Prince Eric wrote:I will disagree on that one. Memoirs of a Geisha really only had its production values to boast itself as a credible movie. Other great films with stunning visuals that I appreciate (perhaps even more) on the small screen are Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Girl With a Pearl Earring.
Fair enough. I was the same I guess with Thin Red Line - a film I enjoyed on the big screen, yet really appreciated the subtleties of on DVD. New World will probably be the same: those little lingering moments are going to feel far more intimate at home. However, I think some of the 'scope' of the film (it was one of the few films to be filmed with large chunks in 65mm to my knowledge?) won't feel as scopey on my 4:3 television.
Caché (Hidden) (2005) (Viewed 13 May 2006): A married couple are terrorized by a series of videotapes planted on their front porch. Although this is thematically similar to David Lynch's Lost Highway or Hitchcock's Rear Window, it is difficult to know what to make of this film. It leaves the viewer asking many questions, and at least one IMDB reviewer may have hit the nail on the head when they said the audience isn't meant to be entertained. We are meant to ask questions, and be puzzled. The film does a very good job of keeping the audience at arm's length, as though through the eyes of the voyeur. However, the performances by the leads - veterans Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche - really give the film a sense of natural realism. I willing to admit that I didn't understand this film completely, although I'm not sure I was meant to. A tentative B- Rating until I see it again.
Wedding Crashers
Well I finally saw it, and I seriously could not see how this was as good as people said it was. The movie was just like all other recent comedies, meaning it was not imaginative or original. Yes, the plot may be, but all the jokes are just stupid. I guess the "frat pack" stars are the only reasons people went to see this film, making it one of the highest ten of last year. But please, this film was pointless, however I feel very gracious, and I'll give it a passing grade, because at points it did give me a laugh. Final Grade: D
Poseidon
The opening film of summer 2006 for me (MI3 yuck!). The film suprised me somewhat. It was better than expected, which made me happy. Wolfgang Peterson did very very good on special effects in the film. The tension is also kept throughout the film, which is a must. The thing that kills the film is the character development and plot. The action starts within 10 or so minutes of the film. Character development is needed for about 25 minutes, at least, for you to be able to connect with the characters and actually care about their situation. Also, plot holes, such as lifeboats outside the boat when they get out through the propellors, and the child going missing are annoying at the very least. However, this was a good "summer film" and I'm not disappointed in seeing it. Final Grade B-
Coming Soon (Hopefully): Ice Age 2, Da Vinci Code, Match Point, Pride and Prejudice
Best Movies of 2009:
1. Moon
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Coraline
5. Ponyo
Where the Truth Lies (Viewed 14 May 2006): Director Atom Egoyan is perhaps best known for his work on the "Friday the 13th" TV series. Sorry, couldn't resist (he is credited on it). This film, based on the novel by Rupert Holmes, sees reporter Alison Lohman investigating the break up of comedy duo Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth some fifteen years before, and the mysterious death of a woman that overshadowed their break-up. Some terrific performances and some interesting photography don't quite get this over the hump of being a fairly standard mystery, although it is done a bit better than most. The much-debated sex scenes - which may be confronting to some, meh to others - probably weren't necessary. However, this is still a stylish period thriller, coming across as a comhbination of LA Confidential and Rashomon. It is a good film, although it never overcomes a fairly straigtforward mystery. A solid B- rating.
Sally's (Moore) dream is to become a star and to be on in "American Dreamz" -- a reality show sweeping the nation. In order to achieve this, she leaves her boyfriend William (Klein) and then falls for the seedy host, Martin Tweed (Grant). Meanwhile, the Arabian show-tunes fanatic Omer (Golzari) travels to the USA to visit his relatives and, accidentally, becomes a contestant on the show. Amidst all of this, the President of the United States (Quaid) is depressed at the realization that his life is lived for him. To boost his approval ratings, his Chief of Staff (Dafoe) arranges him to be a guest judge on "American Dreamz" which cannot be a good thing when one of the participants is a suicide-bomber.
Hugh Grant turns on the charm, as always, playing the Simon Cowell-esque Tweed, while Quaid’s bumbling Bush-clone is an infant, ridiculously fed words through the radio receiver in his ear. Willem Dafoe’s enthusiastic Dick Cheney impersonation rescues Quaid from a complete and utter embarrassment and Moore is quite good too, giving a surprisingly well-done performance as shallow Sally, something I personally cherished in her other roles -- such as in 2002's A Walk to Remember. gives a surprising amount of depth to her shallow Sally. There are some clever moments in the film, but more often than not, American Dreamz turns out to be an American nightmare.
