplistic is the wonderful characters, and exceptional dialogue in Linklater's film. It is obvious that Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) have a connection after their first conversation. As their day progresses their connection to each other deepens as does our connection with them. Before Sunrise is so special because we are not manipulated into connecting with them through tragedy, or violence, or sex. We connect with them as we do with people in everyday life, through the life experiences they share with us little by little as our relationship grows. This is true intimacy and is beautifully achieved here.

The intimate, personal moments that Jesse and Celine share throughout the film are sprinkled amidst a plethora of other conversations during their night together. They discuss everything from palm reading to dancing, the conversation is never boring and never unnecessary. They don't agree on everything and through that disagreement we we are invited further into their personalities as their connection grows. Jesse and Celine do interact with other characters in the course of the film. Linklater perfectly blends these interactions as well. The supporting characters add to the film without over powering the main characters. These characters are also just odd enough to further strengthen Jesse and Celine's connection as kindred spirits, without ever becoming caricatures.

Before Sunrise is a beautiful film. It made me want to rush off to Europe and spend aimless evenings wandering around foreign cities looking for romance. I suppose I will have to settle for revisiting this film and these characters in the future.



I'm so pleased every time I see someone else take a look at this. It really should be so much better known than it is. That was the last Linklater film I just fell in love with, though I've still not seen Me and Orson Welles, which I think looks really interesting.
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5-time MoFo Award winner.





Director: Chan-wook Park


Lady Vengeance is the third film in Park's vengeance trilogy and in many ways it parallels the second film Oldboy. Geum-ja Lee has just been released from prison where she served a sentence for kidnapping and smothering a five year old boy. We understand early on in the film that things are not what they seem, so the mystery of what Geum-ja Lee's role in the actual crime is lasts throughout the film.

The first half of the film we spend getting to know Lee and the people in her life. This character has a strong sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to dish out her brand of justice to anyone that wrongs her or others in her life. We also learn that she has a daughter who becomes not only integral to Lee's character but a very strong part of the emotional tie the audience will have with the movie. Similar to the protagonist in Oldboy we develop a large amount of sympathy for Lee. She is a tortured soul but one that is more than capable of showing sympathy and affection for others. Appropriately Park never lets us forget that Lee is tragically flawed and that her actions are not to be celebrated. Park knows that revenge is something that we all feel and may even fantasize about at times, but he is quick to pull us back by showing us how ultimately it does not change our circumstances and lessens who we are in the process. Park could not have done a better job of driving this point home in the second half of Lady Vengeance. I refuse to spoil a minute of what transpires, but if revenge and it effects is a theme that intrigues you in the slightest this is must viewing.

I have two issues with this film. The first is the way that Park causes the viewer to lose their sense of time and place at many points during the first half of the film. I do not require a straight forward narrative to enjoy a film. However if I spend any amount of time wondering where,who, and what I am viewing instead of spending my time getting to know the characters it removes me from the film and lessens my experience. That happened to me more than once here. I also remained not entirely clear on Lee's ultimate role in what she was accused of at the beginning of the film. Whether left deliberately ambiguous by Park or if it was explained but missed by me in the messier aspects of the first half I am unsure. In my mind the fact that I am unsure is the fault of the film and again lessened my experience. I could be, and hope to be, proven wrong on this point in future viewings.

Again, like Oldboy, Park's use of color and music is impeccable. The atmosphere that he sets in his films is unmatched and certainly adds to the enjoyment of Lady Vengeance. I could not be happier that I have began to experience Park's films. He will most certainly become a director whose work I look forward to. Lady Vengeance is a visceral experience that should not be missed by film fans.



I'm so pleased every time I see someone else take a look at this. It really should be so much better known than it is. That was the last Linklater film I just fell in love with, though I've still not seen Me and Orson Welles, which I think looks really interesting.
Have you seen Bernie? I hear Mixed opinions.



