THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004) - Feb. 28, 2004
A powerful film about the last few hours of Jesus' life. Jim Caveziel is excellent as the son of God. The movie is exceptionally violent but it never feels gratuitous. Genuinely touching at times, it manages to make Jesus a compelling figure even to the non-religious. ***1/2
Short reviews of all the movies I see, rated out of four. Reviews containing spoilers are marked with an (S).
Saturday, February 28, 2004
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid
SAMMY AND ROSIE GET LAID (1987) - Feb. 26, 2004
An odd character study about how the lives of a promiscuous couple are affected when the husband's father comes to visit -- who just happens to have committed unspeakable human rights violations as a politician in India. It lags a bit at times, especially towards the end, but it was mostly entertaining. I liked the character of the father. He brings to mind Terry Gilliam's idea of evil: an otherwise normal person who doesn't question torturing or killing in the service of his job (ie. Michael Palin in Brazil). The movie probably would have been better if more time had been spent with him and less with the sexual exploits of Sammy and Rosie. **1/2
An odd character study about how the lives of a promiscuous couple are affected when the husband's father comes to visit -- who just happens to have committed unspeakable human rights violations as a politician in India. It lags a bit at times, especially towards the end, but it was mostly entertaining. I liked the character of the father. He brings to mind Terry Gilliam's idea of evil: an otherwise normal person who doesn't question torturing or killing in the service of his job (ie. Michael Palin in Brazil). The movie probably would have been better if more time had been spent with him and less with the sexual exploits of Sammy and Rosie. **1/2
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Conspirators of Pleasure
CONSPIRATORS OF PLEASURE (1996) - Feb. 24, 2004
A live-action feature from stop-motion animator Jan Svankmajer. I didn't notice any animation at all, but then again I fell asleep and missed most of the second half. The parts of the movie I did see seemed pretty good, so I should probably try to watch it again at some point. NO RATING
A live-action feature from stop-motion animator Jan Svankmajer. I didn't notice any animation at all, but then again I fell asleep and missed most of the second half. The parts of the movie I did see seemed pretty good, so I should probably try to watch it again at some point. NO RATING
Sunday Bloody Sunday
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY (1971) - Feb. 24, 2004
Another dud from John Schlesinger (he also directed Darling). About the romance between a woman and a gay man, and the affair he has on the side with an older doctor (which she knows about, resents, but does nothing to stop). Much like Darling, it starts off well enough. In fact, the first hour or so is pretty much decent, if a little slow. However, after the parents come back for the kids that the aforementioned couple had been babysitting, the whole thing goes downhill pretty quickly. It loses any momentum it once had, and becomes boring for all the same reasons as Darling (under-developed characters, no plot, and absolutely no momentum). Good performances all around, but wasted in this sub-par movie. *1/2
Another dud from John Schlesinger (he also directed Darling). About the romance between a woman and a gay man, and the affair he has on the side with an older doctor (which she knows about, resents, but does nothing to stop). Much like Darling, it starts off well enough. In fact, the first hour or so is pretty much decent, if a little slow. However, after the parents come back for the kids that the aforementioned couple had been babysitting, the whole thing goes downhill pretty quickly. It loses any momentum it once had, and becomes boring for all the same reasons as Darling (under-developed characters, no plot, and absolutely no momentum). Good performances all around, but wasted in this sub-par movie. *1/2
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Miracle
MIRACLE (2004)- Feb. 17, 2004
A sub-par hockey movie. Presents no characters worth caring about. The players are all interchangeable and personality-free except for the guy with the moustache and Tag from Friends. It probably doesn't help that they all pretty much look the same. The Kurt Russell character was pretty good, but that's more because of Kurt Russell than anything else. The movie was mildly entertaining at best, and at times got pretty boring. The lack of any real characters was probably its biggest downfall (it's hard to care about people you don't know anything about). **
A sub-par hockey movie. Presents no characters worth caring about. The players are all interchangeable and personality-free except for the guy with the moustache and Tag from Friends. It probably doesn't help that they all pretty much look the same. The Kurt Russell character was pretty good, but that's more because of Kurt Russell than anything else. The movie was mildly entertaining at best, and at times got pretty boring. The lack of any real characters was probably its biggest downfall (it's hard to care about people you don't know anything about). **
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
The Triplets of Belleville
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (2003) - Feb. 11, 2004
A really well-animated, visually-amazing cartoon. There was virtually no dialogue, yet it remained compelling the whole time; much of this can be attributed to the original visual style of the film. The characters were well-developed despite the fact that they never spoke. The dog was great. I can't wait for Sylvain Chomet's next movie! ***1/2
