Saturday, March 20, 2004
LM Movie Reviews
updated through April 2005...
The Alamo: Hancock's film is devoid of emotion. A few brief speeches try to inject feeling into the movie, but they fall short. Hancock seems more interested in challenging the mythology of the Alamo's defenders, than he is in accurately portraying them. And that's fine, to a degree. But the film goes out of its way to portray the garrison as a collection of bumbling fools; a backwards group of rednecks, whose sacrifice came more out of ineptitude than honor.
Amelie: The gist of the story is that (a) everyone has their one soulmate out there, and you're inextricably drawn to that individual, and (b) no matter what's transpired in your life, everyone is entitled to happiness, and it's never too late to find it.
City of God: City of God's world is one that sees violence repaid with violence. "Good" characters fall into the trap of vengeance, only to die. "Bad" characters seek to change their ways and leave their criminal past behind, only to die. There is no escape once you've started down the road of the hoodlum. Still, for many that way is the only one.
Closer: Closer tells the story of four individuals, though there's no real story. The film both charms and alarms with an intriguing stew of attraction, ego, jealousy and deceit. Its characters lead intertwined lives, as they lead each other on in search of greener grass. At its heart the film explores the depth of love as it relates to sexual attraction and truth. The truth, though, is not always easy to find, especially when you deal with four complex characters that intentionally blur it.
The Day After Tomorrow: I wasn't surprised that DAT was an awful movie (and it is). I was, however, surprised that director Roland Emmerich apparently tried to make a serious movie. He seems to try to convince the viewer that this absurd, innane plot can somehow happen.
Euro Trip: Euro Trip's humor misses as often as it hits, but its largely unknown cast keeps it from ever getting too low. Scott is a blend of Collin Hanks in Orange County and Jason Biggs in American Pie, but without quite as much whiny "poor-me" pathos. And though his sex-crazed sidekick, Cooper, fails to match the Stifler-esque wit and energy that I think the film tried to emulate, his subdued demeanor didn't detract. Throw in the lovely Michelle Trachtenberg as Jenny, a girl that's just one of the boys, and her twin brother Jaime, the anal nerd who saves the day in the end, and you get a predictable, yet enjoyable comedy.
Farhenheit 9/11: All politics aside, it was pretty scattered and incoherent...flowed poorly and honestly didn't make a whole lot of sense. At its best it was pretty bad in this respect.
Finding Neverland: Yes, it's a simple story. A film needn't be complex, though, to be great. Depp and Winslet bring a level of emotion to Finding Neverland that, when combined with a surreal style of filmmaking that often folds fantasy into reality, results in an experience almost as magical as the exploits of Peter Pan himself.
Friday Night Lights: The "movies based on books always disappoint" crowd can rest easy. Though the film isn't a cover-to-cover adaptaion, director Peter Berg sticks close to his cousins's storyline, wandering only on occasion. Berg changes portions of the plot for dramatic effect and for brevity, but it remains mostly true to the real life saga of the 1988 Permian Panthers.
Garden State: The beauty of Garden State isn't in its story, it's in its characters. Braff and Portman play off each other beautifully. From a serendipitous meeting to a fairy tale ending, the pair's endearing chemistry captures the butterfly-causing attraction so often found in budding romances. Portman, with her bubbly charm and sweet-yet-not-too-innocent independent side, especially lights up the screen.
Honey: For the most part, Honey conveys a positive message: Work hard and be true to yourself and you can achieve great things. She also displays a selfless side that often isn't found in movies that are based at today's youth. Based on that alone, I give it good marks.
Hotel Rwanda: Hotel Rwanda's conflict between hope and despair takes the face of Cheadle, whose character starts out with only his family in mind before risking his own live to spare his countrymen. The brutal atrocities and seemingly senseless murders will both break your heart and make you question the true nature of mankind. At the same time, however, the actions of people like Rusesabagina remind us that there is good in the world, and that means there is hope for us all.
House of Sand and Fog: HoSF paints a bleak picture. Its tale of perseverance doesn't capture the triumph of the human spirit, but rather the destruction caused by self-centric behavior. There are no heroes in this story, no redemption and no happy ending.
