ZoeScrace Reviews

17 Again (2009)

Pleasantly surprised.....

[7/10 · 13 April 2009]

I went to see this with film with my teenage daughter and really wasn't expecting to enjoy it. I settled down in my seat for the duration and the first few scenes showing Efron as a high school basketball player had me groaning inwardly as I assumed that this was going to be another predictable high school/age swap film of the type that has been done so many times before - and really isn't the sort of film I would choose to see anyway. Not a promising start. However, I was pleasantly surprised by 17 Again. It was witty and well acted and made me laugh out loud - not something I often do even when I appreciate the humour in a film.

This film's appeal is also strengthened by the acting of the supporting characters as well as the main ones - Thomas Lennon's character was particularly well delivered. I found no fault with Zac Efron's acting in this and I enjoyed his performance in Hairspray but it would be interesting to see him in a serious grown up dramatic role.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Dialogue not action.....

[9/10 · 6 May 2007]

Well, I finally got around to seeing this movie. Of course, I had heard that it was a violent movie – in fact that was about all I had heard. Oh and, like most people, I'd seen the Vincent and Mia dance sequence. For me, however, my lasting impression is of the dialogue. From the opening scene (or at least the first scene in the movie), it was as if the actors had been told to talk to each other about whatever they wanted. The result is a natural flow of dialogue – sometimes comic, sometimes obscure, always believable. The subjects range from the metric system in Europe and its influence on fast food to the intimacy of foot massages. Even when there isn't anyone to talk to, there is speech – Vincent talks to himself in the mirror in the bathroom after he has taken Mia home while she overdoses in the living room. During their 'date' they even talk about how to have a conversation.

Although the dialogue is natural, there is nothing muted or subtle about the colours in this film. During the 'Vincent and Mia' scene, the colours are bold and clearly defined – the characters are dressed in black and white, Mia's home is decorated in black and white. The car is red and the colours in the restaurant they go to are vibrant.

There is action in this movie but it isn't an action movie. It's a clever movie of the sort that needs to be seen more than once to appreciate its various elements – and, of course, the sequence in which things happen.

Almost Salinas (2001)

A very gentle movie.......

[8/10 · 6 May 2007]

What a relaxing way to spend a few hours! Sometimes you are lucky enough to come across a movie by accident and are drawn into its story – for me, this was one of those fortunate occasions. This is a very gentle movie. The characters are just ordinary people and, as such, come with emotional baggage and their own hopes and dreams. Gradually, however, we find out that one of them is linked tragically to someone rather more famous. The scenery provides a stunning backdrop that emphasises the loneliness of the individual characters. The light, which envelopes the hills at dusk, has a peculiar and beautiful quality to it and the scene where Max and Nina are sitting on the hillside drinking gives a cautious sense of hope for their future. This is not a movie for those who crave action but I do recommend this for those who enjoy stories driven by the characters.