elshuefan Reviews

Dreamer (2005)

Going to see it again

[10/10 · 6 November 2005]

My wife and I expected a predictable root-for-the-good-guys movie ala Rocky, Karate Kid and all, which this is. However, this is so well done, that it didn't matter to us that we were 10 steps ahead of the film. All of the cast and crew did excellent jobs, and you all pulled this off with a very high degree of professionalism. Go see it!! It's a movie that people of all ages will enjoy, and I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. This is the level of film quality that we expect when we pay full price for a movie ticket. Great work Kurt, Elisabeth, Dakota, Kris, and the entire cast and crew!!! You all played wonderful characters, and the entire audience at our screening applauded as the closing credits rolled.

Doom (2005)

Lamest of the game movies. Save your money.

[1/10 · 22 October 2005]

So awful, I only sat through it because I didn't do the driving, and my son bought my ticket after begging me to go. It's right there with Heaven's Gate, Ishtar, and Glitter. SAVE YOUR MONEY. Easily the worst movie of the year, and I'm being kind. Over half of the movie is nothing but a group of soldiers running around to a rock-and-roll soundtrack, with very few discernible monsters and dialog that is so bad that it was painful. Bad acting, no script, not much action until the last 20 minutes of a 100 minute movie. Rock, you should be paying people $9.00 to watch this. Did you get paid for this? At least you didn't do that dumb eyebrow thing. There's a positive.

Proof (2005)

Another brilliant Paltrow performance

[10/10 · 9 October 2005]

The more I see Gwyneth's films, the more in awe I am of her versatility. There doesn't seem to be a type of role, or genre of film, in which she is miscast or over her head. "Proof" is another tour-de-force performance by Ms. Paltrow. Wow! The complexity of her character kept me sitting at the edge of my seat, with my hands clasped under my chin, literally, for the entire second half of the film. Gwyneth and Anthony Hopkins interacted very well together. Jake Gyllenhaal held his own as the math student, a positive complement to Gwyneth's increasingly depressed character. Hope Davis did a wonderful job as Gwyneth's well-meaning but out-of-touch sister in the film. Drama-lovers unite! This character-driven film is for you. Lots of emotion, riveting dialogue, and Oscar-caliber performances. Go see it!

Bewitched (2005)

Cute but not hilarious.***Contains spoilers***

[7/10 · 26 June 2005]

***Contains spoilers*** I went for two reasons. I love to watch Nicole Kidman work, and I was curious about how one of my all-time favorite shows would be handled. As with so many movies, this one falls into the "woulda-coulda-shoulda dept". I woulda added Dr. Bombay. His character was so popular, that people were saying "Calling Dr. Bombay. Emergency. Come right away." when he appeared in James Cameron's "Titanic". They coulda done it up bigger, (read more fantastic special effects). Was ILM on strike? They shoulda had Jim Carrey play Darren. He looks and sounds much more like Dick York than Will Ferrell. If anyone asks me what I thought about it, I will say that it was cute, but not hilarious.

Closer (I) (2004)

Excellently crafted, tightly woven film.

[10/10 · 3 December 2004]

I absolutely loved this very raw, character-driven drama. If you're looking for another "Notting Hill" or "My Best Friend's Wedding", forget it. Look elsewhere. But, if you love sexually-oriented dialogue, and gritty, honest performances, this movie is for you. This film is drama at it's best, i.e. "Leaving Las Vegas", or "Mystic River". None of the characters in "Closer" are remotely likable, but you are still slowly drawn into their sick and twisted world. This is DVD library material for the true drama-lover.

To everyone involved in the making of this wonderful film: Great job! To Julia, Jude, Natalie, and Clive: Your performances were as good or better than anything that I've ever seen you do. Keep up the good work!

Cellular (2004)

If you love "cheer-for-the-good-guys" action, this is your movie.

[9/10 · 12 September 2004]

If you can shift gears in the middle of the movie from tenseness to comic relief laughter and back, you'll love this escapist entertainment. The first half provides the tension that you expect from the previews, but the second half is a "cheer-for-the-good-guys" romp. Our audience in Phoenix burst into applause four times during the last half of the show. One for Kim Basinger, once for Chris Evans, and twice for William H. Macy. I won't add spoilers for those who haven't seen it, but if you have seen it, you probably have a good idea of which scenes I'm talking about.

