Being in college right now is making this project just as difficult as I imagined. I have been able to keep up with the schedule, doubling up a couple of times due to nights I don't have the time to watch, but finding time to write out my thoughts is incredibly difficult. So, here I am trying to catch up again.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
This is such a wonderful story of a boy, Bastion, who is trying to cope with losing his mother by burying himself in books. One day, he happens upon a book that is a bit different, and the rest of the movie is the book told through his eyes.
This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, and really holds a special place in my heart. Being a girl who read a lot, I could definitely relate with the main character.
I had no idea that Wolfgang Petersen directed this. He made this only a few years after Das Boot. He would not have been my first choice for a director of a kids' movie.
OMG I forgot that that's the kid from D.A.R.Y.L.! I can't believe I haven't bought that movie yet.
Holy cow! Major Dad plays the kid's dad!
This is one of the only 80s movies I can think of that doesn't annoy me with its synthesizer music. For some reason, it fits perfectly. Or maybe it's because this is a German movie, so it's just not as bad.
The first scene in Fantasia still blows me away. The set design and characters are so unique and fascinating that even as an adult I was intrigued. The Rock Eater still looks cool after all these years.
If this movie has any real weakness, it's the kid who played Atreyu, the young hero in the book. Dude can't act at all. Luckily, he isn't really asked to have that great of a range, but the scene near the beginning where his horse sinks and dies was excruciating to watch. On the other hand, the kid who played Bastion was great, which is no surprise because he did a few movies I really liked (D.A.R.Y.L.!).
After 25 years, I finally know the name the kid screams out at the end, "Moon Child". Thanks to Wikipedia. No one in my family could ever figure it out. If I hadn't looked it up, I still wouldn't know. It's a bloody crime that the DVD isn't in 5.1 sound.
Silverado (1985)
Kevin Kline: the dude who doesn't like his stuff messed with
Scott Glenn: the dude who teams up with Kevin Kline
Danny Glover: the black dude who teams up with Kevin Kline
Kevin Costner: Scott Glenn's wild young brother who teams up with Kevin Kline
Brian Dennehy: Kevin Kline's former partner who is now a corrupt sheriff
John Cleese: an English sheriff
Jeff Goldblum: creepy gambler dude
This is such a wonderful 80s western which introduced me to Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner back when it first came out. It is also one of the few movies written by the dude that wrote The Empire Strikes Back. So it comes as no surprise that there is such a funny and charming interaction between all the characters.
I love westerns, but by the time this film came out, westerns were no longer popular. I think this one did well because the writing and acting are outstanding.
All of the actors are great in this movie, but I really must single out John Cleese. I had forgotten he was in this movie, and I think it was because he gives such a different performance than his normal roles. He has quite a sharp edge in this one. He also has, in my mind, the best lines in the movie.
To my surprise, my husband had never seen this movie before. It was great fun watching the film through his eyes.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Bill Murray: a scientist, so back off
Dan Akroyd: a man with an unusual affection for the Stay Puft Marshmallow man
Harold Ramis: the dude that is always serious
Sigourney Weaver: a woman with an unusual talent for levitating off beds
Rick Moranis: the typical 80s nerd
This movie never, ever gets old. I've seen it so many times that there were several moments where I started laughing before the funny part even happened. Even after all this time, it holds up very well. My husband and I got into a discussion afterwards over whether or not a film like this could even be made today. We came to the conclusion that a filmmaker today would either want to make it more serious or more silly, which is too bad. The movie is perfect as is.
It was very strange to see how young Murray, Akroyd and Ramis look in this movie; and how very thin Akroyd and Ramis are. I can't believe the film is 25 years old. Time does fly. And I can't wait to watch the second one.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Topol: Tevye, the papa
Norma Crane: Golda, the mama
I was forced to watch this movie several times growing up. I was usually a bit bored with it, but loved most of the music. Last week was the first time I watched the movie in more than 15 years. What a difference that time made. I actually enjoyed the story just as much as the music this time around. There were clearly a lot of things I did not understand when I was a kid, especially when it came to how Tevye kept trying to manipulate his wife. I had no idea how funny the movie is. I also knew quite a bit more this time around about the oppression of the Jews, the pogroms, in Russia during the late 19th century. This definitely helped me to understand all the dynamics.
I think it also helped to be as old as I am now to appreciate it. I don't think I truly understood the issues over how difficult it is to accept changes in custom and behavior when one reaches a certain age, and how hard one is willing to hold on to the status quo.
Clerks II (2006)
Director: Kevin Smith
Crew of slackers and misfits:
Dante
Randall
Jay
Silent Bob
Clerks was, in my mind, the movie that best explained the slacker phenomenon of the early to mid-90s. In that same vein, the sequel does a great job of illustrating what those same men and women are doing a decade later. I personally know every type of character in the film, from the dude that refuses to grow up, to the guy who is struggling with the idea that he has nothing to show for his life. Just like the first movie, this is one of those movies you either get or don't; not that this is any different from Smith's other films.
This movie shows a new side to Kevin Smith: the willingness to be sappy. It's clear fatherhood has had an effect on him. Luckily, he manages to keep the movie from going overboard. Instead, the movie is sweet and charming. Of course, as with all Kevin Smith movies, there is a ton of immature, raunchy humor and a serious display of fanboyishness. There is a hilarious argument over which is better, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Overall, this movie is not for everyone, but I am happy to say it is for me.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Rollin' right along
Joyride (1996)
Tobey Maguire as the bored and disillusioned teenager
Wilson Cruz as the slightly less disillusioned teenager
Adam West as the dude that pimps out his daughter
Anne Hathaway as the pimped out daughter
Benecio Del Toro - smart, quirky detective or stoner detective?
Here's a tip: if you are going to go to the trouble of casting some fairly good actors in your movie, make sure the actress that plays your hit woman has better acting skills than a porn star. Dear God, she has got to be one of the worst actresses of all time. She completely ruined what could have been an interesting movie about bored teenagers who, fed up with being made to feel powerless, get in way over their heads when they steal a hit woman's car; with a dead man in the trunk. I literally spent the last half of the movie ticked off at the actress' terrible, terrible acting.
A side note: I had no idea how small Tobey Maguire is. Apparently once he became a fairly big star, directors did him a favor by using favorable angels. I checked imdb, and he's only 2 and a half inches taller than Elijah Wood. He even looked like Wood in this movie.
And I have nothing more to say about such a disappointing movie.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce asWatson
This movie is an absolute classic. I've seen a lot of Sherlock Holmes movies and television series, but in my mind, while I do not think this is the best Holmes movie, Basil Rathbone played the best Sherlock Holmes. His intensity, aloofness, and apathy to anyone but the mystery is fascinating to watch. In fact, I am surprised at how well the acting is in a movie that is seventy years old. While I do not care for Bruce's Watson, I do have to admit that he held his own with Rathbone. Overall, though, even despite the acting, I thought the story was a bit uneven. Rathbone is the only reason to watch it.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine as Scrooge
This movie surprised me. First, for some reason I had thought I'd seen it before; turns out I hadn't. Second, it is much better than I thought it would be. I had a wonderful time watching this movie. None of the songs are that good, and I found it disturbing watching Michael Caine performing sappy kids' songs with muppets, but overall, this movie is incredibly charming. Even on an adult level this movie was a pleasure to watch, not to mention very funny. Definitely better than Muppet Treasure Island.
Phenomenon (1996)
John Travolta
Robert Duvall
Kyra Sedgwick
Forest Whitaker
This movie was much better the first time I saw it in the theater more than a decade ago than it was last week. John Travolta plays a man of below-average intelligence who experiences some type of strange phenomenon that causes more parts of his brain to activate than the average human. The only part I found interesting is the way certain people start treating him because he becomes more intelligent than them. In the beginning of the movie he plays chess with the doctor, played by Robert Duvall, and he is no match for the doctor. The night the phenomenon occurs, he easily beats him. It was interesting to see that, for a moment, the doctor was upset. It wasn't due to the usual annoyance a sore loser displays; he was upset to have been beaten by someone he considered of inferior intelligence.
There was the usual story of people becoming scared of him, blah blah, etc. It annoyed me that for someone so intelligent and more understanding of human behavior, Travolta's character didn't understand why. The acting was actually pretty good; it was the script I found lacking. The writer clearly had no concept of how someone so highly intelligent would behave, act or understand people. The movie tried to show that raising the man's intelligence did little more than raise his confidence, yet it didn't ring true. Overall, this feel good movie felt pretty shallow.
Tobey Maguire as the bored and disillusioned teenager
Wilson Cruz as the slightly less disillusioned teenager
Adam West as the dude that pimps out his daughter
Anne Hathaway as the pimped out daughter
Benecio Del Toro - smart, quirky detective or stoner detective?
Here's a tip: if you are going to go to the trouble of casting some fairly good actors in your movie, make sure the actress that plays your hit woman has better acting skills than a porn star. Dear God, she has got to be one of the worst actresses of all time. She completely ruined what could have been an interesting movie about bored teenagers who, fed up with being made to feel powerless, get in way over their heads when they steal a hit woman's car; with a dead man in the trunk. I literally spent the last half of the movie ticked off at the actress' terrible, terrible acting.
A side note: I had no idea how small Tobey Maguire is. Apparently once he became a fairly big star, directors did him a favor by using favorable angels. I checked imdb, and he's only 2 and a half inches taller than Elijah Wood. He even looked like Wood in this movie.
And I have nothing more to say about such a disappointing movie.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce asWatson
This movie is an absolute classic. I've seen a lot of Sherlock Holmes movies and television series, but in my mind, while I do not think this is the best Holmes movie, Basil Rathbone played the best Sherlock Holmes. His intensity, aloofness, and apathy to anyone but the mystery is fascinating to watch. In fact, I am surprised at how well the acting is in a movie that is seventy years old. While I do not care for Bruce's Watson, I do have to admit that he held his own with Rathbone. Overall, though, even despite the acting, I thought the story was a bit uneven. Rathbone is the only reason to watch it.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine as Scrooge
This movie surprised me. First, for some reason I had thought I'd seen it before; turns out I hadn't. Second, it is much better than I thought it would be. I had a wonderful time watching this movie. None of the songs are that good, and I found it disturbing watching Michael Caine performing sappy kids' songs with muppets, but overall, this movie is incredibly charming. Even on an adult level this movie was a pleasure to watch, not to mention very funny. Definitely better than Muppet Treasure Island.
Phenomenon (1996)
John Travolta
Robert Duvall
Kyra Sedgwick
Forest Whitaker
This movie was much better the first time I saw it in the theater more than a decade ago than it was last week. John Travolta plays a man of below-average intelligence who experiences some type of strange phenomenon that causes more parts of his brain to activate than the average human. The only part I found interesting is the way certain people start treating him because he becomes more intelligent than them. In the beginning of the movie he plays chess with the doctor, played by Robert Duvall, and he is no match for the doctor. The night the phenomenon occurs, he easily beats him. It was interesting to see that, for a moment, the doctor was upset. It wasn't due to the usual annoyance a sore loser displays; he was upset to have been beaten by someone he considered of inferior intelligence.
There was the usual story of people becoming scared of him, blah blah, etc. It annoyed me that for someone so intelligent and more understanding of human behavior, Travolta's character didn't understand why. The acting was actually pretty good; it was the script I found lacking. The writer clearly had no concept of how someone so highly intelligent would behave, act or understand people. The movie tried to show that raising the man's intelligence did little more than raise his confidence, yet it didn't ring true. Overall, this feel good movie felt pretty shallow.
Are you a Mexican or Mexican't?
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Shot, chopped, scored, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez
Antonio Bandera as El Mariachi
Johnny Depp as the crazy CIA dude
Salma Hayek as Mariachi's love interest and all-round kickass chick who's regrettably dead and only seen in flashbacks
Interesting bit characters actors:
Mickey Rourke and chihuahua
Willem Dafoe
Cheech Marin
Danny Trejo as the crazy Mexican dude that is in all Robert Rodriguez movies
Right off the bat, this movie gets total geek honors for actually including a Clash of the Titans lunchbox. That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a movie.
This movie is the third of a trilogy, following El Mariachi and Desperado, about a hitman, El Mariachi, who is famous for killing people while playing guitar. This plays out on the biggest canvas. Crazy CIA dude, Johnny Depp, wants to hire the best hitman in Mexico to assassinate a Mexican general. He is led to the mariachi, who is already pissed off at the general for killing his love interest. Let the games begin.
I love Robert Rodriguez' movies. The Spy Kids movies, From Dusk Till Dawn, the mariachi movies, and Planet Terror are all great fun. All of his movies are imbued with a sense of humor that appeals to me, especially the corniness. He's also interested in style more than reality, and physics. Thus, all of his movies feature characters that are capable of doing super human acts. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the same. There is nothing on the level of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreography, but there are a few wire stunts that are tons of fun.
Johnny Depp is the highlight of this film. He goes through a ton of identities and costumes, often complete with different accents. The Marlon Brando voice he uses while pretending to be a padre is hilarious. He and Robert Rodriguez are perfect for each other. Depp is very good at making the crazy stuff he does very funny. Much of the humor comes just from the various t-shirts Depp wears through the film. At one point he shows up wearing a CIA t-shirt. After a few minutes the camera dips low enough that you can see the letters actually stand for Culinary Institute of Art. It's stuff like that that makes me love this movie.
I originally saw this in the theater when this movie came, and I was curious to see if I would enjoy it just as much this time, mainly because I remembered much of the entertainment coming from the surprises. I am happy to say that the movie was just as enjoyable this time around. Definitely a keeper.
Shot, chopped, scored, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez
Antonio Bandera as El Mariachi
Johnny Depp as the crazy CIA dude
Salma Hayek as Mariachi's love interest and all-round kickass chick who's regrettably dead and only seen in flashbacks
Interesting bit characters actors:
Mickey Rourke and chihuahua
Willem Dafoe
Cheech Marin
Danny Trejo as the crazy Mexican dude that is in all Robert Rodriguez movies
Right off the bat, this movie gets total geek honors for actually including a Clash of the Titans lunchbox. That is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a movie.
This movie is the third of a trilogy, following El Mariachi and Desperado, about a hitman, El Mariachi, who is famous for killing people while playing guitar. This plays out on the biggest canvas. Crazy CIA dude, Johnny Depp, wants to hire the best hitman in Mexico to assassinate a Mexican general. He is led to the mariachi, who is already pissed off at the general for killing his love interest. Let the games begin.
I love Robert Rodriguez' movies. The Spy Kids movies, From Dusk Till Dawn, the mariachi movies, and Planet Terror are all great fun. All of his movies are imbued with a sense of humor that appeals to me, especially the corniness. He's also interested in style more than reality, and physics. Thus, all of his movies feature characters that are capable of doing super human acts. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is the same. There is nothing on the level of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreography, but there are a few wire stunts that are tons of fun.
Johnny Depp is the highlight of this film. He goes through a ton of identities and costumes, often complete with different accents. The Marlon Brando voice he uses while pretending to be a padre is hilarious. He and Robert Rodriguez are perfect for each other. Depp is very good at making the crazy stuff he does very funny. Much of the humor comes just from the various t-shirts Depp wears through the film. At one point he shows up wearing a CIA t-shirt. After a few minutes the camera dips low enough that you can see the letters actually stand for Culinary Institute of Art. It's stuff like that that makes me love this movie.
I originally saw this in the theater when this movie came, and I was curious to see if I would enjoy it just as much this time, mainly because I remembered much of the entertainment coming from the surprises. I am happy to say that the movie was just as enjoyable this time around. Definitely a keeper.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It's just not his style
McQ (1974)
John Wayne as John Wayne
As I've already posted, I love John Wayne. I really do. A lot. But I really don't like this movie. At all. The first problem is that, as I've also already covered, John Wayne had a short acting range. He was clearly uncomfortable in this movie. There are entire scenes where he keeps fidgeting and shuffling his feet a bit. And worst of all, he's not Dirty Harry. Thankfully, Wayne didn't even try to be like Clint, but the role clearly called for it. In the end, the actor and character didn't really fit that well.
Now, having gotten the acting out of the way, let me get to the main reason I don't like the movie: it's DEPRESSING. Every single person McQ thought may have been a friendly acquaintance in his life turns out to be against him in some way or another. Even his wife leaves him. By the end, I wasn't even that satisfied that he had "gotten the bad guys" because his life ended up becoming so miserable. Unlike Dirty Harry, who really was a lone wolf and never seemed too friendly with anyone, McQ is written as a friendly if abrupt guy. The entire point of the movie is that he is trying to track out down the people responsible for the death of one of his friends; and apparently the only one who was a decent guy. The only good part about how utterly depressing everything was is that John Wayne's best acting came during the scenes in which he felt most betrayed. At this late stage of his life, Wayne was an expert at playing sad men, the most obvious proof being True Grit and especially The Shootist, which was, in my opinion, his greatest performance.
Overall, another movie I'm shipping off to my dad for Christmas.
John Wayne as John Wayne
As I've already posted, I love John Wayne. I really do. A lot. But I really don't like this movie. At all. The first problem is that, as I've also already covered, John Wayne had a short acting range. He was clearly uncomfortable in this movie. There are entire scenes where he keeps fidgeting and shuffling his feet a bit. And worst of all, he's not Dirty Harry. Thankfully, Wayne didn't even try to be like Clint, but the role clearly called for it. In the end, the actor and character didn't really fit that well.
Now, having gotten the acting out of the way, let me get to the main reason I don't like the movie: it's DEPRESSING. Every single person McQ thought may have been a friendly acquaintance in his life turns out to be against him in some way or another. Even his wife leaves him. By the end, I wasn't even that satisfied that he had "gotten the bad guys" because his life ended up becoming so miserable. Unlike Dirty Harry, who really was a lone wolf and never seemed too friendly with anyone, McQ is written as a friendly if abrupt guy. The entire point of the movie is that he is trying to track out down the people responsible for the death of one of his friends; and apparently the only one who was a decent guy. The only good part about how utterly depressing everything was is that John Wayne's best acting came during the scenes in which he felt most betrayed. At this late stage of his life, Wayne was an expert at playing sad men, the most obvious proof being True Grit and especially The Shootist, which was, in my opinion, his greatest performance.
Overall, another movie I'm shipping off to my dad for Christmas.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
If I only had a brain...
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Wow. The restoration Warner Brothers did for the DVD of this movie is just remarkable. This movie looks gorgeous.
I had forgotten how many iconic lines are in this movie. There were also a ton of great lines that aren't famous but should be.
I like the Scarecrow even more today than when I was a kid. The actor who played him was extremely charming, and he had many of the best lines.
While I've been going through these DVDs, I haven't had the time to really take a look at most of the special features. I think I will try and look through the ones for this DVD later, though. Angela Lansbury, who I adore, does the voice-over for a lot of them. That's incentive enough for me.
Judy Garland had one of the best voices I've ever had the pleasure to hear. She was only 17 when this movie came out, but she sang like she was aged beyond her years.
There are a lot more songs in this movie than I remembered, though the ones I had forgotten about are perhaps best forgotten.
Overall, despite its age and inherent corniness, I found The Wizard of Oz to be a wonderful, charming movie; I had a great time watching it.
On an interesting side note, this film was made in 1939. For film buffs, that year holds a vaunted place in film history. Besides Judy Garland's movie, Gone With the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, and Goodbye, Mr. Chips all came out that year. Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Laurence Olivier, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo and Mickey Rooney were just some of the many great actors nominated for Oscars that year. Sadly, The Wizard of Oz was completely shut out of even the Oscar nominations, with the exception of best film and best special effects; it won neither. Ironically, though the guy who directed The Wizard of Oz, Irving Fleming, did not win anything for directing that movie, he did win an Oscar that year for directing another movie: Gone With the Wind.
1939 must have been a great year to go to the movies.
Wow. The restoration Warner Brothers did for the DVD of this movie is just remarkable. This movie looks gorgeous.
I had forgotten how many iconic lines are in this movie. There were also a ton of great lines that aren't famous but should be.
I like the Scarecrow even more today than when I was a kid. The actor who played him was extremely charming, and he had many of the best lines.
While I've been going through these DVDs, I haven't had the time to really take a look at most of the special features. I think I will try and look through the ones for this DVD later, though. Angela Lansbury, who I adore, does the voice-over for a lot of them. That's incentive enough for me.
Judy Garland had one of the best voices I've ever had the pleasure to hear. She was only 17 when this movie came out, but she sang like she was aged beyond her years.
There are a lot more songs in this movie than I remembered, though the ones I had forgotten about are perhaps best forgotten.
Overall, despite its age and inherent corniness, I found The Wizard of Oz to be a wonderful, charming movie; I had a great time watching it.
On an interesting side note, this film was made in 1939. For film buffs, that year holds a vaunted place in film history. Besides Judy Garland's movie, Gone With the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, and Goodbye, Mr. Chips all came out that year. Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Laurence Olivier, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo and Mickey Rooney were just some of the many great actors nominated for Oscars that year. Sadly, The Wizard of Oz was completely shut out of even the Oscar nominations, with the exception of best film and best special effects; it won neither. Ironically, though the guy who directed The Wizard of Oz, Irving Fleming, did not win anything for directing that movie, he did win an Oscar that year for directing another movie: Gone With the Wind.
1939 must have been a great year to go to the movies.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The French Are Taking Over, Part Deux
The Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le pacts des loups - 2001)
When I made my comments about French movies, I completely forgot about this kickass action movie. This is one of the best action movies to come out in the last decade. There is an actor in this movie, Mark Dacascos, who did an America action movie with DMX that I went to see, knowing it would be terrible, just because he was in it and I wanted to see his martial arts scenes. And you know what? It was worth it. He's just that good.
I love good action movies. I am a sucker for ones that feature slow-motion, Matrix-like special effects. The fight scenes in this movie are a blast to watch, especially since it's obvious that Brotherhood of the Wolf's director is well aware how awesome the action scenes are in this movie, both in pure fighting talent, and in cinematography. He clearly enjoyed making these scenes as much as I enjoyed watching them.
Set in France around the time the royalty were being taking to the guillotine, this movie features a mysterious, vicious monster that has been killing people indiscriminately. All who see it describe it as a giant wolf-like creature. A massive hunt is organized to track it and kill it. Hunters come from all around the countryside to join in. Also along for the ride is a naturalist (who shows surprising skill with weapons) who wants to document the forensic evidence. He is accompanied by his Iroquois sidekick, a man you so don't want to mess with; he provides the best fight scenes in the movie.
This movie has a lot more going for it than just the top notch fight scenes, which is why it is so good.For one, it is an absolutely beautiful movie, and not just because it contains some of the most kickass fight scenes ever. The cinematography is gorgeous, the colors are vivid, and the countryside looks breathtaking. It's also a funny movie, full of bawdy humor. The French do not portray whore houses as seedy and icky like Americans do. The plot is more interesting than I expected as well, which is a good thing since there aren't too many fight scenes. The only real problem with this movie is that it has a few slow parts. The first half is much more lighthearted than the second half, and the transition to that is not handled well.
Overall, if you're looking for a cool movie with great fight scenes, you can't go wrong with this.
When I made my comments about French movies, I completely forgot about this kickass action movie. This is one of the best action movies to come out in the last decade. There is an actor in this movie, Mark Dacascos, who did an America action movie with DMX that I went to see, knowing it would be terrible, just because he was in it and I wanted to see his martial arts scenes. And you know what? It was worth it. He's just that good.
I love good action movies. I am a sucker for ones that feature slow-motion, Matrix-like special effects. The fight scenes in this movie are a blast to watch, especially since it's obvious that Brotherhood of the Wolf's director is well aware how awesome the action scenes are in this movie, both in pure fighting talent, and in cinematography. He clearly enjoyed making these scenes as much as I enjoyed watching them.
Set in France around the time the royalty were being taking to the guillotine, this movie features a mysterious, vicious monster that has been killing people indiscriminately. All who see it describe it as a giant wolf-like creature. A massive hunt is organized to track it and kill it. Hunters come from all around the countryside to join in. Also along for the ride is a naturalist (who shows surprising skill with weapons) who wants to document the forensic evidence. He is accompanied by his Iroquois sidekick, a man you so don't want to mess with; he provides the best fight scenes in the movie.
This movie has a lot more going for it than just the top notch fight scenes, which is why it is so good.For one, it is an absolutely beautiful movie, and not just because it contains some of the most kickass fight scenes ever. The cinematography is gorgeous, the colors are vivid, and the countryside looks breathtaking. It's also a funny movie, full of bawdy humor. The French do not portray whore houses as seedy and icky like Americans do. The plot is more interesting than I expected as well, which is a good thing since there aren't too many fight scenes. The only real problem with this movie is that it has a few slow parts. The first half is much more lighthearted than the second half, and the transition to that is not handled well.
Overall, if you're looking for a cool movie with great fight scenes, you can't go wrong with this.
The French movies are taking over the world
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
I don't know what has changed in France, but I do know that for the past decade, they have been making the most interesting movies. I'm not just talking about the artsy-fartsy, Truffaut-like stuff for which they are deservedly famous, either. Even their modern thrillers are better than American thrillers. If you don't believe me, go check out the movie Tell No One (Ne le dis a personne). I had no idea the French could make good suspenseful action movies. The Triplets of Belleville shows that not even the animated world is safe from French domination.
The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love with it immediately. Watching it Thursday, it was clear to me that my love has only grown stronger. The film is just so adorable and cute, in a strange and quirky way. Set in France,The movie starts off with a woman who is desperately trying to find something that her sad grandson will take an interest in. His parents are dead, seemingly due to World War II. She finally finds its in bike riding, likely steered in that direction when she notices his only connection to his dead parents is a picture of them on a bicycle. His love for it develops into a freaky obsession, wanting even at that very young age to be the best bicyclist in the world. She is right behind him every step of the way, pushing him in his grueling training every single day, willingly giving up her whole life to help him achieve his dream. The more I watch this movie, the more I wonder if part of her isn't perhaps, in some way, pushing this obsession on him. Either way, it is clear that in the entire world, he cares only about three things: his grandmother, his dog, and riding bicycles, not necessarily in that order. When he is an adult, she is still there pushing him every step of the way when he enters the Tour de France. But, disaster strikes when he is kidnapped by dangerous henchmen who force him and two others into a deadly, and extremely weird, gambling scheme. With his dog along for the ride, the grandmother sets off on a long search to rescue him.
This all sounds fairly straightforward, but this one of the most surreal movies I have ever seen. First off, there is just so much character to the movie. Every single character, including the dog, is fully developed, with interesting and sometimes hilarious quirks. One of my favorites is the dog, who is completely obsessed with barking at any train that goes by a window he is near through the entire film. He also has wonderful dreams where he is floating on an ocean being waited on by his owner.
My absolute favorite characters, though, are the Triplets of Belleville, three singers who start off the movie performing in a small musical hall during the 1930s; Fred Astaire even makes an appearance in the only professional performance in the film. I cannot convey how wonderful and thrilling the song they sing is. It has stuck with me all these years. After their performance, they disappear from the movie until the desperate grandmother searching for her grandson runs into them on a street corner. She starts using her son's bicycle wheel, which she carries with her, as a musical instrument, and they pop up singing that wonderful title song. They help her in her journey to rescue the kidnapped bicyclist. There are no words to describe how completely strange they are, in an absolutely delightful way. I love them. Their method of finding food is one of the funniest moments in film history I have ever seen.
Above all else, though, this movie is about a devoted grandmother who will do absolutely anything to get her grandson back. It permeates the film, and is so profoundly sweet. Even before I saw the end note where the filmmaker dedicates the film to his mother, it was plain that this was an ode to mothers everywhere who will do anything to make their sons happy and keep them safe no matter the cost. The movie is completely surreal, especially in how the characters' bodies defy logic, not to mention the theory of gravity, but I accepted it so easily because the message was so heartfelt.
I must also add that the most surprising part of this movie is that I didn't notice the first time that there is very little dialogue; no more than ten or so lines, and most of it is from radio news broadcasts. The characters are so expressive that it is clear what they are thinking, even the dog. Plus, the music was so wonderful that it felt like it was all the dialogue that was needed.
I recommend this movie to absolutely everyone, though I think it will appeal to adults much more to children.
I don't know what has changed in France, but I do know that for the past decade, they have been making the most interesting movies. I'm not just talking about the artsy-fartsy, Truffaut-like stuff for which they are deservedly famous, either. Even their modern thrillers are better than American thrillers. If you don't believe me, go check out the movie Tell No One (Ne le dis a personne). I had no idea the French could make good suspenseful action movies. The Triplets of Belleville shows that not even the animated world is safe from French domination.
The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love with it immediately. Watching it Thursday, it was clear to me that my love has only grown stronger. The film is just so adorable and cute, in a strange and quirky way. Set in France,The movie starts off with a woman who is desperately trying to find something that her sad grandson will take an interest in. His parents are dead, seemingly due to World War II. She finally finds its in bike riding, likely steered in that direction when she notices his only connection to his dead parents is a picture of them on a bicycle. His love for it develops into a freaky obsession, wanting even at that very young age to be the best bicyclist in the world. She is right behind him every step of the way, pushing him in his grueling training every single day, willingly giving up her whole life to help him achieve his dream. The more I watch this movie, the more I wonder if part of her isn't perhaps, in some way, pushing this obsession on him. Either way, it is clear that in the entire world, he cares only about three things: his grandmother, his dog, and riding bicycles, not necessarily in that order. When he is an adult, she is still there pushing him every step of the way when he enters the Tour de France. But, disaster strikes when he is kidnapped by dangerous henchmen who force him and two others into a deadly, and extremely weird, gambling scheme. With his dog along for the ride, the grandmother sets off on a long search to rescue him.
This all sounds fairly straightforward, but this one of the most surreal movies I have ever seen. First off, there is just so much character to the movie. Every single character, including the dog, is fully developed, with interesting and sometimes hilarious quirks. One of my favorites is the dog, who is completely obsessed with barking at any train that goes by a window he is near through the entire film. He also has wonderful dreams where he is floating on an ocean being waited on by his owner.
My absolute favorite characters, though, are the Triplets of Belleville, three singers who start off the movie performing in a small musical hall during the 1930s; Fred Astaire even makes an appearance in the only professional performance in the film. I cannot convey how wonderful and thrilling the song they sing is. It has stuck with me all these years. After their performance, they disappear from the movie until the desperate grandmother searching for her grandson runs into them on a street corner. She starts using her son's bicycle wheel, which she carries with her, as a musical instrument, and they pop up singing that wonderful title song. They help her in her journey to rescue the kidnapped bicyclist. There are no words to describe how completely strange they are, in an absolutely delightful way. I love them. Their method of finding food is one of the funniest moments in film history I have ever seen.
Above all else, though, this movie is about a devoted grandmother who will do absolutely anything to get her grandson back. It permeates the film, and is so profoundly sweet. Even before I saw the end note where the filmmaker dedicates the film to his mother, it was plain that this was an ode to mothers everywhere who will do anything to make their sons happy and keep them safe no matter the cost. The movie is completely surreal, especially in how the characters' bodies defy logic, not to mention the theory of gravity, but I accepted it so easily because the message was so heartfelt.
I must also add that the most surprising part of this movie is that I didn't notice the first time that there is very little dialogue; no more than ten or so lines, and most of it is from radio news broadcasts. The characters are so expressive that it is clear what they are thinking, even the dog. Plus, the music was so wonderful that it felt like it was all the dialogue that was needed.
I recommend this movie to absolutely everyone, though I think it will appeal to adults much more to children.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Then...
September saw me take a bit of a fall of my own making. I realized two weeks into the month that, unlike my September schedule, I had not actually scheduled a film a day in August; it was more like 5 a week. Being the stubborn person I am, I tried to get through it anyway. Well, I couldn't. I finished the month with 7 to go, which is about the same rate I had kept in August. I had originally thought about trying to add the 7 to the 25 I'm scheduled to watch this month, but I would just be making the same mistake. So, they will go back into the mix to be picked another month.
So, this is my first real setback. At least I know my limits.
Now...it's on to October.
So, this is my first real setback. At least I know my limits.
Now...it's on to October.
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