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Reviews
Witness to the Mob (1998)
Tragically miscasted and overall bad
This movie is tragically miscasted. And though many reviewers claim that this movie is closer to the truth than HBO's Gotti was, it is inferior in every way.
It all starts with Turturro. Someone here claims he looks the part of Gravano, but that just ain't true. He's far too dark skinned, and though he has Italian ancestors he has always looked more Mexican to me. It also has to do with his role in NYPD Blue. Turturro doesn't play the part of a made mafia man. He always looks timid, shy and a bit anxious (same for his role in NYPD Blue). The supporting cast is full with the usual suspects you see in mafia films, and most have got their known roles in the Sopranos. But that also makes it a problem, a supporting cast that clearly overshadows the lead role just doesn't work. I don't know about Tom Sizemore, I love the actor, and he does a decent job. But Assante was better, he really embodied Gotti.
It all doesn't work. And the story may be closer to the truth. But remember that 'truth' is a strange concept in this context. The truth is based on a single testimony and some investigative work. In my opinion movie makers have some freedom in interpreting such truths for their work. HBO's Gotti just works much better.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
How trailers can ruin movies!
The strenghts of this movie are also its flaws. The problems of this movie have been mentioned in many comments. It's a nice plot but it has serious realism problems and an ending that makes you wonder how bad the alternative endings the writer came up with must've been. These are the writers that wrote the script for the Recruit. It's hard to see how they fell so deep this time.
However, I want to mention something new, and that is how trailers can ruin a movie for you. The trailer of Law Abiding Citizen is what got me to the theater. Of course a trailer shows you something of the movie, but this trailer kind of blew every surprise for me there is in the movie. At the start this is not much of a problem, but if at about 2/3 of the movie I still know that the cars are going to blow up as soon as the justice people leave the prison, then that kind of spoils the movie! Didn't they think of something like that?
Friday Night Lights: The Son (2009)
Feels real
I started watching Friday Night Lights because I like football and the movie upon which it is based is good. Actually, though the show has received positive critics, I'm don't think overall this show is that good. The storyline isn't stunning and, most import, the acting feels weird at times. People stutter too much and act weird and apathetic towards each other a lot of the time.
This episode however, is different. Like much of the series it's not about football, though it starts with that. It's about the lives of the people in this town of Dillon, Texas. And in this episode, Matt has to cope with his dad being killed in combat. His dad, who he hates, because he never really got to know him, he was always gone. For a television series, the hurt is shown in a great manner. We see the drama people at home have to go through, not just because they lost a family member, but because they lost that family member in a different way long before he was killed.
It's a sad, but therefore very good episode. The acting feels real this time. That's why I felt to comment on this specific episode.
Man of the Year (2006)
It started so good...
The premise of this movie, of a comedian talk show host running for president as an independent just to shake things up, is funny, entertaining, brilliant and even a bit inspiring. (thought about the west wing debate when Tom Dobbs leaves his podium, thought about Steven Colbert announcing his candidacy, good times) The first 15 - 20 minutes of this movie are therefore very very entertaining, the debate especially. When he eventually get's elected, it's a pity that is because of a computer glitch, you'd want him to win fair (although that is unrealistic).
But after that this movie goes completely downhill. I thought we'd get a great movie like 'Dave' (1993) in which we see how it would out if a comedian actually ran the country. Instead, the movie turns from comedy into a thriller, a romantic comedy and a drama and does none good. The computer glitch becomes the main storyline, which really sucks. Boy is this disappointing. I give it 3 stars just for the premise and because I actually managed to watch this movie from start to end without stopping it, which is usually a good thing with me.
The West Wing (1999)
"They say a good man cannot be elected president. I don't believe that!"
Long have I been thinking of how to express my surpassing joy of having watched this series, and now watching all episodes again. I've only discovered it recently. And although I'm from the Netherlands I still wonder how this show has managed to be kept from me so long. Last September or October I watched a documentary about the impact of movie- and TV-presidents on our perception of the actual president. It was in that documentary that they discussed the West Wing, I decided to watch an episode and was completely hooked!
