Nikos7 Reviews

Baaria (2009)

Sadly babbling...

[5/10 · 22 August 2010]

I just saw it tonight and I found it unbelievably superficial and pseudo-artistic (or "superficially artistic" if you want). It seems like he couldn't stop "talking" and bringing in new themes and subplots into the movie, to the point that there was no point at the end! Just an endless blah-blah-blah-blah-blah! It was as if Tornatore was afraid this would be his last movie ever, so he had to tell us everything that's ever crossed his mind... Even the music seemed totally contrived to me. Trying to impress and move the audience at every single, boring, supposedly moving, scene.

Tolerable for the artistic features (cinematography, scenery, costumes, etc.) but other than that long-winded and babbling. I would definitely not propose it.

P.S. Oh, and Monica Bellucci's breasts make a cameo appearance for something like 10 seconds. How can you treat your actors like that? (And why did she have to accept this... "role"?)

2046 (2004)

Artistic masterpiece for attentive viewers

[8/10 · 13 November 2004]

There are 3 things I should tell you about this film:

1) First and foremost, this is NOT a science fiction film in any way close. I know people who avoided seeing it because they thought it had to do with sci-fi, which it doesn't. I don't know how the film got this characterization. My idea is that perhaps the director was trying to bypass Chinese censorship and framed the story as a science fiction feature but the only sci-fi thing about it is what you read in the tag-line "In his novel, a mysterious train left for 2046 every once in a while..." and one scene. By the way, when the hotel owner's daughter asks him to re-write a more pleasant ending, is this also a hint about the presence of censorship starting to be felt by the people of Hong-Kong? Or perhaps, some smart-ass marketing guru thought it would be cool to throw in "sci-fi" as well so as to expand the audience…

2) 2046 is the last year that Hong Kong will retain its current political status, after its transfer from the UK to China. To a great extent this seems to me to be the main subject of the film: the emotions that people go through in this transitional phase, although it is all beautifully hidden behind the façade of a love story. A form of contemplation about the nature of the relationship between the main characters as an analogy to the countries they symbolize. Is it love, money or just the power of the past / destiny that brings them together or drives them apart?

3) From an artistic / stylistic point of view this comes very close to being a masterpiece. The costumes, cinematography and the music combined create an ethereal atmosphere. Yet the story is a bit loose and slow, perhaps deliberately confusing to the viewer at some scenes as the past blends with the future. Interestingly, there are no outside shots of Hong Kong, except for some documentary newsreels inserted at some points but the atmosphere is conveyed in an exceptional way. The characters are all excellent, starting with Tony Leung and the stunning Zhang Ziyi.

Actually, the more I think of this and try to short it out the more I want to go see it for a second time around. Probably will…! Funny thing is I was not at all impressed with "In the Mood For Love"(6/10) but for this film I give an 8/10, at least, after the first viewing.

Canadian Bacon (1995)

Lacking, over-politicized comedy

[4/10 · 29 September 2003]

A 1995 Michael Moore film (of "Bowling for Columbine" fame) that does not deliver. It's a "Wag the Dog" type of film that gets only sparse, occasional laughs. [Canadian director/script-writer] Moore seems more interested in venting irony against his southern neighbors than on creating a real comedy. The jokes are, for the most part, far stretched, based on "anti-American" cliches and lacking in subtlety that would make them more useful for the overall plot. Although he does let a few hints of sarcasm against his fellow Canadians as well, I think the film fails to appeal to a broader audience other than those looking for an excuse to re-affirm their cliches.

Interesting Trivia: A cameo appearance by Michael Moore, as a naive and wild, gun-slinging American.

Best of the Best II (1993)

The brain-dead might like it

[2/10 · 26 June 2003]

SPOILERS contained in the 2nd paragraph. This movie is so horrible that it borders on the comic. Actually, it doesn't border, it crosses it. The plot is worse than predictable: It is downright absurd and childishly unreal. All sorts of outrageous things happen for no apparent reason and the director / script-writer do not even attempt to explain them. [My advice for those who don't want to read on is to avoid it at all costs. If someone at home has rented the video, pay them to have the tape immediately returned to the video-store. You'll thank me!]

