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Reviews
Free of Eden (1998)
average movie but uplifting story
Young girl Nicole, dropout in Eden Parks, Brooklyn, becomes victim of a lethal robbery in her poverty-stricken neighborhood. She loses her dead-end job and feels she has no future anymore and chooses to do something about it. She gets private lessons from her old school teacher Will Cleamons (played by her actual father Sidney Poitier), becomes educated and in the end will leave her poor backgrounds for a bright future...
Although the story is powerful in its message I thought the movie itself was rather mediocre in its workmanship. The story felt contrived at some points and I didn't feel I was watching a 'real' story but rather a moral fable. The directing could have been a lot better. The acting also isn't that great although Sydney Tamiia Poitier does a decent job in her first big role as an actress.
But this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy watching it. The uplifting message of this girl trying to escape her disconsolate fate certainly touched me and seeing her succeed even inspired me.
Abre los ojos (1997)
stirring story about dream and reality
An impressive film about a handsome and cocky man called Cesar (Noriega) who falls in love with his friend's girlfriend (Cruz). But his life gets turned around when his ex-girlfriend causes a car accident where she dies and his face gets disfigured. He can't accept his new face and the fact that everybody is treating him different. Even his friend and new girlfriend Sofia are avoiding him. Cesar is getting disturbing dreams and is seeing things that aren't so. I like the way how the director jumps from one scene to another and is leaving us in confusion. At a point it's impossible for us to see what is real and what is dream. And then this movie makes a big unexpected spin. After the romance in the beginning and the drama after that the film develops as a sci-fi mystery. Our protagonist is desperately trying to find out what is happening with him and eventually unveils the truth. Or not? Although the protagonist Cesar is at times pretty annoying I kept interested in this very compelling story. The director lets you keep guessing what is going on without explaining too much. At the end he gives a credible explanation of it all. But you keep wondering. I can't wait to watch it again. Mind-blowing movie at the same level as The Game or Mulholland Drive. Don't miss it.
Love Walked In (1997)
worth wile to watch
I saw it late at night on TV and was intrigued enough to keep watching. I don't understand all these negative comments. Sure, it has its faults but Love Walked In was interesting and entertaining to watch, for me at least. The story is a little incredible sometimes, but I wasn't bothered. And it certainly wasn't predictable. All those Hollywood blockbusters, they are predictable, but this one had its shifts and turns which keep you wondering till the end.
Love Walked In consists of an interesting story with realistic characters. No black and white characters, but people who make mistakes sometimes. Along with the good acting of Denis Leary and good-old Terence Stamp it makes up of one fairly good movie. At least, it was a lot better than the over sentimental Indecent Proposal.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
convincingly realistic
This is not your typical 'entertaining' movie. It is slow paced, depressing at times, it has not much action and is situated at only one setting... but I loved it! It has a very realistic feel to it. The directing, the good acting of the whole cast, intelligent writing, the lack of dominating music and the sober camerawork make it believable and very realistic (shouldn't that be the main focus of a film based on a true story?). You really believe it happened this way and you get absorbed in the story from beginning till end. And especially Al Pacino is very convincing as the desperate bank-robber, who tries to save the situation in which he is landed.
This movie is about real persons who get stranded in an 'unreal' situation. I wish I could see more movies like these instead of all those fast-cut, superficial ones from Hollywood they're showing us nowadays in the theater.
One Night at McCool's (2001)
It's all about Liv Tyler
I missed One Night at McCool's in the cinema, but eventually rented it one year later and saw it on my DVD-player. I expected a nice film to look at with a couple of good laughs and that is what I got. It's not a masterpiece and not every joke succeeds but it's absolutely worth a rental. First of all because of Liv Tyler. She looks very hot in all these tiny little dresses and I can't believe there is any man who can't keep his eyes of the picture when she fills the screen. I also liked it that the story is told from different perspectives. Each of the three leading males (Matt Dillon, Paul Reiser, John Goodman) tells their story of how they met Jewel (Liv Tyler), which leads to opposite retellings of certain situations, which is sometimes very funny. And the last scene with Paul Reiser is hilarious. By far the biggest laugh of the movie.
