Reviews

Serenity is great fun, and I will be seeing it multiple times before it flies off to DVD, and I must congratulate Mr. Whedon, whom, with the possibility of a big film franchise put in front of him, was still willing to take some chances and make some decisions to make sure he told the best story possible. I believe he did just that.

Swirling Silk, lush forests, vivid colors, porcelain faces. These are the bricks with which the House of Flying Daggers is constructed

Saw, a new hard-core thriller from up and coming director James Wan, follows a familiar road set by earlier films such as David Finchers Se7en, with little deviation into unknown territory.

Like the first film, the second volume is peppered with interesting and creative mode shifts in cinematography and style. Black and white, filters, grainy shots, and some experimentation with aspect ratio all add to the experience.

A film like this can quickly degenerate into a macabre gore-fest, but Del Toro cleverly injects threads of humor, love, religion, mythology, and existentialism to keep this from occurring.

Most of the performances were well played and believable, even if the subject matter requires a stretch for believability.

In Sunset Boulevard, Swanson plays the role of an aging silent film star, who was incredibly popular in the heyday of silent film, long forgotten in the time of talkies, or films with sound.

About four minutes after the introduction of Turturros character, I knew how the film was going to end, or more precisely, I knew the gimmick that would be used at the end of the film.

The film follows the lives of Feng Gui, who begins the film as a compulsive gambler in the 1940's.

As with most Jeunet pieces, the production design is incredibly creative, with original ideas and images appearing at every turn. This has to be one of the most well-crafted feel good pieces I have ever seen, and I am usually not a fan of the genre.