Much has been said about the absolute brilliance of this show. Finally something on television that can not only entertain us, but challenge us intellectually, inspire us and set a bar for what an administration should be like.
I have long thought about which show is better, this or the other pinnacle of TV-shows: the Sopranos. I haven't decided yet. Sure this show has it's flaws. For example I thought the first season had to much relationship stuff going on. Sam with Leo's daughter, Zoey with Charlie, CJ with Danny and of course the hint of romance between Donna and Josh, it's just a bit too much and makes the West Wing a socially unrealistic environment. Luckily they backed off of that quickly. This is just an example. Simple stuff about characters like Donna, CJ and Josh bother me sometimes. And the show always balances on what is realistic, and sometimes it falls off the fence, like with the Camp David middle-eastern peace negotiations.
But still, I'm only putting this up because everything that's great about this show has already been set. It is so great I'm left with two contradicting feelings. (MAJOR SPOILERS HERE) 1. If NBC ever wants to climb back to the #1 position in TV, it should better start investing in it's pinnacle shows. So why not get Sorkin (or at least Wells) and the all-star cast back and start season 8 with the Santos administration? (They should've amended the Constitution so Bartlet could go for a 3rd term, but this will do) Bartlet can appear sometime in an episode in some kind of mentor role. 2. All good things must end, and with the end of the Bartlet administration this great TV-show must end. Doing another season would probably spoil the legacy of this amazing masterpiece.
I don't know what would be the better choice, but hey, it's not my call anyway.
24 (2001)
why is this series such a hit?
Somehow I understand why this show is so successful, after all I must've watched over 30 episodes of this show. It has suspense, a lot of action, a lot of plot twists (I'm not saying they're good plot twists, but they're there) and a modern feel that sets it apart from other shows.
It now grades just below 9 of 10. That puts it right up with some of the best TV series we have, that's ridiculous. Because let's face it, it's a really BAD show! Besides the few good things about this show, it lacks plot development, genuine acting performances, convincing characters, dialogue and most important it completely lacks realism.
Here we have CTU, a federal agency that fictionally has as much impact as a FBI or CIA. But CTU is so unrealistic in that is technologically so advanced it almost becomes sci-fi but at the same time has people working that are just complete retards! There really isn't any other word for it: retards! What federal agency would ever allow the sheer number and sort of relationships that occur at CTU? This organisation is socially in such complete disarray it shocks me that anyone would find this believable.
This show would be watchable if you could just 'shut out' the sheer stupidity in realism and just enjoy the suspense and action, but you can't. It's just there every episode and it just eats at you. One cannot watch a show that is not convincing in it's plot, nor in it's acting.
It's a pity the best TV series of late have called it quits. The Sopranos and The West Wing are, in my opinion, the best shows we've seen lately. 24 doesn't even come close to those, although the IMDb score might suggest it does. That reminds me, if you want to watch a realistic portrayal of how government and it's agencies work and how is dealt with acts of terrorism etcetera, watch the West Wing, has some of the best dialogue too. But for some reason people that show is too intellectual. They like it more dumb, like 24.
You've Got Mail (1998)
your typical feel good movie
I'm Dutch and I'll be visiting NYC soon for the very first time. All excited about it I'm watching movies like this that have NYC as a center part in it.
This is your typical feel good movie. It has a great story, great dialog, great characters played by great actors (not only Hanks and Ryan, but the supporting cast as well does an excellent job), and a great city showed in all seasons with each giving a distinctive feeling. It's funny, it's charming, it's amusing and it's making you feel good. And let's not forget it was just about the first movie that used something new like e-mail. A classic!
