nhmphuong Reviews

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

i never ask why the Oscar didn't go to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN!

[8/10 · 13 March 2006]

i saw that movie yesterday, trying to understand what the buzz was all about!!! honestly speaking, that film is just fine, nothing awesome at all.

the issue of gay cowboy is controversial, i agree. thats it. i like the tag line: LOVE IS A FORCE OF NATURE! hmm, at least i found something that i may be fond of! :)

the movie pace is kinda slow!!! what a typical ANG LEE's product!

music is okay, nothing more or less.

i never ask why the Oscar didn't go to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN! :) compared to CRASH, Brokeback mountain is far worse!

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

A typical works by Charles Dicken

[8/10 · 2 April 2005]

The movie is based on a novel by Charles Dicken. Although it was not a famous novel and the actors of the movie are not stars, the movie is still very interesting from the beginning to the end.

Nicholas is such a typical character created by Charles Dicken. He is a very good boy, caring, responsible and strong. He has to overcome numerous obstacles to earn the living, to feed his mother and sister and to get his dream girl. He is loved by everyone, except his uncle. It is quite predictable that almost all his difficulties are created by his uncle. The content is pretty simple but very touching.

I like most two footages: the moment Smike dies and the moment Nicholas' uncle kills himself.

Smike is a small disabled kid. He is so transparent and his whole life almost has no happiness. the actor playing Smike is excellent. He is deeply in love with Nicholas' beautiful sister, Kate but he never says it out until the minute he passes away. Though knowing that the kind of Smike characters is commonly found in many other novels, i am still deeply moved.

Nicholas' cruel uncle later on turns out to be Smike's father. And he is coincidently the person behind Smike's difficult live and death. Once again, i found the old saying: "Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind" amazingly true.

However, Nicholas should have been 20 instead of 18, that would make the movie more logical.

The movie is rated 8 out of 10, mainly because of the talent of Charles Dicken and the poor Smike.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

not sleepy, not awake either

[7/10 · 1 April 2005]

This makes a good commercial film.

And the acting of Johny Depp and Christina Ricci were good. The music works well with the scenes and the content of the movie. That's it. to me, Christina seems a little bit younger than Johny, hence the not very perfect couple!

I couldn't think of any good words to say about this movie. Nothing special. Sleepy Hollow is the kind of movie that helps neither sink nor raise the career of the actors.

at some point, i think that the clothes of the character kind of inappropriate, especially the mom of Johny's character.

7 out of 10. couldn't be more

The Vikings (1958)

big sail!

[8/10 · 1 April 2005]

It's a very typical classic movie with all famous stars (of course, at that moment) like Kirk Doughlas, Tony Curtis and Jonet Leigh.

And as a very old film, it also has some shortcomings, like many others made in the 50s. what i imply here is the reaction of the leading actors. They were very slow, that's the only thing that i don't like in the movie. For instance, Eric took too long to make up his mind when cutting the rope for Ragnar and giving him a sword. To me, his slowness makes him less humane. Another footage well proves the slowness of the character is when the prince Mortagna witnessed Eric and his brother Eignar fighting. She is the reason for their fighting till death and she also knew how to stop them. But let's see what she did? The answer is nothing. This leads to the death of Eignar.

And when Eignar died, the couple did nothing, either… i am wondering what their hearts were made of? Stone, perhaps. The director should have changed the screenplay somehow to make Eric more like human than just a slave. And when Eignar, used to be a "mad dog", changed for the better, hesitating to kill his brother, Eric must have changed, too. Thing will work out more perfectly.

I rate this movie 8 out of 10, mainly because of Kirk Doughlas. He was handsome. If i were him, i would prefer not to choose to take the role of Eignar.

Closer (I) (2004)

can't take my eyes off you!

[9/10 · 30 March 2005]

This movie is based on a play. Though i have not seen this play, i am strongly convinced that it is a wonderful play. And the author must be very talented to create such an amazing piece of art!

4 characters are crazy in love, that what they think. In fact, they are all wrong. They mistake love with something else, something passionate with kiss and sex but that something is definitely not love. Their mistakes depress all the four. People never be satisfied with what they have. People are greedy, never stop looking for more. That is so true with Dan and Anna. Dan has Alice, Anna has Larry. However, when being attracted to each other, Dan and Anna give up their respective lovers without any hesitation! They are selfish. I never like Julia Roberts, and i'm not interested in Anne. She is such a coward.

Seemingly, the film is dominated by two supporting actor – Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. They are just wonderful. Their talent in this movie earned each of them 1 golden globe and an academy award nomination. I think they more than deserve the awards.

Larry (played by Clive Owen) is called a bastard but nobody could contempt him. He is kind of sex-obsessed but he is very forward. I think that Larry and Anne make such a couple.

Alice (played by Natalie Portman) has a very complicated characteristic. She has the face of an angel, i quite agree with that! Nat did a great job. She always tries to escape, to disappear. She is weak and strong at the same time. She is something very near, very lively but at the mean time, she is so far away, so far that nobody really be able to catch her or understand her. I love Alice!

The Damien Rice's song "blowers Daughter" is beautiful. Whenever i hear that song,i kind of cry. The lyric is simple but touching. The rhythm is so lilting that i don't think i'm able to describe it in words.

"If you believe in love at first sight, You never stop looking" is true…

9 out of 10!

Cellular (2004)

Get a Nokia cell phone, just in case

[7/10 · 30 March 2005]

What I found interesting in the movie is the way of advertising, very deft! The characters use all kinds of NOKIA cell phone and of course, they never forget to tell the viewers how modern, convenient and perfect the cell phones are. Surely, the movie helps boost the sale of Nokia cell phone, especially 6600.

The movie is just fine. It's a good way to kill the time (in case you are idle).

Another interesting stuff is the stupid fake cops. They talk too much, that is the common blunders in US movies. When the villains are fully able to kill someone by just pulling the trigger, they suddenly prefer to use the power of the muscles and the fists. Hence, the victim (played by famous actor, of course) never die! 7 out of 10 is too much… but that's fine!

The Notebook (2004)

lovely story!

[8/10 · 30 March 2005]

What can I say about the movie??? It's just a love story of two 17 kids named Noah and Allie. The notebook seems nothing special so far…

The love story is romantic, very romantic indeed, just like many other beautiful love stories. Two kids are crazy about each other but "as usual", it doesn't work out when they are young. A couple of years later, when they grow older, they meet one another again and the spirit as well as the chemistry between the two still exist so strongly. Then, nothing could prevent them from being together.

The plot is admittedly predictable. However, Until now, I can't fathom why I don't feel the movie any disturbed. Probably because that kind of romance is rare in this modern world. In the end, old Noah and Allie die (together), to me, that is the best ending of the movie.

A relaxing piece of romance for the weekend!

8 out of 10.

A Fond Kiss (2004)

waste of time

[1/10 · 28 March 2005]

it's another film about the Indian/Pakistani community living in Britain. It's has the same topic as Bend it like Beckam: focusing on two lovers of two different background. One is white and the other is Asian. That two people in love have to overcome obstacles, mainly created by the Asians.

The film is so boring. Seeing it turns out to be really itchy, angry, indisposed and a mixture of many other disturbing feelings.

The two lovers are so selfish. They are in love and they force others to think that their love is kind of pure and other people have no choice but to approve it regardless of how disastrous the life of the family could be. At some point, the community of Pakistani has been deformed. The producer of the movie kind of make fun of the Pakistani people, make them and their solidarity seems kind of stupid and ridiculous. The guy named Kasam(or what?) turned out to be absolutely lack of good education when speaking with his father, he uses thousands of F words.

What annoys more is the scenes that the two people make love. This is a movie about Asian people, not about the SEX. The producer knows nothing about the culture that the movie is focusing??? Sure…

Waste of time.

1 out of 10.

Ray (I) (2004)

genius loves company!

[9/10 · 27 March 2005]

Listening to Genius loves company and now seeing Ray, apparently, I have become a huge fan of Ray Charles.

Ray had two wonderful women in his life: his mother and his wife.

Ray was obsessed by his difficult childhood and especially the death of his younger brother. At first, I was kind of angry with little Ray as when seeing his brother dying, he was just petrified, stupidly doing nothing. What I like most is the scene that his mother said that she had not yet forgiven him. She said it firmly with anger, with love and with loss of the beloved child.

