Review the last movie you viewed (NO LISTS)

[fly so high!]

ROCKY BALBOA............I give it a 8/10

 

[WinnieThePoo]

Seul Contre Tous - I Stand Alone
powerful motion picture
Humane
Crystal CleAR
not for kids

 

[Dalton]

Running with Scissors: Utterly inane. Cheap laughs. No heart. Dull ache.

I was going to put my review in haiku form, but the movie just wasn't worth it.

 

[AngelofHarlem01]

^ not worth renting then?

 

[IWasBored]

full metal jacket


eh...i don't know. i only rented it to see vincent d'onofrio in something other than law and order: ci or men in black. and wouldn't you know it, after he blew his brains out with his rifle, i lost interest and stopped watching the movie. not a big kubrick fan, anyway.

 

[IWasBored]

is bridge to terabithia ANYTHING like the book? because the commercials...looked more like lord of the rings or something

Last week I watched Brick. It stars Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as a high school loner who sets out to solve his ex-girlfriend's murder. It's a modern-day film noir in which the main character has to deal with his high school's cliques and his town's drug dealers.

I liked the concept, and for the most part it was well done, but the dialogue moved really quickly in a lot of places, so I found myself rewinding a lot. I liked how it played with the cliches of the whole film noir genre, though, and the plot kept twisting and turning all the way up to the end.

7/10

you mean -7/10.

and that the film noir cliches and fast dialogue felt more like a lame gimmick.

and that you found yourself fastforwarding a lot because it was boring.

right?

 

[elevation2u]

The Prestige - Good, solid performances from Jackman & Bale. Was slightly disappointed with Johansson, but Bowie was a plus. Nolan, once again, did an outstanding job. Film had nice style and an engaging plot which was a step above the Illusionist but much like the Illusionist it was much too predictable. The "twist" was damn obvious in the first half hour.

8.6/10

 

[Lancemc]

About The Prestige, I hate seeing so many people mentioning the "twist" in the plot. There really isn't supposed to be a big focus on any "twist" if you could even call them that in this case. The film is really a study of misdirection, both in the literal sense of the plot as well as in the greater metaphorical sense in regards to filmmaking in general. Nolan wasn't out to deliver any sort of Sixth Sense-style shocker in the films, just a complex study of audience perception and misdirection, which is really what the film is all about. Some people are going to figure out the "twists" right off the bat, and others are going to be clueless up until the very end when everything is revealed. That's one of the many points of the film, as Nolan has pointed out himself on several occasions. Glad you liked it though, elevaiton.


I just saw Requiem for a Dream for the first time today.

4/10

Interesting approach to the often over-used anti-drug concept, but I thought the film-making was pretty sloppy. Decent performances overall, but they script was pretty weak. This film was far to self-conscious in trying to be unique and edgy that it all felt too forced and generally bland. And how many times do I have to watch the exact same "now the character does herion" flash-montage again? Christ almighty. What an overused gimmick.

 

[elevation2u]

About The Prestige, I hate seeing so many people mentioning the "twist" in the plot. There really isn't supposed to be a big focus on any "twist" if you could even call them that in this case. The film is really a study of misdirection, both in the literal sense of the plot as well as in the greater metaphorical sense in regards to filmmaking in general. Nolan wasn't out to deliver any sort of Sixth Sense-style shocker in the films, just a complex study of audience perception and misdirection, which is really what the film is all about. Some people are going to figure out the "twists" right off the bat, and others are going to be clueless up until the very end when everything is revealed. That's one of the many points of the film, as Nolan has pointed out himself on several occasions. Glad you liked it though, elevaiton.

yeah, but I had read an interview with Nolan where he said that he didn't mind if the movie was being sold on the "big twist/unexpected ending" because he really thought the ending would really surprise the audience and people would have to rewatch it to catch all the clues. also, the movie dealt a lot with obsession ...not only with the magician's seeking out the other's prestige but i suppose a correlation with the audience's obsession to finding out the ending. but from the moment they showed the engenier' or whatever he was called...it was completely obvious it was Mr Bale...they didnt even try to disguise it one bit! The whole wife's bit of "this time you mean it" was even more so.

I still very much liked this movie.. My issue with 95% of all movies I watch is that I have the bad curse of figuring out the end right away. In this movie, for example, it didn't retract much from the overall experience because the movie was nonetheless fantastic and enjoyable. Much like the Inside Man was to me...predictable but awesome.

 

[elevation2u]

Half Nelson - Didn't quite know what to expect from the movie as well as Ryan Gosling. Being in the minority of the female population who didn't like The Notebook, I was a little put off by him being the starring role. Holy mother, I was clear wrong. Ryan Gosling does such an incredible job portraying the inner tortures of Mr Dunn, the middle school teacher, in an inner city NY school with a drug habit to kick that is discovered by one of his students. The movie does a good job at steering away from ''teacher inspires inner city students'' cliche and Gosling tackles this gritty role by managing to give the character both charisma and intensity.

9.3/10

 

[fah]

Hi IWB

is bridge to terabithia ANYTHING like the book? because the commercials...looked more like lord of the rings or something

I haven't read the book but the ads are deceiving. The amount of special effects are relatively small compared to the movie and Viggo Mortensen was no where to be seen in this movie

 

[cobl04]

I also saw Donnie Darko and Fight Club. Both movies I thought I would never watch, now I have. I loved them both because they were incredibly well written and actually made you think, and did well on the dark humour.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

you mean -7/10.

and that the film noir cliches and fast dialogue felt more like a lame gimmick.

and that you found yourself fastforwarding a lot because it was boring.

right?

is that what I said?

The pacing of the plot was problematic, but I entertained myself during the slow parts by editing the script in my head. My version turned out a lot better.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Last night I watched a documentary called Southern Comfort. It was something Netflix had recommended, and I'm glad I watched it. It looks at the last year in the life of Robert Eades, a female-to-male transsexual who, in a cruel twist of fate, is dying of ovarian and cervical cancer. He's struggling to stay alive long enough to attend one last Southern Comfort--an annual conference for transsexuals--so that he can say goodbye to the members of his "chosen family," as he calls them.

I think the premise might weird a lot of people out, but what makes the film work is that it focuses not on what makes Robert different but on what makes him the same as everyone else--his family, his friends, his life. The movie is an interesting study of gender roles, of love, of family, of the basic rights and dignities we deserve as human beings.

It's definitely a movie that will leave you thinking about the way you look at the world and maybe even a little about what you hope to leave behind. 7/10

 

[Queen Bee]

I haven't read the book but the ads are deceiving. The amount of special effects are relatively small compared to the movie and Viggo Mortensen was no where to be seen in this movie

I read the book a loooong time ago, but from what I could remember the movie did remain faithful to the story. I think I read somewhere something about the author's son writing the movie's screenplay. I'm not sure why the commercials/trailers heavily focused on the fantasy aspect, though. I guess Disney was trying to push the whole Chronicles of Narnia part 2 spiel.

The Illusionist
9/10

Very well done film. The acting by Edward Norton was great. The scenery was very beautiful. I might have to see it again because I was confused in some parts. I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for Best Picture.

Are you serious? The Illusionist as a contender for Best Picture?

I don't know, I found that movie to be painfully mediocre and predictable. The cliché forbidden romance plot was overplayed and not to mention incredibly boring. I laughed pretty had at the reveal at the end.

