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The movies I've rated 10/10 are:
Pulp Fiction
Fight Club
American Beauty
The Shining
In Bruges
Heat
Boogie Nights
My Own Private Idaho
Short Cuts
Lawrence of Arabia
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Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
1984
George Orwell's novel '1984' was inspired by the totalitarian state of Soviet Russia, and likely the world imagined of had the Nazis won WW2. It's a grim vision, describing the day to day life of Winston Smith, an inhabitant of a grimy government-controlled and monitored world. Orwell's worst fears of dystopia. It's an enjoyable book, but surely remembered so fondly as a classic because of the message it upholds. Or more precisely: the worst case scenario it presents. Which, as many have said, isn't entirely different from the world we live in. It's a book of ideas and exaggerations.
This film adaptation is great. It makes the case that all film adaptations should work together with their novel counterpart. That the question of which is better is unneeded, and is asked so often because of the laziness of film adaptations that attempt to match the source material word-for-word. Instead a film and novel, no matter which came first, should fit together like a jigsaw piece, creating a circle around the original story.
This isn't a film of grand ideas; the dystopian world is the back drop here. It's a visceral movie, that acts out Orwell's grim fantasies. It's a movie about torture and about the ability of a government to control and destroy the human body, and thus the human mind. It shows the body-stretching, flesh rotting horror of such a future. Of such a regime. It's worth a watch whether you've read the book or not, because both stress different parts of the same vision.
The Greasy Strangler (2016)
The Greasy Strangler
To trap 'The Greasy Strangler' in words would do a disservice to its oddness. I watched it only with the description that "it's about a guy who covers himself in grease and strangles people". And that's all you need to know to enjoy it. That description would fit a horror movie; the best description I could come up with is an Absurdist Drama. But the genre is unimportant, like I say all description is unimportant, just watch.
Most movies that begin and build on elements of weirdness can't sustain this vibe. The unnatural characters, the random plot developments, the sublime atmosphere of the world within, it becomes boring when the shock wears off. The Greasy Strangler sustains this weirdness the entire run time. And viewed without any inspection as to what it might all mean, it's still a very enjoyable movie. I'd say there's something deeper going on here too, not a moral message or anything, but it's a movie about family, about fathers and sons. Well, no, about one very specific very weird father-son duo. It's all there in the background and whether you want to look for it or not I'd recommend giving The Greasy Strangler a watch.
Black Swan (2010)
A Unique but Flawed Masterpiece
Black Swan is definitely an interesting film, telling the story of Nina (Natalie Portman) a Ballerina who's dedicated to landing the double part of the black and white swans in the real world ballet "Swan Lake". The story is both a deep emotional drama focusing on the pitfalls of talent and fame, and also a Psychological thriller about the growing madness of it's lead character as she tries to push herself to the limit to get the best performance. I do admit that both of these sides to the film are well done but put together the overall quality is questionable.
In terms of the main story Black Swan is a hugely unpredictable tale that leaves you guessing about what will happen next all the way through, but this at times becomes annoying when things that happened turn out just be dreams or illusions that bring the story down a lot. The story as a whole is strong and is filled with double meanings and huge amounts of symbolism that really forces you to take part in the film, but without ruining anything I will say that the ending is quite disappoint as it leaves too much open and is the one major flaw of this film that drags it down a little. But in a way it testament to the great quality of the rest of the film that even with the lousy ending I can rate the film so highly.
The technical aspects of the film are great, with the camera work being spot on and the ballet's performed beautifully. Acting here is also very strong, Natalie Portman truly shows why she deserved the Oscar she won hear with a performance that shows both a like-able and innocent character, yet one that is slowly going insane and pushing herself too far. The supporting cast is strong too: Mila Kunis gives a career best performance as the other ballet dancer gunning for the role of Nina is after, Vincent Cassel plays the dance instructor well while his character becomes a bit more interesting and like-able as the film progresses, and Winona Ryder plays a small but memorable role as the old dancer of the part who has recently been fired.
I really have to give praise to director Darren Aronofsky, he creates a brilliant feeling of urgency throughout the film, and while dealing with big issues and a film that could have been boring he actually makes everything exciting and keeps you guessing. Yet Black Swan is not flawless, it's clearly a film that is not for everyone and its less a film about the story itself and more about what it is saying, after my first viewing I felt very annoyed at the ending and how it didn't seem to resolve anything but looking back now I see it's a film that really needs time to dwell over and think about.
As a whole Black Swan is a interestingly unique and well crafted film that goes well with Aronofsky's other film The Wrestler, and while I find the wrestler a much more fun and easy to watch movie, I find Black Swan a much more thoughtful and surprising movie. A flawed masterpiece.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Tarantino's most mature film yet
Tarantino's massively hyped follow up to pulp fiction doesn't disappoint, and stands as his smartest and most mature movie to date.
The film follows the story of an air hostess (Pam Grier) who gets arrested for trying to smuggle money out of the country, and she gets caught up in the middle of the gangster world as her old partner Samuel L Jackson tries to get her to work with him again, while she also falls for Bail-bonds man Robert Foster. The plot works well as it is filled with twists and an always moving narrative, while the performances are the real highpoint: Jackson, Foster and Grier all do well but its Robert DeNiro and Bridget Fonda who give the standout performances as Jackson's friend and girlfriend respectively.
As you'd expect from a QT movie, the film is filled with well written chunky sections of dialogue, with all the characters getting fleshed out very well. But what sets this apart from Tarantino's other work is that the film feels more mature and professional: there's no messed up chronologically, no weird unrealistic events and there's not an endless list of connections between this and other films with no star cameos. Don't get me wrong, I still feel Pulp Fiction is his best film, but Jackie Brown proves QT can create a smart yet normal movie.
Something some people might not like is the film is very slow burning and at the beginning its unclear where the plots going, but give it a chance and the film really picks up. My one major criticism of Jackie Brown is that the films final quarter is a bit boring and all of the things that happen feel very dragged out for no reason, although the films ending is a satisfying end. But I don't find JB as re-watchable as QT's other film, mainly due to its more realistic story and pacing.
Overall I'd heavily recommend Jackie Brown as its a slow but heavily rewarding film that once again shows Tarantino's talent as a filmmaker. 9/10
Batman Begins (2005)
Decent build up to The Dark Knight
Director Christopher Nolan's reboot to the batman series comes across as a darker more mature batman than before, but overall this opener feels more like an overrated build up to its far superior sequel: The Dark Knight.
The films follows the origin story of batman/Bruce Wayne, played brilliantly by Christian Bale, as he tries to change his life to do good in the world after the murder of his parents. Liam Neeson is the strongest part of the all-star cast as Batman's mentor, who helps train him. While Cillian Murphy plays bad guy "the scarecrow" although while the film tries to set up a realistic feel, the scarecrow ruins this with his plans to cover the city with gas to make everyone insane, and his general comic book style. The cast also includes Katie Holmes, who acts terribly as Wayne's love interest. Gary Oldman gives one his finest performances as a Gotham City cop while Micheal Caine and Morgan Freeman round out the cast as Bruce Wayne's Butler and Technology expert.
The films all-star cast does well but a few weak performances drag it down. The plot works very well, although the early sections exploring Batman's past and origins are a lot more enjoyable than his fight against the scarecrow which feels like a weak villain. The inclusion of little bits of humor throughout is also good, but the core romance in the film feels very undeveloped.
In terms of the action scenes, the film is a mixed bag, although the film is well shot and has a nice visual style the action scenes feel too fast and are ultimately the weak part of the film. The pacing is also a strong point but like most things in the movie it all feel like everything from the romance to the villains and batman's journey as a hero are more developed in The dark knight and that this movie is simply a back-story.
Overall, while not the greatest comic book film ever, it does flesh-out batman's back-story well and the all-star cast makes the movie an easy choice to recommend, although The dark knight is the better film.
Avatar (2009)
The most mainstream movie EVER
The highest grossing movie ever, and what many have called the biggest cinematic achievement ever, Avatar turns out more like your average summer blockbuster just with a bigger budget. Avatar comes from James Cameron, the creator of some much better sci-fi classics like aliens and the first 2 terminator films.
It tells the story of the human invasion on the planet Pandora thats populated by a race called the Na'vi. The humans want the rare material found beneath the giant tree that the Na'vi live on. Sam Worthington plays the lead as one of the marines named Jake who's put into the "avatar" program, where people gain control of a Na'vi body to infiltrate the tree. The films plays as part a giant sci-fi war story and part a love story between Jake and the Na'vi he falls in love with.
Although the story might sound ambitious it ultimately crumbles because of its insanely cheesy dialogue, Clichés of characters, and its focus on huge CGI spectacles than actually telling the story. The cast is also a bit of a mis-match, Worthington plays the lead well, and Sigourney Weaver plays the teams Na'vi expert well but the rest of the cast lets the films down: Michelle Rodriguez plays the most by the book marine ever spouting cringe-worthy lines throughout, Stephen Lang plays a boring bad guy with nothing to him, and Joel David Moore plays Jake's marine friend who's downright bad acting sticks out in almost all his scenes.
