ada1crs Reviews

Revolver (2005)

A Huge Disappointment

[1/10 · 9 November 2005]

Having loved both Lock Stock and Snatch, I saw the trailer for Revolver and believed it could be great. However on viewing the finished film, I was not only left bewildered by the completely all over the place plot, irritated by the random visuals and deaf from Ray Liotta's desire to shout himself into an early grave.

It seems that Ritchie's plan was to explore the psychology of the seasoned gambler (a potentially fascinating subject). Yet his films plot becomes so bogged by unnecassary characters (Chinese gangsters, a Keyser Soze type underworld figure) and subplots (terminal illness) that it becomes far too confusing too comprehend. While the Kill Bill style animation does not fit into the plot and the settings confusing hybrid of London and Las Vegas is mind boggling and extremely irritating.

Ritchie would have better to cut out 1/2 the characters (especially Vincent Pastore), 1/2 of the plot and focus on one character beating an opponent through learning (along with the audience) the rules of the con.

Instead he's left with a mess that alienates it's audience rather than entertains them. And the 'fear me' scene between Liotta (a shoo in for a Raspberry if ever there was one) and Statham (should stick to the Transporter movies) was one of the stupidest ever committed to film.

A waste of time and money, go rent Snatch instead.

* out of *****

Goodfellas (1990)

The Best Gangster Movie Ever Made Bar None

[10/10 · 22 February 2005]

'Goodfellas', alongside 'Pulp Fiction' stands as my all time favorite film. Based on Nicolas Pillegi's outstanding novel the screenplay is intelligent and thrilling and gives credence to each performer. In crime movies the female leads (if any) are whiny and one dimensional but Lorraine Bracco's Oscar nominated perfromance is brilliant and her character is as dimensional as Henry (a slightly disappointing Ray Liotta, he rushes the voice-over and much of his dialogue). Jimmy (forget Raging Bull, this is DeNiro's greatest performance)Conway is pure genius and Pesci is great as the plain insane Tommy DeVito.

Scorcese directs with a fast moving and in your face visual style and punctuates the soundtrack with some of the best rock/pop songs of the sixties and seventies, ending with Sid Viscous's 'My Way' was a stroke of genius and putting 'Down Below the Ocean' over the Batt's murder was insane but it worked because it goes against the grain.

People say the Godfather is the greatest crime movie ever and perhaps they are right. But I have to disagree, 'Goodfellas' is more energetic more exciting and most importantly more FUN than the dreary, boring Godfather's.

A flat out, awe inspiring, no-one will ever make a film as good as this again MASTERPIECE.

10/10

Magnolia (1999)

''A Magnificently Made Masterpiece''

[11 February 2005]

Magnolia was a film I had a strange relationship with. I first saw it at the cinema on a one day only screening and came away not knowing what I thought of it but pretending to love it so I could fit in. A few years later I watched it on TV and completely fell in love with a film that is undoubtedly a ''magnificently made masterpiece''(a quote from The News of the World). Each of the characters is endearing to the viewer and no one character comes away without having a story that was worth hearing. In particular Jason Robards, Jeremy Blackman and an extraordinary Tom Cruise in the role he was born to play. Anderson's screenplay is a collage of ideas and theories which tie together intricately and perfectly (a perfect example of a Best Original Screenplay). And despite some criticisms, the cast rendition of 'Wise Up' was perfect. If you don't cry during Frank's emotional breakdown in front of Earl or Donnie's admittance of love to Brad the bartender, then you've no soul.

10/10 'I have so much love to give, I just don't know where to put it'

Mommie Dearest (1981)

An Underrated Portrait of a Movie Legend

[8/10 · 8 February 2005]

Upon reading the 'awards and nominations' list for Mommie Dearest I was disappointed to see that it received several 'Raspberry' nominations. Having seen the film I throughly believe that tbe nominations were unjustified. Both Faye Dunaway (as Crawford) and Mara Hobel (as Christina) unarguably deserved Oscars for their stunning portrayals of a mother who was constantly teetering on the edge of insanity and a daughter forced to bear the brunt of her mothers violent and often disturbing outbursts.

Despite the film losing momentum in the years of Christiana's adulthood (Diana Scarwid gives a lacklusture performance) it is in the early years that we see the full, horrifying power of this disturbing mother/daughter relationship. The worst moment for me was Crawford savagely cutting Christiana's hair to shreds for simply imitating the preening Crawford in the mirror.

Perhaps the film received the nominations and the ridicule simply for revealing the truth about this 'beloved' screen star, a woman who did not have the mindset or the capabilites to raise children.