Have you seen Bernie? I hear Mixed opinions.
I liked Bernie. Jack Black does a good job with his tragicomic role, and he and Shirley Maclaine make for a compelling combination.

I also really enjoyed Jack Black's other Linklater film, School of Rock.

My favorite Linklater film, though, is without question Waking Life.



Have you seen Bernie? I hear Mixed opinions.
No, I've not seen Bernie. Honestly, he's not really done anything that's really interested me since Waking Life. Plus, if you throw Jack Black into a film, what am I expected to do? Watch it?

BTW, I think I'm right in saying that Audrey Tautou's role in Amelie was written for Emily Watson.



No, I've not seen Bernie. Honestly, he's not really done anything that's really interested me since Waking Life. Plus, if you throw Jack Black into a film, what am I expected to do? Watch it?

BTW, I think I'm right in saying that Audrey Tautou's role in Amelie was written for Emily Watson.
I read that a couple days after seeing the film and writing my thoughts. I guess it is easy to say you can't see anyone else in the role when it turns out great. I do think that Tautou brings a nuance to the character that would be hard to duplicate. Either way amazing performance and worthy of the accolades in my opinion.



I agree her performance is astounding. While I can imagine the part for Watson, I can't imagine her in the role because Tautou completely inhabits it. If that makes sense.





Director: Brian Helgeland

Schmaltzy baseball movie about a player enduring unbearable adversity to be much more than anyone could expect. Add to that the fact that it is true and you have a movie tailor made for me to love. So why didn't I? The easy answer is they white washed the story, and I think they did to a point. However this story was white washed long before it hit the big screen, and there is a valid reason for that. You will not find anyone in his family or that played with him that will not say that Robinson was not only a great ballplayer but a great person. A player who had every reason to fight, to be filled with venom, to give up. Robinson did none of these things even though no one would have blamed him if he did. That character prevails throughout 42 and is not the reason I would condemn this film.

The problem with 42 is most of it does not feel authentic, although it does have some authentic moments. There are some scenes involving children that are especially problematic and will no doubt be greeted by most viewers with an eye roll. Robinson's teammates and wife are all painted with broad strokes and consequently we never get a realistic impression of their relationships. 42 also fails to give us a realistic look at racism. The racism either seems to be present in a character in its worst form or not there at all. It seems odd to use a word like nuance when talking about racism but I feel that is exactly what is missing from most of the conflict in 42.

One relationship that 42 does well, and what saves it from being a total disaster , is Robinson and Rickey. Ford is great as Rickey and Boseman is no slouch as Robinson which doesn't hurt. Their relationship is the only one given a true arc and their scenes together are the best in the film by far. Listening to Rickey talk about the abhorrent situations that Robinson endured is a far more emotional experience then anything we get to see in other scenes. As depicted in the film Rickey seemed to understand the difference between having empathy for Robinson and having sympathy, where other characters did not. This made him and Robinson the driving force behind everything that felt authentic in 42.

I would be remiss if I did not give some credit to John McGinley when talking about 42. He portrays Red Barber, the Dodgers announcer during this period, and is a true stand out in a very limited role. His voice and cadence were perfect and really added to my enjoyment of the baseball sequences.

42 is a flawed, but not fatally flawed film. It is a mixed bag that I think many people will really respond to. If your a baseball fan it is worth your time.
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Director: Sidney Lumet

12 jurors stuck in a room to decide the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. One man's vote on this fate differs form the other 11 and this is where all the conflict in the film derives from. There are many threads running through 12 Angry Men. The film deals with racism, family ties, anger, poverty, and just plain indifference. Each character brings a unique, and mostly valid point of view to the discussion. The films dialogue is at its most poignant when dealing with reasonable doubt. There were times when I felt it would benefit from lingering on this topic a bit longer, but who am I to argue with Sidney Lumet. The dialogue is never dull and propels the entire film, as it would have to in a movie with only one location.

