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mark f
Guest
Ummm... there were NO "dream" sequences. You really think The House of the Devil is better than this? Go to this thread please.
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J
Justin
Guest
Well, I couldn't find another way to describe it, but I guess "dream sequence" wasn't the right choice of words. But I hope you got my point, anyway.
The House of The Devil is flawed, as well, in my opinion. The ending seemed to kill a lot of the momentum; the film couldn't quite live up to its dramatic build-up. It's not so much as "better", but accomplished exactly what it set out to do. I thought the tension was raised very well by using relatively "minor" mundane details of every day life (but certainly not all of them were mundane details, like the creepy phone call). It operated as a 70's throwback to horror films of that era, so in that way, it worked pretty well.
The Innocents is a solid film, but wasn't suspenseful enough for me. Sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as you did, mark. I liked it, and I thought the directing (like the two-shot close-ups, and the sweeping camera from close-up to close-up) and photography was solid, but it didn't completely win me over on the first viewing. So, most likely, there will be a second viewing, just to be sure.....
The House of The Devil is flawed, as well, in my opinion. The ending seemed to kill a lot of the momentum; the film couldn't quite live up to its dramatic build-up. It's not so much as "better", but accomplished exactly what it set out to do. I thought the tension was raised very well by using relatively "minor" mundane details of every day life (but certainly not all of them were mundane details, like the creepy phone call). It operated as a 70's throwback to horror films of that era, so in that way, it worked pretty well.
The Innocents is a solid film, but wasn't suspenseful enough for me. Sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as you did, mark. I liked it, and I thought the directing (like the two-shot close-ups, and the sweeping camera from close-up to close-up) and photography was solid, but it didn't completely win me over on the first viewing. So, most likely, there will be a second viewing, just to be sure.....
J
Justin
Guest
How to Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders,2010) [rating]4[/rating]
A thoroughly enjoyable animated adventure. Funny and sentimental, but never sappy. The dragon, named "Toothless", is given very lovable qualities; yet, it is done without a word uttered. Hiccup, the main character, is voice-acted fairly well, but his voice is almost too recognizable and does become distracting. Overall, the film works very well, but it does fall into a few traps, like the expository speech by Astrid towards the end of the film. Aside from a few problems here and there, it's a fun ride.
Not to mention, the CGI is beautiful...
A thoroughly enjoyable animated adventure. Funny and sentimental, but never sappy. The dragon, named "Toothless", is given very lovable qualities; yet, it is done without a word uttered. Hiccup, the main character, is voice-acted fairly well, but his voice is almost too recognizable and does become distracting. Overall, the film works very well, but it does fall into a few traps, like the expository speech by Astrid towards the end of the film. Aside from a few problems here and there, it's a fun ride.
Not to mention, the CGI is beautiful...
J
Justin
Guest
Still Walking (Hirokazu Koreeda,2008) [rating]4.5[/rating]
One of the best films I've seen in awhile. Understated, honest, brutal and extremely sensory (audio work was brilliant). Each character was slowly developed over painfully awkward moments within a slice-of-life context. Still Walking's themes are strong, and are highly pronounced as the film moves effortlessly through a family's afternoon.
A must see.
One of the best films I've seen in awhile. Understated, honest, brutal and extremely sensory (audio work was brilliant). Each character was slowly developed over painfully awkward moments within a slice-of-life context. Still Walking's themes are strong, and are highly pronounced as the film moves effortlessly through a family's afternoon.
A must see.
J
Justin
Guest
Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich,2010) [rating]3.5[/rating]
A very sentimental, enjoyable film, but with some flaws here and there. One of the biggest problems is the script, or, to be specific, the villain and how hurried the 3rd act is. Much of the film seems to be rehashed from the 2nd film, which is pretty unfortunate considering the amount of talent and originality that Pixar has. I think it would be hard for anyone who's a fan of the franchise to say they didn't enjoy it, and I think the consensus is that it's great, but regardless, the script needed more room to breathe and some fresh new ideas. It's still absolutely worth seeing, especially in 3-D and IMAX.
A very sentimental, enjoyable film, but with some flaws here and there. One of the biggest problems is the script, or, to be specific, the villain and how hurried the 3rd act is. Much of the film seems to be rehashed from the 2nd film, which is pretty unfortunate considering the amount of talent and originality that Pixar has. I think it would be hard for anyone who's a fan of the franchise to say they didn't enjoy it, and I think the consensus is that it's great, but regardless, the script needed more room to breathe and some fresh new ideas. It's still absolutely worth seeing, especially in 3-D and IMAX.
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kris90
Guest
Justin's review the shaking!
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linespalsy
Guest
i haven't had much to say about these reviews simply because i haven't seen any of the movies you've reviewed so far, but you've got a unique and well-articulated pov, which i like.
i haven't seen anything by kore-eda, do you have a particular favorite to recommend or one i should start with?
i haven't seen anything by kore-eda, do you have a particular favorite to recommend or one i should start with?
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Justin
Guest
The Killer Inside Me (Michael Winterbottom,2010) [rating]4[/rating]
Difficult, but ultimately very rewarding. It's much more than the negative press that the film received, which was, to me, unfair and cheap. But nevertheless, this is a disturbing portrayal of a sick mind. Winterbottom's narrative will likely be off-putting to most people, since it is told in a semi-fragmented way. The film's narrator (Lou Ford/Casey Affleck) is unreliable and his insanity slowly increases, which causes the film to spiral into a maddeningly confusing conclusion.
Difficult, but ultimately very rewarding. It's much more than the negative press that the film received, which was, to me, unfair and cheap. But nevertheless, this is a disturbing portrayal of a sick mind. Winterbottom's narrative will likely be off-putting to most people, since it is told in a semi-fragmented way. The film's narrator (Lou Ford/Casey Affleck) is unreliable and his insanity slowly increases, which causes the film to spiral into a maddeningly confusing conclusion.
