Slice of LIfe Reviews

Deathwatch (2002)

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[1 December 2002]

"Welcome to hell," are the eerily prophetic words, complete with shells, atmospheric all-is-not-right music and the groans of dying men, a hint of what's to come. After the battle, out of the fog and into a German trench, the men of Y-company discover that's exactly where they've landed. First of all, the place is deserted. And strewn with (mutilated) corpses of German soldiers. All dead. Except one (Torben Liebrecht), who warns them desperately that there is "quelque chose de mal" in that place, and to get out as soon as they can. Naturally, they all ignore him, except for Shakespeare (Jamie Bell). Soon, it proves true when the men start turning against each other, or getting sucked into the earth with barbed wire, or tying each other up à-la-crucifixion.

Well. After two years of watching this in the making, it hasn't disappointed (thank you, Mr, Bassett). Great set-up, with the rain, the rats, trenches and mud to make Spielberg weep with envy. While the script could use some work ("what's the matter with this place? What's happening?" asks one -rhetorically?), the acting keeps the characters from becoming walking clichés, especially Jamie Bell as the unwelcome greenhorn, or Hugo Speer as the duty-bound Sgt. Tate, to name a few. The suspense was average and wasn't so scary that there'd be lost sleep over it, nor was it anything over-original. But it's a great piece of ensemble casting (i'd pay the admission again to see Hugh O'Conor say the f-word), cool FX and steady directing make it a good viewing.

The Kid (1999)

Touching story about a single "father" -not to be confused with the Disney flick with the same name

[6 October 2001]

Now this is a film to watch: it's both sad and funny, and puts one in mind of those old-fashioned movies with Jimmy Stewart. Part "Bid Daddy", part "Harvey" and part "Kramer VS Kramer".

Leslie Cheung plays a stock broker who takes care of a kid after Maise (Qiqi) left him on his boat. Four years later, he's down-and-out, working temp jobs and living in a shabby penthouse. All he's really got is the kid, but that may all change when Maise comes back...

The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995)

The best thing since "A Clockwork Orange"

[29 June 2001]

I don't know what to make of it, honestly. When I first saw it (on late night, and I stayed up till three AM watching it), I thought it was a little like "A Clockwork Orange".

Graham Young (Hugh O'Conor) I found an odd mixture of three parts: curiosity (what leads him to poisoning), clinical detachment (as he watches the results), and a longing to belong (when he tries to be normal -and fails miserably).

First he silently threatens everyone with a gruesome retaliation for the slightest things, and then charts their decline with frightful accuracy as they get sicker and sicker. After that, he retreats into his den again until something better comes along. And then he gets caught.

Then there's that uproarious scene when he's out with a girl, and he tries to get her in a conversation on disembowelment. You can almost see her turn green as he gets into stride. To him, it's an innocent thing; something he likes. For her (and for us, the audience), it's...sick.

I thought that the rehabilitation sequence was a farce. It's as ludicrous as the rest of this quirky gem of a movie, with great performances by all the actors, particularly Hugh O'Conor. He says more with his eyes than most could with their lips.

I mean, the movie is funny (not ha ha funny, though), dripping with corrosive irony. Young is all at once twisted and innocent, torn between conforming and that endless fascination with poison. The comparisons between this and "Clockwork" are almost inevitable, but unlike Kubrick's thriller, this one has a more subtle, menacing tone, for the mind rather than for the eye. It's not a laugh-out-loud film, though it's undeniably hilarious. Whatever you feel, it's kept inside.

If you're one with a sensitive stomach, suicidal tendencies, strange addictions, goody-goodies/puritans, then stay away. Otherwise, WATCH THIS FILM!

The Jungle Book (1994)

Kipling would have liked it

[16 June 2001]

It's a good take on Kipling's masterpiece, and I liked it more (!) than the cartoon version. David Sommers did a great job on it; I always wanted to see Mowgli grown up.

Mind you, he's a fast learner. First he sees Kitty, then he starts a riot, goes to prison, gets discovered, and learns how to talk. It happens to fast. But that's the movies for you, and you can't really fault that.

There are a lot of cool moments in the movie, like in the beginning, when Kitty gives Mowgli her bracelet; in his...re-entry into the "human race", when he sees all the animal heads in a room, and you can feel this weird...presence. It's kind of beautiful, kind of sad, and very, very, Kipling.

He would have liked it, I think.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

FEEL THIS FILM

[29 January 2001]

This movie is spectacular. It keeps you dangling on your seat, gets you leaping onto your feet, attracting, repelling, and always surprising.

I was SO AMAZED. I still am, you know.

At first, he was just one of the new guys, that "tall glass of water with a silver spoon up his @$$", a quiet, hotshot banker/wife killer. Next, he was Andy, the sculptor, the friend, the goody-goody...or was he? Red wasn't sure, the audience wasn't sure. Red thought he knew Andy, and so did we, despite (or because) of the suspenseful movie trailers and reviews.

Thought.

If you haven't seen it, then may God rest your soul. Meanwhile, do yourself a favour and go see it. Rent it, borrow it, watch it with friends, by yourself, whatever...and believe me: you'll feel a WHOLE LOT BETTER.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Just watch it, but don't judge it while watching it

[26 November 2000]

This movie, in some ways, is even better than Saving Private Ryan. It's poetic and poignant, and seemed more for an arthouse than mainstream cinema (of the two people I saw it with, one fell asleep and the other went to watch Payback). Spielberg's movie was grimly realistic, unflinching, while this one focused on the individual, with flashbacks and dreams and then suddenly they're out on the field again, fighting an enemy they never see.

It invites us to watch, never to judge, and doesn't really give a point or plot, only how the war affects each of the men, in different ways. Less bloody than most war films, though violent nonetheless. The kaledioscopic patterns shifts from an individual perspective to none at all when they charge out and you don't know who's talking anymore. That's when the unseen (and never heard) narrator makes and appearance (that you can't see).

You don't really know who the enemy is, because you see them both, though they don't see each other.

But to be warned: if you came expecting a mainstream thriller, you might be disappointed, unless you see it differently. And maybe let the sweeping, paranomic scenery sink in, and then you'll probably like it.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH; you have been warned.

[26 November 2000]

I was late into the theatre, and entered right when all the bloody stuff was happening. The woman behind me gasped every time blood was shed (like every.9876 of a second). I sat there for three hours (close enough, anyway) without even knowing it.

Spielberg had done it again. And he got his richly deserved Oscar for Best Director (the fact that Best Picture eluded them was a cheap move on the part of the Academy). Most war movies paint the enemy in a way that makes them really easy to hate, ending up as a fascist, pseudo-propagandic piece.

But this wasn't. They weren't on a mission for war secrets, or to assassinate a Nazi general, but to get this ONE guy out of the madness.

There's Captain Miller, with a Yossarian-like attempt to escape the madness, his relentlessly cheerful staff, the roadblocks and obstacles, and finally, Ryan, who they'd not expected.

It didn't focus on the evils of the war, showing only the soldiers and not the kind of anti-whatsit speeches about their enemies, and it didn't promote the greatness of American power, despite all the patriotic music. Except, maybe, when you see the star-spangled banner at the beginning and so on, but otherwise, it was pretty neutral politically.

At any rate, it deserves its place among the 200 best films of all time (according ot IMDB), and all the blood and guts and gore somehow wasn't brutal or sadistic, but merely showing it as it was.

Forrest Gump (1994)

See it, even if it's just to make you feel smart

[26 November 2000]

I rather liked it. It was touching, often very funny, but somehow, Forrest went from the "loveable idiot" of Winston Groom's novel to a "leftover innocent" who goes with the flow. Still, I think Tom Hanks did a good job as Forrest, as did the rest of the cast.

What I really liked, I think, were the references to the "greats" of the day like Elvis, JFK and such, but they don't really SAY who they are.

And then there's everyone going around in a hurry as America goes from the idyllic pastel days of the fifties and into the disillusioned, paisley world of the sixties. But through it all, Forrest has no idea what's going on.

He does everything well, I think, like his drills (G*****n genius with an outstanding IQ) or a shrimp captain (pure luck + prayer), and father (don't know how he did that). And mostly, he goes with his heart wherever his brain cannot (which is QUITE frequently).

And that, I think, was what the movie was trying to say.

Titanic (1997)

A good movie a little off from NOVA spilling movie-making secrets

[17 November 2000]

Can I be honest with you?

I didn't cry at all (the only one among my friends and everyone I know who've seen it). I didn't bawl my eyes out or even pound the arm rests in frustration until it tied Ben Hur in its number of Oscars. Maybe it's because the first time I saw it was on a computer.

