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Reviews
Iditarod (2008)
the story of some survivors
The director introduce the viewers the background of a few selected racers, their struggle against cancer, diabetes, alcohol, etc. Then he sets them against each others as if it was the challenge of their life. He assembled pictures from many perspectives, aerial shots to details like the socks on the dog's paws.
The director explain well the difficulties and the dangers of the race with interviews with the mushers during and after the race. The camera bring the viewer through numerous small villages in Alaska, places where most humans would never go.
The picture quality (night and day) are excellent. Pictures angle from the dog's sled, still camera, close ups, landscape, the mountains, etc. I watched all the episodes twice in a row.
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
history forgotten and rewritten another way.
! SPOILERS ! The scene with the Japanese soldier capturing an American soldier and fixing his wounds is a total lie. The Japanese were not taking prisoners. Not a single time was the movie showing a Japanese finishing off a wounded American soldier. To distort history even move, there is a scene showing an American soldier shooting two defenseless Japanese POW. How many Japanese soldier have Americans taken and feed ? (of course those who surrendered).
What the Japanese invoke to justify their war ?: "defend their mother land". Well, apart from their unprovoked attack on the US, their motherland conquered most of Asia leaving 20 millions death (mostly civil).
Ignorance is not an excuse for their murders.
What war does Clint Eastwood describe in this movie ?
Cidade de Deus (2002)
Poverty is a justification for murder
This story (if any) describe a band of thugs who find any excuse to murder. The writer exploit the myth that if you live in poverty, you turn as a delinquent Which implies that if you have a luxury car in front of your door in your childhood with no scratch, you will turn up a lawyer of a doctor.
Again he exploit the victim cliché. It is poorly acted, poorly directed, no character, no nothing. It is ornamented with gratuitous violence that is not even justified.
This movie is not about art. There is a hidden political message in the story. It is "We don't want to work, give us money".
Sin City (2005)
Spectacular but a small lack of psychology.
The cashier at the booth told us "may be it is inappropriate for your kids", so did the door attendant.
Puaah ! I said. My kids have seen "Band of Brother" "The mummy". They have seen plenty of blood. They don't feel anything more.
Should have listen to them. This is extremely bloody. As a matter of fact this this the most violent movie ever made. Fortunatly, my kids left before the gore begins, beheading, dismembering, sword chopping, etc.
The photography is excellent, it is acted with intensity, but it is ugly. Cinema is an art and art should be beautiful NO ? Or it should teach you something or at least it should entertain you a little bit. None of the above. It is spectacular though. The script is about how deep the knife plunges, what face they make when they are hit by dozens of bullets, how emotionless they are when blood spatter their faces, etc.
But that again, is it the most gruesome violence brought to screen ? May be no because it is not glorified. After all, in this dark city, there is some light: Marv wants to revenge the death of the only girl who made him feel something he never felt in his whole life despite his ugliness. I guess I loved her somehow ... That is all there is about love in this movie. And besides, most of those who die deserve it. Good for them ! He psst ! The girls are sensual it is not about sex. 5/10
Team America: World Police (2004)
don't expect great intelligent dialogue
2/10 and it is generous. It is a kind of revenge against the 9/11 of Moore. Both are lacking objectivity. These movies are aimed at satisfying an audience thirsty of propaganda. The authors assume black and white position just as many of us.
A lot of indecent language. Poor pictures, no acting (they are all puppets). We were warned about the improper scenes for young. He ! my kids found some scenes funny (puppets dismembered). They also took a lesson on anatomy asking me "What is a dic..?" "What were they doing ?"
Though the naive belief that we can negotiate with terrorist is well caricatured.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Spielberg's best
Much better than MR. The story is fantastic. May be it is because I myself search my parents for 23 years that I share the loneness of this little mecha boy looking the world for his orga parents.
Great attention to details. You get to appreciate the quality after the second viewing. That says it all when your interest survive a 2nd viewing like Babe, but not like American Beauty.
Spielberg uses very carefully sex and violence in this movie which is unusual for him. But it is OK.
A work of art
X-Men (2000)
At last a well acted sci-fi
The last well acted sci-fi movie was in 81 with Blade Runner. X man, though the story is predictable, offers a delight to the viewer thirsty for quality. The special effect are mere accessory to the director, every picture are perfectly painted. Action: sustained, special effect: credible, actors: beautiful, cinematography: exquisite. Lack of good music though.
Quality comparable to AI, Interpretation a little less academic than AI which makes the film very interesting until the end.
Can't wait for X man III, This time I'll see it in theater
Stalingrad (1993)
The best war movie ever
Heroism is not glorified. The scenes are very realistic. The writer does not take side. Picture are taken in hell. It seems the viewer is transported on the scene and feels the horror. A 9/10. One of my highest mark.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
There is no plot
Very bad. My son kept moving on his seat. This is unusual from him. When he is interested, he stares and does not budge. He grabbed my hand to use as a pillow. This movie does not take after 'A bug's life' at all. Bug had a story. This one does not. Bug had depth, this one is meaningless. My wife also found it zzzzzz. I had wished the cinema seat were convertible into a bed.
C'era una volta il West (1968)
all the best ingredients
Take an extraordinary story, take about the best setting possible (monument valley), take the best actors of their time. Now imagine a famous director conducting. Add up to that sauce the best music score ever make, a music score that seems to have emerged from the rocks and the bushes of the desert.
The mood is a the same time humoristic and tragic. No wonder this movie has been imitated dozens of times. I even participated in a play during high school 20 years ago. We were imitating them.
I must have seen this movie ten times. It strikes me every time. Claudia Cardinal play the role of a vulnerable and weak victim but yet so seductive that she can buy some time from the brute who want to erase her. Her charm merit her to find 2 allies, Bronson and Robards. Bronson is there for a vengeance, Robards is the 'good' thief and cannot resist to help this irresistible woman.
The setting is so good, you wish to be there and be part of this epic legend. One of the only movie I give 10/10
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Teeth, flesh, special effects
Thanks everybody. I always read your objective critics before going to theater. The producers cannot buy every single one of us, Hein ?
Story simple. There is nothing scientific in this movie but the idea that dinosaurs could team up and speak adds to the action. It is scary, Oh yeah, very scary to the point you might sink your claws into your girlfriend's arms if she had not yet done so. It is a successful action fiction movie. My 6 years daughter was using my hand as a blindfold during some scene. She does not like blood, she just love gentle monster like Shreik.
It is the best of all 3 JP. Well played and with intensity. Best special effects. If it had been filmed in 3D, somebody would have been eaten in he audience. The ending is a joke, Rambo style. Not that Rambo was bad, it is just it does not match the film. The best scene is in the jungle when the professor is about to be eaten alive by the dinosaur and place a call for help to his little daughter who has nothing better to do than watch Barnie.
Overall, short but is worth the bucks.