LoayOmran Reviews

Chocolat (2000)

Love is like swallowing hot chocolate

[8/10 · 26 November 2001]

Chocolat is a wonderful movie. As simple as that. Beautifully shot, smartly directed, and well acted, what more can you possibly ask? No wonder the Oscar nominees. This has all the fine materials for making a memorable movie. Chocolat? You will beg for more.

Set in 1960's at a small town in France, this is the story of Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her 6 year old daughter, a couple that are destined to move from one city to another through the country. As she settles in yet another new town, she opens another chocolate shop - an act not appreciated by the Mayor and his followers. However her warm personality and incredible chocolates manage to win over many people. But things change dramatically as a group of river drifters lead by Roux (Johnny Depp) settle by the town. Vianne welcomes them, and becomes friends with Roux, leading to even more anger from the Mayor. He is totally against them, he fears they will change his people. The struggle continues but how will it end?

Elements of Religion, Human Naure, Life+Death, Sympathy, brutality, and fear -- among others -- will appear as you watch, but still this will remain as sweet as ... chocolat! Great performances from Juliette Binoche & Alfred Molina, the rest of the cast are also brilliant. Director Lasse Hallström offers a poetic film that is worth all the appreciation and critical acclimation its getting.

Recommended? It surely is. You will love it. See ... Love is like swallowing hot chocolate, Before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, But keeps you warm for a long time

8/10

Wonder Boys (2000)

Both smart and funny, you can't miss with this one.

[26 November 2001]

I have read so many good reviews about this movie, that I decided to watch it and see what my opinion would be. Indeed this is both interesting and unique. Not your typical Hollywood movie ... Great I hear you say? then you will probably enjoy this greatly. Give it a try.

Michael Douglas (Grady Tripp), delivers another outstanding performance, as the professor/writer living in Pittsburgh. Who is struggling with writer's block, his third wife leaving him, and if thats not enough ... his married mistress is pregnant! In the meantime, his agent arrives to pressure him to finish a novel seven years in the writing. Disaster strikes. Over the weekend, instead of making choices, he runs around with his agent and a student doing nothing. He seems unable to cope with what he is facing. One of his students, James Leer (Tobey Maguire) causes him more trouble with his unstable character. James Leer is very good as Tobey. He takes full marks.

Wonder Boys is a movie packed with wisdom and morality. It should teach you something, if you look deep inside it. Well done Curtis Hanson ... even if the brilliant cast did help a lot. Lets see more of movies like this. More drama and less action please. At least it makes you think. Black comedies are cool. Both smart and funny, you can't miss with this one.

8/10

The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

A missed opportunity is the end result.

[26 November 2001]

Disappointed is the first word that comes to mind. Samuel L. Jackson as Romulus Ledbetter is brilliant ... but thats about it really. The story never gets hold of you like it should, and you will realize at some point, that you don't care who was behind the murder. This is, in my opinion, the problem with The Caveman's Valentine. The director got lost about what he really wants. A murder mystery or a human tragedy? Some way in between ... he certainly got lost. Shame on that, because this should have been much better. It had the potential, but a missed opportunity is the end result.

6/10

Bulworth (1998)

Truth Hurts

[26 November 2001]

The best thing about Bulworth is how honest this movie is. Despite Warren Beatty (Senator Jay Billington Bulworth) rapping, which was annoying at times, this movie hits you ... in the face!! In the world we live today, this is Politics ... wether you like it or not. Despite the fact that the ending does not make sense, because in reality ... this ending would have never happened. Still the story is interesting, the movie is fast pathed, and it doesn't stop surprising you. Truth hurts, but thats the price you have to pay. I recommend this HIGHLY to everyone.

One last comment: Thanks for mentioning that the American Government cares about Arabs when Oil (money) is involved, but otherwise it doesn't give a damn. Well said. Very true. An extra mark for this one.

8/10

Lion of the Desert (1980)

Desert Master Piece!

[10/10 · 4 November 2001]

It is a great shame that only 158 users have voted for this movie until now, this probably reflects great ignorance about this Master Piece. This is the real story of the Great Libyan Hero Omar Al Mukhtar, who fought the Italian occupation of Libya early in the 20th century. You will be surprised with what this movie has to offer. It will take your breath away ... You will laugh and you will cry ... You will scream and shout ... You will hope it never ends. BraveHeart? Yeah that was a good movie, but nowhere as brilliant as this is. This does not only tell the life story of a Great man, it also teaches you the noble aspects that build up a truly Unforgettable Warrior. It explains what Tolerance is all about.

