brendonm Reviews

Beautiful Noise (2014)

Worthwhile watch for those who appreciate this music genre/movement

[9/10 · 19 February 2015]

I finally got around to watching my DVD of the "Beautiful Noise" documentary directed by Eric Green - and while much of it was what I expected, it was still great to hear the artists behind the music I've loved for so long discuss their influences, the scene they got lumped into and how their bands folded up shop, so to speak, as well as the current resurgence and interest in this type of music.

I question how useful or entertaining this doc will be for the uninitiated to this style of music. For the rest of us, it's a great walk down memory lane, and with interviews from rock luminaries like Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor, a validation of what we've known all along.

But my favorite part was the interviews of Kevin Shields and Alan McGee inter-cutting between each other as they talked about the recording process of MBV's "loveless" (they are basically ripping each other a new hole about the whole experience by recounting how, basically, they thought the other person was disrupting their lives, and in McGee's POV business). This just goes to show that history is determined by those who write it (or talk about it in this case).

Personally, the most important outcome of watching this documentary was that it made me pull out all of my shoegaze/dreampop CDs to rip them into FLAC format so I could revisit it all during a long trip I have coming up.

If you get a chance to see "Beautiful Noise", by all means do: the artists are interviewed in intimate settings where one gets the sense they were able to relax and really reflect upon the music they've made and their larger cultural impact. It was definitely worth the wait for this doc.

Parker (2013)

Captures the essence of the "Parker" character

[8/10 · 27 June 2013]

I've read some of Richard Stark (a.k.a. Donald Westlake) 'Parker' books and this movie pretty much captures the essence of the character. This is not Shakespeare folks. The morality is pretty black and white in these books and Taylor Hackford and the screenwriter captures what this character is about very well. The only thing I found awkward in this movie were the flashbacks in the first third -- but that's a screenplay structure issue, not directing issue. Acting-wise, thought everyone did very well with their roles. No, there's not a lot of depth to anyone, except for perhaps Jennifer Lopez's character who makes it clear she's stuck in a dead-end life post-divorce and needs an out. All in all, a very good, entertaining crime thriller. I won't remember this years from now, but it entertained me and kept my attention throughout. And aside from all this, Stratham makes for one good badass! If you like this, definitely check out "The Bank Job" that he starred in: he really shows his acting chops in that one.

U2 3D (2007)

A must-see for U2 fans.

[10/10 · 6 February 2008]

I'm a long-time fan since 9th grade (1983 when "War" was released).

I've always believed that rock and roll is best experienced in smaller bars, clubs and theaters. But when "Achtung Baby" came out, I got tickets anyway to the Zoo TV tour in 1992 at Madison Square Garden. While I enjoyed that (the roar of the crowd, the excitement of your fellow fans, and the manic energy of the band) I was all the way up in the nosebleed seats and felt a little removed. And frankly the sound wasn't the best (boomy, kinda got lost up in the ceiling). Sure, they had the jumbotrons to broadcast big images of the band, but it's just not the same as being at the front of the stage in a club.

"U23D" brings the best of both worlds together: you see the immense scale of the stadium audience, but you also get to see the band up close and personal on stage. The filmmakers did a great job capturing the energy and enthusiasm of the South American stadium crowds and the unique bond this band has with its fans.

What struck me about the particular performances captured for this film were "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday": Bono has this tendency to editorialize during some songs and it can come across as preachy at best and forced at worst. Here though, he works in a custom version of "When Johnny Comes Home" to great effect during "Bullet" that really moved me ("Doesn't matter what he's seen or where he's been as long as Johnny comes home").

During "Sunday Bloody Sundy" Bono points to a "Coexist" head band someone in the crowd gave him and points to it and says "Muslims, Jews, Christians–it's all true–we're all children of Abraham. Abraham, speak to your sons." It made me sad because somehow I don't think there will ever be peace in the Middle East. And the superiority that some Evangelicals here in the U.S. have over other religions will probably never go away either. How long must we sing this song, indeed.

