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Reviews
Lost: Exposé (2007)
interesting episode
I think they did a great job on the episode. Like all TV shows, gotta keep the guest starring roles in the show somehow. The Otheries are too compelling to kill them all off. I'm just wondering how all the stuff that Nikki and Paulo saw will come back and say something. In a way it downplayed all the experiences of Locke... if you remember, they needed Locke to navigate the island, yet Nikki and Paulo seem to be more intuitive and found half of the secret treasures of the island without even trying. Sadly, it was their Greed/Love that finished them off. I just wonder why Paulo didn't cook anything on the island, being he's the Brazilian Wolfgang Puck? The other thing that bothers me, why would you stash diamonds down there... of all the places in the island, did he feel the need to stash it in the all the places that go... poop.
Journey from the Fall (2006)
A moving piece, a story of the will of love and family
First I must add that I am an Vietnamese (American Born) growing up without the strong Vietnamese community ties and a little of the isolation and cruelty depicted in the movie. This movie gave me a visual of some of the stories that my father could not talk too much about and others that I could have never have known about if it weren't for talking to people that I met over the years, who spoke of refugee camps and such. I could identity with at most half of the movie personally... So there is still some objectivity in terms of how I view the quality of the movie. The cinematography was dramatic and you could see the camera work reflected the different times and places vividly. I can only say that you should watch it... as much as you are moved to watch Schindler's list and movies similar (as this movie is commonly compared to for the Vietnamese Diaspora)... this movie takes a single POV of a family and the interactions between people that intertwine. It is a dynamic movie and every actor, how big or small a role, even those of the officer in the camp, are so strong. A conversation between two minor older actors was so touching and helped established the heart of the story. The time line jumps are disorienting, you are caught off guard why some events happen much like a season of Lost, but by now... you know the broad story of the Boat People and the Vietnam War. The movie depicts the time in between that the news doesn't carry and the time jumps help carry the POV of each actors view.
If you go... bring tissues and be prepared to be changed when you leave the theater.
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Possibly the best television show this decade
I'm usually not moved by television shows, I'll admit, watching reruns of seinfeld can turn nothing into something. In a way, all of television has to be able to do that, and seem relevant, to survive. Battlestar Galactica, for all the criticisms of the fans of the original series, transformed itself to become relevant of todays issues. There are story arcs that mirror issues today. The stories themselves are deeper that many other of the modern (late 80's) sci fi shows that have appeared. It's not just a guns and robots and battles, even the cylons are, in a sense, human. There are interpersonal relationship issues, loyalty, and the old chicken and the egg canundrom of who wronged who first and how much do you pay. The latest episode featuring "Kat" even moved me. For a minor character and an episode "filler", it was good. The re-imagined series features a even better Baltar than what was in the old episodes, and Baltar made the old series, sorry Lorne x2.
Spanglish (2004)
constantly surprised
Spanglish took a theme that assimilation is not always the best of things, that losing your identity, the culture, language, and a parent's sacrifice so that their children can succeed. I think the scene stealer was Cristina, played by Shelbie Bruce. She is a star in the making, and showed more range than other child prodigy actors. I would suggest that she is one to look out for. The cinematography was amazing, and to suggest this, that Adam Sandler can have fans that like him in both his dumb and brilliant roles. Just realize that a good portions of his fan base were high schoolers back in the early nineties, and are now ones that are pushing 30's. That he has grown as an actor much like his fans have grown into adult hood. So yes, I for one do not mind it both ways to have a good comedy like the wedding singer (yes I remember the 80's) and then to have a movies like Spanglish and a movie I have yet to see, Punch-Drunk Love. Tea Leoni was good as the superficial wife and Paz Vega was awesome as the housekeeper/mother. Sarah Steele also is one to look out for as she grows and gets bigger roles. Cloris Leachman is definitely a actress that makes you feel that she is a throwback to past days. I wish I could comment more but the scenes at the restaurant were brilliantly cinematography and wonderful acting even in bits.
The Family Man (2000)
why why why???
Ok, the things that made the family man have the feel good stuff is no longer existent at the end of the movie... The kids. If they maybe made him give up everything... the Maranello, the job... and run to Paris because he experienced a thought of over ten years existence and love with her ... I would go for it.