This movie truly shows the the savage means which the conquering Italian army used to treat the Libyan natives. The struggle for freedom took place in the heart of the African desert. Omar Al Mukhtar (The Lion of the Desert), who led the Libyan resistance, a role played in this movie by Anthony Quinn ... this has to be his best ever performance. An Oscar Nominee worth ... nothing less. Director, Moustapha Akkad, who is also famous for the great yet unknown classic Risâlah, al- (1976), gives his best shot at direction here. Excellent work.

Rent this now, if its available, Its worth every penny. You will be the witness of utter brilliance and great performances. Watch it, vote for it, Give it the respect it deserves.

Someone Like You (2001)

Go watch it, & beware of cows, Cows?

[10/10 · 29 October 2001]

Why do I get a feeling that this movie is quite under rated? Well, simply because that is the case. "Someone Like You" is smart, funny, & a charming Romantic Comedy. It is not as boring and repetitive as most movies of the same genre. It attempts to be different and it succeeds.

The cast are quite cool. With Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, & Ellen Barkin ... you can sense that this will be a fine movie. The story is warm and moving. The issue is important to many, and is tackled in an attractive manner. Ashley Judd is the true star here, with a truly lovable performance. She steals the show, and with such true expressions she makes, you will adore her. Greg Kinnear is quite good also at his role, and Tomei is one actor that was missing for quite some time, Not anymore.

Go watch it, & beware of cows, Cows? 8/10

The Pledge (I) (2001)

Rare quality of what a good movie is all about!

[29 October 2001]

The Pledge is an excellent movie. Would you expect less from Director Sean Penn & Jack Nicholson ? Everything here adds up to make this an amazing experience. To start with, Sean Penn offers his first rate direction, that captures your senses. The story is a classic, a great tragedy that will touch your heart. The scenes are shot beautifully just to add a little more amusement to this piece if gold. Jack Nicholson ... one of the greatest actors of all time ... No doubt about it.

The story briefly is about a retired Detective (Nicholson), that decides to give up his long awaited vacation, because he has a hunch about a case that occurred on the night of his retirement party. The case was the rape and murder of a little girl. The police department tell him: Go rest ... you deserve it ... this is our case, not yours. Nicholson seems to agree to leave it all behind, but he made a promise to the parents of the little girl that he will find the killer. He has to keep his promise. Things are not looking good for him, the Police found the killer as they claim just hours after they discovered the body. What is he looking for? The suspect confessed already.

Nicholson not convinced, takes another path. He buys a gas station and adopts his life in a manner that should help him find the killer. He is introduced to Robin Wright (Lori), and her daughter. He starts to discover new things about life, that he forgot for quite some time, yet he never forgets his cause ... his promise. I will leave you to watch the rest, It is very entertaining. Also an advice: Don't expect a normal story, like all other serial killers movies, this offer much more, and is indeed involved deeply with each character's emotions and feelings.

Nicholson is an amazing actor, no doubt about it, will this win him an Oscar nomination? I wonder. Robin Wright offers a solid performance of a broken character. Benicio Del Toro is Fabulous, Can he ever stop surprising us? Great cast. As for Sean Penn, he doesn't need my recommendation. This is doing what "Dead Man Walking" once did. This is Oscar material.

Go watch it if you are hungry for some good acting, Nicholson and the rest of the cast deliver. Enjoy Sean as he moves the Camera's to paint this piece of art. This is a rare quality of what a good movie is all about. 9/10

Angel Eyes (2001)

Not bad at all

[29 October 2001]

"Angel Eyes" is a touching movie about two people, each facing different struggles in their lives. One was faced with a great tragedy, the other with an ongoing one. They were meant to meet, it had to be fate, the movie suggests so ... and indeed proves how importantly this weird relationship helped both of them. Like many other movies, this is a simple movie, don't expect much, even though it does have a tragic side to it, it is still a "feel good" movie!

James Caviezel "Catch" fits his character greatly. He is a good actor, you can feel it from his expressions, there is something deep about the character he played, and it drives you to seek answers for all the questions you have. Jennifer Lopez "Sharon" is a breath of fresh air, with an innocent face that's really comforting, and a sharp edge to it that fits with being a Cop. Writer Gerald Di Pego was always trying to show the troubles in both of the leading characters lives. He succeeded in doing that. How they both helped each other was truly inspiring, and if you look deep, you will find that he helped her also, maybe the writer didn't emphasize on showing this point. Director Luis Mandoki offered more of the usual, nothing new.

