Strummer's Reviews

The Jacket

At first I thought the two stars of this movie were miscast, but they pulled off their roles so solidly that I think they were just fine. The somewhat Dustin Hoffmanesque Adrien Brody is a Gulf War veteran who suffers from a mental condition caused by wartime trauma that prevents him from remembering the past clearly. He often just sees flashes of events that happened to him in the past that come at him like pieces to a puzzle that he can't focus on well enough to solve. He is put in a mental institution after being declared criminally insane and being connected to a murder.
At the institution, a shady doctor forces him to undergo a treatment that is just as traumatic as the events that caused his condition. During this treatment, he finds himself traveling through time in a manner he can't control. During the time travel, he encounters a girl that he had known before from earlier in his life: Keira Knightley who is oddly cast as a burnout waitress but settles into the role nicely after a little while. The relationship between these two characters is not given much time or space to develop, but the actors have a charming bit of chemistry going that makes it very pleasant to witness as it unfolds.
The other actors range from passable to laughable but they are more plot devices, to advance the story rather than realistic living, breathing people. the institution itself is not shown enough to seem real (only a couple of rooms are seen) and most of the parts of the film that take place there and dont involve the jacket borrow too heavily from Twelve Monkeys to be interesting. The mood of the movie is a key factor to enjoyment here through the cinematography, lighting, tone etc... give the film an intriguing tone (not unlike one you would find in an M. Night Shyamalan film) that helps the viewer to really "get into it." It is certainly not original and certainly not great and maybe not even a memorable movie, but I was quite entertained. If you're into this mind bending, time traveling stuff, I say give it a look. Just don't expect too much and you will probably be surprised.

Strummer's grade: B+

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"Like all dreamers, Steven mistook disenchantment for truth."

Nice review Strummer. I agree with many of the points you made, and i also enjoyed the film when i saw it in theaters. Good job.

Thanks for reading

Nice review. I just might have to rent this one. Its odd that today I rented 12 Monkeys (which I haven't seen) over this title, and you mention 12 Monkeys in your review.

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"Sleep is the best form of meditation."- Dalai Lama

yeah, Twelve Monkeys is the superior flick but The Jacket is pretty enjoyable in its own right.

I need feedback on my writing. Is the review any good? Do you agree/disagree? Praise it or criticize it, whatever is nessesary. Give advice and constructive critisism. Use nonconstructive criticism and insult me personally if you see fit. Just give it a read please if you have the time and let me know what you all think.

I haven't seen the movie, so I can't address whether I agree or not... But as reviews go, you make the sort of observations that I value in a review: the quality of the elements and the overall entertainment value are totally key, if you ask me. I'd suggest only a couple small tweaks, and they're cosmetic:
1. offer a rating between 1 and 5. You can use half-points. I know this can seem a lofty endeavor, but it will help you to focus your taste, long-term.
2. Don't start with two photos. Put one in the middle or end. To wrap the text around photos, use tags like this: {img_left=http: ADDRESS OF PHOTO HERE}blah blah title you make up that doesn't show up{/img_left} You can substitute "right" or "center" for "left". (John McClane showed me this.. cool, eh?) NOTE: where I've typed { }, use [ ].

Those are pretty minor points though. I think the points you made were great. Looking forward to reading more!

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

Thanks for reading. Actually I do rate the movies I watch from 1 to 5 and keep short responses in a notebook (probably the geekiest thing possible). I just used a letter grade to conform with what seemed to be the typical Mofo review style ( which I have since learned is not typical of all, but only a few reviewers) so it would be easier to follow.

• You did a pretty good job not telling too much of the film, that’s always good.
  
• The presentation needs a little work…no big deal there.
  
• You’re well spoken and there’s care taken with spelling and grammar.
  
• You make your point clear and stay consistent with what you say.

I think it’s a fine review, bro.

As time goes on, your writing will likely take new shape…that’s when it’ll get exciting. Just remember…writing these reviews should be enjoyable. If it ever becomes a chore to you…something’s wrong. Keep plugging away. I know I’ll read ‘em all.

Oh…btw: I saw The Jacket when it first came out. I thought it was all right, but nothing too spectacular. Brody is by far the best thing this film has going for it. He can play a tortured soul as well as anybody, but not many can capture a look of pure terror as well as he.