Perhaps the story isn't very credible and perhaps the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, but who cares? They are funny. OK, the film isn't very realistic, but heck... it's a comedy and comedies are often funny because of the exaggeration of the situations and/or characters. This film doesn't take itself too serious and that's the way you are supposed to watch. Just sit back, don't think too much and enjoy the ride.
Warning : Everybody who is easily offended by foul language and sexual provocations, do NOT watch!
Gummo (1997)
I never felt so depressed after seeing a film
At last I saw Gummo on my television late at night. I like movies that are different from the mainstream formula films of Hollywood. Movies which have their own style and dare to be different. And this is certainly one of those.
Although this is a fictional film, it looks like a documentary. The camera observes the white-trash inhabitants of a wretched town somewhere in America. It doesn't make fun of the people it follows (even if they are strange), and it doesn't judge about them. Gummo only displays in a harsh way the deplorable situation in which an amoral, impoverished, low-class community lives. Although Gummo has no story and even no likeable or elaborated characters, I kept watching the screen. For some reason I was mesmerized by the strange disturbing vignettes randomly' put behind each other. At the end I felt very depressed. This does not mean it's a bad film, because a film has to evoke emotions, even sad and disturbing ones, and Gummo succeeds in this. A minor error: some scenes were too long and others seemed pointless so that I lost interest sometimes. All in all Gummo is definitely worth watching.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Impressive film but don't take it too serious.
This film is known as one of the greatest movies of all time. I only heard good reviews about this masterpiece of Cecil B. DeMille. So I decided to rent it and watch it during the Christmas holidays.
The opening scene is beautiful: the sun breaks through the clouds followed by a surrealistic scene of Hebrew slaves at work in red (evening)shades. This is just the beginning, but there are many, many more beautiful looking scenes. To name a few:
- the pharaoh's court with dancing girls, Nubians, flowers etc.
- the Hebrew slaves at work at Gosen.
- the depiction of some of the ten plagues which haunt Egypt.
- the exodus of thousands of slaves into the desert.
- the pharaoh's chariots chasing the Hebrews.
- the dividing of the water of the sea.
- the Holy Mountain of Sinaï surrounded by impressive clouds.
- the writing of the ten commandments on stone by God.
It's not just the special effects, which were great back in the fifties but are somewhat outdated in our time. But it is the cinematography and the brilliant directing of Cecil B. DeMille supported by the musical score of Bernstein, which make all the scenes a feast for the eyes.
But I am also a little disappointed in the film, concerning the story. At the moment I'm reading Exodus in the Bible. So I'm critical about the truth' of the story. The Ten Commandments differs from the original Bible story. The first two hours which tell the story of Moses as an Egyptian prince are not from the Bible. The Holy book leaves a gap' from the point that Moses is found in a basket in the Nile until the moment when he kills an Egyptian and must flee from Egypt. Undoubtedly Cecil B. DeMille used other (ancient) fictional writings to fill this gap in the Bible. The following of the story is much more true to the original Bible story, but also here it strays off from the Bible. E.g. Cecil B. DeMille used a lot of Hollywood clichés, like the romance between Moses and Nefretiri, the compelling old and wise man personified by pharaoh Sethi, the good Moses against the evil Ramses, the making of a superhero out of Moses where in the original Bible story he's just an extension piece of God (Moses only acts on advice of God) and DeMille even puts in an annoying' child of pharaoh Ramses. Also the acting is rather theatrical. They actors play as if they are in a Shakespeare play. All this is all right, because it can make the story more dramatic and more interesting, but again it's not true to the Bible. I know Cecil B. DeMille (and any other film-maker) has the freedom to create his own story. But in this case I believe many people who see this film think that this is the true' Bible story, which it's NOT really. Cecil B. DeMille made a grotesque epic of the original Bible story, which everyone can enjoy. My only warning is that you shouldn't take it literal. If you're looking for a realistic reproduction of the Bible, watch the t.v.-films of the late nineties like Abraham, Jakob, Moses etc. which are much more true to the Bible and to the period of 1200 B.C. But if you want to be swept away by a good versus evil story and beautiful visuals, then you must see The Ten Commandments of Cecil B. DeMille.