Now onto that whole "cinematic achievement" thing. Yes the film has good special effects but they take up too much of the film where Jake is exploring Pandora and the film drops any real sense of story or quality to simply stare at the effects. In terms of action the film has some huge epic battle scenes that act as the films highlights, but at nearly 3 hours long the film feels like it just drags everything out. I will say the effects and general spectacle of the film is impressive but the films goes so far into its CGI world that at times the films simply looks like an animated films with no real world shots at all.
As a films Avatar feels like a true product, where everything through its story has been made as mainstream as possible, but while this works from a commercial standpoint, it makes the film feel a little forgettable. Although you its a films most people will end up watching, I have to say it feels too basic to recommend and there's a lot of better sci-fi films out there.
Se7en (1995)
A Modern Classic Crime Thriller
Se7en, directed by the at the time relatively new director David Fincher(who would go on to make fight club and the social network), still stands as the greatest crime thriller since its release.
The film tells the story of two detectives: Morgan Freeman as the calm close-to-retirement cop, and Brad Pitt as his young cocky partner. Their partnership may seem clichés but the chemistry between the two actors is brilliant. Both actors give some of the best performances of their career's. The supporting cast also does well too including: Gwyneth Paltrow , R. Lee Ermey and Kevin Spacey.
The film is told very differently to most cop drama, going for a more depressing look at the world and the city, as the story follows the cops trying to take down a killer who is murdering people in a style of the seven sins. And the story works well throughout with loads of plot twists and turns and a brilliant ending that still ranks among the best film endings ever.
The action keeps moving from fast paced chase scenes to the slowly-paced crime scene investigations. David Fincher manages to tell a moving and emotional story that also mixes little bits of dark humor with some well directed action scenes.
In total if you haven't seen Se7en yet then I'd recommend you go and see it soon, as its one of the best crime thrillers ever made, and features two great actors on top form.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
THE movie of the 90s
The movie that shot director Quentin Tarantino into popularity, pulp fiction still stands as his greatest movie and one of the best movies ever created.
The film follows multiple inter-connecting plot lines: Samuel L Jackson and John Trovolta play two hit men searching for a stolen briefcase, Uma Thurman plays the boss mans wife out on a date with Trovolta, Bruce Willis plays a boxer on the run from gangsters, ands Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer play a couple robbing a diner. The plot is structured brilliantly and is told out of order which makes things even more interesting.
The film features most Tarantino trademarks, including his normal chunky dialogue, with some of the most quotable lines in any film ever contained here. The films also not shy on action and there's loads of surprises throughout the movie(although I wont spoil anything).
Acting wise, pulp fiction features one of the greatest casts in film history. Jackson gives what is undoubtedly the best performance of his career as the bible spouting hit man, while Trovolta gives another great performance in the role that resurrected his career. Thurman also acts brilliantly as the sexy but mysterious wife to the main mafia boss. The supporting cast is strong with Harvey Keitel playing the gangster expert and even Tarantino himself has a small but hilarious role.
But thats not the only reason PF is so great, its everything about it. The soundtrack is classic Tarantino with tons of pop culture tunes used to add to the story. While the camera work is some of the best since the films release. And the film just keeps on giving, from its smart opening scene which carries the whole movie, to its hilarious middle acts, to its hugely satisfying conclusion.
As it stands, pulp fiction is still one of the funniest, darkest, most enjoyable and most creative films ever. If you haven't seen the film yet then I can't recommend enough you go out and watch it as soon as you can. A true classic.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
A great ending to an OK film
By now you've probably heard about the legendary fame the ending of the sixth sense has gained, and ultimately I'd say thats one of the only reasons for this films success.
The film stars Bruce Willis as a psychologist who after being attacked in his home by a patient he failed to help, tries to put his career back together by helping a troubled child played brilliantly by Haley Joel Osment who claims to be able to see dead people.
The movie is quite slow moving although has some OK laughs, but while its not terrible, the core bulk of the film is mostly forgettable.
The acting is mixed, Bruce Willis does OK although I've seen him act better, Haley Joel Osment on the other hand acts amazingly, in what I'd say is one of the greatest child performances ever.
Its really the ending that holds this film together, I can say if you already know the ending somehow before watching the film the it won't be anywhere near as good as what it would be.
Overall its a film worth a watch, but after you know all the films surprises then there's really no reason to watch again.
Triads, Yardies & Onion Bhajees! (2003)
The worst film I've ever seen
I have absolutely no doubt that this is the single worst film I've ever seen in my entire life.
