moviefreakgirl Reviews

The Straight Story (1999)

Simple, Touching and Moving

[27 December 2006]

The Straight Story is a beautiful, simple movie, a reflection about life and growing old. The story is simple: 73-year-old Alvin Straight makes a 500 km journey in a lawn mower to mend his relationship with his ill brother. During the way, he reflects about growing old, his life and his mistakes. The subtle way this is done is effective and gives the movie beauty, but the story is sometimes too slow, with nothing happening. The dialogs are good, sometimes quotable, even if once or twice I spotted obvious stories that could have been avoided. The characters are all very natural, and you believe them from the first minute you see them on the screen. They are all likable because they are normal people, but always hopeful and with a certain innocence and able to accept life. The ending is, too, very simple but it works extremely well leaving you touched and moved.

The acting is very good. Richard Farnsworth gives a wonderful performance. His character, on paper, isn't very interesting, but he's able to give Alvin dramatic nuances. He creates a man that slowly accepts growing old, ignores his pride and goes in a journey to meet his brother. He is stubborn, with a simple but pure morality. He has an amazing delivery of his lines, slowly, realistically, showing his character's controlled emotions in a touching way. Sissy Spacek gives Rosie vulnerability and barely visible pain, never overacting. All the other cast members that make brief appearances do a good, even if not remarkable job, with good delivery of their lines.

The direction is brilliant. Lynch fills the movie with gorgeous shots and camera angles, that allow you not only to see the meaning of the screenplay and the great work by the actors', but you can see the beautiful roads and vegetation all around. His shots are steady and reflective just the right style for this movie.

The cinematography is very good, capturing the beauty of Lynch's wide shots and the faces in a clear way. The music is beautiful, giving the movie a nostalgic feeling. This is slow moving and sometimes boring; even so, it's technically impressive, beautiful and meaningful.

Frida (2002)

Great

[27 December 2006]

Frida is a beautiful, inspiring movie about the amazing Frida Kahlo and her struggles through life. Not only it gets you to understand her art much better but it's also a story about life and suffering told beautifully. The screenplay is very good, it doesn't have the feeling that most biopics have, like they're rushing to the end and don't really know the person they're talking about. This feels like fiction, because Frida Kahlo feels like a person, she has flaws, a convincing personality, she's not just a victim, and some moments of her life matter more than others. Her reactions have a reason, not like you're supposed to think that, as she's a genius, she's a bit mad. The other characters have a realistic feeling about them too, and Diego Riviera is fascinating. The dialogs are quotable and there are some inspiring lines.

The acting is very good by all the cast, but Salma Hayek has the most powerful acting and out acts everyone. She looks a lot like Frida Kahlo, but there's a lot more to her performance. She creates an impetuous, sensual, intelligent, able to enjoy life character, someone that suffers but endures everything. You can't take your eyes off her, her performance is just magnetic. She never overacts, and the most emotional scenes are beautifully done and really touching. Alfred Molina gives Diego Rivera an edgy charm and has a good body language, acting subtly and he has a great chemistry with Salma Hayek even if I think she's more responsible for this than him. Geoffrey Rush is great, he creates an humble, intelligent thoughtful character perfectly. Valerie Golino is very good playing a lost, drunk, sad woman and has very expressive eyes. Diego Luna and Edward Norton are very believable and make the most out of their small parts.

The direction is excellent. Julie Taymor gives her movie originality, having perfect control over every aspect of the movie. Not just the camera angles are beautiful and able to express ideas, feeling and thoughts greatly, but the music and the part of the movie in which it is placed is perfect. Besides it sounds beautiful and has a great rhythm. The color of the movie is well chosen and makes it look exotic, warm and involving with all the red, yellow and bright colors, contrasting with the dark themes this movie speaks of but giving you a sense of South America. The editing is often good, but some scenes last too much. It's a matter of seconds, but it can give those scenes an awkward feeling. Overall a great movie I recommend.

Happy Feet (2006)

Gorgeous Very Entertaining

[27 December 2006]

This is another movie about penguins, those lovely, cute, sweet-looking animals. It has gorgeous images, some of the best, most amazing animation I've ever seen. It's a joy to look at and a very enjoyable movie. The story is nice and you can relate to the penguins and feel some empathy towards them. Some of the subplots are very good: the love story is beautiful, the coming-of-age is deliciously innocent, the family/society rejection subplot is intelligent but sometimes a bit forced and the «macho» penguins subplot is laugh-out-loud funny. The worst subplot was the ecological one, it just tries too hard to pass its message. The dialogs are often very funny and intelligent, with a lot of jokes young kids won't get. The pace of the movie is mostly adequate and keeps you entertained, but it gets a bit to slow and forced in the end, which I didn't like.

The cinematography and the animation are beautiful. They create gorgeous images, with a wonderful dimension, cute, lovely penguins, and the humans are the most realistic I've ever seen. The water and the ice look real as do all the other animals. The angles are amazing, they make the images even better. The music sounds great and has beautiful lyrics. Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy and Robin Wiliams are good singers especially Kidman, who has the most crystalline, pure voice that fits the part. Overall, it's a fun movie, good to look at but lacking a great story (it's still a good one, but it could have been better).

