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Reviews
300 (2006)
Not a bad film, just not the masterpiece it promised
300 was one of my personal most anticipated films of this year. That being said, of course it was a letdown for me. However, it manages to raise above the mediocre line as far as films are concerned.
It's weaknesses were bad dialogue, which was overly dramatic and came off sounding silly, and it's length. It dragged in many places and could've done better without going into the needless details it did.
The film's high point was it's beauty. The whole movie was beautiful, even the terrifying immortals and Xerxes' concubines, as well at the battlefield, were all beautiful in their horror. It has an amazing atmosphere and style not found in many movies. As far as acting, I hand it to Gerard Butler, who gives his best in everything, and David Wenham and Rodrigo Santoro who impressed me.
However, the main issue of the film is that it never knows to which audience it caters to. Is it to the Miller fans, and graphic novel enthusiasts? Or is it to the teenagers leftover from Sin City, who love gore and sex, but would be bored by a simple historic film? Or even to the adults who enjoyed other epic movies? It never quite makes up it's mind about this. It tries to be edgy and trendy, and even at times to be shocking, and fails at this, it all seems a little silly and out of place. It fails at the very thing that makes other graphic novel and comic movies succeed.
I rated it a 7. If you like historical pieces, war movies, stories of bravery, are a hardcore Miller fan, or are just looking for a good movie to see, try this one out. However, don't get your hopes for masterpiece up too high.
Ghost Rider (2007)
So much potential...
The main problem is that it had so much potential. It had enough potential to be one of the better comic adaptations - Right up there with X2 and Spider Man, but there were things that pulled it down, I'm sad to say, to a level of mediocrity.
Let's start with the potential. Nic Cage as Blaze wasn't bad in my opinion - just a bit uninspired. If they wanted a huge name, there were about a hundred other fish in the sea. Something tells me John Travolta would've been a good choice. As you see, with a pretty nondescript hero role, many actors could've pulled it off. Now, the biggest waste of potential was Blackheart and the Nephilims. Blackheart sure was beautiful, and you could tell he was an interesting character, and Bentley did his best with the tacky lines, but the director turned him into Damian Thorn all grown up instead of more true to his character, a ruthless demon with blood lust. Blackheart is not just a creepy kid trying to emulate Daddy. They missed that mark completely. The Nephilims, well, they were cool, but were not used as much as they could've been to benefit the story.
The bad? All the scenes with bonding between Blaze and Roxanne are laughable. I'm sorry to say the two have no chemistry. The back story of the dying father and abandoned girlfriend are mighty depressing, but the way it is presented, the main punch of Blaze's life being a literal hell on Earth is just not felt as strongly. I understand we cannot spend that much time in the exposition, but we can at least be given more time to feel sorry for our young, hopeless hero.
The good? The action is good, keeps you interested, and the special effects are decent too. The transformation from man to Ghost Rider was done very well, and I applaud them on that. The one character that was got almost completely right was Mephistopheles. (I would rate Fonda up there with Pacino and Stromare as far as my favorite portrayals of Satan). But that is a smaller part. Not too hard to screw up. I do look forward to seeing more of that character should there be a Ghost Rider 2 (which I do not doubt there will be).
As a movie, it is a good popcorn flick. I would say see it once, give it a chance. I liked it, despite it's flaws and apparent lack of ambition. While not the most amazing comic adaptation, it is not the worst either, and I give it a solid score of 6.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (2000)
You will not be disappointed
Only this could contain the unholy pairing of wit and stupidity, roll it up in insanity and call it brilliant. Having just seen it, I must say it's one of the better(if not the best) satires of Shakespeare's work.
A great performance is given by all actors, who you can tell are dedicated to their craft. A particularly good performance is given by Adam Long, who has a sweet aloofness about him that is instantly charming. Austin Tichenor is amusing and likable, and Martin Reed has good comedic sensibilities. I hope to see more work from these actors in the future.
This movie had me laughing almost the whole time, and is very quotable. The only issue I have with it is it's jumpy hyperactive nature which is exhausting to watch, particularly in the Romeo and Juliet sketch. After the first fifteen minutes you will feel tired, but once they launch into their other acts you will grow accustomed to their style and love every second of it.
A wonderful show you should try watching at least once.
Capote (2005)
Wonderfully surprising
I'm writing this review a little late, being as I saw it in January 06. However, the upcoming release of semi-sister movie Infamous has made me decide to finally review this masterpiece.
I went into the theater thinking it would be a bore fest, my sister dragging me in, and I was extremely surprised at what I saw. It is one of the best movies I have seen, and ranks very high on my list of favorites.
The number one reason is Philip Seymour Hoffman. I cannot praise this man enough. He portrays Capote so wonderfully, as a man who is battling between his work and his status and what is morally correct. He is someone we both love and hate, and in the end can't blame for any of his flaws. This is by far Hoffman's best work to date. I always liked Hoffman before, particularly for his role in Cold Mountain, but this is the movie that put him up in my favorites. It is worth seeing the movie if only for his performance alone.
The other part of this movie that truly captivated me was the relationship between Capote and Smith. They represent different sides of the same coin, as Capote points out, as if they, "...grew up in the same house. I went out the front door and he went out the back." They seem to be like brothers, and other times like good friends, sometimes Capote plays something of a father figure to Smith. But it doesn't seem as if their relationship is just that, it also has a romantic tension underneath the surface, it is so great even a homophobic person will find themselves feeling so sorry for the characters.
Their goodbye scene is so heart wrenching I was in tears. It shows the true nature of their relationship. It seems Perry always took it for what it was, that it would eventually end, and Capote was more emotionally attached than he cared to admit. Through the whole movie you are confused as to what exactly it was that bonded them, and what made their relationship so powerful, and you realize the characters are just as confused as you.
When the movie ended and the credits began to roll, no one in the packed theater said a word, and no one got up until the credits were over. Everyone was too stunned by it to even clap, and I can say I have never seen that happen in any movie ever before.
This is an amazing movie and it deserved every single nomination it got. I absolutely loved it, and I feel it will be one of those movies that will be remembered years from now. It is not good if you are in a dark mood (but perhaps better for some people?), but if you are in the mood for a good drama, a good tragedy, and even somewhat of a good tragic romance, then this is a wonderful movie to watch. To those of you who are expecting something boring, you will be pleasantly surprised.