If I have an issue with 12 Angry Men it is in the story arc. For a film where ambiguity is key to keeping our interest, the bookends are a little too black and white. While this does not take anything away form your enjoyment of the film while enjoying the journey, it was problematic as I began to dwell on the film after viewing. 12 Angry Men has endured as a classic for very good reason. Its topics are timeless, it has very good performances, and the dialogue sets a standard that other films should try to match. A great film no doubt, if not perfect in my opinion.





Director: Richard Linklater

I am amazed that people have the same response to this film as they do to Before Sunrise. My experience was the polar opposite of the one I had with the first film in this series. The dialogue in Before Sunrise was fresh, romantic, and funny. The characters were endearing, I cared what happened to them and I wanted them to be together. In Before Sunset the characters have become jaded. They have white people problems. Life just is not turning out how they had hoped. They have good jobs, and people who love them but it is not enough. They want the romance back in their life, for things to be new again. Where in the first film it felt like they respected each others opinion, they were free to disagree without judgement. Here it feels as though they are preaching at each other. I'm right because my experiences dictate that I'm right. Your opinions are less valuable then mine because you don't have the same worldly experiences as me. These are certainly not unusually drawn characters for 30 somethings with similar cultural backgrounds, and are probably accurate more times than not. However spending an hour and a half with no one but these two people was not the pleasure it was the first time around, and at times was insufferable.

My respect for Hawke's character lessens even further in the third act when he begins to talk about his marriage. This is not a spoiler as we are to notice his ring right away and frequently throughout the first half. It is obvious he values little of the institution he has entered into, and instead has taken the typical modern approach to his vows. Perhaps and likely all of my issues with the film are Linklater's point. Perhaps these are typical views for people their age. my problem is I spent the first film with unique people. Characters who were looking at the world differently, with compassion and understanding. I couldn't wait to spend time with those people again. Those people are gone.



Whilst I liked it more than you did, I feel the same way about the two films. Before Sunrise is the most romantic film I've ever seen and this... Isn't. I don't know how many times I've seen Before Sunrise, but it's probably close to 20. I've seen Before Sunset once. When it came out. I'm sure that my expectations were just far too high, especially having had to wait 9 years for it and I have been thinking about going back and watching it again, as the third film is on its way, but whereas I was dying to watch Before Sunrise again asap after that first viewing, it was years before I thought of watching Before Sunset again. I just hope I like it a lot more next time around.



I was also disappointed by this sequel, though for different reasons I guess... I don't know how are 35-year-old people supposed to behave in these situations but the way they do it here doesn't seem real and spontaneous. It seems they are able to take their relationship back from the same point they left at Before sunrise, and if I take into account the huge time gap, it doesn't really look believable. I was hoping for some more actual, and not just apparent (they have their quirks from time to time but the pacing of the conversations is fast and fluid), insecurity to be shown. The dialogues are specially guilty of this. They always seem to have a proper answer, at the right time and at the right mood.





Director: Joseph Kosinski

Oblivion is the kind of movie that looks amazing and has a Hollywood heavyweight attached so story becomes secondary. It would be impossible to mention all of the plot holes in this film in a couple of paragraph review. Jack and Victoria are the only humans left on earth. They are there to repair the drones that are on our planet to protect water extractors that are supplying the ship that all human life has been transported to with energy. We are told more than once that we won the war against an alien species but we lost earth. Of course everything is not as it seems, that is where the conflict in the film comes from. To divulge more than that would be to enter into spoiler territory. I will not do this even though most will not connect enough with the film enough to care about the emotional twists, and veterans of the genre will see many of the twists coming before they happen.

As I mentioned Oblivion looks amazing. The set pieces are great to look at and some of the sci-fi elements are quite inventive. Jack's space vehicle and the drones stand out as some of the cooler elements. So little is done with this world however that it is all wasted. Even the action sequences are well below average. They are the type of sequences that make you feel like you are watching a video game. The danger elements are impossible to defeat when it fits the story, but are quite vulnerable when anyone of consequence comes up against them. This leaves zero stakes in the story and makes the sequences boring and unnecessary.

