Hallucinations are something that very few of us have ever experienced, and those who have can attest to the fact that they seem so real and powerful. This is only one of the issues that Christian Bale must face in the insomnia driven world in this film. Its hard to recognize Bale right away since he lost a great deal of weight for the role, he actually looks like a Nazi concentration camp victim from World War II. Besides his physical appearance the emotional roller coaster that Bale takes is at times heart stopping and leaves you wondering just how much of himself he had to put into the character's makeup.
After not sleeping for a year Trevor Reznik's world becomes more than he can deal with and when the line between reality and fantasy gets blurred he doesn't know where to turn to for help. The camera work is done so well that you feel as if you're completely submerged within Reznik's world of belief. The symbolism of life and dreams is on full display here, every time you turn a corner in the story there's a whole new batch of things to consider for examination. With the strong acting and the even stronger story the audience is sucked into this world and is forced to work out the solution to Reznik's problem from his point of view.
This film was so much more than I expected it to be, the amount of power and substance that is in this film just grabs you from the very beginning and never lets you go even after the movie is over. As you watch the film you never realize how much of your self has been drawn into the story and when Reznik's world starts to unravel you feel yourself being pulled along with it. One of the best aspects of this film is that as the story progresses the audience isn't given any more information than Reznik has, so as the twists and turns come you must experience them at the same time he does and try to figure them out together. I would rank this as one of the top ten films that I'm seen in years, the intensity of the characters and the persuasiveness of the story are clear examples of what the true magic of the cinema really is.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Runaway
You'll hear repeatedly from actors that its more fun for them to play the villain in a film than the good guy, their able to break out more in the character's development and explore aspects of a characters psyche that normally wouldn't be available to them. Here we're given a straightforward good guy/bad guy story that doesn't have any blurred lines, from an author and director that knows just what's needed in a science fiction story, Michael Crichton. With two strong actors in the lead roles, Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons, we're given a glimpse into the good/evil personas in a pair of classic characters.
A police robotics expert is beginning to see a pattern in the "Runaway" calls that he's getting, but when it's discovered that an evil doctor is reprogramming the robots the killing starts in earnest. For an 80s sci-fi film the effects aren't to bad, Crichton keeps everything within the realm of possibility so that the audience can believe that what their watching could be happening tomorrow. Almost everything that the audience is exposed to in the story has a feeling of the here and now, so when different incidences happen the audience is left thinking "that this might be a possible." Using the classic theme of machines gone bad gives the story, and the movie, an air of familiarity but with enough of a twist, whether its characters or situations, that it seems new and inventive.
The best part of this film is Simmons as Luthor, the command that he has of the character is superb and it's a shame that he only did a handful of movies and didn't continue on with an acting career. The role of Ramsey could have been filled by anyone but with Selleck in there they drew on his popularity from the Magnum, P.I. series. All in all it's fun and enjoyable and its not set to far into the future that you feel disconnected with the characters.
A police robotics expert is beginning to see a pattern in the "Runaway" calls that he's getting, but when it's discovered that an evil doctor is reprogramming the robots the killing starts in earnest. For an 80s sci-fi film the effects aren't to bad, Crichton keeps everything within the realm of possibility so that the audience can believe that what their watching could be happening tomorrow. Almost everything that the audience is exposed to in the story has a feeling of the here and now, so when different incidences happen the audience is left thinking "that this might be a possible." Using the classic theme of machines gone bad gives the story, and the movie, an air of familiarity but with enough of a twist, whether its characters or situations, that it seems new and inventive.
The best part of this film is Simmons as Luthor, the command that he has of the character is superb and it's a shame that he only did a handful of movies and didn't continue on with an acting career. The role of Ramsey could have been filled by anyone but with Selleck in there they drew on his popularity from the Magnum, P.I. series. All in all it's fun and enjoyable and its not set to far into the future that you feel disconnected with the characters.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
How far would you go in order to help a friend in need, are you close enough to pretend to be a gay couple in order to carry benefits for your children. Well in this comedy, that at times will leave you rolling on the floor laughing, Adam Sandler and Kevin James portray two friends who must go to the extreme to show the depth of their friendship. Some of the jokes here are so straightforward you can't do anything but laugh, and the situations seem so real that the story feels completely believable. Considering all of the issues that this film brings up, from the gay lifestyle to government benefits, its amazing that the story itself doesn't get bogged down, but finding the humor in everyday life is something these two guys are experts at.
When firefighter Larry Allensworth discovers that he can't put his children as beneficiary's on his insurance unless he gets married, he asks his closest friend to pose as his gay domestic partner in order to make the changes to the insurance. The teaming of these two comedians works so well that you can see the chemistry leading on to other projects. Here the jokes fly back and forth between the two of them and then when another actor is involved they either become the target of the jokes or the protagonist to drive Sandler and James in a new direction. At times during the film it seems like they break into adlibbing dialog and scenes, but that just lends to the superb job these two comedians do. When it appears to be completely natural and fluid that's when the best work comes forward and the audience enjoys themselves from the heart.
