I am always a little uncomfortable with movies way out of the norm. This is not good for me and I know that this is not good when I am rating a film but, still this is there when I review one. I went into this movie expecting that and, it was really weird. Yet I really liked this movie. Why? It was really interesting and eventually became very intense. Plus the energy of the project was astounding. If you're going to make something like this your actor need to sell it. See Perfume finds itself so outside of the norm that I could hardly believe how it was going. Sure it's a murder story in the 1800's big whoop, but it's a creative one at that. It allows us to follow a character who by all intensive purposes is not insane,but rather determined in his own very disturbing way. I think this is one of the ways in which the movie succeeds. Tykwer and other people are so game for making what they want to that it works. So what if a the voice over ( done by "the great John Hurt") and the intentions of some characters are choppy. They don't care. All problems that the film has are merely trounced by the its incredible confidence. This is not an easy story to tell but, they pulled it off and it works, most of the time. Again I did mention the sloppy voice-overs and intentions right. Also there is the out of no where stuff. You know what this film is not perfect but, it's still really good. As for what's wrong with it... while John Hurt's voice over helps the audience buy the whole thing some intentions are cloudy. I mean the main character's motivations frankly seem a lot more poetic. You can't make exact sense of them. But, than again much of this movie does seem like a poetry. It has a grisly, but intense way of going about things. Another problem that can be found when you really think about it this is a really messed up movie. The guy is running around killing people and than trying to capture their scent. That's messed up. Yet it somehow works. The film has an elegance to it. The fact that this is there allows all of the events to gel and it works spectacularly. Also what helps the movie. The cast is really into it. Ben Wishaw say what you will about him has a tough role here. He has to pull of killer that we give sympathy too and he pulls it off to the best of his ability. You can really tell that he at least is trying. In a role so out of the norm that's good to see. Also with the script that this film has it's surprising that the delivering is not "hammy." The dialogue in the film delivered by an lesser of an actor could come off badly but it doesn't. This also applies to the A-list actors they got in this movie. Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman and others are in this and they really are good as well creating the world around them quite vividly. As I said the whole thing has a poetry to it and at least in that way it's nice. Also to the films benefit is the scale. This film spans years and that helps it feel like more than it probably was. With an 147 minute running time the film has the time to span a good chunk of time in it's characters life. This helps the film soak you in through the life of the characters and benefits the film greatly. Yet I'm not going to recommend it. The film is so out of the norm that an audience that is used to certain conventions just might find themselves uncomfortable. I'm supposed to push you towards good ones for you. Right. Hmm.Didn't see this one coming but this is actually a good movie. Not for the squeamish or anyone who finds stuff out of the norm uncomfortable. Perfume gets a 9 out of 10.
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What would your life be like if your inner demons, the things that you hide from the people around you suddenly got out? It would be a disaster wouldn't it? American Beauty is a film based on this. It's characters start as "normal" people. Just everyday people that are materialistic, commercialized but, you can notice that just under the surface there is something brewing. Sooner or later a man who is neglected and called stupid as well as a "loser" will snap and the results can be earth shattering. Lucky for us this man is Lester Burnham (played by the master Kevin Spacey). Burnham is one of those people that is called a "loser" and stupid and follows the societal constraints for normal. So do his wife and daughter. Living next to the Burnhams is a boy named Ricky. He's odd and sells weed and films a lot of stuff. Ricky is an interesting character because at the very beginning of the film he is the one that gives you a clue for what might happen. See Ricky is an odd character. In this place that symbolizes the stereotypical suburbs of America there is only one outlier. One day in the midst of his already failing marriage Lester at a basketball game that his teenage daughter is a cheerleader in spots one of her friends. He is immediately attracted and suddenly the constraints of society lift from him. So what he married? He's a good guy why shouldn't he get exactly what he wants. So what if he has a good job? He hates it and just wants to leave and, enjoy not having responsibilities. So over the next few weeks Lester Burnham turns into a new person. He starts smoking weed, he quits his job and goes to work at a fast food restaurant, he starts lifting weights. He becomes the person he wants to be. This makes for some incredible drama coming from Spacy's incredible performance and gleeful manner, and the fact that the family is having a hard time adjusting to the new Lester. Annette Benning plays his wife. She as Lester tries to burn the image of their small suburban family tries to keep it all together though eventually herself falls under it. Her performance is just great. The reactions that you watch of her's are very