Hell, why bother to explain why the police, the D.A or any other authority do nothing to solve an apparent murder? "Justice" has to be brought by Tommy Lee and his buddy Alex. Why bother explaining how a chronic alcoholic gets back to being a master fighter in half a day? Why bother explaining how an Olympic (wrestling) champion gets involved in fights in an underground, life-and-death fight-ring? And the list goes on... The usually decent Eric Roberts gets completely lost here, just like all the other actors. Sad!

Stalked (1994)

O.K.

[5/10 · 5 January 2003]

Just as another viewer wrote, this is not a great film but surely one that catches your attention once you start watching it. Actually I've watched it twice, on TV. Jay Underwood plays one of the most memorable and yet entertaining psychos I've seen and surely adds to the film. Myriam D'Abo (blessed and cursed with a Rosanna Arquette look(-alike) )is OK and Alex Karzis is quite good as Tony. Nothing truly original in the script except for a couple of gruesome scenes of Daryl hurting himself to prove his love...

Gosford Park (2001)

Interesting idea, badly executed

[6/10 · 18 April 2002]

The film tries to depict life and social conditions and class differences in England of the 1930's, packaged together in a who-dunnit story. Yet, the dialogues are so boring and tedious (especially in the first one third of the film) that you almost end up falling asleep. You are also bombarded with a myriad of names (characters), all of them addressing each other in a constant bla-bla-bla so that you don't know who is who until very late in the film. The hazy effect that is applied throughout the film, along with the low lighting scenes makes it almost painful to the eyes. Overall, I would give it a (rather generous) 6/10.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Pretentious non-comedy

[5/10 · 24 March 2002]

I was horrified to see the average rating in imdb for this film. Although I usually strike right in the middle of the public's ratings I think that this one is a totally overrated film. I wouldn't have bothered writing a comment on it if the rating was lower but now I feel the need to warn the potential viewer about it. This is one of those pretentious films that have emerged lately and which try to emulate comedy but... taking it to a (supposedly) higher level. A local leftist film-critic loved it because it actually shows that Americans are not all as happy as the media would want us to believe (or something like that...). Wow! How smart!

Let's face it people. A comedy is supposed to make you laugh. If it doesn't , it's not a comedy - at least not a good one. A few funny moments, a set of oddball characters and a very good set of songs from the 60's and 70's do not necessarily make a good comedy nor a good film. In this case, they make a long, long set of scenes that never ever manages to take off. If Hollywood quite often brings out commercial garbage, we're not gonna fall for pretentious anti-commercial garbage either. 5/10 for me.

Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story (1994 TV Movie)

Pathetic!

[2/10 · 13 February 2002]

SPOILER contained (although I would do you a favor if I... spoiled the film for you and thus prevented you from watching it!)

It's hard to start describing the amount of stupidity and... corniness amassed in this TV-film. I thought the script-writer was aiming for the brain-dead section of TV-market until I saw the (real) Stolpas appearing in a picture at the end of the film. Was this a sign that they had given their consent for this film after watching it or were they just happy to... "be on the TV"? Anyway, to make things worse, the director makes every scene look so predictable that it really gets on your nerves. Sad to see Michael Gross (I) (of classic TV sitcom "Family Ties") play in this flick!

Mulholland Drive (2001)

I'll recommend "MindTrap" instead

[4/10 · 10 February 2002]

(Minor?) SPOILER contained. I watched this damn movie tonight and although I initially liked it (perhaps I felt intimidated by the? wisdom in it) the more I think about it now the more I hate it! Maybe it caught me in a not-absolutely-perfect mood or it may just be that I prefer playing "MindTrap" than watching movies if I want to solve riddles. The direction is obviously very good from a technical standpoint and it really catches your attention so you don't feel sleepy besides the long duration of the film. Yet, unlike "Pulp Fiction" were all the separate stories tie up together at the end in a masterly way, this ?thing just leaves you with the mouth open wondering what the hell happened at the end. Although I have spent some time thinking about it and have come up with a broad idea of the general story I still have many gaps left and I'm not even sure if my guesses are correct. I'm guessing that the? grand master has put some kind of Deux-ex-machina explanation in his script to make this all tie together (maybe some of the facts/minor stories are "explained" by the fact that they were (?) Diane's hallucinations) and if that is the case it is certainly a sign of a poor script in my view.