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Thanks a lot Slay. I'll keep your comments in mind in the future. I agree that by technical standards The Jacket was just alright but as far as plain old entertainment goes I thought it was pretty solid and I pretty much always enjoy watching Adrian Brody, I can pretty much always relate to his characters and performances. Speaking of him, have you seen Dummy? I found that to be an extremely enjoyable quirky little comedy/drama but it seems to be very little known. Actually if you were to look back you would see that I made a crack at you early in my Mofo career in response to a joke you made that I took too seriously and was insulted by. It seems its hard at first to get used to the jokes made around here because a new user may tend to miss sarcasm when it's typed out rather than spoken and when you come to expect being flamed and disrespected from experiences in other forums. Then when you realize that Mofo is nothing like that it becomes a truly wonderful experience. Damn I ramble a lot. I like rambling though. It allows you to discuss a lot more and a larger variety of things than you would be able to if you stayed on topic. I'll try not to do so in my reviews though.

Nope. But I’ll look for it.

Yeah, I remember. It was all Nitzer’s fault.

I can't believe you actually remember that. Well it was a pretty decent joke I guess. But seriously, try to see Dummy if you get a chance, it's quite good and if you like it, I will have made a sucessful recommendation. I don't think I have done that on Mofo yet.

btw: I am surprised there was no shocked reaction to my Adrian Brody/Dustin Hoffman comparison. I snuck it in gently, but I expected some flack for it.

The Spanish Prisoner

In The Spanish Prisoner, Joseph Ross (Campbell Scott) develops a formula that is expected to make his company a lot of money. It is something that must be protected, which is much more difficult than he ever imagined it would be. No person among the cast of characters is exactly what they seem to be. Just when you think you know where the film is going a plot twist comes along and derails your train of thought. The acting is averege, thought it must have been difficult for the actors to deliver dialogue that sounds so unnatural in casual conversations. I have heard Mamet's dialogue to be highly regarded but to me it seems too much like the prewitten script it is rather than a spontaneous conversation between two people. One actor in particular who seems to have trouble is Steve Martin. He means well but just seems too eager rather than cool and confident like he should be.
However the strength of this movie lies not in the acting and characterization, but in the fast paced, tense plot, which takes many a turn in unexpected directions and is enhanced by the great score which helps suck you into the action without being intrusive or distracting. The ending is a bit hokey, but still fun and satisfying. If you are looking for an unpredictable, taut thriller and don't require interesting characters to be interested in a film, then you should be quite pleased by this one.

Strummer's grade:***

Cheers for the review, I haven't seen the Jacket yet, and it was filmed partly in Scotland, so there's an extra reason for me to view. Adrian Brody and Kiera Knightly were drinking in my local pub whilst filming, Soderbergh and Clooney were staying at a Hotel near my mum's house, but I never saw any of them.
As far as your review style, good work, don't worry too much about others opinion, its better to write what you feel rather than try and mimic film critics. I will also check out the Spanish Prisoner, I like Mamet, have you seen Spartan with Val Kilmer?
Anyway, keep up the reviews, I now find myself using reviews from this forum more than other sources now, I think you get a general feeling about certain Mofo's tastes, and whether you have similar tastes, and I have added so many DVD's recently on other's recommendations.

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Toga, toga, toga......


Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

I haven't seen Spartan, though it was under consideration for rental last night. I went with The Spanish Prisoner because my dad wanted to see Steve Martin in a serious role. Thanks for the feedback and for taking the time to read. The next time you write a review let me know and I'll return the favor.

Nice Reviews. The one on the Jacket is dead on, havent seen the Spanish Prisoner yet though.

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" I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, whe we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. May and hour of wolves and shattered shields before the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we Fight! For all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand men of the west!!"
-Aragorn: The Lord of the Rings the Return of the King

Ditto.

Nice review, Strummer - you make really specific and insightful observations. I like that you're so clear on what you're talking about.

I bought The Spanish Prisoner a while back, mainly because it was the only Mamet film I hadn't seen. I'd give it a solid 3/5 as well, though it doesn't hit the heights of House Of Games, The Winslow Boy, his screenplay for Glengarry Glen Ross or even Heist for me.

The oblique Mametian dialogue sounds a bit more forced than usual in this one but Steve Martin's performance is a pleasant surprise.

If you liked the director's style I'd suggest those movies, and Spartan.

Nice review, by the way.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Yeah, maybe it was the fact that the role was unusual for Steve Martin that made him seem out of place to me, but he just seemed a bit too anxious rather than relaxed and confident the way a con man needs to be.

I haven’t seen the film for quite awhile now, so it’s hard for me to remember how well all the actors performed. If I remember rightly, I liked the acting and story well enough, but the pacing seemed too slow. It kind of bored me. But I may like it more nowadays, who knows?

It’s hard for me to tell exactly how you feel tho’. It sounds like you’re unhappy with it, but then you end it by recommending it.