yearspew Reviews

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

An Unforgettable Journey Through A Man's Soul.

[9/10 · 15 April 2010]

Werner Herzog's Aguirre, The Wrath Of God (Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes) is one of the films that instantly left a lasting impression on me from the first time I watched it.

The film tells the story of Spanish conquistador Don Lope de Aguirre (played brilliantly by Klaus Kinski) and his expedition in the search of the golden city of El Dorado in the Peruvian jungle.

From the very first shot the film establishes an impending visual presence, in which every scene contains visual importance in the way it depicts the action. To me, this film looks like someone took a time machine, traveled back to the 1500's and filmed Aguirre's crew through the jungle. It almost feels like a documentary due to the very realistic performances, and the fact that the actors themselves (and the film crew) are really in the jungle. No FX or green screens here.

Shot with a small budget, the making of Aguirre is one of the most difficult in film history. With the cast and crew having to face the adversities of the jungle much like the characters in the film do.

Klaus Kinski as usual gives a performance that has to be seen to be believed. The man is fearsome, violent, and absolutely captivating, which makes the character of Aguirre all the more memorable. A definitive must-watch for any film lover. While not an entirely accessible film to more casual viewers, Aguirre is not just a film, it's an experience.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Masterful Comedy.

[9/10 · 24 June 2008]

Fast Times At Ridgemont High is a very well-written comedy that goes way beyond Phoebe Cates's topless scene or Sean Penn's Spicoli. Not only it's a classic 80's movie that has influenced many other movies, it's a well-structured, inventive film with great quality to it.

The film has four story lines: of Stacy Hamilton, of Brad Hamilton, of Jeff Spicoli, and of Damone and Mark Ratner.

The story lines vary in tone, yet they maintain that harmony that allows the characters jump from one storyline to another and fit perfectly.

The characters are memorable, quotable and very well played. Spicoli is perhaps the most memorable character in the movie, the stoner, surfer dude played brilliantly by Sean Penn. Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) is the guy who wants to succeed yet finds himself stuck in the same jobs, Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is the girl that wants to grow up too soon, Damone (Robert Romanus) is a weasel, but a funny one, and Ratner (Brian Backer) is an innocent geek. And of course Mr. Hand (Ray Walston) who is a hilarious character trying to deal with Spicoli.

Fast Times is a fun movie, an enjoyable movie and a flashback to the 80's.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Top Notch Human Drama.

[9/10 · 23 June 2008]

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Hannah And Her Sisters is one of the most realistic human dramas portrayed on film. Like most of Woody's movies, the characters are very real people with very real issues that the common person can identify with.

Brilliantly balanced between drama and comedy, the movie tells two parallel stories: Elliot (Michael Caine) who's in love with Lee (Barbara Hershey) who is the sister of his wife Hannah (Mia Farrow), and Mickey (Woody Allen) a neurotic hypochondriac trying to find a purpose for his life.

Woody's characters are well-written as usual, and the actors do an amazing job playing them and displaying real emotions. The dialogue is interesting, romantic, funny and clever.

Overall, one of Woody Allen's masterpieces and an example of how to write interesting, believable characters.

Shadows and Fog (1991)

Good Enough Movie.

[6/10 · 23 June 2008]

One foggy night. A killer on the loose. A circus in town. A clueless man involved in a plot to catch the killer, but what is the plot? Not one of Woody Allen's most well-known movies but it's definitely worth a look. First of all, the cinematography is brilliant, the use of black & white gives this movie a very 40's look.

Woody Allen playing, well, Woody Allen, never fails to amuse and co-starring Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Madonna, Jodie Foster among others, Shadows And Fog is a highly entertaining film.

In terms of quality, it lacks essence to be one of Woody's best or most memorable but it's by no means a bad movie.

Interesting nonetheless, especially for Woody Allen fans.

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Great Bleakness.

[9/10 · 23 June 2008]

Buffalo '66 is a strange movie that I assume will divide the audience. I can understand why someone would love it as well as I can understand why someone would hate it.

Vincent Gallo stars as Billy Brown, a lonesome man recently released from prison. Gallo plays a character that is so depressing, so joyless, that the acting becomes very real. I haven't watched much else of Gallo's acting, but he definitely has a presence. Whether you like or hate Billy, it can't be denied that he transmits real feelings from his persona.