The movie is really a moving one, the story is not the most original, but if you like Jennifer go see it, if you want a nice romantic (yet different) story go see it ... Not bad at all. 6/10

Living It Up (2000)

Warm and interesting story!

[7/10 · 25 October 2001]

I came across La Gran vida at a friend's place, when I was asking him to suggest a movie for me. I am glad he recommended this. This is like a breath of fresh air! It is a light movie, about how desperate life can become, or... how interesting it can be. It all depends on how much money you have as the movie suggests. So Carmelo Gómez (Martin), a bus driver with not much of a life figures out that its not worth it ... Suicide is the answer. But as he attempts to commit suicide, some guy tries to make him change his decision, with a very tempting question: How about Living for one week with 100 million dollars in your hands then die after that? -- Now that is an interesting offer for sure. He will take 100 million dollars, but he must return them as 150 after one week, or else he gets killed, well he is about to commit suicide so why not delay it for a week? And so ... we join the ride, one poor man's 7 day journey with excessive wealth! Salma Hayek (Lola), looking better than ever, is very convincing in her role. Don't look for a great script with twists, look for a warm and interesting story! Avoid some draw backs from the writers and you will enjoy this. Enjoy Carmelo Gómez's acting, very good! It doesn't demand much, so don't ask for a lot! 7/10

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Quite Dissapointing!

[25 October 2001]

Bridget Jones's Diary was one movie I really wanted to see. Every One says its so cool, the cast seem interesting. So I did just that: I watched the movie .... & Boy was I dissapointed or what? To start with, it is so clear that the story is BORING, haven't we seen something similar like a million times before? It is also so predictable! I kept waiting for something to happen ( something exciting ) but nothing did, and the movie ended and I was like: huh, is that all ? Indeed it was. As far as the cast are concerned, Renée Zellweger is as natural as ever, she is the best thing about this movie! Hugh Grant fits well in the character, but what about Colin Firth (Mark), he is so BORING, wrong choice, how can they expect us to like this guy when he is so dull? I wonder. As for that diary she wrote .. did any one even notice it? 5/10

Memento (2000)

A complex journey to a man's erased memory!

[9/10 · 25 October 2001]

It is very hard to totally agree on how brilliant "Memento" really is. It is not your average Hollywood movie. This is by all means an intense & horrific ride. A complex journey to a man's erased memory! If that all is not enough... make sure you fasten your seat belts ... because you are going to experience it backwards!

Guy Pearce (Leonard) is more than just a shattered man grieving the loss of his wife. He is man with a memory that gets erased in seconds, and all he is left with is his old memory. Therefore, his dilemma is clear, The last things he always remember is the raping and killing of his wife. His is faced with that, due to a case of absence of short-term memory. How can such a person with enormous rage and little ruse face his life?

He tries greatly, but does he succeed? I will not give it away. You will live with him his case ( The movie starts from the end, and you have no idea what happened before, same as Leonard ). This is one beauty of this movie, because its totally unpredictable. There are many twists to keep you eyebrows raised! Leonard is taking control, just follow him. You will learn on the way everything about his Tattoos & Polaroid's. You will be amazed with how good the script is.

The script is the star here. Very original, and very twisted. Now this can be a problem. Quite honestly, Its not easy to make sense of the ending, you might be left confused. I wasn't, I made a conclusion that made sense to me and I told myself: This is it. Then minutes after that, I thought again, and I realized: Well maybe this is the ongoing creativity about this movie, it continues to surprise you even after its finished. So maybe the ending was planned not to make sense!

The music is something I really liked about this movie. The tune that kept repeating did add another dimension and was quite brilliant. The Director did a great Job. Guy Pearce was actually quite good, even though I thought at times ... Bruce Willis? Anyhow, give Guy the credit he deserves. Writer and Director Christopher Nolan takes full marks from me.

Live it backwards for once, You will be surprised with the results! 9/10

One Night at McCool's (2001)

You will scream: YMCA!

[25 October 2001]

One Night at McCool's is one fine movie. The story is smart & hilarious. The cast really fit in. The end result, you get after watching this, is that it was such a funny and entertaining time you had. This movie Rocks!

