afarr000 Reviews

Inception (2010)

A big disappointment

[4/10 · 8 January 2011]

From the suggestion of this film and numerous ads on TV during the films release I had the idea it might follow through with some of DiCaprio's better choices of scripts in recent years.

Unfortunately after a long wait for the DVD release in my local rental kiosk, the rental became available a month after the commercial release.

Sadly Inception was barely worth the dollar rental.

Alluring special effects don't help the fact a confusing intellectual premise eventually degrades into a standard machine gun shoot em up.

Very disappointing.

Eat Pray Love (2010)

Oh well

[6/10 · 10 December 2010]

"Eat Pray Love", is of pretty thin substance for some of us real grown ups.

One wonders why Julia Roberts at 43 hasn't reached adult status as of yet, but maybe she will in a few years, a few more films ahead.

However I have to say some of the acting was better than expected and other parts including those with Bardem lacked any semblance of real or mature independence, but the whole subject matter and story reeks of immaturity. Speaking about her ex-husband, "We were immature and too young to get married and fell apart". Oh well. Traveling around the world to seek enlightenment and soul search ain't going to fix that Julia.

In this case the movie is actually childish when I'm looking for some solid content in a film rather than to see Julia's dependency, rebounding after her husband and, "fixing", herself in new relationships with at least two other men and a couple of, "could have beens". It's a bit disappointing to what the film might have been. None of it had to deal with emotional growth and Julia is too old to play little girl parts. The Neil Young tunes are always welcome but his wisdom expressed through his lyrics was far ahead of anything this movie offered.

I enjoyed the wonderful settings in Rome, India and Bali but I'm sorry, I'd recommend this to 15 year old girls as what not to become. In the U.S., such spiritual enlightenment as the film pretends to work up to is simply called maturity, and the film lacks this development.

Black Book (2006)

Terrible

[2/10 · 18 November 2007]

Simple adjectives are enough to describe this simplistic film. I found it intellectually insulting.

Simply terrible, Hollywoodesque, overall lack of depth, character, irritating. Over-dramatized, superficial, technically flawed. A real lack of substance with an abundance of T & A to attract attention. Takes a factually based story and makes it unbelievable. There are so many intelligent, well done films about World War 2 and Nazi occupation, that we don't need this fiasco to attempt to define the terror of those years.

This is a good film for 14 year olds sneaking into the theater without Mom's permission.

The Island (2005)

Tiring remake of other famous films.

[4/10 · 24 January 2006]

Honestly disappointing and unoriginal.

There were so many films over the years I can't pretend to compile a complete list of what's been done before, carrying the same basic themes. "The Island" suggests cloning is legal and ethical in the year 2019 and some are cloned, born only to provide insurance replacement parts as needed for others. Winning the lottery means their organs are suddenly required to keep someone alive who has earlier paid for their own clone. Winners of the lottery go willingly to their end believing they are to live in the only paradise left on a supposedly contaminated Earth, (Clearly Bora Bora from the pictures of the ultimate prize), but of course are killed for their needed body parts. Enough with the product placements! But I think I gave up on The Island during the Cadillac commercial near the end. 750 horsepower? Yeah, in the future 2019, when gas prices go way back down and GM isn't on the verge of bankruptcy.

Some suggested alternatives;

Logan's Run; If you are 30 years old you go to some utopia which is really your death.

The Lottery; Lottery winners die.

Brave New World; Some are born strictly for servitude to the higher classes. The higher ups are living off your misery.

1984; Your whole world is controlled. You aren't doing too well, under a constant threat of attack, and the higher ups, are living off your misery.

THX-1138; Absolutely a classic and George Lucas first full length film. Drugs keep everyone content inside a highly controlled society of workers. Unknown higher ups are living off your misery. Outside is supposedly contaminated

The Island is disappointing, and the special effects don't bail it out. Watch a really original film like THX-1138 instead.

Crash (I) (2004)

Amazingly superficial.

[1/10 · 7 January 2006]

I rented "Crash" based on it's rather high IMDb rating. How bad could it be I thought? Instantly I realized my mistake hearing the superficial racist tone of the gun shop owner in the opening scene. The story that followed was a series of soap opera vignettes that I found equally biased and irritating. It is insulting to watch.

References to learning to be black from the Cosby Show and other modern but transitory cultural references always cheapen a script. Enough bad language thrown in to add "reality", again and again required a non-stop script to find the nastiest racial line possible for every interaction. I won't give an example, the film is rife with them. I don't think like that or talk like that, but believe my simple intellectual understanding of the world rises well above that of the actors, writers and filmmaker in this annoying piece of garbage.

Is there a lesson to be learned from this film? Are we to view the presented futility of our racial biases and learn to live in harmony? I think not. I can learn more about racial profiling from TV news without torturing myself with crappy dialog. The only lesson of this film is that well known Hollywood actors sell their souls for a pay check.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Excellent, don't miss this.

[10/10 · 12 November 2005]

I absolutely loved this film. I've been following all of Nick Park's work on Wallace and Gromit since their first adventure close to 15 years ago. I think this adventure surpasses the original Wallace & Gromit's, "The Wrong Trousers", and makes that classic my second favorite in his work to date. For non stop action enduring a full 90 minutes it surpasses any of his earlier works.

I took my just turned 6 y/o Grand-daughter yesterday during a school holiday and we absolutely loved it. Great animation, great storyline, just so many little goings on in the background to elicit a non stop giggle. But, I think a lot of the little details were a bit over her head and those of several other young children, as their parents seemed to be the one's laughing and giggling the most.

Strongly recommended. My congratulations to Nick Park for another all time classic in the medium only he can create this well.

Happy Times (2000)

Excellent, must see, unique.

[9/10 · 19 June 2005]

This is one of the most touching films I've ever seen. I actually don't think I can find the words in English to describe how wonderfully director Zhang Yimou seems to understand the finer points of human emotions. I was absolutely touched with Happy Times, and consequently sought out his work, "The Road Home", which I found was equally excellent.

I wanted to wait to write a review of this film until I felt I could compose something fitting, but realized for me, the comments must come from the heart. In short, I'd rather skip any attempt to summarize the film or intellectually categorize it into some literal form that doesn't really fit. It is slowly immersing into unselfish love for another, while relating a sense of light comedy. My recommendation is that you try to see it on IFC or one of the other Independent film channels when it's available.

On Golden Pond is the only American film I can think of that evokes the same level of emotion provoked by Zhang Yimou.

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Recommended with reservations.

[8/10 · 11 June 2005]

I've been watching this movie for 40 years and was always fascinated with it's futuristic, intellectual, ahead of it's time feel. It promises a visual utopia incomparable in 1966. Nuances noticed throughout the dialog and settings promise a spectacular mystery. Sadly, I'm always very disappointed with this ending that falls flat. Such a strong sound track, well defined characters, settings, and timeless mystique falls on it's face with such a superficial ending. It's like the beginning of a great film with the ending of a TV movie.

I'd recommend this film, but think those not appreciating the genre intended by the director, might miss out on the great parts it does contain.