Oblivion is trying very hard to be relevant. The main theme of the film is and will always be relevant. Unfortunately it is in no way original and has been done infinitely better many times over. When you are treading on familiar ground you need to give the audience something to connect with. Characters that we are emotionally tied to or are believably tied to each other, a world that seems relevant, or stakes that seem real to its audience. Oblivion has none of these, and will soon be forgotten because of it.





Director: Derek Cianfrance

The Place Beyond The Pines is an atmospheric, gripping, emotional drama. The film is sliced into three very distinct acts. Each act is unique and focuses on a different character. However all of the characters are intertwined and all of the conflict reverberates throughout the entire film.

The first act focuses on Luke (Gosling) who is a stunt cycle rider with a traveling fair. When the fair makes it annual trip Schenectady, NY Luke learns that he has a son. In an attempt to do the right thing he quits his job and decides to stay and try to have a relationship with him. When he teams up with a nefarious mechanic to rob banks things go south and the happy ending he was hoping for moves farther and farther from his grasp. Gosling's character is painted with a sympathetic but tragically flawed brush. Cianfrance and Gosling do a masterful job of emotionally tying us to him and his son immediately. We are invested in what is to become of these characters and it propels us into the rest of the film.

Cooper's Avery is an equally as engaging character and drives the narrative in the second act. Avery is a police officer who crosses paths with Luke briefly in the first act. The parallels between Avery and Jack become obvious when we learn he also has a one year old son, and is thrust into illegal activity. Although Avery's father is present, he has issues with him as well. Avery and Jack are a perfect juxtaposition and make the first two acts of this film completely engrossing. Like Luke in the first act, we are propelled into the next act when Avery's illegal activities come to a head and that story arc is complete.

In my opinion this film misfires a bit when we come to the final third. We are 15 years in the future. So the characters remain the same but are in much different circumstances. Where as the characters and plot points in the first two acts are messy and broad things tighten up considerably in the final act. This gives the film an uneven feel in addition to succumbing to some contrivances and manipulations.

The Place Beyond The Pines is the first really good film of 2013. There are problems in the final third, but there is so much more good than bad here that much of the issues can be somewhat overlooked if not forgiven. Cianfrance draws up many great, sympathetic characters in this film. There are really no weak links, but Gosling and Cooper's performances shine. Ray Liotta should be mentioned as well, he is perfectly cast and has some great moments despite his limited screen time. This is a film that I look forward to having many discussions about. The father-son themes are timeless and played out to great effect.





Director: Shane Black

Die Hard meets Iron Man in the third film of the ultra popular comic book adaptation. Guns are in full effect in true 80's action style, the climax even takes place in a dock yard. Just in case you missed the point during the film we are given a credit sequence after the film that is certainly a nod to 80's action flicks. The film takes place at Christmas time, a point that is highlighted at least 10 times, my first nitpick, this is more than a little distracting sitting in a theater in May. In case you missed the hours of trailers over the past few months Tony is having anxiety over the events of New York. It's effecting his sleep and his relationship with Pepper. On the bright side he has plenty of time to construct all different sorts of Iron Man armor, 42 is the number we are given early on if I am not mistaken. Iron Man 3 makes great use of the armor where the other two films did not, this turn out to be one of the main highlights of the film for me. We are given some really cool static shots of the armor, it appears on characters we would not suspect, there are many different styles which gives us plenty to look at and serves multiple purposes in the explosive final act. Black is also able to play some pretty cool mind games with the audience involving the suit. You would think this gimmick would tire after one use, but he manages to fool us on a couple of occasions and with entertaining results.

Iron Man 3 is a very uneven movie in my opinion. For everything that I love there is an element that I hate. Of course the movie is full of the Tony Stark humor and smugness that fans have come to love. Even that aspect of the film is mixed for me however. In fact over the course of the first half hour or so I found myself wondering if the writers had lost the humor and charm that made the first two films and The Avengers so entertaining. Thankfully it comes roaring back and carries most of the latter part of the film. It begins to find its way back when Stark develops a relationship with a young man in Tennessee. The banter between them is unexpected and makes for some of the better moments in the film.