animated and actually are quite funny. This is a heavy movie with a lot of uncomfortable stuff but, it works because it is so funny. The script could have fallen into a dark place with this subject matter and near the great ending it does, but to keep us from getting to uncomfortable before that happens. At it's core this movie is about humans and the society we live in and it's damn entertaining in that way. It's talking about who we really are. It's slogan actually was "look closer" and the way that this works is "Look at this family they appear normal don't they now look closer". They are not quite what they seem to be. The film is asking you to look deeper into the characters and figure them out. See Lester as many could find him is not insane he simply wants the freedom to break the molds of his everyday life and have the fun he has always wanted. The slogan also kind of works for the way you have to take the movie. On the surface of the entire thing you find a story that is incredibly odd, but look closer and you can find something of real beauty. I give American Beauty a 10 out of 10. P.S. I recommend looking into analysis's of this film you can find some very interesting things in that category. Hey guys I know this one is a little odd for me to review but I found myself watching it. Sorry The Expendables 3 review has not come however I'll probably get to seeing it tomorrow. I wish I could go see Sin City 2, but, I'm 15 and there is no way in hell my parents would take me. So sorry. About 2/3 through the way of Ringu the Japanese horror film that inspired The Ring. I had pretty much pegged what my feeling for it were. They were positive but, also kind of dampened. See this is one of those movies that will scare you so much in one scare that you really want the next one but, you are also resenting it. You hate that you will be scared again but, you also are longingly awaiting the moment when it happens. This film is built a on one of the most ingenious set-ups for a horror movie that I have seen. If someone watches a certain tape that is cursed they will receive a phone call. Seven days something will kill them. What does is pretty scary too. All of this is so effective because the film has a better character than other horror films. I look back at the films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and the main characters are just really stupid teenagers. Now that's not to say that's a bad movie actually it's one of my favorite horror films it's just there is a noticeable difference when you compare the emotional attachment to a high pitched screaming teenager and a considerate adult who actually knows what they are doing. I also found it interesting that the people in the film did not really panic too much. They seemed content with the fact that they might just die and kept a level head about it. This in it's own way is really creepy. The main characters are determined to solve the mystery to make sure that they don't end up dead. The answer to that mystery is something really, really satisfying also. Sure it was silly but the very ending on how to make sure you don't die reminds me of the ending of the recent excellent Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. No one can win. I like these ending especially if they leave you thinking about what could happen in the future of the characters. This ending and the rest of the film is just so interesting and sucks you in that you are just primed to get the s*** scared out of you. Ringu layers on repetition. It chooses for camera to run delicately over mirrors and screens as brilliant foreshadowing. This type of thing sucks you in and you are in with the world and the characters and then a moment so perfect in it's fear invoking makes you want to run from everything. I'm going to assume that all of you are familiar with Psycho ok good. There is a seen in that movie know as the shower seen in which the music and images blend into something incredibly terrifying. This movie does the same. There is a scene where a person close to the main character sees the tape and the culmination of the music and the scene freaked me out so much I almost fell out of my chair. Yeah this is a good one guys. If you have a chance to get it. Do that. Alright. Ringu gets a 9 out of 10. I actually had a very hard time actually keeping track of what was going on in Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy. I mean the whole thing was simple but, the fact is there was so much to like in the film and there was so much stuff to be paying attention to. The acting is something special. I mean seriously look at the cast list you just see how many people are in this movie. Even more impressive is the fact that for such a slow film Tinker is one of the most exciting movies that I have ever seen. The film is made up of important people (British politicians, spies, leaders etc...) sitting in rooms and talking, people going and getting stuff from the office, and a guy putting it altogether and making something out of it. That's it. Doesn't that sound boring? Well it's not. The film builds it's tension in small doses. Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) retrieving a document that he's not supposed to have. The discussion of whether or not an important agent might be a Russian double agent. All of this just slowly builds up so even if I didn't exactly know what is going on I don't care. This movie is so good in so many ways at so many angles that it just makes up for itself. I know this sounds kind of odd but the film really is that good. The ending a little disappointing, well who cares it's been awesome getting there, the long conversations boring you? Who cares you're so excited to see what will happen that even the more monotone stuff is pulse pounding. Bottom line this is a good script performed by really good people. Gary Oldman got an Oscar nod for this movie and it's well deserved. Tom Hardy, Martin Strong, and Toby Jones are in this movie. They all do a great job too. The film to it's credit is also shot with an elegance. It doesn't feel choppy which helps because the story keeps on piling detail after detail. Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy is one of the best spy thrillers I have ever seen. Sure it's talky and somewhat confusing but, even with that the film keeps you on the razors edge. Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy gets a 10 out of 10. This movie is just about as good as Boyhood. The other two films are great Sunrise being quite a bit better than Sunset. I really just loved them whole heatedly though. While I really do love those films I think that Midnight tops them. Sunrise had the joy of love blossoming, Sunset had the joy of reuniting with someone you have deep feelings for but, with some things that get in the way. Midnight at it's beginning immediately succeeds over the other two because there is a joyful sense of very heavy nostalgia. You've been with these people for a long time and it's good to see them where they are. The camera pans around a mini-van and we see Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) sitting in it with two young children sleeping in the back. Suddenly it flew through my head "My god they made it." That's wonderful. Than the film goes ahead and takes that wonderful feeling and runs with it. The following scene sucks you in and also leaves you wildly impressed. Richard Linklater's dialogue here much like in Boyhood is so smooth and works so well that you almost think that it was improvised by the fantastic actors. Here you see a steadicam shot (A trick you will find in all the Before films as well as Boyhood) with actors talking in one take. The dialogue is so smooth and it builds and so does the happiness of the entire film. Then you start to notice in the conversation as they start to burn all of their relationship to the ground. They continue to talk about whether they could stand each other for 56 years or so. This conversation again is an incredible feat of dialogue. They are joking and laughing and then ever so subtly the word of question come into the conversation. They build and build and suddenly they are talking about whether or not their relationship will last. This is a little bit of a shock,but that's just the start of it. You are feeling "oh no" what will they do? I being a good critic (maybe) will not reveal what happens in the film. Also I will say is in a very repetitious way the fact is they have an argument for the books. You might have noticed the fact that I have mentioned dialogue quite a bit in this review. This film is fueled by it and all of it is delivered in the most fantastic way possible forming a story of how love endures and continues but, not without falters. Before Midnight gets put into the best pictures roster. Bernie has to be the wildest oxymoron I have ever seen. This movie is about the nicest and most generous killer of all time. See Bernie Tedie is actually not a bad guy. He is generous and he is church going. He doesn't hurt people and treats everyone however mean or bad with respect. Bernie is a "funeral director" and just a fantastic guy. In this movie he shoot a women 4 times in the back and than stashes here in a freezer. Yeah. Yet this is one of the funniest, most joyous films I have ever seen. The reason for that is the main actor. Jack Black. Say whatever you need to about the guy but, when he and Richard Linklater get together there is something to be seen. I am referencing the excellent and hilarious The School of Rock which also stared Black. Black is dynamite here playing the good hearted man. The film has an energy to it and Black is who creates it. The energy is very positive. The film goes over a bunch of interview style talks with people around his time and everyone loves him. You eventually love him as well. I get this odd feeling when he shot the person that he did. The events that lead to it "almost" make it feel justified. Yet it's the fact that I loved the character so much that I just really didn't want to see him go to jail. Heck the guy is the sole beneficiary of the person that he killed so what does he do. He takes all of that money and helps his town gives people cars and small houses if they need it. The guy is so nice. Even with Jack Black stealing the film there is some fantastic supporting work here. The best actor winner this year Matthew McConaughey. He is playing the D.A. His presence is great. He's actually one of the funniest characters in the movie. He is just selling the heck out of the whole "Texas Police Guy" that thinks that he is more important than other people and is the best crime-fighter of all time. It's just hilarious. Linklater is up to his task too. The script keeps the entire thing just going at a fast pace and the color actually reminds me of the films like Wes Anderson's. However something that Linklater can't even avoid in this film is the utter creepiness of this entire thing. I like it so much but, the film can't help but be quite a bit mean spirited, but luckily the film so funny. Bernie is a really funny movie but, mean spirited movie about a guy that kills someone and uses her money to help everyone that he knows. This is a wicked movie but it is also wickedly funny. Bernie gets a 9 out of 10. Attraction is interesting. It happens very quickly and can be anywhere. It takes a lot of time to build the relationship but, it takes just a moment to have the attraction. This is a lovely moment in the film. A husband and wife are yelling at each other