First, I'm not a movie critic and I don't pretend to write like one. Awesome stunt riders on the police K-bikes! Riding those at speed on wet cobblestones takes a lot of skill. Would like to see a race between this Mini and Steve McQueen's Bullitt Mustang someday. Okay, I'll shut up about the chase scene now. The rest was pretty good, too. If you want the intellectual read on this check out somebody else's comments.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Every hero needs a little help.
18 May 2002
The essential hero tale is universal. This story, although ostensibly about a man converting raw talent into a winning cricket team, weaves many rich subplots into its texture including the issue of caste division. I could not help referencing my understanding of the story to other, more Western, movies like Major League (obvious there), Oklahoma ( a Curly - like character tries to sabotage things due to jealousy), and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (the music in places) and, of course, The Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven (a "warrior" tries to recruit eleven men to fight for a village). The actors and actresses, though probably not well known in the US, carry out their roles with consummate skill. I would hope to see them in other films as well.
The Fifth Element
(1997)
Supreme being among us. She's not what you think.
2 March 2002
Every small part expertly played. Bruce Willis is always the same character, but, hey, so is Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, etc. Chris Tucker carries a lot of the comedic element, playing off Willis's straight man. Gary Oldman plays with the evil role as well. And the supreme being - wow - Milla Jojovich seems to be, indeed! She does a great fight scene that I think is one of her better moments in the film.
Kikujiro
(1999)
A redemption story in contemporary Japan.
25 July 2001
I have noticed some reviewers did not "get it". Strangely, I feel I did get most of it, but maybe I'm weird. All stories are not for everyone.
My comment is on the sound track - I had the sensation I had the music already in my CD collection so I checked back and found some that are similar (Appalachia Waltz with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor, and Shadow of Time by Nightnoise). If anyone knows more about the influences of the musical score perhaps you could let us know. It matched the moods of the film very well. p.s. An observation: some parts may seem slow, but serve to develop the characters elegantly and quietly - a refreshing relief from "Lethal Weapon - type character development. p.p.s Color was great, as well as cinematography. (OK, I'll stop now).
My comment is on the sound track - I had the sensation I had the music already in my CD collection so I checked back and found some that are similar (Appalachia Waltz with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor, and Shadow of Time by Nightnoise). If anyone knows more about the influences of the musical score perhaps you could let us know. It matched the moods of the film very well. p.s. An observation: some parts may seem slow, but serve to develop the characters elegantly and quietly - a refreshing relief from "Lethal Weapon - type character development. p.p.s Color was great, as well as cinematography. (OK, I'll stop now).
Cosi
(1996)
An opera within an opera.
4 January 2001
I agree with most of the reviews already posted, but would like to add that I found the characterizations to be what endeared me most to this production. I'm a recent explorer of opera and have seen movie versions of some of them. This can stand toe to toe with any movie version of an opera in terms of its ability to reach gut level. I cried when the house lights went down and the curtain up as the six on stage were transformed into something bigger than themselves and so participated in the healing mystery that mankind has been experiencing since the first dramatizations and plays were enacted.
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