philserve Reviews

Obliterated (2023)

Cliches & Juvenile Fun, But Still So Good

[7/10 · 30 December 2023]

Like so many other reviewers, I felt cheap and dirty watching this all-American teenage boy macho fantasy, with good-looking women taking their clothes off, incessant macho and over the top team cheers and whoop-it-up patriotism. And it is formulaic, plot holes galore.

But i didn't care, it was a great ride! Some plot arc surprised me and I absolutely knew how it was going to end. But once again, I didn't care.

And when it played out the usual stereotypical Russian vs American adversarial battles, again, I didn't care.

It was a blast watching this sho!

One thing that stuck in me:The Gomez character, the lesbian sniper, she seemed to be an almost exact duplicate of the tough woman marine Vasquez in Aliens. Anyone else see that?

Amsterdam (2022)

Worth the watch just for the education and the actors

[7/10 · 12 December 2022]

I agree with a lot of other reviewers that the movie was "uneven", missing some continuity or something else I cannot not put my finger on this moment. But watching so many fine actors in this movie was worth the watch. You know Christian Bale always brings an A game, but Margot Robbie and John David Washington were also excellent. As well as Rami Malek and Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, et. Al

But perhaps the greatest contribution of this movie is to remind us (again) how delicate is our democracy, and now, along with the Civil War and January 6th, we're reminded of another attempt to reshape this country in some awful, illegal and immoral way. I haven't yet read War Is a Racket by Smedley Butler, perhaps it is time.

Moby Doc (2021)

This is not your father's documentary

[9/10 · 30 May 2021]

There are many ways to look at this work. And I call it a 'work' because it not only tells the life story of Moby, but it does it in such an imaginative and creative way that I would call it a work of art, an extension of Moby's quirky creativity.

Of course, if you know anything about Moby or rock stars in general, you will anticipate a "Behind the Music" arc in Moby Doc- star is poor, star make it big, star becomes a star, star hits rock bottom, star cleans up and finds transforming meaning and purpose. But how he tells this story is quite entertaining, explaining the lows of his lows and the highs of his highs through various art forms. And his meaningful passion towards animal rights is inspiring, and in Moby Doc, you will understand the roots of that passion.

Moby sets the tone of Moby Doc in his first scene: looking right at you he explains how successful he has become and much more importantly, how empty that success was for him. It reminds of an old adage: "There are two forms of suffering, not getting what you want, a getting what you want". Woody Allen, another nerdy New Yorker who like Moby, has attained success beyond his wildest dreams, stated at the of his documentary that he "still feels screwed".

Basically, If you like Moby's music, you will like Moby Doc. Definite recommend.

Awake: The Life of Yogananda (2014)

Informative and spiritually powerful documentary

[10/10 · 20 December 2014]

First let explain my bias and offer a YMMV disclaimer. Though I have never been a student of Yogananda, I did a practice very similar to his Kriya yoga for 10 years. And I've always been moved, open and inspired by his book (just like Steve Jobs!).

I thought the movie was well done, but certainly not up to the level of a Ken Burns production. And it did skim over areas that I wished went into more detail that anyone who has read his book will know about (such as the many great yogis that he met on his journey early in life).

But there are so many positive things I could say about the movie. The explanations of meditation from a scientific basis in the movie, just now being validated by neuroscience, shows how ahead of his time was Yogananda. And the struggles he had against racism, fundamental religious intolerance and general western biases were the obvious reactions to someone blazing a new spiritual path in the west. And the few seconds of seeing Ramana Maharshi on film was a nice touch. I was also impressed by the level of popularity that he had - surely the west was ready for something greater than it had.

Great movies leave an deep and lasting impact, often a emotional one, or they inspire you, or expand your understanding of the world, lift you up in some way.

But rare is the movie that can be an authentic spiritual event. The images of Yogananda on the screen, accompanied by his message of inspiration and esoteric discourse, had an effect on me that no other movie has had (or I expect ever will).

About halfway through the movie, the top of my head opened up as if was a large energetic funnel, filling me with an intense ecstasy straight down the central channel of my body. It was as if there was a lightning rod of ecstasy was posited straight down my body, then spreading out to my extremities through all the nerve channels. And my heart was inundated with intense love and joy. Though I expected to be emotionally moved by the film, this was far beyond my expectations.

This movie was essentially a kind of spiritual initiatory experience, or for those familiar with the term, a true Darshan event. And it is having life level impacts. Such is the power of a great spiritual being like Yogananda - even a movie of him can do this. Again: YMMV, but if you see this movie, I believe it can affect you much deeper than you maybe able to feel or recognize.

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012)

Great Movie about (large) family issues and forgiveness

[8/10 · 30 November 2013]

This movie is a gem, and the Metacritic and IMDb scores are reflective of the quality of this movie. Ed Burns managed to weave multiple story lines of 7 different children of an Irish family, and succeeds masterfully.

It's a movie that has a lot of heart, and you can feel the love between the siblings despite the chaos in each of their lives individually.

But the main plot of the movie is about all 7 children and mom working with their feeling regarding their father who left the family 20 years ago. Each has their own reason to not forgive their dad, and it slowly and wonderfully plays out, until the final scene.