It's truly hard to find a comedy that will appeal to multiple members of an audience, but this one does it in spades. Between the childish, off-color, politically correct and incorrect jokes, and the physical stunts that are throughout the film there are times that you'll be shaking your head but most of the time you'll be laughing to hard to notice the difference. Some of the issues that are discussed aren't for everyone, but if you watch it with an open mind I'll bet you'll find yourself snickering at some of the character portrayals that you've probably seen at one time or another.
When firefighter Larry Allensworth discovers that he can't put his children as beneficiary's on his insurance unless he gets married, he asks his closest friend to pose as his gay domestic partner in order to make the changes to the insurance. The teaming of these two comedians works so well that you can see the chemistry leading on to other projects. Here the jokes fly back and forth between the two of them and then when another actor is involved they either become the target of the jokes or the protagonist to drive Sandler and James in a new direction. At times during the film it seems like they break into adlibbing dialog and scenes, but that just lends to the superb job these two comedians do. When it appears to be completely natural and fluid that's when the best work comes forward and the audience enjoys themselves from the heart.
It's truly hard to find a comedy that will appeal to multiple members of an audience, but this one does it in spades. Between the childish, off-color, politically correct and incorrect jokes, and the physical stunts that are throughout the film there are times that you'll be shaking your head but most of the time you'll be laughing to hard to notice the difference. Some of the issues that are discussed aren't for everyone, but if you watch it with an open mind I'll bet you'll find yourself snickering at some of the character portrayals that you've probably seen at one time or another.
May
At this time of year we should all be thankful for the family and friends that each one of us has, and the joy that they bring into our lives. To show how much friendships are worth in the human equation this tale draws on the life of one young woman who through the years was tormented by a lot of people including her mother. Angela Bettis portrays May in a way that draws the sympathy from the audience and at the same time leaves them wondering just how far the character is going to go before the inevitable breakdown.
May was born with a lazy eye and when the children wouldn't play with her mother taught her how to make dolls, then when as an adult her boyfriend leaves her she decides to make the perfect friend from people she knows. The story is a little slow to get going but once the characters are developed within the tale it moves along to its natural ends. Not to say that this is straightforward horror/terror film, it's more of something on the idea of Hitchcock's Psycho, there is a lot of tense build up before the shocking climax.
This is one of the strangest and weirdest movies I've seen in a long time, from the opening scenes to the closing sequence your left with the feeling of being shot with a stun gun. Once her rampage begins you can see things coming from a mile away but when you get to the very end of the tale you get a shock that will make you sit up and take notice. Strange and weird don't begin to describe this story but if your looking for something that is completely off beat and will leave you with your heart beating this is it, just be prepared the long character development that takes place.
May was born with a lazy eye and when the children wouldn't play with her mother taught her how to make dolls, then when as an adult her boyfriend leaves her she decides to make the perfect friend from people she knows. The story is a little slow to get going but once the characters are developed within the tale it moves along to its natural ends. Not to say that this is straightforward horror/terror film, it's more of something on the idea of Hitchcock's Psycho, there is a lot of tense build up before the shocking climax.
This is one of the strangest and weirdest movies I've seen in a long time, from the opening scenes to the closing sequence your left with the feeling of being shot with a stun gun. Once her rampage begins you can see things coming from a mile away but when you get to the very end of the tale you get a shock that will make you sit up and take notice. Strange and weird don't begin to describe this story but if your looking for something that is completely off beat and will leave you with your heart beating this is it, just be prepared the long character development that takes place.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
More times than not a best selling book doesn't transfer to the screen very well, whether it be from not putting enough of the story into the film or putting to much, there are just some elements of the tale that will not convey on to the screen. Here the premise of the story is good and with the successfulness of the book there was an audience that would like to see this narrative come to life. But the drawn out life of the main character is so slow and cumbersome that the viewer finds himself yawning every few minutes.
Born with an acute sense of smell Jean-Baptiste embarks on a mission to capture the essence of a woman and create the ultimate scent, through murder, that will move the world. Visually this film is wonderful, the contrasts between the two classes of people are as distinctive as dark and light. Every time the affluent are on the screen there is vibrant color and when the impoverished have the screen the dank shadows take over. Considering how slowly the film moves you can't be surprised at how mundane and slow the murder scenes are, they just seem to drag for the soul purpose to keep pace with the rest of the movie. Of the whole movie the stand out performance does not come from the lead actor but from Alan Rickman, who over the years has become a wonderful and astonishing character.
With so much emphasis put on the details of the story at times the plot gets lost in the mix, it takes forever to move the characters along that the audience soon loses interest. This film is not for your every day movie watcher, if you like period pieces this would be right up your alley but since this a thriller it was marketed for a horror audience. Unfortunately there aren't enough thrills and action to keep an audience interested in the story, so by the end you're left wondering what happened in the world for the past two and a half hours.
Born with an acute sense of smell Jean-Baptiste embarks on a mission to capture the essence of a woman and create the ultimate scent, through murder, that will move the world. Visually this film is wonderful, the contrasts between the two classes of people are as distinctive as dark and light. Every time the affluent are on the screen there is vibrant color and when the impoverished have the screen the dank shadows take over. Considering how slowly the film moves you can't be surprised at how mundane and slow the murder scenes are, they just seem to drag for the soul purpose to keep pace with the rest of the movie. Of the whole movie the stand out performance does not come from the lead actor but from Alan Rickman, who over the years has become a wonderful and astonishing character.
With so much emphasis put on the details of the story at times the plot gets lost in the mix, it takes forever to move the characters along that the audience soon loses interest. This film is not for your every day movie watcher, if you like period pieces this would be right up your alley but since this a thriller it was marketed for a horror audience. Unfortunately there aren't enough thrills and action to keep an audience interested in the story, so by the end you're left wondering what happened in the world for the past two and a half hours.
Arctic Tale
When the popularity of one movie takes the industry by storm there is always a rush to capitalize on that popularity by making more movies of the same type. A few years back when "March of the Penguins" came out no one really saw how much the audience was going to love the film. Even though the creators of March and An Inconvenient Truth did this film, it just doesn't have the playfulness of the first film or the bite of the second.
The struggle of life in the changing world of the Arctic wilderness through the eyes of a young polar bear and walrus as they grow up in a world where the cycle of life is changed by global warming. The photography is like any other documentary that has been done over the years about the wildlife of this planet but here stretching it out an extra half hour doesn't make it any better. Some of the interactions between the different forms of life in the Arctic are interesting to watch and with the narration done by Queen Latifah you do have some fun seeing these animals struggle to survive.
Now that there are so many cable channels to cover everyone's interests, the most popular documentaries have been on television and that's where this belongs. It tries to hard to be as playful and caring as March but the scenes are to long and should have been edited down. After watching this film you get the distinct feeling that originally this was an hour documentary for the National Geographic Channel and edited footage was placed back in to carry it to 90 minutes and make it a theatrical release. As a documentary for children to learn from its good, but for an adult, if your looking for something that will keep your interest from beginning to end this isn't it.
The struggle of life in the changing world of the Arctic wilderness through the eyes of a young polar bear and walrus as they grow up in a world where the cycle of life is changed by global warming. The photography is like any other documentary that has been done over the years about the wildlife of this planet but here stretching it out an extra half hour doesn't make it any better. Some of the interactions between the different forms of life in the Arctic are interesting to watch and with the narration done by Queen Latifah you do have some fun seeing these animals struggle to survive.
Now that there are so many cable channels to cover everyone's interests, the most popular documentaries have been on television and that's where this belongs. It tries to hard to be as playful and caring as March but the scenes are to long and should have been edited down. After watching this film you get the distinct feeling that originally this was an hour documentary for the National Geographic Channel and edited footage was placed back in to carry it to 90 minutes and make it a theatrical release. As a documentary for children to learn from its good, but for an adult, if your looking for something that will keep your interest from beginning to end this isn't it.
Apocalypto
Sometimes when there are major changes in our lives we fight against them because we are just to accustomed to the way things are. And when it comes to tradition and ways of life we fight even harder. What Mel Gibson brings to the screen is an amazing story that just doesn't seem to end, from the power struggle in the jungles of Central America to the coming of Spain's Conquistadors, the Mayan civilization was going through major changes from within and without.
In the face of danger a young Mayan warrior fights to save his mate and unborn child when an invading tribe threatens their way of life. Having this film shot on location definitely gives it an honest feel of authenticity, with the jungle settings and the use of Mayan language the audience is transported to a time that we in the 21st century can only read about. Between the high drama and the breathtaking action you quickly lose yourself in a world that is on the brink of decimation. The actors in this film are so believable in their roles that your left with the true feelings of desperation, lose and hope that the characters are feeling in the story.
Movies like this show that Gibson has strong talents behind the camera, not just in front of it, and that maybe if he can just keep his mouth shut when he's drunk he'll be recognized for that talent more often. With the large film library that he's accumulated over the years his name will go down in film history as one of the most versatile actor/directors. I truly didn't know if I was going to enjoy this film but from the very beginning your drawn into the struggles that this early civilization had to deal with, and even though the movies ends the tale continues with the dawning of a new age.
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