Change Your Image
stepstosand
Reviews
Ripley (2024)
Wait..for it..
The darkest comedy you'll ever see. So dark you won't even think it's a comedy at all. I assure you it is. Very dark. I think the joke is on the audience. You might not laugh till it's over. Or not at all.
The acting is +, directing, +, cinematography, + plot twist, +, locations, + length, perfect. Rating almost a 10. Check that, a10.
I can't say anything about the book, haven't read it.
Years ago I had seen the movie, but got bored early on and turned it off. But after reading reviews by others who commented that the movie was better I had to watch it last night. The talented Mr. Ripley was no where near as good. Though just as unbelievable, but far less drama. The acting was nowhere near as good, and the directing, same. The black-and-white effect in this one gave it a very dark quality which worked well.
In this Ripley the characters, other than Ripley; were likable, unlike the movie. That made the drama riveting, each drastic display heartfelt, disturbing. I almost couldn't take it.
Moment to moment the directing keeps you on edge. It gives you the strange feeling of fearing for someone you absolutely hate. And in the end, is relief, you feel better knowing it was a comedy all along.
Arrivederci.
The Sandpiper (1965)
Liz and Dick
Liz Taylor is beautiful. But also much more than that. One of Hollywood's greats, her talent is what makes her even more beautiful. It's somewhat of a cliché role. Laura, a hippy, free sprited, single mom, who rejects society's norms. But Taylors soaring talent drives the scenes and carries the film.
Of course Richard Burton is no slouch himself. One of the most distinguished British actors, he subtly transforms from a married preacher of high character to a lovelorn tortured sole, who can't keep his hands off this damsel in distress.
The scenes of Big Sur highlight the beauty of the film. With music that soothes like the waves passionately caressing the landscape, with the same vibrance of the torrid love affair between Laura and the married preacher.
What's odd are the ages of the crowd around the
30ish Laura. They're all in there 30's and 40's. Less like hippies, more reminiscent of the beatnik era.
It's not a great film, but an enjoyable eye pleasing delight.
Eva Marie Saint is impressive as the jilted wife. Ones left wondering which woman to would chose. And it's a difficult choice. But Laura is all to alluring.
Smile (2022)
Creepy
The directing was quite spooky and deliberate.
Good timing and pacing.
The acting was pretty good throughout. Especially Sosie Bacon. She carried this film with a believable and likable performance, in a difficult role.
The plot was uneven, and the neurosis seemingly a bit unrelated to the to the plot.
The ending could have been better. The choice was not the best, and disappointing. The audience doesn't want to see Rose die. They want her to overcome her predicament and go off with her ex.
This movie could had had a higher rating with a better ending. But it kept me interested, and guessing. That what I require most in a film.
The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
The greatest pop band ever
If you didn't know you were watching the greatest pop in history you would wonder why you are watching this. But if you trek through it, and it's long, The insight is grand and the ending is brilliant.
The Central Park Five (2012)
Raving in NYC
I was living in NYC then. There were gangs of young blacks storming through New York, restaurants, parks, streets, punching, robbing and terrorizing anyone and everyone.
The rape was brutal. The woman jogger was viciously beaten and left for dead in central park at night. She hav been raped.
The Five had been raving that night. They attacked people in Central Park. A male jogger had his arm broken by a bat. The Five were caught. They confessed to the rape to the police in front of their parents. It's on film. They didn't seem to be any coercion.
The man who confessed to it was going to jail for life and exonerated the five. Only his semen was found. So we know who raped her. But who beat her almost to death? Hit took the rap. But he was going to jail for life anyway. So?
Fanny och Alexander (1982)
Sublime
One of the best films ever.
So beautifully filmed it draws you in and then stuns you with the events that can twist your life into darkness. Harrowing at times.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Trump's America
What a bunch of white trash cheating lying immoral people in control of the justice department they have in Wisconsin.
Talk about a s**t hole country Wisconsin is at the top of the list.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Trump's America
What a bunch of white trash cheating lying immoral people in control of the justice department they have in Wisconsin.
Talk about a s**t hole country Wisconsin is at the top of the list.
