Ghostbusters (1984)
I finally saw this comedy classic and it was indeed a funny movie. Some scenes in this movie are absolutely hilarious. Especially Bill Murray's character steals the show, but also the transformed Sigourney Weaver character was a screamer. The story is original and the script is really brave. They even dared to put a giant marshmallow man in the movie (which became a very famous scene).
Ghostbusters is great popcorn fun, without any real substance (and it doesn't need it).
+
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Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
This is a very well made sci-fi picture by Steven Spielberg. I love the created futuristic world and I like some small ideas in it, like for example the robotic Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) playing romantic old songs while seducing a female client.
The film itself is pretty melodramatic, but it is sweet and kind and (for me) certainly not over the top. It works because it's quite logical that a robotic child, created only to love his mother, can only have one purpose in his existence, so his quest for love feels real and is perfectly fitting.
You get an original new world, some interesting characters (even if they're only robots) and a touching story about a 'child' looking for love and acceptance. I think it's a wonderful film, so I rate it:
(-)
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American History X (1998)
I liked this movie. There were a few first class scenes in it (the opening scene for example) and the story was interesting enough to keep my attention. Edward Norton's performance was also brilliant and in particular his black and white scenes were absolutely top notch. The hate of his character could practically be read in his eyes.
The themes of the movie were, however, brought out a little bit too excessive sometimes, in my opinion. There were nazi tattoos, a very large group of extreme racists, etc. that made the message of 'hate/racism is bad' a little bit too obvious. In particular the scene where Derek's former fat best friend is ready to shoot him and his former girlfriend screams for his death, after Derek wants to leave his old life behind, was a little bit over the top and perhaps unrealistic (certainly because he was seen as a 'legend' several minutes prior to that scene). I was looking for a little bit more nuance there. That would have been more interesting and real to me.
It was still a very good film with a lot of great scenes, though! I'm giving it a well deserved:
(-)
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Iron Man (2008)
I never saw a Marvel superhero film before this one (if you don't count the Spiderman Trilogy), because I always found the characters less appealing (again, besides Spiderman) than the DC characters. I decided to give it a try and I have mixed feelings.
I liked the main characters and the performances in this film. Tony Stark (played by the charismatic Robert Downey Jr.) is very likable; Pepper Potts (played by the extremely cute Gwyneth Paltrow) is gorgeous; and Jeff Bridges' character is also pretty cool.
I didn't think it was always entertaining, though. We had Tony Stark building himself a suit for the first act of the film in a cave in Afghanistan. This part was kinda dragging and not really interesting to me. After that it became bit better. The best moments of the film were the 'electric' scenes between Downey Jr. and Paltrow, who have great chemistry together!
Iron Manalso has some interesting action scenes and some good laughs. It's a brainless movie, but because of the likable characters, we still care for what happens next, so my rating is:
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Gangster Squad (2013)
Besides the great scenery and some entertaining moments, this movie doesn't really have that much to offer. The story was pretty weak, the dialogue was cheesy most of the time, the acting of the all star cast was pretty empty, apart maybe from Penn, who tried to create a threatening villain, but fell flat and seemed over the topbecause of the weak script. I can't really say I was bored, though, because there were plenty of stylish things to look at, but it all lacked substance. I rate it:
(-)
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Miller's Crossing (1990)
This was my fourteenth Coen film (I only have to see
The Ladykillers now) and it's one of their most serious films. I liked it a lot. The film is mainly a mix between film noir and the gangster genre. It puts a film noir kind of character, Tom Reagan (very well played by Gabriel Byrne), in the middle of an (approaching) gang war.
It worked perfectly! There were a lot of interesting twists and the script and dialogue are first rate (what else did you expect from the Coen Brothers?). Hell, I even got a few dark laughs during this predominantly dramatic story.
Besides the story itself, there are of course the fantastic visuals which contribute to the lugubrious atmosphere of the film. A great piece of directing.
I rate this film: