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Reviews
WALL·E (2008)
One of the greatest films. Ever!
Wall-E. Wow. I was quietly hopeful that this film would be good as Pixar normally deliver, but this film is truly exceptional. Just when you think that Pixar surely must have peeked, they raise the bar again. Their brilliance is in the realization that eye candy will only take you so far, it's the characters and the story that will decide whether the audience invests emotionally. That's the measure of this film, there is almost no dialogue between the two main characters, it's all animated, neither are human and yet they manage to articulate their emotions far better than many a living breathing actor. OK so you may not be getting the shades of grey that accompany a gifted actors performance, Daniel Day-Lewis can sleep soundly, but in my opinion Wall-E stands up when compared with the very best that "real world" cinema has to offer. This film really has it all, amazing characters, brilliant story, vibrant universe, incredible animation, a message. Wall-E has all the right ingredients to make it an instant classic. I will take up no more of the time you could be spending actually watching this movie. Go see it. Now!
I give this film two thumbs up and 10/10.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
The best film I have ever seen.
Spirited Away is pure magic from beginning to end. I have never seen anything on a screen that has come close to filling me with so much joy, and I probably never will. I have watched other great works of the screen with awe (The Third Man, Seven Samurai, The Godfather I & II etc etc), but for all their excellence they do not leave me with the same feeling as this film. As profound as you wish it to be, and as moving as your heart will allow, every metaphor, every character, every nuance is judged to perfection. Every time I watch this film I feel the same, that bizarre nervous system overload that is to be profoundly happy and deeply saddened at the same time. The absolute best experience that anyone with a head full of dreams can have in the cinema.
Beaufort (2007)
An excellent film, so therefore 10/10
I think that rating films out of 10 is a little futile, as what may stir one person may leave another cold. With that disclaimer set then let me say this about Beaufort: Yes this is a war film, in the sense that the characters are soldiers. It is however, in my opinion far more of a character study than most films in the genre. Full Metal Jacket has been mentioned as a comparable work, and I can understand the comparisons. The internal turmoil of the characters is portrayed with similar verve, and the swings at provoking the big questions have similar merit. Where Kubrick's film veers into the slightly surreal to deliver it's message, Beaufort stairs straight ahead into the stark reality of it's particular war time situation, and this is perhaps the fork in the road where the two films part company. This very tangible starkness is what enables the film to deliver such a telling experience, life and death laid bare for all to see and attempt to comprehend. It is one of the quintessential artistic topics, and Beaufort approaches it admirably. The viewing experience may not be as exhilarating as Saving Private Ryan or Platoon, and it certainly lacks the surrealistic glee of Full Metal Jacket, but Beaufort had me contemplating it's content long after I watched it. It had me writing this review, something that I have not done for any of the films I mention in reference to Beaufort, despite their qualities. In conclusion I would thoroughly recommend Beaufort to anyone that enjoys cerebral films, and if you particularly enjoy war films then I would also recommend Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" as another excellent war film that is similarly thought provoking.