I have watched Miller's Crossing (bought it on Blu Ray) since making my top 100 list and I really feel that it would have been a contender for some of the top spots had a I watched it before. An absolute wonderful film that is a joy to watch for many reasons.
I have watched Miller's Crossing (bought it on Blu Ray) since making my top 100 list and I really feel that it would have been a contender for some of the top spots had a I watched it before. An absolute wonderful film that is a joy to watch for many reasons.
I actually watched it because of your avatar.
It was the last push I needed.
I actually watched it because of your avatar.
It was the last push I needed.
Awesome man What I like about the film I think, is that it's such an easy watch, it feels quite light and even short, and is very stylish too, but it's much more, it has a highly intelligent script (no surprise from the Coens) packed with great and hugely important lines and hugely developed and fascinating characters.
I watched it a couple of times in quick succession quite recently, I knew a few members around here really liked it (Honeykid especially) and one of my favourite critics loves it to, if you want give this article a read - http://www.cinepad.com/reviews/millersx.htm it's a great analysis of the film.
Out of interest how do you rate The Big Lebowski? I feel like you have probably posted this before, but I'm not too sure. That's probably my favourite Coen brother film along with this one.
Miller's Crossing was pretty good. What I didn't like about the film though, was that it kinda confused me at the beginning, basically I had to figure out who was who and what happened and when it happened while watching the movie. Ebert summed this up perfectly in his review:
The plot is as simple as an old gangster movie, but it takes us a long time to figure that out, because the first half hour of the film involves the characters in complicated dialogue where they talk about a lot of people we haven't met, and refer to a lot of possibilities we don't understand. It's the kind of movie you have to figure out in hindsight.
By the way Cobpyth, you use way too many pictures (and very big ones at that), and as a result, it takes ages for the page to load (for me at least).
Miller's Crossing was pretty good. What I didn't like about the film though, was that it kinda confused me at the beginning, basically I had to figure out who was who and what happened and when it happened while watching the movie. Ebert summed this up perfectly in his review
I didn't have that problem, actually. I'm a big fan of Ebert, but I didn't really get what he was trying to say here.
I understood everything from the beginning. The first couple of scenes couldn't be much clearer to me. They immediately showed that the film was mainly going to be about a gang war with the main character in the middle of it all and in a twisted position (because he's going with his own boss' girlfriend, who's the sister of the guy where the whole fight is all about).
After that, the brilliant, twisted script does all the work...
By the way Cobpyth, you use way too many pictures (and very big ones at that), and as a result, it takes ages for the page to load (for me at least).
It loads perfectly for me (and they automatically reduce to a perfect size), so I thought it wouldn't be a problem for anyone else too.
I like pictures in reviews, that's why I post so many of them. I try to give a little sketch of the film with them (in my longer reviews). But as we've come to this new page, I'll try to keep the amount of images down in my shorter reviews and will look for some with the right size.
@Daniel M: I love The Big Lebowski. It's wonderfully absurd at times and it's all in favor of the real message of this movie. It delineates a certain lifestyle. It's a comedy that actually tries to say something, which is very rare these days.
I also loved the visuals and the directing of the movie. It's one of the Coen Brothers' classic movies.
I'll have to see it again to give it a final rating, though. It might be really high, as I think I'll even enjoy it more after a second viewing.
Ya Millers Crossing is awesome, it's my second favorite Coen. but it's one of those films that take you back to a time and place. My favorite Brothers film is True Grit though, which similarly had the same effect. I loved American History X, it sent chills down my spine, and not only the ending. Ghostbusters in entertaining, I haven't seen it in about 5 years though, so I'll have to watch it again.
I quite enjoyed this horror classic. It had some nice suspense scenes (they even borrowed some scenes from the master, Alfred Hitchcock) and the story was quite fascinating. Some twists were a little bit foolish and the reactions of the characters didn't always seem usual or believable, but I guess that's the case with most horror movies. The most important thing is that for most of the time, the script stayed intelligent enough.