Crash (I) (2004)

Great Acting, Bad Screenplay

[27 December 2006]

I have no idea in why this won Best Picture and had so many great reviews. Here, every character is either racist or a victim of racism, and if he/she is a racist it's because there's a reason, some sort of trauma in his past. Every character is one-dimensional and learns a lesson in the end. The dialogs sound fake, and the ONLY theme is racism, racism, racism. That even makes it less realist because people tend to speak about several subjects. Paul Haggis seems to think people will only understand the message if he repeats it all the time. All with me "Racism is bad, racism is bad, racism is bad". Now repeat this 500 times and you'll have a good part of this movie done. Even if obviously this is an important message, you don't need it to be thrown into your face. The stories come together in unnatural way, using to many coincidences, making it look false and predictable after some time. The changes some of the characters go through in the end are ridiculous and there's no reason for the to happen. Even if this is not a boring movie, it tries too hard to get you to feel something. If the characters had been better this would have been possibly a good movie. I'm not saying all were bad; a few had a certain dimension and their struggles were touching.

The acting is the best thing about this movie. All the actors are very talented and make the most out of their parts. Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Michael Peña, Thandie Newton, Terrence Howard and Sandra Bullock (during the first part of the movie) were very god. The worst performance was by Ludicrous, who just seemed too self-conscious and fake to me.

Paul haggis direction is lame.I know he lacks experience, but I think this movie needed a raw, realistic style, not the emotionally manipulative shots used. Al the slow moving scenes, the bad use of sound and the still camera in angles that lack interest are useless.

The technicals are good. The editing is simple and common in this type of movie, not original but well executed. The music is well chosen and beautiful. The photography, even if sometimes it should have been dirtier locking, creates some images with the right mood. Overall, this is NOT a great movie or even worthwhile, but it has a bunch of good performances and a good message, even if badly transmitted.

The Conversation (1974)

Brilliant Character Study

[27 December 2006]

This is a brilliant study on obsessive and paranoid behavior and the effect technology has in our lives and society in general. It's about a surveillance expert, Harry Caul, who has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that a couple he is spying on will be murdered. This had happened before and he feels very guilty about it. But can he really know what's happening, or did he lose something with the capture of the sound? Or is his mind playing tricks on him? This has a brilliant screenplay. The leading character is fascinating, and the other characters are seen by his distorted eyes in a frightening way. The dialogs, especially the conversation the title mentions, are mind blowing, meaningful and hold clues to what's going to happen. The pace of the movie is just right and it keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The story is interesting, reflective and intelligent, and all the touchy subjects the movie talks about are spoken of with sensibility, even if sometimes they can make you feel uncomfortable. You get to a point in which you don't know what's reality and what isn't, making this thought provoking. It's simply a great screenplay.

The acting is all at least above average. Gene Hackman gives his tortured, paranoid, character complexity and sincerity. He disappears into his part and you believe everything he does. He gives the character vulnerability and his acting is one of the main things that made me see the story by his point of view. Frederick Forrest and Cindy Williams do a good job in creating dream-like characters in just one scene, and Cindy Williams has an amazing delivery of her lines. John Cazale makes his character likable and has a convincing chemistry with Hackman. Harrison Ford makes a good impression in playing the bad guy, with his soft spoken ways and strong eye expression that contrast.

The direction is amazing. Francis Ford Coppola not only gets great performances from the casting, but he chooses meaningful camera angles, giving his movie an unique feeling, and gets the best work from the crew. The angles he chooses suggest an invisible presence, peeking into Harry Caul's life. They can be truly claustrophobic and make you know the characters' feelings. They give you a sense of space and time the way it's experienced by Caul.

The technicals are all great. The sound plays a huge part in this movie, and it's intelligently manipulated. It connects with the images during the conversation itself in an original fashion, in a different rhythm, volume and tone than reality, showing us Harry's point of view and how what we hear is not always what is there. The cinematography, with all the dark, dirty colors works in showing us Harry's trip to a personal hell and the sudden flashes of red-the hotel scene-are shocking and used hauntingly. The editing gives the movie its exciting, but reflective pace. I really recommend this. It's thought provoking, technically brilliant and haunting.

Chinatown (1974)

Amazing Film Noir

[24 December 2006]

This is a noir mystery, with a dark, haunting story, great acting and a brilliant direction. Its ambiance is just perfect. In this story, every character has complicated issues that can't be solved, a troubled past and sins they can't atone for. It's all very dark and mysterious, and it gets you in the edge of your seat. The political part of the mystery keeps you guessing and it's incredibly competent, but the character development and their personal issues are even better.

The screenplay is mind-blowing. All of its subplots are perfectly developed and are understood just at the right time, they keep you guessing. The characters are all believable and interesting: Gittes (Jack Nicholson) and his obsession, Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) trying to get her life back together and, Noah Cross, the personification of evil, have a convincing, elaborated relationship with each other. They are all, in a way or another, trying to atone but in Chinatown there's no redemption. The dialogs have a lot of meaning and are thought provoking. Some show the hypocrisy of people and others just their weakness, always in a tense, disguised way. There are a bunch of quotable lines too. The ending is surprising but well done and very fitting. The themes are spoke of with maturity and sensibility.

The acting is great. Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston have a very believable, amazing chemistry between them, they seem to be always messing with the other's mind, trying to mistake him and convince him. All this is noticed just by a gaze, a movement or a blink. It's very subtle, but it makes the performances outstanding. Jack Nicholson creates a haunted character, strong but human. Faye Dunaway makes her character remarkably vulnerable and sad, even if at the same time a bit of a femme fatale. John Huston is evil, in his two scenes he's just perfect. All the secondary actors are talented and they make this movie better.

I highly enjoy Polanski's way of shooting, all the angles and camera movements he tends to use. He does a great job once again. The movie never gets tiring and some of the shots are breathtaking. They are a beautiful homage to older noir movies, even if still have their originality.

The music is haunting and it gives a movie a touch of originality. The editing pays homage to the noir movies from the 40's, showing the many layers of the story slowly and there's not one minute tat shouldn't be there. The cinematography, glossy but dirty, with an harsh, dark lighting creates the right ambiance. Just brilliant and unmissable.

Night on Earth (1991)

Five Beautiful Stories

[24 December 2006]

This is a truly amazing movie which I love. It has five different stories, each on a different city, with very different people, but all in a taxi. All the people are very different, with different background, ambitions, culture and personality, but in the end, so similar. I loved every part of it, some of them are very funny, others touching, depressing, heartbreaking, enjoyable or simply beautiful. They are all wonderful portraits of the city in which they happen. They don't show touristic locations, but how the cities really are and how people behave and think. Every story is well told, with great pace, amazing, believable dialogs and realistic characters that you get to know very well in little time. They work both together and alone. They're all great and I can't choose my favorite.

In the first segment, a young tomboy taxi driver meets a wealthy talent seeker, who wants to cast her in a movie. In New York, an afro American meets an immigrant, his cab driver, lost in the city. In Paris, a blind girl takes a ride with an irritable cab driver from the Ivory Coast and they talk about life and blindness. In Rome, a cab driver picks up a priest and starts confessing, and in Helsinki a miserable driver picks up three drunks and they speak about the most depressing things that ever happened to them.

The direction is amazing in all its simplicity. The camera angles are steady, usually focusing no the actors and allowing you to concentrate on the dialogs.But there are some that show the city, the cars passing, the buildings, lovers in the middle of the night, junkies, etc, and these have unusual quality.

The acting is great by everyone. Winona Ryder, frequently criticized, is in my opinion very funny and totally different from her other roles. I really enjoyed her acting. Gena Rowlands plays her "opposite" in a nice, underacting way. Armin Mueller-Stahl is very touching and expressive (the moment he says he was a clown is very beautiful), with an amazing use of his eyes. Giancarlo Esposito and Jennifer Perez are fun to watch, too. Béatrice Dalle is incredibly charismatic and believable as a blind young woman, and Isaach De Bankolé is good. Roberto Benigni is about as hilarious as you can get, in his one man show. His speech is obviously very funny, but Benigni makes it mind blowing. Some will hate it, though I couldn't stop laughing. Matti Pellonpää delivers his speech in a dramatic, depressive way but without overacting.

The cinematography and the music are beautiful, make this movie feel nostalgic and help linking the segments. This is a very original, worthwhile movie.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Really Bad

[17 December 2006]

The DaVinci Code, the bestseller that sold as much as possible. This movie works...as a comedy. (Almost) everything is wrong on this, with the exception of Ian McKellen and some of the supporting cast. Come on, the book was a fun, exciting, light read, with a good sense of pace and a lot of interesting puzzles to solve. Not perfection or anything, but nice.

The movie just sucks. The screenplay has no sense of pace and it fails to keep you interested or making you feel anything by the characters. It just provokes a total detachment , and you can't avoid to feel all the story is ridiculous. The dialogs are clichéd and even if I didn't read the book (I didn't remember it very well, anyway) I would have been able to guess what was gonna happen next. All the flashbacks are useless and badly written, the emotional scenes lack any sort of meaning and all in all, this movie can't even entertain decently.

The direction is really, really awful. Ron Howard uses all the clichéd shots on the most clichéd order. He seems to think he's doing a brilliant job, with all the flashbacks done in a progressive way, so very kitsch, melodramatic and funny (that was not the objective). He fails to make this movie consistent or interesting, he isn't even OK.

The acting was the best thing about the movie, even if not too good. Tom Hanks is automatic and severely underused, you'd never say this is the same guy that delivered such an amazing performance in Forrest Gump and The Terminal. The same can be said for Audrey Tautou who was so amazing in Amélie. Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno are underused and can't even develop their characters. Ian McKellen is the standout. He uses such a funny irony, witticism and cynicism in this character that he just becomes a joy to watch and the only thing worthy on this.

The music is very annoying, It's always trying to make scenes exciting, but it doesn't. It just manages to sound overplayed and too loud. The editing is terrible; the movie lacks a decent pace and the scenes come and go in a meaningless, boring order and the transitions are amateur. The cinematography is sappy, with the color used in an obvious way. It's meant to be very touching and beautiful, but it isn't. Overall, a movie that should be avoided by everyone. Recommend this to your worst enemies. I pity them.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Joyful, Enjoyable and Beautiful

[10 December 2006]

One of Martin Scorsese's early movies, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is very good. It's shot in a raw, gritty, realistic way, and that's the best part of the movie. But there are a lot of other things to enjoy in this hidden gem: the performances, the music, the inspiring storyline and believable characters, the editing and the message and exquisiteness of this. The beginning is perfect. You see a young girl singing, next to her house, and everything's so dreamy. Then, you're introduced to Alice's life in a really well done way. As the story develops, the characters become more consistent and you can't avoid to like them. The dialogs are always realistic and meaningful.

The direction, as I said, is amazing. The hand held camera makes it realistic and gritty, and the dusty look of this movie makes this even better. The other great part of the direction is the feminist message. It works so well, without being forced, and at the same time it can show several beautiful relationships. The shooting is really well done, adapting to the scenes. It makes them often funny beautiful, touching or violent.

