camrik505 Reviews

The Amityville Horror (2005)

Aussie girl does good - film does not!

[3/10 · 18 September 2007]

In keeping with tradition, Michael Bay and his tribe of predators have blown the dust off another classic and stuffed it right up!! When you hear news that there's a remake of a classic film out in cinemas/on DVD, you expect quality and results. There's nothing to see here, trust me. It is as though Bay and his cohorts somehow hit periods of creative boredom and go searching for a classic story to rehash and, once done, they twist it thoroughly out of proportion and accuracy. And, once they've dug up the past, urinated on it, and re-buried it upside down, the original can never quite be viewed the same way again. Bay and co., have done nothing to honor the 1979 version. Loosely based on an original story which was loosely based on a book loosely based on a "true story", this flick follows the tribulations of the Lutz family who move into the (in)famous Amityville house a year after Ronald DeFeo Jr., murders his family in their sleep (if you believe the official police version). What follows is a twenty-eight day nightmare as the Lutzes are tortured by all things evil. In many ways the film is thrown together - as Bay and associates are known for doing - incorporating inconsistent information, dis-jointed plot, ridiculous scary moments, and over-dramatization. Points to look out for: This, like the original, insists the mother of the DeFeo family (Louise) was shot in the head. In the real life murders, Louise DeFeo was shot twice in the back. I have never been able to figure out why the original film, and now this one, was so insistent on changing that detail. Point two: The film acknowledges that the DeFeo family were murdered on November 13, 1974. At least they got this right. However, this fact gets lost during the plot, and is essentially contradicted by other information which surfaces as the film goes on. This version has Ronald DeFeo Jr., moving himself into the basement on October 28, 1974 - '28' possibly appointed in reference to the Lutzes' twenty-eight days in the house. Then the film claims he murders his family TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS later! Counting on twenty-eight days from October 28 DOES NOT give us November 13! I can't believe the film was shot, edited, completed, campaigned for, advertised, put in the can and RELEASED with this glaringly obvious flaw intact - and no one noticed!! Sweet Jesus! Point three: the baby sitter, conveniently re-vamped as a vixen in this version, tells the Lutz children that Ronald DeFeo shot his family in the head. As previously pointed out, in this version only the mother and the two daughters were shot in the head. This, of course deviating from the real-life murders in which only the two daughters were shot in the head; the father, mother and two sons were shot in their backs. Point four: In the original, the Lutz daughter befriends a spirit pig called Jodie. Here's the laugh: In this version Jodie the pig is no more; instead becoming on of the DeFeo daughters - thus bumping out Allison DeFeo from the story. This is probably one of the most hilarious reinterpretations these idiots could have come up with; and it is what confirms the team's total lack of respect for the original facts. The only slightly impressive shake-up on the original story is the use of the elusive John Ketcham character from the original book. He has been coupled with the legend of the Native American Indians to create a somewhat fascinating narrative to the heavily debated origins of evil dwelling within the house. This concept wasn't explored in quite the same way in the original. Performance-wise, Ryan Reynolds was a bad choice for this role. In attempting to bring a progressively angry and violent character to the story's journey he falls flat instead with what turns out to be a self-conscious portrayal of very feminine agitation. If anyone delivers a good performance, it's Melissa George! In the midst of the contrived drama and juvenile scares, she brings something human to the role of Kathy Lutz. And this may be what would make the film at least bearable to anyone who is already familiar with the Amityville story, but would otherwise be offended by this very clumsy take on it. All in all, this is a let down. The original has much more punch. Don't rush out and get this one anytime soon!

The Departed (2006)

Brilliant...but be very awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed!!

[7/10 · 18 March 2007]

It goes without saying that this is another piece of Scorcese excellence, however I made the idiotic mistake of watching it when I was tired and probably should have been in bed. A big mistake - you'll want to watch this when you're totally focused and enthusiastic, otherwise you'll have trouble piecing it all together and following the plot. I won't go into the story on this one; instead I'll give rundown of the actors' performances - and this is something anybody considering watching this flick will want to know given the celebrated A-List cast assembled. I have never been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio. (His performance in "The Basketball Diaries" was flawless. Other than that, he's been very ordinary). However, after watching "The Departed" I had to humble myself and admit that his delivery in this flick was nothing short of brilliant! He and Jack Nicholson carried this film, if no one else. And, in a way, this is a shame when you compare it to the other somewhat bland performances by the other cast. This is what upsets the movie and makes it seem disjointed, thus becoming a distracting factor in an otherwise brilliant film. Jack Nicholson doesn't seem to need to make any effort in his acting technique - he pulls it off each time. His performance is incredibly focused and well timed, with that trademark edge of demented deviance he brings to almost all his characters. I've ALWAYS been a Matt Damon fan. However - and I hate to admit it - but his performance here was almost wooden. I don't think it was a role he fully submitted to. Again, like a small handful of his other performances, he was playing 'Matt Damon'. You can detect a touch of self-consciousness in his delivery. However, this won't deter a lot of Damon's fans. Mark Wahlberg's arrogant cop was just passable, however I could see a touch of his 'Dirk Diggler' from "Boogie Nights" in the way he delivered his dialogue. In a documentary from the accompanying Special Features disc, he mentions that he was playing the type of cop who used to arrest him when he himself was a teen. And this seems to be precisely what he does: he imitates someone else, rather than putting his own interpretation on the role. A pity, since Wahlberg is actually a great actor. In a relatively small role, Alec Baldwin is actually outstanding. This might be the role which may reprise his career after all! Martin Sheen - do I need to comment? This guy is brilliant no matter what he does. A very focused performance.

All in all, this film is incredibly well done, in true Scorcese style. A few continuity errors and audio overdubs/lip-synch changes are present, however, once immersed in the entertainment, viewers will be happy to dismiss these. (Or, perhaps, those who know and expect perfection from Scorsese may be somewhat shocked by these minor, yet mildly distracting errors.) Still highly recommended to any Scorcese fan or fans of the cast. Definitely worth the two and a half hours.

SPOILER: A lot of the film's bung-ups have been mentioned already in full list, however one that I haven't yet seen is the audio overdub of Matt Damon's voice when he is asking his informants over the phone what fell off the building. His actually asks what fell off the 'roof', however the audio says, 'building'. The second time he asks the same question, both his mouth and audio deliver 'roof'.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

An opportunity to reflect on our own lives...whichever side of the fence

[7/10 · 29 August 2006]

Controversial on a number of levels, yet tame by a number of standards, this is a film that will reach its audience in different ways, depending on their own personal journey - whether gay or straight. How we receive this movie - and how we relate - is indicative of where we're at in our own lives - and this is what makes this film brilliant. We follow the story of Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) who fall unexpectedly in love during a stint as a pair of sheep herders in Wyoming during the 1960's. What follows is the struggle to keep their desires hidden from a prejudiced society and the agony of remaining committed to their marriages while living double lives. There is a consistent undertone of melancholy throughout this film, from beginning to end, and some viewers will find this heavy. But this doesn't detract from the point conveyed by Ang Lee, its director. The impressive feature of this movie is the fact that every actor puts in a solid performance - in particular some of the "peripheral" actors - and this is quite rare in films where quite a number of the performers have very small roles. (Look at Anna Faris 'Lashawn Malone'; Kate Mara 'Alma Del Mar, Jr.', age 19; and Roberta Maxwell 'Jack's mother' for outstanding examples.) In terms of the main actors, Michelle Williams is outstanding, and Anne Hathaway almost steals the show! The only thing that seems to leave the film falling flat is the fact that there doesn't seem to be a positive resolution. Some will take this as an indication that gay men will end up facing tragedy and be confined to a life of loneliness. And we all might need to watch this with English subtitles, because for a majority of the film, we cannot understand what Heath Ledger's mumbled dialogue! This is incredibly disappointing - particularly considering that he delivers the very final line in the film and I am still unable to figure out what it is! (I'll have to get the DVD and throw on the subtitles!!) However, this film certainly does provoke an emotional response. And whether that response is one of anger, disgust, sadness, happiness, elation, denial, self-loathing, confusion, relief, empathy or curiosity, you are alive during those two hours. Highly recommended.

School Ties (1992)

A touching reference to racial segregation in 1950's America

[8/10 · 31 May 2006]

A brilliant 'coming-of-age' style film, in the tradition of "Dead Poet's Society". Starring a bevy of familiar faces during their up-and-coming phase: Matt Damon, Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, Cole Hauser and Amy Locane, this brilliant flick explores the challenges of a young, Jewish hopeful, David Greene (Fraser) who hides his religion from a group of bigots upon entering a prestigious preparatory school. Unaware of his identity, the students welcome him into the fold, until a prejudiced student (Damon) discloses his identity after discovering a romantic friendship developing between his own girlfriend (Amy Locane) and Greene. When one of the students cheats on his final exam - and Greene is accused - the class is requested to deliberate on a verdict, forcing them to choose between their own personal prejudices and the struggle to be impartial. Brilliantly acted and directed. Add this one to your collection!