The Dark Knight (2008)
does NOT live up to the hype
Having had to wait for 2 weeks before I had a chance to watch The Dark Knight, I was thrilled when the time came. After the first week of IMDb votes I kinda guessed there was some hype going on. But after 200.000 votes the grade was still 9.4. Was this still a hype or was the movie genuinely good? Also reading very positive movie reviews and hearing people go on and on about how great Heath was as the Joker, this meant the movie just had to be great, right? Well it's NOT. It's a good movie, but people who compare it to history's best cinematic productions are just out of their mind.
Let me get to the first point of the hype: the Joker. I read reviews of this character being the most evil, terrifying, psychotic and creepy villain they had ever seen. I must agree that Heath does a great job of playing the Joker. But this just isn't living up to what I read and heard. The biggest problem with the Joker is that this is still an action hero movie, not a thriller or horror for that matter. What the Joker does made me laugh most of the time. I mean his opening with jamming the pencil through a guys eye may sound creepy when you hear or read it, but in this movie it's just hysterical. The Joker isn't scary or creepy at any point. He is psychotic, he is unpredictable and he is played with great depth (for a character that is flat in the script). But he can never compete with the great villains like Hannibal Lecter or even Jigsaw. Those are just out of his league. I would love to have seen the Joker develop more. The screen time for Heath is just way too low for him to carry this movie (although lot's of critics claim he already caries the movie, which would be a sad conclusion if you ask me). It's a shame Heath died.
With that hype out of the way, the rest of the movie is pretty plain. It has great special effects and make-up, for which it'll surely compete for awards. But the other actors really can't deliver, even great ones like Freeman. Characters are not developed. Which brings the viewer in an awkward situation when we have to feel the pain that both Dent and Wayne feel when the lose Rachel, but we just can't feel that pain. That's just a result of poor script and poor character development.
Good film, entertaining, but surely not great or superb. Get real people, look past the hype!
TBS (2008)
good but flawed
Strong points first. The acting is good, although I would never have casted Theo Maassen for this part. He does a proper acting job, but just thinking about his real-life carnaval hit while in the movie he is on the road with a 13-year old hostage who clearly gets Stockholm syndrome just makes me laugh.
The plot is great throughout. The Stockholm syndrome is kind of predictable, but the rest of the plot really isn't. Lots of times I was thinking 'what the hell is going to happen next' which really doesn't happen to me lots of times when watching movies. The greatest thing about the story is that we get compassionate about the main character, as does his young female hostage. But in the end we're all fooled, we haven't seen past the insanity and brutality of this man. A good message that we should never underestimate the sickness of the minds of these people.
But although this was all great, there are just some very simple things bugging me. Most notable is the complete unrealistic behaviour of police. It's just crazy that up to 2 times Johan stands next to the car, his hostage at the other side of the car, him pointing his gun at her, police all have a clear shot at him and nobody takes him down. The second time is the most crazy, policemen just drop to their knees and give him the keys to their police van. Just stupid, in real life Johan would've been taken out many times. Also the scene just after the tunnel when Johan loses the helicopter with ease is just unrealistic. And that's just painful. It just kills a potentially good movie and makes me chuckle.
So it's good, but flawed. Still good, certainly when taken into the perspective of regular Dutch production value.
You Kill Me (2007)
Booooooooring
Good cast, and story that has potential. But the movie is just plain booooooring due to bad character development. Ben plays good but never let's us get close to his character Frank or reflect anything of ourselves onto him.
Besides that, the movie never really get's funny. And it's just all very unrealistic at times.
Conclusion: I stopped this movie about 4 times while watching it and had the hardest time to start watching it again. I'm surprised I got it all the way to the end. It's just plain boring!!!
Just rent something else...