Overall, this was a good and entertaining film, so I rate it:
-
----------------------------------------------- Léon (1994) Extended version
Wonderful film! It has charm, great characters, humor and violence. What else do you need? It's also well directed in a very fitting stylistic way.
The most interesting part in this film is the great chemistry between the quiet hitman, Léon (played by the memorable Jean Reno) and the young, eccentric and traumatised Mathilda (a very convincing Natalie Portman in her first role).
Let's also not forget the awesome villain of this film, the corrupt, addicted and Beethoven loving Stansfield (performed by the great Gary Oldman).
I liked practically every single bit of this movie, so I rate it:
(+)
----------------------------------------------- Children of Men (2006)
This is a brilliantly crafted movie with a very convincing futuristic image (apart from the main principle, obviously, which is more of a metaphor). The film imagines a world where every woman has become infertile. The human race is in great danger and the hope in mankind disappears together with the children. It's like Pandora's box finally released it. A world full of chaos and rebellions arise, but there may still be hope after all, as Theo Faron (Clive Owen) goes on a quest to save the first newborn child in 18 years and the mother.
The film may have some long-winded moments and may not always be entertaining, but it's really worth the watch. I rate it:
(+)
----------------------------------------------- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Wonderful film! It has many themes that are used in other Miyazaki films, such as environment pollution and war, but I think he shows it in a very refreshing and believable way here. His view of the future world is enchanting and he uses it as the perfect vehicle to express his frustrations with the modern society. Apart from all the heavy stuff, there are also some wonderful more visual driven moments to show how beautiful life can truely be. The film has substance, but also offers some escapism and that is very rare! My tenth favorite movie of all time, Brazil, is also an example of a film that perfectly combines these two strengths.
I rate this:
----------------------------------------------- The Killers (1946)
This is a classic film noir. All the elements of the genre are perfectly poured into a great screenplay full of intrigue, mystery and twists. The acting performances are also great and Edmond O'Brien even almost succeeds to equal the great Humphrey Bogart in this role. He plays the calm and cold detective role brilliantly!
If you're a fan of film noir, this is an absolute must see. I rate it:
+
----------------------------------------------- Gosford Park (2001)
This was my first Altman movie and I adored it! This story about a gathering of an aristocratic family and relatives in a country house sketches the tensions and the lives of 'the upstairs' (the rich people) and 'the downstairs' (the servants) in a brilliant way. It's filled with dark humor, unresolved mysteries, intrigues and great dialogue. In short, it's a nearly perfect screenplay (it also won the academy award). The acting is also top notch as it features some of the best British actors of our time.
I enjoyed every minute of this film and I'm looking forward to discover Robert Altman's other classics. I rate this movie a very solid:
This is a very charming stop motion animation film full of dark humor. I particularly liked the music in this film. My favorite scene is when they show Mary as an alochol addicted woman on an instrumental version of the song 'That's Life'. That scene really worked. Some other moments in the movie may be a little weird or shown in a quirky way, but overall it's a pretty good film. I rate it:
+
----------------------------------------------- Top Hat (1935)
This is a fascinating Musical Comedy. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are perfect together and apart from the romantic scenes, there are some very good laughs! I particulary liked the Bates character. He was funny as hell! The story may be a little flat and there may not be a lot of depth, but this film is perfect to escape from the real world for a little while. It really lifts you up to higher atmospheres in its best scenes. I rate it:
----------------------------------------------- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
This is a wonderful picture with a lot of heart and full of emotions. It's an anti-war film that follow the struggles of a young Japanese boy and his younger sister during the second World War after they lost their mother. It's a very negative movie, but the fireflies beautifully present the little sparkles of hope that are left. This film was a breathtaking experience and it almost made me cry at one scene in particular. That says a lot about its emotional effectiveness.