Sonically, I wish it had been a little louder, but it still sounded very good. My wife, while she enjoyed it, found herself feeling like she was still observing a lot of other people having fun at a concert. But I felt like I was there.

If you're a U2 fan, you gotta see this before it leaves the IMAX theater near you. It's definitely worth every penny. I'll probably see it one more time before it goes....

The Kingdom (2007)

Simplistic action movie: don't expect to learn much about Arabic culture

[7/10 · 20 September 2007]

Saw this last night at a preview screening here in L.A. Overall a positive response from the audience.

This is a typical "Americans as fish-out-of-water" trying to solve a crime in Saudi Arabia. Technically and acting-wise this is a good movie. It moves along at a fast clip.

But don't expect to walk out knowing much more about Arabic or Muslim culture walking out of the theater. And it does not cover why the U.S. has such a weird relationship with Saudi Arabia: we espouse democracy elsewhere in the region, while funneling billions of dollars to S.A., which is anything BUT a democracy -- riddle me that Batman? Wait, I know: we need their OIL! (this is made dramatically clear during an opening montage, which was very well done).

The last half hour is a revenge fantasy for most Americans -- but for me personally the last few moments of the film redeemed the entire exercise: violence begets violence. Military force alone will not solve our problems in the region, and that alone is a lesson worth learning for the majority of Americans that will see this film.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

narrative lacks focus, but still worth seeing at the theater

[8/10 · 7 June 2007]

I really enjoyed 28 DAYS LATER and in general I'm a huge fan of the apocalyptic it's-the-end-of-the-world genre.

The first 20 minutes of 28 WEEKS LATER had me hooked, but after the story moves to the Green Zone in London, with the family split up, the narrative loses focus and the film suffers for this.

And the goal of the kids traveling with the American sniper and medic left me with a big "so what?" - so they need to get to the stadium - why? What's the point? Escape from the city? What about the rest of the American military personnel? Did they all leave? (None of this is explained).

The ending also felt tacked on -- I really expected that the last third of the film had started when they took off from Wembley Stadium. The film must have tested so well that Fox wanted the opportunity to make a sequel -- but I can't wait to read the French subtitles for "Pardon Monsieur, but I must bleed on you NOW! GRRRRRRRR!"

Joking aside, what this movie does extremely well is create the spooky atmosphere of a civilization at ground zero and what it would be like to start over from scratch. Sure, it's set in London, but I could see the same situation applying to Los Angeles, New York or any other large metro area in the world.

This is not an up-with-people movie -- and if nihilistic blood and gore is not your thing, stay far away. If you enjoyed the first film, there's enough here to recommend seeing this on the big screen (they obviously had a bigger FX budget for this film and it shows during the fire bombing sequence). The storytelling itself is just not as strong as the first film.

October Sky (1999)

Great coming of age story about believing in yourself

[10/10 · 18 January 2007]

Just watched this on cable again after seeing it so many years ago. It still stands up; along with BREAKING AWAY, it's a great coming-of-age/boy-faces-realities-of-adulthood story.

The entire cast is great, but Chris Cooper is pitch perfect in the his role.

Recommended to parents looking to get their teen-aged children interested in science. Also provides a great morality tale about believing in yourself when just about everyone around you is a nay-sayer.

Great movie - highly recommended.

Six Degrees (2006–2008)

too bad it didn't last

[10/10 · 15 January 2007]

Along with "Brothers & Sisters", "Six Degrees" was one of my favorite new dramas of fall 2006.

Great cast all around, but really enjoyed the work of Campbell Scott (the come-back photog) and Hope Davis (recent widow of journalist killed in Iraq).

Aside from the acting, the writing was fresh and the acting superb. The show was also shot in NYC, the real city, not the Warner Bros. or some other studio's backlot, adding a secondary layer or realism.

I guess people are more interested in the latest "Survivor" and other reality garbage. Too bad it didn't last.