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honeykid
Guest
I really want to see this. I've read nothing about it, except for a brief synopsis, so I couldn't tell you how I feel about what's been said about it. Glad to see you post some thoughts on it, Justin.
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Talyseon
Guest
Is Greenburg (or anything with Ben Stiller) worth wasting a Netflix slot on?
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adidasss
Guest
I think the safest bet is Nobody knows.
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Justin
Guest
Huh?
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Harry Lime
Guest
Justin has his own review thread now, cool. I'll be sure to check it out periodically. Too bad about them Penguins, though.
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Justin
Guest
No, it's worth seeing, especially if you like Noah Baumbach (assuming you've seen any of his work). Stiller is good and makes the film pretty watchable.
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mark f
Guest
I imagine that Yoda agrees.
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Justin
Guest
Sorry for the delay. I've been pretty busy.
Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010) [rating]4.5[/rating]
What could I say that hasn't already been said? It's an excellent film with strong directing. Nolan cleverly intertwines a classic heist film with the subconscious, and it works wonderfully.
Get Low (Aaron Schneider,2010) [rating]2.5[/rating]
Despite the presence of Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, and Robert Duvall, the film falls short. Schneider seems unsure of himself, so a lot of the weight falls on these actors -- who are excellent, no question. But the tone is off, and the film loses momentum particularly towards the end of the second act, where it plods along to the conclusion.
Mother (Joon-ho Bong, 2010) [rating]4.5[/rating]
Bong's directing is top-notch with terrific cinematography and storytelling. Good acting, with a nice, slow-burning pace that never stalls. It ultimately leads to a very satisfying ending. Not to mention, Hye-ja Kim is superb.
The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko,2010) [rating]3.5[/rating]
Good, but pretty forgettable. Cholodenko's directing is solid and moves the film along nicely, but it is missing something more -- it fails to make an impression. Though the film isn't memorable, the acting is great, though; Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo are definitely the strong points of the film. But that isn't to say that Annette Bening doesn't shine, as well. It's unfortunate that there are so many good things about the film, and yet it doesn't quite make it there.
Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010) [rating]4.5[/rating]
What could I say that hasn't already been said? It's an excellent film with strong directing. Nolan cleverly intertwines a classic heist film with the subconscious, and it works wonderfully.
Get Low (Aaron Schneider,2010) [rating]2.5[/rating]
Despite the presence of Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, and Robert Duvall, the film falls short. Schneider seems unsure of himself, so a lot of the weight falls on these actors -- who are excellent, no question. But the tone is off, and the film loses momentum particularly towards the end of the second act, where it plods along to the conclusion.
Mother (Joon-ho Bong, 2010) [rating]4.5[/rating]
Bong's directing is top-notch with terrific cinematography and storytelling. Good acting, with a nice, slow-burning pace that never stalls. It ultimately leads to a very satisfying ending. Not to mention, Hye-ja Kim is superb.
The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko,2010) [rating]3.5[/rating]
Good, but pretty forgettable. Cholodenko's directing is solid and moves the film along nicely, but it is missing something more -- it fails to make an impression. Though the film isn't memorable, the acting is great, though; Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo are definitely the strong points of the film. But that isn't to say that Annette Bening doesn't shine, as well. It's unfortunate that there are so many good things about the film, and yet it doesn't quite make it there.
J
Justin
Guest
Green Zone (Paul Greengrass,2010) [rating]2[/rating]
Not as good as I had hoped, but it was decent, aside from some clunky moments; e.g. the ham-handed "message" at the end. Acting was spotty in some areas, like Amy Ryan, who was completely unbelievable. Greg Kinnear was quite good, however. The film has great action sequences, particularly the one towards the end, which just about made the price of admission worth it. I've heard some negative remarks regarding the handheld aesthetic, which are certianly valid opinions, but personally, I've always liked it. Handheld provides the film with a quality, that while may seem sloppy, took months to prepare in order to get it right. Greengrass proves, yet again, that he might be one of the best (aside from Michael Mann) at choreographing action sequences.
Not as good as I had hoped, but it was decent, aside from some clunky moments; e.g. the ham-handed "message" at the end. Acting was spotty in some areas, like Amy Ryan, who was completely unbelievable. Greg Kinnear was quite good, however. The film has great action sequences, particularly the one towards the end, which just about made the price of admission worth it. I've heard some negative remarks regarding the handheld aesthetic, which are certianly valid opinions, but personally, I've always liked it. Handheld provides the film with a quality, that while may seem sloppy, took months to prepare in order to get it right. Greengrass proves, yet again, that he might be one of the best (aside from Michael Mann) at choreographing action sequences.
J
Justin
Guest
Farewell (Christian Carion,2010) [rating]4.5[/rating]
With Polanski-esque suspense and strong performances, it's undoubtedly my favorite film of 2010 so far. Much of the actual espionage is kept off-screen, so we only see the meetings between the two protagonists. Thanks to Carion's directing, we learn a lot about them, and who they are outside of their jobs -- they never come off as one-dimensional. This is definitely a must-see.
With Polanski-esque suspense and strong performances, it's undoubtedly my favorite film of 2010 so far. Much of the actual espionage is kept off-screen, so we only see the meetings between the two protagonists. Thanks to Carion's directing, we learn a lot about them, and who they are outside of their jobs -- they never come off as one-dimensional. This is definitely a must-see.
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Justin
Guest
I can't help you there. I've only seen Still Walking, though I do plan on seeing more.
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mark f
Guest
I watched Nobody Knows, and I know people who thought it was the best film of its year, so it probably comes as no surprise that I gave it [rating]2.5[/rating].