April 30, 2006:
Silent Hill
Over the protests of her husband Christopher (Bean), Rose (Mitchell) flees with her sleepwalking daughter Sharon (Ferland) to the deserted town of Silent Hill -- one that has been mysteriously linked to Sharon's horrendous seizures. After an accident, Sharon disappears in Rose follows what she thinks is her daughter's silhouette all over town. It's soon made clear that the town is unlike any place she's ever been. It's inhabited by a variety of creatures and a living darkness that descends and literally transforms everything it touches into a hellish reality. Joined by a cop named Cybil (Holden), Rose searches for her little girl, while learning the history of Silent Hill, and that Sharon is just a pawn in a larger game.
Mitchell does a fine job as our ill-fated heroine, spurred on by a motherly determination to find her child. As her capricious daughter, Ferland becomes yet another young actress who has fallen into that “creepy little girl” malady. Laurie Holden is a campy delight playing the pseudo-lesbian cop who gets somehow gets mixed in Rose’s hellish adventure.
Silent Hill's superior qualities come in the form of visually stunning art-direction and cinematography. Elinor Rose Galbraith & James McAteer's set design seems to have been ripped right from the video-game itself, and Dan Laustensen's photography exudes an eerie sophistication that astounds the viewer's mainly inept senses. Sadly, none of this can save Silent Hill from it's inane dialogue and preposterous run-time.
My boredom seems to be limitless right now, so here's my 2005 ballot:
Best Picture Brokeback Mountain
Capote
King Kong
Munich
The New World
Best Director Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence
Peter Jackson, King Kong
Terrence Malick, The New World
Stephen Spielberg, Munich
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Eric Bana, Munich
Colin Farrell, The New World
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Best Actress in a Leading Role Q’orianka Kilcher, The New World
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Sarah Jessica Parker, The Family Stone
Naomi Watts, King Kong
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The New World
Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale
Matt Dillon, Crash Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
Donald Sutherland, Pride & Prejudice
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Amy Adams, Junebug
Diane Keaton, The Family Stone
Catherine Keener, Capote
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardner
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
Best Original Screenplay
Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale
Thomas Bezucha, The Family Stone
Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco, Crash
Angus MacLachlan, Junebug Terrence Malick, The New World
Best Adapted Screenplay
Dan Futterman, Capote
Tony Kushner & Phillip Roth, Munich
Deborah Moggach, Pride & Prejudice
Josh Olson, A History of Violence Diana Ossana & Larry McMurtry, Brokeback Mountain
Best Cinematography
Dion Beebe, Memoirs of a Geisha
Robert Elswit, Good Night, and Good Luck.
Janusz Kaminski, Munich Emmanuel Lubezki, The New World
Rodriego Prieto, Brokeback Mountain
Best Film Editing Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardner
Crash
Munich
The New World
Best Art Direction
James D. Bissell, Good Night, and Good Luck. Jack Fish, The New World
Sarah Greenwood, Pride & Prejudice
Grant Major, King Kong
John Myhre, Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Costume Design Colleen Atwood, Memoirs of a Geisha
Jacqueline Durran, Pride & Prejudice
Arianne Phillips, Walk the Line
Terry Ryan, King Kong
Jacqueline West, The New World
Best Original Score Gustavo Santoalalla, Brokeback Mountain
James Horner, The New World
Albert Iglesias, The Constant Gardener
John Williams, Memoirs of a Geisha
Dario Marianelli, Pride & Prejudice
Best Original Song
Brokeback Mountain, “A Love That Will Never Grow Old” Brokeback Mountain, "The Maker Makes"
Crash, "In the Deep"
Hustle & Flow, “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”
Transamerica, "Travelin Thru'"
Best Sound Mixing
Brokeback Mountain
King Kong The New World
Walk the Line
War of the Worlds
Best Sound Editing King Kong
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
War of the Worlds
Best Make-Up
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Memoirs of a Geisha The New World
Best Visual Effects King Kong
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
War of the Worlds
Best Animated Feature
Howl’s Moving Castle
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Best Foreign-Language Film
2046
De Battre Mon Coeur S'est Arrêté (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) Caché (Hidden)
Paradise Now
Tsotsi
---------------------------------------------------------
The Top 5 Films of 2005
02. The New World
- Picture
- Director
- Actor
*Actress
- Supporting Actor
*Original Screenplay
*Cinematography
*Art Direction
- Costume Design
*Sound Mixing
*Make-Up
03. King Kong
- Picture
- Director
- Actress
- Art Direction
- Costume Design
- Sound Mixing
*Sound Editing
*Visual Effects
04. Munich
- Picture
- Director
- Actor
- Adapted Screenplay
- Cinematography
- Film Editing
- Original Score
castleinthesky wrote:Wedding Crashers
Well I finally saw it, and I seriously could not see how this was as good as people said it was. The movie was just like all other recent comedies, meaning it was not imaginative or original. Yes, the plot may be, but all the jokes are just stupid. I guess the "frat pack" stars are the only reasons people went to see this film, making it one of the highest ten of last year. But please, this film was pointless, however I feel very gracious, and I'll give it a passing grade, because at points it did give me a laugh. Final Grade: D
I must quote this. At least we occasionally agree on a really bad movie!
TheLittleMerman wrote:
Best Visual Effects
Batman Begins King Kong
War of the Worlds
Oh C'MON! No Star Wars?!
As much as I loved Batman Begins, I can't really recall many times there were actually visual effects. I guess King Kong is OK for THIS category only(though I'd strongly disagree, but that's a whole other rant) but War of the Worlds?
Star Wars and Harry Potter should've at least been nominated. But then again, the film industry will always hate Lucas all because he broke their rules with the putting the credits at then end. That's why Empire Strikes Back didn't win 11 oscars like Return of the 3 hours King. Well, he did won People's Choice Award, which is what he was aiming for, which is actually better, I guess.
*ugh huge rant*
As for me, ironically, I haven't seen a film in theaters since "Glory Road". I gotta get out more.
Mission Impossible III
Not as exasperatingly ADD like the second installment, but not as cooly nuanced as the first. Overall, I liked the movie, and it was definately enjoyable given its contents. Unfortunately, Tom Cruise's ego is so big, his arrogance translated to the screen, which is a huge put-off for me. (Russel Crow and Jaime Foxx are along similar lines.) His ensemble is relegated to the periphery, which is unfortunate, because the performances were far better than the material the actors were assigned to act. The movie kept its brisk pace and tight editing throughout, as well as its focus point in terms of plot. Even though the romantic couple onscreen had great chemisty, I didn't quite buy it, especially since it seems out of character that THE Ethan would settle down after its been established through two previous movies that he's dedicated to his work. Oh well, I can't totally hate Tom Cruise because he did a mostly fine job here. Grade: B-
The Top 10 Films of 2005:
1) Brokeback Mountain 2) The Squid and the Whale 3) Me And You And Everyone We Know 4) The New World 5) A History of Violence 6) Match Point 7) Munich 8.) Crash 9) Wallace and Gromit 10) Pride & Prejudice
Ashley Albright (Lohan) is the luckiest woman in the world. A vibrant young career-driven woman, taxi drivers stop for her whenever she needs a cab. She always wins when she scratches a lottery card. She never needs an umbrella because, as luck would have it, the clouds in heaven part, Mr. Sun comes shining down smiling and rain stops to let her fashionable-self pass through, as if the world and it's wonders were wrapped around her manicured hands.
Jake (Pine), on the other hand is a magnet for bad luck. When traveling to his job cleaning toilets at a bowling alley, the skies are always raining, that $5 bill he finds lying around happens to be covered in dog poo, and his pants more often than not split just as opportunity seems to be coming his way. One night, however, this all changes when at a lavish masquerade ball the two strangers swap a kiss which then transfers Ashley's good luck to Jake, and his bad luck to her.
While Just My Luck has a ridiculous Freaky Friday-esque plot to it, none of this matters one bit when compared to Lohan & Pine's godly chemistry.
Lohan, as always, slips into the role of Ashley as if it where tailor-made for her. Slapstick pratfalls in the vein of I Love Lucy send the audience into a frequent hysteria which there seems to be as lack of in a theatre full of raucous drama. Pine exudes a warm sensitivity and comedic timing throughout the entire film -- a perfect match for Lohan's adorable capriciousness.
Regardless of natural, yet most of the time unruly clichés, Just My Luck exceeds in bringing an enjoyable time to it's audience with a fun script and charming performances from it's stars.
*tlm
Last edited by The Little Merman on Fri May 19, 2006 10:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
castleinthesky wrote:Poseidon
The opening film of summer 2006 for me (MI3 yuck!). The film suprised me somewhat. It was better than expected, which made me happy. Wolfgang Peterson did very very good on special effects in the film. The tension is also kept throughout the film, which is a must. The thing that kills the film is the character development and plot. The action starts within 10 or so minutes of the film. Character development is needed for about 25 minutes, at least, for you to be able to connect with the characters and actually care about their situation. Also, plot holes, such as lifeboats outside the boat when they get out through the propellors, and the child going missing are annoying at the very least. However, this was a good "summer film" and I'm not disappointed in seeing it. Final Grade B-
I saw this movie as well, on opening Friday. I am very disappointed that a lot of the media is labeling this movie a 'bomb' just because it only made $20M on opening weekend. I enjoyed the movie - the special effects were awesome. I agree with the above assessment of the movie 100%, especially about character development. But in was in no case, a 'bomb' - it was one of the better movies I've seen this year. I will buy it on DVD - and watch it a few more times. It was leagues better than the made-for-TV version that came out recently.
Disneyland Trips: 1983, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, Aug 2018
Walt Disney World Trips: 1999, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, ~Dec 2018~, ~Apr 2019~
Favorite Disney Movies: Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, Enchanted, FROZEN
Akeelah and the Bee
I don't like cheesy family movies and I don't like formulas - period. I DO totally dig exceptions to the rules, and I was successfully able to find one here. People who are disgruntled by the film's obvious political messaging really need to shut their yappers. The movie worked, and that's enough for me. Suspenseful, without being a direct suspense movie and funny without being a direct comedy. Charming and delightfully paced. It's always a joy to see Angela Bassett onscreen, and Keke Palmer gave a moving lead performance. Fun. Grade: B-
May 19, 2006
Something New
A smart, well-planned romantic comedy that left me satisfied after the viewing. Inter-racial dating movies are all over the place in terms of quality, but this one was well-executed without being heavy handing. I loved the verbal politiking, which was never forced, but at times awkward, which I think had more to do with the inexperience o fthe screenwriter. Vollying takes a lot of time to master. Anyway, the casting of the two leads was remarkable. I was totally into Sanaa Lathan's and Simon Barker's chemisty - a gorgeous couple. I don't know what was with the freaky orange cinematography, but it worked quite well. Grade: B
The Top 10 Films of 2005:
1) Brokeback Mountain 2) The Squid and the Whale 3) Me And You And Everyone We Know 4) The New World 5) A History of Violence 6) Match Point 7) Munich 8.) Crash 9) Wallace and Gromit 10) Pride & Prejudice
TheLittleMerman - Oh, I forgot to let you know that the score for The New World is not original - it samples heavily from classical composers. Anyway, can't wait to see what you have to say about The Da Vinci Code, a movie I passed up seeing yesterday.
The Top 10 Films of 2005:
1) Brokeback Mountain 2) The Squid and the Whale 3) Me And You And Everyone We Know 4) The New World 5) A History of Violence 6) Match Point 7) Munich 8.) Crash 9) Wallace and Gromit 10) Pride & Prejudice
Slither (Viewed 20 May 2006): Well, this is now a contender for my Top 10 films of the year. Hear me out on this. I love my horror films, and this one is a gem. It is very rare that a film is just FUN, and this certainly fit the bill for a Saturday night. It's often gross and occasionally low-brow, but it is also a very knowing script with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. It never quite takes you where you expect it to go, with most of the traditional "big hero moments" blowing up in the hero's face. Nathan Fillion is set to be the Greatest Cult Actor of his generation, in my humble opinion. Also, most of the special effects were done in-camera, and the few little bits of CG weren't too distracting. That's also a big plus for me. The best thing about the film is its sense of the darkly comic. From the opening scenes, through to the "Crying Game" karaoke and the 'big' finale, you'll be laughing harder than you are squirming. For the first time in a long time, you'll be laughing WITH the horror film, and not at it. I may lose all cred for future reviews here, but dagnabbit - Rating: A
Candy (2006) (Viewed 21 May 2006): Saw an advanced screening of this film that is based on Luke Davies' novel. Having read the novel quite recently, the film has a number of changes. It is very rare that I will say this, but the changes are for the better and the film is much better than the book. While the book wallowed in often gratuitous drug and sex descriptions, the film provides us with a stronger narrative and a better collection of characters. Dan (Heath Ledger) and Candy (Abbie Cornish) feel like a real couple, and Candy's parents (Noni Hazelhurst and Tony Martin) are really fleshed out in the film. Another character that gets to grow a bit in the film is Casper (Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush), who steals the scenes that he is in. A contender for one of the best Australian films of the year, this is another A Rating for me! (On a roll! The next film I'm seeing is The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and I suspect we may have another 'A' film there).
Poseidon
Everything about this movie was cheap, garish, and tacky - just like a cruise vacation, but in a very bad way. The special effects were hard to look at: there were times when it was painfully obvious that the background was a green screen, tipped off by the harsh outlines of the figures in the forefront. Essentially, its a dumb remake of a dumb movie. The original was just as unbelievable, but at least the art direction looked authentic. The original also boasted strong character archs that made up for thin storyline. I remember the first time I watched it, I was choosing the people I hoped would survive. In this updated version, we don't even get the first 45 minutes of character development. It's all about the ridiculous action. The opportunity to create warm, tragic characters was thrown away in order to make room for small, thankless roles for the talented Freddy Rodriguez and Richard Dreyfus. The most annoying characters, those played by Emmy Rossum and the perpetual hammy Josh Lucas (along with typical all-American archetypes of mother, son, and jock boyfriend) survived. Boo! The only performance worth commending was Mia Maestro's illegal immigrant, but even she couldn't quite float her performance above this cinematic wreckage. Grade: C-
The Top 10 Films of 2005:
1) Brokeback Mountain 2) The Squid and the Whale 3) Me And You And Everyone We Know 4) The New World 5) A History of Violence 6) Match Point 7) Munich 8.) Crash 9) Wallace and Gromit 10) Pride & Prejudice
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2006) (Viewed 25 May 2006): This was probably my most anticipated cinema release this year, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. From as early as the opening shots, it was clear this was going to pay tribute to - yet be distinct from - some of the great westerns of the last sixty years. I love absolutely everything about this film, from the beautiful cinematography; the performances and Marco Beltrami's score. I'll gush, but it will just get over everything. Rating: A+
Loomis wrote:The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2006) (Viewed 25 May 2006): This was probably my most anticipated cinema release this year, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. From as early as the opening shots, it was clear this was going to pay tribute to - yet be distinct from - some of the great westerns of the last sixty years. I love absolutely everything about this film, from the beautiful cinematography; the performances and Marco Beltrami's score. I'll gush, but it will just get over everything. Rating: A+
I guess this just shows that overseas perceptions of a film can vary greatly from the United States. I too was interested in this movie when opened last year, but it was pretty much dismissed and didn't last in my city for more than a week.
The Top 10 Films of 2005:
1) Brokeback Mountain 2) The Squid and the Whale 3) Me And You And Everyone We Know 4) The New World 5) A History of Violence 6) Match Point 7) Munich 8.) Crash 9) Wallace and Gromit 10) Pride & Prejudice
Was lucky to be invited to an Advanced Screening of what could be one of the summer's bigger hits at the box office, Disney/Pixar's "Cars".
Featuring a who's-who of Hollywood voice cast this is the seventh film from the CGI group that is partnered with Walt Disney. I was hoping for a flop just to prove that they were fallible after all, but this movie has it all. Great animation, great story, depth of characters, and a great soundtrack that should be a big seller this summer. Directed by John Lassiter, "Cars" is longer than most CGI films, running at just under two hours (116 minutes).
Owen Wilson is voice of the little roadster, Lightning McQueen, and he is headed for the big race when he crashes into the little town of Radiator Springs, destroying or messing up most of the townspeoples stuff. After being sentenced to Community Service, McQueen meets a surly bunch of residents and learns more about himself than he really wanted to know.
The laughs come at a break-neck pace, and without ruining the film for anyone, my favorite scene is when Mater, voiced by Larry the Cable Guy, takes Lightning on a little adventure he calls "Trailer Tippin' ". I was holding my sides, because I was laughing so hard it hurt. This movie has something for everyone, young and old alike. And good news for those who think this is a film about NASCAR, it is only in the last few minutes of the movie that we get to see any interaction with the cars on the NASCAR track.
George Carlin, Paul Dooley, Bob Costas (the voice of Bob Cutlass), Bonnie Hunt, Katherine Helmond, Michael Keaton, Cheech Marin, Paul Newman and Tony Shaloub, to name a few of the voice-over actors, are joined by some of the NASCAR drivers including Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty. Some of the laughs are very unexpected, and then some you can see coming a mile away. Either way, young or old, this movie has something for everyone.
The Junk-o-meter was hitting 8.5 on a scale of 1 - 10. I would give this little summer blockbuster a very solid B+.
The only way to watch movies - Original Aspect Ratio!!!!
I LOVE my Blu-Ray Disc Player!
Well, he did won People's Choice Award, which is what he was aiming for, which is actually better, I guess.