The actors are all very good. Even if sometimes I felt Ellen Burstyn was a bit hysterical, that's a part of the character. All her emotions come out in a great way. This is a brilliant leading performance. Her character isn't slim, particularly pretty or anything; she's just a normal woman trying to work her life out. Kris Kristofferson gives his character wiseness and beautiful feelings, at the same time he underacts in a good way. Alfred Luter was very natural and funny as Alice's young son. I think everyone knows kids like him. Harvey Keitel was very frightening in his part, but a bit clichéd. I don't think this is his fault, though. Billy Green Bush is OK in his small part and Jodie Foster is very funny and charismatic in her small role. Diane Ladd is very funny and great to watch.

With all the great scenes, the beautiful photography, stunning direction, great acting and touching message, this is undoubtedly worth watching.

Manhattan (1979)

Amazing

[10 December 2006]

Manhattan might just be one of the best movies ever. Its style, themes and humor are obviously similar to other Allen movies, but this one has a touch of class and beauty that makes it quite unique. It talks about a group of new york intellectuals: Isaac (Woody Allen), a man on his 40's dating a 17 year old girl, Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), and lusting for Mary (Diane Keaton), who's his best friend's lover. At the same time, he's trying to come to terms with his lesbian ex-wife, Jill (Meryl Streep). The story keeps you hooked, and the realistic, very flawed characters are interesting. The dialogs have a lot of wit and intelligence, as in all Woody movies, but there's something else: some of the scenes with Mariel Hermingway are heartbreaking, and a lot of others are dramatic and sad. The storyline and the characters are some of the best ever, the nostalgic mood and the insignificance of these lives are just beautiful.

The acting is simply great, and all the actors have a good chemistry between them. Woody Allen plays himself, but damn well, Diane Keaton is funny and good, too, but Mery Streep and especially Mariel Hemingway steal the show. MerylStreep plays a totally different character, I had never seen her like this before. She has the funniest delivery of lines, the best way of disappearing into her character ands showing all type of emotions. Mariel Hemingway transmits beauty, innocence and love in a pure, believable way. Her character is the most likable and she makes the most out of that.

The gorgeous cinematography helps making this movie great and gives it its ambiance and mood. The simple way Allen shoots the movie, with wide shots that capture a moment, a feeling, an emotion subtly, lets it breathe. It shows you New York with a lot of beauty and obviously Allen's love comes across. The editing is simple but effective, and there's not one second of the movie that shouldn't be there. Simply brilliant (and there's so much more I should have said).

Chicago (2002)

Didn't Deserve Best Picture

[10 December 2006]

I watched this movie with low hopes, since admittedly I don't like musicals (Moulin Rouge and Romance & Cigarettes are the exceptions). This isn't bad, it's just fluff with everyone dancing and a happy ending. The story is fine, the directing is pretty good, the acting in worth watching, the wardrobe, cinematography and sets are all OK, and the editing is mediocre.

Even if the story is clichéd and very moralistic, it's entertaining. The characters aren't really well written, but they're well played and so it's not too noticeable. The dialogs and relationships between the characters are very predictable. It lacks meaning and it seems like it has nothing to say, it just wants entertain a bit.

The actors all work effectively, but the clichéd characters don't help. Renee Zellweger looks a bit uncomfortable while dancing, but she can express the contradictions, feelings and transformations of her character quite well. Catherine Zeta Jones isn't half as sexy as her character is meant to be, but she uses her eyes, body and voice in an interesting, sometimes funny way. Richard Gere can be annoying but charming and John C Reilly has the most likable, touching character, even if awfully stereotyped. Queen Latifah nomination for Best Supporting Actress is a total joke, she did nothing worth seeing.

The main problem I have with this is that question that always comes to my mind when watching a musical: "Why the heck is everyone dancing all of sudden?". As the movie didn't absorb me, I just found it ridiculous. Still, I admit these were well choreographed, even if too theater like. This feels like a stage play, not like a film, so the adaptation isn't really good. The lyrics and the dances go from very good to laughable.

The direction is good but... well, let's just say it's classic and without brilliance or originality. The colors of the movie, glamorous and fluffy, fit the rest of it and accentuate the glamour. The editing is far from good, I can't see how it won the Oscar. Everyone just seems to start dancing out of no where, without any type of real connection. The sets are too much like stage play ones but the wardrobe is fitting. This didn't deserve Best Pic, far from it, it's just an OK movie.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Visually Stunning

[10 December 2006]

This movie is usually considered one of Spielberg's best, and I have to agree on some aspects. The direction and shots are breathtaking, the use of light is brilliant, but some of the conflicts should have been more developed. The screenplay is mostly good, but not the best thing about the movie. The three story lines balance each other. My favorite was the one with the little kid, and my least favorite the one with Richard Dreyfuss playing Roy. I think the characters mostly lacked a background, which made them less believable. The dialogs are very often clichéd, but they can sound cute. The pace is amazing; the stories take time, and all the pieces come together in the amazing ending, as if it was a circle closing itself slowly.

The storyline with the mother (Melinda Dillon) and the young son was brilliant and remarkable. This is the one where you can most easily relate to the desperation and confusion of the mom, so the characters are really well written. It's the one with more suspense and it's pretty gripping, too. The story of Roy, his obsession and his family is not so good. I mean, I liked the way the relationship with his wife is portrayed, but his obsession is too sudden and childish, so unbelievable. Claude Lacombe and his investigators is just the technical story; its characters have close to no development, and all they do is explaining you in a concrete way what's happening.