Overall, it was a good movie, even though the message is corny. For quite awhile, "love" at sweet sixteen has been classified as "infatuation", though Kate Winslet really seemed to "love". She didn't look sixteen either. The "love" shown was part gratefulness and part idealism (ie: living happily ever after with Jack) on her side and affection and anguish on his. Still, there's a lot of "love" ing, isn't there?

I'm ruining the movie message, aren't I?

Kathy Bates gave (I think) a great performance as the unsinkable Molly Brown, and Victor Garber was an equally good Mr. Andrews. The the extras and computer graphics of people drowning and the ghostly floating figures were great.

It's a good movie, if you don't spend all of the three hours dissecting the plot and vivisecting it, or giving everyone a character analysis with Freudian c**p all over. Then again, that applies to most epics, if this qualifies as one.

Romeo Must Die (2000)

It's both-sided

[14 November 2000]

It's offbeat and unconventional: the lovebirds are adults, they banter a great deal, the result unexpected.

Of course, it'd be nice if they didn't focus so much on Mac and said more on Han's background (why was he arrested again?) or Trish's work.

Besides, it shows that, ultimately, that we poor, stupid, deluded humans are more-often-than-not destroyed by those closest to us. Ok. That sounds dangerously like a spoiler, but it's not. It's just what I think.

And I didn't (I say this a lot) expect it to be so subtly expressive. Really.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Whoa!

[14 November 2000]

i braced myself. I near-panicked. I wanted to run out of the theatre before it started (I saw it on double feature with "The General's daughter", second-run). But I didn't.

Instead, I laughed and laughed and had a ball telling my males friends who'd not seen it. And gloated as they turned green either out of envy or disgust that I, a girl (underage, at that!), had beat to it.

I was warned (by these perverts who've seen everything under the sun and who were so grossed out they walked out before it was half-done) that it's filthy and disgusting. Worse than Lolita or porno.

And instead of throwing up my popcorn, I sat through and liked it a bunch.

It's really just a movie showing the effects of xenophobia and over-righteous parents in an in-your-face way like the Marquis de Sade. It shows the darker side of us in a totally subversively hilarious way you can't help but like.

Those prudes say that it's crude and offensive. Ok. I admit as much: it does. But how many times have you actually sat down, totally angry and just wanted to curse creatively for twenty minutes without repeating yourself? You see this movie and you feel better in minutes -if you can make it that long, that is.

And when I saw in with an open-mind, I'm glad I'd made it.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Re-commentary

[14 November 2000]

This is my second commentary on this movie.

I've been thinking. It's a very touching, sad and funny movie that really rips (pardon the pun) through you. For two reasons: that the people are insensitive, unfeeling jerks who treat Edward like a freak, and that most of us will probably do the same.

Like when Edward first came, he was a curiosity, and then a celebrity. He probably knew that he couldn't fit into the mainstream, but was still the beautiful innocent he was. Then it became a status symbol to get your hair cut by Edward. So he was useful. Then he became an object of desire.

It's easy to point fingers and say that the people are bad because they won't accept him and don't understand. But just think: if a guy with huge scissors for hands moved into YOUR neighbourhood, how would YOU treat him? How would everyone else treat him?

At best he'll be pitited and then (maybe, but veryveryveryvery VERY rarely) gotten used to. But people will still come and look at him and gape and maybe take a picture of him and everything. It's like having the Elephant Man at your place and you look in fascinated horror.

So it reflects us perfectly, little would we like to admit it.

But that's not convincing you to see the movie, is it? Well, see it. And if you don't agree with my commentary, just write one in riposte and I'll look it up.

U-571 (2000)

The best second-fiddle I've ever seen

[3 July 2000]

I saw this mainly because they wouldn't let me see Gladiator (I didn't have my ID). I was really surprised. Most of the people were so good, I couldn't even recognise them until I saw the credits, like Jon Bon Jovi.

Actually, it kinda reminded me of Das Boot. I think it's more "action" than "war", and the idealistic American hero is almost facist, like most war movies.

So after reading that, it'll sound like I didn't like the movie. That's so not true -I really liked it. Maybe it was the fact that they looked real instead of acting out their parts, and there weren't any exaggerated gestures that you might find in another movie.

Contact (1997)

More Science than Science Fiction (if you know what I mean)

[3 July 2000]

If you liked alien movies, this one might throw you off a bit, since it doesn't take a conventional approach of whacking the bad guys and saving the world, or their world, or whatever. It was really subtle, and you don' realise how effective some of their comments are until you through with it.