Where to being on whats wrong with it, firstly don't believe the DVD case as this film isn't actually in colour, its actually in black and white. This doesn't actually add anything to the film and has no reason to be in B&W as the films not set in the past or anything.
The story is basically about loads of gangsters trying to do mundane gangster things. The story's very hard to follow and because of the absolutely abysmal acting you can't take anything happening seriously.
The movie is horrifically boring, badly shot and has one of the worst, most nonsensical endings in film history.
And finally I have to just say that on the front of the DVD case where the film gets good reviews and one reviewer even compares the film to lock stock, you should notice that this review is from the BBC... the people that made the film.
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
A dark and disturbing character study
Abel Ferrara directs this dark tale about a corrupt, drug addicted cop(Harvey Keitel) who tries to find redemption by investigating the rape of a nun, while dealing with his own personal issues.
Now I have to first say that this movie is a true adult movie, filled with violence, drugs, sex and the very mature themes of Keitel's character. The movie is very hard to watch at times, as Keitel goes through a lot of pain as his problems take control of him.
The whole film is held together by Keitel's performance which is absolutely brilliant from start to finish and was criminally under-rated on release. His character is very complex both being an evil and hard to relate to cop, while at the same time a person who's made mistakes and doesn't deserve to go through all this.
One thing to note about Bad Lieutenant is that it's not the sort of film that you will watch and think of as and instant classic, its a very deep movie that you need to think about and will most lightly need a second viewing at some point.
The movie's camera work is also praise worthy, having a gritty and realistic feel that very much represent the character in the film. Along with the minimalistic soundtrack.
The movie is overall, a movie that is hard to watch and a very strange movie at first, but a movie that will stick with you for a long time. Although it's hard to write a complete review here without spoiling the ending, I can say that just like the rest of the film, the ending feels a bit strange and out of place but it ultimately fits perfectly into the film and properly concludes the story.
A great film that is a dark study of an interesting character played superbly by Harvey Keitel.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
A modern gangster classic
Quentin Tarantino's first movie before he gained fame with pulp fiction, reservoir dogs is about a gang of criminals hired to do a simple robbery.
The story is told in out of order scenes that show the events leading up to the heist and the things that happen after. The characters use colours instead of names so no one can rat them to the cops, and the entire cast give career-top performances. Harvey Keitel takes the lead as Mr.White and is in my opinion the best performance of his career, Tim Roth plays Mr.Orange in one of his earliest roles, playing the young member of the crew doing one of his first jobs. While Micheal Madsen plays the psycho Mr.Blonde in another top role. Other performances include Chris Penn and Tarantino himself.
The story moves a lot quicker than other Tarantino work, while keeping all of his trademarks like a great 70s inspired soundtrack and chunky well written dialogue that moves the plot along.
Overall Reservoir dogs isn't QT's best movie but is still a brilliantly fun crime movie that has became one of the most iconic and quotable films of the 90s. Its features tons of famous scenes that became huge in pop culture including Micheal Madsen's controversial scene with a policeman.
I'd definitely recommend.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Sets a new standard for superhero movies
Christopher Nolan's The dark knight, sequel to the 2005 batman begins, definitely sets a new standard for what to expect from a superhero movie.
The story focuses on the battle between batman (Christian Bale) and the joker (Heath Ledger). The story brilliantly touches on themes of good and evil and how hero's get corrupted. The story as a whole is very well written and is always moving, things never start to get stale.
On the other hand, the action sequences are also top notch as well featuring batman's usual fist-fights with other things such as some great chase scenes. I also have to give extra praise to the films opening scene, while I won't ruin, but I will say its a brilliantly clever scene that sets up the Jokers character for the rest of the movie.
Although even though the story and action are strong and the camera work is great giving some beautiful views of the city of Gotham, its really the performances that make this movie. Heath ledger leads the way with one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in any movie. playing the joker in a dark yet realistic way. Gary Oldman plays police chief Gordon very well and both Morgan Freeman and Micheal Caine give solid performances as well. Two people I think always get underrated from the dark knight are Maggie Gylenhaul who plays batman's old girlfriend and Arran Eckhart who plays Mob lawyer Harvey Dent, who mainly displays a lot of the films themes of corruption and chaos. While Christian Bale plays Bruce Wayne/Batman, his acting is solid, just hugely overshadowed by Ledger.
Overall the dark knight isn't just the greatest superhero movie ever its also one of the greatest movies ever, hugely boosted as well by heath ledgers Oscar winning turn as the Joker.