I Heart Huckabees: I think there are two ways to look at I Heart Huckabees. If you think it's serious in its existential, talking-in-circles philosophy then it's a disaster, because the script isn't nearly as intelligent as it pretends to be. But... I didn't see it that way. To me it felt intentionally nonsensical, as if the filmakers were trying to poke fun at serious philisophical wannabe masterpieces.
King Arthur: If nothing else, King Arthur is ambitious. Sure, we all know the legend, but this is the legend beyond the legend, and we get to see something a little different here. If it doesn't cling to the "facts," then so be it. Get your history from a book.
Master and Commander: M&C has its moments. It's boring for long stretches, frequently cliched, and filled with characters, whose deaths won't even make you blink twice. But at the same time, it's a majestic glimpse at an era long-since past. That alone is enough to save it.
Miracle: What it lacks in the political, patriotic sense, it makes up for in the story and the acting of Kurt Russell as Brooks. He rules his team with an iron fist and the film shows how his drive instilled the discipline, confidence and conditioning required for the Americans to pull off the greatest upset in sports history.
Monster: By the time the movie ends, you don't have any more insight into these characters than you did when they first met. At least I didn't. Maybe I missed something, because I just didn't get it.
Mr. 3000: Sure it's cliched and relies too much on unimaginative stereotypes. But when you throw in a healthy dose of Bernie Mac being Bernie Mac, you can salvage a script with more wood than a Louisville Slugger.
Napoleon Dynamite: Yep, he's a dork. But at the same time he's your typical every day American teen-ager. He hates his brother, hates his life, and longs for the affection of that elusive "soulmate." Like I said, though, you're not watching because of the story. You watch to see what Napoleon will do next.
Open Water: Open Water does a few things well. Its mix of suspense and fear will keep the senses sharp, and if you can watch this movie and even think about going diving anytime soon, well, then you're a better man than me. My problem, though, is that I didn't much care. Except for the obvious fact that they're fellow human beings, I had no reason to feel sympathetic toward their plight.
The Perfect Score: The Perfect Score could be an enjoyable hour-and-a-half of campy fun if it weren't the typical self-righteous MTV production. Like most of the network's fare, it plays on inequality and placing blame somewhere else. We wouldn't expect today's teenagers to show a little responsibility for themselves now would we?
Saved: Non-Christians will no doubt cackle with delight at the movie's subtle slams of Christian tenets and over-exuberant scenes of worship, while their born-again brethren cringe at seeing their beliefs defiled. After all it's standard fare in our "progressive" society. Fundamentalists, as we all know, are responsible for all of society's ills, right?
School of Rock: Jack Black used to make me laugh. But in the 45 minutes that I spent watching this movie, I don't think I even cracked a smile.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a surreal wonder, a painting brought to life. Its stunning visuals, straightforward story and subtle blend of genres should appeal to all walks of filmgoers. From comic book fanboys to sci-fi followers and classic film enthusiasts to art house snobs, Sky Captain's variety of elements offer one of the most unique movie-watching experiences that I've had in some time.
Spiderman 2: This Jekyll and Hyde of a movie takes you from the painfully awful to edge-of-your-seat enrapturement and back again, but for every 10 minute train battle between the superhero and the super-villain (which I assure you rivals anything the Wachiowski brothers could produce on their best day), director Sam Raimi forces a lame filler scene (seriously, we get the fact that Parker can't catch a break; can't he at least get a drink or an hors d'oeuvre?).
Super Size Me: Super Size Me reminds me of scientists that inject lab rats with things like saccharin in extreme doses and then conclude that saccharin causes cancer. Of course three fast food meals a day is bad, especially when "Super Sized." But so is smoking three packs a day, and that's nowhere near the norm, even for smokers. Spurlock's bizarre diet is so over-the-top that it loses credibility.
Troy: The whole saga of the Trojan War plays out like a storyline from the WWF (er, WWE now). There are few real good guys or bad guys, just a collection of flawed characters that you cheer for because of their flaws.
The Village: Shyamalan basically ripped himself off for two hours. The Village is nothing more than a formulaic attempt to clone his previous endeavors, putting just a little something new into a tale that has never lived up to its original apex.