The story, about a woman, using her ultimate power ( her body ) to get absolutely whatever she wants. She doesn't care how, she only cares about getting. Liv Tyler ( back to her early charm, and about time too!) will grab all your senses, and will lead you to do anything she dreams of! Matt Dillon, as the helpless boyfriends is not bad, but I see him more as the Bad guy not the Innocent type. He is still convincing though. John Goodman, a very funny man, with a role that suits him, and only him! Michael Douglas, adds an extra dimension, with his brilliant acting, just to prove once and for all: This movie has a Great Cast!

You will enjoy the story, the twists, the laughs, you will ask for more, and you will get more! This is how good this is! You will remember the Village people scene for quite some time, you will scream: YMCA! This was totally brilliant, Superb directing! You will see how one woman can play with several males! But be warned: She will play with your mind too, and you will just love it!

I recommend you rent this if you are looking forward towards spending some quality time in front of TV! 8/10

Heartbreakers (2001)

The female Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!

[25 October 2001]

The female Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! If you can remember the 1988 movie starring Steve Martin, you will realize how similar this is to it. Only difference is: this is the female version. So you will ask is it as good as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels which was a master piece? In short: Yes, this lives up to the expectations. Actually its quite good! The story, a mom and her daughter, fraud wealthy men, by seducing them! Sigourney Weaver & Jennifer Love Hewitt both excellent at their roles, appear to be the perfect choice. The true star of the show has to be Ray Liotta, just great! I was thinking: what the hell is he doing in this movie? He gave me back continuos humor and endless funny lines! This movie is funny, Go Watch it!

Manic Street Preachers: Everything Live (1997 Video)

Made in Heaven

[31 July 2001]

The Manic Street Preachers are a Rock Band from Wales that have been rocking our world with amazing tunes. The Music itself is great, exactly what you expect from the Manics. To live this LIVE experience is a must for all fans. The Manics turn the stage into Heaven, they just make you slip away from this world, and enter their world. I must advise you that its not a comfortable one, because the Manics always reveal the truth, and .. well .. truth hurts. If you don't know them, here is what you should expect: Great tunes + Political Songs + Songs about Human Nature and Life & Death + a GREAT LIVE act. Enter their world .. forget this one .. Heaven is never a dissapointing place !

The Body (2001)

Very Dissapointing

[1/10 · 31 July 2001]

The Body is a boring movie that attempts to join the new trend of movies that tackle the issue of religion and the anti-christ, christ-related stories ..etc This movie fails greatly. The story is quite stupid and naive. A priest leaves to Jerusalem, on a secret mission, to investigate the discovery of a body, a discovery that threats the whole Christian faith. Banderas, in his worst movie to date, fails to deliver. What we get instead is: Stupid action scenes, a boring "love story" that doesn't fit in the movie, and whats even more sarcastic is that the movie attempts to send a Political message that "Religion has no Place in Politics". Well I have two advises. One: Let the cast of this movie watch "Stigmata". Two: "This Body has no place in my Movie Library". Plain Rubbish 0/10

A Murder of Crows (1998)

Great script, Good acting, Smart twist, .. One Enjoyable Movie!

[10/10 · 31 July 2001]

Rowdy Herrington, writer and director, of A Murder of Crows proves his talent with this movie. One must point out that the writing is the true star of this movie. The directing is also quite good. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as a young talented lawyer at the begging of his promising career to fame and fortune. He is dealing with a Big Case ... one that he suddenly decides to leave .. and the result is: disaster for his career. This is just the opening of the movie. What happens next is a completely different story, that is for sure related to the opening. Lawyers start to get killed, Cuba's life might be in danger, he must discover what's going on. Will he succeed?... You are in for a tense ride, with many smart twists, that will leave you satisfied with the end result. I rented this movie, because Cuba was good in Jerry Maguire ... and now I know that Rowdy Herrington & Cuba Gooding Jr. are both quite talented. I never expected much from this movie, and what I got in return was a GOOD movie with good acting and directing and a Great Script. Recommended. 8/10

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

Christian Pumps the Volume up !!

[10/10 · 31 July 2001]

This is to be considered one of Chrsitian Slater's best movies. He really fits the character, as the shy new student, with a twist! Samantha is also quite good here. The story is new and interetsing, and will rise your interest to the very end. The Music is also great here! Check out Leonard Cohen! I have always considered this one of my favorite movies when I was younger, so I suggest you rent this and start watching ... you won't be dissapointed. 8/10