This is the first film I've ever seen (and I've seen many) that I can clearly say I didn't understand and I don't even care to any more. This including some of David Lynch's earlier work (Dune, Twin Peaks) which I greatly liked. So, you can blame it all on my big hurt ego if you want Mr. Lynch but I'll send this one straight to movie hell! Rate? Won't even care to!

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Excellent but not No2 of all-time(!!!)

[9/10 · 9 February 2002]

This is an excellent adventure but I think imdb has been... hijacked by fans of Tolkien in this case. At the moment I'm writing this the film is rated as the No2 movie of all times in imdb. I am a science-fiction fan, I recently bought the book, I even played the board game (and liked it) and this was admittedly a movie with very good casting, excellent photography and scenery and a script that breezes through the 3 hours it lasts. Yet, I think that it lacks the depth or... inner magnitude that I would need to see in a movie to rate as a 10/10. For me an 8/10 or max. 9/10 is more than fair enough. As a sidenote, I cannot understand how the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been categorized into "SCIENCE-Fiction". There are 2 words in there you know and in my view this is simply "FICTION". Excellent but still plain "fiction".

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)

...Laughable...

[5/10 · 24 January 2002]

If you have the ability to see this in a funny way you can actually spend a good deal of time laughing your heart out with it. I don't know if it was meant as an... "action film", or something of that nature, when it came out but I remember well that we watched at least half of it with my flat-mate during a night before term exams and it looked much more interesting and fun than the subject we had to study (Steve?).

Of course the filming, the production, as well as the whole concept is primitive but that's what makes it so funny after all. Get into the mood and enjoy... 5/10 so that I can keep part of my credibility as an imdb voter!

The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)

A pleasant surprise

[8/10 · 20 January 2002]

This was really a surprise for me since I had never even heard of this film before. It takes a hard look at apartheid-run South Africa (remember this was 1975) in the form of an interesting action thriller with very good acting from all actors/actresses and with a plot that keeps you glued to your seat. This, even though (or because) it is not the typical "action-packed" kind of movie of this sort. You won't miss if you watch this.

Brazilero (2001)

It boldly goes where no other Greek film has gone before...

[9/10 · 19 January 2002]

Even though this a very simple film in its direction, its main advantage - and the reason that I loved it - is that Goritsas dares to touch on subjects that most current Greek directors avoid like a plague.

Until a few years ago most, leftist, Greek directors still wandered in (and wondered about) the period of the Greek Civil war and its aftermath, almost half a century ago. Then, came a new breed of directors producing mainly "dreamy", fairy-tale like films of the kind that would make you either escape from the real world or bring back memories of the, supposedly beautiful, past (and some of these films are actually quite nice, e.g. Peppermint). Then, came Goritsas!

Both his previous film (Balkanisateur) and this one deal with current problems of Greek society. The superficial, unethical, know-it-all but actually uneducated type of person portrayed in this film as the main character is just an example. Every single little detail in the script screams with REALITY! Goritsas is certainly not out to pet his audience.

The crooked politician, the University professor that spends most of his time jogging or traveling in Brussels to get E.U. funds, the "English teacher" that speaks English worse than her students, the fallacy about the "naive" Europeans (who still make a bunch of ironic comments right in the face of their Greek hosts who fail to understand them), the slight critique against the prevalent anti-americanism but also against the European beaurocracy, even the fact that the E.U. controllers are portrayed as nothing more than human beings are all elements whose presence amounts to a small "revolution" for Greek film-making standards. Therefore, a 9/10 from me. No wonder it did not get the reception it deserved by Greek critics! If you can flip-flop from Greek to English and vice-versa you will greatly enjoy this (or be greatly offended:) ). I'd be curious to read how non-Greeks or non-native speakers of Greek relate to this film.