Ray's mother was very strong. And obviously, she had a huge influence on his characteristics, his life and his works. I think Ray could have never succeeded without his mother.

In the first place, Ray's wife was weak. It seems like she couldn't do anything to get along with Ray or to help Ray. Not until she told Ray to choose between being a junkie and losing everything and getting off drugs, she really exposed herself. She is strong, too.

What I learn from the movie and ray's life is that without agony, one can never create wonderful art. That's right!!!

The scene that Ray came to Georgia and suddenly changed his mind not to perform just to show his protest of the racism is not very convincing. The director should have worked on it more carefully or else, Ray seemed a little superficial.

You don't know me is one of my favorite songs by Ray and it is also used in the movie.

Good movie. Jamie Foxx did a good job.

9 out of 10.

27.3.2005

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

somewhere over the rainbow

[9/10 · 26 March 2005]

What i remember most from the movie is definitely the song Somewhere over the rainbow (or Over the rainbow –i don't know for sure which name is correct). Recently, I have been listening to it over and over again. The song is wonderfully performed by Genius Ray Charles. Of course, Jimmy Steward's voice is not as good as Ray Charles' but i still found the song by Macauley Connor (played by J.Steward) enjoyable. I like the scene Mike crooning for Tracy in the moonlight, which is so lovely.

The story has such a good ending, which to me, is quite agreeable. But what seems less perfect is when Mike proposed to Tracy without thinking. I still think that the director should have worked on that scene more carefully.

It should be a huge mistake if i don't mention Mr. C.K.Dexter Heaven (What heaven!) Cary Grant looks greater than ever before. And the character is such a gentlemen. The way he won back Tracy's love is lovely and romantic.

What astonishes me is Tracy's french. She spoke french pretty well.

And the little girl Dinah, despite some kind of over-acting scene, she is charming. And i think Dinah makes the movies more relaxing.

The Philadelphia is rated 9 out of 10.

The Killing Fields (1984)

best film about KHMER ROUGE

[10/10 · 21 March 2005]

I wish I had seen this movie before going to Cambodia and visiting the Killing Fields last summer. Without a doubt, the movie is one of the most powerful masterpieces I have ever known and seen.

For me, the movie is not just a product made in Hollywood, it is the history. Every single scene is so real that I couldn't help myself shivering with fear. It reveals the most brutal aspect of Khmer Rouge: like killing millions of civilians in the most barbarian way. To save bullets, Khmer Rouge made people half knee on the side of a very big hole and they simply chopped off people's heads mercilessly. The big hole then became a mass grave. When I came to the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh, there were still several mass graves which are so big. It is said that at least more than 150 were in each grave. The things I learned from Cambodia make me much believe the movie.

One thing i like in the movie is that it tells the truth about Khmer Rouge cadres. They were all children – who had been very transparent before being trained into butchers. Phran made such a great escape for life.

The film was produced in the year i was born. I heard of The Killing Fields so much but not until at the age of 21, i eventually saw it. I read about Khmer Rough, setting my feet on the ground which used to be grave, but not until seeing the film feel that "crazy" atmosphere stronger than ever.

One of my regrets is that I failed to see the Cambodian map made of skeletons. So bad! This movie is rated 10 out of 10 despite the fact that it was shot in Thailand instead of Cambodia because of the Khmer Rouge itself!

The Graduate (1967)

listen to the music!

[9/10 · 21 March 2005]

i have heard S and G's music for several times but it never seemed more touching than in the soundtrack. i love every single song used in the movie like Sound of silence, Scarborough fair and Mrs Robinson. i rated this film 9 out of 10 mostly due to the wonderful soundtrack! now, i'm rushing to buy an album of Simon and Garfulken. :-) the film is good. Ben was kind of awkward when doing it for the very first time. it was fun. i also like the scene when Ben followed the girl, keeping asking her to marry him. so romantic. i like the acting of David Hoffman. i also saw several movies starring David Hoffman. apparently, he has only one way of acting with kind of retarded characters. come back to Rain man or Krammer vs Krammer, you will see...