DVDizzy Forum

Another successfully complete year for my screening log. The first posts in this thread are for feedback. Is this ongoing project useful to anyone? Insightful? Do you guys want me to continue? Is this a mere exercise in futility. Will everyone participate? What would you like to make it more enjoyable to read? Are the mini-reviews succinct enough (outside of the rushed grammatical/spelling errors )?

I say, keep up the great reviews! While I don't expose myself to many films of the type you enjoy, I love reading your reviews and they even make me want to see movies that otherwise I would just pass on because of some blockbuster movie ( yeah, I need to broaden my horizons a bit). The reviews are more than helpful, and they're quite interesting usually! Great job Prince Eric...

Keep em' coming Er! If I may start off...

Memoirs of a Geisha



Ziyi transfixes the audience as our heroine, the determined Sayuri, using a subtle ferocity to display each of her emotions on the sleeves of her silken kimono. Yeoh, as wise as ever, makes Mameha a wonderfully maternal character guiding Sayuri through her troubles and tribulations, while still containing a whip of sass and class. While the film's first half is beautiful, the second is flaccid. The action leaves, as well as most of the audience's interest. Until the ending does the audience receive that substance that we so adored at the start of Geisha.

*tlm

**By the way, Eric, my friend and I recently found a great little theatre around and it has all these "Academy" (if you will) films, and we're seeing Brokeback Mountain tomorrow (we have the day off) Wee!

TheLittleMerman wrote:
**By the way, Eric, my friend and I recently found a great little theatre around and it has all these "Academy" (if you will) films, and we're seeing Brokeback Mountain tomorrow (we have the day off) Wee!

I'm happy for you TheLittleMerman! It's such a treasure when a film lover finds their first arthouse! I wish you many happy movie viewings and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Brokeback Mountain!

January 2, 2006

A History of Violence
Violence and lots of it, but the marvel of David Cronenberg is that he doesn't let the excess blood seem messy, which is a very good thing, since more light-hearted viewers (including me) may be put off by the gore. No, A History of Violence is more than just bloodlust, it's an allegory for the American facade of quaint pastorals and homegrown, good ol' boy morals. Beneath the everyday man, there's a bit of violence lurking. If not literally, then psychologically. If not psychologically, then emotionally. Nothing is what it seems in the critically-lauded film. (OK, the critical kudos allude me. It's a good movie, in fact, very good, but calling a movie where a guy pumps bullets into people left and right the absolute best picture of the year? I'm not convinced.) Subversive messages abound: It's up to you, the individual viewer to draw conclusions. If for nothing else, see the movie for the quiet, revelatory nature of Viggo Mortenson's layered performance and his electrifying compliment in the form of the always reliable Maria Bello. Oh, and William Hurt gives the best supporting performance of the year, in no more than ten minutes screentime either! Grade: B+

January 4, 2006

Yesterday
South Africa's first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film came in the form of this wonderfully quiet and undersated drama about a woman dealing with the AIDS virus. Infected by her husband, the woman, symbolically named Yesterday (because yesterday is always better than today), makes a last mission in life: to live for one year until her daughter goes to school. Filled with emotional intensity in every frame, the director builds suspense through a clear-eyed and focused narrative. The audience is never lost and though painfully slow, never bored. It's a shame this didn't get the theatrical release it deserved. Relegated to PBS programming is not the treatment Academy Award nominated films recieve. Oh, yeah, this isn't a European one. Forgot. Grade: B+

Prince Eric wrote:January 2, 2005

Prince Eric wrote:December 4, 2005

You really are having a hard time progressing forward. This is January, 2006.

Well, I didn't get to see Brokeback last week , but we are trying to make an effort to see it this weekend.

On a better note, my friend and I are going to the 6:35 showing of Match Point tonight. Can't wait..

*tlm

TheLittleMerman wrote:Well, I didn't get to see Brokeback last week , but we are trying to make an effort to see it this weekend.

On a better note, my friend and I are going to the 6:35 showing of Match Point tonight. Can't wait..

*tlm

Even better! Tell us what you think of Woody Allen's return!

January 5, 2005

Princess Mononoke
Turner Classic Films is my savior! What they're doing with Miyazaki's film collection is a great contribution to film lovers who don't have the funds to buy all of his DVDs. I was immediately put under the spell of this epic adventure. It's really a BIG movie. There's lots of important messages, which is kind of hindrance in animated films, but they seem right at home in the world of Studio Ghibli anime. The nature vs. man conflict is one that hits close to home, because it's a topic of interest of me. The animation was gorgeous, of course, and I was amazed to see how deft the animators were at using CGI for the first time. There's lots to recommend here, but I like Hayao Miyazaki's recent character studies better than his epics. Princess Mononoke, like Castle in the Sky, left me feeling cold, though much enlightened. They are movies with lovely characters, but you don't feel for them the way you do for Chihiro/Sen or Sophie. Epics rely on strong narrative, which is definately here, but that means development of the central characters gets the shaft. That's perfectly acceptable in an epic, but epics have never been my cup of tea. With that said, yes, I LOVED Princess Mononoke, and can't wait for Whisper of the Heart and My Neighbor Totoro.

Prince Eric wrote:Even better! Tell us what you think of Woody Allen's return!

Well, Eric, of course, my plan (once again) did not work out. We get to the theatre. Wait it line. Of course, being 14 but, looking 17 I go to get tickets for my two smaller friends. "3 tickets?" "Yep, thanks." "Oh..do you have an I.D." "...not with me" "Sorry, you must have I.D., the film is rated R"



Anywhoo, my friend really wanted to see Fun with Dick and Jane but I protested, thinking the movie was junk, and the next show time was in 2 hours. So, they got their tickets and we went to Borders. Went back and the line was out the door, so I purchased my ticket at the "Credit Card Booth" (where, luckily, you can also use Debit Gift Cards) and got one.

I was pleasantly surprised with the flick (**1/2; review now up), but I had a thought in my head - "Could you get tickets to an R-rated film at the booth?" So, out of curiosity, I went over and "ordered" tickets for Match Point and, to my luck, you indeed can, so I easily could have just purchased tickets there, and seen it..



Well, tomorrow we have actual plans to see Brokeback Mountain at the "art-house" theatre, and my friends Mom, who is seeing Capote at the same time, will get us the tickets, so we have no problems.

*tlm

January 6, 2005

Walk the Line
In the vain of Ray, this is a highly entertaing musical biopic about a 60's icon - the man in black himself, Johnny Cash. Going into the screening, I didn't know much about the man or his music. The same situation revolved around my Ray viewing last year, but that didn't stop me from becoming addicted to the soundtrack and the same thing goes here. However, biopics have always been relegated to "conventional" filmmaking. You can almost see the similar blueprint of the aformentioned films, including the same story arch. That's not much of a problem here, since I'm an avid music fan. The type of biopics I like have to have some type of buffer to draw my attention from the typical plot and archetype characters, and here it was the music. I also acknowledge the fact that with biopics, you virtually have to stick with the plan, otherwise it wouldn't be a film biography. Joaquin Pheonix was splendid as Johnny Cash, but what really elevated the film was the sweet perforance by Reese Witherspoon as June Carter. I'd say it's the best female leading performance of the year. She was really phenomenal, and this is coming from someone who has remained immune to her silly charms for quite some time now. I actually believed that she was an old-school country singer. Her mixture of Southern Belle and femme fatale was very memorable, and I hope this parlays her career into better roles with more sophisticated directors. Grade: B+

January 6th, 2006:

Fun with Dick and Jane



Simply put, the film should be taken with a grain of salt. It is no-where near Oscar caliber, but, who expects that? Fun with Dick and Jane is 90-minutes of breezy fun and comedy with Jim and Teá.

January 7th, 2006:

Brokeback Mountain



Ang Lee has successfully made equally the best film of 2005, and the most sweepingly heartbreaking I have yet seen. I will admit, I have never cried so much in a film. Brokeback Mountain demands to be seen, a universal love story complete with a topnotch script, thouroghly moving acting, and superb direction. "Hey, Oscar, you got your winner right over here.

-----------------------------------------


Anyways, Eric, I indeed, as you see, have finally, after all the breathless anticipation, have seen Brokeback Mountain. This is the first time I have ever wept during a film. Not cried, wept. It was wonderful, beyond words. 2006 is going to be the best DVD year ever - this is being released...

*tlm

January 7, 2005

Grizzly Man
Werner Herzog's masterpiece of a documentary chronicles the work of ecologist Timothy Treadwall, who lived unarmed with grizzly bears for 13 years before he was slain by the animals he loved. The film does not sanctify the man or overly praise his efforts. Like any good documentary, the whole picture is shown in clear view - his troubled youth, his failed relationships with women, his drug reformation and subsequent desire to education school children about the importance of nature, even a touching dialogue with his parents. For every person onscreen who praised Mr. Treadwall for his groundbreaking work, there was a dissenter who merely wrote him off as a fanatical liberal who met the death he deserved. That, in my opinion, is the tragedy of the piece. Yet again, people want to sum up the whole world in two words: conservative and liberal. It's obvious from Treadwall's videos that he was a kooky person, as well as his friends, which were few and far between. His girlfriend, who died by his side, adds mystery to the myths and legends surrounding his life. Who was she? And what type of love could stand the test of his many eccentricities. We don't know, and in a poigniant way, it really does't matter. Treadwall, like his beloved grizzlies needed help, but ultimately, when the aid proved deadly. Grade: B+

January 9, 2005

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
Raunchiness and profanity galore, typically not my type of stuff, but I'm all for the off-color if it serves a purpose. This wonderfully subversive movie, commenting on topics ranging from society's problems, crazy politics, and the even crazier MPAA board, is thoughtful and provactive and unbelivably funny. One of the only non-Disney musicals released in the 90's (and of this decade as well), it was refreshing to see more of a personally beloved genre, even if it's main theme was the coolness of being irreverant. I can't believe it took me so long to finally see this, but I'm glad. Beautiful animation + music = makes me a fan.

Munich
Much to the disbelief of mainstream American audiences, Steven Speilberg is NOT the greatest living American director. Never has and never will be. He IS however, a very talented visual storyteller. I'm in the minority of movie fans who prefer his dramas over his sci-fi/adventure flicks, Schindler's List and The Color Purple being high on my list. So despite myself, I was really excited about this picture and I came away impressed. Certainly long, but full of meditation, I didn't come away with an answer concerning the Israeli-Arab conflict, but I didn't want to. Good art never provides answers (also to the disbelief of middle America). Instead, I absorbed a perfectly human character study about a group of assassins struggling with maintaining their faith while carrying out orders in the name of a contradictory righteousness. Once again, I didn't buy Eric Bana's one-note acting, but Tony Kushner's theatrical screenplay provided many mental distractions, and for that, I'm thankful. Grade: B+

Munich
This movie would be one of my top 5 of 2005. The plot was intricate, and well developed. The character development, especially in Eric Bana's character, was complex. The movie also was very emotional. Parts of the movie made me cringe. The acting, especially by Bana and Craig were great performances. A

Cinderella Man
The movie was considered a front runner for best picture in early 2005, however things changed once the movie came out. Renee Zelwegger and Russel Crowe give us weak performances, compared to what we are used to (ala Chicago, Gladiator, Beautiful Mind, etc.). Giamatti's acting was good, but nothing shattering. The stages of the movie are also somewhat limited. It seems like the characters are either always outside the house, in the house, at the docks, or at the gym. There might be one or two other stages. Third, the plot was lacking. However, there is a good part to the movie. I could pull for Crowe's character. I liked the character in the movie. B-

Upside of Anger
Talk about an underrated movie. The Upside of Anger is a great movie. Joan Allen easily does one of the best female performances of the year. Kevin Costner gives a worthwile performance, but not his best. The plot is alos very weaved, especially with the twist at the end, which shows us the theme of the story. Most of all, this is the funniest movie I have seen in some time. A

January 13, 2006

Hoodwinked

With it being the first Friday the 13th of 2006, I thought it appropriate to see this much-maligned (before national release) film from the Weinstein Company today.

Though the animation is a crude version of CG it is far from being an cheezy film. The characters save this movie from being anything but another telling of the story of Red Riding Hood. It is an anarchic computer animated tribute to the classic Warner Brother 'toons of the '40s. Come to think of it, Warner spoofed the heck out of Red in "Little Red Riding Rabbit" in 1944.

Because you really know the story is all about the goodies. You know, the stuff the muffin man whips up, the sweets Red has in her basket to take to Granny, the schnitzel on a stick that the beefy Bunyon-esque woodsman is peddling, when he isn't auditioning for a better acting job.

With characters voiced by Anne Hathaway, Andy Dick, Anthony Anderson, David Ogden Stiers, James Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Xzibit, and a host of others, this movie rolls along like a roller coaster without brakes. Written and directed by Cory and Todd Edwards, this movie has something for everybody. My Grade - B.

January 13, 2006

Tristan & Isolde

This evening my wife and I decided to take in this movie based solely on the trailers that have been showing over and over on the tube. After the viewing I thought I would share what I thought of this film.

Before Romeo climbed the rosebush for Juliet - before Guinevere cheated on Arthur, before Fox had a 20th Century - Tristan loved Isolde. Literature's original doomed romance earns a rigorous and period detail--obsessed retelling from the director of "Waterworld", Kevin Reynolds. Starring James Franco and Sophia Myles in the lead roles, this beautifully photographed movie tells the story of a love gone wrong, then gone right, and then gone wrong again. "Tristan and Isolde" has passion and pathos and some pretty serious sword-on-sword combat. And despite all the liberties taken with the story, its themes of love, honor, betrayal and redemptive death remain.

The story is about a boy raised in the Dark Ages Britain who loses his parents and is raised by relatives. He grows up to be a great warrior, is poisoned in a fight, tossed on a funeral boat and drifts over to Ireland, where Isolde, the daughter of the king who killed his family, is the only one who can cure him. The two fall in love, but she keeps her real name from him and as Tristan recovers he goes home. Isolde is later offered as the prize in a tourney held for her father. Tristan wins her for his beloved uncle, not realizing who she is and what he has just done. Lust replaces love, and there is plenty of infidelity and struggle to right the wrong that has been done. Isolde's nurse see trouble and before you know it, Isolde's evil, scheming Dad has cooked up a way to keep those troublesome English tribes stirred up. He'll offer Isolde to the English king whose champion wins her in an Extreme Swordfighting competition. That way he'll have a hand in the English throne.

This will all come to tears, you know and expect it. But it doesn't. Director Kevin Reynolds' pair of lovers just don't give us that "Romeo and Juliet" hearbreak it so desperately needs. They have chemistry, but don't convey the yearning and sense of doom that should drive this tragedy. The beautiful Irish scenery and wonderfully choreographed sword battles make for a wonderful film on most levels. The love story fails in most. If you like movies about the Dark Ages and a beautiful time and place, this is the film for you. If you want to be brought to tears because of the story of unrequited love, then this movie is not your cup of tea. My score - C.

Valiant
The animation was refreshing in this movie, however not anything out of the ordinary. However, the plot lacked, very bad, making the film an unmemorable film. This movie, however, is better than Chicken Little however. Grade D

Sin City
Talk about an unordinary film. This movie is like few others that I have seen. The noir style is very intruiging, especially in this movie. The ensemble was put together very well, much better than I thought it would be. The acting had flaws, but not anything that is enough to bother me. The plot was also very well put togther. All in all this movie was good, but not a spectacular fare. Grade B

Next up: The Constant Gardner and The New World.

January 28, 2005

Junebug
History books would tell you that America is over the Civil War, but any sociologist would tell you we are still dealing with North versus South issues. Junebug manages to give an entire discourse on the subject through the microcosm of a North Carolinian family as they welcome a "stranger": an educated, cultured, and accented art dealer who has married the older son, the pride and joy of the small clan. The likes of Woody Allen would tell you that nuerotic and dysfunctional families are relegated to the white upper levels of society, but the debut director and his talented screenwriter debunk this myth through their careful eye of observation: the Southerners here don't talk, and when they do, there's not a lot of words to say, but beneath their cornbread exteriors are worlds of untold pain and want. The acting ensemble is really quite marvelous. Amy Adams is currently getting the bulk of awards attention, which she deserves, but her fellow supporting actress, Cecilia Watson is equally charming in her role as the stubborn, chain-smoking matriarch Peg. Embeth Davidz is the wonderful lead, while Benjamin McKenzie gives a surprisingly well-delivered performance as the distraught, younger brother. Allesandro Nivola and Scott Wilson are relegated to the background, but even there soft presence is deeply felt. I can't whole-heartedly love the movie because the actual direction of the film is problematic and can easily jar one out of the mood. Shots that fade into one another, five-second long blanks between scenes, and the use of long exterior/interior portraits slow the pace down quite a bit, and one has to ask if they were really needed. The filmmaking is quite conventional, which is not a good thing when you're dealing with unconventional topics. Movies of this sort - original screenplays with a focus on dialogue and character that are unequivocably labeled comedies - should be fast-paced and be brief. Junebug is really long, but it's a satisfying and beautiful movie nonetheless. Grade: B+

January 26, 2005

Pom Poko
The thing that is frustrating with Studio Ghibli movies is that they're hit or miss. When I love them, I REALLY love them. When I don't, I simply don't. Another problem: Even the ones I don't particularly like, are very good in terms of quality animated films. The problem with this movie is that it's two-hours. It also happens to be a very funny comedy. Long running times and comedy do not mix well. The humor begins to wear out soon after the second act and I began looking for a resolution to the problem. This is especially bad when it turns out that the solution was quite obvious from the start. However, I was completely in awe with director Isao Takahata's amazing autuerial vision. The stylized character, the blending of genres, the intimate, yet, epic feel of the whole thing is quite remarkable, but what it lacks is resonance. This is invariably a Japanese movie and should be viewed by only Japanese audiences or those well acquainted with the culture. Otherwise, some people may walk away scratching their heads.

Only Yesterday
This one, I loved. Isao Takahata has produced something that is definately unique among animated films. This movie is a drama, one that could be transfered to live-action with no problem. In fact, if the script were to be read, one could mistake it for a live-action, because it defies many of the traditional conventions of animation. For one, there's little comedy. There's no stock characters, either. The situations are without a doubt meant for an adult audience. The lead character is extremely memorable and is one of the juiciest and complex I've seeen in a drawn character. As Takahata demonstrated in Grave of the Fireflies, animation should not necessarily be regulated to a children's genre with children's issues/themes/motifs.

January 20, 2005

Match Point
Woody Allen once more takes a look at the decadent lives of the society's elite. This time he's transfered his setting from Manhatten to London where his extremely opulent character enjoy opera and frequent art galleries. The main character is an amiable and charming tennis coach who "wants to contribute" to society. He rubs shoulders with a rich client, and finds himself married to his sister. There's no passion in the relationship, only a deep communal love for the arts. That doesn't satisfy him for long. He is seduced by an American actress (played by the overly praised and stuffy Scarlet Johanson whose performance here is deadweight), and trouble starts to happen, threatening his way-of-life. Greed kills the good character that we know him as, meaning what exactly? That's up to the audience, but all I care to know is that this was one of the most exciting and suspenseful movies I've seen in recent years. Plus it actually has a brain! Grade: B+

January 19, 2005

My Neighbor Totoro

January 15, 2005

The Nightmare Before Christmas
I never thought a first-time viewing of a supposed animated classic could induce so many yawns.

P.S. I'll get my year-end review soon before it gets too late in the year. There are still two more titles that I MUST see!

Now that I've seen a few this year, I may as well start posting. I'll confine this largely to cinema releases, as many of the DVDs I watch I review on DVDBits. This first crop is partly cut and paste from the Producers thread (at least it is in the case of two reviews).

Chicken Little (Viewed January 1): It seems fitting that the first film I saw in the New Year was a Disney film, especially given my current Disney mania. Much has been said about the relative worth of this film, but I found it hard to believe that naysayers didn't enjoy it on some levels. It may not have the 'classic' feel of some Disney films - and definitely fall into the trap of using modern humour and references once too often - but it is still one of the better animated films of recent years. The animation is beautiful, with a full-bodied texture (sounds like a shampoo, doesn't it?) The voice cast is perfect, despite the Australian recasting of Mark Mitchell in the role of CL's dad. Rating B-

The Producers (Viewed January 14): As a fan of the original version of The Producers, it was always going to be challenging to measure up against Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder's terrific performances. Now, I can't fault Broderick and Lane too much, but I didn't think the material was all that hot. The very 'over the top approach' - something that is necessary for a format that breaks into song every few minutes - was hammy on screen. However, my main criticism is that the songs - with the exception of the original 'Springtime for Hitler' and 'Prisoners of Love' - were fairly uninteresting. There was not much humour in the songs, and they were simply descriptive ("We're going here now; "now this is going to happen" etc). The Brooks' wit that is evident in the original songs is absent from the rest of the music, which is a real shame. However, it is still enjoyable in bits. Rating: C

Underworld: Evolution (Viewed January 21): I really enjoyed the first film, and was definitely looking forward to another round. After all, Kate Beckinsale in tight vinyl + Bill Nighy + Derek Jacobi - how could you go wrong? The answer is very, very wrong in this absolutely uninspired and convoluted mess. Not a lot makes sense in this film, and I suspect we are just meant to go with the (blood?) flow. The first truly terrible film I've seen this year Rating: D

The 40 Year Old Virgin (DVD which I reviewed herein full): A fairly predicatable sex comedy. With the exception of a few scenes - especially the one where Carell's character reveals he is a virgin at the poker table, and clearly can't keep up with the conversation - the film is fairly dull. Perhaps it is because the 'XXL Version' is the only one available here, but the film just dragged for me. The first half is a predictable 'sex comedy' - Guy Wants Sex; Guy Goes Through Series of Misadventures to Get Sex; Love of His Life Was Under His Nose the Whole Time. I didn't think there was any 'spark'. The film does have some nice comments about who is 'more mature' in the little group, but to quote my own review: "Once you've accepted the basic premise, the film simply goes through the motions of mismatching Steve with a series of women, before we get to see him together with the one person we always knew he should be with." Not very subtle - but perhaps it is when compared with your average American sitcom. Rating: C

Walk the Line (Viewed January 28 ): As a big Johnny Cash fan, I have been looking forward to this for a long time, and it doesn't disappoint. The music comes first in this biopic, which is something that the film should definitely be commended for. Phoenix completely disappears into the role of Cash within minutes of appearing onscreen, and Witherspoon's performance is so good that I almost forgot how much I dislike looking at her. As a fans, there are naturally a few disappointments over areas that were glossed over, but this would just be a minor quibble. The only larger quibble I might make is the characterisation of Cash's first wife, which paints here in a very negative light to the point that he had to leave her for June Carter. Comparisons with Ray are inevitable - the death of a brother; the drug addiction and the close proximity of the two films - but I think Walk the Line does it much better. Already a highlight of my movie watching year. Rating: A-

Brokeback Mountain (Viewed January 29):I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to see this at the moment. With so much hype flying around, I felt convinced that I would find myself disappointed at the end. Nothing could be further from the truth. The landscapes alone would make this worth viewing, but the amazing performances from the male leads really sell this. Never has the bond between 'cowfolk', or men for that matter, been so clearly articulated as it has in this film. I loved the way Lee restrained the story to such a gentle pace, so that you never felt that it was an "issue based" film, but rather a story about a powerful emotion between two people that couldn't reveal that to the world. Kudos must also go to Michelle Williams, who keeps it all bottled up until the appropriate moments. I ain't ashamed to say that it took me a few moments to speak at the end of this one for fear of choking up. It has been a while since I have found a film quite as visually and emotionally beautiful as this one. So richly layered that I might have to go and see it again. Rating: A