He still calls the shots at the end... and before when he broke up with her. In a way he doesn't have to live with his actions, he kinda gets it all in the end (except the kids).
I just could not get anything out of this movie. except a few minutes to pass the time away. Are you supposed to hate Cage for being this big time Wall Street guy?
I think Capra's was great, and I will go so far to say, watch Mr. Destiny for a much better "What If" movie which sums up an unexpected chance event.
I am happy I only saw it on TV and not the theater, I would be embarrassed to start snoring in the theatre.
Hulk (2003)
What a movie....
I was very happy with the movie.
I heard that Ang Lee does not comic books, but the way he subliminally had the split screens, transitions, and multishots was awesome, definitely a homage to comics. I've seen movies overdue that way too much, but you can count the number of comic style transitions on one hand. My only complaint was the ending with the father should have been made extended, it would have given the hulk more of a climax ending. I'll definitely have to look for the extended version on DVD.
I know someone made a comment about the proportions of the hulk not being consistent, I hope they realize that the hulk gets bigger when he's mad.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Mission: cliche X2
You know your going to watch a movie that is cliche to the max... It's going to be the American version of James Bond. I suppose the thing that makes James Bond work and MI:2 not is that James Bond lets you focus on the whole movie like a glamour shot. Right down to the Smirnoff bottle and the expensive BMW's. I have to say the movie started out great... up to the point of the car collision which seemed way to unbelievable (and a Porshe that I believe has All wheel drive and ABS spinning in circles?). It was all down hill from then... The screen was wasted with shots of Tom Cruise's face.
I suppose my disappointment also has something to do with bizarre, unrealistic, and eventually became boring fighting sequences and a weak bad guy...
And I saw this movie at the cheapest of cheap theatres... I guess it was worth it to kill an hour or so.
X-Men (2000)
10 Years waiting... expectations high... unbelievable
X-men...
The story had always been about prejudice and acceptance and the routes in which we take it. Bryan Singer only changed what amounts to little things to create a story that realizes what has made X-men one of the greatest stories ever written.
I came into the movie with quite high expectations. Ever since I had started reading the X-men comics 10 years ago, the rumor mill had always been they had to make a movie.
The movie realized two idealistic struggles of peace through co-existence (Martin Luther King Jr.) and physical fight for control (Malcolm-X).
Not to give anymore to the plot and character development before the movie releases Friday... This movie is a must see. From the beginning, we see a dark scene from the past that shapes Magneto's thinking of his existence, the experience of prejudice that leads to pain early in his life. It just keeps going.
The story and the character developments are as deep as you can go in an hour and a half (keeping it short for the kids?) and each actor and actress was believable as the comic characters they portrayed.
If there are two things I can't wait... it's this movie in a director's cut (please!) and X-men II.
Make mine Marvel!
Rushmore (1998)
invokes memories of my school days...
I believe this includes a very minor spoiler see the movie first before you read this to understand my points anyway....
This movie is a dark comedy and a parable of our two personality of ourselves. At first glance it seemed to mimick a previous relationship with an older woman that I had, so at first I found it sort of a remedy for a broken heart... Strangely though the romance felt like we were teenagers in love at some points. Then soon I realized that although it was a teenager and a middle aged man in love with one woman, you can view it as one person... a childlike, appreciative, overzealous outreaching, shy person- the one aspect of personality, and then the other- a money making, washed up out of shape man. I view that as a combination of who I or people in my age group... mid 20's to 20's, too old to do youthful things like sports teams, plays, going to classes. Yet that desire to do those things was great. Bill Murray's attempt at freshing up his life and is eventual falling in love with olivia williams character characterizes the working aged group at youthful romance. The ending provided that the two characters come to terms with each other to successfully win her affections. The useful Max had to learn to grow up and take things seriously in his life and get out of his rut and do what he dreamed while Mr. Blume had to love and care for himself to win the affections. In the end, it did not matter who won her heart, but that the two characters, the two halves similar to the two halves of ourself had to learn to come together to terms with each other and work together for the overall benefit. It's funny that you can call this a dark comedy, it's really therapeutic. And quite frankly, Bill Murray shows us why he's probably one of the most underrated, most important comics... still.