The mood of the film is brilliant. The bleak atmosphere is captivating and lets us get inside the dark and depressing world of Billy Brown. Every scene has this emotionally somber tone that makes you uncomfortable in a way, but letting you appreciate the art of it.

Christina Ricci co-stars and does a great job of portraying the equally interesting Layla. The rest of the cast is also decent.

Maybe not a film for everyone, but if you like art films and character studies, give Buffalo '66 a watch.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

A Great Film.

[8/10 · 23 June 2008]

The Purple Rose Of Cairo is without a doubt, one of Woody Allen's best movies.

It tells the story of a movie character (Jeff Daniels) that comes out of the theater screen to approach the woman he loves, an avid movie-goer and suffered wife played by Mia Farrow.

This film is beautiful, magical, sad and overall entertaining. What's amazing in Woody Allen's movies is that most of them are shorter than two hours, yet they provide enough entertainment and development in story and characters that many other movies cannot accomplish in 2 or more hours.

Great performances, romance, excellent humor and drama, all of them combined brilliantly to make this one of Woody's best.

Jackie Brown (1997)

One of Tarantino's Best.

[8/10 · 23 June 2008]

When I first watched Jackie Brown, I thought it lacked something that Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction had: the entertainment factor. I liked the movie but I didn't enjoy it much. I re-watched it and re-watched it again and realized that it wasn't supposed to be like Reservoir Dogs nor Pulp Fiction.

Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino's most "real" film. Real in the way that it handles very true-to-life characters in a complex and well-written crime plot. Unlike Reservoir Dogs, which focused more on the violence; and Pulp Fiction, which had more cartoonish elements to it.

As far as story goes, this is Tarantino's best. A very interesting, appropriately paced crime story that makes you think and pay real attention to understand all the details of what's going on.

Acting-wise, superb. Every cast member does a brilliant job portraying these fantastic characters. Pam Grier and Sam Jackon have great chemistry, Robert Forster is amazing playing a low-key regular man, De Niro is very good and funny, and Bridget Fonda and Michael Keaton are great as well.

The direction is good. I wouldn't call it Tarantino's best directing job (that'd be Pulp Fiction) but it's a very good work that shows quality.

Overall, Jackie Brown is a very good film, and I mean the word very. Perhaps Tarantino's most underrated, but a great film with a great story and great characters.

Aliens (1986)

Different In Style, Equal In Entertainment.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

James Cameron's Aliens is one of the best sequels ever made. Being a sequel to the brilliant Alien is not easy, yet this movie manages to hold its own and create its own atmosphere and tone. And succeeding at it.

What impresses me is that the Alien universe allowed a fantastic suspense/horror first film as well as a fantastic action sequel.

The fact that it's an action movie does not bother me. It wasn't trying to imitate the original or to be a suspense movie. It was trying to be a more accessible shoot-em-up movie loaded with guns, explosions and humor and I think James Cameron did an amazing job with the script and the direction.

The characters are well-written. You know they're disposable, yet they have each one a different charm that I really like in ensemble casts. Bill Paxton being particularly funny as Pvt. Hudson.

Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn are great together as Ripley and Hicks respectively. The chemistry was good and it allowed the characters to have some valuable interaction without distracting from the action.

The aliens were cool-looking and they make some great villains. They are not scary like the creature in Alien was, and they are killed like bugs by the marines, but still, they fit as well in an action movie as they did in a suspense/horror one.

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott's Masterpiece.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

When I watch Alien, believe it or not, I'm not that interested in the creature itself. It's all the other details that usually catch my attention and make me admire the film every time I watch it.

To start, the breathtaking cinematography. From the outer space shots of the Nostromo to the inside of the ship, this film is beautifully shot and makes the visual style a character too.

Then, the characters. An amazing ensemble of believable people, even for a sci-fi movie. The interaction, dialogue and overall personalities of the Nostromo crew is probably what I like the most about Alien.

The cast did a great job of portraying these characters. Characters that I find likable, interesting and entertaining. Kane (John Hurt) is my favorite character, despite having the shortest screen time.

