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rlowe30
Reviews
The Walking Dead (2010)
Take the Edge off
I was home sick for a few days in a row, and on a friend's recommendation watched "The Walking Dead." The first episode of Season 1 blew me away – it sucked me straight into the Zombie Apocalypse and the lives of a small collection of survivors. Not particularly being a horror or zombie movie fan, this surprised me. So I watched the second, then the third . . . and several hours later had watched the entire first season. Wow. Fantastic show. Best TV I've ever seen. This morning I watched the first episode again on a friends 1080HD screen, and the experience was markedly different: the picture was "too clear!" I first watched it on my laptop, and the lower resolution gave it more of a film quality, whereas the 1080HD picture looked far too much like video camera. This is the first movie/series I've ever preferred in lower resolution. The soundtrack is understated and very well done: crickets, wind, shuffling rifles and other firearms, and breathing are all aurally rendered so well that my ear's imagination took it from there. I highly recommend that you watch it in less than stellar HD.
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Timely
George Clooney directs a film for our age in "Good Night, and Good Luck." David Strathairn delivers Murrow's Kent cigarette shrouded brilliance with his own. Around him are a cast of pro's, well cast. Clooney as Fred Friendly does yeoman's work here, supplying essential,understated, grounding appropriate for this tale. Filmed in blank and white, the film captures perhaps the apex of television journalism when, in the early 1950's, Murrow stood up to the anti-communist, disingenuous, and hypocritical Joseph McCarthy. We have no Murrow's now, and if we did he would broadcast on the internet; no corporate media outlet would touch him. Thinking people will savor this movie. It is worth repeat viewing. But in the age of Infotainment, more will check out within the first half hour, which is a shame: Murrow was a great American and role model for all who strive to be.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Shakespearian, Epic
Wow, that Ben Stiller is one more smart f*kn guy. "Tropic Thunder" is a riot when viewed either as an action movie, comedy, mocumentary, or metaphorical hard core spiritual initiation tale. As an Action/Comedy, "Tropic Thunder" is brilliant. Bold strokes paint a fictional world within the fictional world of movies, then has this tag team Fantasy lock braces with Reality (which is only the fictional reality of a movie. . .) The story moves fast: Tugg has the map, mothafkas!; "I'm the dude playin the dude who's disguised as another dude." Robert Downey Jr. is at his greatest, playing multiple Oscar winner and Australian, Russell Crowe er Kirk Lazarus. So Downey is actually ". . .the dude who's playing the dude, who's playing the dude who's disguised as another dude." That, Ladies and Gentlement, takes talent. This is some seriously amazing satire. Moliere would laugh his a$$ off. Gandhi might too, until he cries over the agonies we choose for ourselves on our journey of becoming awakened. Look at the little heroin kingpin's T-shirt when he rips open his over shirt: the image is of a female dancing monster, swinging a dead baby in one arm and somebody's head in the other. Meet Kali, Goddess of Destruction (of illusion.) Having done some serious Shakespeare study, I do not say this lightly: As Shakespeare's brilliance allowed him to write on several different levels at once (from banal to exalted), so does Ben Stiller.
Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)
Darkness cannot drive out darkness . . .
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Martin Luther King
This story is universal; it has been told countless times over the course of human history. Like most universal passages, it needs to be retold in different times and places in order to remind us that what was true when Homer wrote is just as true when Shakespeare wrote and remains as true today in this film. James Nesbitt does impressive work as Joe, who as a ten-year old witnesses his brother gunned down by an IRA gang. He is contacted by a local television program who wants to interview him and his brother's killer thirty years later. Nesbitt manages to walk an excruciatingly thin line between sanity and madness as he decides whether or not to do the interview. His scene descending the stairs is a case study in brilliant physical acting. Liam Neeson turns in a predictably powerful performance. He unveils the ravages of guilt which have stripped his life of any richness. Guy Hibbert has written a beautiful screenplay, allowing the actors to plumb the frightening abyss of pain, rage, revenge, and resolution. Highly recommended.
Out Cold (2001)
Genius
Hands down, finis, no contestare: this is the funniest movie ever made. I thought I was going to break ribs laughing so hard last night. This movie is a quantum leap funnier than anything like "Animal House" or "Dodge Ball."
"Out Cold" sends up every exhausted cliché' in the movie making biz, smartly, dead on, and funnier than I thought possible. The actors who are the most talented (Galifianakis, London, Garson, Koechner, and almost Lee Majors) nail gag after gag with straight and august virtuosity. Galifianakis especially kicks every scene he's in in the n@ts of funny. John Belushi could only wish he had a vehicle like "Out Cold" to show his stuff in. . .
