Reviews & Ratings

[ara87]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Red Dawn 5.5/10



Red Dawn, is actually ok so long as you're able to suspend your disbelief. You can't go in thinking "well this could never happen b/c of x,y, and z." Also the younger brother was kind of a douche.


Skyfall 8/10



No new ground was broken in this latest installment of the franchise, but overall it was still pretty decent

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Ouch.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Social Network

All the hype about the FaceBook movie wasn't all that but some interesting parts of the movie that i'm sure a lot of people were not aware of. Like how Mark Zuckberg really became the CEO & how napster founder had some share of FaceBook, overall it was an average movie
5/10

[Artashes]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Two that I love ---
(1) The Guru with Heather Graham & Jimmey Mystery
(2) Heart & Soul with Robert Downey Jr & and a star studed back up crew

Do not watch if you don't like laughing
Artashes

[ara87]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Dark Knight Rises

So not as good as "The Dark Knight" at least in my opinion, but still pretty good. Last films in trilogies usually suck, or usually are just a redundant version of the sequel, which wasn't the case with this film. I give it an 8.5/10

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

21 Jump Street

Two friends that are COPS but mess up & are sent to work as undercover cops on 21 jump street pretending to be high school kids & find the supplier & user of this drug that makes you hallucinate & that can even cause you to die
4/5

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

So I went to go see Titanic in 3d, I can honestly say that it's a waste of time & money.
Don't get me wrong Titanic is a classic movie & I give it a 5/5...but it's not a movie that should be in 3d.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Reviews & Ratings



Two friends who are getting high, are watching TV & see a commercial of a hamburger joint called White Castle, while getting there they get themselves into a lot of obstacles.

4/5

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I haven't read Stieg Larsson's novels nor have I seen the Swedish films, however, I have seen the film a lot of people are mistakenly calling a remake. David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is confident, assured, precise, and mature. The film is what he said he wanted to make when he visited our class in March. The goal here he said was to create a mature film for mature audiences; he wanted the film to tackle on dark subject matters without having to dumb things down for audiences. The director visited our class on the day he was shooting Rooney Mara's rape scene in the film, which left me both excited and interesting, considering his intentions of "branding" mature films with this film much like Pixar has branded animated films.

The film is further proof that David Fincher has matured as a filmmaker; despite its pulp source material, the film merges together three of his best films. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a marriage of Seven's shocking and excessive material, Zodiac's investigative and procedural form, and The Social Network's calm and smooth camera techniques. There's always a sense of extreme preparedness, each scene feels carefully composed and orchestrated, precise and calculated.

The best thing about this film, which wasn't to be found in a lot of his other films, is how voice-overs from characters (often secondary characters) carries over and spills into scenes that will follow. In discussing Lisbeth's character and how "different" she is, we don't wait for the two characters to finish speaking until we are introduced to Lisbeth. This becomes the first instance in the film (and several more will follow) where characters continue speaking, while David Fincher moves ahead, already introducing us to what is to come. This keeps him one step ahead of his audience. In early scenes, such as Lisbeth's introduction, it's more than effective, however, later in the film, this becomes a disadvantage, when instead of staying ahead of his audience, he starts losing his audience.

The parallel stories of Mikael and Lisbeth provide us with a slow burn to the introduction of the film. There's no rush in bringing these characters together. David Fincher (as he is known for doing) establishes his environment's atmosphere well in this film. Mikael's trip to the Vanger island is given such importance (again, precise composition, smooth camera movements) that we know feel confined and restricted to the space when Mikael decides to live there. This, however, becomes another instance that both works and works against the overall intentions of the film; while we feel closed off from society and feel like we're stuck on an island, this also works at our disadvantage because of how little we know of Mikael's neighbors. The contrast is made clear with Lisbeth's place of living. Mikael's organized and prepared lifestyle translates into the cold and whiteness that surrounds him, whereas Lisbeth's schizophrenic and unconventional lifestyle translates into cramped living; where Mikael decides to walk in the cold and snow (presumably for an extended period of time to find food, make sandwiches), Lisbeth resorts to the quick consumption of food with Coca-Cola and McDonald's Happy Meals.

The mature sensibilities David Fincher brings to this film include his decision not to show off with his camera; unlike Fight Club and Panic Room, where the camera and the filmmaker couldn't stop showing off their techniques and skills, the camera here moves only when needed, and even an uncessary, pretensious camera move (such as the creeping and suspended camera over Lisbeth's body) somehow feels natural in its execution. The film never boasts its budget with special effects and trick shots - though it's all there - with the exception of its music video opening credits, which we should learn to expect is now a David Fincher trademark. The camera in this film is always moving; characters are flying from one piece of evidence to another, and the camera always follows with smooth dolly shots.

The film (or better yet, perhaps the source material) shows us its desperate need for surprise. The double twist endings in this film are worthy of audience's rolling their eyebrows, but what David Fincher does best is he doesn't give added weight to these reveals. These moments are declared huge "a-ha" or "in-your-face" reveals as they were in The Game and Fight Club, but rather necessary plot points that he subtly incorporates into his film. The maturity in the filmmaker is apparent in such moments; he cares more about the process of investigation, rather than the quick reveal in the story.

The film, however, feels rushed in its final act, especially in comparison to its slow burn, confident first act. In a matter of minutes after we learn who the killer is, we discover the truth about Harriet, we see her reunion with her great-uncle, Mikael is disappointed with the promised information he was to receive, Lisbeth saves him with better, more detailed information, Lisbeth steals billions of dollars, Mikael saves himself with his publication, Lisbeth tries to show Mikael she cares, and everything - all this information, all this very important information - is presented in such a rapid pace, through such quick cuts, that we ultimately are presented with sensory overload. If not for its rushed, quick-to-the-point ending, we might have a more assured film, but instead, we have a delicately crafted thriller that turns into overdrive in its final act, leaving audiences scratching their hands and still trying to figure out the details of Harriet's conversation, long after it's over, with Lisbeth off speeding into the night.

8.5/10

[One-Way]

Re: Reviews & Ratings

Sleeping Beauty

The comparisons between Julia Leigh and Stanley Kubrick and Luis Buñuel were made early on with her trailer for the film. The film's subject matter and its visuals definitely remind us of the two great filmmakers, but what's missing is the filmmaker's confidence in telling this story. I feel that the film's shortcomings come from the filmmaker's background as a novelist, but even then, the story itself lacks depth. The film largely depends on ambiguity, but in the case of this story, too much is left unsaid, to the point that the mystery that shrouds these character's life don't truly stand out and strike us in any particular way. Emily Browning is mesmerizing in her role, however, truly an interesting character to sit and observe as the filmmaker intends. I love the long takes in this film, allowing every single scene to play out as if we were on the other end of the looking glass, peering into these lives, like a voyeur. I was left disappointed, wanting more from the story and filmmaker, and was left wondering if she was making a statement worth observing.

7.5/10

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

The lack of proper character introduction and dense story material distances its audience from really investing themselves. This, however, isn't the shortcomings of its filmmaker. The film never feels unsure of its direction and it's always confident in where it's leading us. I felt that much of the film was difficult to grasp because of its material rather than its storytelling or direction. The pacing and cinematography of this film were particular standouts, as well its performances, particularly Gary Oldman.

7.5/10

My Week with Marilyn

This film is as good as the film can be, given its subject matter. This isn't a biopic about Marilyn Monroe's life, and its decision to focus on one particular film she made - not a very popular one at that - makes this film rather uninteresting in terms of its content. The film uses every characteristic of Marilyn Monroe we know - she pops pills, she wants to be loved - and supplies us with little new or interesting information. In the end, though, this is still a very entertaining film, despite its lack of depth otherwise. The film tries to reach toward the end, making a stronger statement about love, but still fall short in its approach. Michelle Williams (as always) is great, as is Kenneth Branagh. I also particularly enjoyed Emily Watson's short screen time, but despised Eddie Redmayne's character and performance.

7/10

Meek's Cutoff

Kelly Reichardt's bare bones filmic approach of this anti-western film provides us with a sense of claustrophobia (primarily because of the decision to film in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio) as well as a desperate struggle for hope. The film doesn't show off its landscape as we would expect in a western, but rather confines us into the world of its characters. The film's abrupt and ambiguous ending will undoubtedly draw criticism, but that's far from the film's intentions. The film ends with the character's stranded, hoping to reach water, but the essence of the film is in the last line of the film, when Bruce Greenwood hands all responsibility over to Michelle Williams. The film covers the range of feminism in our culture and shows her character go from a voiceless and helpless woman to a woman who is now left in charge.

9/10


In Darkness

This film has been called a "response" to Schindler's List. I enjoyed this film more than Steven Spielberg's tale of the events and tragedies of the Holocaust. The filmmaker here puts us into the sewers with its xxxs and shows us the various shades of its characters. Mr. Socha, who is our flawed hero, is the person who saves the xxxs but also despises them. The film's strengths lie in its ability to paint us a grey world, without any significant character identification, dragging on for two and a half hours in a dark, grim world in rat-infested sewers.

9/10