You can't beat it for just pure entertainment. If you were expecting a tense, terrifying 2 hours, forget it, but if you want fast-paced action, cheering for the good guys all the way, this is your movie.

The Door in the Floor (2004)

Wonderfully complex film

[10/10 · 4 September 2004]

My wife and I just got back from "The Door in the Floor", and I have to say that I found the film to be complex, deep, and intense. We will be hearing about nominations at Oscar time. There are many, many ways that people react to tragedy, and withdrawing the way that Marion Cole did is certainly common. We have friends that lost their eldest daughter to a congenital heart problem a year and a half ago, and I can tell you that he (the dad) reacted just that way, although he went down the alcoholic route, along with distancing himself from his other two children, because he couldn't face his daughter's death. He finally walked out on the entire family much like Marion did. If you think that it can't happen the way that it did in the film, think again.

The performances by Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger were spot-on perfect. Henry Fonda once said the secret of great actors was that they never let the audience see the wheels turning. I thought that Jeff's performance was one of his best, maybe even better than he was in "Fearless", although that is certainly arguable. I still liked Kim Basinger better in "L.A. Confidential", but this performance is certainly up there at the top.

I certainly intend to see this again, and will end up buying the DVD for my video library. I just love well-written character-driven dramas, and this is certainly one of the better ones.

Monster (2003)

Charlize's is the best performance I've ever seen.

[10/10 · 13 June 2004]

I thought that Nicolas Cage's performance in "Leaving Las Vegas" was one of the best, until I saw Charlize Theron in "Monster". I've watched as many movies as anyone, but I can't remember an actor/actress that was as utterly convincing as Charlize was. The film is too disturbing to me to watch repeatedly, but I won't have to, since Theron's portrayal of Aileen Wuornos is so indelibly etched in my memory. Great work, Charlize. With you, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, and the rest of the young talent taking over the "A"-list, the quality of Hollywood films is sure to remain high for many, many years.

Underworld (2003)

A movie with Attitude. ***Contains spoilers***

[22 September 2003]

The first thing that pulls you into the movie is attitude, attitude, attitude. There are no smart-aleck comments to lighten up this dark tale. My son and I loved it, my wife hated it. Par for the course when watching an ultra-violent movie with a grunge-rock soundtrack. It's not for everyone. If you couldn't handle the never-ending gunfire in "BlackHawk Down", stay away from this one. It's loud, raucous, and is about the most violent mainstream film that you'll see. Everyone in our family is going to see it again, except my wife. She's done with this one and any sequel. Casting Kate Beckinsale was surprising, but turned out to be very effective. None of her previous work would give anyone a clue that she could play a Carrie Ann Moss character like this. The sullen, moody look works, as does the hairstyle and outfit. I wish that she had been able to do a complete transformation as the Erika character had done. (Maybe in the sequel). To me, this is Matrix-like without the dizzy slo-mo, stop and go carousel shots that I hated in "The Matrix".

Paris, Texas (1984)

A once in a lifetime film

[2 April 2002]

I think that Paris, Texas is an absolute gem. This film plays on many levels, and relies on one's imagination to fill in pictures while listening to the dialogue. Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski are just mesmerizing together in the second half of the film. I've about worn out the VHS tape that I taped off of the Movie Channel. Hat's off to Sam Shepard! What a writer!

Paris, Texas (1984)

I hung onto every word of this film.

[1 April 2002]

I'm not going to be able to add much to the well-deserved accolades previously laid onto this timeless gem. Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell, Aurore Clement, and all of the rest of the cast should look back on this film and take tremendous pride in contributing to this masterpiece. WHAT A FILM!!!!