Deja Vu (2006)
great movie could've used different ending
WOW! great movie, fine writing. after the first 30 minutes you THINK you're watching a detective or CSI stylish movie with federal agents simply trying to find a terrorist. after that, for about 20 minutes you THINK it's becoming some kind of 'Enemy of the State' rip-off with federal agents using satellites in combination with some high-tech software to the crazy extend of generating a live video feed of a few days ago. i was thinking 'wow, enemy of the state was crazy with their sat tech, but this is just preposterous. then, after that we finally get to know what's going on. and at that point, it doesn't even hint to reality (although it tries to proof the hypothetical possibility of this actually happening in reality, LOL) but it's OK that it's a bit unrealistic from there on, it's still great writing and keeps you curious.
now for the end of the movie, you actually get the feeling that whatever Denzel is trying to do to fix the past, he just can't and everything will be as it was. all the links from the beginning to the end of the movie (ambulance in shed, blooded clothes, everything in the woman's house) seem to link so you really start to think that Denzel cannot change the past as he is already part of it. or will the writers surprise us? eventually they do... but for me, they could've made an alternative ending that actually let everything happen like it would've.
apart from that, great movie!
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Worst of the 3
At World's End has gone over the top completely, and in my opinion way too far.
Curse of the Black Pearl was a great film on itself, the only thing I didn't like personally was the skeleton curse. But because of the huge success, movie makers suddenly feel like they should make 2 more movies (similar to the Matrix, in which the first movie is a stand-alone, but then suddenly we get 2 more movies) Dead Man's Chest is the greatest of the 3 in my opinion (lots disagree with me), it simply added 2 great bad guys (Lord Beckett and Davy Jones) and a nice tale. The only thing Dead Man's Chest needed was captain Barbossa.
now we get part 3, which could make a great end. but instead, they throw in about 10 new characters which get underdeveloped and their true goals are a mystery to us. if they had sticked to the original cast, and only added 1 or 2 characters, it would have been fine. but now it's all getting confusing.
good movie, great special effects, great cast, great humor, great make-up, great music, great atmosphere altogether. but just BAD BAD BAD writing and BAD BAD BAD character development!!! and last of all: I MISSED THE KRAKEN!
Miami Vice (2006)
just not good!
this movie may contain some good ingredients, but it lacks a proper recipe. many of it has been pointed out by previous comments. but here is a break down:
- no character chemistry: farrell and foxx don't mix. both are good actors, just not good together. - bad script writing gives us a plot that is confusing, doesn't allow character development, feels fast but is just so boring it makes you gawp. movie is too long too. - Li Gong is not a good cast in my opinion. she acts good, but is just not the type for this "woman who made it in the men's world"-role
last, the action really disappointed me. many comments that i've read before said that the action made up for the flaws of this movie. but it really doesn't! the only cool action piece is when the bad guy with the trigger get's properly shot through the head. the final shoot-out is very very VERY BAD! it is very very confusing with camera switching back and forth... and because we only see people from their backs, we cannot distinguish any. in crazy war movies i can easily make out complex shout-out situations, but here it just makes me crazy. also the bald guy who's gonna check the money hides behind the truck, shoots 2 bad guys and is then suddenly taken out of the whole scene. and why don't the snipers provide more firepower after they've taken out the other shooters? it's just bad. in 'Heat' we saw a great chase through an entire busy city street, with the group splitting up and everything. and in that scene everything is clear, all makes sense and you simply understand what you see. why couldn't Mann make something like that, where did he blew it?
all in all, just not good!
Paradise Now (2005)
Doesn't meet high expectations
I had high expectations for this movie but it was really disappointing. Actually I really don't understand why it made it to the Oscars, and I'm glad it didn't win it. The movie starts off good but it really can't keep me focused. It's just dull and tedious. What also disturbs me is how biased this movie is. The writers have tried to make a neutral statement by adding Suha to the story who tries to convince them that blowing themselves up isn't going to help their cause. But besides that, this movie still tries to portray the Israeli's as evil suppressors. Also this movie ends just before the actual explosion. I hate that, to show the human side and the cause of Said and Khaleb, but not show the destruction, the deaths, the pain and the suffering these suicide attacks cause. Very simple to leave all that misery out of the picture. But I think it's stupid!