Either way, you can almost watch it as a documentary!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Tired and bored

[5/10 · 12 December 2001]

In a few words, I found this film too long, too dark (in the literal sense of the word), too childish and too tiring to watch overall. The technical merit is obvious but apart from that I see no room for serious criticism. Some extraordinary twists in the plot are made in order to make things... as Harry-friendly as possible and the whole thing seems more like a pop-icon celebration than like a... normal / average tale that I could have actually liked. It's as if we're supposed to go into the movie-theater already being in love with the damn kid! The fact that some things are... over-explained is perhaps suitable for the film's intended audience but tiring to an adult and I must also add that I could not help noticing a rather... sexist tone (female characters have a supporting role while the real heros are all male). I'm not one of those politically correct wackos but it's a rather unpleasant surprise when you think that this is the first major tale-movie of the 21st century!

Legally Blonde (2001)

Even my girlfriend liked it!

[7/10 · 29 November 2001]

Ever since I saw the trailer for this film I was somehow attracted to it. Even though I like watching ALL kinds of films [from historical documentaries to Nepalese dramas (checkout "Himalaya", BTW)] I have a particular attraction to silly little comedies. I think comedy is the most underrated kind of film in the modern world, the reason probably being that so few script-writers, actors and actresses are actually able to excel in it! Well, my girl-friend -- a non-blonde that feels appalled by the "crazy", school/student/party-time kind of comedies -- was somehow persuaded by me to come and watch this film. It turned out she even liked it! (as did I , of course) It's not the kind of film that will make you fall off your seat, rolling laughing on the floor, but you sure get a few good laughs and you have a constant grin on your face throughout the movie. Reese Witherspoon turns out to be a great comedic actress. The comments I've read in here about the script are... laughable in my view. This is a COMEDY people, not an historical biography! 7/10 from me.

America's Sweethearts (2001)

You may crack a few smiles, and a few laughs, but...

[6/10 · 12 November 2001]

A "kind of cute" movie with a line-up which doesn't deliver as much as someone might expect. I would blame the more or less poor script (surprising when you think that Billy Crystal was involved in it) for this. Especially the first part is filled with cold jokes that try to make you laugh but don't quite make it. As the movie progresses things get better but it still isn't the comedy diamond one would like to watch. Christopher Walken makes a very nice appearance towards the end, perhaps signifying a decision for a "permanent" passage from thriller to comedy after his starring in the "Fatboy Slim" video-clip.

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

What a boring, over-hyped piece of cr***!!!

[4/10 · 21 October 2001]

I went into this movie without too many expectations, which is generally a good thing since it leaves room for a pleasant surprise! Yet, I must admit that I was almost totally bored with it! I found it totally uninteresting and certainly not funny for the most part, although a few of the women in the theater seemed to be laughing with some of the corny, girly jokes thrown here and there. The only good thing, except for the photography, was a couple of unexpected twists in the plot that I'm not going to talk about in here, and which didn't add much to an otherwise BORING film. 4 out of 10 because I'm a good person!

Tripfall (2000)

Poor script

[4/10 · 30 August 2001]

An idea without any originality, but with the potential for a fairly good flick, gets destroyed by the stupidest plot turns I've seen in quite some time. One would think that Serge Rodnunsky (the guy responsible for this) didn't spend more than a few hours writing down the script 'cause every time that the plot comes to a critical point things just don't make ANY sense at all. I don't want to get barred from IMDB so I won't include any spoilers but I can tell you that a brain-dead lizard would have probably done a better job in making things look realistic in this film. Eric Roberts is, as always, good at the villain's role (BTW checkout his trivia at IMDB, some really interesting stuff there!) and that's about it!

Killing Zoe (1993)

Not much in here

[5/10 · 19 February 2001]

The theme of this film is really old and has been used time and again. A gang of people decide to rob a bank... In his effort to make it something... different and special, the director and script writer inserts some ... peculiar scenes of Paris underground night-life before the robbery. The only real effect is to make the thing look less credible than other similar films in its class. I guess those 35 hours/ week were not sufficient to really work on the script as much as it needed to:) Well, the end result is artistically semi-interesting and overall boring (but not more so than other similar films, to be fair). Some of the actors are nice, I guess.

