Based on a true story this film creates a quite powerful tension to it. Without it being a true story this film would have decreased drastically in interest and power. Although I knew about this whole dilemma before entering the theatre I still, during it, felt rather excited. As in "Heat", Michael Mann, although his quite traditional way to depict, creates a somewhat convincing unfamiliarity, great enough to make me doubt the outcome of this film. Morally & politically correct this movie is quite traditional and very well acted and done, filled with communicative close ups, detailed environment & lightning. Mann managed to avoid clichés, heroism and moral magnifications to such an extent that the film didn't fall due to such factors, which is quite a good effort considering the theme. Mann didn't disrespect nor dramatise this happening in order to more easily reach a wider audience. I consider this one of a few true-based movies that managed to obtain the incident's truthfulness & sincerity. Simply, a substantial Hollywood production.
Reviews
7 Reviews
Night on Earth
(1991)
An embracing of life
26 February 2000
With rhythm, passion, humour & sincerity Jarmusch depicts five different stories in five different cities with two common grounds, it all happened in a cab, & it all happened in the same night on earth. Jarmusch ones said that he's not particularly interested in plots but rather in characters. This notion is very evident in this motion picture. There is no structural story line, this is five different & rather short tales all tied up by external elements. The characters are all truly amazing, in some films it takes virtually the whole dramatisation to attain the feeling that you familiarised with the characters, in one way or the other. In some films, you never even come close to such an accomplishment. But in this one, however, you merely need a brief cab ride to really feel the presence and the acquaintance. Apart from enjoying all the cab rides greatly I exceptionally laughed and yet sincerely fathomed the tragedy of the second New York ride. The situation Helmut, a German immigrant, finds himself in is really sorrowful, as it is very comical as well. For a reason beyond comprehension he has though his bad English and very severe driving accomplished to obtain a taxi driver card in a city he practically doesn't know the name of. Somewhat accidentally he managed to pick up Yo-Yo, an energetic, talkative & very amusing New Yorkian. Two greatly distinct cultures persuaded to make conversation is extremely charming, interesting & humorous, though they can hardly understand each others nature they still manage to somewhat interpret each other in a very abstruse way. The actors did all perform admirably well and genuine.
The music by Tom Waits is extremely well fitting. He did a great job to include this kind of wandering state that this film is based upon, kind of a tip-toeing approach. Which is a quite well describing way of defining this elegant film. A collaboration of tragic & comic wrapped up in five different destinies, neither containing a beginning or a goal, merely an embracing of time, an embracing of life.
The music by Tom Waits is extremely well fitting. He did a great job to include this kind of wandering state that this film is based upon, kind of a tip-toeing approach. Which is a quite well describing way of defining this elegant film. A collaboration of tragic & comic wrapped up in five different destinies, neither containing a beginning or a goal, merely an embracing of time, an embracing of life.
Drugstore Cowboy
(1989)
A groovy, vague, humorous, road movie
24 February 2000
Gus Van Sant's best film, in my opinion. Followed by the following "My Own Private Idaho". A very laughable film as it is very dramatic. A non-pretentious road movie that depicts the humorous and tragic sides of a very drug related life. The book-based script is very interesting & attractive and consequently a hard one to base a good & upright movie upon, Van Sant did a praiseworthy and nearly excellent film out of this nevertheless. The movie carries a kind of melancholy and yet kind of a groovy rhythm and an original and well recognised atmosphere. Van Sant created a very vague feeling to it as well, which I really found interesting. Acting is authentic & excellent. Personally, I loved it.
Little Odessa
(1994)
Raw, naked, haunting & cold.
23 February 2000
I saw this movie at a quite low age, I consider it one of the films that evoked my passion for this art form. This film is very bare, very raw yet somehow harmonious, as well. The violence is very well depicted, in a very cold & frightful way. This is a film without any greater hope, without any greater optimism of our future. A rapid & haunting way of showing the true face and consequences of brutal violence. Intensively and artistically this film displays a chaotic & desperate family, a destiny very honest and very haunting. Cinematography is stunning, as is the environment, which very well defines the fundamental characteristics of this film, cold, naked, intense & raw. Great debut by the very promising James Gray.
"Allow great concern towards the trivial things..."
22 February 2000
Warning: Spoilers
!Review contains Spoiler!
Being a long time Jarmusch fan I went to the theatre with almost complete faith in the quality of this film. Jarmusch is one of the few filmmakers that have a profound creativeness that never lacks originality, freshness, charm, beauty, poetry, skill, talent etc. Having this said, I have nearly revealed what I am about to express about the latest creation of Jim Jarmusch. "Ghost Dog: The way of the Samurai" is a very good and interesting film, very similar to the way Jim chooses to depict pieces of life, so to speak. I found it, however, to be a bit too predictable in the small scenes, the details. (Not the whole plot, as the plot was very obviously never intended to be surprising.) Jim's uniqueness and greatness lies in his vision for the importance of trivial activity, in my opinion, this greatness was present in this dramatisation, far greater than practically all of today's other cherished filmmakers, not, however, as present as I desired, when it comes to Jarmusch. The story, the theme, of this movie was very exciting, I found Ghost Dog's behaviour very mysterious and strange yet very beautiful and understandable. His deep devotion towards the ancient samurai philosophy was extraordinary as it rang very reasonable. How and why we come to submit ourselves to teachings in general was what I found this movie was trying to dig further into, very interesting, very funny indeed, and very beautiful, as always.