and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) look at each other. "Do you know what they are arguing about?" Jesse asks. He looks her in the eyes and smiles. This is that moment. You chuckle because of such an odd and somewhat funny question. Yet you were also charmed by it. I have to say that that is a perfect moment. Now let me tell you this. That's not the only one. This is a perfect movie. Not as good as Richard Linklater's other Boyhood but this is really good. This film is about two strangers that meet on a train and out of sheer luck they hit it off and walk around Vienna till Jesse has to leave in the morning. They walk around the beautifully shot city and they see the sites that there is to see. The nice little night clubs and the dancers and bums in the streets. It's all just nice. Plus with all this stuff all these extra characters and the character of the places you get the sense that instead of being told who these people are and why they are in love that you are being shown. The way they react when they see certain people show their character not just the fact of being told who they are. Sure this is still seen everywhere but it still is really noticeable here. Oh and the city. The place has a character of it's own. I mentioned that there are quite a few supporting characters that pop up. These people give the city character it's all great. Also the buildings in the night are shot so beautifully. The street lights pop with color. It's just joyous. That's what makes this film great. The chemistry, the city and all of this it all just joyous. This is a great romance movie that needs to be seen. I give Before Sunrise a 10 out of 10. This is not a good movie. Oh boy. I never thought I would see this. See the older cheesy 007 movies at least made an effort but, this is just a sloppy movie. That's disappointing because it's predecessor and sequel are so much better than it. The word that I really want you to get out of the first paragraph is "sloppy." The story is sloppy, the action is sloppy, the character development is sloppy. Oh boy where do I start. The story is not really that intriguing mainly because it's really difficult to actually understand. See Royale has a simple story that had strong characters including a brutal but, still suave Bond that was fun to watch in action and also fun to watch as he seduced people. The Bond in this film is a different guy. This guy is a brutal but, not suave man. The film makes a big deal out of the fact that Bond kills almost anybody that he talks to. This is not a charming Bond this is a Bond you would want to run from.From the way these movies work that's not good. The action is not much better. The camera keeps moving around and the choreography is bad. There is an opening action scene where the characters were moving but it doesn't feel like they are really where they are they seem to just teleport. It's jarring really. Even when they do end up fighting it has the effect that the Transformers have when they are fighting. That's not good. As for the characters they're no better. The Bond girl, she is terrible. Completely forgettable like most of this movie. Same with the bad guy. There is nothing there. He's just a bad guy nothing,more nothing less. The script doesn't let him be more. There is a meeting that is supposed to make him look smart in the film but just makes him look childish. An unlikeable Bond, a premise that I can't understand and cutouts of the villains and the bond girl. Nooooooooooooo. All it really leaves you thinking is just how much higher of a game the other two films are operating at. Quantum of Solace gets a 4 out of 10. I have about 2 hours and 20 minutes I will go to sleep. This is the time I have before going back to school. Sigh. If you have not noticed from the 3 short sentences I have written that is not particularly a good thing. My mind is racing and time is closing in. There is nothing that I can do. I am also at this time wondering if there is anything better to do than watching this movie. I don't think so. Now In Time is no perfect movie but, it's fun and definitely worth the time. The premise is amazing and Andrew Niccol has already proved that he is good at sci-fi with Gattaca. This just like that movie is more concerned with how the world effects the charactergetss. However while this is a good movie problems arise in what it does with it's premise. The world that the characters live in has everyone looking 25. See they age right up till then and then they get a genetic clock that they have to fill up with time. If they run out they simply drop dead. This is intriguing at anytime the characters could die. Justin Timberlake plays Will who is poor. At a chance he runs across a man with hundreds of years who having lived too long gives Will all of his time. Will uses this to get into the rich sector and enjoy life. When the so called police of the place don't like that he has gotten that time they go after him and he takes a very rich man's daughter. He figures out that the rich are cheating the system and living while the poor are left to die. He shows the daughter (Amanda Seyfried) this she joins him and they both go on a Bonnie an Clyde/Robin Hood to get time and give it to others. Now this might seem like a cop-out I mean really of all the things that they would do they do this. It still works though. The world is fully fleshed out. There is a lot of detail put into this. There are gangs that take peoples time. There are time missions that give people in need time. It's all built up enough that all of it works. Also the cast sells the hell out of this. Timberlake is nothing special but, he rally works. He's a pretty good actor (See The Social Network) and that is utilized here. That's not to say that his character is fleashed