Tess (1979)

One of my all-time favorites

[1 April 2002]

There aren't enough superlatives to go around for this utterly gorgeous movie!!! This is one of the best dramatic films ever made, and certainly the very best that Roman Polanski has ever directed. My wife and I watched this over 20 times during its theater run, sometimes 3 times in a weekend. I'm a big Thomas Hardy fan, and I thought that this adaptation was as close as a film can get. I thought that some of the changes that were made were beneficial (A man named Angel playing a harp instead of the flute used in the film would have caused unintentional giggles from the audience and would have taken away from the film. One of Mr. Hardy's few gaffes in his book.) This film is cinematic power at it's utmost. If you're a drama lover, and you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself. Bring the whole box of Kleenex. You'll need it. For me, this is Nastassja Kinski's signature film. .................................What are you waiting for????

Panic Room (2002)

It ain't "Silence of the Lambs" but it ain't bad

[7/10 · 30 March 2002]

If you're looking for maximum intensity, this movie isn't the one for you. Don't get me wrong. It's a GOOD movie that works for one viewing. I'm not sure whether a moviegoer would get anything new out of it watching it twice. It's not that complicated. The acting by most is first-rate (we're talking Jodie Foster, Jared Leto, and Forest Whitaker here. Dwight, don't quit your day job). Kristen does a good job as Jodie's daughter. Most all of the plot "twists" are predictable. What holds the viewer is the skill of the actors and the director. Sometimes when a movie is put together well, it works, even if we're thinking 15 minutes ahead and guessing right every time. Should you see it? I would say it's worth a matinee ticket. If you want to pay full primetime price, you're on your own.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

I loved the "Love-it-or-Hate-It" movie of the year

[10/10 · 5 January 2002]

CONTAINS SPOILERS! I just love original movies that are made by professionals that are willing to take a chance. Any idiot can buy some dynamite and blow things up, capture it on film and call it a movie. It's been done thousands of times, and I'm tired of it. This movie was a welcome diversion from Hollywood's usual rehashed stuff. Like a lot of people, I thought "MTV clone" during the first 15 minutes. After the film settled down, I was mesmerized by the performances of not only the stars Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor, but the supporting cast as well. Each supporting actor seemed to be the right fit for their respective parts. The recurring sentiment of "The show must go on" spoke volumes about the struggles of everyday life, and the resolve people have to overcome obstacles. I thought that using modern music worked sometimes, and didn't work at other times, but overall, I can't think of anything that I would change. My wife got the DVD for Christmas, and after we watched it twice, and it's going around the circuit to friends who wanted to see it, too. I would recommend this movie to anyone. Even if you don't like musicals, give this one a try at least once. Like us, you may be quite surprised and were glad that you took the plunge into a film that is visually stunning and quite unique.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Never mind the critics, professional or not. GO SEE IT!

[29 May 2001]

I really enjoyed the film. I would not have been happy to jump right to a battle where 3000 Americans got annihilated, then saw "The End" (roll credits) as so many people seem to have wanted the movie to be edited down to. I did care about the characters, and did want to know how things turned out for them afterward. It seems easy to see why the film extended beyond Dec 7th. Americans do not like war movies that end with us getting our butts kicked. We never have. That is American pride at it's best. I felt a real sense of patriotism when we went into Tokyo and showed the enemy that we were going to hit them where they lived. I'll definitely buy the DVD when it comes out.

Hollow Man (2000)

Hollow Man on Elm Street

[8/10 · 5 August 2000]

This is a good summer "check-your-brain-at-the-door" movie. The special effects are very well done, and Kevin Bacon was excellent at portraying the successive degrees of dementia that one might encounter under the same circumstances. Empowering Elisabeth Shue's character at the end was exciting, but I could have done without Freddie Krueger stuff that was inflicted on the rest of the staff. I expected more cat-and-mouse mental warfare between these MENSA candidates. All in all, I liked it, but, as in many movies, I can't help but think "woulda,coulda,shoulda". As always, Elisabeth Shue was sexy-cool and in control. Whoa!!!

Molly (1999)

Heartwarming charmer of a film.

[11 April 2000]

I really enjoyed "Molly". All of the actors were on top of their game in making this very charming film. I originally went only to see Elisabeth Shue, but was very pleasantly surprised and touched by this film. Rent it!