----------------------------------------------- The Great Gatsby (2013)
It gets very mixed reviews, but I quite liked it. The visuals are bombastic and do take away a little bit of the substance of the story, but what's left is still pretty enjoyable. DiCaprio gives a very charismatic performance as Jay Gatsby and the other performances are also quite allright. The movie perhaps didn't fully utilised its potential, but it's certainly not bad. It just needed some more quiet moments, just like the first meeting between Gatsby and Daisy, which was a great scene! I rate it:
+
----------------------------------------------- The Ladykillers (2004)
This is widely seen as the Coen Brothers' worst movie and although I personally think it is indeed nowhere near their best work, it's still pretty funny and enjoyable! Tom Hanks gives a terrific performance as a sophisticated and charming criminal 'mastermind' and Irma P. Hall is also great! All the characters are funny in their own way and together they guide you through a rather amusing journey. Don't look for any real substance, though. It's just plain fun. I'm glad to say that I've now seen every available Coen film yet and that I didn't really dislike any of them. I rate this one a solid:
This is my second Altman film and it was (again) a great experience! It had the feeling of a cult film, but actually it was a massive box office hit in its time. It's not very hard to see why this film was such a succes. It's EXTREMELY likable! The film funnily revolts against the stiffness of certain personalities and it portrays life in a very cynical way. Its message perfectly fits in the context of war. This film also had some unforgettable moments, such as 'the last supper parody', the 'microfonic orgasm', the 'shower scene with Hot Lips' and many others! The dialogue scenes were often extremely hilarious and I also liked all of the performances, in particular Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould. They were both brilliant. I rate this movie:
This movie had great visuals and is very fantastical in nature. The story about a girl who is cursed by a witch and then moves in with a vain wizard as the cleaning lady of his magical moving house is very original, but the ultimate execution and message did not quite satisfy me completely. I felt that the abstract structure of the film wasn't as well done as in Spirited Away, for instance and that some events didn't really make much sense, even in the context of this surreal film.
It's still a very beautiful movie to look at and there are a lot of interesting parts and characters, but it's not one of Miyazaki's best or most powerful movies. It's still worth a very decent:
The movie tries to grab the reversal in morality of a small, french town, caused by a new lady who moves in there with her daughter and opens a chocolatier. She tries to open the inhabitants' minds by showing them the virtues of life. She gets critisized by the more conservative people of the town and in particular the mayor. They also throw in a romance featuring Johnny Depp, who plays a kind of gipsy, who lives on a boat and travels from place to place with his river people.
The morals of this movie are very idealistic and extremely two-sided. The film actually condemns a sober and conservative lifestyle, in my opinion, by depicting it in a very extreme way. Because of that lack of nuance, the film couldn't really grab my attention and emotions.
The best thing about the film is probably the warm and sweet atmosphere it creates by using the colors red, brown and yellow a lot. It also perfectly fits the theme of chocolate. I couldn't say I really enjoyed this film a lot, but some of you might, as it's certainly not poorly made or anything like that. I rate it:
David Fincher is a very good director and he shows it again in this movie. He creates a perfectly threatening neo-noir atmosphere and all the scenes are very well crafted. One particular scene where we see the construction of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco as time passes is a great example of Fincher's finesse and skill. He also perfectly executed the suspense and murder scenes and gave it all a wonderfully dark and mysterious look.
Despite all the qualities of this film, I did not quite like it as much as Fincher's Fight Club or Se7en, because, to me, the story wasn't as interesting and most importantly FRESH as any of those two. It was cool to see how the three main characters dealt with the case and how it influenced their lives, but because of the fact that I already knew about the whole (unsolved) case, the movie did lack a certain kind of novelty.
I felt that the ending in particular wasn't very satisfying. They conclude with a couple of written facts about the characters now and are too informative. It would have been stronger if they ended it with the death of the main suspect or something, to fully grab the frustrating fact that the COMPLETE TRUTH will always be unknown. I didn't need the closure they try to offer at the end.