What the Bleep Do We Know?: This part-fiction, part-non fiction film discusses quantum physics in the context of one woman's (Marlee Matlin) "what does it all mean" life crisis. At least that's what I gathered. I think it was trying to be both empirical and philospohical, but honestly I couldn't tell you because I was bored to tears
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The Alamo: Hancock's film is devoid of emotion. A few brief speeches try to inject feeling into the movie, but they fall short. Hancock seems more interested in challenging the mythology of the Alamo's defenders, than he is in accurately portraying them. And that's fine, to a degree. But the film goes out of its way to portray the garrison as a collection of bumbling fools; a backwards group of rednecks, whose sacrifice came more out of ineptitude than honor.
Amelie: The gist of the story is that (a) everyone has their one soulmate out there, and you're inextricably drawn to that individual, and (b) no matter what's transpired in your life, everyone is entitled to happiness, and it's never too late to find it.
City of God: City of God's world is one that sees violence repaid with violence. "Good" characters fall into the trap of vengeance, only to die. "Bad" characters seek to change their ways and leave their criminal past behind, only to die. There is no escape once you've started down the road of the hoodlum. Still, for many that way is the only one.
Closer: Closer tells the story of four individuals, though there's no real story. The film both charms and alarms with an intriguing stew of attraction, ego, jealousy and deceit. Its characters lead intertwined lives, as they lead each other on in search of greener grass. At its heart the film explores the depth of love as it relates to sexual attraction and truth. The truth, though, is not always easy to find, especially when you deal with four complex characters that intentionally blur it.
The Day After Tomorrow: I wasn't surprised that DAT was an awful movie (and it is). I was, however, surprised that director Roland Emmerich apparently tried to make a serious movie. He seems to try to convince the viewer that this absurd, innane plot can somehow happen.
Euro Trip: Euro Trip's humor misses as often as it hits, but its largely unknown cast keeps it from ever getting too low. Scott is a blend of Collin Hanks in Orange County and Jason Biggs in American Pie, but without quite as much whiny "poor-me" pathos. And though his sex-crazed sidekick, Cooper, fails to match the Stifler-esque wit and energy that I think the film tried to emulate, his subdued demeanor didn't detract. Throw in the lovely Michelle Trachtenberg as Jenny, a girl that's just one of the boys, and her twin brother Jaime, the anal nerd who saves the day in the end, and you get a predictable, yet enjoyable comedy.
Farhenheit 9/11: All politics aside, it was pretty scattered and incoherent...flowed poorly and honestly didn't make a whole lot of sense. At its best it was pretty bad in this respect.
Finding Neverland: Yes, it's a simple story. A film needn't be complex, though, to be great. Depp and Winslet bring a level of emotion to Finding Neverland that, when combined with a surreal style of filmmaking that often folds fantasy into reality, results in an experience almost as magical as the exploits of Peter Pan himself.
Friday Night Lights: The "movies based on books always disappoint" crowd can rest easy. Though the film isn't a cover-to-cover adaptaion, director Peter Berg sticks close to his cousins's storyline, wandering only on occasion. Berg changes portions of the plot for dramatic effect and for brevity, but it remains mostly true to the real life saga of the 1988 Permian Panthers.
Garden State: The beauty of Garden State isn't in its story, it's in its characters. Braff and Portman play off each other beautifully. From a serendipitous meeting to a fairy tale ending, the pair's endearing chemistry captures the butterfly-causing attraction so often found in budding romances. Portman, with her bubbly charm and sweet-yet-not-too-innocent independent side, especially lights up the screen.
Honey: For the most part, Honey conveys a positive message: Work hard and be true to yourself and you can achieve great things. She also displays a selfless side that often isn't found in movies that are based at today's youth. Based on that alone, I give it good marks.
Hotel Rwanda: Hotel Rwanda's conflict between hope and despair takes the face of Cheadle, whose character starts out with only his family in mind before risking his own live to spare his countrymen. The brutal atrocities and seemingly senseless murders will both break your heart and make you question the true nature of mankind. At the same time, however, the actions of people like Rusesabagina remind us that there is good in the world, and that means there is hope for us all.
House of Sand and Fog: HoSF paints a bleak picture. Its tale of perseverance doesn't capture the triumph of the human spirit, but rather the destruction caused by self-centric behavior. There are no heroes in this story, no redemption and no happy ending.
I Heart Huckabees: I think there are two ways to look at I Heart Huckabees. If you think it's serious in its existential, talking-in-circles philosophy then it's a disaster, because the script isn't nearly as intelligent as it pretends to be. But... I didn't see it that way. To me it felt intentionally nonsensical, as if the filmakers were trying to poke fun at serious philisophical wannabe masterpieces.