The shots and special effects are both great and the best thing of the movie. Every sci-fi shot is fascinating, and the use of music in those is mind blowing. Just the way the ending scene is done makes the movie much better and very thought provoking. The use of light and darkness is brilliantly surprising; the ETs are signed with a hard to look at light, and the rest of the time, there's mostly darkness. The UFO's are just lights of different colors, and that works. The special effects are mostly light, but the control of the wind and perfection with which everything's done make the stunning.

The acting is good by Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr and Cary Guffey. The first one shows such a desperation and affection that you can only like her and root for her. Teri Garr portrays the not understanding wife, and she does that amazingly. I found myself connecting more with her than with Roy, who was just mad. Cary Guffey had the right cuteness and fresh look to make you love his character, and he has a good delivery for someone so young. Richard Dreyfuss is quite ridiculous, because he just sounds mad and I could barely connect with him. The actors from François Truffaut segment weren't bad, but they didn't have much to do.

The cinematography was truly great, with all the impressive lighting, and the editing makes all ends meet beautifully. In the end, this is not a very equilibrated movie, but technically it's a masterpiece and it has one of the best endings ever.

Annie Hall (1977)

A Wonderfully Quirky Romance

[10 December 2006]

Annie Hall is one of the best movies Woody Allen has done. It's witty, intelligent, realistic, beautiful, touching, and unique. It toys with our concept of time, as we see a relationship and the beginning, middle, and end of it, not always in this order.

The screenplay, as in all Woody movies, is great. The romance always sounds so real- with its bad and good times, and no forced happy ending- that you root for them to stay together. The characters are amazing. Annie Hall is wonderfully developed. She's truly beautiful, sweet, humane and quite odd, which makes her endearing. Woody Allen is just himself, nervous and paranoid. The jokes are always thought provoking and incredibly witty and ironic. The dialogs are about as good as you can get; not just they keep you interested, but they're full of references to another movies and books and have a lot of criticism to our society and ourselves. The way the story is told gets you even more interested, with all the flashbacks giving you insight in who the characters were and who they become.

The acting is stunning. Diane Keaton, as Annie, gives one of my favorite performances ever. Her character is well written, but it's quite difficult to pull off. She can just get the right quirky, messy look,. with a lot of sweetness and beauty. She has an amazing delivery, speaking about everything in a light, cute way. The supporting actors are all good, but no one can get close to Keaton. Woody Allen, even if just playing himself, is particularly good.

The direction is one of the best Allen has done, with the hand held camera and his way of starring at the camera and saying what he thinks or wishes. The editing makes the movie much more interesting; it runs smoothly an it's easy to understand, and at the same time it helps you to get a full understanding of the relationship. The music and photography are good, but not remarkable. Overall, this is an obligatory movie for everyone, and what every romantic comedy wishes to be.

Les Bidasses en folie (1971)

OK Slapstick Comedy

[4 November 2006]

Les Bidasses en Folie, a french movie from 1971, is a very short, easy to watch, slapstick hippie comedy. The gags are always very physical, and during the first half hour of movie they work and it's pretty enjoyable and funny. It' outdated and supposed to be cool, and that makes it even funnier. You laugh at how ridiculous it is. Then, the five characters go to war, and you just grow tired of watching them fall and acting stupid, even if it's still funny. The actors have some good body language, and the gags are funny, but it lacks any link of decent storyline or characters. It's just fluff, cute and sugar coated, with a positive feeling. It can leave you with a smile on your face, as some of the moments are spot on. Fortunately, it's short, because if it had 5 minutes more you'd be incredibly tired of watching this. It's not my type of humor, but it's not bad. I wouldn't recommend this, except if you have nothing else to do and only want some fluffy, 70's styled movie.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Shocking and Powerful- a Masterpiece!

[4 November 2006]

One flew over the cuckoo's nest is a really funny, shocking, dramatic and touching movie. The story of Randall McMurphy, who is sent from prison to a mental hospital, under the orders of the evil Nurse Ratched, is amazingly well told. The screenplay has moments that are about as touching and beautiful as possible and the alway present dark humor makes the emotional moments ( and those are unforgettable) tolerable. The characters have dimension and you like them, except for Nurse Ratched, who is one of those evil characters you can only hate. The dialogs are good too.

Jack Nicholson is really amazing. He has a great comic and dramatic timing, he makes his character likable and real. His delivery is perfect, and his body language, the look in his eyes and deliberate energy are just mind blowing. Louisa Fletcher as Nurse Ratched is perfect, too. Her delivery is so calm and at the same time, you hate every single word that comes out of her mouth. The way she moves is so correct and so mean, at the same time, and her power is frightening that's brilliant. Brad Dourif, Danny DeVito and Josip Elic, Sydney Lassick, Will Samson are the standouts on the rest of the cast, wit their touching, painfully realistic performances.

The direction is just great. Milos Forman lets the actors work, and he gets the most out of them. The shots are always just right, and some of them make the movie much more powerful. Others just let you see how miserably wrong all this is, and make you think about what madness actually is. The cinematography is good, nothing outstanding, but it makes a good use of light and darkness. The music fits perfectly. The editing runs smooth but it's not outstanding. Overall, a great, unmissable, thought provoking movie.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Simply Amazing

[4 November 2006]

This is a very original, enjoyable movie. It's typical indie cinema, with its flawed, realistic characters, the dark humor, the way it includes a lot of drama, it's a critic to our society and is unpredictable. The screenplay is simply amazing.The characters are all so well written, you easily rot for them and can identify with at least one. The dialogs are brilliant; you can perfectly see real people saying that, but at the same way it's so satirical and funny. The storyline has been seen many times, but the twists and the characters make it different from anything you've seen before. The introduction of the characters is so fascinating and beautiful that you immediately like them, despise all their flaws. The pace makes you be so hugely entertaining that it will seem that the movie took 5 minutes. The ending is just amazing, one of the best I've ever seen; so funny and dark.