Gattaca (1997)
A movie which makes you think about genetics
Gattaca is about a world where humans are genetically designed before they are born. When you want a child, there are two ways to become one. First, the natural way, two people make love and destiny will do it's job. Second, you go to a doctor and make sure that your manufactured' child will be very intelligent and disease-free, in other words it will be a perfect child.
The main character, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), has come to earth by way of the first method. He has to live in a world where his kind of people, the invalids, are on the downside of society. Discrimination against them is not permitted, but it goes on as a matter of routine nonetheless (just like in our society). They have to do the dirty jobs, whereas the genetically perfect people are doing the intelligent and stimulating jobs. Vincent wants to be an astronaut and travel in space, but he is imperfect and everybody is telling him he will never be able to make his dreams come to true. But will he give up his dream? No, of course not. An important message of this movie is that Vincent is overcoming his shortcomings because of his strong spirit. He may be imperfect but his mind to achieve his goals is very strong. The question that this movie raises is what is more important: perfect genes or a strong mind. Anyway, Vincent cheats on the system by taking on an other identity, namely the identity of a perfectly cloned person (Jude Law). Together they fool the system. It seems that their plan is working and Vincent is chosen to go on a mission in space in a week time. But then
a murder occurs and one simple hair of the old' Vincent is found at the place of the murder. Will he be discovered?
This is the beginning of an intense and highly gripping movie. It's not an action sci-fi flick, but an intelligently written and well acted movie. The movie has a cold and futuristic atmosphere in it, which fits perfectly. Almost all people who commented on this film are very enthusiastic about it. The only flaws some people see in it concern the plot. They think the movie lacks credibility. Well, I didn't bother. It's very well written and it makes you think (even afterwards) about the subject of genetics. And that is what I appreciate in a movie. That it makes you think and opens new insights on interesting subjects.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
Ooh, Professor! Ten out of ten!
Not as good as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and the Producers, but it is watchable. It has some typical good Mel Brooks' gags, like the anatomy lesson by Van Helsing and the heart slashing sequence. I especially like Peter MacNicol as Renfield, he is really funny. I'm still not sure if Leslie Nielsen is miscast or not.
Three on a Couch (1966)
The first time I saw Jerry Lewis on t.v.
This is the first and only movie I've seen from Jerry Lewis. He is from before my time and I didn't have great expectations of his comedic abilities. But it was better than I expected. There were moments I really had to laugh and that doesn't happen all to often. Even if not all the scenes are even funny and sometimes irritating long (the farewell party at the office), I must say that Jerry Lewis can be a very funny man.
Convoy (1978)
good entertainment
I saw Convoy last night on television and watched it with my dad. We both liked it very much. Of course it has many flaws, i.e. a weak and predictable story, but the sphere and action of the film is great. And it is also very funny. I think this is a typical macho film that only men can appreciate. Sorry women! It reminded me of that american tv series which I saw in my childhood: The Dukes of Hazzard. If you liked the Dukes of Hazzard than you must see this one. Enjoy it!
La vita è bella (1997)
over estimated
I really wanted to like this film but it didn't touch me the way like it did with most other viewers. I must agree with a comment made earlier by Andrew Campbell that the first half was entertaining but the second half which took place in the concentration camp was a disappointment to me. I can't really tell you why but the whole thing seemed a little ridiculous to me. I'm not saying it's a bad film. I just think this film is over estimated.
Everyone is saying that's it beautiful how the father is trying to protect his child. That the message of this film is so positive and that we can learn from it. I must agree that Benigni's intentions are beautiful but that does not mean that this is one of the better films ever made just because the message is so positive. But it seems that I am one of the few who thinks that way. I found this an average film and give it 5/10.
Sand Trap (1997)
big disappointment
I was very disappointed when I saw this film. It was a big achievement of me to sit through this film and it shows that I have got a lot of perseverance.
The film was very predictable and not original at all. You know what is going to happen from the beginning till the end. The acting is terrible. The transfomation of Nelson (David John James) from a city man into a wild man in the desert is the laugh of the film. If this was a comedy it is OK, but it isn't. It is a serious film about a man that is betrayed by his wife and his best friend and who's trying to survive in the desert.
I would like to warn everyone to stay away from this film. It can ruin your evening!