Making a Murderer (2015)
Trump's America
What a bunch of white trash cheating lying immoral people in control of the justice department they have in Wisconsin.
Talk about a s**t hole country Wisconsin is at the top of the list.
Man on Wire (2008)
Best ever.
Best movie ever. I nearly died. Scary as all hell.
One of two of the greatest feats in the history of mankind. This and "Free Solo" Sensationalism to the max. Truly a riveting adventure film that really happened.
This in not Hollywood.
Amasing!
I am still unnerved. WoW
The Dawn Wall (2017)
Riveting
By the end you're so exhausted you want to get off that damm mountain. And you know one thing for sure, you don't ever want to do that.
Exciting and suspenseful.
A triumph!
The Outsider (2020)
Great start then.. couldn't waste another minute after the fourth episode
Fantastic exciting beginning from the first episode to the second. Been downhill from there.
Lots of mumbo-jumbo And characters out of character. Slow down to a crawl Killer could take it no more.
San Andreas (2015)
Earthquake disaster
Big earthquake film. Somewhat exciting at times, But would have been better if the lead actors would have driven of the edge of the San Andreas Fault and killed.
San Andreas (2015)
Earthquake disaster
Big earthquake film. Somewhat exciting at times, But would have been better if the lead actors would have driven of the edge of the San Andreas Fault and killed.
The Mountain Between Us (2017)
Crash in mountains- stranded strangers- guess the outcome
Winslet was deserving of the Actress Most in Need of a New Agent award Of 2018
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
stupid family
What a stupid family. Make a dog sleep in the barn. Big old stupid house and the dog has to sleep in the barn. How empty. How primitive. And what a wimp Richard Gere's character is. He has to apologize for bringing home a abandoned dog to his house. Like he was a ten year old kid or something. And what a jerk of a wife. This is a great true story. And I would hate to think that the real owners of Hachiko treated him with such disregard. But what shines through even in this shallow version,, is that a house, and all of our possessions are nothing compared to love, loyalty, and friendship of a beautiful dog like Hachiko. Too bad they didn't go for something with more substance. I would someone would do this story justice. Never was there a better dog story than this.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Great, but could have been better
Leigh is a real good actress. But she didn't get close to the character written by Tennessee Williams. Have you read the play? It's a very difficult role. Maybe only Kim Stanley could have given it justice. But Leigh's acting style doesn't help either. And it seems Kazan wasn't much help in getting her deeper into the role. Her performance just skims the top of a character who's dereliction has reached the point of obliteration. She was kicked out of skid row hotel. Have you ever seen the people that stay in a skid row hotel? Blanch was so bad she was kicked out. What kind of behavior would you have to exhibit to accomplish that? Think about it. Leigh obviously didn't. The only part she understood was the desolation of the death of her one true love in life who killed himself because of his homosexuality. That's the obvious part. But Blanch was a drunken sot, with skid row residences lined up at her door, to the point that the establishment had to kick her out on the street. Where was that in her performance? Why do you think Stanley hated her so much? He saw right through her. Maybe Kazan understood the role but the studio's didn't want to portray such a unattractive character. But people would have understood Stanley better if they had. He still would have been seen as a insensitive dog, but with deeper understanding for the story in general. Brando was the star of this movie. One of the greatest performances in cinema history. Without him the movie would have been a failure. But because of him it's still one of the best movies ever
Avatar (2009)
Lond but holes
A far fetched concept of another world existing sometime in the future with giant human-like beings with tails that live in a magical forest under Machiavellian attack from, you guessed it, humans. Humans infiltrate this world through some kind of transformation device that turns humans into their image. Quite a silly concept, but in the hands of James Cameron a visual delight. 3D adds to the ocular sensation and the fast pace carries the plot, a love story, to it's conclusion. Mostly strong performances by the principles except for the character of Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Lang tries so hard to be tough his character is paper thin. It stands out like a cartoon character to the point you have to wonder; How did he get cast? A stronger actor in this pivotal role would have made it more engrossing. How did Cameron miss that? But as a master of detail and pace it still is a worthy blockbuster.
