Change Your Image
JasonS
Reviews
XX/XY (2002)
Exquisite
A wonderful piece of film-making. Abradingly honest and perceptive... too much for many I suspect (see the first comment here! When will we get off the idea that we watch films in order to like the people in them?). The performances here are superb - although Ruffalo can have one tick too many. Worth watching for the 'split mirror' scene alone.
I've rarely seen sexual tension portrayed so well (perhaps in Happiness - the sofa scene?). It's so hard to find a film that is unapologetically sexy (sexual?) and cerebral.
Unbreakable (2000)
The dangers of hyphenates!
This is what can happen when one man is in charge of the
creative process. While the Sixth Sense was good, Unbreakable is
self-indulgent, lacking in pace and has all the hallmarks of a
project lacking sufficient critical input. Shame, as the feel of the
movie was excellent at times and there are some wonderful,
playful ideas here. But it should have been a short.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Tripe
The fact that this film is in the top 250 is a very sad
testimony to the ease with which people can be duped by
reputation. Read the reviews - they nearly all concentrate
on how great Kubrick WAS. It's as infantile as a teenage
devotion to bands and as infantile as the famous 'message'. Films need more than metaphors; Stan, don't
tell us what you're trying to say - just tell us!
Hilary and Jackie (1998)
Events not emotions
I'm amazed that the writer and director could take over two hours of the sensationally dramatic and traumatic lives of H&J and instead of presenting us with a vast, detailed landscape of passion, deceit, love, sibling competition, family loyalties and a host of other topics, they managed to find a narrow, faltering meandering path that deliberately seemed to avoid the dramatic and added not a jot of insight to the sister's lives (the collapse of Hilary's musical career was ignored) and various relationships.
The start was far too slow and the long drawn out end unnecessary. Much more interesting to scrutinize in detail the period from teens to late twenties but the director insisted on a thud by thud full life account, no matter how uninteresting. I thought this was a film I'd sob through - I
Notting Hill (1999)
Cynical slush
Why? Because this was sheer stale US packaging and nothing else. Not only the ending was predictable (which is allowed in a romance) but every twist and turn. Yawningly too long. Lots of plain 'gags' that were the product of neither character nor plot (man who tries to buy novels, interviews with her co-stars in the hotel). Trite humour (grungy, eclectic flatmate; big feet/shoes). No insight, no questions, no credibility (why did she kiss him?) Huge plot holes - where did the fantastic Mr Ifans go during most of her stay? Why did he take the call from his mother? And yet another group of charming chums who are all SO supportive with not a twang of angst in sight despite disability/redundancy/business failure. By the second hour I was urging Hugh to hurry every one of those oh, so, faltering, foppish syllables. The plot was an obstacle course of devices which served only to titillate (goggles/guinea fowl/her from accounts and so many others). But what angers me most is that Curtis IS capable of producing delightful, fresh beguiling stuff but this was clearly straight from the pocket(book).
This Year's Love (1999)
Awkward if sometimes interesting but too many flaws
Clumsy, overlong, directionless with too many implausible plot lines. Wafer thin characterisation but some very good performances (although sadly not Kathy Burke). Some funny moments but no real laughs (though some of the audience whooped and clapped!). But what really bothered me was the total lack of narrative force: this film could have ended an hour earlier and you'd be none the poorer (or wiser). Oh... and Jennifer Erhle paddled in the shallow waters...
Little Voice (1998)
Overhyped and Disappointing
Why? Slight and undeveloped plot. Obvious, clichéd, crass humour
(aren't fat people hilarious?). Little original observation or
insight. Crowbar plot devices (Duane, bluebirds). Predictable
endings. (Admittedly good) performances of trite, one dimensional characters: the heartless, slapper mum; the lowlife,
manipulative promoter; the failed comic, etc [After five minutes
I wanted to slap Brenda Blethyn wasn't this just her Secrets
and Lies character with tits?]
I'm a fan of Jane Horrocks but this is certainly not her best
film. This is was a specifically written vehicle for her singing
talents not for her acting skills. I thought McGregor gave the
film's best performance.
It was moving at times... but with those songs how could it not
have been?
Acid test: if you removed the sound track, what would be left?
Un coeur en hiver (1992)
Magnificent
Nothing happens; but everything. Only the French seem able to
capture such anguish so mundanely. Excellent performances and
wonderful soundtrack. Why can't I write stuff like thi