talking_tree Reviews

Freaky Friday (2003)

Colorful, funny, energeticly acted, very good teen chickflick

[8/10 · 24 January 2004]

What a delightful surprise this film was! Right from the start till it ends it does magnifically the thing it is supposed to do: entertain. Yes, it has some clichés, yes it is hollywood and yes it has some very unrealistic moments but when you watch a movie from this category you should try to forget these things and enjoy with an "empty mind". Freaky Friday got me laughing hard and made me feel bubbly and energetic after it ended and that, to me, proves that this film did the right job. Uplifting, that is the right word for this movie.

One of the main keys for this movie is the perfect cast. Jamie Lee Curtis, the little brother and the grandpa were hilarious and I was really positively suprised with Lindsay Lohan who has grown into a beautiful and sparkling "almost woman". Great job. Watch this film when you need some cheering up! Many thumbs up.

Pahat pojat (2003)

What a suprise

[9/10 · 18 August 2003]

Gosh how this is one of those films that have made me load negative prejudices in my mind and then after seeing it, I start lauging to those thoughts because they were so wrong. This movie was an utter pleasent suprise. Rarely there are such great Finnish movies as Pahat Pojat. I was so suprised. The actors were natural, fun and sympatic. Even Jasper Pääkkönen who I have never liked. I´ve changed my thoughts about him now. The women actresses weren´t so good but that didn´t matter as the boys did so good. And Vesa-Matti Loiri! Gosh, how horrible he was made. He did a fantastic job.

What I really liked in this movie was that it is so colourful. It has action, great dialogue, romance and the best thing: humor. I laughed every five minutes! It also gets very touching at times too. That´s good for an "explosition movie". Pahat Pojat is for young people. It is rough and action packed, also light, warm and funny. See it!

Tjorven och Skrållan (1965)

Lovable filmie from the 60´s

[10/10 · 1 August 2003]

I took this deligthful little movie from the library a few days ago. I had not seen it in many years, but watching it made so many colorful childhood memories come up that I couldn´t stop smiling. This film truly is a children´s movie in its best! It is based on an Astrid Lindgrens book and it tells about an island called Saltkråkan, the people and expecially the kids who live there. The characters are lovable and true, stories and circumtanses sweet and realistic and the acting is wonderful from all the children and expecially Torsten Lilliecrona who plays Melkerson. Also, they couldn´t have found a more happy and well to handle cutie than 21 months old Kajsa Dandenell to play little Skrållan.

If you have the chance and you would like to spend a warm and laugh sure video evening with your children, get Tjorven och Skrållan in you hands.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

mysterious and intelligent

[9/10 · 24 June 2003]

What a weird trip this movie is. And what a captivating trip too. I had no idea of the plot when I started watching Being John Malchovich so it was a complete suprise. Allthough the movie doesn´t really have an accurate plot. It has dark humor, fantasy, horror, comedy, document, romance, so many different flavours that it just makes you laugh with exitement and confusion. In a pleasant kind of way.

I truly recommend this movie to any one who likes to think. It will leave you a bit mixed up with some questions. But in a pleasant kind of way.

Picket Fences (1992–1996)

Just lovely

[2 May 2003]

When ever I open the television and Picket fences is coming, I get a satisfactioned smile on my face and I crawl into sofa to enjoy. Today I saw the very emotional episode "Frogman returns" and now I´m sure that this is one of the greatest American series ever showd onto the daylight. Like many others have said, it has something for everyone. Drama, jokes, family moments, moral questions, children, teens, funny moments, emotional moments... LIFE. And it hasn´t really aged at all. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Parenthood (1989)

Satisfaction.

[9/10 · 1 May 2003]

Usually I really dislike American films from the 80´s. With Parenthood there is a big exception. This movie is absolutely brilliant. Steve Martin is funny and great as always, Dianne Wiest unbelievably true and young Joachim(or Leaf)Phoenix impressed me. All the actors are believable and genuine. The movie has the taste of life. It is funny, sad, beautiful, exciting, touching. Not very original but works well. I love the way all the family´s are so different with their own kind of(usual)problems. At times you smile with delight and at times almost cry.