The villain arcs are another example of the films bipolar nature. I will tread lightly to avoid spoilers. All of Iron Man's foes have been given a certain power. This power is maybe one of the cooler things that I can remember from a comic book movie. It is menacing, difficult to destroy, and creates some of the more tension filled moments. However once again it removed me from the film at times because it did not seem to always be handled in a consistent manner. The villains themselves are also a mixed bunch. There are a couple that I really enjoyed and a couple that could have been editing fodder for all I care. Like all comic book movies there are a couple of twists so I will not divulge more than to say that they are a part of some of the better moments of the final third of the film.

If comic book movies are your thing then Iron Man 3 is not a bad film by any means. However I think fans expect a little something from Iron Man that we do not get from other heroes. On that level I definitely think there will be some disappointment. Leave your brain at the door and go in expecting some pretty good humor and action, above average visuals, and you will have a good time.





Director: Baz Luhrmann

I was very excited to come into this story with virgin eyes. I knew absolutely nothing of this story except for the trailers that have been playing over the last couple of months. It is very rare for me to come into a story this old knowing nothing of it, thus having very little expectation. What little expectation I did have came from Luhrmann's last project with DiCaprio, Romeo And Juliet. Considering there was not an aspect of that movie that I enjoyed, I was truly hoping that the story would carry the day. It did and in the process my appreciation for what Luhrmann was doing visually grew. I do not enjoy 3D, so I rarely see a movie that way unless forced to do so. Usually at least once a year there is a film that makes me regret that decision, in 2013 Gatsby is that film. When a director truly cares about the benefits that 3D visuals can lend, it works, this is rare but can usually be seen even when viewing the film in 2D. While watching Gatsby there were at least half a dozen occasions when I caught myself thinking a scene would be amazing in 3D. This film is visually stunning even if I did not feel that way the first 15 minutes. Luhrmann is a very stylized director and a lot of what he does can be distracting. Once I settled into the style however the visuals were quite enjoyable and just one of the aspects that makes me want to view this film again.

The main thing I enjoyed about Gatsby were the themes that run throughout the story. In fact I became so consumed by the themes that the love story at the center of the film became inconsequential to my viewing. Excess, self indulgence, and narcissism were clearly on Fitzgerald's mind when writing his novel and they effect every character and their actions throughout the entire story. This gives Luhrmann free reign to assault our senses, and he does so with reckless abandon. These themes are certainly as relevant today as they were in the 20's.

Gatsby is a shadowy but engrossing figure all at once. In fact we don't see him until what seems like at least thirty minutes have gone by, but we feel his presence from the opening scene. When we do meet him we are as charmed as the characters in the film. However, like most in the film, we are not sure we should be succumbing to his charms. There is something that makes us feel that he is not all he seems to be, this plays into the shadowy aspect of his character. Throughout the film many of the characters ask the question who is Gatsby? He slowly reveals the truth about himself but we are never sure what is the truth and what is a lie. There are other things that are revealed throughout the film that give us some revelation of his character. Ultimately I think it is left up to the viewer to decide who the real Gatsby is and what his relevance to Fitzgerald's world is.

The performances and dialogue in Gatsby are all above average. DiCaprio brings his usual charisma to the role. If you dislike him elsewhere you will feel the same here, if you love him there is nothing going on in this film that will taint that. Mulligan and Edgerton are both very good in their roles as well. Maguire is as he always is, which to me leaves something to be desired. I find him dry, the only emotion he displays is intensity, and that usually feels misplaced. I always find Jason Clarke brilliant, but he is given very little here. I found Gatsby enthralling, but perhaps those with other points of reference will feel differently. I am looking forward to a second viewing as I feel there is plenty more to discover.