hflynn927 Reviews

Kurt Cobain About a Son (2006)

It's better to burn out than to fade away

[8/10 · 17 April 2010]

I'm not a huge fan of Nirvana. I am, however, a huge fan of Kurt Cobain. I first watched this movie because I was starting to get into some more Nirvana songs, and Kurt intrigued me. It started out with a lot of emotion, but I spent basically the entire film wanting to see pictures and video of Kurt. Part of what makes this movie so artistic is the fact that there are none. You do, however, hear plenty of Cobain's voice, not in music, but in talking. About his life. You learn about his days as a rambunctious little kid and in elementary school, to when his life started to suck. It's actually a very emotional film.

When I first finished the movie, I was depressed for a couple days because I had seriously considered suicide many times from the time I was seven or eight years old, and I didn't like the movie. Over the next couple of days, the movie really sank in, and I realized what a great character Cobain was, and what an artsy film Kurt Cobain: About a Son is. It really gives you as much detail about Cobain's life as you could ask for. I'm not the first one to say this, but it really does make you "feel like you are Kurt Cobain."

If you are into Nirvana or Kurt Cobain, absolutely check this movie out. If you're not, this 8/10 rating does not apply to you.

Reign Over Me (2007)

Fantastic film.

[10/10 · 20 January 2010]

Reign Over Me is one of my favorite films of all time -- right up there with Shawshank Redemption.

Charlie (Adam Sandler) is probably my favorite character of all time... I see so much of myself in him. I try to escape from the real world by listening to music (my favorite song of all time is Lover Reign O'er Me, the movie's namesake, and one of the songs Charlie always listens to), and by playing video games, more specifically, Shadow of the Colossus (which Charlie plays throughout the film). But this is beside the point.

Charlie represents somebody who is completely disconnected from the rest of the world... he seems to have lost a lot of common sense, after loosing his family in 9/11.

Don Cheadle's character meets up with Charlie. They were old college buddies. Don Cheadle's character finds much of himself through this man, and it is a remarkable story about friendship and love. That's all I'll give away.

The film has one of the best soundtracks ever, it's comprised of some of my favorite oldies. The opening theme, Simple Man by Graham Nash, almost made me cry. Other noteworthy songs include The Birds of St. Marks by Jackson Browne, and, of course, Love Reign O'er Me by The Who.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but don't be fooled -- It's an extremely moving story.

Forget everything you know about Adam Sandler as an actor. He shines in this movie. He's a fantastic actor. Cheadle's performance is also good.

That's it. Watch it.