I still think it's a very good flick, though, and I was really entertained and glued to the screen, because of the wonderful style and the good performances, right up until the ending, which was a little bit of an anticlimax. The film is still worth a very solid:
(-)
----------------------------------------------- The Player (1992)
Robert Altman did it again. He really striked me with this OUTSTANDING film about the glamorous rottenness of Hollywood. He starts with an eight minute lasting long shot to introduce all the 'players' and the environment of the film and then immediately launches the entertaining plot without ever looking back. The whole film is absolutely stunning! It's filled with dark humor and paranoid emotions while exploring the intriguing edges of the life of a studio executive, played by Tim Robbins.
The film is also filled with cameos of big stars, such as Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Burt Reynolds, Cher and many many more to really create the feeling of being among the 'high society' of showbizz. This is one of the best films about Hollywood and about the film business I've ever seen and I loved every bit of it. Robert Altman is on the way to become one of my absolute favorites. Tonight I'll be watching Mccabe & Mrs. Miller, which will be my fourth Altman movie. The Player's rating:
I loved this film! It's mainly a paranoid thriller with a horror-like backbone. The film also has a very fresh 60s look, which beautifully contrasts with the dark secrets it treasures. Polanski directed it in a brilliant way.
I also liked Mia Farrow, who I normally don't really care for that much. She did a really good job here, transforming from the innocent, young girl into a freaked out, traumatized and paranoid woman. Her performance was very layered and strong. The whole supporting cast was also very good, by the way.
The film ends in a very powerful gothic way and forces the audience to use the dark side of their imagination. It could not have been much better than it is now. I rate this film:
I've only seen Zodiac and Rosemary's Baby out of those.
I think I liked the first slightly more than you, I felt the frustration was kind of part of the whole film, how someone can become so obsessed and consumed by something they chase.
The latter I give them same rating as you, a masterpiece in direction from Polanski who does a fantastic job in creating a claustrophobic film full of suspense in order for us to feel horror.
Also: from previous sets, I'd give Mary and Max and Saw similar ratings, Saw gets a lot of stick for the film series it spawned, but as a stand alone film I find it a respectable piece of work that I enjoyed the only time I ever watched it.
I think I liked the first slightly more than you, I felt the frustration was kind of part of the whole film, how someone can become so obsessed and consumed by something they chase.
Yes, the frustration was a great part of it and that's why I disliked the ending. They tried to peel away a piece of that frustration with explaining some things and I felt that was absolutely unnecessary. Without that ending I would've probably given it or (+), but it slightly diminished the whole experience for me a little bit. It's okay to have an anticlimactic ending, but it could've been done better. Certainly after such a long movie. Just a shot of San Francisco or something more powerful would have satisfied me more.
It's like Fincher would have told what happened after Brad Pitt is sent away in Se7en. It isn't necessary.
The latter I give them same rating as you, a masterpiece in direction from Polanski who does a fantastic job in creating a claustrophobic film full of suspense in order for us to feel horror.
Also: from previous sets, I'd give Mary and Max and Saw similar ratings, Saw gets a lot of stick for the film series it spawned, but as a stand alone film I find it a respectable piece of work that I enjoyed the only time I ever watched it.
I agree. Saw on itself is pretty enjoyable. They should rate it as a stand-alone piece. I don't intend to watch any of the sequels ever, actually (I already know the complete ending, which is pretty ridiculous).