The direction is great, too. The wide shots on the highway are beautiful and full of life and energy. The close shots are really cute and some perfectly brilliant (Olive's introduction), and others very touching (Olive comforting Dwayne) and others satirical. The cinematography is full of light, but dirty too, which makes it look real. The music is perfect, as is its use.

Now, we get to the acting. Abigail Breslin is the best. She has a screen presence, comic and dramatic timing, delivery of lines and an ability to touch you that are really unusual in a child actress. Besides, she looks like a real person, and that makes her character believable. Steve Carrel is very enjoyable, and even if his character is not really nice he makes you like him. His comic timing is brilliant, and you can feel his emotions in a really touching way. The third best was Alan Arkin. so funny, with such an original character stretched to the limits. You can only like him. Greg Kinnear is really funny, Toni Collette is realistic and equilibrates the movie, and Paul Dano has a perfect way of expressing emotions without barely speaking. This one is recommended.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

Inspiring

[4 November 2006]

This is a subtle, real portrait of confused teenagers, the hidden lives of a group of people, and a town dying, with everyone going to the city. Its influence on more recent movies, such as American Beauty and Ghost World, is quite obvious. It's ahead off its time, because it is brave enough to criticize society and to show us the lives of a group of people, just as they are, without sugar-coating them and not being afraid of making them sometimes unlikeable, just the way people are. The screenplay is very good. The characters are realistic and well written, and their attitudes and actions are always where they should be. The pace is just right; it's a slow movie, but always entertaining and thought provoking. The dialogs are great, and they always have double meaning, so you really have to be focused on them to get to the core of their meaning. The fact that the characters go to the movies and that's really important makes this beautiful for any movie buff. Besides, the end of the picture show, is, too, the end of an era, the death of a town.

The acting is truly amazing, by just everyone. A look, a movement, the accents, the timing and delivery are just brilliant. all the actors were perfectly cast. Timothy Bottoms underplays a sensitive, shy character, but it works and makes the movie and his character not over the top. You can feel his pain, but in a subtle, still intense, way. Jeff Bridges makes an unlikeable character have a certain grace and you can root for him. He has a good timing and his feelings are real. Cybbil Shepherd has the most amazing body language you can get. She's seductive, sweet, mean, and most of all confused, and you can see all this just by looking at her. It's a complex character, and Shepherd has just the right look and freshness for the part. You can understand her character, even if you don't particularly like her. Cloris Leachman is incredibly expressive; her character is depressed and unhappy, and she's the nicest person. She's just so eager to be loved, and her movements show it all. Ellen Burstyn is very good, her character's in a point of her life in which she's stuck, without knowing how. Ben Johnson has some good delivery and you root for his character, but it's not that great.

The direction is simple, focusing on the actors, but still brilliant. The ending, so full of meaning, Cybill Shepherd shots, the large shots, languid and beautiful, the close shots, emotional and touching and the use of light and dark. The black and white makes this nostalgic and beautiful. Overall, really impressive; ahead of its time, tackling important issues and technically impressive. It's a true classic.

Mediterraneo (1991)

Funny

[22 October 2006]

This is a enjoyable, funny movie about a group of Italian soldiers in an island, with only women and children. The screenplay is the best thing of this movie, and it makes it worth watching. The characters are funny and ridiculous, and at the same time you connect with them; the storyline is simple, but interesting, even if the romances are a bit idiotic; and the dialogs are usually great, even if sometimes sappy. Besides, Italian sounds beautiful. The acting is mostly good, especially because the screenplay helps a lot. The men are all funny and make a strong ensemble, and all the women have to do is look cute. The direction is very nice, not brilliant. The sets are great; the island looks like a paradise, and you truly envy the characters for being there. The cinematography could have used the set in a better way; it wasn't bad, just you feel like it could have been better. It has touching moments, and most of it is just laugh out loud funny. It's no masterpiece, but certainly it's hilarious 8/10

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

Beautiful

[22 October 2006]

This is not a remarkable movie, though it has some good scenes, breath-taking views and beautiful shots. The dialogs are often clichéd, and the storyline is just mildly good. It's about a mountain man played by Robert Redford, and his struggle to survive. After that, you see his life with an Indian woman and a little boy; those scenes are very cute. It's mostly quite boring and not absorbing enough, though. One of the main problems of this is that Robert Redford isn't capable of holding a picture. His character is never realistic, and it's never iconic. He still has some moments in which the emotions of Jeremiah come out, and those are touching. The supporting actors are better. Delle Bolton, who plays Swan, shows a nice deal of emotion with her body language, and Josh Albee as Caleb is really expressive, and his character is the one I cared the most about. Will Geer is pretty funny, but his character isn't very well-written.Allyn Ann McLerie plays crazy very well, in her few scenes.