Into the Wild (2007)
They read the book
I didn't read the book so unlike the others I can only comment on the movie. It was long, but I watched it all, and that's says something. I have no idea where that river came from in the end making it impossible for (what's his name) to get back. Was that river newly formed? I hate hunters and don't think the killing of a moose was worth his 'experience'. You wouldn't think so either if you were the moose. The scenery was beautiful and the music set a nice tone. The performances were all good, especially Hal Holbrook, a kind lonely old man with no one to love. But 'what's his face' didn't care about anybody or anything. He hurts everyone he knows with his childish "the worlds a bad place" attitude. As if it's something only he notices. Da grow up dude. It's the happiness you give others that make life count for something. How about just go save a dog. there's enough of those that need love.
The Good Shepherd (2006)
If you have nothing else to watch
Matt Damon plays a CIA agent,I think. His love interest is hearing impaired. She reads lips. If I could read lips I could better review this movie. I couldn't hear much of the dialog. There were a lot of secrets being passed back and forth. It's too bad the audience wasn't made privy to that information. Unless of course you read lips, or maybe you could get a copy and re-play it over and over again to decipher what's being said. I guess DeNiro knew what was being said. But he read the script. How about sub-titles for the rest of us Bobby. It's a laborious effort about some CIA dweeb whose good at taking orders. He loves America, he says, and I guess he's disillusioned. Well so are we audience members that sat through five hours of whispering. At least it seemed that long.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
spoiled bi-polar dude
Sorry folks there is no genius in Daniel Johnston. As an illustrator he's got some talent. Genius no. There was one or more of those in the colleges I attended. Even better. Musically he's a hack. His writing is immature at best. And his singing is uncontrolled noise. To subject an audience to this kind of mumble jumble and try to pull it off as genius in insulting. By the end I didn't even feel sorry for him. I'm glad he has parents that are supportive and caring. But lets call it what it is. A bi-polar uncontrolled somewhat talented man who may have been a good artist if he were stable enough to be disciplined. Just because you cut off your ear doesn't make you a Van Gogh.
The Departed (2006)
One of the very best
Lucky for us this Monahan dude decided to sell out and become a screenwriter. I don't know what it is about these Irish dudes that make them such great poets. I've been all over Ireland and it ain't the beer. Maybe it's that horrible tasting Guiness. Turning a screenplay into a work of art is rare accomplishment. Of coarse the directing is brilliant too. It maintains a low budget quality, that gives it a gritty hard edged, almost black and white reality look. All the performances work, with DeCaprio at his best. He should have gotten a nomination. It's over two hours long and that is usually too much for a movie. But not this one. I could of done another hour. Pass me a Guiness. I'll try to gut it out.
Butterfly Kiss (1995)
No Hollywood here
Amanda Plummer ravages through this film like a wounded hyena starving for what may be it's last meal come flood or high water. She may be Hollywoods best actress, but does she give a crap. I thinks not. Hollywood gives Oscars for cute models who show a talent for walking talking and chewing gum all at he same time. And if she can make herself ugly for a role, Hollywood seems astounded at her courage. Plummer can not only chew these little girls into so many wads of Jamaican licorice stick, but in this role as Eunice, she makes Robert DeNiro look like a neutered cub scout. This is as powerful a performance as you'll see. And on top of that her English accent is superb. There aren't any other actresses in Hollywood that could play this role. Maybe Renee Zellweger could come close. But I doubt she'd have the guts to do it. This is a very disturbing film. But a performance like this would make even the great Kim Stanley cringe.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Bring your puke bag
This is one of the worse movies I've ever seen. An insult to one's intelligence. Unbelievable and just plain moronic, I could barely watch. Tom Hanks was stiff and gave his worse performance ever. The directing was dreadful. Only a five year old could come close to believing any of this could ever happen. All the money spent on a turkey like this is shameful. And to think that it was actually successful is mind boggling. I was embarrassed watching it. The producers and director involved should have been barred from the industry for five years. The script should have been thrown away on half a reading. To suggest that a retarded person could play football is completely ignorant.