Being a long time Jarmusch fan I went to the theatre with almost complete faith in the quality of this film. Jarmusch is one of the few filmmakers that have a profound creativeness that never lacks originality, freshness, charm, beauty, poetry, skill, talent etc. Having this said, I have nearly revealed what I am about to express about the latest creation of Jim Jarmusch. "Ghost Dog: The way of the Samurai" is a very good and interesting film, very similar to the way Jim chooses to depict pieces of life, so to speak. I found it, however, to be a bit too predictable in the small scenes, the details. (Not the whole plot, as the plot was very obviously never intended to be surprising.) Jim's uniqueness and greatness lies in his vision for the importance of trivial activity, in my opinion, this greatness was present in this dramatisation, far greater than practically all of today's other cherished filmmakers, not, however, as present as I desired, when it comes to Jarmusch. The story, the theme, of this movie was very exciting, I found Ghost Dog's behaviour very mysterious and strange yet very beautiful and understandable. His deep devotion towards the ancient samurai philosophy was extraordinary as it rang very reasonable. How and why we come to submit ourselves to teachings in general was what I found this movie was trying to dig further into, very interesting, very funny indeed, and very beautiful, as always.
All About My Mother
(1999)
Highly Overrated.
13 January 2000
I have through the years never really appreciated Almodóvar. When 'Todo Sobre mi Madre' received such huge responses I hoped he had overdone himself. When I went to see this piece, I did so with quite great expectations. But, oh, how I was disappointed. I did enjoy the movie, I did laugh numerous of times. I did not, however, consider this a larger movie than a couple of good laughs. The story was very profound, every actress either had or did live through some huge sadness, so to speak. The fundamental plot of this movie was very demanding, it must thus be very realistic and justifiable according to human behaviour, when thrown in such emotional crisis. Whereas I found this sadness, this depression, this wandering state the most relevant, the most fundamental object to depict I was really, truly disappointed, even quite upset. There was but one scene where a character actually cried, however, she nearly had the chance to even begin until Almodovar threw us into the next scene. In such emotional state we reveal ourselves, our true selves, only when we are alone. We do not act according to our emotions when looked upon, especially not in such a position. How many times, how long was a character alone? Hardly ever, and if so, for an absurd short moment. What this movie gave me what nothing but laughs, beyond that, nothing of positive or poetic, artistic value what so ever. Almodovar himself is, indeed, glad that the European filmmakers differ from the Hollywood stationed, however, this movie had every awful parallel to simple Hollywood productions trying to explore metaphysics. It's an easy, awful attempt to depict grief and sadness, it's more of an insult to the two states rather than an exploration of them, probably why it became so popular as well. "Todo sobre mi madre" surely, by its plot, demand great vision, great talent, however, Almodovar proved to lack both.
The Thin Red Line
(1998)
A beautiful stunning delight
17 November 1999
After seeing this rather poetic piece of art a few days ago I must say I'm truly amazed. Being unfamiliar with the previous works of T.Malick after these three hours I can't wait to experience the other two of his name.
The absolute moment after I had seen this movie I was truly overwhelmed by its philosophical power, the brutal honesty and the visual poetry. This is one of those masterpieces where your emotional eruption in the end speaks for itself and the analysis is being done only to explain your love for this piece upon others. All through this film I felt as if I was somehow brought beyond my physical restriction. Its visual poetry was beyond powerful, as the characters' either minted nostalgia or futuristic longing. The film itself was simply an epoch of life. As it circles. Eternal. In the horror they were all thrown inside no one could possibly avoid the confrontation of themselves, the confrontation of life itself. Whatever belief they possessed before the war, the one thing they all had in common, both American and Japanese soldiers, was the simple fact that they were all the features of the same face, all the workens of one mind. Everyone is a part of everyone, everything a part of everything.
The absolute moment after I had seen this movie I was truly overwhelmed by its philosophical power, the brutal honesty and the visual poetry. This is one of those masterpieces where your emotional eruption in the end speaks for itself and the analysis is being done only to explain your love for this piece upon others. All through this film I felt as if I was somehow brought beyond my physical restriction. Its visual poetry was beyond powerful, as the characters' either minted nostalgia or futuristic longing. The film itself was simply an epoch of life. As it circles. Eternal. In the horror they were all thrown inside no one could possibly avoid the confrontation of themselves, the confrontation of life itself. Whatever belief they possessed before the war, the one thing they all had in common, both American and Japanese soldiers, was the simple fact that they were all the features of the same face, all the workens of one mind. Everyone is a part of everyone, everything a part of everything.
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