Let me begin by saying I am no fan of Mel Gibson. Actually I am a former fan turned bitter critic. I love his early work as an actor in "Mad Max", "Gallipoli", and especially "The Year of Living Dangerously", but was greatly disappointed by the crap that follow: "Bird on a Wire", "Air America", "Maverick", the "Lethal Weapon" movies, etc. I thought he showed some ambition by playing "Hamlet", but it seemed more like a desperate attempt by a "movie star" to prove to everybody he could "do serious work". Then came "Braveheart", which I think is fairly entertaining but obviously a rip-off, sort of "Spartacus Goes to England". Of course Gibson won lots of big awards for that film and became the darling of Hollywood, while I stewed about his renewed popularity. Then came more crap like "Conspiracy Theory", "What Women Want", "The Patriot". He became an actor that I actively avoided at the box office. His anti-Semetic rantings and recent DUI arrest just confirmed what a "tosser" he really was. "See, I told you so."
Then I saw the trailers for "Apocalypto". Against my better judgment I bought a ticket, fully prepared to be duped by Gibson once again.
Mel, if you're reading this, all is forgiven.
"Apocalypto" is one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and original films I've ever seen. Who'd have thought that a film about Mayan Indians, without a word of English in it, could be so satisfying? The simplicity of the plot, the lushness of the cinematography, the immediacy of the conflict, the brutal honesty of the violence, the dogged determination of the main character, the manic pacing and editing, the thrilling discovery of worlds we've never seen before, all combine to make this a fantastic film. Yes it's violent and bloody, but the violence is appropriate to the subject matter and it's certainly no worse than most of the artless schlock unleashed upon us every Halloween.
Move over Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson is ready to challenge you for the title of best actor-turned-director. For the first time in a long, LONG time, I am now looking forward to the next "Mel Gibson" project.
Then I saw the trailers for "Apocalypto". Against my better judgment I bought a ticket, fully prepared to be duped by Gibson once again.
Mel, if you're reading this, all is forgiven.
"Apocalypto" is one of the most exciting, suspenseful, and original films I've ever seen. Who'd have thought that a film about Mayan Indians, without a word of English in it, could be so satisfying? The simplicity of the plot, the lushness of the cinematography, the immediacy of the conflict, the brutal honesty of the violence, the dogged determination of the main character, the manic pacing and editing, the thrilling discovery of worlds we've never seen before, all combine to make this a fantastic film. Yes it's violent and bloody, but the violence is appropriate to the subject matter and it's certainly no worse than most of the artless schlock unleashed upon us every Halloween.
Move over Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson is ready to challenge you for the title of best actor-turned-director. For the first time in a long, LONG time, I am now looking forward to the next "Mel Gibson" project.