It seems that Altman can only make awesome films for my tastes. This anti-western is a wonderful piece of poetry about the dark reality of the West and probably the whole system. The character of McCabe is crucial here. He's a mystery and yet he's the most open character of them all (especially when being drunk). Warren Beatty really gave a very strong performance. I also loved Julie Christie. Her balance between the hard business woman and the broken, opium addicted prostitute she actually is, is amazingly well played. This film also had some great dialogue scenes and other awesome moments. The music and the locations also played a big role in this movie, as they contributed to the dreary atmosphere. I enjoyed this film a lot and I think it may even improve after several rewatches. For now, I rate it:
(+)
----------------------------------------------- A History of Violence (2005)
This is a solid small comic adaptation movie with a noirish story. The plot isn't particularly intelligent or original, but it's the characters and their motivations/thoughts that make this movie so appealing. It's just a little bit regretful that they only showed this kind of depth with the three family main characters, namely Viggo's character Tom Stall, his wife and the son (who is dreadfully not very well played by Ashton Holmes, in my opinion). The villains were purely motivated by flat revenge or business and did not fit into the emotional rollercoaster the family was in. It became even worse when Viggo's brother also showed no depth at all (although the performance of that character was pretty awesome). The most interesting parts of the movie were the scenes between Viggo and his wife. The other parts with the villains lacked depth, but there was a lot of entertainment there, so that partially made up for the flatness. The ending was also great! I had mainly a good time watching the movie and the direction is still of a very high level, so it's certainly worth:
(+)
----------------------------------------------- American Graffiti (1973)
Great nihilistic teenage movie with a swinging soundtrack and some very memorable moments. It's literally and figuratively a pretty dark movie actually and I loved it! It showcasts the limitations of life and the sometimes pointlessness of human existence very well with some hilarious moments down the way. The characters doubt their own motives and goals during the whole film and even when they make their choices they aren't quite sure yet. A great metaphor for the unreachable ultime pleasure of life is the girl in the white car. The disappointment of her identity and the fact that she stays out of reach is absolutely perfect. Many people didn't like the fact that the future of the characters was explained at the ending, but although I'm not a fan of text at the end of movies, here it worked perfectly to show the hard reality of the late 60s and later vs the carefree life of the early 60s. Great movie and very entertaining!
(+)
----------------------------------------------- Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
I didn't expect this movie to be so political as it actually is. Usually I'm not really into political movies or biography films, unless they are really brought in an entertaining way. This film had some good points. It counts some good performances from Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and a great one from Philip Seymour Hoffman. It also sends a clear political message with good arguments. There also were some good humoristic moments in it. Especially the scenes with PSH are often hilarious. I didn't fully connect to the topic of this film, though, and sometimes it seemed like a pure glorification of one person or even a country. It still gave me some extra insights about what actually happened during that time and what consequences it had. I rate this film:
-
----------------------------------------------- Side Effects (2013)
This is a great film from director Steven Soderbergh. I strongly recommend this one. You shouldn't read any reviews about this movie before seeing it, as one of the major strengths of this movie is the effect of surprise. It actually has a pretty noirish plot structure and I completely fell for it. It was great. Some of you may find there is a little bit too much focus on the 'twists', but I think the balance was perfectly allright. I also liked the music score and all the performances very much. Especially Rooney Mara was an absolute revelation for me. What a lovely actress! Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones were also very solid as usual and also Channing Tatum did an ok job. I had a huge smile after seeing this film, as its coolness and its twisted story kept me interesting during the whole ride. I hope there will be some other films as good as this one in 2013. This is the best film of the year so far, in my opinion (then again I've only seen a few). I rate this:
This Cronenberg film was better than A History of Violence in my opinion, as it stayed more loyal to its characters. Sometimes it felt a little cheesy because of all the Russian accents, but there was suspense throughout the whole story. Viggo Mortensen gives a really good performance as Nikolai and Naomi Watts is adorable as usual. The best scene in the film is a fighting scene in a bathhouse that is perfectly executed. There were also some interesting underlying themes in this film such as identity, sexuality, family and a certain kind of love. I liked it.