Excellent, adult themed, Christmas movie. It is so sad that so few people have seen it. I guarantee, unless your heart is made of ice, you will be moved by this movie.

Travelers and Magicians (2003)

Sweet movie with a message

[9/10 · 7 January 2005]

Often less is more...and that is part of the message in this movie, as well as the style. With so many empty, soul-less blockbusters to fray our nerves, Travellers and Magicians is a refreshing and heartfelt view into the psyche of the Bhutanese people, Buddhism, the Himalayas and human joy, passion and suffering. The theme of the movie is someone wanting to be somewhere else, in this case, the 'dream' of America, the land of opportunity, when a more wonderful opportunity arises right in front of him, and changes his mind...perhaps.

The director, a Buddhist monk and lama, (who also directed "The Cup")was inspired by Bertolucci, and TAM has a similar minimalist kind of style and presentation to Little Buddha. And this is perfectly apt for the country of Bhutan, and the pace serves to bring out the heart and soul of the movie. The photography is wonderful, showing sweeping shots of the beautiful Bhutanese Himalayas and countryside. All the characters are rich without being caricatures, and the mix of 'reality' and myth (a real Bhutanese fable) works well. The traveling Buddhist monk really stands out, IMO.

If you're looking for a movie with heart, a simple message and gorgeous scenery, just sit back and soak in the beauty found on several levels in this movie.

** SPOILERS **

I went to the initial release of the movie in the US, and the director of photography, Alan Koslowski, as well as the main female actor, high schooler Sonam Llamo, were present afterward for Q&A. Some of the things they said were quite interesting: there was not one professional actor in the movie - the apple man is really an apple man, Deki works in a bank, and the two main male characters in the movie, Dendrup and Tashi, are in Bhutan TV and movie production. The apple man, in real life, actually has never seen a real movie, and didn't understand the concept of "cut", or retakes - he couldn't understand why he had to get back on the bus several times in a row!

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Forget the right-wing blather, this is a fun summer blockbuster

[8/10 · 28 May 2004]

I just saw an interview with the producers of the movie and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Debrah Norville MSNBC show, and Mr. Aldrin was in such a huff over this movie. The right-wing backlash and gnashing of teeth is so preposterous and humorous - it's a fun movie and much, much better than my expectation. The final scene of showing this beautiful planet of ours from space was a beautiful ending touch to a good disaster movie.

It's as good as Independence Day (ID4), IMO, and the effects are just awesome - in one sense it is a very successful movie in that the bar for outrageous special effects has been raised so high. The tornadoes of LA and the water-wall through Manhattan were spectacular (but ouch, I'm from Long Island, and that's where wave came from).

Good to see the beautiful Sela Ward once again (and not to mention Tamlyn Tomita as Dr. Janet Tokada). Sure, there were a few hammy scenes and the kind of dialogue you'd expect from this kind of movie - it ain't Macbeth, nor is it meant to be. The reverse immigration to Mexico was cynically humorous, and the crowd burst out laughing when it was announced that the USA gave up third-world Latin America debt to allow it to occur. And the basic moral message of the movie is about taking responsibility for one's actions - only the right-wing can get upset about that. So forget about the blather, and see it for yourself. 7.5/10.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

As much as a masterpiece as Pulp Fiction

[10/10 · 10 October 2003]

While watching the trailers for the movie on TV, I wondered, 'how good could a revenge movie be?'. But from the moment it started, Tarantino set the tone of humor, intensity, fierceness and over-the-topness, marvellously edited, such that it drew you in, but not so far in that you would take it all that seriously. It seemed to be telling the audience, aren't these martial arts films so hokey, but don't you love the ass-kicking anyway? The saving grace of the movie is that while it is telling the story of fierce revenge, it continually makes fun of itself, so that you are laughing with the movie, not at it. Uma Thurman looked radiant at time, Lucy Liu once again played the perfect cold hearted bitch - did her scream at the Yakuza gathering remind you of Amanda Plummer's hysteria in the final restaurant scene in Pulp Fiction?

But a warning, this is not only a high body count, but a high severed limb count, and if you at all squeamish at bloodletting, go see a chickflick!

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Critics be darned, it's wonderful entertainment

[7/10 · 17 May 2002]

First let me say I'm one of the faithful that hopes for the best from Mr. Lucas and Co. And I also live in Marin county, and naturally pull for 'local boy makes good', and was a bit taken aback by the utter evisceration that AOTC has received from some critics. It made me wonder whether or not some critics are simply angry that Mr. Lucas is not ground-breaking and insightful as they _try_ to be in their reviews. It's almost like they're upset that they have to work so hard putting out clever reviews while George is resting on his laurels.

It's hard to always be groundbreaking and/or clever. The Beatles were almost always groundbreaking but how long did they last? And what has Quentin Tarantino done for you since Pulp Fiction? I do agree with the critique that George doesn't have to stretch his muscles with AOTC, he already has a huge audience base that is favorable for any Star Wars movie that is more than utter trash. Yet it seems playing to an audience is another thing that upsets critics.