Better Off Dead (1985)

Brilliantly Surreal

[31 January 2005]

Better off Dead is definitely one of John Cusack's better 80's teen movies and far superior to the dull 'Say Anything'. The surreal situations and characters (the dreadful cook mother, the homicidal paper boy, Lane's best friend) are wonderful and recall the best work of the Coen brothers, while Cusack's hangdog performance is excellent, standing alongside 'the grifters' and grosse pointe blank as one of the best of his career. It stands as one of the most interesting and original teen movies to ever grace the genre and it is a great shame that writer/director Savage Steve Holland never hit these highs again, spending the remiander of his career languishing in TV hell.

I cannot praise this film enough.

**** out of five

Lost in Translation (2003)

Stunning

[14 June 2004]

''Lost in Translation'' is the film which brought Bill Murray back into the public eye. His performance as the dissatisfied with life Bob Harris is a companion to the equally unhappy Herman J Blume in Rushmore (1999)and, like in Rushmore, Murray is a revalation, giving life to a character whom is tired of it.

The early scenes where Bob is doing advertising photographs for the Suntory Whiskey are hilarious and showcase Murray's talent for dead pan humour but the film becomes magical once he and Charlotte (the equally impressive Scarlett Johansson)begin to sample the Tokyo nightlife. Scenes in the Karoke bar and the hospital exchange between Bob and the little boy are wonderful and what is more appealing is Coppola's willingness to let the characters slowly develop from at first annoying and melancholic to warm and inviting and she avoids the cliche of them ending up in bed one drunken night.

Though the film has it's flaws, the characterisation of Giovani Ribisi's John is limited and Murray's one night stand with a maid serves no purpose. But forget the jabs about Japanese stereotypes and enjoy a film best described as 'Brief Encounter for the Millenium' (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.

The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

Nonsense

[14 June 2004]

Samuel L Jackson is the finest actor of his generation, so what he's doing in this load of rubbish I don't know.

Sam portrays Romulous Ledbetter, a gifted pianist whose mental illness destroys his career and leads to live in a cave. How he managed to overcome these demons and become successful only to sucumb to them again we never find out. The catalyst for his descent into civilisation is the discovery of a body in a tree near his cave. After this, the film turns into a second rate episode of Columbo with Sam uncovering clues left, right and centre only to be thrawted by masked men trying to keep the deadly secret.

The general problem with this film is the story. It attempts to be a murder mystery which is trying to make a point about mental illness but instead becomes lost in itself amid a clutch of over the top performances and outlandish ideas (we are expected to believe a white banker would offer a suit and a place to stay to a delirious black man).

This film sat on the shelf in Britain for three years and it only came out here last week. Sam (who also co-exec produces) is a far better actor than this material deserves and the only reasonable explanation as to why he took this was as a favour to his Eve's Bayou director Kasi Lemmons.

Avoid at all costs and if you want a good Sam movie, go get Amos and Andrew.

Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005)

No I Don't

[11 May 2004]

Everybody Loves Raymond ran for eight years and I feel that the reason it was huge success (and scored so many Emmy's) is that it represents an America long gone. An all white family in an all white neighbourhood, 2.3 children, the overbearing mum and grumpy old dad who live just across the street, the nice but dim brother, the long suffering wife who still loves her man's man of a husband.

I hadn't given the show much thought until I read this quote; 'while this is cancelled (The Incredibles) while say Everybody Loves Raymond rumbles on is a crime'. I didn't really agree until I saw the highly offensive and mysoginist episode where Ray's wife decides she's had enough of being treated like a serf and rebels and Ray tries slipping her pills because he think's she's on her period. I then realised what that critic meant.

The fact that this nasty c***p keeps on going while say Family Guy, Off Centre or Futurama (which knowingly and cleverly poke fun at this tosh) are cancelled is ridiculous. They should all hand back their awards and give them to a show that deserves them.

'Hey Brian, what do you say to a drink after work'?

'I say Cheryl's gonna have another black eye to explain to the neighbours'

Family Guy

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Weird and Wonderful

[4 May 2004]

The title ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' comes from a poem by Alexander Pope quoted by Kristen Dunst in the film and has the same preocupations that the film has (love, loss and memory). The film appears to be an adaptation of that poem translated to the screen by writer Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry. Leads Carrey and Winslet are both perfect as the once in love couple whose desire to forget is so powerful they decide to have their memories erased, while the supporting cast (especially Elijah Wood as the scheming Patrick) are Oscar worthy, as is the screenplay and definatly the direction, visually complex and original, although one thing puzzles me, what does Joel do for a living and how is it he never seems to be at work? He is said to be a graphic designer but how do we find out?

Best Scene; Stan (Mark Rufflo) and Mary (Kristen Dunst) lying on the comatosed Joel stoned and talking about The Clash. On leaving the cinema, it made me want to do the same thing.

