POG-2 Reviews

Gone, But Not Forgotten (2003)

Nice to watch - but it's not a cinematic experience

[7/10 · 27 May 2006]

I did like the film although it moves slowly, but I liked Drew and he sort of made me like the film. Drew is the epitome of a gay dream I think. He's the typical nature boy who's caring, has a boyish charm and good looks. And I loved his voice, the way he talked. He reminded me a bit of Mouse in Tales of the City. Who could resist? It is true, however, that sometimes you feel you've dropped into a soft-porn film - esp. the music adds to this impression. And the other character looks a bit like a hustler. The other characters are quite weak however. And the relationship between the brothers is fairly strange and not quite convincing. Although the setting is quite realistic, this is more like a fairy tale or wishful thinking. Yet, I think this is a film I would have liked to see around my own coming-out because there's a profound goodness to it and being gay is not presented as an unsurmountable problem. So watching this film is more like an emotional indulgence than a intellectual experience.

Walk the Line (2005)

Good acting, well sung, but badly written screenplay

[8/10 · 17 February 2006]

I have the same problem with this film as with "Ray". Some writers seem to think it's enough to tell a few episodes out of the life of a fascinating person but that's simply not true. Just like in Ray, the audience is presented with a string of seemingly "significant" episodes out of a musician's life, which are supposed to make us understand his life. And again it's an all-American story: poor boy rises high, falls deep and then returns into the light. But if I'm interested in the facts, then I prefer watching a documentary. And if I watch a film, there should be more to a story, there should be some depth. There should be some coherent idea behind the whole film. This is not the case at all here. The way this story is told is a total failure. I was appalled by some of the messages that underlie certain scenes. Just take the Folsom prison scene. First he looks at some fan mail and it is suggested that he might be a light that guides them in the right direction. Later in prison he basically tells them what great guys they are. Can something like this really be conveyed uncritically (and with a close-up on the admiring eyes of June Carter)? My impression is that the story of Cash was told by someone who has no idea what he conveys with his words. The good acting mostly carries the viewer over those gaps but frequently I felt there were emotions without any motivation in the story itself. The movie is like very thin ice over a nothingness. As I said above, the only reason why the ice never breaks is that Witherspoone and Phoenix carry the audience along so well.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Some good scenes don't make a good movie!

[6/10 · 2 November 2005]

My perception of the film may be influenced by the fact that I watched it on DVD and on my computer, so I have to admit the experience can't be compared to the being in a movie theatre. I was quite curious about it because I read about it before and it was compared to Harry Potter. This is my take on it. I did like quite a few scenes and the costumes and special effects are well done, too, but at the end I just felt that everything fell apart - there's no unity to all those scenes, there's no unifying vision to it. It's a shame really because I liked the basic idea. I've never really felt like this about a film: I liked some characters, I liked some scenes, ... Jim Carrey is as you would expect him to be - which is a bit over the top and he's counterbalanced by the matter-of-factness of the kids. The music was good. Aunt Josephine was good. ... but it's just not really a good film. In fact, I wonder: is it finished? It's like cooking: even with the best ingredients you won't get good food if something goes wrong with the cooking.

Madagascar (2005)

Some cute animals, few good jokes, but not really impressive on the whole!

[6/10 · 2 August 2005]

I have to admit that I expected more after having read some reviews. There are a few good jokes and I liked a few of the animals but I wasn't impressed with the film. I have to add though that I saw the German version and so with the original voices it might have been a totally different experience. For my taste there was too much talking and much of it was fairly repetitive. Much of it is also quite (superficially) focused on the US and the rest of the world may be getting fed up with this after a while. I didn't find the zebra's cheer-leading act in the background too funny. I wished more thoughts would have gone into the story.

I, Robot (2004)

Only worthwhile seeing for special effects

[7/10 · 10 August 2004]

I'm a fan of science fiction films, which is why I went to see it. From the point of view of special effects I quite liked the film. I also liked the robots, which can appear human despite their obvious robot look.