The story is, well, fantastic. Suspense and horror at its best. Subtle and well-crafted horror that modern-day viewers might disregard as "not scary" or "the alien looks fake".

The movie is a bit slow-paced but that's just part of the charm, methinks. I saw the slightly faster-paced extended cut and I gotta say I prefer the slower-paced original. That is what makes the suspense work. It's not about showing the monster do something scary right away, it's about building expectative, something that most modern suspense/horror movies have forgotten.

Which leads me to the title character. I couldn't have seen the film back in 1979 and I'm sure the audiences found the alien scarier then, however, I still find it pretty scary. Not just scary-looking (which he is, as well as cool-looking) but scary within the context of the film.

Overall, this film is a masterpiece. A film that will always keep me entertained as well as amazed by how incredibly detailed and brilliantly directed it is.

Eraserhead (1977)

A Nightmare On Film.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

David Lynch's Eraserhead is a film that not only needs to be watched, it needs to be appreciated.

To me, this film is the closest thing to a nightmare caught on film. The settings, the characters, the mood and atmosphere, everything combines perfectly to create this extraordinary experimental work that many people have grown to love, and hate as well.

Is it a difficult film to get into? Yes. Will a casual viewer be bored to tears? Perhaps, yes.

I love Eraserhead and I consider it Lynch's best work. Not because I like to pretend I'm an artsy person who enjoys weird, obscure stuff. I love this film because I like a film that creates its own atmosphere and makes up its own rules. Eraserhead is nonsensical, oddly-paced and downright strange, but that somehow fits perfectly within the film.

The visuals are creepy, disturbing, and have a very eerie realism to them. I'll say again that it does look like a filmed nightmare. The visuals have that surreal quality enhanced by the characters and the story itself.

I think Eraserhead is a proof of what can be achieved as a filmmaker and how ideas, no matter how messed up, can be translated into the screen with talent.

Atonement (2007)

My Favorite Film Of 2007.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

I love period dramas. I love a movie with a good story and good characters. Atonement has this and more.

First, I love the way the story is told. The way it's divided and the change in tone.

Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cee (Keira Knightley) are characters I could identify with. Their love story is one of the most beautiful as well as heartbreaking I've seen. The love and passion between them makes it one of the best romantic plots I've seen in a movie.

My favorite character, however, is Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan). Not only she's my favorite character from the film, she's my favorite film character from 2007 altogether. Briony is such a complex character played amazingly by Saoirse Ronan, who got nominated for an Oscar and gets my personal win.

The acting is flawless from everyone involved. McAvoy and Knightely have superb chemistry and portray a very realistic romance. Ronan is brilliant and gives my favorite performance.

The direction by Joe Wright is impeccable. I really liked his work in Pride & Prejudice, but he truly shined in here.

The score is astounding and it's the only Oscar the film won. The cinematography is beautiful and captivating. Art direction and costume design are great as well. The green dress being a popular item.

To conclude, I love this film. I think it's one of the best period dramas and one of the best stories ever told. Not only romantic stories, but stories overall.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998–2007)

One of the funniest shows ever put on screen.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

Wildly original, laugh-out-loud funny, impressing performances. That and more is Whose Line Is It Anyway?

I started watching this show around 2001 and been loving it ever since. I didn't know much about improv comedy before watching this and was pleasantly surprised afterwards.

Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Chip Esten, Jeff Davis and more are the people who have to act out scenes using improvisation as their only tool.

It's great to see a show that manages to be so creative and funny at the same time and allowing the performers to show their wide abilities. Whether it's Ryan playing a foal being born, Colin playing a man being gradually eaten by ants, or Wayne and Jeff singing an opera about motorcycles, this show has it all.

Hosted by Drew Carey, who does a good job of interacting with the performers and even participating in a skit at the end. He's not that good at improv, but one of the great things about Whose Line is that even when the performers can't entirely handle a game (like Colin in If You Know What I Mean) it's hilarious as well.

So, get ready for some of the best material that comedy has to offer. Tapioca!

Mallrats (1995)

Decent Enough Comedy.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

I have enjoyed pretty much every Kevin Smith movie. I have some favorites like Clerks, Clerks II and Chasing Amy. And some that I consider funny enough but lacking something to make them a favorite of mine. Mallrats is one of those movies.

