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Iaryavie
Reviews
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (2000)
Shakespeare Would Definitely Approve...
I first saw this filmed version in my freshman year in high school when I was just starting to appreciate the works of Shakespeare, and this has just made me fall in love with the Bard more. Ever since I first saw this, I've seen it hundreds of times and even read the script, only to find myself still laughing. Watching Austin, Adam, and Reed is like spending 90 minutes with three best friends who only want to entertain you. Seeing it live was indeed a highlight and I don't think I'll ever stop listening to the Othello rap. The comedic timing is hilarious and their talent at improvisation is priceless. Reduced Shakespeare Company, you've made my life so much more complete. :)
Bigger Than the Sky (2005)
The most agonizing hour and 46 minutes of my life...
Being a huge fan of "Cyrano de Bergerac" I was immediately drawn to the summary presented on the DVD box of "Bigger Than The Sky" at Hollywood Video--not to mention, the promise of seeing Sean Astin in another movie! Little did I know, the summary would be one of complete dissimulation as I sat down to watch it and endured the tragedy of a film before me...
The characters were point blank surface-only and the only depth found in any of them came when the movie was almost over and we discover Michael's (John Corbett) long ago decision to abandon life as a famous actor and to instead stay in Portland for life at the community theatre. Not even Kippy's (Allan Corduner) tragic history was enough to distract from the horrible acting of Marcus Thomas as Peter.
Is it supposed to be "believable" that someone as horrible as Peter could walk into an audition with zero experience and beat out everyone for the lead as Cyrano himself?? Thomas played Peter as bland as ever, speaking in a tone that looked as if it even bored those around him on screen. How is the audience supposed to root for this amateur/hero when we can't even pay attention, let alone stay awake, to anything coming out of his mouth?? And let's not even get started on Amy Smart. One word: USELESS. She floated around a random room in the beginning of the movie to what was supposed to be an "inspiring" entrance as Grace and then somehow morphed into a bipolar stage freak.
Finally, as talented as Sean Astin is, not even his performance as the arrogant Ken Zorbell made the movie remotely enjoyable.
"Agonizing" is just a fraction of the emotions felt while watching this movie--if we can even call it that. Even the great work of Edmond Rostand has been tainted for me. "Bigger Than The Sky" was pointless, confusing, misleading, and made me doubt my sanity. Thank you, Al Corley, for directing one of the worst films in the history of cinema.
Hidalgo (2004)
Why the negativity? It was EXCELLENT.
I'm usually not into "horse movies," but seeing Hidalgo has changed that. I loved it. Viggo Mortensen is brilliant. He captures the essence of Frank T. Hopkins so wonderfully. I walked in to the theatre expecting an action horse movie. I wasn't disappointed--It was all that and more.
The humor of this movie was done very tastefully. The love story is written well because it wasn't overdone. In the end, the respect Hopkins has for the Arabian culture's rules about women are still present. And of course...there were the sad moments.
I laughed, I cried, and I was drawn into the story of the American cowboy and the race that changed his life. Two thumbs up, 10 stars, and big smiles for this awesome film!
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Beautifully done!
I loved this movie. It was really cute and had a good storyline. It's a perfect film companion to movies like Beauty and the Beast or Shrek. The script was well-written and Johnny Depp was brilliant as Edward. Although he didn't have many lines, he portrayed his role with such emotion and by the end of the movie, it was no surprise to find tears in my eyes. Does Edward look different? Yes. But you can't help but love him. At a quick glance, the movie seems to be "scary" but really, it's not. The imaginative land of Surburbia and Dianne Weist's character had me laughing throughout the film. This was really an excellent movie and I definitely recommend it!
A Separate Peace (1972)
awful
I think this movie is absolutely awful. It did NOT do justice to John Knowles' book at ALL. The acting was bad, the directing the bad, the quality was bad...It was just awful all together. I honestly hope the 2003 edition is somewhat better.