Apart from that, the film has little to recommend itself. The story is simple like a comic book. Smith plays a fairly unlikable cliché of a detective (the kind we know from hundreds of films by now) among loads of other cliché characters. They add depth to Smith's character by referring to a contrived past incident. We know this from Batman and the lot. We get the odd joke (that doesn't really make you laugh). There is really nothing that would recommend the film apart from the visual aspects.

So for that reason, you might want to see it. Apart from that, forget it.

The Hours (2002)

good acting, but not convinced of the story

[8/10 · 30 March 2003]

The acting is truly excellent and I think that the other women beside Nicole Kidman were very strong, too, but the story itself didn't convince me. A friend went with me who went through a phase like that it seems and she was moved to tears, so it may be a matter of empathy. I think it's some of the lines that put me off. They were so bookish, so kind of this-is-art, so forced. I've read a Cunningham story and wasn't impressed with that either. So maybe I'm just not on that wave length. Anyway, as true as the acting may be, the story didn't ring true for me.

Chicago (2002)

good but not stunning

[8/10 · 14 March 2003]

I saw the musical Chicago in London and bought the CD immediately as I was so impressed. Maybe the film didn't have such a strong effect on me because of that. It's well made but it just didn't convince me the way the musical did. The musical is a hard-hitting satire but the film sometimes loses its satirical edge and I think all the flashy tricks in the film are somehow distracting. I was most impressed by Zeta-Jones. Although I like Zellweger, I don't think she could quite cope with the job. In general, I fell you an notice that the actors can sing well, but they're not singers, which again is a big difference to the stage production. I give it 8 / 10 but just because I love the musical itself so much. The film somehow doesn't FEEL like this.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

I really enjoyed this

[9/10 · 14 March 2003]

This is one of the rare films that I truly enjoyed. It's witty and warm-hearted and it made me feel happy. And to conclude, I really liked the two main characters. Of course, others may object and say, "The Greeks are not like this at all." or "She ought to have broken free." etc. But it's a comedy, and thank God it's playful and not politically correct.

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

alright and naughtily funny in parts

[6/10 · 3 November 2002]

I did like the preceding film better, probably it was my first one and so everything was new. I don't belong to those people who laugh all through the film but there are some funny jokes. I do like some of the naughtiness of the film which is paired with a disarming childish obliviousness to the rules of the world. This episode looks as if it was the last one - and I think it's good to finish this chapter now and turn to other things.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)

neither good nor bad

[5/10 · 3 November 2002]

It's a mystery to me how anyone can assume that a film like this is interesting for an audience outside the US. I once went to a local amateur theatre performance and the audience went wild because they knew the actors and they were laughing the moment they entered the stage. I was amazed. And this film was also such an experience but unfortunately the audience wasn't right and so it was at times difficult to keep up at least a minimum of interest. The actors represent cranky characters that might be hilarious for Americans but they're just barely funny here. The dialogues are predictable and not really funny either. And this also one of those films that entices people into the cinema with a trailer that creates a totally false impression of the film. This film is more sad than funny. What you see in the trailer lasts a few minutes at the most and it's not really related to the main action. The actors may give their best, but it's just not possible to be good in a film like this. At least it's better than Steel Magnolias, which is a film that I wouldn't even give 1 point. Everything in that film seems to be fake. Here I at least get the impression that there are good intentions although they don't really amount to much.

Changing Lanes (2002)

A very pleasant change to all the bad stuff!

[10/10 · 7 August 2002]

I gave this film 10/10. Maybe it doesn't quite deserve this - especially for the weak ending which was obviously put there to please the audience - but it's such a change to all the bad stuff that I've seen recently. I don't think Affleck is a very versatile actor, but he is VERY good in this film although parts of his character are quite similar to the guy he plays in The Sum of All Fears but how much more powerful does he come across here! Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant. And the story is very good - the characters have depth and it seems that Gavin Banek hasn't quite looked into the pits of his character. I wonder whether this is just like this in the film or also in the book. There's suspense and the plot twists and turns so you never quite know where it takes you. Only the happy end is quite predictable.I think the film should have stopped where the two men face each other. The ending really distracts from the real themes of the film: finding meaning in life, justice, facing oneself and starting again, ...

The Sum of All Fears (2002)

I can say nothing good about this film!

[1/10 · 25 July 2002]

This film is just bad and boring. It takes ages until all characters are placed and the film shuttles back and forth between scenes. I didn't like this technique with "Bad Company" and it's even worse here. Is this supposed to be a way of increasing suspense??? It doesn't work!!! In general, although "Bad Company" is not a good film either it's better than this one in every respect. The characters are not interesting. Their interaction is clicheed. The plot isn't really plausible either. This film is not worth watching!

Bad Company (2002)

Just a bad film!

[4/10 · 19 July 2002]

I couldn't agree more with what some people already said about this film: it's outright bad and full of cliches. Obviously the producers thought the recipe that worked so well for Will Smith might also do the trick for Chris Rock: a street-wise lower-class failure who gradually becomes a hero through love (to girl-friend and his fellow citizens). The bad guys partly look Arabic (at least the one in New York) or are from the Russian mafia or from Bosnia. It's all very clear so that even an audience with limited brains will get it. Especially Rock's character is so pathetic that I wonder why pc-conscious African-Americans aren't complaining? Or is this the way they want to be portrayed? I'd rather be Jar Jar Binks - he's at least cute. There's one moment when I wonder what was going on in those brains. The really (!) bad guy tells the good American guys that he's doing this because the Americans think they're so great and can rule the world and tell the others what to do. How's this supposed to sound in non-American ears I wonder? Or did they want to raise some sympathy for the terrorist before the end? But I guess you cannot expect too much thinking behind this film!

Ali G Indahouse (2002)

I was laughing ...

[6/10 · 15 July 2002]

I didn't choose to see this film (it was a sneak preview), I didn't know Ali G. before and so I watched it unfold without any prejudice whatsoever. The humour is crude - the Monty Python kind of humour - and the film is totally non-PC and full of vulgarity. I suppose that's the humour of our time. And yet - as I said before: I was laughing. First, because of the way Ali G. is taking the mickey out of rap "artists" and their videos and the way women are presented in them. I was laughing about the sheer stupidity of the main character and - as I said to a friend - this is an extreme British version of "Austin Powers". I noticed that some people criticized that the film's characters were very flat. To me this sounds like criticizing beer for tasting like beer. It's a satire and therefore characters are flat. You might criticize the film, however, for being quite unfocused. And at the end it is now clear what attitude is expressed towards Ali G. However, I do think this is more than an American Pie film although the humour may be very similar.

8 Women (2002)

Quite funny!

[9/10 · 15 July 2002]

It's not as funny as advertised but once you get into it, it's really enjoyable. Mind you - you might not get into it! The film is traditional and quite extraordinary at the same time. I liked the chansons interludes and just watching the women and listening to them.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Better than Episode I

[6/10 · 26 June 2002]

I actually saw this film a couple of weeks ago but watching Spider Man yesterday I thought I might as well review this one as well as there are similarities in what I disliked. Both films have really bad dialogues but while Star Wars was blasted for it (and I actually felt they weren't as bad) no one ever mentioned this fact with Spider Man and most of the dialogues were terribly corny there.

Both films are well made when it comes to visual effects. You get what you expect, but both directors seem to think that effects can replace suspense.

When it comes to acting and characters, I think that the Spider Man cast does a better job but it's impossible to be really good when the dialogues are so bad. The young darth Vader is so predictably unbalanced emotionally - the acting is so over the top that it's boring. Even Ewan McGregor who I normally like is a very weak Obi Wan.

In general I think that the original 3 Star Wars films were so good because of the depth that they had to the characters. All this is lacking in the new episodes. I wanted to buy the whole series on DVD but now I think it's quite enough to have seen it in the cinema. I don't regret seeing the film as I wanted to know how the story continues but I don't want to see it a second time.

Spider-Man (2002)

A hype!

[6/10 · 25 June 2002]

This is one of the films that make you wonder whether news reporting is just another way of advertising. The film was mentioned in the news so often until you just had to see it. So I did. First the good of it: brilliant special effects that I enjoyed and some good jokes, which were partly given away by the trailers however. And when you watch the "famous" kissing scene you only think of the water that allegedly drips into his nose. And now to the bad: The film is very slow-moving and even boring at times. The dialogues are tremendously bad - as if they'd been taken from the comic without any change. The acting is not bad, but with such dialogues even a good actor looks stupid. And I bet like many other Europeans we're getting a bit fed up with all those expressions of American patriotism and those pathetic "big" heroes that Americans seem to love so much. There is no way around the American flag in American films it seems. I liked the X-Men but definitely didn't Spiderman (apart from the good actors and the special effects).

The Piano Teacher (2001)

An excellent film - but hard to digest

[9/10 · 10 December 2001]

I totally disagree with the comments of one of the critics before me who bashed the film. Having read the book, being impressed by it although this is a kind of literature that you cannot really LIKE (similar to Hubert Selby's writing) I expected being shocked but the effect was more subtle than this. Isabelle Hubert is a brilliant actress who manages to convey a multi-layered character. There are many scenes that totally focus on her and her subtle changes and I can imagine few actresses who would do so well, with so much disregard for their own reputation or image. There is this coldness, distance, cruelty and at the same time there's this helplessness, hurt and pain. There's a person who's in control and controlled at the same time. Maybe this is not realistic - although when you read the newspaper you'll read about much worse than this - but there's a truth to it that is very difficult to bear. I think it's an excellent film but I did not enjoy watching it.It's not boring but there are times when I wished it would end. BTW, her male counterpart is very well acted as well (and I think well chosen, too).

America's Sweethearts (2001)

Quite funny

[7/10 · 15 August 2001]

Having seen "Scary Movie 2" before this film, I must say THIS film is funny. The screen play is well written and the movie moves fast and plausibly. Julia Roberts still has to prove that she's really a good actress and that "Erin Brockovic" wasn't a stroke of luck. There are a few good scenes with her in the film but in general her acting again tends to be quite amateurish (even if charming) in this film. Almost everyone else seems to be a better actor than her.

Evolution (2001)

Just not as good as expected!

[6/10 · 30 July 2001]

Nowadays the film makers seem to totally rely on special effects and the same is true of "Evolution". This is the one part that I enjoyed. But the rest? There is a very thin line here between disgust / shock and laughing about others. The characters are ok, but not really likeable. And I'm not sure if this is age, but very, very few of the scenes made me laugh. The jokes are predictable, like taken from a joke database and slightly adapted. Is it really funny if someone always stumbles? Is it really funny if you to the scientifically impossible and pull a huge mosquito out of someone's a**? Is it funny if a harmless looking animal turns into a monster and bites a woman? - I think Ghostbusters was VERY different in this respect. It was much funnier although the humour was also crude.

Blow (2001)

Not a bad film!

[8/10 · 12 July 2001]

I'm surprised at some of the negative comments. I've frequently got the impression that people judge books, films, ... by what they expect rather than by what is presented to them. So the more you don't meet their expectations the more they dislike it. Why should we want to know what happens to the fat guy? He disappears. That's normal in life. It's perfectly clear to me why the daughter doesn't want to see him. I actually felt it was a distraction to mention she never visited him in jail.

This is the type of film that I definitely wouldn't have gone to see if it hadn't been shown in a sneak preview. And I'm glad I did see it now.