A really well-animated, visually-amazing cartoon. There was virtually no dialogue, yet it remained compelling the whole time; much of this can be attributed to the original visual style of the film. The characters were well-developed despite the fact that they never spoke. The dog was great. I can't wait for Sylvain Chomet's next movie! ***1/2
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Fantastic Planet
FANTASTIC PLANET (1973) - Feb. 10, 2004
An interesting bit of animated sci-fi. About a bunch of tiny humans who are subjugated by a society of large, blue fish-like humanoids, who treat them terribly without realizing that they are equally intelligent. The animation is almost Gilliam-esque, but not quite. Some of the creature designs reminded me a lot of those from "Mars and Beyond", but with less fluid animation (Mars and Beyond was cooler, though). Another 70 minute animated film, but unlike the Three Caballeros I was entertained the whole time. ***
An interesting bit of animated sci-fi. About a bunch of tiny humans who are subjugated by a society of large, blue fish-like humanoids, who treat them terribly without realizing that they are equally intelligent. The animation is almost Gilliam-esque, but not quite. Some of the creature designs reminded me a lot of those from "Mars and Beyond", but with less fluid animation (Mars and Beyond was cooler, though). Another 70 minute animated film, but unlike the Three Caballeros I was entertained the whole time. ***
Sunday, February 08, 2004
The Three Caballeros
THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944) - Feb. 8, 2004
A connected series of animated shorts, revolving around Mexico and Latin America. Most feature Donald Duck. It starts out normally enough, but towards the end becomes increasingly surreal. Also features some live-action incorporated into the cartoon. There was a bit more singing than I would have liked. The first story, about the penguin who longs for the warmer weather of Latin America, is probably the highlight. **1/2
A connected series of animated shorts, revolving around Mexico and Latin America. Most feature Donald Duck. It starts out normally enough, but towards the end becomes increasingly surreal. Also features some live-action incorporated into the cartoon. There was a bit more singing than I would have liked. The first story, about the penguin who longs for the warmer weather of Latin America, is probably the highlight. **1/2
Thursday, February 05, 2004
The Butterfly Effect
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (2004) - Feb. 5, 2004
A really cool, really interesting movie about time travel. Further proof that it's not possible to make a bad time travel movie (with the sole exception of the Time Machine). Ashton Kutcher was surprisingly decent in a dramatic role. My only real complaint would be the obviously tacked-on happy ending, which just felt totally out of place. A more grim/twist ending would have been icing on the cake. Oh well, still a very cool movie. ***1/2
A really cool, really interesting movie about time travel. Further proof that it's not possible to make a bad time travel movie (with the sole exception of the Time Machine). Ashton Kutcher was surprisingly decent in a dramatic role. My only real complaint would be the obviously tacked-on happy ending, which just felt totally out of place. A more grim/twist ending would have been icing on the cake. Oh well, still a very cool movie. ***1/2
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Animal Farm
ANIMAL FARM (1954) - Feb. 3, 2004
A somewhat mediocre cartoonization of George Orwell's classic "Animal Farm." The animation, which is very well done, is probably the highlight (though the tape I saw wasn't the best quality). The story remains reasonably faithful to Orwell's original book, however, the choice to make the movie essentially sans-dialogue (aside from the narrator) sort of takes away a lot of what made the book so good. As well, the tacked-on happy ending defeats the purpose of the whole thing. **1/2
A somewhat mediocre cartoonization of George Orwell's classic "Animal Farm." The animation, which is very well done, is probably the highlight (though the tape I saw wasn't the best quality). The story remains reasonably faithful to Orwell's original book, however, the choice to make the movie essentially sans-dialogue (aside from the narrator) sort of takes away a lot of what made the book so good. As well, the tacked-on happy ending defeats the purpose of the whole thing. **1/2
Darling
DARLING (1965) - Feb. 3, 2004
A boring, boring character study about a free-wheeling young woman in London. It starts off inoffensively enough, but then just goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Because there is absolutely no plot, there is no indication of when or how it will end. It simply lurches from one boring scene to another, with no momentum, purpose or point. Towards the end it becomes torturously agonizing to sit through -- just waiting for it to end but having no idea when that moment could possibly come. *
A boring, boring character study about a free-wheeling young woman in London. It starts off inoffensively enough, but then just goes on and on and on and on and on and on. Because there is absolutely no plot, there is no indication of when or how it will end. It simply lurches from one boring scene to another, with no momentum, purpose or point. Towards the end it becomes torturously agonizing to sit through -- just waiting for it to end but having no idea when that moment could possibly come. *
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