(-)
----------------------------------------------- The Long Goodbye (1973)
It's getting repetitive, but my fifth Altman experience was again a great succes! The pacing in his movies I've seen so far is perfect and he is one of the best character directors I've seen. In this film he creates a chain smoking, dry, cynical and yet very loyal private detective character, who is BRILLIANTLY played by Elliott Gould. The fact that his name is Philip Marlowe is of a lesser importance here. Trapped in a noirish web, Marlowe finds his way through the misty plot in a funny, yet very dangerous way. The amount of dark humor in this film is therefore very high, which "is ok with me". I loved this film and its atmosphere (helped by a wonderful repetitive theme song by John Williams that is featured in many different ways throughout the film) and just like some of the other Altman films I think it will be even more rewarding after a second rewatch. I rate this film:
It's been a few years, but when I saw A History of Violence, I just didn't feel anything for it. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it either. It was stuck in limbo. I am going to try to watch through the Cronenberg filmography whenever I get the chance, so I'll try it again.
I saw Charlie Wilson's War around the same time as A History of Violence, but the difference is I really enjoyed Charlie Wilson's War. It's not the kind of movie that does anything new, but it's a whole lot of fun.
Of the movies you reviewed on this page, here are my thoughts on the ones I've seen.
Saw is a big favorite of mine, and it's one of the best in its respective franchise. It did a great job of mixing some riveting elements of a detective movie into the horror story.
Leon the Professional is one that I just recently saw, and I completely agree with you on this one. The two main characters were very likeable, and Gary Oldman as the villain was truly menacing, and quite creepy at times.
It's been a few years since I've watched Children of Men, but I do remember liking it. It was possibly Clive Owen's best performance, and it was amazing how the creators of this movie were able to pull off those long shots where so much was happening.
The Great Gatsby was aesthetically pleasing with top notch acting, but it wasn't particularly memorable.
Rosemary's Baby is a film which deserves its position as a classic. I knew how it ended when I went into it, but everything that lead up to the conclusion was still engrossing and effective, and the ending itself gave me some serious goosebumps.
I've never heard of Mary and Max, but it looks like my kind of film. Thank you for mentioning it.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller I loved too as you know, and would give it the same rating (maybe even 5 on repeat viewings, I don't see why not). I saw and gave A History of Violence a similar rating too, very stylish and a good watch, but pretty straightforward and forgettable.
I really need to see The Long Goodbye now, you and Donnie both loved it, I love noir films, and it sounds like Inherent Vice will be kind of similar.
I really need to see The Long Goodbye now, you and Donnie both loved it, I love noir films, and it sounds like Inherent Vice will be kind of similar.
Well, they also said that There Will Be Blood would be a PTA version of McCabe & Mrs. Miller. ;p
I think it will be less dry and a little more burlesque, knowing PTA.
Altman went with a very cynical atmosphere in this film. The character is more like The Dude in The Big Lebowski in a certain way. It's all okay with him, as long as he doesn't get f**cked (just like with the carpet in TBL). It's a little more seriously approached in The Long Goodbye, though and the main character has way more style and intelligence. ;p
I think you'll absolutely love this film.
Thanks by the way, Joe and Jiraf, for your reactions!
@Jiraf: Yes, Charlie Wilson's War has some moments of fun, but they are a little overshadowed by the main topic in my opinion. I wanted more fun and less politics. It's of course a matter of taste.
I went into this movie without any high expectations, as it is rated significantly lower than most of Hayao Miyazaki's films, who of course is the legendary father of Goro, who directed this film. I must say I really like this film A LOT! I like it even more than some of Miyazaki's work, frankly. It has a whole different style, as it is way more realistic, but my god, this film had a great deal of depth! It's really a brilliant piece of film. The story works on three interconnected levels, in my opinion. First of all there is the Japanese community of 1964, right before the olympics, the event that kind of 'allowed' Japan to be part of the world again after its deeds in World War II. The country struggles between tradition and modernisation. The film shows how it is not always good to completely ignore the past using a student house (the second level of the story) as an example of how a gritty building (past) still can hold some wonderful things. Then there are the main characters, the third layer of the story. A girl falls in love with a boy, but because of something that happened in the past, this love seems impossible and wrong. All three levels try to find a certain balance in a very similar way. The story is very ingeniously constructed if you ask me! I'm not going into detail, as I don't want to give anything away. I'm also a big fan of the music it features (Sukiyaki's Kyu Sakamoto is a very fitting musical symbol for the Westernization of Japan, as it is the only Japanese song that ever topped the Billboard top 100). Great film! I absolutely adored it and I very much recommend it!