Never seen a movie like it. If you thought "Dodge Ball" or "Animal House" was funny, adjust your viewing settings appropriately and prepare to get assaulted by comedic genius.
Deja Vu (2006)
Unbelievable
Really: UN BELIEVABLE.
"Deja Vu" has of course the tremendous promise of Denzel Washington in the lead role, and an impressive supporting cast. Alas, the plot and storyline are laughably absurd. When an actor as compelling as Washington can't get me to watch more than 30 min. of a story, then that story has to be really, really bad.
So: a few surveillance satellites are able to render 3-D views of anything, anywhere? Cool! What a dynamite was of diagnosing heart disease, or here's a really good one: scan to WTC towers in the months preceding September 11, 2001 and finger the soulless f@cks who set the explosives that blew it to powder in mid frickin air.
What a moronic premise, and an entire waste of time and $1 at Red Box.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Oh Baby, Then it fell apart . . .
Fantastic storytelling here, and dammit, now I've got a man crush on Matt Damon. All three chapters of the Bourne Trilogy hold up exceptionally well to multiple viewings, in fact are enhanced by doing so. As much as I hated to see Franka Potente exit downstream in "Supremacy", Julia Stiles is excellent as a forgotten paramour. She communicates volumes with her eyes. As in any terrific movie, the supporting cast is exceptional. The soundtrack absolutely rocks: you definitely want to hear these movies with headphones on. Greengrass keeps the action moving, with moments of close-up silence, deftly brushed with Damon's soft dialog, sweetly enhancing the tension. Thanks Bourne team.
Zodiac (2007)
Hmmmm . . .
"Fight Club" is one of my favorite movies ever: visceral, contradictory, smart, well-paced, ingenious. I can't apply any of these adjectives to "Zodiac." The local newspaper reviewer gave it a rave review, so I decided to give it a whirl. While I don't think it's by any means a crappy movie, I don't see what those who rated it a "10" did.
There's something about Gyllendal (sp?): he's a good actor, but he never got me to really *care* about his obsession. Same with Ruffalo: good actor; why don't I feel *along with* him?
Then again, maybe I saw it on a night that any movie would have left me mostly high and dry.
Robert Downey Jr. does terrific work, as usual. Period detail of the 60's and 70's is fantastic. I LOVE the casting choice for Leigh!
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
I'm So Confused!
Alright, I admit that I'm not a huge Star Wars fan. The original premiered on May 25, 1977, which I know only because it was my 15th birthday. I loved the first two. What I enjoy about a good movie is being transported into a fictional world. If I'm watching a movie and thinking about the storyboard, or the clunky dialog, or the utter lack of chemistry between romantic leads, and of the repeated 'wtf??" illogical factors; if I laugh more at places the audience isn't supposed to laugh than at the places we ARE. . .
I know I've just seen a pretty lousy movie.
I'm sure Hadyn Christiansen is a fine actor, but for the life of me it looked like he was directed in the early scenes to "scowl just a little", and then told to "scowl a little more" for each successive scene. His performance was profoundly 2-D, though I think that is probably more the fault of Lucas/writers. Samuel L. Jackson can bring down the house as an actor. ANYBODY could have played Mace Windu. What a waste. Ewan McGregor comes out better than the rest, but he looks pretty bad too much of the time. This is just a badly written and directed mega Pop money maker. I'm sorry to see that G.Lucas has fallen to the Dark Side of NO TALENT.
Collateral (2004)
Acting Tour de Forces
Jamie Foxx; holy sh*t, Never knew this dude could act like that. Totally convincing; and the interplay between him and Tom Cruise (who I knew could be knockout) was superb. Tightly written, edge of your seat thriller, with strong supporting work by Mark Ruffolo and Bruce McGill. Jada Pinkett Smith is strong as well; her best work I've seen. Just watched it a second time, and it's still suspenseful. Michael Mann has crafted a suspense thriller that builds like a massive wave. Cruise is super bad @ss and good at it. I believed him, and I'm a tough viewer. Outstanding make-up and photography, and the score is terrific throughout. May buy the soundtrack. Guy who played the trumpet player was superb too. Really, really good, not great movie.
Switchback (1997)
Danny, Danny, Danny. . .
This movie is made from the "Thriller" Tinker Toy set. I'll guarantee you it took waaaaay more imagination and creativity to get this dog made than it did to think up the story. Talented actors who must have been desperate for work do their best, but when your best looks this bad in the hands of the makers, how could you help but get discouraged knowing that THIS clunker would be on your film record for the forseeable future? My condolences, Danny Glover, Dennis Quaid, Jared Leto, Lee Emery, and Keith Hatten.