The ending is lovely and it brings all the happenings together. Parenthood is very American and at the same time it really works. It is not the best of movies, it´s one of those warm ones that you can watch over and over again.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Shortly

[5/10 · 22 March 2003]

I didn´t really like it. Is that a bad way of starting a review of a film? Maybe yes but that doesn´t take away the fact that I didn´t like the film. Three hours of gore, violence and airyheaded plotline was enough for me. Why is it that nowaydays there are so many big films that look so amizingly good and underneath the shell have nothing but air in them?

The Others (2001)

Elegant, stylish and original moviemaking

[9/10 · 7 March 2003]

I actually found this movie really good all though I had my prejudice thoughts. From the minute it starts (and the starting is really brilliant!) you get the image that The Others is not as cliché filled and normal kind of thriller. I liked the way the film was full of good little scary parts and not just a horrifying end and nothing happening in between like in many lame horrormovies. The music and the zooming with the camera were effective. And what a great idea it is to make a horror movie with two children allergic to light! Scary movies are supposed to be gloomy and grey looking and the allergy gives a ReAsOn why the movie is darkish.

Nicole Kidman gave a strong performance and I was very pleased of her but mostly I was impressed with the two children. They were absolutely great, natural and true. Expecially the girl, Anne, she had a hard role in her shoulders but she handeled it like a professional actress.

And the ending...of course I´m not going to tell about it because it is a delicious treat if you don´t know what happens in it. I WAS suprised!

Disco Pigs (2001)

Great

[8/10 · 8 February 2003]

I really liked this movie because it is fresh and unique. The whole movie moves like a rollercoaster, it has it´s ups and downs. At first I was a bit shocked of the violent way Pig and Runt were behaving but it gets clear in the movie why. Their intensity is beautiful and the acting is amazingly pure. Also the Cork accents were wonderful. One of the thing I don´t like is the name of the movie "Disco Pigs". Something more attractive could have been better... But what is really good and worth watching are the beginning and the ending of Disco Pigs. I was suprised of myself when I simply started crying in the end.

To sum it up, this movie is a strange, special, emotional and well acted Irish gem. Not the best movie ever but very worth watching.

Stand by Me (1986)

Truly sweet but a bit unoriginal

[7/10 · 6 February 2003]

This is a movie in hand if you are feeling down. It is bright, innocent, cute and it truly cherishes the meaning of friendship. I found it enjoyable and well acted but still...it is so extremely typical American film, very typical with some light chlicés. The part where one of the boys tells a story was somewhat stupid. Why do so many American films want to add moments of dumb people playing with food and vomiting it out totally un-naturally? I just don´t get it!

But don´t get me wrong. The story was a wonderful mix of sunnyness and emotions. I´m sure that expecially young boys will be delighted and why not the whole family? All of the young actors were natural and good. Expecially I was impressed by River Phoenix and Will Wheaton´s performances. They delivered rich emotions and cried painfully real. Yes, they were good.

But we must admit that this movie has been made again. The Sandlot, Now and Then (a girl version), Little giants, they all are very similar to Stand by Me. It´s a very enjoyable, colorful, 50´s spirited, cute family film. I give it ***from*****

The Kid (1921)

There are no words to phraise this movie enough

[10/10 · 13 January 2003]

It is hard to find such delightful and adorable movies these days as "The Kid". It is a silent movie but so rich, winning and beautiful that you don´t nead words. Chaplin and 6-year old Coogan are possibly the most charming pair I have ever seen in my life. The film succees to be nicely light and full of joy but also overwhelmingly sad and sentimental. I always get my eyes full with tears of saddness and happiness. And I really never cry in movies. And the music...its simply Oscar-level! The movie is sympathetic, full of feeling, touchingly funny moments. It is truly a masterpiece showing how extraordinary talented person Charlie Chaplin was considering this film is respectively over 80 years old! So don´t you miss it because of it´s age, don´t miss it.

