The worst Soderbergh movie I've ever seen; in every term. The useless plot, empty and unconvincing characters along with God knows why perfect frames from a distance which rarely serves the plot but mostly bores to death. I expected to happen something or something to mean anything but nothing came up. What was the point of all the artistic fuss which doesn't tell anything at all? It is obvious that the story is not for Soderbergh and in order to tell the story it seems that he chose a very distant and cold style which only serves to show the emptiness and dullness of each character more and more. Avoid at all costs from a total waste of time.
Reviews
13 Reviews
Vavien
(2009)
What a beautiful story telling!
1 December 2010
I was one of the best films I've watched in a long time. A story of a family living in a small town struggling against the daily life like in classical melodrama. But this one takes the issue in a satiric way and takes a big step into black humor, even into film noir. While doing it never leaves the control of the movie or lose the center. A movie in harmony with all elements; from plot to actors, from cinematography to directing. It was a very pleasant experience for me, I really enjoyed it. A very satisfying movie coming from contemporary Turkish cinema which needs more films like this. In fact every cinema needs films like this.
Repo Men
(2010)
What was it all about?
1 December 2010
I don't know where to begin? If it was a film about a system, bankers maybe, that abuses people even suck their blood, I'd prefer to see less cutting and blood and else! The plot was weak with many holes and it was taking itself so seriously which wasn't easy to endure. It was predictable not to mention the weird plot twists. The acting may be called fine but with all those shallow characters there was not much to do. Towards the end I really got mad to myself for picking this movie. I also got this feeling after watching Equilibrium, though I couldn't finish it and didn't figure out what Christian Bale was doing there. Anyway, I don't recommend this repo guys who far from being convincing or entertaining. The four stars I gave are just for technical issues but they don't bail out the film.
25th Hour
(2002)
brilliant!!
16 November 2005
Whomever he enacts, watching Edward Norton is always a great pleasure. But this was beyond it, the film is one of the best films I have ever seen about human nature, friendship, life and hope. The tempo of the film never decreases and very appropriate flash backs enrich the movie as well. The feeling of entrapment and desperation never let the film to be depressed, even the director is playing with the feelings so well you get lost somewhere between entrapment and freedom.Besides the cinematography, music,plot,beautiful NY, excellent acting and directing you feel as if you go to prison instead of Monty.
There is really not much to say...I have to admit it was much much beyond my thoughts....watch it you'll be amazed and won't regret!!
There is really not much to say...I have to admit it was much much beyond my thoughts....watch it you'll be amazed and won't regret!!
Dead Ringers
(1988)
abjection....
8 September 2004
Cronenberg is a director who deals with subjectivity and the ones who are not capable to accept the borders of the unified body and the borders between the other(s). For Lacan and Freud formation of subjectivity requires expelling certain things which corrupts the unified body. Imagination of coherent body is a pure condition of subjectivity which separates inside and outside. In this sense abject, which disturbs identity and border like body fluids, threatens the order of the body.In this context, choosing gynecology as a sub-story of the film isn't a coincidence. Because the female body and maternal body refers to abject.Source of abjection in a female body, uncontrollable monthly courses, milking the child and most important is giving birth, an ultimate experience of abjection in which inside and outside can't be identified easily.
Like in other Cronenberg films, The Fly, Naked Lunch, M. Butterfly, Crash, eXistenZ and Spider(the protagonists couldn't draw the line between themselves and animals, machines, "outside" and the other gender)in Dead Ringers we see this time identical twins transgressing borders of themselves in a very uncanny way. Their obsession to female vagina, and the "beauty" of it as Elliot expressed, and inventing new tools for it is referring female body as an abject, like in many other horror films. I think this film goes far beyond the classical horror films because of its brilliantly structured plot and stunning performances of Jeremy Irons. This is not a clean-cut and easy subject to deal with. But the result is outstanding and for me the BEST of Cronenberg.
