Connor Macgregor Reviews Thread

La Haine sounds interesting will keep my eye out for it

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its good , you will like it.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Spirited Away

I love Anime. Not massively but i do think it is a better and more beautiful animation than CGI. One of Anime's finest works is a film called Spirited Away which in 9 years , has become a classic in the genre. Here is my review.

Chihiro and her family are on their way to their new house in the suburbs when her father decides to take a shortcut along a lonely-looking dirt road. After getting out of the car and walking along a path for a while, they discover an open-air restaurant filled with food but with no workers or customers present. Mom and Dad don't hesitate to sit down and dig in, but Chihiro senses danger and refuses. As night falls, she is terrified to see the area fill with faceless spirits, but when she runs to find her parents, she discovers that they have been turned into pigs. She is found by a mysterious boy named Haku, who promises to help her. He gets her a job working in a nearby building, which turns out to be a bathhouse for the thousands of Japan's gods and spirits. Though the work is hard and the people strange, she does as well as she can. Her parents, however, are still waiting in the hotel's stockyard...

Spirited Away is one hell of a great film to watch. So many good things to say about this. So i will start with the animation. Its beautiful in every sense of the word. Its like something beautiful happening and yet words cannot describe it. The Story is a really interesting , yet slow burning type. You have this young girl whose parents have mysteriously turned to pigs and has to join a hotel of sorts to somehow get her parents back. Sounds boring , but visually its fantastic and very moving and mysterious as a fantasy film.

Not much to say as i loved this film and everything about it. Characters , Story , Animation , Style , Colour , Lighting Etc. Spirited Away is a modern anime classic you should see to believe.

Rating - 92% - A

I loved La Haine. It's just a good and powerful film. If he sees it, I'm sure that Prestige will chime in with a few words of praise, as he's a big fan of it too.

havent seen The Prestige yet.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I have grown into foreign films for the past couple of years and so i sat down to watch this one knowing that this was another special foreign film. And boy i wasn't dissapoint.

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger's are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

For starters, this film is the eqilivant to a hollywood thriller. Not that its dumb and has loads of explosions and few developments with the characters, it has that but its not done in a very art house way. Its done in a way that can draw in general audiences. The Plot is easy to follow if your willing to give this film a try. You easily become likeable to the characters and the plot intrigues you to watch on.

The Acting is great in this film. Noomi Rapace is brilliant in this role as the punk journalist who goes through a hell of a lot of trauma to get this story so people can know the truth, and not a corporate lie. Michael Nygvist who plays Mikael Blomkvist was a real show stealer and what started as something to past the time by before heading in prison, becomes an intriguing mystery with many twists & turns.

The Twist in the film is actually very surprising. They Play out the investigation though without any hint of who the prime suspect is, you just have to speculate as to who it is and watch as the story unfolds itself. The Film also depicts sexual violence in the film. This is i guess because foreign films can take more risks than Hollywood Films can. That's why i like films that take risks. Because they feel more real and cold to a viewer.

Overall, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a great foriegn flick that should be seen by many more people as it is worth the price and worth your time.

Rating - 93% - A

Thanks for the review I am going to watch it tomorrow

Connor Macgregor Reviews...127 Hours

The First film i saw of 2011 and i was dreading going in to see this. But in all honesty, Danny Boyle pulled it out of the bag.

127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the two hikers he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet?

I was dreading going to see this. Why? Well the amputation scene obviously. However that was at the back of my mind when the film started, i was right in there. Thanks to Never Hear You Surf Again by Free Blood, the opening credits could alone win itself a oscar. Why? They are that damn good. Really get you into the feel that you are in a warm dry place.

James Franco literally steals the film, because he is in most of it. I wouldn't be surprised if i saw James Franco in The Nominations For February's Oscars because he is literally that good. Where has he been since Spiderman 3 (Well General Hospital) ? Speaking of General Hospital, Amber Tamblyn (ex Emily Quartermaine) stars in this film. Its a small role but its enough to open bigger doors for her. Aside that, Franco is in much of the film as you can guess by the title.

It deals with Aaron's trauma and stress as he is stuck by the boulder and has to make decisions he wouldn't normally make in other similar situations. He is low on food & drink and has to survive many weather conditions. He even resorts to drinking his pee. However the scene everyone was dreading was The Amputation Scene, including myself. When the arm snapped, i was ready to look away. But when the blood and gore came out...i was fine. I watched it normally and that was that. I was surprised at myself by not acting the way i was hoping to act a bit more shocked or disturbed. But never the less, its a great scene.

So Overall, Really Enjoyed 127 Hours and what it was about. I am glad that Aaron survived and managed to tell his story to the world. Franco is worthy of Oscar gold. A Beautifully directed film from start to finish which will make Danny Boyle's career legendary for films like this.

Rating - 86% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Monsters

An Indie film that i didn't have much interest in, but once i started watching it, i was slowly intrigued in what was going on.

Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life form began to appear and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain "the creatures"...... Our story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

I was warned previously that this is a "Journey" film, not District 9 2. But bear in mind, i think it holds up. The Acting is by 2 unknowns who for the most part are very good and not out of place for one minute. The Camera Shots showing the destroyed Mexico really give you a feeling that something horrible has occured recently. For most of the film, you dont see the monsters, but you feel their fear and intimdation when seeing the wreckage and hearing stories about them. The Monsters were designed in Director Gareth Edwards home computer. For the scenes we see them in, they look pretty good and well crafted.