Danger Zone (1996)
peeeyewwww!!!!
You know those movies that seem like they're an excuse to keep Hollywood pyrotechies working 24/7? This is one. Robert Downey Jr. is scraping the barrel bottoms after his work in "Chaplin". Billy Zane seems to have one expression: disdain/disgust. You want cliche's? This movie is one BIG cliche'.
Sunshine (1999)
Caught me by surprise
Kudos to the team that brought this epic of an Austro-Hungarian family to life. Spanning several generations, from the late 19th Century through the 1960's, "Sunshine" provides a poignant portrait of one family's passage through the economic and World War storms of Europe.
Anchoring an outstanding cast is Ralph Fiennes, whose transgenerational casting proves eerily effective. He's surrounded by major talent, and the ensemble requirements of this film are reminiscent of Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard", "The Seagull" , "Three Sisters", and "Uncle Vanya". In fact, this story is quintessentially-Chekhovian: pitting the most intimate family struggles alongside concurrent social and cultural upheavals.
And it all comes together.
Bravo!
The Matrix (1999)
Look. . .Haarrdaaaa. . .
I just saw "The Matrix" again at a casino hotel, while Rachel snoozed at my side and I kept the volume down. I'd come to equate a good viewing of this movie with: have a great sound system or you'll miss 90%. But I just followed the story this time, and was left wondering:"Who ARE these guys?" the writers, directors; the ones with the vision for this dazzling psychological and spiritual tale?
Those who don't get this movie probably won't ever in this lifetime. They rail about "plot holes" and "predictability". Guess they never read Joseph Campbell on myth and allegory.
"The Matrix" could be better, but that's like saying the hot tub sucked because you didn't have a Swedish Massage afterwards. . . or something like that. . .
Each character manifests a distinct level of spiritual development, from the "Initiate: Neo", to the "King: Morpheus", to the "Sage: Oracle" , to the "Shadow: Cipher", to the "Warrior:Trinity/Tank/Dozer" to the psychological concept of "Toxic Introject: Agents", to "The Man: Neo's corporate boss" , to the "Ferryman across the River of the Dead: Tank", to the "Magician: Mouse,Tank. . ." , to the "Lover: Neo, Trinity" . . .it goes on and on. More informed mythologists than I should have a field day with this movie.
To those of you with a mythic bent, watch this one again with this in the corner of your mind: See if you can identify with every single character; all the contradictory pieces of us are spinning right there for us to behold.
What a trip.
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Casting debacle in one role. . .
Cary Elwes?
Cary Elwes!???
[slowly shaking head] . . . dude wears a southern accent like a two year old wears Mom's high heels. . .
"Kiss the Girls" had terrific potential. The work done by Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd is outstanding. But once the story is laid out and it begins to get stranger. . .it also gets seriously unbelievable. Which is a shame. Psychological thrillers frequently kick ass for the first hour only to run out of legitimate and limp, limp, limp all the way home. Did the writers just get tired? Or did they propose something much more complex involving Dr. Cross; something which would implicate him more in all the psychopathology going on around him, only to have it shot down by the Dumb Police ("we'd better keep this stupid or nobody'll get it, or they'll get it and not like it. . .")
Really amazing work done here by the actors. Too bad they're taking orders from the lamebrains behind the scenes.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
eyes. . .wide. . .zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Pretty picture. Pretty women. Pretty colors. Pretty houses.
Sterile picture. Sterile women. Sterile colors. Sterile houses.
Sterile heat.
aka: cold.
If this is what Kubrick was aiming at; he nailed it.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
One rotten movie if you take it seriously at all. . .
Lessee. . .Cruise-bo manages to kick all the bad guys butts and still maintain his silky locks, while simultaneously cue-ing white pigeons to fly as he rescues the girl and the world at the same time.
This stuff is hilariously campy if you watch it on video with a room full of friends and you can take turns mocking its vain self-importance.
What on earth could Tom Cruise have been thinking here besides $$$?
The Kid (2000)
If only it were so. . .
"The Kid" would have us believe that one day ,or "Once upon a Time", we or someone we know will be visited ,unbidden, by our "past" or "future". Don't you believe it; not for a second. Unearthing the buried hurt which runs us takes courage and determination. The courage to risk feeling overwhelming pain, and the determination to stay with it until lasting transformation is effected. "The Kid" makes this process seem like a ride in the (Disney) park, and in doing so insults the very real work that men and women are doing, step by step now. Want magic? Roll up your sleeves and join with other [adults] who can support you. Forget this malarkey.
