nats_always_write Reviews

Agora (2009)

An unexpected and unique epic, for a change

[9/10 · 11 February 2011]

Out of the many movies I saw from 2009, this one seriously escaped my attention - I only found it through a fluke on Netflix. That being said, this film is also considerably better than many films I've seen recently, including the big-tickets ones. The acting overall is pretty on-point for an epic drama with above-average character development, and the way the film deals with the transition and conflict of religion is quite interesting. Watching Hypatia's (Weisz) fate unfold is affecting, but so are the lives of the men around her, though you can't help but feel sadness as you watch the world around her become ever more hostile towards learning, research, and female intelligence, or female anything, for that matter. I kept expecting Weisz to fall into the inevitable lure of sex that most female roles give in to, but she portrays a different kind of woman that we don't see very often; the sort of academic philosopher-nun (without religion) whose prime occupation in life is to try to figure out the world just a tiny bit more.

An appealing glimpse of how different characters make sense the of changing world around them. Watch this movie for the history, perhaps not in the most accurate sense, but for the overall sensation and feel of the 4th-century events portrayed in the film. Also to get a pretty cool imagination of what the library of Alexandria might have looked like. Overall an interesting exploration of the clash between academics, philosophy, personal relations, and dictates of religion.

Caffeine (2006)

Humor can't rescue Caffeine from a bitter aftertaste

[3/10 · 21 February 2009]

On first look, this movie seems appealing - the coffee house is certainly a relatable setting, and the characters all have their humorous moments of witty dialogue, however short-lived. But on the long glance, and after 89 minutes, the overall performance leaves a rather bitter aftertaste. Because, lets face it, the movie brings up nearly every socially awkward situation possible in a way that tries to make light of it all, but doesn't quite get away with it. The mentally ill grandmother who brings a shotgun into the café and then timidly asks for a cup of tea, the dumped boyfriend yelling "I have cancer" in order to avoid a beating, the lawyer who wears his fiancé's underwear while cleaning, the gay waiter who breaks into tears, the threesome with twins - it's a bit too much for this movie to carry. Maybe it's movie's self-contained nature; like a play with one main set, I half expected to see the cast of "Noises Off" to run across the screen.

Katherine Heigl's performance is a bit strange here too - while she did give a better British accent than I expected she only shot off these short little lines, as if the screenwriter was worried her accent wouldn't last through a paragraph. Her comic timing is alright, but her character is hardly developed, and since she is probably the film's biggest draw right now, this seems unwise.

What is most unsettling is that this movie can't seem to decide what it wants to be; a slice of neurotic 'real' life or a satire of the crazy social situations that emerge when people get coffee-ed up? Are we meant to like these characters despite their quirks - which are basically unbelievable, because in what world would all this happen in one coffee house in one day? - or think they're all nuts? But Caffeine does attempt to wrap up the ending with the very odd grandmother walking down the street with granddaughter Mena Suvari, declaring "That was a nice day." I just hope all my days aren't that nice.

Tristan + Isolde (2006)

A beautiful, exciting, and heart wrenching tale of impossible love

[9/10 · 14 January 2006]

Beautiful, full of emotion and moving. The characters are portrayed skillfully and are generally believable - they fit into the legend but aren't overly heroic. Not overdone. The love between Tristan and Isolde is so powerful that it's impossible not to feel for them, but it is also impossible not to feel bad for the King, who is deeply in love with Isolde as well. The film's main departure from the traditional story is it's decision to leave out the love potion between T+I, which for modern audiences is a smart choice; it makes the whole relationship appear more 'authentic.' This is also one of Rufus Sewell's only' sympathetic roles, and it's a treat to see him play someone we don't automatically hate. The real heart-wrencher comes from watching the love grow between T+I while their obstacles grow larger. The movie also had some great battle scenes, just violent enough without going for the gross-out factor, convincing but not painful to watch (for most). And like most good dramatic movies it's not completely without humor, there are definitely some moments that make you laugh, or at least smile. Overall, it is one of the best romantic historical movies I have seen in a very long time. This movie is sure to make the entire female population fall in love with James Franco, and it's story is unforgettable.