Like in other Cronenberg films, The Fly, Naked Lunch, M. Butterfly, Crash, eXistenZ and Spider(the protagonists couldn't draw the line between themselves and animals, machines, "outside" and the other gender)in Dead Ringers we see this time identical twins transgressing borders of themselves in a very uncanny way. Their obsession to female vagina, and the "beauty" of it as Elliot expressed, and inventing new tools for it is referring female body as an abject, like in many other horror films. I think this film goes far beyond the classical horror films because of its brilliantly structured plot and stunning performances of Jeremy Irons. This is not a clean-cut and easy subject to deal with. But the result is outstanding and for me the BEST of Cronenberg.
Citizen Kane
(1941)
collecting, collecting, collecting...
8 September 2004
I love to watch this film over and over again and every time I see something new, challenging and interesting. A film, which can be called a touchstone of film making in Hollywood,chock full visually and contently. Nearly every detail and every word is chosen exactly and the form backs up the content accurately, that is why it is an perfect example of formalist film making. In fact a simple story, rise and fall of a man, is told but with every possibility of the medium. All that wide angles, black and white shadows, surrealist shots reminding German expressionism, lighting and beautiful deep-focus cinematography using the field depth to its limits (arranging all the visual elements in a meaningful way) serve to the content and creates meaning. There is not much to say on its brilliant form, it is really something for its time. And when we come to the plot, the story is very well structured and told in flash-backs and from different point of views.
From psychoanalitic point of view, all film is about separation of Kane from his mother in small ages and his effort to fill that "lack" through his life. He collects many things through his life in order to fulfill his life and forget the big loss of his mother. He struggles with his symbolic father ,whom separated him from his mother, all his life and he leads his life missing the feeling of the "unity" in other words "wholeness" with his mother. In fact feeling of wholeness can never be gained in adult life and that's why he collects, collects and goes on until his death but of course he never succeeds to fell that unity again. A house full of stuff from every corner of the world can't fill his lack. That feeling finds body in fantasy objects like Rosebud, his sled, which we see it in his hands in their separation scene with his mother. In other words Rosebud is his "object a" (fantasy object) that fills his loss. We may say that Rosebud is the symbol of his lack of his mother. Also through his life he never gets successful with women and dies alone and his last word is Rosebud, which is very meaningful. I highly recommend it whomever hasn't watched it yet. It is indeed a classic, watching is great pleasure and a different experience.
From psychoanalitic point of view, all film is about separation of Kane from his mother in small ages and his effort to fill that "lack" through his life. He collects many things through his life in order to fulfill his life and forget the big loss of his mother. He struggles with his symbolic father ,whom separated him from his mother, all his life and he leads his life missing the feeling of the "unity" in other words "wholeness" with his mother. In fact feeling of wholeness can never be gained in adult life and that's why he collects, collects and goes on until his death but of course he never succeeds to fell that unity again. A house full of stuff from every corner of the world can't fill his lack. That feeling finds body in fantasy objects like Rosebud, his sled, which we see it in his hands in their separation scene with his mother. In other words Rosebud is his "object a" (fantasy object) that fills his loss. We may say that Rosebud is the symbol of his lack of his mother. Also through his life he never gets successful with women and dies alone and his last word is Rosebud, which is very meaningful. I highly recommend it whomever hasn't watched it yet. It is indeed a classic, watching is great pleasure and a different experience.
Les Biches
(1968)
boring!
7 September 2004
I don't like labeling movies with one word but I just didn't find any other words to say on this one. I watched many other Chabrol films, which I don't admire but liked and found some interesting things in them. But this one disappointed me beyond my imagination. I have to begin somewhere so let me begin with the story. Was it another criticism about bourgeoisie and telling us that the artist must be on his/her own instead of being a slave to bourgeoisie? Or was it about finding an identity in lesbian affair, there is no nudity, which was a quite a topic for '60's? Was it about commitment, passion, jealousy or the mortal love? I have to confess none of these convinced me at all. Second of all, the acting was ridiculous and the mood of the film was cold as ice. Maybe Chabrol thought that the climax could get warmer in Saint Tropez but it didn't help as well. (If you are looking for beautiful scenes of Southern France I will recommend To Catch A Thief instead with a brilliant story and directing from Hitchcock )Their acting didn't give the feeling of love, in fact any feeling at all. I patiently watched to get something from it, but the film ends with a huge nothing. I don't recommend this film to anyone, for me it is a loss of time.