Cutting it Short (1981)

Draft is good!

[3/10 · 24 December 2000]

A film about a local brewery director, his wife and their life in the brewery. I didn't really like anything about this film, except for the fact that it has to do with beer (that was the reason I watched it after all) and that you see a lot of home-made sausages in several scenes (accompanying the beer). It is branded as a comedy but I didn't find more than 2-3 scenes mildly amusing.

Maybe it could only get as far as that in 1980 communist Czechoslovakia...

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Unexpectedly perfect!

[10/10 · 2 December 2000]

To cut through the details, this is the best horror film I've ever seen. At least the best one I've first seen in a movie theater. I've seen "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Omen" on TV but I guess their reputation had already caught up with me so I was more or less expecting what to see. This one has you on the tip of your seat from moment one and never lets you go. The music, the cinematography, the editing, the acting, little things tossed here and there in the film to make you... wonder, are all combined in the most excellent way! Michelle Pfeiffer gives the best freaking performance of her career (and I didn't even think too much of her before this film!). As hard as it may be for me to give a horror film such a high rating... 10/10!

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Excellent documentary, problematic presentation

[7/10 · 20 November 2000]

You can read all the positive comments about this documentary from other users. Yet, I have one major disagreement, although it's been a long time since I watched it. It seems to me that the director has done no real effort of presenting his excellent material in the way that it deserves to be presented. For example, there are almost no subtitles and you have trouble remembering who's talking about what in each scene. Other than that, it should be remembered and noticed that this documentary was crucial in the release of the wrongfully imprisoned and convicted man it portrays.

Crying Freeman (1995)

Soft porn directing with loads of violence

[5/10 · 19 September 2000]

The style with which this film has been directed, the whole mythical atmosphere surrounding it, and Emu O'Hara's (Julie Condra's) sudden and mysterious falling in love with the killer - not to forget her out-of-this-world looks- bring to mind some "soft-porn", acceptable-to-ladies, productions (like Red Shoes Diary).

On the other hand, there is so much graphic violence into this that only men with a liking for ~splatter~(sp?) will sit through the whole film. Again, Julie Condra, whom I had never seen before is one of the most beautiful actresses in the history of cinema. I wonder how producers have missed her!

Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland (1993 TV Movie)

Fire is bad!

[2/10 · 5 February 2000]

I wouldn't have normally spent time commenting on this film but I just wasted 2 hours watching it so I said, "What the heck! An extra 10 minutes of bashing wouldn't hurt!" Well, this looks like a film prepared for school auditoriums, made to show you how bad and dangerous fire can be and what can happen to you if you don't take it seriously! The actors are all amateur (if not, they completely got me fooled!) and, last but not least, be careful: Fire is bad! Really bad!

Rosetta (1999)

An interesting film ...if you can stand watching it

[6/10 · 13 January 2000]

The first impression that the film gave to me was that it was going to be one more of the same bunch of Euro-leftist films simply telling us about how cruel life is to some, how the system sucks and making an "hagiography" of the portrayed "unfortunate" character. Well, I found that this film for once, goes much deeper than that.

What we actually get is a picture of the failed bureaucratic system of "social care" (a la Francaise) not by focusing on 'politics" but through a strong and touching human story. The film-makers present us with a strong, direct portrayal of the leading character (Rosetta). We see Rosetta's struggle for survival but also her inner struggles and the power of individual human qualities (strength, forgiveness, etc...).

All this comes with a big "BUT"... The constant, hectic motion of the camera during the first half of the film drove me totaly dizzy and, coupled with the almost complete lack of dialogue, I felt my eyes closing 4 times... Then, in the second half, the dialogue gets... invented, the camera starts moving a little more smoothly and the plot starts to unfold. Your choice! ( a combined 6/10 from me for all the reasons above).