Overall, it's realistic, with the religious fanatics, conservative MPs, gung-go believers and rioters. It also goes beyond that to show how insignificant we are as humans. It's something we all know, but also something the most of us'll never admit to.

The twists and turns really got to me, and were really white-knuckled. You really don't know what to expect, and it doesn't just focus on one thing. Like in the romance, you have the man of faith and the woman of science, and it shows that somewhere, the two beliefs are joined.

Sleepers (1996)

Not for the squeamish, conservative or stickler for facts. Otherwise, watch it!

[3 July 2000]

I find that often in movies, there's either absolute realism (in art movies) or none at all (Disney). Whatever balances the two are usually good.

Sleepers might've not been the most eloquent courtroom drama, and the tactics used might be unrefined, but I absolutely loved it! It showed the consequences of the guards' sadism, which affected the boys for the rest of their lives. Kevin Bacon was great in the movie because he knew how to make you hate him. It's always easy to have to like someone, but to get the opposite is marginally harder,

In the beginning, you don't really know how everything fits together until the vengence. I don't think it's the boys (grown up) who've revenged themselves; the guards' old crimes caught up with them. It's a latter-day Count of Monte Cristo, but in a rough-spoken world with its innocence lost.

They way it was filmed didn't idealise or moralise, which was good, and showed things merely as they were, and they as they are. None of them were perfect, and they all had their angles. So whether or not it really happened or it's just a book Cracaterra decided to write to get even with someone, it's a really enjoyable movie.

It was so sad, but not boo-hoo sad. Rather, it's a bad car accident, the kind that's all torn up, but you can't look away. So it's not for everyone, that much is true. The irony was devastating, and I didn't expect the ending. Also, you don't exactly SEE what they described in their flashbacks, but it's deftly blended to see the past and present pain. Like even when they're grown up, they don't escape the pain, but live in it.

Legends of the Fall (1994)

Stuff the critics -make up your own mind

[29 April 2000]

Actually, I first decided to see it after I saw [Vanessa Gusmeroli] using the music for her long program, and I liked her interpretation, I took it out.

When I saw Brad Pitt's name among the credits, I expected to see that "pretty boy" persona that's rumoured, but he wasn't really as wooden as I expected, and I actually watched the whole thing through.

I liked it. Yeah, so shoot me and get it over with, but it's a free world. If someone tells you something you don't necessarily agree with, don't jump to conclusions, because you can miss out on something good.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Wistfully beautiful, told with deceptive simplicity

[27 March 2000]

My first impression of the movie was that it'll be sad. When I finally got around to watching it, I cried my eyes out, and I still cry when I re-watch (I love these off-beat, unconventional tear-jerkers).

The movie isn't an allegory; it's OUR life. It shows how hopeless we all are, reduced to gossip, to trying to feel superior over everyone else, mostly by picking on them. Edward's scissors prevent him from being accepted, and a regular butt for jokes. At one point, poor Edward is trapped with the sex-starved Mrs. Monroe at the beauty parlour.

When you watch it, it's almost impossible not to cry when you see him looking at Kim, the girl he loves but can never have. His puppy-doggish expression of mixed reverence, adoration and hopelessness just breaks your heart.

This movie has a sort of child-like innocence, since everything's new to him. Although he isn't real, you feel with him, for him, and you're in his shoes. How many movies nowadays can do that?

Lolita (1962)

Almost as fun as watching paint dry

[27 March 2000]

I first read the book after being warned off it, and found it relatively harmless, so I went and watched the movie. I heard mostly good stuff about it, and the critics were acclaiming it from far and wide.

It was boring! "Outrageous" they called it. Oh yes, outrageously dull. "Irreverent", they proclaimed. Irreverent to what? "Fun" they said. Fun? Were they hit on the head?

Oh well, I guess nobody's perfect, and Kubrick's not quite perfect. Actually, it would have been good if Vladimir Nabokov didn't write the screenplay as well. Overall, I just found it slow, and rather obscure.

Lolita ended up appearing a spoiled brat rather than a nymphet, although when she marries, she's probably sixteen or so. So I guess she was twelve or so when Humbert first noticed her. That, however, wasn't mentioned in the movie.

Bottom line -don't watch this if you can help it.