Talk Radio (1988)

A Masterpiece

[28 April 2004]

Talk Radio is without doubt a masterpiece. Why Eric Bogosian did not recieve an Oscar for his stunning performance as arrognant motormouth Barry Champlain is a crime aganist cinema. Oliver Stone's use of air tight close-ups and dizzying camera angles do their screenplay justice and by the end of the film, as Barry delivers his monologue of hatred aganist the 'spineless, yellow bellied, bigoted little obscene phone callers' he torments every night, you just wish someone would end his life and put him out of his misery.

The one problem I have is that I would have have liked to have known more about Barry's background i.e. his childhood and family so that I could have learnt why he is how he is.

Aside from that it's a pure and simple masterpiece and the finest film of Stone's career.

The Cement Garden (1993)

Not as Good as the novel

[27 April 2004]

Having read McEwan's haunting and beautiful novel some years ago, I anticipated the film and recently found it in my university library. Sad to say I was hugely dissapointed.

Birkin has taken away the novels macabre humour and charcterisations and replaced them with sign posts which direct us to the reasons why they have their affair (parental loss, burgeoning sexuality) rather than letting the feelings and jealousy fester as they did in the novel. Also he has altered Julie's older lover Derek to the point where the funniest scene in the book (Derek taking the bemused Jack to a pool hall) has been completely erased and the charcter is now foreign and middle class as opposed to working class and English.

Having said that it contains the most hilarious line of dialogue I have ever heard:

Jack (to Tom) when you look at William, do you get a funny feeling in your dinky?

Family Guy (1999– )

A Masterpiece

[5 March 2004]

This programme is one of the most original and funny pieces of television ever created. Eclipsing other live action sitcoms it has funny beliveable characters ranging from arrogant father Peter, to homosexually repressed baby Stweie to put upon daughter Meg. The best by far is the intellectual and articulate dog Brian 'who's well read and has a diverse stock portfolio, but is not above eating grass clippings and regurgitating them on the carpet in the hall'. The supporting characters are just as good, particulay the Woody Allen like Mort Goldman and sexaholic Quagmier. Is Family Guy a Simpson's for the new millenium? Does it eclipse the awfully monotonous 'King of the Hill'? Should it be on forever? I think so.

The Simpsons (1989– )

The Best

[5 March 2004]

I don't care what anyone says, The Simpson's is and always will be the best television series in the world, Family Guy is the second. For sixteen years, The Simpson's has been clever enough to balance out sophisticated adult humour with family fun. Homer and Bart are fictions greatest creations, they are both cruel and kind, clever and dumb, Marge and Lisa provide the moral tone which keeps the show in check, while the supporting characters ranging from Apu to Chief Wiggum to Milhouse always have their moments.

A number of people have been saying the Family Guy is better because it is wittier and more interesting but I don't think this is true at all. Whereas the Simpsons works for both adults and children alike, Family Guy is truly adult animation, in that it's humour is dark and satirical and covers issues that adults understand and enjoy and which go above children's heads.I think if the Simpson's did this, it just wouldn't be as much fun. I say long live The Simpson's and I hope that someone at Fox has the intellegence not to cancel this since they've got rid of everything else of any quality, notably Family Guy and the hugely underrated Futurama which I think has gone because there are not enough intellegent people in the world to understand its humour.

U.F.O. (1993)

Who?

[15 January 2004]

Who thought this film was a good idea, written by 'comedian' roy 'chubby' brown it's a juxaposition of unfunny one liners and over the top performences on a set which looks like something designed on Blue Peter. The 'plot' has Chubby as himself, put on trial for sexism and for comments like 'i hope your tampon turns into an hedgehog' and 'what's the matter love? Have the greengrocers run out of cucumbers'. One has to wonder about the mentality of such an individual and for the individuals who would want to spend time and money watching this film. The worst crime of all is quality scripts are turned away and talented directors are ignored so companies can invest in offensive nonsense like this. As Empire Magazine said in it's review 'civilised filmgoers, dive for cultural lifeboats'.

Party Monster (2003)

FABULOUS

[22 October 2003]

I saw this on Sunday and I can easily say that it is one of the most wonderful films I have seen all year. The sheer decadence and lack of inhibitions that inhabit the characters and the film make it accessable to any audience with 1/2 a brain. After his lengthy sabbatical, Culkin makes an excellent return and is perfect as Michael Alig, all arrogance and cruelty wrapped up in his own sense of self importance. Seth Green easily proves himself to be one of the most interesting and orginal actors of his generation and if there was any justice in the world, the film would easily gain best picture, director, screenplay, actor and supporting actor at the 2004 Oscars. Party Monster like many other great films (Finding Nemo, Pulp Fiction, The Rules of Attraction, Being John Malkovich) is the reason I, at nineteen years of age am studying to be a filmmaker... Toodles.