Winning London (2001 Video)

Plain awful

[2/10 · 12 January 2003]

I can see that this films is mostly rated and commented by girls under 15. No one else could say one phrase to this rubbish. The movie was (as usual) higly boring, stiffly acted, predictable, like a big musicvideo. I simply can´t believe how anyone can write this unpleasant film and how can those two girls, Mary-Kate and Ashley with 14 years of acting experiense, want to act in a film with this kind of plot. It´s stupid. And why in the world can´t the eVeR hire other actors with good talents?? I had never seen those other actors and..well..they were newcomers with not so much talents, at least yet.

I tried, I really tried to watch this movie from the beginning to the end but I couldn´t. I knew what was going to happen in it and the acting was just so hideous it wasn´t worth it! Maybe you´ll still watch it, despite my and other people´s words, that´s what I did because I was curious to see if the Olsen twins had finally grown up...but it isn´t worth it, trust me.

The Stars Will Tell, Inspector Palmu (1962)

Don´t miss this one!

[10/10 · 11 January 2003]

Oh, I couldn´t believe my eyes when I found that there was even a page made for Komisario Palmu (or should I say inspector Palm, heh) movies! A Finnish movie from the 60s, doesn´t sound interesting, huh? But I must say these films are absolutely, utterly WONDERFUL! Great, natural, funny, talented actors; delightful, realistic, comedic plot. "Tähdet kertovat, komisario Palmu" is possibly my favourite among the Palmu-films. Leo Jokela is symphatic and adds laughs, Helge Herala is fantasticly disgusting as the major, Esko Salminen is candy for your eye and all the actors do wonderful jobs. I never, ever get tired of these movies, honestly! They make you laugh and they simply aren´t dated though are old. This and all the other "Palms" are BEST Finnish movies ever!

Inspector Palmu's Error (1960)

Pure pleasure

[10/10 · 11 January 2003]

This is an absolutely delightful movie, one of my all time favourites. It is a mixture of comedy, exitement, dark humor etc. The actors work terrificly as in every Komisario Palmu movie. This movie has great turns and it always succees to scare me deliciously on the end. You can´t get tired of this movie, I can assure you that!

Dimples (1936)

slow, rarely interesting

[6/10 · 11 January 2003]

I usually really like watching the old and charming Shirley Temples. But this one, Dimples, just simply isn´t a very good movie. Some fairly good actors are in it but all together it´s very tiring and unrealistic little film. Shirley´s charisma just doesn´t hit it this time. And when it doesn´t hit, the only thing that shows is her acting which is not anything special. The only quite good thing is the songs and dance rutines but other wise: boring. Also it just shines out how bad possition black actors had in Hollywood on the 30s. This is not Shirley´s best, watch Curly top or The Little Princess instead.

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

perfect

[10/10 · 9 January 2003]

This is a breathtaking, gorgeous, unique, wonderful piece of art. Watching La vita é bella made me laugh, wonder, cherish, swallow tears of joy and sadness. Not many films can do all that! The actors are magnificent. Roberto Benigni is a wonder. He could play his part completely thruthfully, being a great comedian and very sympathetic at the same time. And 5-year old Giorgio Cantarini impressed me wholeheartedly! Life is Beautiful is a masterpiece and maybe the best foreign film I´ve ever seen. Don´t miss it.

To Grandmother's House We Go (1992 TV Movie)

Quite pressing

[9 January 2003]

Comparing to all of the crappy, airheady films that the Olsen twins have done these days, this cute piece of nothing is quite harmless...but not very entertaining. These two girls at, any age, haven´t had any kind of acting talent. The thing that saves them in this movie (and almost all of their movies) is the slight charisma, cuteness and the fact that they are twins and are interesting for a while because of that. But that isn´t enough for a movie to become good. TGHWG is predictable, badly acted, childlish etc. It is not the worst thing from Olsen twins and kids under 12 may be entertained.

Some parts were a little nice but just listen to them SING! Horrible.