Children of Men (2006)

our society through a looking glass

[10/10 · 6 January 2007]

I haven't written a review on IMDb in quite some time, mostly because nothing I've seen has moved me to do so. But I am into dystopian sci-fi and I was familiar with the work of PD James -- coupled with the fact that the director had directed arguably the darkest of the Harry Potter films, and, well, I knew I had to see CHILDREN OF MEN.

I walked out of the theater exhilarated, shocked, and somewhat depressed thinking about the story's implications.

If you enjoyed 28 DAYS LATER, you'll probably like this...but this is the superior film IMHO, as this one has more heart and makes you think. 28 DAYS LATER is basically a survival film, where as CHILDREN OF MEN works on many levels.

The picture the director and his crew created is very plausible -- and that's what makes this unsettling. Even though it's set in the UK, as an American I found it easy to imagine a similar situation here. There are scenes in this movie that really upset me and I couldn't help but think, "please, this can't happen!" -- namely the "refugee" detention area scene with the visual homage to the lone hooded figure from Abu Ghraib.

And yet I couldn't help but think there are narrow-minded, redneck jerks in the U.S. who would love to have such border check points and shuttle off "law breakers" (read: anyone who's not their brand of Christian, white and doesn't speak English) to refugee cities on the coast as depicted here in CHILDREN OF MEN.

This is where we could be in 10 or 15 years if certain people have their way with the "law" as they see it and if we let the environment deteriorate past the point of no return. Get your red-orange-yellow-green terror alert machines out folks, 'cause we're going to need them to give us some vague sense of safety when everything else has gone to hell! Action scenes: astounding, you-are-there. The bluntness of the violence will be off-putting to many, but this is not escapist DIE HARD-like action fare where when the bad guys get shot they just magically disappear...and that's a good thing.

When we live in a time when the average citizen knows more about Tom-Kat and other celebs to the point that they're so out of touch with reality, it's refreshing to know that a mainstream movie studio like Universal will still release thought-provoking work like CHILDREN OF MEN.

Do yourself a favor and skip everything else at the multiplex and start your cinema-going year right and see this!

Independent Lens: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) Season 8, Episode 22

If you lived in California during the 2000 blackouts, you MUST SEE THIS!

[10/10 · 15 August 2006]

As has been posted by others, this is a very-well made documentary and it held my attention throughout. The DVD extras are also very well done.

I live in Los Angeles and remember the rolling blackouts during 2000. All Californians _must_ see this movie: your blood will boil as this film lays out how Enron raped us for $30 billion dollars, never mind the retirement savings of so many people they squandered.

California's energy "crisis" was a grand manipulation by Enron. It was NOT all Gray Davis's fault: true, he locked the state into long-term wholesale contracts at inflated prices when we was still in office, but he did that to avoid future rate hikes, which to him at the time looked not only possible, but would be astronomical -- so in context, he made the right decision at the time.

This film also serves as a fascinating psychological profile of Jeff Skilling -- this guy is a pathological liar, and deserves to rot in hell for he did (along with Fastow, Lay and all the traders heard in the movie taking joy and glee at fires burning power lines/transformers -- the inmates in the asylum, as it were).

Watch and be amazed and disgusted at the same time.

The Island (2005)

put LOGAN'S RUN, THX-1138 and FORTRESS in a blender and you get THE ISLAND

[7/10 · 21 July 2005]

I'll just come out and say it: I'm NOT a Michael Bay fan. Of his films, only THE ROCK would I consider a great popcorn movie. But this is an entertaining, well-made and (for a genre pic) well-acted movie. There's still the typical over-the-top action sequences (at one point I felt like I was in the Halo video game) and the shaky-cam does get tiring at times. And let it be said the story is highly derivative of LOGAN'S RUN, THX-1138 and FORTRESS. But given the recent news coverage of stem-cell research and cloning, the story resonates. I swear, this is the first Michael Bay movie that made me think -- is this a sign of the apocalypse?! ;-)

If you like sci-fi with some action throw in, you'll probably enjoy this.

