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wizardofroz13
Reviews
Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
Quite the disappointment...
Like most Americans, I have found myself bewitched by Zac Efron; his stunningly blue eyes, his sullen good looks and his perfectly tousled hair make him a great leading man. But alas, not even his good looks could save this film.
The premise is interesting enough, a senior in high school who has the world on a string suddenly finds himself plunging down a path of apathy and regret after the death of his 12 year old brother. This is quite hard to believe, however, due to the poor relationship Charlie (Efron) has with his little brother. In the scenes before young Sam dies, the two don't seem to share any fraternal bond. So, when we find out that 5 years after Sam's death Charlie is grounds keeper at the cemetery and plays catch with his dead brother every night, I thought it ridiculous. Efron plays Charlie the same way both before and after Sam dies: completely apathetic and nearly removed from the screen. There is a twist towards the end of the film that makes the plot even more difficult to grasp. It is very difficult to empathize with Charlie at this point.
Ray Liotta has a tiny, tiny part which should have been developed much more fully. Kim Basinger is totally forgettable. Efron's love interest, Amanda Crew, is very hard to like. The film hardly explores her character and I found myself responding to her supposedly dramatic scenes very negatively. The young actor who plays Sam does an okay job. He tries to be the awe-struck younger brother but Efron doesn't give him enough to work with.
Overall, I feel as though this movie was mishandled. In the hands of either a more sensitive director and/or cast, this could have been very touching coming of age film. Sadly, it's far from it.
One redeeming quality is that the scenery is beautiful. The lush forest and ocean water surrounding the cemetery and town are magnificent.
If you really want to see this movie, I'd say wait. Wait to rent or see it at the dollar theater or until you just totally forget about it.
Nine (2009)
I really wanted to like this...
...but I couldn't. I love musicals, both on screen and on stage. I was impressed with Rob Marshall's "Chicago" and expected great things from "Nine" but I was disappointed. Marshall's music video type numbers worked in "Chicago" but seemed misplaced and awkward in "Nine." The audience is unable to appreciate the fantastic choreography because of how often Marshall cuts to a different angle. I prefer the Gene Kelly type dance scene when the camera stays with the dancer so that the audience is able to see the entire dancer. This bothered me the most during "Be Italian." The stage full of dancers with tambourines was genius but the audience is unable to watch every single dancer and it loses some of its emphasis. The musical numbers seemed to be thrown in very haphazardly and made the film very choppy and difficult to watch.
The music in this show is incredible. I listen to the soundtrack all the time. Daniel Day- Lewis, who was a fabulous and stylish Guido, really impressed me with his vocals. By no means is he a singer but he pulls it off in a way that reminds me of Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd" or, perhaps, Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady." Marion Cotillard is a natural. After she took home the Oscar for "La Vie En Rose" I had very high standards and she did not disappoint. The same can be said for Nicole Kidman after her success in "Moulin Rouge." Penelope Cruz was delightful and sexy. Kate Hudson did a nice job with her song but her character seemed a little superfluous. Fergie was fantastic. She hit "Be Italian" right out of the park. Of course, Sophia Loren was beautiful and elegant as always.
Though the cast did well with what they were given, their star power wasn't enough to make the film a 10. I encourage you to watch it, however, simply because of the cast. But rent it, don't buy it.
Shutter Island (2010)
"Shutter Island"
This film was a traditional Scorsese picture. The cinematography was fantastic, acting excellent, music emotional and direction superb. That being said, I have trouble saying that this film is an instant classic. The technical elements were sound. If I were to go through with a score sheet, "Shutter Island" would receive a perfect 10 in each category, yet something about the film left me wanting more. I don't blame the ambiguous ending. On the contrary, I enjoy an ambiguous ending. ("Gone with the Wind" anyone?) I can't put my finger on what it lacked for me, but I can safely say it was missing that something that I was hoping for. Perhaps, it was the hype that surrounded the movie. Well, say that's what it is...for now.
Onto the positive aspects of the film, the first thing to strike me was the fantastic score Scorsese compiled. Classical music was used sparingly and effectively. Also, the use of silence in this film was remarkable. As Teddy (DiCaprio) is walking through the terrifying halls of the mental hospital, the silence scares the audience more so than the darkness and prison-like cells patients are thrown into.
The cinematography was also fantastic in this film. I loved the switch in color palette between life on Shutter Island and the recesses of Teddy's mind. This plays a huge part in the story line, helping the audience decipher what is real and what is clearly a hallucination though even that can trip you up.
The acting was wonderful. DiCaprio is at his finest. He is believably and charming. You can't help but empathize with his character, no matter what. Ben Kingsley is intellectually terrifying. Though not the same, his performance hearkens to Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds," Mark Ruffalo is overshadowed in this film but does a nice job. Emily Mortimer is quite convincing as a mental patient and Michelle Williams' depth was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think she'd play quite as large a role as she did.
Scorsese directed. I think that's all I have to say. He is a master. He knows what he wants and how to get it.
Newsies (1992)
Newsies
Amazing movie. The dance scenes were incredible and the vocals were incredible! The story is very inspirational! The all of the music is great! Santa Fe is such a beautiful song. It's all about wanting to be somewhere where you're not lonely! Seize the Day has a great message that makes you want to get up and change the world! King of New York is so cool! It's one that makes you want to get up and dance. Alan Menken's work, I think, is better than his work on The Little Mermaid. I absolutely loved this movie! This is one of Disney's greatest! Christian Bale is incredible. I thought David Moscow played a great also. I really enjoyed the characters. They had lots of personality. I loved the wise-cracking newsie Racetrack.