leah-h Reviews

The Twins Effect (2003)

Hilarious, loved it!

[2 February 2004]

I have nothing against Hong Kong cinema but don't watch very much of it, so I guess it went over my head that, as some have said, this was just a vehicle for a couple of idols.

I thought it was absolutely hilarious, really silly, and I didn't expect Jackie Chan to put in an appearance so I was in stitches when he showed up! As others have said, it's not to be taken seriously. Watch it as a comedy and you'll not be disappointed!

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

I never want to see another western as long as I live

[24 October 2003]

I made a film with this girl once. She was only the camera operator but was obsessed with unnecessarily drawing out scenes, zooming in, zooming out, and claiming it was for the sake of "creating tension".

I have to wonder if she'd taken this film as her template.

I watched OUATITW as a part of a university class, and at the beginning my lecturer informed us that the title sequence is, reputedly, the longest in the history of cinema. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly felt like forever. A forever of nothing happening. And the same might be said for the rest of the film. Two hours of faffing about, then five minutes of vaguely interesting story, and then another twenty minutes faffing about before it finally ends. This does not create "tension". It doesn't create "atmosphere". It creates BOREDOM, and if all the unnecessary scenes were removed, or chopped down at least, it would not only have been a much shorter film, it might have been a slightly more interesting one. I didn't understand anyone's motivation and I really didn't care. I was just mentally screaming "oh, just hurry up and shoot the guy and be done with it!"

I didn't like westerns before. I passionately hate them now.