out or interesting. It's just being played well. Actually that's what I noticed with most of the cast. Seyfried, Cillian Murphy. They are all doing good jobs with characters that are not necessarily new. There are cliches in them but, it's just too much fun to watch. That's all I can really say. It has such a good premise that actually pays off with a good but cliche story. However the actors sell the hell out of it and the premise keeps in interesting all the way through. In Time gets an 8 out of 10. Jame's Cameron's Avatar is all about theatrics. That's not a bad thing really it's just apparently obvious what it's trying to be. Yes I know that many people have compared this to a certain movie and no I'm not going to directly do so but it's apparent that this film is not going for originality in it's story department. However I being of sound mind and heart say that this is by far Cameron's masterpiece. Yes okay I get it Cameron made T2 and Cameron made Titanic, but those are just part of why this is the best he has made. Cameron specializes in making big movies following common tropes with a lot of creative special effects. T2 was cool but lacked to much of a scale for Cameron's ambitions. The chemistry was awesome. Titanic was more set in the right direction and had some nice effects but lacked the visual flair of something like Avatar. That's not to say that these are bad movies in fact they are some of my favorites but what I've noticed is that Cameron is good at escapism and this is the best out there. As I mentioned before Avatar is not that creative in story. It is about Jake Sully a crippled marine who is sent to the planet of Pandora. To make a bond with the natives and learn their ways. This is done through sending into the body of one of the creatures the "Na'vi" through a neural link. He soon falls in love and must fight the humans as they try to destroy the environment that the Na'vi live in. Doesn't that premise sound familiar... But I actually consider this a good thing. This story is really a familiar one but at least it's not a bad one. If you are going to spend $237 million on a movie I recommend that you make a movie with a story like this. I mean look at the Transformers films and other blockbusters. They cost millions of dollars, and try to do something original and all we get is shit. I'd rather have this than that. Though what makes this movie not shit is simple. Everything else. It goes without saying that the visuals are incredible. The studio that did the effects is Weta Digital. They did Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films and they really have done one hell of a job. Pandora the planet is beautiful with a lot of colors. The tree and the lights of everything is amazing and the world sucks you in. What helps even more is how the Na'vi fit into the environment. There is thought put into these creatures is surprising. There is a mythology here and it's built up. That helps you care for the characters the creatures around the place. This all really works. Also good the supporting cast. Sigourney Weaver is a good actress and Cameron has done what he usually does make good female characters. Her scientist character is built up enough that you care for her. Even better is Zoe Saldana who plays the Na'vi that Sully falls in love with. The acting with the motion capture is great and very effective yet doesn't reach the levels of what was seen with Andy Serkis in Rings. Best of all the things though is the action. This is big stuff and the final battle is a marvel of film making. The flying, the ground battles it's just amazing. Overall the pro's outweigh the cons. The story of this film is not exactly original,but the world is realized and the acting is great. Avatar get's a 9 out of 10. Boyhood: Directed by Richard Linklater, Starring: Eller Coltrane, Patricia Marquette, Ethan Hawke8/9/2014 I have decided not to write about TMNT. It as you could all assume is not a good movie and don't go see it. Go see this instead. Boyhood is the best movie I have ever seen. Okay I know that is rash, but it's the truth. Richard Linklater has crafted something more than a film here. He has crafted a life. Boyhood works because it is so close to you. It's a lovely and soothing experience that doesn't stop for two hours and 43 minutes. The film begins with Mason the boy looking into the sky. There is many things that he could be thinking as he looks up there but his face is saying something, It looks like he's considering something anticipating something. A journey maybe. What a journey he is about to embark on. Not any journey across the land or so but a journey through the ups and downs of what will be the next 12 years of his life. His mother running into problems he also has to deal with. His own troubles like his parents being divorced. and how he deals with them and yet the film doesn't like it really has a narrative. Mason picks up lessons in real flowing conversations with from his father (Ethan Hawke) and the people around him. He doesn't just see a girl and fall in love with her. He has to talk with girls and get to know them. This all works with great effectiveness because the whole thing is scripted and shot very well. The camera moves smoothly (including an impressive Steadicam shot) and the dialogue seems as if it is happening in reality rather than in a film. It flows that well. Though it would not flow so well if the acting was not up to the par that it is. Sure dialogue can be delivered but to be delivered with the feeling and believability that it is here is almost unheard of. It's all so effective I can't believe it. Patricia Arquatte is does Oscar caliber work as the mother and Ethan Hawke is back in good Before series acting mode here. Though the best acting is done