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mikelawson03
Reviews
The Cell (2000)
Better than initial impression
When the original previews for this movie came out, I wasn't too impressed. Granted, it had Vince Vaughn in it, but it seems like he peaked as Trent in Swingers. However, I finally got around to seeing this film a few weeks ago, and was actually rather impressed. The makeup, costumes, and set design were incredible. The story wasn't as complete as it could have been, especially in parts of characters' lives which were briefly mentioned and then as quickly forgotten, but overall, the film was enjoyable.
Eddie Izzard: Glorious (1997)
Hilarious
I went over to a friend's house and she had this tape sitting on top of her VCR. We were bored and both had seen everything else she had, so we decided to watch it, as I had never even heard of Eddie Izzard. Before it started, she warned me that most people that have watched it with her think it's terrible and don't really understand alot of his humor. Two minutes into the film, I could barely hear one joke from still laughing at the previous one. Chronicling the whole of the Bible, granted with many long, random tangents, Izzard's comic genius had me laughing for the entire hour and a half.
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Preachy formula with a few funny moments
Being a fan of Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, and Morgan Freeman, I went to see this film with high hopes. After all, any movie with Freeman as God has to be pretty good, right? Perhaps not. While Freeman did once again fail to let me down, Carrey's performance was below average. However, when given a script that wasn't all that spectacular, one man can only do so much. Perhaps had I looked a little closer to see that Steve Oedekerk had been involved in the script, whose other cinematic failures include Kung Pow (also known as The Dumbest Movie in Existence), I wouldn't have been let down that much. Carrey was the best he could have been, but there's only so much he could do to save this. Steven Carrell had one of the best scenes in the movie, but even that was only able to entertain briefly before the gag just kept dragging on. Oh well, what can you expect from formula films?
The Hours (2002)
Bittersweet masterpiece
I was dragged to this film by a friend of mine. I sat through it and, after watching it, I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not. After talking about the film with my friend, I realized that this was actually an incredible movie. The one thing about the film that stood out was Nicole Kidman. Normally, Kidman's performances are forced and unconvincing, but she was astounding as Virginia Woolf. Julianne Moore's and Ed Harris also gave great performances, but Meryl Streep left a little to be desired, per usual. Keeping in mind that I have never read the book, the only negative thing I can say about the film is that most of it was very predictable.
About a Boy (2002)
Don't bother...slight spoilers
I went to go see this movie last night, because I loved High Fidelity, and read the book About a Boy since it was also by Nick Hornby. If you've read the book and liked it, don't waste your time with this film. First off, Hugh Grant, while perhaps a mediocre actor at best, simply is not the person to play Will. He's not, as Hornby describes him "Dry Ice" cool. He simply does not portray the image that Will's character requires. Also, if you like the plot line of the book, don't expect it in the film. The general principle is there, but halfway through the film it somehow gets lost. This is mostly attributed to the small role that Ellie plays in the film versus the significant part which Hornby gives her. I guess the only part that I really liked about the film was the transformation of Ellie from a grunge queen/Nirvana freak to a punk. In short, the Hornby feel of this movie is gone. The film centers less around Will and thus alot of the cynical humor is gone, so the Hornby feel of the film simply isn't there. My suggestion? Save a few bucks and rent High Fidelity instead.