In the Mood for Love
(2000)
what a poetic way to make a film....
2 September 2004
When I fist watched the movie, I said to myself, "so a film can be made like this." Wong Kar Wai's gorgeous poetic love story captured me throughout and even after the film. I must admit this is one of the best love movies, maybe the best of all, I have ever watched. The content and the form overlaps perfectly. As watching the secret love we see the characters in bounded frames that limits their movements as well as their feelings. Beautiful camera angles and the lighting makes the feelings and the blues even touchable. I want to congratulate Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee for their fantastic cinematography which creates the mood for love. Also the music defines the sadness of the love which plays along the beautiful slow motion frames and shows the characters in despairing moods. And of course the performances of the actors which makes the love so real. Eventually, all the elements in the film combined in a perfect way under the direction of WKW and give the audience the feeling called love.
Blow-Up
(1966)
an easier one....
2 September 2004
I have seen Antonioni's other films The Eclipse, The Adventure, The Red Desert and in my opinion it is the easier one to watch. First it is not that abstract and second the plot is easy in a manner not boring to watch. It is an enigma about seeing. The use of colors, camera angles, beautiful cinematography, distancing from the main character and Hancock's music are making the film an offbeat. Here we see again Antonioni's favorite themes estrangement as a result of modern city life and self's isolation; distinction between nature and city where the nature is preferred over the city. But for me these are the standards for Antonioni and I want to say something about his attitudes to the women in his films which is an other standard. In his other films mostly the woman character is estranged, mostly Monica Vitti, and doesn't know what to do or where to go. Always the women are in confused, doubtful and even aimless whereas the men are self confident and strong. In Blow Up we again see these cliches. A self confident, professional photographer, who is a voyeur as well, who teases nearly every women in the film. The women are again weak, doubtful and objects of desire in some times. Especially in the scene where two model candidates try to attract his attention which finally ends with an orgy. I don't want to call all these attitudes toward women misogyny but whenever I watch his films I feel uncomfortable about it.
wonderful satire!!
2 September 2004
For me, there is no much to say on Kubrick, he is a genius. Besides being a great director, he is a talent to reveal the best performances from his actors. In Dr. Strangelove I have seen one of the most outstanding performances from Peter Sellers, for it he should have been rewarded, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden. Telling a story about cold war, which is an outmoded subject for now of course, in a satiric way along the detailed art direction and set decoration still attracts the attention and makes people laugh about it. His devotion to perfection and details, his exceptional directing and his sense of humor makes the film unforgettable. Watch the film and look at that War Room which was considered a real room for one of the ex presidents of the United States. It is a classic, a must see and of course a glance at the history.
Barry Lyndon
(1975)
magnificent!!
21 March 2004
this is the third time i watch Barry Lyndon today and i can't stop myself writing a comment on it...Kubrick is a genius, his work is outstanding with beautiful cinematography, costumes, acting and music..it is one of the best adaptations I've ever seen and a few of them can give the impression of their period...acting, gestures and the use of language captures the period, gives the feeling of 18th century as well...i have nothing to say about his directing which i always appreciate but especially in this work of his, he created painting like scenes which i haven't seen else where...i also like the episodic way of story telling which leads us to follow redmond's journey of experiences in different fields..and of course his genius to shot scenes under the light of candle lit, without artificial light... it is a great pleasure to watch a film like this, thanks Kubrick...
In July
(2000)
very nice movie..
20 September 2003
young Turkish director Fatih Akýn made a nice, entertaining and warm film about love and destiny...i liked the plot but more then that, i really loved the way Akýn expressed all kind of feelings in a very natural way..cinematography and nice editing impressed me..it is a nice road movie with a good plot, good directing and good acting.. if you want to have a good time with a good movie this is for you..
Lenny
(1974)
very good...
15 September 2003
in my opinion d.hoffman was perfect i've seen a lot of his movies but i'm hit by his performance(as well as v. perrine) also the directing and the cinematography were amazing...what a wonderful way of story telling..i'd recommend it to the ones who are really interested in cinema..
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