Gonkiz Reviews

Series 7: The Contenders (2001)

Possibly the funniest and most disturbing movie I've ever seen...

[24 September 2002]

This is one sick puppy, people. Series 7 deals with the ever rising

popularity of docu-soaps - when will it end? When will people say

"enough"? It is hilarious, raw, cruel, incredibly black and totally

credible. That's kind of the worst part.

This is the game where you are chosen by your social security

number, given a gun and the rules. Survive. Anything is allowed.

Anything goes.

As I said, the movie is incredibly funny. If you laughed at Pulp

Fiction, Sam Jackson and Travolta bickering in the car and

accidentally shooting a poor guys head off, you'll love it. If you liked

Heathers, where teen suicide is taken to extremes, you'll love it.

But the point is - and there really is a point to this movie - how far

will we go in our quest for entertainment?

I think Series 7 comments in a very valid way on how docu-soaps

take advantage of people, showing them from their most sordid

side. Let us never hope any of us becomes a contender...

Donnie Darko (2001)

Dark, beautiful and unexpected

[9/10 · 9 April 2002]

Lovely. Haunting and beautiful, this piece of film does what no hollywood production manages these days. It is unexpected, you never know what will happen, and the paradoxes of the movie are not resolved in sweet little fluffy pink clouds.

Actions have consequences, which this film proves so well by it's storyline. It is mysterious and it keeps you guessing, and so far I've only seen two other movies that keeps me guessing for so long as Donnie Darko does (Fight Club and Sixth Sense).

It is a modern gothic, an urban legend and a truly unique piece of art. It is a handiwork and it has as such an almost visible air of all the effort that went into creating it. I loved it.

Il Mare (2000)

Beautiful, weird, and compelling...

[8/10 · 23 September 2001]

This is the most romantic and weird film I've ever seen. Delightful and very romantic, this film inspires. I had an overwhelming urge to go home and design something after seeing it. Not to mention dropping letters into mailboxes. Visually, the movie is incredibly beautiful. The storyline is also quite original for a love story. I don't know what else to say except see it, if you get the opportunity.

Bichunmoo (2000)

Beautiful, tragic adventure

[9/10 · 23 September 2001]

Bichunmoo must be one of the most beautiful and stunning movies to date. Another user made the point, this film will most likely suffer from comparisons with the excellent epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and I agree. The similarities are many. Bichunmoo may not have the same subtle undercurrent of emotion, but it is still very well performed. The storyline is not the most original, but with a few twists and turns that are Shakespearean to say the least. Some of the footage took my breath away, and it continued to do so throughout the movie. In short, it is definetly worth seeing, should you have a penchant for swordplay and tragedy.

Wild Flowers (2000)

Dark and grim fairytales

[23 September 2001]

This movie is based on Czech ballads from the 19th century, and it shows. There are seven stories told in this movie, and all of them are incredibly beautiful. The film might seem a bit scattered and incoherent the fist twenty minutes, because it does not follow the ordinary storytelling that we are used to in Hollywood productions. Nevertheless, after the first story, the film makes more and more sense. It is SO beautiful. The imagery is so unreal, so exquisite, that I have a hard time describing it. If you get the chance, see it.

El corazón del guerrero (1999)

Sweet and funny, but...

[23 September 2001]

This is a really sweet and funny movie. If you are a fan of role-playing games and conspiracies, this will really hit a nerve. It is a nice movie, not the best I've ever seen in this genre, but definitely worthwhile. The movie has one great advantage. It doesn't take itself seriously.

Angel of the Night (1998)

Danish vampire runs rampant

[23 September 2001]

This is something as unusual as a Danish vampire movie. What can I say? It is not the best vampire movie I've ever seen, but absolutely the funniest. The film makers has used some elements from the role-playing game "Vampire: The Masquerade" and the effects of this is quite amusing, if you happen to play it, like I do. Nonetheless, the movie is definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of vampire movies.