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
James Horner: Are you still alive?
. . .or are you dead and having patchwork pieces of "Braveheart", "Apollo 13", "Glory", "Titanic" haphazardly stitched together with strands from [John Williams] "Schindler's List"? Anyone who pays attention to film scores will be appalled at this mishmash.
Regarding the plot. . .disappointing, but watchable. Joseph Fiennes over-acts badly, but Jude Law and Rachel Weisz produce fantastic chemistry.
War scenes are chillingly authentic, and frightening. And though I enjoyed this movie, it seems "underbaked" to me, from Ed Harris's stilted speech, to the Brits accents, to that awful, awful score.
Hannibal (2001)
Don't plan on going out for sushi after this one. . .
"Hannibal" is virtuosically grotesque, focusing more this go-round on the specific graphic and aural horrors of Dr. Lecter's world, and less on his cat and mouse psycho-shrink pas de deux with Clarice Starling.
Anthony Hopkins is amazingly appealing in "Hannibal". Surrounded by so many creeps, he comes off almost like a prince, which is, I'm sure, Harris' intent (implicating us, the audience, by Lecter-seduction ).
Julianne Moore is great as Clarice; I find no weakness in her as an actress, but she and Hopkins fail to generate that elusive spark that propelled "Lambs".
The actual plot here appears to be the weak link. I won't go into details, but that's my initial impression.
I also saw this one in a theater packed with talking, back-of-my-chair-kicking, cell phone chatting, cat-calling buffoons. And curiously enough, this in itself served my identification with Dr. Lecter.
Disturbing.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Coen's Best
As one who grew up in Mississippi, and spent a great deal of time in the Mississippi Delta, I'm invariably disappointed and irritated by stock characterizations of southerners in movies. This one gets it so right it's 'righter than realistic'. In fact, I'm probably related to Delmar!
Alternately hilarious and obtuse, "O Brother, Where Art Thou" takes us on the jailbreaking journey of three Depression era convicts. All the locations are right and Tim Blake Nelson is unbelievably spot on with his period Delta dialect. George Clooney amazes me by making this acting choice, and where he misses the mark dialectically, he makes hay with his "Ulysses" character. John Turturro is fantastic, too. But the real star of this one is the writer and director. I'll see this one again, many times.
The Insider (1999)
Gripping, Disturbing
Not that it's any big surprise that corporate interests supercede reporting/news on the boob tube, The Insider still chillingly portrays the plight of Jeffrey Wigand, ex tobacco company scientist, on his whistleblowers journey with the 60 Minutes TV Newsmagazine. This movie had me on edge the whole way. Outstanding performances, especially from Christopher Plummer. His turn on Mike Wallace is unforgettable. This Actor is IN THE ZONE! Al Pacino makes it look eeeeaaasy, and Russell Crowe transcends his dialect struggles (he goes with a mishmash of "American" dialect, and at times I found it a little distracting), but he scores with his understated Pressure Cooker character development. The screenplay and writing is wonderful, as are many supporting roles. If you haven't seen this one, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Savior (1998)
Brutal, poignant
At some point of horror the human mind seems to drop into the 'f**k it all' mode to survive. This nadir of the spirit is starkly conveyed in 'Savior'.
I travelled extensively in Yugoslavia years ago and my impression was that 'this is another planet'. . . so contrasting from comfy suburban USA, and I recognize that planet, sans war, in this film. Dennis Quaid is good, not great, here. I find something self-conscious about his work. Not many surprises here: war's hell; innocents die; non-subtle presentation yet again by Oliver Stone.
Blade Runner (1982)
Beautiful, Dark, Provocative
One of my all-time favorites. Despite a few horribly clunky scenes, this movie works on me every time. Ford is outstanding. Young is better here than I've ever seen her elsewhere, and their chemistry sizzles. Rutger Hauer is amazing. Vangelis soundtrack is haunting and really makes this film's atmosphere. Gorgeous images. A feast.
Unbreakable (2000)
The cheese slid off this cracker
*Possible spoilers* This director went to all that trouble to crash land his plot like *this?!* Granted, the guy can create suspense and mood, but this improbable ending had me and the audience scratching our heads, wondering if they just ran out of money and had to 'end it somehow'. .. Though Samuel L. Jackson comes across more wooden than I've ever seen him, overall the acting is excellent. The problem seems to be the implausible script: why spend so much energy developing 'Elijah' as a wounded prophet/healer only to hang capital 'V' "Villain" on him at the last second? It just doesn't add up. Hopefully Shanny will thinks his plots through more carefully next time.