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michael-458
Reviews
The King's Speech (2010)
gorgeously told, deeply moving, brilliant
Our little local movie house (Fort Bragg, California) is a bit of a backwater -- a place where smart people go to escape the ratrace? It's rare we have more than 20 people at any showing, but for this, the theater was full, 150+ folks. And when this movie ended, our usually undemonstrative audience clapped. As if the makers could hear us!
Firth and Rush were superb. The screenplay was sensitive and rich -- the finely-drawn relationship between these two men, and the delineation of the relationship between "commoner" and royalty, something Americans are uncomfortable with, was sweet. We were waiting for Rush's character to call Firth's "Bertie" in public, and when the two squeaked past that awkward moment -- "Logue..." "Your Majesty..." -- the audience let out a huge sigh of relief.
What a wonderful young Queen Mum! This era of British history is practically unknown, and yet we're curious about it. The supporters were believable (Maybe Winnie was a little over the top) and relatable.
The movie's palette, almost black and white, but with moments of richness (Logue's wallpaper) that gave the color more power.
We want to see the next chapter!
Black Swan (2010)
self-indulgent, excruciating; maybe 15 beautiful seconds
My family almost walked out. My grown daughter said, "I'm going to remember this director's name and avoid his flicks. And as for Natalie ... it's going to take me awhile to forgive her."
There was one exquisite scene -- when Natalie turned into the Black Swan.
Too many excruciating scenes to list. The fingernail business was inexcusable.
The emblematic black/white swan idea was missing and/or completely muffed. I assume the director just didn't get it. There are so many movies that get the metaphor right. There simply was no white swan here.
We know and are friends with dancers, serious ones -- maybe not New York types, and maybe that's the problem. There's no reason the portrayal has to be so raw and wretched.
This movie has done a serious disservice to the Dance. If you love ballet, skip it.
Atonement (2007)
thin and useless
With a title like "atonement" we expect something moral and uplifting. What we get instead is the self-gratifying maunderings of an aging authoress of bodice rippers: as a spoiled child she ruins three lives by lying (or letting her imagination go wild, which is the same thing); those with ruined lives are killed in WW2, but our "heroine" (the little snot) goes on to write 21 novels, the last of which is her confession. She writes her (dead) victims a happy ending. Is that atonement? No, it's yet another act of selfishness. The film is suitably atmospheric, and the morays and habits of the British upper class continues to mystify, but this is only an entertainment, wholly unworthy of the title. Atonement is much harder work than this film could ever do.
All the Pretty Horses (2000)
sweet entertainment
A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. This is a movie for the big screen, because the big sky and countryside deserves all the sweeping detail you can see. The acting was believable and touching, and the story at once tragic and romantic. I'd like to know where our protagonists are now.
Walkabout (1971)
This movie grows on you
I first saw this movie in 1971 when it was released, and it made an imporession on me that lasted until the present. How many movies can I say that about? Two or three. Does that put this on my top-ten list of best movies? Yes, in retrospect, I think it does. The scenery and concept are spectacular, and the three children are perfect. The storytelling is cryptic and in many cases opaque -- what does the director mean us to conclude from that bit of sound, that brief intercut. Maybe I resented not understanding at first, but 30 years later I appreciate the magic. This movie planted seeds in my heart and in my spirit that have taken decades to grow. It was fascinating to revisit the film for a third or fourth time with the stout outgrowths in control of my life. This is a big movie, even if it doesn't seem so at first.
Men in Black (1997)
better with time, maybe a classic
I enjoyed this movie the first time; I loved it the second time. It's one of those rare movies that's THICK enough that I can keep peeling layers back and finding something entertaining underneath. The DVD deepens the experience by giving the viewer the opportunity to look closely at effects and timing, and to get a glimpse of the "auteur's" intentions. This movie is on its way to being a classic.
Restaurant (1998)
interesting, might have been better
As recovering restaurant workers, we looked forward to a little more reality. There were flashes of insight (like maybe the film-makers had actually worked in a restaurant), and we liked the truthfulness of the racial mix, although the racial tensions seemed a little too 1960s ... could really be that far behind?
The frustration and disappointment comes from the film being SO close to getting things right, and missing so consistently.
Unbreakable (2000)
dark, slow, unmemorable
After the hype, I expected to be disappointed. Nevertheless, I girded myself for suspension of disbelief, and I believe I made a good job of it. Willis was slow-witted throughout, as if he never made it back after the train wreck. His leaps of insight were not shared, and so the experience of watching the movie was episodic and ultimately not engaging.
My movie partner and I felt the movie could have been "told" in 45 minutes, and the extra 61 minutes were mere devices and special effects. I don't think this movie will grow on anyone the way Sixth Sense did.