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kikuchio7
Reviews
Down by Law (1986)
that simple
It's really that simple. Bring good actors together with decent directorship you get a good movie. No need for CGI or even a very interesting story.
Zack, Jack and Robertino are three very different people. Zack is a pimp, Jack is an unsuccessful DJ, Robertino is an Italian tourist. Somehow they all end up in jail. The first part of the movie shortly presents the kind of life Jack and Zack are living. Only a very brief scene introduces Robertino. The second part of the film shows them all in the same cell getting to know each other. The last part of the film explains their escape. This is not a comedy movie, but at times it is funny. It's not drama either. Yet, there are times you feel sorry for the characters. Each actor presents a very good portray of his character. Watch it, but don't expect an exciting story. Just watch it. It's beauty is in its simplicity.
G.O.R.A. (2004)
good piss take
Arif is a typical Turkish bloke selling carpets to tourists in Western Turkey. He is also obsessed with creating fake pictures of UFOs. Then he gets abducted by aliens from the GORA planet. After all there is no rule that says aliens can only abduct people from the USA. Nor is there a rule that says that only Americans can make contact with extra-terrestrial life forms. So what happens if aliens abduct a Turkish carpet seller ?
Basically, GORA is a good piss take of the more popular sci-fi movies such as Starwars and Matrix. And that's fine with me, because I believe both Starwars (feel the Farce) and Matrix (I know Kung Fu) are extremely overrated movies. The sense of humour in GORA is Turkish. That is neither a praise nor an insult. It is just Turkish. The subtitles don't help either. For some reason Turkish movie producers hire awful translators who sometimes even mix German with English. Translation between languages that are as different from each other as Turkish and English requires slightly more than a word-by-word correspondence. I hereby offer my services free of charge. Just ask. Had the subtitles been any better the movie could have achieved some international recognition as a comedy movie. Turkish speakers should definitely watch this movie. They'll have a good laugh. Non-Turks should give it a try.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
not a common type
I watched this movie three times in the last two days. The first time I watched it I didn't have many favourable thoughts about Mr Kubrick. Later I kind of understood why this movie is considered "one of the best films in the history". If you're looking for a story line, drama, humour or other components that we see in mainstream movies, don't waste your time with "2001: A Space Odyssey". If you are after cinematography, good directorship and vision you HAVE TO see this one. What makes this film special is the fact that it was made in 1968. One has to admire Mr Kubrick's vision of the future at the time. It is also a horribly slow movie. I mean really slow. The scene HAL kills hibernating crew takes 1 minute 22 seconds. One third of this period one hears an annoying "beep". The second one-third is more annoying beep. The last period is silence. The movie is full of such scenes, and quite frankly it is rather irritating. That's when you'll really appreciate the fast forward option of your DVD player. Sorry, but I don't get this artistic technique. Mr Kubrick did the same in "Eyes Wide Shut", and I left the theatre. All in all, IMHO, this is an important piece in the history of film making. Yet, I'd call this movie "one of the best" among its own kind only. It's not prudent comparing this film with mainstream ones.
Gangs of New York (2002)
not really
The first two minutes was impressive. Then something happened and the movie lost its whole presuasive power over me. I saw a wee woman with sharp, pointy teeth and artificial claws joining the rest of the men to take part in the street battle. Now, realize that this is a fight with no precision weapons, where brute strength, height, arm reach and endurance count way more than agility. And Mr Scorcese was showing me this little woman jumping over massive men and killing them with her claws and bites. Wow ! So cool! Well, granted, I am aware of the "Hell Cat Maggie" legend. But I didn't think the film was based on legends. At least, a taller and muscular actress could have been used to play this character. Is it really necessary to include this character and mess with the whole realism of the movie?
Just when I was getting over this stupidity I saw a black gang member with Johnny (the good gang member that helped Amsterdam when they were children). Just how realistic is it that an African boy is allowed into a white gang in one of the most racist chapters of New York history? How come people like William Cutting and McGroin tolerate this guy's activities in the neighbourhood? How realistic is it that this African boy (not even a man yet) pushes white men to vote for a candidate in the heat of the Civil War when African Americans were seen as the reason for the war?
These might seem like minor points for many. But, I think they make that little difference between a good movie and a great movie. IMHO, this movie was good. But it was mostly due to Lewis' spectacular acting. DiCaprio was OK, but one expects a more convincing performance from a lead actor. I guess it was his mishap acting against Daniel Day Lewis. Contary to what many think, I think Diaz was a good choice for the playful, humorous, and sexy vixen female character; Jenny Everdean. There wasn't much to act in her character anyway. This movie is NOT underrated.