Big Fish (2003)

A great cinematic journey

[3 January 2004]

I haven't read Daniel Wallace's novel yet, but the film reminded me of a fairy tale -- albeit much abbreviated -- version of Thomas Wolfe's "Look Homeward Angel" in that you're not moved so much by huge plot points or revelations, but by the beauty of the somewhat ordinary yet strangely huge stories Finney's character spun. I suppose I was also moved by the father-son relationship since I've been estranged from my own father for some time. On top of that I saw this a few days before Xmas, which is a very emotional time of year for me (not a fan of the holidays with all its commercialism and my emotions seem more intense then for some reason).

On its own, the film is technically well made and wonderfully easy to watch -- there are the surrealistic touches you expect from a Tim Burton movie, but they're not over-the-top or accentuated like in his past movies, and I think that's why some rank BIG FISH lower in comparison to his other films. Fair enough.

But in comparison to all the other films I've seen this year (I go to the movies at least two times a month), this was the one rare time in 2003 where I felt like I was "IN" the movie, not staring at my watch -- and the ending just blew me away -- it's very simple yet captivating. I once had a dream that my life would end in a similar fashion, so again, my reaction to this movie is filtered through my own experience. Yours may be different. I still think this is one of 2003's best movies and you'd be remiss to pass it up.

28 Days Later (2002)

imagine "The Omega Man" on amphetamines...

[11 March 2003]

Before I start my review, let me make it clear: I love the end-of-the-world and zombie genres -- movies like THE OMEGA MAN, DAMNATION ALLEY, George Romero's ...OF THE DEAD series, John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK etc. I think all these movies had an influence on Danny Boyle and his screenwriter Alex Garland.

When I was in London on vacation last fall, I remember seeing the posters in the Underground for this flick. But since it's not out on video here in the U.S. (and was it even released in theaters?), I had to track down an inferior bootleg copy on the net. Yes, this movie had me so riveted, I watched a crappy digitized version -- that's how well directed 28 DAYS LATER is! Storywise, there's nothing new that you haven't seen elsewhere. And what appeared to me at first as a cheap way to develop drama and conflict (I'm referring to the, uh, use of the females in the later half) was paid off quite nicely by Boyle and his screenwriter. But that end sequence! How primal can you get?! Boyle's direction here is top notch -- he builds atmosphere and suspense and nervous tension perfectly throughout this whole piece.

Simply put: A must for horror fans!

Takedown (2000)

surprisingly good

[3 March 2003]

Stumbled upon TAKEDOWN's listing here on IMDB.com and had to check it out: I'd read Markoff and Shimomura's book back in grad school and thought it was okay (digression: there's a lot of debate in the hacker community about which book covers the Mitnick case best, and many say Markoff and Shimomura's book is extremely one-sided; Mitnick is guilty of nothing more than breaking into several large corporation's servers and poking around, trying out their code, they say. Whether this is a real crime, I leave that up to you dear reader).

As for TAKEDOWN, the movie: most flicks about computers teeter on one end or the other of the Reality Scale: they are either boring -- afterall, it's just a person typing at a computer -- or way too fantastical for anyone who's used any flavor of Unix to take seriously (e.g., THE MATRIX or the last HACKERS movie). TAKEDOWN straddles the line somewhere in the middle -- and admirably so.

What TAKEDOWN does very well is show the process of social engineering, e.g., talking someone into thinking you're someone you're not to get information. Mitnick mastered this skill. The real crux of TAKEDOWN, though, is the showdown between the two egos of Mitnick and Shimomura (bravo to Russell Wong -- wow, if Shimo really is that much of an arrogant jerk, I can see why he got under Mitnick's skin so much).

Skeet Ulrich is often called the Poor Man's Johnny Depp, but here's a role that was made for him. Joe Chappelle's direction is crisp and keeps the action tense. Minor complaint: The editor should have chilled out a bit though -- man, do we really need all those quick, jarring cuts? I supposed they were trying to make using a computer look interesting, cool and non-boring.

Overall, if you're into hacking, subcultures, law enforcement and computer crime, you should check this one out. It's too bad no one's seen this -- it must have been released direct-to-video; I don't even remember seeing ads in the paper for it.

P.S. keep an eye out for a brief appearance by Amanda Peet in a telling scene that hints at the REAL source of Mitnick's problems: LACK OF SOCIAL SKILLS!

Open Your Eyes (1997)

Forget VANILLA SKY and rent this!

[24 December 2002]

Alejandro Amenabar is a filmmaker to watch -- this is one of those movies where I wish afterwards, "I with I had thought of that story idea!" An amazing, moving film about our lives, reality versus perception. And a great Bernard Herrmann-like score. Crowe's film is a pale copy in comparison. Go rent it now!

Equilibrium (2002)

entertaining as all get out!

[9 December 2002]

Saw it tonight with some friends. We all agreed the fight sequences were amazing -- it will be interesting to see how THE MATRIX: RELOADED compares, as my understanding is that it has a lot of swordplay in it as well -- Kurt Wimmer may have stolen some of the Wachowski Bros.' thunder. But not many people will see this one in the theaters anyway, so in the end it probably doesn't matter.

EQUILIBRIUM reminded me of LOGAN'S RUN -- in a good way. I don't know how many times I've seen this story template: protagonist works for the System, realizes the System is wrong, and rises up to take down the System. But it worked great here. And it should be noted that Christian Bale, whom I normally don't really care much for, did a great job portraying the gradual change from automaton to feeling human being. The dog story subplot may be a bit corny, but it worked. And nice little direction flourishes (we're talking simple stuff here like the closeup on a clenched fist and Bale's conflicted facial expressions) worked brilliantly.

Still, the screenwriting was a bit lazy (several characters show emotion yet are not punished for it). But nevermind. This movie entertained the hell out of me -- in fact, it's one of the few movies this year where I walked out feeling like I got my money's worth. It's not original and it's surely not Shakespeare, but it sure beat the last John Woo movie in the Kinetic Action Dept. with just enough story thrown in to keep me thinking and involved in the story (unlike that Big Important Fall Sci-Fi film, Soderbergh's retelling of SOLARIS)

So yes, it's too bad Miramax/Dimension is not promoting it much. Same thing happened with David Twohy's BELOW (one can only wonder why Miramax greenlights these pictures and then neglects them!)

They used to call these "B-movies" but now there's really no market for them (except direct-to-video or late night movie channels) because people expect high production values on every movie they see in the theaters. And actually, for a relatively small shoe-string budget of $20 million, this movie looked pretty damn good.

All sci-fi/action fans should rush to the theaters now and see this before it disappears.

Trapped (I) (2002)

Good thriller with some banal dialogue

[7/10 · 21 September 2002]

It's unfortunate that Columbia/Sony is not pushing this movie -- there's some convincing acting here (Theron does the woman-in-jeopardy thing well; doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes too!) and three different storylines interwoven by the writer quite nicely. Some good setups and payoffs as well (though one involving the waggling of a plane's wings is kinda corny, but it worked). My only criticism is that some of the dialogue is predictable (the bad guys says exactly what we expect him to say in certain scenes). Courtney Love plays a white trash wench pretty well, but that's not surprising given her vagabond background.

BOTTOMLINE: If you like thrillers, go see this on a matinee -- worth seeing on the big screen for some beautiful cinematography of the Pacific Northwest and the climax. IMHO a big step above ALONG CAME A SPIDER and HIGH CRIMES. I haven't seen Mandoki's other flicks, but I plan to rent them now. I just hope Charlize Theron chooses some more challenging dramatic roles, or her career will probably suffer for it.

Insomnia (2002)

Good direction, weak script....

[27 May 2002]

Mediocre psychological thriller with a few scenes that go on way too long. Not Nolan's fault -- he directs this material as well as any other good working director could. I also think the original wasn't that good a movie to begin with -- why a remake? Bottom line: I didn't care about Pacino's character enough. Like other reviewers here, I also found myself falling asleep during expositional scenes in the second act of the movie.

Alaska looks great though. But you can rent or watch a Discovery or National Geographic special cheaper at home.

The Center of the World (2001)

Wang's attempt at LAST TANGO IN LAS VEGAS

[12 May 2002]

Wayne Wang has acknowledged his love of LAST TANGO IN PARIS and with this movie it's pretty obvious what he's going for. Unfortunately, there's a big problem with the film's premise: any man who's got $10K to hire a hooker AND has access to the internet should be smart enough to know how/where to find a suitable travel companion who will do as he pleases. Still, there was something intriguing about this movie -- but I just didn't buy the story. The two leads were interesting and did a good job with what little dialogue they have (Peter Sarsgaard totally inhabits his character and the frustration his social ineptitude causes him is palpable).

Did Molly Parker even do her research? Man, if she gave me a lap dance I'd want my money back!

Unfaithful (2002)

brooding adult thriller that keeps you guessing....

[9 May 2002]

Caught a screening this afternoon. Wow. Adrian Lyne is back in a good way. I really don't care for any of his domestic thrillers, though I love JACOB'S LADDER. What sets UNFAITHFUL apart from all those horrible late-night softcore cable movies are: 1) meticulous production design and direction 2) great acting from both Lane and Gere, and 3) an intelligent, organic story. The script, however, is somewhat predictable up to the 2/3rds mark, but after that I couldn't see where the story was heading. I personally like ambiguous endings, so this flick was a nice change of pace. I was afraid of Lynne bashing me over the head with a message, but no: he lets you think about all the implications of what transpires on the screen. NYC looks really good in this movie too (having lived in NYC for six years, the film really captures the whole suburban commuter scene really well).

Good movie for a rainy afternoon.

Spider-Man (2002)

simply adequate when it should have been great (No spoilers)

[5/10 · 4 May 2002]

The first thirty minutes had me smiling, but after the initial setup the movie falls apart and feels very episodic. Why? Because the villain had no plan to carry off, so the hero had no goal to reach. The climax was lame as well -- not enough at stake. The production design was cool, but the lighting overall was flat: it looked like a TV movie. And what was up with all that _graininess_ during some of the CGI-heavy sequences? Were they re-rendering frames up until the last minute?

I have other gripes as well, but the overall crime here is that what should have been a great movie turned out to be simply mediocre. The Spiderman I know and love still lives in the 1967 animated TV series. Tobey Maguire, however, was well cast as Peter Parker -- he inhabited the role well as he usually does (rent WONDER BOYS for another great performance of his). And Kirsten Dunst has grown up to be a real hottie.

The Salton Sea (2002)

A must for noir crime fans...

[10/10 · 28 April 2002]

One of the magical things about the movies is that they can take us places with characters we may never meet (nor want to meet) in our everyday lives. I'm tempted to tell you about THE SALTON SEA's twists and turns, but I'd be robbing you of one of 2002's finest cinematic experiences. The filmmakers here have crafted a unique, lyrical look at the underbelly of the US of A (I'm still aghast that Castle Rock Pictures of all companies released this!). From the first few minutes of this fine film, you know you'll be taken someplace unique. Val Kilmer is outstanding in this: at turns tragic, tough and pathetic, but always sympathetic. From the get go, you can only wonder, "How did his character get like this?" Watch this great noir crime fable to find out.

One of 2002's best films. That's no joke coming from someone who sees on average two movies a week.

Changing Lanes (2002)

Great morality tale - not for those with ADD

[23 April 2002]

Agree with many others that this film was woefully marketed. On the other hand, it's actually a good thing because reading through half these reviews on imdb.com it becomes glaringly obvious that Joe and Jane Sixpack American Moviegoer no longer want to think at the theater -- they need everything spoonfed to them in nice tasty bites. And keep it coming quick and fast! No "slow" scenes please (some people wouldn't know the meaning of "drama" if it bit them on the butt; "drama" is conflict folks, and there was plenty of conflict in this story, not only between the two leads, but other characters as well).

