Reviews & Ratings

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

I know pronounce you Chuck & Larry

I saw this movie at the theatre before & it was kinda lame.

But when I watched it again last night it was funny, anything with Adam Sandler in it is funny.

3 1/2 out of 5

[TomServo]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Kung Fu Panda (2008) A-
A pleasant surprise. Far, far more enjoyable than WALL-E.

[Pazooki]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Kung Fu Panda (2008) A-
A pleasant surprise. Far, far more enjoyable than WALL-E.

Kung Fu Panda is funny up the ass

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Dark Night
5/5.

One word: Excellent

[ara87]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Wrestler 7/10
Milk 7/10
Frost/Nixon 8/10
Gran Torino 9/10
Revolutionary Road 9/10

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Im planning to see Milk & Gran Torino this coming weekend.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Rest Stop
3.5/5

[ara87]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Seven Pounds- 7.5/10

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Would you guys mind posting a few sentences about what you liked/disliked about the film? It's something to read instead of just seeing numbers.

[Siamanto]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

What did I watch since I have last posted? Lack of time, I will limit myself to brief, inelaborate comments; eluding movies, most likely, already covered; limiting myself to movies (that I consider) of cinematographic value - with one exception: Civanyan's Demandez la permission aux enfants, a pure entertainment movie????


Truffault's Tirez sur le pianiste featuring Aznavour, Richard Kanayan and Jean-Jacques Aslanian, as the Saroyan brothers - unrelated to the Armenian movie, Saroyan yeghpayrner@. It is an early Truffault, and far from being among my favorites (Truffaults); it is the story of a, once famous, piano player.
(In an interview, Aznavour expressed the opinion that the movie played a major role in his success in the US , as a singer; in fact, he stated something like: "They came to listen to a piano player at my first US appearance, in Carnegie Hall." )

Verneuil's Mayrig and it's sequel 588 rue paradis may/will fill with joy, sadness, anger and pride most Armenians, if not any, aware of our past, traditions, and sensitivities.

It's always a (visual) delight to watch Parajanov's The Legend of the Suram Fortress and Sayat Nova; I find the former slightly more "accomplished," from a photographic/graphical point of view. My only complaint is the (poor) quality of the DVD - analog TV quality - unable to properly render all the subtle details, and color balance/composition.

I was not utterly impressed by Guédiguian's Lady Jane, but I found the camera work more to my taste, compared to his previous movies - to be fair, I'll have to mention that Guédiguian purposely choses to shoot reality as it is, without "artistic sugar."

I have watched Civanyan's Demandez la permission aux enfants only because he's Armenian, the main (male) character is played by an Armenian, and it was on TV. It's not my cup of tea, and consider it of little "cinematographic value," but others may appreciate it; it is a comedy about how, in modern societies, children manipulate their parents.

I really enjoyed the artistic and graphic quality - lines, colors etc. - of the animated La prophétie des grenouilles, but I would not put it in the same league as Petrov's Moya lyubov
The soundtrack includes an Armenian traditional melody.




American History X is about skinheads and white "trailer thrashes" - I believe that the riffraff uses the word white "supremacist" to label itself; it depicts how the easily impressionable, in search for answers in a world perceived as "falling apart" - simply because changing - is manipulated by hateful, half literate "visionaries" who are nothing but megalomaniac, opportunistic, populist manipulators and demagogues who feed the easily impressionable with simplistic popular views, taking advantage of a certain "intellectual vacuum" within the community; the movie reminded me of how skinheads operate and recruit on some forums.

No Country for Old Men: Impressive and thought provoking, despite - or because - of the simple plot, and "intelligently" minimalistic/straightforward story telling. I found Bardem's performance impressive, more impressive than in Vicky Cristina Barcelona - probably already reviewed by One-Way and others????




Les diablesses, though a TV movie, is a high quality production: Photography, performance, and the story it tells: It relates the atrocities committed in religious institutions in the name of "normality" and "sanity" - needless to say that, in the movie, "sanity" does not characterize the behavior of the religious; of course, the parallel with Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest seems obvious.

Claude Sautet's Max et les ferrailleurs is a classic: Though plotted as a detective/police story, it is a unusual love story between an unconventional/eccentric police officer, and an uncommon prostitute, initially chosen, by the former, as an instrument to manipulate her criminal friends

La discrète is another unusual love story; a playful movie where a writer accepts the challenge to seduce a woman who has nothing to inspire him, in order to stimulate his writing.

L'été meurtrier is an intricate psychological drama, in a sunny mediterranean setting; though Adjani's performance is convincing, but I believe that Emmanuelle Béart would have been a much better match for the role??? (Sorry TomServo, I've never been a fan of Adjani. )

Les âmes fortes by Ruiz is of high photographic/cinematographic value; the story may seem a bit esoteric to some - it is a Ruiz - and may not be to everybody's liking.



Ju Dou (China) is an early Zhang, and one of the first Chinese "New Wave" movies: A beautifully filmed love story in a rural setting, a composition of colors, architectural forms and human emotions, a conflict between traditions and reality.

Gomorra (Italy) is a thought provoking movie, about an Italy that is little known.

Andrei Zvyagintsev's Return (Russia) is of definite cinematographic value: Camera work, acting, story. If the memory of his second movie - Izgnanie - does not fail me, I enjoyed better the camera work/editing in Izgnanie, but the acting in Return.

Yeelen (Mali) may seem slow and surrealistic, because it is full of symbolism - just like a Parajanov movie.

Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (S. Korea) is a work of quality, however, I have mixed feelings: There are several captivating and intense moments/scenes, enough substance, decent camera work, but I think that the story telling could be improved.

The Piano (Australia) is visually appealing, good performance, meaningful story



Happy New Year!



P.S.
This Belgian commercial was shot with a camera that captures about 10K frames/second, which allows an instant to be stretched over time without losing in details. The fly, from London, is a trained "actor," and survived the shooting. Of course, It's much more impressive when viewed on a large screen.