puckhead95 Reviews

Love + Hate (2005)

What' not to like?

[10/10 · 15 January 2006]

An excellent film. Low budget for sure but that might have helped, not hindered, this film. It has a very realistic feel and look. There's no glamourizing here. But at the same time, it doesn't feel overly dramatic.

The actors, all newbies or very limited in experience we all very believable. No one dies like you might think someone will at some point. Fantastic acting and editing. The story flowed so well.

Other films will be made for far more money with big name actors and directors but I doubt they couldn't have done any better. Maybe not a perfect film but is there such a thing?

My Faraway Bride (2006)

Soooo predictable. Poorly acted, horribly written

[2/10 · 15 January 2006]

I didn't expect much when I saw this at the Palm Springs Film Fest this weekend. It was an alternate choice when two other films were sold out. Still, I held out hope. It sounded a bit much like "Bride and Prejudice" (L.A. guy falls for an Indian beauty, parental conflict, blah blah blah). B&P was not perfect but it was an enjoyable film with some good laughs and likable characters.

"My Bollywood Bride" had none of that. The acting seemed stilted and way to by-the-numbers. Characters were so cliché the story seemed like it could have been written by high school freshman drama student. Technically, the sound really bothered me. It seemed as if there was a lot of over-dubbing of dialogue. I mean a lot. I know sometimes it's necessary but it sounded like half the film was shot in a closet and it became very distracting.

Two stars is being somewhat generous.

Red Dust (2004)

not perfect, but very good

[8/10 · 2 March 2005]

I saw this film at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival. I went in with the assumption that if it stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Hilary Swank it had to be at least decent. Well, after a kind of a slow start, I was far from disappointed. In fact, I was quite pleased with the final product.

I must admit the Afrikaaner and Xhosa(?) accented English of some of the actors were kind of hard to understand but like seeing "Waking Ned Devine", "Trainspotting" or any other film with heavy-accented actors I adjusted after about 15 minutes. And I was trying to figure out why Hilary Swank was supposed to be South African and sounded like she was trying to put on an accent but sounded very American... as if she was making a weak attempt at putting on the accent. But later in the film as more is revealed about her character and how she moved to the US as a teen you begin to understand how she might have lost some or most of her accent. So it began to make sense that only certain words might have a Afrikaaner lilt to them.

I know it's a little weak for one to use film as education but one of the great things about this film is that it was interesting to see a dramatization of a Truth and Reconciliation trial. I'd heard about the T and R process in South Africa after the fall of apartheid but I didn't really know how it worked.

The final verdict is that although some of the scenes felt a little contrived, this was overall a very strong film. The closing sequence where the "truth" comes out was the strong finish every film hopes for. A definite must see for anyone who cares about what happens outside their borders.

In My Country (2004)

Comparisons with "Red Dust"

[2 March 2005]

I actually haven't seen this film as it hasn't been released in the US yet. But I did see a preview for it and was quite surprised at the similarities with another film: "Red Dust" with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Hilary Swank.

It seems those who have seen "In My Country" didn't think much of it. It would be a shame if "In My Country" 'tainted the well' for "Red Dust" and resulted in a limited US release or, even worse, no release at all. More people need to be able to see it.

Has anyone seen both films who could offer any comparison? It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Liegen lernen (2003)

A chick film for guys (and chicks)

[8/10 · 20 May 2004]

I saw this at the 2004 Palm Springs Film Fest. It's not a great film, that would likely garner many awards. But for its fairly light-hearted veneer this one was a real charmer. And though it's not addressing any really significant issues to any great depth, there were some "secrets" that seemed to be buried just beneath the generally warm fuzzy surface. Although it covers a lot of the same ground that's been covered in 17,842 other films "Liegen Lernen" does it in a way that's a little less smarmy or girlie-mushy.

Most "chick films" or romantic comedies center on the female lead or on both the female and male lead. It was refreshing to see the focus in this one be almost exclusively from the male perspective. But don't let that stop you if you're one of the fairer sex.

Some might think it's a cheap shortcut but Helmut's narration voice-over gives you a chance to really get inside his head. The conflict in his head that pulls him between typical adolescent male behavior - even beyond adolescence - and enlightened adulthood is clearer and presented in a way that many guys can relate to.

The characters and Helmut's relationships with them are realistic ones that people on both sides of the Atlantic can relate to: small, manageable circles of high school friends; college and young adult years spent with an odd assortment of roommates; old friends found, even if briefly; and, of course, a variety of loves that sometimes intersect but somehow all seem to be the driving force in one's life.

It's funny without reverting to gross out gags - though there's nothing wrong with them, as a rule. It's touching without feeling like an afterschool special. It's insightful without being overbearing. The soundtrack with a seemingly intentional absence of soaring violins and goofy pop love songs is appropriate as well.

On the whole, this is a well-balanced movie that leaves you feeling like, "Why can't more films be like this one?"

Like most non-U.S. produced films, this one is probably difficult if not impossible to find in the U.S. but if you can, rent/buy/borrow it.

Vua Bãi Rác (2002)

This was horrible

[23 December 2003]

I saw this film at the Palm Springs FilmFest in 2003. It was perhaps the worst movie I've ever seen.

I never saw more people leave a theater in the middle of a movie. That is, if they didn't fall asleep.

Bad cinematography. Bad acting. Bad writing.

Oh. And whoever did the translation surely didn't help.

Give five 7th graders a camera, a mic and a couple of floodlights and they could top this.