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davidstone28
Reviews
Maljukgeori janhoksa (2004)
Surprisingly good 'coming of age' movie
Surprisingly good coming of age movie about a young adult / teenager in military school in South Korea, and the bullying, unrequited love, parental pressures etc that has to deal with. The movie gradually hooks you in - the characters are endearing and believable - and its surprisingly touching. There are some Blue Lee elements in it but isn't a "kung fu" movie. Although the film is set in Korea, its crosses cultures very easily - this could easily be a school in the US for example. If you want an intelligent, touching, coming of age movie with characters that you can relate to, and well as some occasional action to crank up the tension, this is well worth watching. 8/10
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Great characterisation, plot and emotional layers.
Thought it was a very good film. The main leads - Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley and women who plays his wife were all excellent. Connelly plays the 'bird with the broken wing' character to perfection', Kingsley, the 'proud high flyer fallen on hard times' role exceptionally well. The fact that different layers to the main characters get revealed as the film progress adds depth to their characters. Difficult to categorise the film - sort of a drama / thriller with heavy emotional themes layered on top. Unbelievably emotionally wrought and tense at times. Very clever parallel plots and fasciniating seeing how the moral conundrum at the heart of the film eventually pans out. Probably not one for the masses but quality film making nonetheless.
The Last Samurai (2003)
Dances with Wolves...but with Samurai
Dances with Wolves...but with Samurai. Cruise does Costner and Dances with Wolves but this time with Samurai. The plot is almost exactly the same. Nice photography and battle sequences are very realistic but this film loses so much impact for its lack of originality and is a touch too 'Hollywoodish' with an unncessarily and amateurish narration at the start and finish. Not a bad film, nor a particulary good one either. Above average 7/10
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)
Much better than you'd expect it to be
Okay, so its not going to win any Oscars but its funnier and better that I'd expected it be (I expected the film to be awful.) Think of a simpler version of the Naked Gun films, There's something about Mary type humour and you've got the general gist of what the film is like. Occasional crude sexual humour at times but its carried off well and the hero of the film is your lovable hero even though he crashes through escapade after escapade. You can't help rooting for him! 7/10
Brighton Rock (1948)
Excellent film, very underrated
This film is excellent. The plot, the acting, the characterisation are superb. Although the occasional use of cockney rhyming slang might confuse American viewers (and even English ones too), the drama and the noirish elements to the film make it a classic.
If you thought The Third Man was good, you'll like this. Both Richard Attenborough (who playes "Pinky") and Carol Marsh are superb in their lead roles. "Pinky" in particular makes Harry Lime in the Third Man look like a saint. He is the absolute epitome of callous ruthless evilness. The scene on the pier at the end of the film is just sensational. Apparently, the filmakers changed the ending from that intended by Graham Greene. Would be interesting to see the film with Greene's original intended ending. A very worthy 8 or 9 out of 10. Great stuff!