Smith's previous movie Clerks is my favorite of his. I did not expect another Clerks in Mallrats and I wasn't disappointed with the result. I think Mallrats works as a simple 80's style comedy, yet trying to maintain elements that made Clerks such a great film.

The main characters T.S. (Jeremy London) and Brodie (Jason Lee) are, in a way, the Dante and Randal (the protagonists of Clerks) of this movie. The character traits are similar, T.S. would be Dante, the straight man, and Brodie would be Randal, the "wacky" funny one.

The big, and I mean big difference is that both characters from Clerks are equally interesting. This is not the case in Mallrats. While Brodie Bruce is perhaps the funniest and most memorable character in the movie, T.S. feels like a dull, weakly-written character that doesn't get any better with Jeremy London's acting. Jason Lee is hilarious, but his weak buddy hurts what could have been a memorable partnership.

As for the story, it's alright. I cannot praise it much but I can't bash it either.

The supporting characters are, however, very good. Ethan Suplee as Willam Black aka the sailboat guy is very funny, and Michael Rooker as Mr. Svenning is a scene-stealer sometimes. The girls (Shannen Doherty and Claire Forlani) did a decent job, but nothing remarkable about it. And of course Jay and Silent Bob who are always great. This is the first movie, though, to feature the current version of Silent Bob. That is a more animated and lively Bob, as opposed to the serious, more introverted version from Clerks.

So, to finish, Mallrats is a movie I enjoy, but one that does not get better with each viewing. Still, good for laughs.

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Highly Entertaining Horror Flick.

[10/10 · 21 June 2008]

When I first watched The People Under The Stairs, I hadn't watched that many horror movies to compare it to. Now that I'm more well-versed in the horror genre I have to say this still ranks as one of the most entertaining horror movies I've seen.

It's over-the-top and it's cheesy, but isn't that why some horror movies are so great? Especially the 80's ones. This movie is from 1991 but still has that 80's charm to it, that ability to make something so good out of simplicity. No pretensions, no clever twist or forced gore, just a good old horror movie that manages to be fun while being scary.

This movie has good characters and a good story. Wes Craven appropriately balanced the horror and the humor and the result is a highly enjoyable, very rewatchable horror flick.

I love a movie that can create an atmosphere. The People Under The Stairs creates its atmosphere and brilliantly moves its characters around it. The house, which is a character itself, serves as a fantastic setting and it's one of the reasons why I like this movie so much.

I like most of Wes Craven's work and while I think he did better direction in the Scream trilogy, this one might be my favorite film of his. Not because I think it's a better film than Scream or A Nightmare On Elm Street quality-wise, but as far as the entertainment factor goes, this one wins.

So, I don't know if I'd call this movie "great", but I love it for the reasons I said above. It's a fun flick to watch, laugh to, and of course, get scared to.

Bad Education (2004)

Fantastic Film.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

La Mala Educación is my favorite film by Pedro Almodóvar and one of the best films I've seen.

What impressed me the most was the truly brilliant acting by Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez and Lluis Homar (in a short but fantastic role).

Gael Garcia Bernal plays the same character three different ways throughout the film, each way perfectly. He's an actor that can give a powerful, humorous and very natural performance.

Fele Martinez is a great Spanish actor that can also give very powerful and emotional performances (see him in Los Amantes del Circulo Polar) and he gives my favorite performance in this film. His character is defined by his mannerisms and facial expressions. The physical language is top-notch. A very subtle performance that I consider amazing and gets my personal win for Best Supporting Actor of 2004.

Lluis Homar plays a small role, but one of the best acted ones I've seen. His performance is both raw and emotional. A character that perhaps wouldn't have been as memorable if played by someone else.

The script is very well written. A very original story that deals with many controversial subjects, yet doesn't depend on them to capture your attention. It's the characters who really make this movie so great. Real characters displaying real emotions and of course played perfectly by the actors.

A very important film and an example of realistic and great acting.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

A Modern Masterpiece.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford currently ranks as my #3 of 2007.

A film that has many things to admire. The acting, the direction, the cinematography, the score.

