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Léon (1994)
Benchmark for Action Movies and Dramas
New YOrk, a city of contrasts, where the glittering towers of Manhatten contrast starkly with the poverty in areas like Little Italy or Spanish Harlem. Only a city like New York could harbor such a story as the one told in Leon.
Leon (Jean Reno) is a living monolith, an Italian stranded in New York without relatives, friends or an education. He makes his living carrying out assassinations for numerous clients and is the best in his trade. His only contact besides from TOny, his mentor and "manager" is Mathilda (Natalie Portman), the disillusioned 12 year old daughter of his neighbors. His ascetic lifestyle is shattered forever when Mathildas family gets slaughtered by corrupt cops lead by psychotic Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) while she is shopping. SHe finds refuge in his apartment and once she finds out his job, convinces/forces him to train her so she can get revenge for her family. As she progresses both Leon and Mathilda warm up to each other and develop a caring, loving relation ship. Finally she tracks down the killers and Leon and Mathilda have to confront them in a final deadly showdown.
What can be said about this movie that hasn't been said a thousand times? Theoretically nothing, but after having seen the Directors Cut just a few hours ago, I just have to talk (or rather write) about it. IF anyone else had done this movie, it would have probably degraded into a normal Hollywood action flick. But great acting by the entire cast, a great direction by Luc Besson make this movie a real benchmark for both action films an dramas! Jean Reno plays lonely and sad Leon with such a vigor that you almost believe that he IS Leon! Nathalie Portman goes even further and actually becomes Mathilda. She turns out such a heart wrenching performance as the confused scared and angry little girl that you can't help but shed tears at several places during the movie. As for Gary Oldman, well he was way over the top with Norman Stansfield but in a good way. I wanted to strangle that guy from the first time I saw him on screen!
But it is the chemistry between Natalie Portman and Jean Reno that really makes this movie work. They LIVE their relationship without it ever turning into anything even remotely pedophile!! Camera-work is excellent, and gives this movie the feel of a classical painting! The action sequences are first rate. Just check out how the camera follows that Rifle Grenade in the final showdown, and remember that this was done well before the advent of the CGI flood! All in all, this movie is set to remain a classic for years if not decades to come!
War of the Worlds (2005)
This movie is like a punch in the stomach!!!!!
I've just seen "War of the Worlds" in a theater here in Frankfurt. I honestly have problems finding the right words for this movie. Spielberg barely gives you time to get settled in your chair before the action kicks of, or should I say the horror? Yes you heard right, don't think this is another no-brain-required action flick like ID4 was. This movie is brutal, frightening and merciless almost till the very end. Some scenes were so gut-wrenching that I had to look away (Namely when the ferry carrying Rachel and her family capsizes, or earlier when their car gets raided). Spielberg has truly managed to the pure terror of an invasion, regardless whether by human armies, or (in this case) by beings from an unknown origin.
one of the reason this movie works so well is the cast. All actors (Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, and others) really do a good job, but the one who blows them all away is young Dakota. I've seen a lot of child actors so far but only one other(namely Natalie Portman) did such a convincing job at playing a small frightened girl.
The Special Effects of this movie are top of the line. Look for the scene when the bridge gets blown away, or when tripods are snatching people out of the water. It is just incredible, almost to real for my taste.
The soundtrack (together with the German voice-over) is a bit of a letdown, and the reason why I refrained from giving this movie a perfect ten. There just is no recognizable theme, and while the soundtrack does accompany the scenes nicely, it doesn't stay in your mind, like for example the Jurassic Park Soundtrack. The Sound effects themselves however, are great. Even If you couldn't actually see the tripods, you would still be able to imagine how horrible they are by listening to the sounds.
All in all, I'd classify this movie as a must-see. It is just fantastic.
Maladolescenza (1977)
Beautiful, Cruel, Tragic -SPOILERS INCLUDED-
Generally speaking, Maladolescenza is NOT my kind of movie. Being a fan of Hunt for Red October, The Final Countdown, and the like, it was rather unusual for me to come across a movie such as Maladolescenza, much less order it. The DVD arrived last week and I have watched the movie twice since then. I am still stunned by it.
- BEGIN SPOILER -
The movie is about three teenagers who spend their summer vacation together in the mountains of Austria (?). Laura (Lara Wendel), a 12 year old girl is helplessly in love with Fabrizio (Martin Loeb), an older boy who lives in the area where she is on vacation. She tries everything to get him to answer her love, but Fabrizio somehow gets a kick out of mentally and physically tormenting Laura. Her love for him lets her endure the pain he inflicts on her. However, events spiral out of control after Fabrizio and Laura encounter Sylvia (Eva Ionesco), who is on vacation in the same area.
Sylvia is every bit as cruel as Fabrizio, and both take great pleasure in tormenting Laura in every way possible (the "Hide-and-seek" scene, as well as the "Pit"-scene being the two most extreme scenes that come to mind). As the summer draws to a close, Fabrizio tries to convince Sylvia to remain. She refuses, and on their last day together, the drama reaches a murderous climax
- SPOILER END -
This movie is definitely a masterpiece. Granted, it shows its age in the props, and the style the characters dress. Still it is a beautiful picture, with very atmospheric camera work, and a fitting soundtrack that ranges from beautiful to unnerving, even disturbing (Watch for the German traditional while Laura is being hunted by Sylvia and Fabrizio).
The three kids that I mentioned above in the plot are the only characters in this movie. They have to carry the whole movie, which makes their performance even more impressive. Lara Wendel is great in her portrayal of Laura, the innocent, naive 12-year old. You just can't help but feel sorry for the poor little thing. Eva Ionesco while being a beautiful girl, plays the part of the arrogant, cruel, manipulative Sylvia with perfection, although even her facade cracks during the last 10 minutes. As for Martin Loeb, I did not like him from the very start, which means that his portrayal of the sadistic punk is good as well, although I still think he is the weakest member of the cast. Don't get me wrong, I am commenting on their acting capabilities, not on the nude scenes in the movie. These kids were great actors for their age.
When Maladolescenza came out, it was decried as child pornography almost immediately, and the film was banned or heavily cut in many countries.
After watching this movie, I understood why it is one of the most controversial ones around. The theme of cruelty between kids, and the sexual awakening of adolescents is very dangerous territory to tread on. Still it shows that adolescents and teenagers are not the innocent angels that many adults like to think they are (as I had to find out the hard way), and it does so very well. As for the child porn allegations: A German legal board re-evaluated this movie this year, concluding that it contains no illegal or criminal material.
All in all a very controversial, cruel, but also very beautiful movie.