Having said all that, when I read Variety's review comparing CHANGING LANES to Paddy Chayefsky's best work, I knew I had to see it. And while it's note quite THAT good (NETWORK rocks!), there's too much great stuff in here to pass up. This is a story about choices and how those choices reflect how we choose to live our lives. I liked that the movie got that theme across without being overtly sentimental or preachy. The only negative for me was that the ending rang hollow, and Affleck's character arc was not totally convincing -- there's no way someone could have that change of heart in just one day, esp. in a day where he was almost killed (I'm not giving away anything that wasn't shown in the trailer here).

Go see it.

The Others (2001)

one of the best ghost stories in ages....

[8 April 2002]

Agree with other reviewers here that this was one of the best ghost stories to come out in a long time. Why Kidman did not at least get an Oscar nom for her performance is puzzling. The two young child actors were great too. Moreover, it's amazing Alejandro Amenabar not only wrote and directed the film, but wrote the score as well (with its heavy echoes of Bernard Hermann's VERTIGO score throughout -- most excellent!).

While ostensibly a supernatural thriller ala THE SIXTH SENSE (which I also enjoy for different reasons), this story is really one big parable -- it's message is that organized religion does not hold all the answers for us in this life. It's a subtle theme but definitely there, illustrated by two scenes: when Kidman's character admonishes her son to pray with his crucifix and tells him that all will be well; and when she chastises her daughter during the school lesson for making the choice to deny Christ and that those who do end up in limbo -- these scenes are paid off brilliantly in the ending when Kidman's daughter asks, "Where are we?"

For any of this to make sense, you'll have to rent it and keep an eye out for the above scenes.

Highly recommended.

Panic Room (2002)

A B-movie is still a B-movie -- even with a big budget

[31 March 2002]

I read Koepp's script last fall and enjoyed it a lot -- but it's really just an intricate chess game without much characterization. I thought Foster and the rest of the cast would fill in the shades of grey and nuances need to create fully realized characters. But unfortunately, there's not much to them. Only Forest Whitaker stands out here -- he's the bad guy with heart that you want to get away (and I don't care what anyone says....

SPOILER BELOW!

...that scene in the backyard with the bond certificates floating away from him is poignant because of that. You want him to get away -- he's the only one who deserves the loot. The other two crooks were either lunatics or psychotic.

Technically, this is a beautiful film (loved the credit sequence) with snazzy computerized camera zooms through floors, coffee pots, locks etc. (but Fincher risks cliching himself if he keeps this up -- I mean, do we need a subjective camera swoop into a flashlight's bulb?). But none of that's enough to elevate the movie from the B-level genre picture Koepp wrote.

Overall, not worth full price. See it on a matinee.

In the Mood for Love (2000)

A romantic's cinematic dream

[22 March 2002]

I've watched Kar-wai Wong's movies in the past with mixed reaction: great visuals, quirky dialogue and situations, yet I always find them unsatisfying. But here he gets it all right: great atmosphere, touching performances by the actors, and effective use of a unique soundtrack combined with wonderful production design. This is visual poetry at its best. And while there's not one sex scene in here, some of the most erotic scenes are on display and illustrate how a touch, a glance, a knowing nod or clandestine meeting can be more potent than any simulated sex scene from those crappy, low-budget flicks that show on late night cable.

I won't summarize the whole film, but instead will relate what I got out of it: IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is a tonal poem about unrequited love -- the ending made me think about all the past women in my life; like one of the protagonists in this film, we can never forget the people we've fallen in love with -- they are part of a larger secret that dwells within us and stays with us forever. If this doesn't make sense, then do yourself a favor and watch this beautiful film -- all will become clear.

P.S. I highly recommend the Criterion Collection's excellent 2-DVD set of this film.