Brad Pitt is very good playing Jesse James. Not my favorite performance of his, but a strong performance.

Casey Affleck absolutely shines in this film. Not only he gave the best performance in the film, he gave one of the best performances in the history of cinema. His portrayal of Robert Ford is nothing short of brilliant. The subtlety, the facial expressions, the mannerisms, the cracking of the voice. A performance that was rightfully praised and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (and should have won, in my opinion).

The rest of the cast does a very good job. I'll highlight Sam Rockwell, who was amazing in the supporting role of Charley Ford.

The direction is impeccable, and the beautiful and astounding cinematography becomes another character in the film.

The score is, along with the score of Atonement, my favorite of 2007. Absolutely beautiful and haunting music that fits perfectly with the visual style of the film.

Overall, one of the most important films of the 21st century. An amazing display of acting and visual style.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Some Of The Most Memorable Dialogue Ever.

[10/10 · 21 June 2008]

If I were to roughly summarize Glengarry Glen Ross, I'd say it's a movie about a group of salesmen talking in an office for about an hour and forty minutes. Now, that's not far from the truth, but it's precisely in the talking where the beauty is.

Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), Shelley "The Machine" Levene (Jack Lemmon), David Moss (Ed Harris), John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) are characters brilliantly written and masterfully played. I have to include Blake (Alec Baldwin) whose only scene in the movie is one of the most memorable and many people's favorite. Oh, and James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce) who also has a small but equally masterfully played role.

Every actor gives a stellar performance playing these salesmen. Just to watch them walk around the office and sitting at their desks talking to each other and yelling at each other is a pleasure. It's amazing how much entertainment can be achieved with just words and a regular setting like an office.

The story is good, but I'm gonna be honest, this film is all about the characters.

The dialogue is top notch. Some of the best dialogue I've heard in any movie. Absolutely quotable not only because of the way it's written (by David Mamet) but also because of the way the actors say it. If you want perfect delivery and timing, this is the movie.

Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my top ten films of all time. A film with characters that make a day in the office seem like the most entertaining thing.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

My Favorite 90s Movie.

[10/10 · 21 June 2008]

Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is perhaps the most original film I've ever seen. I know I may sound like an overstatement, but when I watched this film for the first time I had never watched anything like it before. The characters, the nonlinear storyline, the dialogue, the costume design. I loved it instantly.

I don't care how many people call Tarantino a hack and Pulp Fiction overrated. I will always praise this movie because I truly believe that it's an amazing example of great film-making and very original writing.

What I love the most are the characters. Good characters can make up for a weak plot. Pulp Fiction doesn't really have much of a plot at all. As Tarantino said, it's the merging of very well known plots (gangster going out with the boss's wife, boxer supposed to throw the fight) but it's the way they're told what makes this movie so great.

Anyway, every single character is memorable. Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) being perhaps the most popular. Even though is Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) who's featured in the poster. My favorite is The Wolf, played masterfully by Harvey Keitel.

Which leads me to the acting. I think the actors did a terrific job playing these characters. For example, my favorite ever John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel performances are from this movie. And I'm sure that in the case of Jackson, most people will agree.

The dialogue is superb, very quotable and fun to listen to. Every character has great interaction with all the other characters. Whether it's Vincent and Jules discussing miracles and Royales with Cheese, Marsellus (Ving Rhames) telling Butch (Bruce Willis) that in the fifth his ass goes down, or The Wolf explaining why he didn't say "please", Pulp Fiction has some of the best dialogue ever written.

Overall, a movie I love and one of the best movies of all time.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Weak, But Decent.

[6/10 · 21 June 2008]

What I really like about Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back are the in-jokes about precisely how Jay and Silent Bob aren't characters cut out to be leading men in their own movie. They are right.

Jay and Bob have functioned brilliantly as the supporting characters in previous Kevin Smith movies. When given the leading roles, they manage to be funny but they also manage to overdo it.

Jay (Jason Mewes) is a character I like, however, of all the movies he's been in, I like him the least in this one and it's mostly because he doesn't work as a leading man. He was very good in Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy (that one scene) and Dogma. But in this one, his humor got tiring and got a little repetitive. It's a good thing that in Clerks II he returned to the supporting part and was as great as I remembered.

Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) is such a fun character for a guy who says so little. In Clerks he was like Jay's shadow, he was very introverted and hardly given a personality. In Mallrats the new Silent Bob was born, the lovable guy who was more extroverted and way funnier. This version was seen again in Chasing Amy and Dogma. In this movie, he's my favorite character. Like I said, Jay's humor got a bit repetitive, but it's a good thing that The Bob was there to even it out.

The supporting characters are a laugh riot. Cameos everywhere featuring Shannen Doherty, Wes Craven, Carrie Fisher and more. My favorites would have to be Ben Affleck and Matt Damon playing themselves in one of the funniest parts of the movie. Chris Rock was very funny and Mark Hamill was hilarious as well.

Overall, a weak but decent movie. It's not as entertaining as Smith's previous efforts but it does manage to have some very funny parts and a bunch of fun characters.

Dogma (1999)

Very Inventive, Solid Movie.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

Dogma is a movie I liked since I watched it for the first time and I continue to enjoy it whenever I rewatch it. It doesn't get better with each viewing, but it doesn't lose its charm either.

Kevin Smith's script is very inventive for a comedy. For a movie featuring his usual dick jokes and even a monster made of fecal matter, the story is very well-written and original.

The characters are great and fun to watch as most of Smith's characters are. Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon) make a very good team as the two angels expelled from heaven looking for their way back in. Their chemistry is flawless and their dialogue balances well between funny and dramatic.

It may sound strange but I think Smith managed the drama better in this movie than he did in Chasing Amy (which I felt was a weak point in that movie). Dogma is a comedy but it has a lot of interesting things to say that aren't necessarily humorous. Most of the characters handle their dramatic moments pretty good, yet not forgetting the comedic nature of the film.

Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock and Salma Hayek are also well-written characters that compliment well as the "good guys" against the two angels. Jason Lee is superb in a limited but memorable role as the demon Azrael. Jay & Silent Bob are, well, Jay & Silent Bob.

Dogma is a very interesting movie and a very funny movie. If you like simple movies, you can get a laugh out of this. If you prefer movies that actually say something, you're gonna get more than just a laugh out of this.

Chasing Amy (1997)

Very Good Film.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

Chasing Amy turned out to be one of those movies I needed to re-watch and re-watch again before discovering I really liked it.

At first I was unimpressed by what many people referred to as Kevin's Smith best film. I still don't consider it his best film (that'd be Clerks.) but I appreciate it more.

The main male characters Holden and Banky (Ben Affleck and Jason Lee) are the usual pair of buddies that Smith frequently uses in his movies. The straight man (Affleck) and the "whacky" guy (Lee). Thankfully, this time both characters were very interesting and had pretty good chemistry, as opposed to Mallrats in which Jason Lee did pretty much all the work while Jeremy London didn't help.

Joey Lauren Adams was great. I haven't seen her in much else but she really fit the role of Alyssa Jones, and the chemistry between her and Affleck worked decently.

Dwight Ewell was also great as Hooper. Very funny and well-written for such a small role.

The writing is good. Smith's dialogue is as good as usual. Very funny in moments, and while I think the dramatic parts weren't a strong point, it's far from bad.

Acting-wise, Lee, Adams and Ewell are perfect in their roles. Affleck, well, he was believable enough but he's definitely the weakest link. Especially in scenes with just him and Jason Lee, you can tell that Lee is submerged in the character while Affleck seems to be trying hard to sound dramatic. Still, it's not a big complaint and Affleck's acting doesn't "ruin the movie" or anything like that. It helps that his character is sympathetic, though.

Chasing Amy is my third favorite Kevin Smith movie (behind Clerks and the sequel) and a very good movie overall. Might take a few viewings before finally "getting it" but I think it's worth it.

Clerks II (2006)

A Very Fitting Sequel.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

As a fan of the original Clerks, I got very excited when I heard about this. Dante and Randal in their thirties, that's something I gotta watch.

While I did not like it as much as the first one (the first one being my favorite Kevin Smith movie) I still enjoyed it a lot. Dante and Randal are characters that I love, so watching them again was amazing. They still maintain that attitude from the original but we got to see more of them this time around. Especially for Randal's character, it was great to see a side we hadn't seen before.