But hey different strokes

 

[IWasBored]

Hi IWB




I haven't read the book but the ads are deceiving. The amount of special effects are relatively small compared to the movie and Viggo Mortensen was no where to be seen in this movie

i only vaguely remember the book, but from the commercials it looked nothing like what i remembered. yeah, like bee said, narnia 2 (side note: what also bugs me about that is that instead of going and making prince caspian or the silver chair or something, they have to go and make a movie that they advertise as stylistically looking the same, but isn't part of the series. for as much as i hated the recent lion, witch, wardrobe, i'd still like to see them tackle some of the others). which is why i was wondering.

hi fah

 

[LMP]

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

This is one of the funniest movies of the past 5-6 years, at least one that keeps me chuckling throughout. What makes this movie good, like any other good comedy, are the quotables, it's a sign of either great writing or improvisation. I have failed to see something Steve Carell has done that I haven't liked. Because of his massive popularity, a big bomb is bound to happen, but that's besides the point. If you want to watch a dirty comedy with a strong emotional theme (yes, the concept of love/sex and how it drives people to do different things.) I hope I'm not talking out of my ass on this one, but that's what I got from watching this movie for the 4th time. Sadly though, some of the material hurts the pacing, and that's where I take off points.

9/10 (on the Comedy Scale)

 

[Lancemc]

I agree 100% with your review there LMP. That movie is so infinitly quotable that it automatically ranks itself among the all-time greats like Caddyshack, Young Frankenstein, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Arthur, etc.

And I also agree that while it's nice to have some real emotional substance, it does sort of hurt the pacing in parts, especially near the very end. Though the 60's style musical ending more than makes up for it. On the Comedy Scale The 40-Year-Old Virgin gets a perfect 10/10 from me, even though it's not a perfect movie.

I must also say that Cal has the best lines throughout the entire movie, and this is probably my personal favorite:

Cal: That's a good looking grandma! My grandma looks like Jack Palance.
Andy Stitzer: Well, she's no Jack Palance.
Cal: No. If Jack Palance looked like that lady I would want to fuck Jack Palance right now.

 

[Lila64]

You're gay for saying that

 

[LMP]

I love Cal's lines, but Carell's one-liners kill me

"Is it true if you don't use it, you lose it?"
"I need some poooooooooon"
"How many pots have you smoken?"
"That girl was a ho... fo sho!"

 

[Lancemc]

"First you gotta plant the seed. Then wait until it grows into a plant. Then you fuck the plant."

 

[Lila64]

Your friend is so shiny

 

[Lancemc]

You know how I know you're gay?...Your dick tastes like shit.

 

[Lila64]

Wanna know how I know you're gay? Because you like Coldplay.

 

[Lancemc]

You know how I know you guys are gay...becuase you're holding each other ever so gently.

 

[LMP]

You can fuck her while watching "Murder, She Wrote". She'll like that.

 

[Lila64]

David: You know how I know that you're gay?
Cal: How?
David: You have a rainbow bumpersticker on your car that says "I love it when *balls* are in my face".

 

[BWU2Buffs]

Da Vinci Code

7/10 Given the critics' bashing, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Casting was good, except Tom Hanks didn't convince me as Robert Langdon. And I agree, superb ending

Oddly, I finished reading Brown's Angel & Demons and thought wow, with this topic, they won't make a movie. The day after mentioning this to my wife, announced on the radio that some studio owns the rights to make it a movie. Love to see it, wonder if it will actually happen.

Anybody know more details than what I've got?

 

[Lila64]

apparently it's in pre-production: http://imdb.com/title/tt0808151/

 

[RedRocksU2]

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

This is one of the funniest movies of the past 5-6 years, at least one that keeps me chuckling throughout. What makes this movie good, like any other good comedy, are the quotables, it's a sign of either great writing or improvisation. I have failed to see something Steve Carell has done that I haven't liked. Because of his massive popularity, a big bomb is bound to happen, but that's besides the point. If you want to watch a dirty comedy with a strong emotional theme (yes, the concept of love/sex and how it drives people to do different things.) I hope I'm not talking out of my ass on this one, but that's what I got from watching this movie for the 4th time. Sadly though, some of the material hurts the pacing, and that's where I take off points.

9/10 (on the Comedy Scale)