by Eller Coltrane who plays Mason. Coltrane as a boy is great holding a sense of childlike wonders, but as he grows up the depth of his character increases and you start to care more and more for him. You don't realize this at first. There is a moment whenever Mason is driving to college and the song "Hero" by Family of the Year is playing. It's a lovely moment and you get very emotional because this little kid you have watched grow up like a son is going of to college. Go see this. It is the best movie of the year, and the best movie I have ever seen. It is life and, it's a good one. Boyhood gets a 10 out of 10 and is added to the best film roster on the About page. "What!" cried Kubrick "Is the connection between the apes and robots in space?" I respond." It's the way they make you feel." "The spectacular feelings that come with watching the beginnings of all life and the preservation of human consciousness and intelligence." "What!" cried Malick "Is the connection between the beginnings of the Earth and a small American family, as well as a man going through the paces of life and wondering what life's all about." I respond. "It's the way they make you feel." "The spectacular feelings you experience whilst watching the beginnings of what existence is as we know it, the happiness and sadness of life and the effect of death. If there is anything really else to Terrance Malick's The Tree of Life I really didn't find it. That's not to say that the film didn't effect me actually the film effected me more than I understood it. It's like 2001. I didn't fully understand it but the emotions and wonder imposed by it are what make the film great. The Tree of Life is made up of 3 certain narratives. The first is a creation of earth sequence. This is such a visual wonderment. It's such an exciting thing to see that you forget the fact that this film is mostly made up of the second element. The story of a family (It is more focused on the older son). This part makes up most of the movie. Brad Pitt stars as the father who is an abusive man. The kid fights back what little bit that he can. Here the film is most effecting and has more of a narrative structure. Except like the entire movie itself this chapter does not have a "sound" narrative structure. Things just come and go and you can need to put it together. This is a good thing. The third is about the boy (A fantastic Sean Penn) who is grown up now dealing with the fact that life is not eventful and going imagining seeing the people that he knew in life. This all, especially the beginning of the earth dinosaur(Yes there are dinosaurs) stuff should not work. But it does. The fact is the stories created a lot of emotion that iron's over everything. The beginning of time stuff is bewildering and just fascinating to watch. The cinematography is what benefits this even more. The camera moves gracefully leaving you feeling soothed if anything. This is a gutsy movie to make. I mean the mainstream audiences (masses) today completely hate this kind of thing. I'm glad to see it here. The Tree of Life is a movie that a lot of people would hate. Some won't get it, others will just think it's stupid but I liked it and it had a real effect on me. The Tree of Life gets a 9 out of 10. Recently I have begun to look over the Harry Potter films. What I have found is both goods and bads. The first film is a little to much of a world builder not allowing anything to get intense or for that matter interesting. The second is a wild improvement but, has the problem of a running time that is a little to long. It really is jam packed and that's not bad. It's really just that once the film reaches it's big reveal everything seems a little to silly. The big snake was pretty cool though. The third film was a vast improvement, but once all the reveals were made the whole thing seemed jumbled. However the style of director Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) really made the film work as it displayed a wonderful feast for the eyes. In my opinion (and surely people will diagree with me) so far I think that The Goblet of Fire is the best one. Do keep in mind I have not watched the other 4 films. Okay. I will within the next few days. The reason for this film succeeding more than it's predessesors at least to me is the fact that I did not think of it as a Harry Potter film. I mean sure it is one but to me on the basis of what it was it seemed not to. See to my generation Harry Potter has become something incredibly meaningful. Sure I was once caught up in this trance at one point and I'm sure many of us were. The first three films were all decent films the third being miles better, but they were all given the classic brand because of the brand exactly. I'm not saying they were bad. I like all of them. Just not as much as most people and that's probably because I don't actually like Harry Potter as a fandom just more of a existing entity in pop culture. What I'm getting at is Goblet did not feel like a Harry Potter film but something more. The premise is very exciting. A tournament between three wizard schools composed of dangerous tasks. I love it. The fact that around this there is an incredible amount of character. Daniel Radcliffe actually does some very good work here adding a little it of more depth to Harry that I did not find in the earlier films. Ron gets a character arch of being stubborn and kind of angry toward Harry which is more than he got to do in the last few films. Emma Watson as Hermione is still pretty good, but her role I don't actually know in the scheme of things so her character remains to be the person that the somewhat alienated smart people like myself can connect to. Dumbledore is given more here which is great seeing how Michael Gambon is a really good actor