Jay & Silent Bob are hilarious as usual. The new characters were well-written, Elias is very funny and Becky (played by Rosario Dawson) was a very nice addition to Dante's character.

The movie is hilarious. The humor I think is quite different from the original's humor, but I'm not comparing the two movies because that's an unfair way to judge a movie.

Clerks II is my second favorite Kevin Smith movie, right behind the original. Mostly because of Dante and Randal and how Smith stayed true to the characters but gave them more maturity without changing their personalities.

I assure you, we're re-open.

Gosford Park (2001)

A Masterpiece.

[9/10 · 21 June 2008]

I watched Gosford Park with no expectations. I knew it received some Academy Award nominations and that's about it.

What started like just any other period drama turned out to be one of the best written and amazingly acted films I've seen.

I love movies with characters talking. I love it when dialogue can entertain as much and more than action. Gosford Park has a lot of characters that move the story through brilliant and very entertaining dialogue.

The characters, all of them, are great. No protagonist, just a bunch of characters together in one big setting. The acting was amazing from everyone. Ryan Philippe in the best performance I've seen him give, same with Kelly Macdonald. Maggie Smith, Emily Watson, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Kristin Scott Thomas and Michael Gambon were perfect as well. And the rest of the cast whose names I don't remember right now were also great.

It may sound like I'm overly simplifying by saying "everyone was great", but in this case it's very true. I was mesmerized by how brilliant the casting was. Especially for a movie with as many characters as this.

The direction was superb. I'm not familiar with Robert Altman's work but this certainly was a very good place to start.

The film has very good dramatic moments and the comedy is also spot-on. It balances beautifully between drama, intrigue and comedy and the result is a film that is a delight to watch, and re-watch.

I think Gosford Park is an example of great writing, great acting, great directing and easily one of the top ten films of the 21st century.

Enchanted (2007)

Well-Written, Original & Surprisingly Memorable.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

I've never been a fan of fairy tale movies or movies including princesses and princes and magical kingdoms and all that stuff. So, when I finished watching Enchanted I wondered why I fell in love with the movie.

I'll start by saying Amy Adams is amazing playing the naive but sweet Giselle, the girl who's sent out of fairy tale world into the real world. The performance is funny, adequately over-the-top at times, serious and emotional when needed and great overall.

Patrick Dempsey, who I've always liked since movies like Scream 3 or his guest role in Once & Again, is another great casting decision. The character he plays, Robert, is just a regular guy, but he has that humanness to him, that subtlety that turns an ordinary character into a memorable one.

James Marsden does a very good job as Prince Edward, Timothy Spall is hilarious, and ??? is also great as Robert's daughter. Oh, and Pip the chipmunk, who steals quite a few of the scenes.

I love the story and how it's told. I think the script is very well-written and the plot is paced appropriately. Giselle is such a memorable protagonist and I think the movie has all the elements to be known as a classic Disney film.

Enchanted currently ranks as my #6 film of 2007 and is probably the oddest movie on the list. Like I said, this is the type of movie I wouldn't really care about, but Enchanted managed to capture my attention and I gotta say that the movie gets better and better with each viewing.

Dan in Real Life (I) (2007)

A Charming, Good-Hearted Comedy.

[8/10 · 21 June 2008]

This movie would be somewhere in my top 20 of 2007, which is odd being a romantic comedy. The first time I watched it, I loved it; the second time I loved it the same. But why do I find this little movie so enjoyable? First of all, the casting of Steve Carell as the protagonist Dan Burns. I've always liked Carell as an actor and not just as a funny guy. Little Miss Sunshine reassured that. He fits the character like a glove, giving Dan the right amount of humor and emotion which is what makes the character so charming and relatable.

Juliette Binoche plays Marie, the love interest of Dan. Binoche is a terrific actress and seems naturally charming playing a role that I find downright lovable. The chemistry between Carell and her only adds to the enjoyment.

Dane Cook was not a strong point and he wasn't essential in making the character of Dan's brother what it is. That being said, he was decent and I have no strong complaints about the acting.

So, overall, I think "charming" is the word I'd use to describe this movie. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but as Binoche's character would say, human funny.