brianhamilton-76406 Reviews

Unforgiven (1992)

A modern western masterpiece

[11 December 2018]

This is a masterpiece by Clint Eastwood. Unforgiven is a Western made in an era when the popularity of Westerns was at a low ebb. Ironically, it became the second Western in three years to win the Best Picture Oscar. The other was Dances with Wolves in 1991. Both Unforgiven and Dances with Wolves, while being fundamentally different motion pictures, share a common quality: they are radically unlike the Westerns of old. Unforgiven looks like a Western. It has many of the conventions of a Western. But it doesn't feel like one. The violence is brutal, the sheriff isn't the good guy, and the story is saturated with moral ambiguity. That's not to say all the Westerns made in the '40s, '50s, and '60s were simplistic, but few evidence the ethical complexity that Eastwood embraces in Unforgiven.

Year of the Horse (1997)

Only for die hard Neil Young fans

[31 October 2018]

Unless you're a Neil Young die-hard, you're likely to find Year of the Horse unbearable. What's especially shocking is that it comes from a talented director like Jarmusch, who is known for intelligent, thought-provoking pictures. Evidently, his feature film making ability doesn't translate into the documentary realm. Year of the Horse is one of 1997's ugliest dogs. It's supposed to be a high- energy concert film that captures the intensity and camaraderie of the band members on and off- stage. What it turns out to be, however, is an overlong home movie with bad video and barely- adequate sound.

Avatar (2009)

Cameron is back with a bang

[6 October 2018]

Twelve years since Titanic Cameron again delivers with a great science fiction epic with the usual tropes and clichés but somehow making it work. The film looks gorgeous and the planet Pandora will surely give nature pangs to many of us. It makes me wonder how much a great storyteller's skills matter- Everything and everyone was against Cameron and somehow, he has managed to deliver. If you haven't seen Avatar(how?) you should see it as soon as possible- this is a great science fiction adventure from a master filmmaker.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

Spader is excellent in Soderberg's debut

[25 September 2018]

Steven Soderberg announced himself to the world with this great independent film. Sex, Lies and Videotapes took the film world by storm on release- It won the top prize at the Cannes film festival that year and shot Steven Soderberg to fame and glory- and to be fair he deserved it. He's only grown better with each film, one of the true auteurs of the modern age of cinema. Special mention to James Spader who is excellent as the troubled lead. Every actor is exceptional and that is down to the director again. You should give this film if you like edgy independent films.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

An Indian take on Pride and Prejudice- see it and judge yourself

[12 July 2018]

Bride and Prejudice is a nice bollywood take on Jane Austen's famous novel. It is fun, colorful and flamboyant and features the ravishing Aishwarya Rai as the main lead. Martin Henderson from New Zealand is more than competent as Darcy and holds his own even in dance sequences. Watch it for the Indianized flavor that the director Gurinder Chadda infuses this old tale with.