I like the fact that this only cost 500,000 dollars to make. Because for many reasons, it doesn't look like it was made for 500k. But it has made its decent share of money and Gareth Edwards has gained some recognition and i reckon soon the offers are going to come in.

Overall, Monsters is an indie film you should see. Its a great little film that could take a young director a long way.

Rating - 81% - A-

He's already attatched to the Godzilla remake.

I really want to see Monsters... Your review has got me more interested.

About him directing Godzilla, I am really curious to see what he would do with it.
I only hope it's nothing serious like most Monster movies.. I would prefer a campy monster film, hopefully involving other monsters & aliens....

again, i like there to be some realism to Godzilla. But yeah, it needs to have that campness that made the jap films so good. Maybe Godzilla comes to NYC and destroys it, so the government build MechaGodzilla and then they have a brawl.

If it adds realism it will be too similar to Emmerich's Godzilla or Cloverfield.

Emmerich's Godzilla wasn't all that bad as a movie. But it wasn't a Godzilla film in any way, Also there was no need for the killer Godzilla babies.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Sliding Doors

A film with two parerell narratives running at once. Good Idea or Smelling A Flop ? Lets review Sliding Doors.

Young Helen is fired from her job at a PR company, and when the sliding doors of the tube car close on her, we start to see what would have happened if she'd made the train, and if she hadn't.

The idea of having 2 stories run next to each other is something new and smart and rarely done in hollywood today. I like how its shot in London because most of the films we see are in LA, so this is a film with a Hollywood Star set in a normal place. Gwenyth Paltrow's british accent is actually very good, compared to other american actors who can only do posh or cockney, Paltrow does it normally and not over the top. John Hannah also fits in perfectly well in the story and did you know that i am living in his former home town. Theres a fact for you. But yeah Hannah does play the role with wit & charm which makes his chemistry with Paltrow work in various scenes.

Overall, Good Film with interesting new narrative formulas, good acting, fun story and a film that should get more heads.

Rating - 81% - A-

Good Time Max, In the Valley of Elah, Pineapple Express, Howl. Spider Man was one of his weakest efforts.

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Dont forget Milk. Ok fine i was wrong on that part, maybe i havent seen him in that much. Still he was good in GH.

Connor Macgregor Reviews...Twelve

A Film i bought just to see what the fuss was about (Plus The Ever Lovely Emma Roberts) and boy was i in for a surprise with this film. The basic plot is A young drug dealer watches as his high-rolling life is dismantled in the wake of his cousin's murder, which sees his best friend arrested for the crime.

This Film is actually very good for what it is. I havent't read the novel so i cant make a comparison, but after seeing this, i did enjoy the story side of it. For once Curtis Jackson is used really well. I thought his acting started off shacky, but i think this film shows him off as a credible actor. Emma Roberts wasn't seen much, but for the most part was really good as always. The Main Star Chase Crawford most famous for Gossip Girl was also fairly good, but could have been a lot better. The Supporting Cast is also really good as well as convincing and not 25 year olds playing 16 year olds.

A Short but sweet review, i think Twelve is a really good film that didn't do so well Box Office wise. But Joel Schumacher is a good director as he has proved with Phonebooth and now with Twelve. Find it on DVD and give it a watch.

Rating - 90% - A-

Connor Macgregor Reviews...True Grit

You can't go wrong with a good Coen Brothers film...and by god they have potentially struke gold again.

Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested.

The Coen Brothers don't stop making good films. True Grit is honestly the revival of The Western Genre. For years, The Genre has been floating on whether or not the genre would be ceased to be used, but after No Country For Old Men and no this, i think more directors will take The Western Genre with more care.

Jeff Bridges completely wins me over as Cogburn. Bear in mind i havent seen the original True Grit film in 1969, but Bridges just acted so well into the part that he may have given THE John Wayne a run for his money. Matt Damon was also great as The Sheriff. I feel that he might get lost in the rustle for Best Supporting Actor In The Oscars, but never the less, its a mighty swell performance. Josh Brolin i didn't recognise at first. He has that face that you can just recognise in different films because he keeps changing it all the time.

But the star of the film is a newcomer. Entet Hailee Steinfeld as Matty Ross. Boy was she a treat for sore eyes. In all fairness, she was fantastic on screen and was in the film the majority of the time. A great future star right here and hopefully Hollywood will catch on with her.

As for Direction, The Coen Bros did no wrong once again. It felt like a western with those little western cliches like the montage of the characters on horses going through the desert and how detailed the towns were. That's what i love about westerns, how detailed they can be and realisitc.

Overall, True Grit is another home run for The Coens. Great Acting, Score, Direction and A Revival For The Western Genre, True Grit is one of the best westerns in a long time.

Rating - 100% - A+

I really hate when people say things like these.. How can you call it one of the best remakes when you haven't seen the original..

You could have called it one of the best westerns in a long time if you wanted to..

Ok i apologise, but i'll hold that comment to when i see the original. But yeah, Its one of the best Westerns In A Long Time.