and deserves more of a role in these films. I suspect he will get one in the final chapters of this film series. The supporting players are all good, but there is one that stands out. The best actor in the entire film is one of the best British actors of all time. I am atually anticipating his performances in the later films. This would be Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort. Okay I'm not even going to give a spoiler warning for this one because everybody knows the end of this film. From the moment that he appears he is a commanding presence. The moments that he is on screen the entire film rises to an entire new level. The whole thing buckles down and becomes even better than it was. But it was still very good even before that. The unfolding mystery here is much more interesting featuring some great twists and turns especially at the end of the film. Though what really makes the film are the tournament challenges. Each are not that special but there are quite a few thrills to be had with them. Flying high in the air trying to escape a dragon. Swimming to the depths of an ocean. It's all simple but fun and it all looks good. The effects team really did a great job on this film and everything looks real enough to suck you into the entire thing. My watching of the Harry Potter films had been very hit and miss so far but this was really a hit. A full blooded fantasy film that is a lot of fun. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire gets a 9 out of 10. I never really took to The Conetto's Trilogies first two films. Being of my age Shaun of the Dead had too much dry British wit that I really did not understand. Hot Fuzz was really funny and great, but that's all it was. It was funny but it had no depth. The Worlds End is the perfect finale and the perfect melding of the other two's good points. Shaun's insane group dynamics, and Fuzz's much funnier script. Add a little bit of depth to the entire thing, and you've got what is by far the best of the trilogy and one of the best performances I have seen from an actor. The World's End is about a man named Gary King who is still the way he was at the time that he was 19. Gary rounds up a bunch of old chaps to go on a twelve pub, pub crawl across their town that they attempted before as teens but failed. You the observer and the people around Gary notice that something has wrong with him because he is the same person that he was when he was a teen. This is the best thing that The World's End has going for it. Gary. His character is what drives the entire thing. Once his story is revealed it helps drive the entire story and it's characters to a new level and push the already emotional fun ride you have had to something more. Now the idea of a person stuck in adolescence is nothing new to this kind of movie, but they are usually passed off as the people that the other character's learn a lesson off of. This lesson comes in the realization of a sadness behind the antics of the character stuck in adolescence. That doesn't happen hear. One of the benefits in the fact that rather than learning a lesson about their own lives when the one character does find out about the sadness he actually does something to help. He doesn't just have a realization and be done with it. He actually tries to help and reconcile. Oh and the sadness that's what adds depth to the character of Gary. What also adds depth. Simon Peg. Peg has always been one of the best comedic actors out there, and here he is really given the chance to shine. He's quirky, funny and emotional when he needs to be and he really hit's hard here. Career best work. Well all that is good and fine but, I haven't gotten to what the meat of the film is. The Cornetto Trilogy is about British people getting into B movie type situations. Shaun being zombie movies, Fuzz being buddy cop films, and The World's End being aliens. The aliens are quite a good enemy. They have replaced most everyone in the town and once the characters find out what is going on send everyone of the replacements after them. The group who Gary has brought decides to fight back and the action is hilarious and just exhilarating. Blue stuff is flying every where and so are jokes. As serious as some of this film is this is a comedy of sorts with a lot of funny and subtle jokes. As for the groups chemistry it is fantastic. The way that they all have become stereotypes of the middle class and then throwing them all together it's really funny to see them bounce off of each other. If there really is a problem with the film it's that the very end comes out of nowhere,but it is handled well. The final scene is terrific fun. Go see it. The Worlds End get's a Okay I know that there is quite a few of these. 10 out of 10. When I was growing up I didn't watch stuff like Spongebob or anything of that sort. I usually found myself watching stuff like ET, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars. I just watched and watched these films. I recently went back to them and found out why. They all seemed stories that possessed the feeling that a child could have just made this all up while playing with toys. Large ships, thrilling space battles, and humor somewhat juvenile but really funny whenever you get down to it. Oh wait I just described the best Marvel movie ever made. Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes I said it. Guardians of the Galaxy is not by much,but better than The Avengers. Why? Well that's because like almost every good blockbuster in the 80's it has a childlike wonder to it. I found myself smiling and happy throughout the entire film. I really loved it. So where to start. Guardians stars Chris Pratt as Peter Quill a boy that was abducted by aliens when he was a boy and has grown up into a petty thief. He insists on being called Star-Lord and you get some laughs out of the fact that no one calls him that. Yet there is a lot more that to his character. A prologue sequence shows his reasons for loving his Walkman and the lengths he will go to save it are prove for some comic relief. However most of the jokes really come from the characters bouncing off of each other. See for the reasons that their origins explain all of the Guardians are well as the Nova Corps officer calls them A-holes. They aren't very good people. Heck the only reason that they end up together is because there is a lot of money involved and even then it's they still are very selfish. This part of the film admittedly is a little rushed. The way that they are all put together where they all meet is set up in a funny way, but it could have been explained a little bit more but, by the time the heroes finally meet the main villain Ronan the movie has fallen into it's stride. Anyway Zoe Saldana is good but somewhat monotone throughout the entire thing. She's kind of the sane one out of the whole group. That's not to say she's bad. The way she clashes with Star-Lord is just interesting. There is no sex with green aliens. Rocket and Groot are really funny with great chemistry. Seriously these guys are hilarious. Dave Batista though is great as Drax. He's a big guy but, the character seems to be kind of a child at heart. He is actually pretty intelligent and gets a lot of funny lines because he's kind of insane. Star-Lord is also very much a child at heart. They make fun of what a child would think an action hero. Every joke in the film lands. This is a really irreverent film with some kind of raunchy jokes and it is hilarious. So great performances. The effects of the film are just as good as the performances. The costumes and ships are colorful and creative and pop off the screen. Even better though is the music. The soundtrack is all very good 70's music. Oo Child, Hooked on a Feeling. All of them are incredible and really bring the fun to the film. This music is kind of the life of the film and it's a lot of fun. Guardians of the Galaxy is great. One of the best movies of the year. I walked in with a smile and walked out with a feeling of utmost joy. No really. I smiled throughout this entire thing and was wholly satisfied by the perfect melding of action, comedy and music. I go to blockbusters and find darkness and overcomplexity. That's not bad I love The Dark Knight. But nothing but this and The Avengers really have the real happy fun and I love this action comedy type style. I'm glad to see it back. Guardians of the Galaxy gets a 10 out of 10. Dear People that actually read this, Thank you for reading this. I love movies and I had considered doing this but I was always worried no one would read what I wrote. Of course not many do,but I want to thank the small number that do. FilmAnalyst P.S.: The review I am writing as you can see is of Sin City. I will praise the heck out of it. It really is a great film for it's own reasons. I really like it. Though I must tell you this. This film is absolutely insane. The violence, gore , all of it is really disturbing and kind of messed up. Really I just wanted to warn you about this. Sin City is probably the most visually engrossing film I have ever seen. I often wonder why CGI is really not that good these days and yet now I know. Because it is not used correctly. Sin City was shot mostly in front of green screens with backgrounds put in later. It looks like the comic book and what a great look that is. See Sin City is a unfathomably violent crime tale that could have come of disgusting and putrid, but the visual style draws you in and makes you love it.The crisp and clean black and white is great while all the colors pop and suck you in. There are moments of incredible violence where all that you can do is ignore it and be shocked at the visuals on the screen. Sin City has quite a simple story, or should I say stories. The film follows a number of thinly connected events in Sin City. One being a cop who is betrayed and comes back for revenge, one being a man avenging the woman he loves so on and so forth. They are all simple to the benefit of the film. They all have a part to play giving you the character of the city through it's inhabitants. But really you are there for the visuals and each story utilizes them in a different way. As far as performances go I'm surprised they are as good as they are. Most actors are not very good at acting with CGI and everyone is surprisingly good here. The standout is Mikey Rorke as a man trying to avenge the love of his life. The movie is taken up most by his story and he own the role. Bruce Willis also shows up playing a cop who needs to protect a girl. Some carreer best work even if the acting is mostly in narration. I have to give special mention as well to Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings) when his character is on screen he says nothing yet processes such a presence and uneasiness that it almost transcends everything else on screen. As mentioned before the camera work with the CGI is incredible. Robert Rodriguez the director has always been one to shoot his own films and he really has gotten good at it. Sin City as I warned before is an incredibly disturbing and violent film, but it uses it all as well as the visuals, stories, and characters to it's advantage. Why I have not mentioned a con. because I really haven't found one. Of course don't see it if you are shy to violence,but if you aren't I recommend you see it. Sin City gets a 10 out of 10. This is the whole film shot in green screen sped up. Odd music,but really cool. |
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December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |