The Crowne Affair

Pierce Brosnan is just classy and cool. Like his other films, he is chic, calm, and has lots of class. Unfortunately, this film didn't have much besides Pierce Brosnan. Rene Russo was a bit weird. She seemed to think she was 25 and super sexy, but she isn't. The story was ok, but a bit shallow and not too surprising. And why did Pierce Brosnan keep drinking red wine from a brandy glass?


5/10

The Departed

I saw the Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed' at the cinema on Friday. I didn't have any idea what to expect. From the title, I thought it was going to be some sort of underworld movie. I was very pleasantly surprised, and really enjoyed the film.

To start, the lineup is great: Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicolson, and Mark Wahlberg. They all have great performances, but I think I'll go as far as to say that it maybe be one of DiCaprio's better performances. He portrays so well the confusion and pain that he's going through.

The story is great, and the dialogue is also excellent. I love the parallelism (or perpendicularism?) between the two characters. The comparisons are strong. There were several times when the dialogue was really just genius, and made you want to know who came up with it.

The ending was also very satisfying. Maybe it's because one of the main writers was chinese, but it came out original and unique. I like how the bad (?) person finally gets away. It some much more realistic. I a real shakespearean tragedy. good film.


8/10

Road to Perdition

I can't believe that Tom Hanks is showing up in two of the last five movies I've written about. Tom Hanks is like Nicolas Cage, I don't like him as an actor, but I like his films in general. Compare Terminal, Road to Perdition, and Forrest Gump - Hanks masters three incredible different roles! Great acting.

Sam Mendes makes a good film that has the some of the appeal of Sin City. Doesn't every boy want to see men in trench coats shooting each other on a dark and rainy night? The comparison stops there. Road to Perdition has a fairly deep plot: a father and son story. The boy doesn't act great - especially compared with Tom.

Highlights for me were the massacre scenes at the end. They were filmed creatively, and in a tasteful way. Once Connor has been shot, the door swings open and you see his dead body in the mirror: nice.


Decent film.


6/10

The Sentinel

Clark Johnson's 'The Sentinel' brings back that question that is in the back of all of our minds: why do the American President's body guard dress so badly? Come on ... I'd expect a Mexican body guard to dress better than those guys!

Anyway ... decent film about a Secret Service agent who has an affair with the president's wife. The story is decent, but it is a little bit predictable. Character depth is a bit lacking, and I never felt like I got to know any of the characters.

ok ...

4/10

Reservoir Dogs

Quarantino is a legend. I'm not sure if I like him, but he's master story teller, and his films are certainly fairly revolutionary. He seems to have paved the way for films like Crash and Amores Perros.

Good film, the dialogue is genius, tho often a bit questionable. The first scene shows just how genius the lines will be. I love how they talk about Madonna. The film was a bit grotesque, but the story was very well told.


6/10

Brice de Nice

James Huth's Brice is really a unique and genius creation. Talk about great character! I guess there's plot and there's character. French movies seem to have stories built on character, and not a character build on a story. I like that.

Brice has great lines - 'Pas de violence, c'est les vacances' and such. Also the whole casser thing is pretty funny. Lots of great lines, though the story was a bit lacking. It was too predictable that he would of course lose. On the other hand, I love how certain themes kept re-appearing: the Sirene and the casser theme and even the surf movie.

Funny movie...


8/10

Forrest Gump

And thus we return to the classics ... Forrest Gump is definitely Robert Zemeckis' best film. I watched this the other night with a Erick, Juan, Isaac, and Jonathan. Since I was the only american, it put a new perspective on it. What a good portrayal of the best of America. The American dream lives on.

The genius of the movie is obviously in Tom Hanks' great acting and narrating. The idea of the bus stop was great, and it allows you see the story from his perspective.

good film.



8/10

Pulp Fiction

Tarantino's classic Pulp Fiction is really an original work that is revered with reason by many film critics. The actors are all excellently casted, and they all perform great. The dialogue is what makes the film amazing - so many one line classics.

For me, the highlight of the film was Uma Thurman's stellar portrayal of a druggie gang lord's wife. She's a bit of a contradiction, and Quentin manages to get some great shots of her. One of the best scenes was in the restaurant - where the montages flip between her face and John Travolta's. I think it's nice.

Also, the drug scene was pretty well done ... She really looks scary! Tho, I found that Travolta's part was a bit weaker through this section. Maybe it's just that he's not one of my favourite actors - he's always the same.

Another good scene was in the car at the beginning when Samuel Jackson and John Travolta discuss the Royale with Cheese. Lol... I like how their dialogue kept returning back to it.

Pulp Fiction seems a bit like a collection of scenes rather than a traditional movie. Obviously, this was international, but sometimes I think there was a bit too much disconnect - but maybe that was the point.

8/10

The Shawshank Redemption

I watched the Shawshank Redemption with Joel, Jenn, and Jo last week. Though I'd heard of it, it was the first time I've seen Frank Darabont's classic. I thought it was interesting that he's French. No wonder it's good. :p

Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins were both great, and the story line was good too. I just find it monotonous when every prison movie finishes with an escape. For a while, I thought this was an exception. I like the hope theme, and the comparison of different people leaving the prison. That was a highlight.

Anyway .. I watched it last week and I don't remember too much.


No prison movie can match up with prisonbreak. I'd just like to say that. :p


7/10