This certainly is a very entertaining flick. It perfectly knows how to attract the audience into the story right from the beginning. One issue of the film is maybe that I didn't care for most of the characters, as they only have very little screentime. This takes away a little bit of the 'shock effect'. It's still very fun to watch and it also has some really beautiful scenes and music. I rate it:
-
----------------------------------------------- Short Cuts (1993)
Huh? What's that? Oh, it's just another great movie from Robert Altman! This remarkable ensemble piece takes place in LA and introduces us to some intriguing and most of the time funny characters (in their own way), although they all have a very dramatic touch that is even more interesting than their comic side. Everyone's acting is really solid and despite the great amount of characters and the long running time, there isn't a single boring part in the whole film! My rating after this first viewing is:
This film is very hard to review for me as I have strongly mixed feelings about it. Some scenes are EXTREMELY powerful. I'm talking about some of the suspense scenes, such as the first appearance of a mysterious creature on a roof, a leg disappearing in the corn field and of course the awesome cellar scene! That is some really good stuff that totally got me. You can actually feel the claustrophobia and fear the characters go through in those scenes. I didn't like the performance of the young boy. He also has some unfitting annoying scenes that make me feel very unsympathetic towards him. I also didn't really buy the religious theme of the whole film. I'm certainly not a pure atheïst, as I truly WANT to believe there is something more than only this world (I'm in a searching phase of finding my true beliefs), but this film didn't let me see "the light". I felt the ending was way too much "right in the face". It really needed some subtlety. It felt like Shyamalan just wanted to throw in a mindblowing ending. It didn't fit with the whole atmosphere of the movie at all, in my opinion. In a certain way it's cool that some small things come together at one time, but I think it was WAY overdone here. I know it's practically the whole theme of the movie I'm dissing here, as the title is 'Signs', but I expected something deeper and more meaningful to demonstrate 'true belief'. I still enjoyed a very big part of the movie and the rest of the cast (especially the little girl) was also very good. I would rate it:
Yes, the storyline has its flaws and no, there isn't any real depth in this film, but my god it's entertaining as HELL! I'm a big fan of stylized violence and when the song Golden Brown by the Stranglers started to play while a big guy was knocked out by Brad Pitt's character Mickey, my heart started bouncing. I LOVE that kind of stuff. The film has its weaker parts, but I would certainly recommend it! I rated it:
-
----------------------------------------------- In the Company of Men (1997)
This film is pure dark humor. It's funny and yet EXTREMELY mean. I love that kind of stuff. The acting is also pretty much flawless. The only think I disliked a little bit, was the static way of camera shooting. It worked with some scenes, but I felt that some moments could use a little bit more camera 'movement'. It's a very minor issue, though, as this film is mostly enjoyable because of its script and performances. I rate it:
-
----------------------------------------------- Do the Right Thing (1989)
Spike Lee's famous picture about the true nature of racism and its consequences is first of all an EXTREMELY well directed movie. Lee really has talent. The whole picture is put together amazingly well. Second of all it has a very daring plot full of tension. The film doesn't make any real statements an sich. It pretty much observes and doesn't make anyone really likable (besides maybe Jackson's radioman character and the old drunk man). The film shows us a seemingly average day in an average multicultural neighborhood on the hottest day of the year. The neighborhood clearly mirrors the (American) multicultural society and exposes the problems of it very well. I admire this film a lot and it certainly was a memorable experience. My rating would be:
Reply to Topic
What I like about the film I think, is that it's such an easy watch, it feels quite light and even short, and is very stylish too, but it's much more, it has a highly intelligent script (no surprise from the Coens) packed with great and hugely important lines and hugely developed and fascinating characters.