King Arthur: If nothing else, King Arthur is ambitious. Sure, we all know the legend, but this is the legend beyond the legend, and we get to see something a little different here. If it doesn't cling to the "facts," then so be it. Get your history from a book.
Master and Commander: M&C has its moments. It's boring for long stretches, frequently cliched, and filled with characters, whose deaths won't even make you blink twice. But at the same time, it's a majestic glimpse at an era long-since past. That alone is enough to save it.
Miracle: What it lacks in the political, patriotic sense, it makes up for in the story and the acting of Kurt Russell as Brooks. He rules his team with an iron fist and the film shows how his drive instilled the discipline, confidence and conditioning required for the Americans to pull off the greatest upset in sports history.
Monster: By the time the movie ends, you don't have any more insight into these characters than you did when they first met. At least I didn't. Maybe I missed something, because I just didn't get it.
Mr. 3000: Sure it's cliched and relies too much on unimaginative stereotypes. But when you throw in a healthy dose of Bernie Mac being Bernie Mac, you can salvage a script with more wood than a Louisville Slugger.
Napoleon Dynamite: Yep, he's a dork. But at the same time he's your typical every day American teen-ager. He hates his brother, hates his life, and longs for the affection of that elusive "soulmate." Like I said, though, you're not watching because of the story. You watch to see what Napoleon will do next.
Open Water: Open Water does a few things well. Its mix of suspense and fear will keep the senses sharp, and if you can watch this movie and even think about going diving anytime soon, well, then you're a better man than me. My problem, though, is that I didn't much care. Except for the obvious fact that they're fellow human beings, I had no reason to feel sympathetic toward their plight.
The Perfect Score: The Perfect Score could be an enjoyable hour-and-a-half of campy fun if it weren't the typical self-righteous MTV production. Like most of the network's fare, it plays on inequality and placing blame somewhere else. We wouldn't expect today's teenagers to show a little responsibility for themselves now would we?
Saved: Non-Christians will no doubt cackle with delight at the movie's subtle slams of Christian tenets and over-exuberant scenes of worship, while their born-again brethren cringe at seeing their beliefs defiled. After all it's standard fare in our "progressive" society. Fundamentalists, as we all know, are responsible for all of society's ills, right?
School of Rock: Jack Black used to make me laugh. But in the 45 minutes that I spent watching this movie, I don't think I even cracked a smile.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a surreal wonder, a painting brought to life. Its stunning visuals, straightforward story and subtle blend of genres should appeal to all walks of filmgoers. From comic book fanboys to sci-fi followers and classic film enthusiasts to art house snobs, Sky Captain's variety of elements offer one of the most unique movie-watching experiences that I've had in some time.
Spiderman 2: This Jekyll and Hyde of a movie takes you from the painfully awful to edge-of-your-seat enrapturement and back again, but for every 10 minute train battle between the superhero and the super-villain (which I assure you rivals anything the Wachiowski brothers could produce on their best day), director Sam Raimi forces a lame filler scene (seriously, we get the fact that Parker can't catch a break; can't he at least get a drink or an hors d'oeuvre?).
Super Size Me: Super Size Me reminds me of scientists that inject lab rats with things like saccharin in extreme doses and then conclude that saccharin causes cancer. Of course three fast food meals a day is bad, especially when "Super Sized." But so is smoking three packs a day, and that's nowhere near the norm, even for smokers. Spurlock's bizarre diet is so over-the-top that it loses credibility.
Troy: The whole saga of the Trojan War plays out like a storyline from the WWF (er, WWE now). There are few real good guys or bad guys, just a collection of flawed characters that you cheer for because of their flaws.
The Village: Shyamalan basically ripped himself off for two hours. The Village is nothing more than a formulaic attempt to clone his previous endeavors, putting just a little something new into a tale that has never lived up to its original apex.
What the Bleep Do We Know?: This part-fiction, part-non fiction film discusses quantum physics in the context of one woman's (Marlee Matlin) "what does it all mean" life crisis. At least that's what I gathered. I think it was trying to be both empirical and philospohical, but honestly I couldn't tell you because I was bored to tears
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