The visuals were the best thing on the movie. The locations are some of the best I've ever seen, and I think you can say they are the main element of the story. Without the mountains, the peace and beauty this movie has would disappear. Sidney Pollack's direction is great. His close shots are always lovely, and his wide shots are perfect. Then, there's some great music too. All those songs about Jeremiah sound beautiful and have good lyrics. As I mentioned, I didn't enjoy the dialogs much, but some of them are truly poetic and seem to echo on the mountains. The ending is well done, too. This is not an unmissable movie, but it's very beautiful 7/10

Gosford Park (2001)

Amazing Character Study

[22 October 2006]

This movie is much more than a murder mystery. It's a satire to the futile society of the early 20th century, a touching story about a mother and a son, and much more. The screenplay is truly great. All the delicate subplots are we-written and have something to say, and they all come together in the end. None of then is just a filler; all are incredibly interesting and important. The comedy is subtle and intelligent, as is the drama, and both are together perfectly well. The down stairs part was dark, true and much more dramatic, even if the comedy is there too, in a much more heartbreaking way. The upstairs part is full of light and futility, and funnier. Both work. The dialogs are inspired and some of the best you can get, full of dark humor and inspired sentences.

The directing is great, with the camera moving around in a beautiful way and it's never tiring. The editing is brilliant, letting you understand every plot and they all come together beautifully. The order of the scenes is also perfect. The cinematography is adequate; in the downstairs dark and with some hints of light that are amazing, and upstairs it shows the light and color necessary. The music is great.

The acting. It's amazing, as the rest of the movie. All the actors are great. Maggie Smith, with her wittiness, is perfect; Kelly McDonald, the leading, is soft spoken and has a good screen presence; Kristin Scott Thomas is charismatic; Claudie Blackley is touching and her character is deeply sympathetic; and all the others are great. This is deeply recommended 10/10

Chocolat (2000)

Nice Movie

[22 October 2006]

Chocolat is a nice movie, the type of movie you want to watch in a Sunday afternoon. It has some god acting, a nice story, and it's good to look at, even if forgettable. The screenplay follows the book closely, so it has nice, uplifting subplots, engaging characters and a terrible ending. The narration was good, and it gave the movie a cute fairytale tone. The characters weren't very developed, sometimes they were clichéd, but all the actors are great, so it's easy to not notice that. The dialogs are OK, nothing brilliant but not bad, either. Lasse Hallstrom's directing is simple but effective; the chocolate is very well shot, and almost all the rest of the movie as a simple direction with no flashes of brilliance.

The actors were great, even if their material wasn't very good. Juliette Bioche is lovely, with her smile always present and a certain sweetness that fitted the role perfectly. Judy Dench was pretty good, playing her typical cranky old woman, but she expresses her emotions in a god way and can be touching. Lena Olin was perfect for the part, with the right awkwardness and pain. Johnny Depp did what he had to, which was looking sexy. Peter Stormare, Carrie Ann Moss, Alfred Molina and Aurelie Parent Koenig were good with their few scenes. The only bad element was Victoire Thivisol, who was too old for the part even if not a bad actress.

The music was pretty good, as were the costumes, the stunning cinematography and the sets. Overall, enjoyable and nice 7.5/10

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Silly Parody, Technically Great

[10 October 2006]

This is a small movie very few people as ever heard of. The screenplay and the acting don't really matter in this case. I think Brian DePalma wanted to create a satire to the very popular pop stars and the glam rock era. It's a very weird movie; if you mixed The Phantom of the Paradise with The Portrait of Dorian Gray, satire touches and dark humor and set it in the glam rock era, this is probably what you'd get. The settings are amazingly well done and very original, as are the make up, clothes and cinematography. There are some incredibly original scenes that get you by surprise, which is just the objective. This is quite obviously done by a young director, with its wild imagination and ways of changing the direction of the movie (too) quickly. As an example in the scene where you find out what Swan did, and you only have clues, like, one minute before.

Though, the direction is greatly innovative. It perfectly captures the madness of drugs, singers trying to innovate the most ridiculous ways and the way pop stars are just images to society. The shots reach, sometimes, a level of brilliance. There's the scene in which Swan confronts Winslow, aside shot that's great; there are the scenes with Winslow writing, the light flickering and Phoenix appearing behind him, also incredibly beautiful, there are the lesbian sex scenes, there's the shower scene, a clear homage to Psycho, and much, much more.

The story is full of weird, interesting characters. Winslow Leach is quite an idiot, but I found myself rooting for him to get his way. William Finley doesn't do much, but his facial expressions during the first half of the movie are greatly funny, as are his lines. Paul Williams, who did the score too, is great as Swan, the malefic pop star/producer. His voice and mannerisms create a funny, scary character. Jessica Harper as Phoenix was cool. She was sweet, had just the right looks and sang well. Gerrit Graham as a...weird rock singer is hilarious. Obviously, the script isn't meant to be taken seriously: it's all a huge silly parody, with a lot of style and not a lot of substance (even if you can still find a lot of accurate, funny lines).

Finally the music. It's just perfect, fitting on the movie and having great lyrics. It's very original and unusual to listen to this type of music all in the same movie.

This is an hidden gem from the 70's, stylish and very well made, even if way silly. You need to be in the mood for it, but if you are, you'll definitely enjoy yourself. 8/10

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Incredibly Enjoyable

[7 October 2006]

This is one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen. The gripping story, the action, the well developed characters, the great acting, the dramatic tension and the dark humor kept me on the edge of my seat. I've never seen any other Ridley Scott movie, but this one is surely great.

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon were amazing. Davis created a character with whom you empathize immediately. She can be a bit dumb, but she's sweet. Her crying scenes are very believable, as is the amazing transformation her character suffers during the movie. Besides, she has a great comic timing and can be very funny. Sarandon shows a down-to-earth attitude, and her eyes are incredibly expressive. Har character changes realistically during the movie, and her crying/confused scenes are very touching and heartbreaking. They have a really great chemistry together, and their characters balance each other.

The supporting cast is good too. Brad Pitt is incredibly hot (as always), and he has just the right look and mannerisms for the role. Harvey Keitel is just there, but his voice fits in the little time he has of dialog. Christopher McDonald is incredibly funny and believable, I loved his performance; the way he walked, spoke and dressed was perfect. Michael Madsen played is character fairly well in the touching subplot he had. Timothy Carhart as Thelma's rapist had a sinister intensity and charm that was great.

The direction was amazing. Ridley Scott shot a road trip mostly with a dusty, yellow look. He had some surrealist moments (the Jamaican guy smoking pot in the desert) that were very cute and enjoyable. The rape scene was very intense and disturbing. The dramatic tension you can feel comes in good part from his direction. The music was good and created the right mood for the film The locations were great. They showed poverty and lots of dirt and decadence, but the desert was beautiful. The stunning cinematography helped giving the movie its full of style look.

The argument is great. The storyline keeps you increasingly interested and the characters are touching and you cared for them. The dialogs are sharp and well written. The only problem is that some of the subplots shouldn't have been there.

The last thing I wanna say is that some moments were clichéd. Like, when Thelma is talking to Louise on the phone, she opens the door of the fridge. This is not too bad, but sometimes it gives the movie a not realistic quality. But, on compensation, there are some incredibly original moments, like when Thelma robs a store. Overall, one of the most enjoyable movies ever, great direction and performances 9.5/10

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Powerful, With Great Performances

[7 October 2006]

This is a classic teen angst movie, and one of the first to capture it realistically on screen.

James Dean gives an incredible performance as the troubled, confused teen, trying to stand up for himself and understand what's going on is his life. you can notice his fear and eagerness to be loved in his gaze, his movements, his laugh and his voice. When he shouts the famous line "You're tearing me apart!", it's truly heartbreaking. He creates a character with whom you can easily relate and who's incredibly sympathetic.

Natalie Wood has a steady sweetness and beauty, a woman-like quality in a confused, stubborn teenage girl. She's believable and has a good deal of touching moments, without overplaying them. She has a good chemistry with James Dean, too. Sal Mineo as Jimmy's friend is the best of them, though. He was just 16 when the movie came out, and this is one of the est teen performances ever. His character has a fear, a confusion, and above all, such a need to be loved, that you can't avoid to want to protect him and help him. His puppy-like eyes, begging to be loved, his sweet, young boy's voice, and his way of shivering all the time, the doubts you can feel he has make this performance great. You never doubt by a single moment that what you're seeing is real. His performance is the best in the movie, I think, even if everyone is just great.

Al the supporting actors are amazing. Jim Backus as Jimmy's dad, keeps up with the difficult task of making us like and understand his confusion about his son and at the same time wanting him to be stronger and seeing Jimmy's side. The gang members have a typical teen arrogance, but they are real. The actor's that play Judy's parents have a nicely played scene too.

The screenplay is incredible. It portrays realistically the confusion of teenagers and their parents, it has very touching moments, it's suspenseful, the characters are all believable and you care by them. Here, you can feel the lack of communication between adults and teens. But the most singular thing of all is the satire to American society. You can see the irony of all this seemingly perfect families, hiding in their houses and arguing. Some of the shots suggest this, too; the way outside everything's perfect, and inside of all the suburban houses and the minds of the characters everything's confused and messed up. I liked the ending resolution a lot, too, showing that sometimes people just can't live with themselves.

The directing is good, with some shots that are sort of campy and fits in the mood of the movie. I liked some subtle touches, like Dean's red jacket and Plato's socks. The music was sometimes a bit overplayed, but mostly, it worked. This is a great movie, not to be missed by anyone! 9.5/10

Wings of Desire (1987)

Pure Poetry

[7 October 2006]

Wim Wenders always makes movies that are pure poetry. This is one of them. It's about an angel who decides to become a man when he finds love, but it's not sappy at all. The writing is a poem; the music is a poem; the direction is a poem; and the performances are a poem.

This movie is very subtle and of rare beauty. It has a dreamy atmosphere, and at the same time very dark. You can feel something wrong is happening: you can see the Berlin Wall, a lot of people contemplating life, and the black and white makes everything look like it's happening elsewhere. Wim Wenders shoots beautifully, with the camera always moving softly, making you feel the characters. A great example is the first scene in the nightclub. The voice overs are an original way of showing feelings, and, in this case, very rewarding.

You have to like slow paced movies to enjoy this one. The first hour is just character development, and the angels walk through the city, helping people and thinking about life. Then, Bruno Ganz's character decides to become a man, coming into this world to live and feel, and suddenly everything gains color for him. His entrance in the world of living is a beautiful metaphor, and the dialog between him and Marion is brilliant.

The performances are great, too. Bruno Ganz can express all of the emotions of the character without speaking, most of the time. The look in his eyes, his body language, and the way he delivers his few lines is amazing. Solveig Dommartin has a good delivery and body language, and her voice overs are very touching. Otto Sander is fine, too, and all the people that appear in just one scene perfectly capture their characters.

This is very involving; it gets you in another world and touches you deeply. 10/10