bushing-1 Reviews

Unknown Pleasures (2002)

I Don't Get It

[2/10 · 19 March 2009]

I greatly enjoy most Chinese films not to mention films in general. This film I just don't get. I fell asleep the first time I tried to watch it. I resumed watching the next day at the point I last remembered seeing. When the end unexpectedly reared its ugly head, I wished that all the characters (vs the actors of course) had died in the movie and put us all out of our misery. These characters had nothing about them to get me interested in them as characters or in their story. They were pure and simple... bored and very boring. Other than a little eye candy in the form of the female lead (who was nonetheless also without any real interest), I saw nothing worth spending the two hours I did with this film. If you have absolutely no inner resources, perhaps you will identify with these characters. Otherwise I'd run when you see the DVD cover.

Rescue Dawn (2006)

One of my bottom three worst movies of all time

[1/10 · 7 April 2008]

I took this DVD out expecting a real action packed thriller with plenty of action and intrigue, and even some decent acting. Although my political leanings are far to the left, I don't mind watching a good war story if it is well-acted, has a good plot, and either action or some intriguing plot twists. In my mind this film had none of the above. In fact, I think it would fall into my three worst movies of all time. I just can't see how it received a 7.7 out of 10 rating from viewers. Was I watching the same movie. It was about as boring as could be. The dialog was muddy and I could barely understand it without turning the volume way up. The acting was mediocre... I think my high school plays were better acted than this movie.

The Sisters (2005)

One of the worst I've ever watched

[1/10 · 2 January 2008]

I just watched the DVD of this movie tonight. As far as I'm concerned, it earned a place on my All Time Worst Movies. This was really not a movie... it was more like a filmed play (most of the film takes place in a single room). I thought the acting (or perhaps it was just the script) was generally terrible. I was ready to turn it off after less than 30 minutes but did watch it to completion to see if it got any worse (and I think it did). I was just informed my comment is too short, but there really isn't much more I care to say about this "film." I am well educated with two advanced degrees and found this story to be not very interesting at all. I didn't identify with a single character in the film. I can't imagine spending time, or carrying on an intelligent and satisfying conversation with any of them with the possible exception of the English Dept. head. I thought all of them were overly melodramatic. I wasn't interested in a single character or the scripted relationships between them. Truly a dysfunctional family with only a few redeeming traits (about the same redemption value as the old 2 cent coke bottle). I should add that while I am not a student of the cinema, I do make documentary films that air on television.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Interesting and Worth Watching but not the Novel

[7/10 · 4 April 2006]

I read the book about two years before finally seeing the movie tonight. My female housemate has read the book twice. Neither of us felt the movie followed the book very closely, but this is Hollywierd so I guess we can't expect too much even from the great film makers involved.

I felt the book was much better in terms of the story line, but the film was still quite enjoyable. It was definitely beautifully filmed, and of course I adore Ziyi Zhang, Li Gong and Michelle Yeoh. They could be my "arm candy" any time... and their conversational skills are great as well.

If you have read the book, view this as an independent experience and with an open mind. If you haven't, I think it will be a great visual experience with a story line worth paying attention to.

Spanglish (2004)

A Surprise For Me

[7/10 · 21 June 2005]

I have never been a fan of Adam Sandler but decided to watch this movie on DVD due to some very good reviews. I was not disappointed and felt overall this was an interesting movie, especially for a "comedy" (a genre I don't watch much of). The movie delved into values at several different levels and how they played out both from the immigrant's perspective of entering a new culture and from an interpersonal perspective where couples are involved. While I did find Sadler to be slightly less than believable in his role (perhaps a result of my negative impression of him, or more accurately the characters he played, in other films), his performance showed more range than I expected. I found myself drawn to Paz Vega's character and not simply due to her physical appeal. Her dilemma seemed to be a very real one, one I could relate to having had immigrant grandparents. I felt this movie was well worth seeing.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Didn't even crack a smile

[1/10 · 6 June 2005]

As a marine biologist who has done some consulting work with the Cousteau's over the past 30 years, I had avoided watching this movie until today. I often like Bill Murray's work. However, while watching this movie I do not remember my mouth breaking into even the slightest smile, must less laughter. This surprised me since I expected a comedy, but got something that seemed incredibly bland to me. Murray's acting did not seem to involve any real enthusiasm for the role or the project. I would say the same about Angelica Huston's performance. I was surprised that I reacted better to Owen Wilson, an actor whose roles I generally dislike. In this film he was acceptable in the role.

This Girl's Life (2003)

Not as great as the reviews

[6/10 · 18 April 2005]

Ebert and Roeper gave this two thumbs up and were very impressed with the lead actress. On that basis I rented the video. This was an interesting film in that it portrayed a likable individual with some good (but often indirect) character development as the porn star. Although there were semi-graphic sexual scenes, they were not gratuitous and were integral to the development of the story.

I found myself generally interested in most of the primary characters. The film presented them with enough depth to make them intriguing. I have not seen any other films depicting the porn industry and its stars that I can think of, so I can't compare it to "the competition." I actually know a few people who have worked in this industry, and felt the characters depicted were consistent with the people I know.

The lead actress did give a credible performance. I was interested in how her life evolved on screen, in the decisions she made, etc. She was also quite attractive which helped maintain the interest.

At the end I found I was questioning myself as to whether I truly enjoyed the film or not. In some ways it exceeded my expectations, but I didn't feel it lived up to E & R's highly positive review.