And Star Wars doesn't have to be independent filmy sophisticated, it tells a basic story of good and evil where the lines are well drawn on what side each character is on, and the bad guys get their butts kicked (eventually) by the hero. All in a galaxy far, far away.

Original Stars Wars was ground-breaking in that it told the good vs evil in an almost transcendant way, in a context that was unique and clever, filled with esoteric and mystical undertones and background. Some have said that the original was based loosely on the Mahabarata, one of the Bibles of Hinduism. In keeping to simplicity, all the films are the fantasy of teenage boys, who want to kick some ass and impressed the chicks, teenage boys from 7 to 70. I also forgive George for the "Moichendising, moichendising" that Mel Brooks exclaims in SpaceBalls.

And there's some underlying arrogance that we're more sophisticated than the childishly simple plot of good vs. evil. But when push comes to shove, say when certain terrorists fly airplanes into buildings, were we not, at some points, filled with rage and a desire for vengeance? To the degree that sense of vengeance filled you, is the level at which you were taken by the Dark Side of the Force.

But as in the title, critics be darned, this is great entertainment. The reviews of the pro critics lowered the bar for me, but to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The plot was not too simple, yet not confusing (remember the first Mission Impossible?), and the movie was of two basic parts, about half for setup and half for climax and resolution. So here are my turn on and turn offs for the movie

*** SPOILERS ***

Turn ons:

• I thought Hayden Christiansen was excellent in mixing a believably human character with bright talents and dark faults. You can see by his character how the emperor will turn him in the next movie

• The special effects were varied and seemingly always fresh. I looked forward to each scene portraying another fantasy use of technology.

• Christopher Lee as Dooku. It's great to see Sauron again, zapping stuff from his finger tips!

• The tension between Annikan and Padme. Fun watching their love and desire for each other come to life. Lots of gentle kissing.

• Very little Jar-Jar Binks. Nuff said.

• Natalie Portman talking normal and getting her clothes ripped just so to show off her belly button.

• Great to see a slew of Jedi Knights, male and female, duking it out together.

• Yoda! Yoda! Yoda! Taking care of business and kicking butt! Oh yeah!

Turn-offs:

-There were a lot of re-use and borrowing from other movies in contexts and special effects: the Fifth Element in the city scenes, the Rocketeer in the smuggler, "The Grays" of Whitley Shreiber on the water planet, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings and the Matrix efx in the coliseum creatures, the underground creature factories from Lord of the Rings

-All planets have the perfect atmosphere for humans. There are no gas planets in the universe. Everyone speaks English in the universe.

-The movie is about 15 minutes too long.

-Jimmy Smits? If Sipowicz showed up too, they'd take care of that evil emperor, no doubt.

-Samuel L. Jackson. That character was much too sedate for Samuel.

-The flat panel text setup at the beginning of the movie. It's almost cliche by now. Try something new George!

Basically, my inner teenager loved the movie, I think yours will too.

Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Radiates with joy, depicting a wonderful side of India

[21 April 2002]

Having just watched Monsoon Wedding, I want to give Ms Nair a big hug! Totally the opposite end of the spectrum from the in-yer-face depiction of the brutalities suffered by the poor in India in Salaam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding radiates with the a brand of joy that is particularly Indian. And it captures it cleverly without hitting you over the head with it, as seen in the often frenetic Bollywood movies. She made what seemed to be a Bollywood-like movie (I swear I've seen many of those actors in trailers on Indian TV), and made it work. This is truly a wonderful 'chick-flick', and shows the strength and the beauty of the Indian women in a celebratory way. And it also depicts the stress that women in India face, often from other women to marry and produce children, and other seamier things, including "Eve-teasing".

Sure, the plot was simplistic, and you know what was going to happen. But the movie made you want it to happen, and you were happy that it did. My advise, check your analytical mind at the door, and simply bring in your heart to watch Monsoon wedding. Save your brain for Momento and Mulholland Drive.

The noise, overabundance of chararacters, and the mixture of chaos and confusion that so many westerners commented negatively on was such a clever porthole into life in India, with its billion people squashed together. If you've ever been to India, you know what I mean. It is a small scale of what life is like in the large cities in India. And it does have a number of in-jokes and cultural norms (e.g. white is for widows, not weddings) that westerners may miss. And there's particular brand of English spoken in India, which I call Hinglish, that the movie naturally depicts.

Another comment that was made was the difficulty in understanding the dialogue, which switched from Hindi and English in mid sentences. This takes some getting used to, to quickly switch the brain from listening mode to subtitle mode and back in a matter of seconds, but after a while it becomes easy. But the hidden message in that kind of dialogue, which does seem to occur a lot in India, is the depth of which multiple cultures have invaded and have been embraced by the Indian psyche, and that its growing middle class is truly an example of a combination of traditional and globalized cultures.

Basically I'm happy to see this movie being well received by us westerners, giving us a peek into the the Indian psyche and world, which is some ways seem completely foreign and in others ways, no different than any other culture, with underlying dysfunctions in families, hidden secrets, financial pressures, role-pressures and class divisions. But the central communication of this film is joy, and it does this easefully, leaving you with a happier heart than when you started. I think that's worth the price of admission!