I think many of the complaints others made are due to the fact that this is based on a true story and it does come across as fairly "true" in some ways. In real life diaglogues are frequently flat and in real life characters are frequently one-dimensional. Also the structure is partly influenced by the fact that you have to cram a life time into roughly 2 hours. I think they do a fairly good job here.

The film is quite funny at the beginning but - predictably - George Jung's life turns sour. There's almost a classical tragedy about his fall as it is partly based on character faults. I really liked the ending - normally one of the more difficult parts in a film - because the dialogue with his daughter really pointed to one of those faults.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Good for special effects and action - the rest:forget it!

[6/10 · 11 July 2001]

I basically went to see the film because of Angelina Jolie because I liked her in "Gone in 60 seconds" and could imagine her well in this kind of film. However, you'd never guess she's a good actress from this movie. All characters are totally flat, including her, and there's not a single interesting person in it. I think that's the main difference to Indiana Jones. The characters are also types there but Harrison Ford manages to give him a human touch. So I think this film is basically about action and special effects and this is where it does well. However, in the end the film is not half as exciting and convincing as Raiders of the Lost Arc or a James Bond film.

Edtv (1999)

I quite enjoyed it

[8/10 · 14 March 2001]

I watched this on DVD and so reading the description I of course automatically compared it to "The Truman Show" - like everyone else here it seems. But EDtv is altogether different.

Truman is about a man who's been put into a fake world without his consent and he gradually discovers that nothing what he considered as true is real. I think in this respect it's symbolical of how people live their lives in general.

EDtv is different in that the main character agrees to go on show but he doesn't understand the wider implications of it. This film is much more realistic especially after shows like "Big Brother". Maybe it's too true to be appreciated by a wider audience.

Of course, there are a lot of skeletons in the cupboard of this family - maybe more so than with other families. But I think that is part of what films and books are about. They're not real, they're just the essence of reality and thus more condensed.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Excellent in my opinion

[10/10 · 25 February 2001]

I personally enjoyed this film greatly but the audience's and my friend's reaction showed that there are many ways to see it. I tend to like Asian martial arts films but can't bear the humour that usually goes with them (with the exception of A Chinese Ghost Story). And so this film - for me - is an ideal combination of rounded characters and a magical firework of fights that is close to dancing in many ways. I was also deeply moved by the ending.

Many of the people in the cinema measured what they saw by the laws of gravity and of course most of the fights are impossible then and they couldn't overcome this obstacle. That's like someone who can't get over the fact that the Christmas presents weren't brought by Santa Clause (or the angelic christ child here in Europe). So as it was unreal to them they couldn't accept that the emotions can be real.

And I suppose my friend's reaction lies somewhere in between those extremes.

What I also like about this film is that Ang Lee took up a genre and turned it into something new and yet retained the essence.

I'm amazed by the variety of his films but somehow they all seem to be connected by the common theme of the tension between the individual's hopes, feelings and aspirations and society's demands.

I Dreamed of Africa (2000)

Nice pictures, weak story

[3/10 · 1 November 2000]

The last couple of sneak previews brought films full of violence and so I was hoping for a change as I didn't want to leave the cinema in the middle of a film again. Although this film is very positive, I sometimes wished back to something more exciting. It seems to be a common misconception to believe that a life full of tragedy automatically turns into a good story. This film is the perfect proof for it. It swings back and forth between tragedy and bliss but there's no suspense. Even the tragedy is predictable and unavoidable. The conclusions that are drawn from all this are commonplace. Of course, from a personal, private perspective it's different but from the point of view of a film there's nothing in it. This makes me wonder why people seem to think that all this is more interesting if it happens in an exotic place. I guess many, many people have gone through all this and worse and no one seems to think it worthwhile telling a story about them. There's one good thing to be said about this film, however. It goes against the grain of modern film producing. It's quiet and the acting is toned down.