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Reviews
Lost: Live Together, Die Alone: Part 1 (2006)
The mother of Coincidence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lost has been one of the most mesmerizing and thrilling experience I've ever seen. Not only it's the mother of coincidence, but also every time that you think you can set up the whole puzzle in your head, the story takes a completely new direction.
Take this casualty for example, The US marine, whom gives Sayid the way to become a Torturer, Is Clancy Brown, playing a character named Joe Inman. In the last episode, he is playing Kelvin Inman, the Desmond partner in the Hatch. Destiny, uh? Yeah Right!
I guess that all of us will have to wait, to see what's next in the life of the wonder people in that strange island, in the middle of nowhere. Knowing that several of my favorites characters, Desmond, Sayid and Mr. Eko, have an unclear destiny
I believe that along with 24 and The Shield, this is one of the best TV shows ever, of course, keeping Twin Peaks at a special place.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
Another Masterpiece from Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles!
The Constant Gardener is a flawless movie, an amazing thriller, a powerful story that shows how small a man can be in this world, or even better, how possible small can be ourselves, simple citizen against great corporations working in deep joint-venture with agencies of the government, in this case, a big pharmaceutical enterprise working under the protection of the United Kingdom government. Although the movie is based on the novel of the same name, you can feel like this story is really true, all because the excellent work of Mr. Fernando Meirelles, whose previous work is City of God, an instantaneous masterpiece in film history.
Mr. Meirelles has an excellent skill to work with the camera and he is very keen with the use of the Shouter, and that give you the feeling that this could have been a true story, such is the acumen of Mr. Meirelles's camera. The result is a landscape so beautiful in reality that you almost feel yourself in the land of South Africa. Of course the movie, as well as the book, is a portrait to show the horrible and dreadful images of the poverty in which the Africans must live.
The edition of Mr. Meirelles's movie works very similar to his previous film. He has such a control in his movies that he is able to find the juxtaposition-driven edition in the scenes, so that basically at the very begging of the movie the character played by Rachel Weisz is already death. Therefore, two acts of the movie are filled with flashbacks of the Ralph Fiennes's character.
An those two characters are perfectly played by Mr. Fiennes and Ms. Weisz, and I think this is by far the best performance in her career. Mr. Fiennes delivers raw, angry, deception and shows his great love for his death wife so deep; that you almost feel this is happening to you. However, he has delivered another great performances in the past, mostly in The Schindler's List, Quiz Show and Spider, among others.
The script is written without holes, is flawless, the three acts are just great. Even though the movie last more than two hours you never get tired of this astonishing story. Hence, the work of Jeffrey Caine is a hymn to humanity and to human beings lack of power and also is a song to the true love, which endure above all the terror and wicked things. Bring it on the Oscar's night; I'm sure The Constant Gardener is going to be a strong contender for the five main categories.
Batman Begins (2005)
Mr. Nolan has made the best Batman movie ever!!
Batman Begins is by far, the best comic movie ever made, not only because the story goes deep into the fears of Bruce Wayne, but also because it shows us a believable hero, one whose style is created in the road, as hurdles risen.
This movie is flawless, director Christopher Nolan whose previous works include the excellent and creative MEMENTO, deliver us a story based on the roots of the fears that hunts the thoughts of Mr. Wayne. He is desperately for both fight injustice and find the essence of fear, so he is recruited by the dark society the League of Shadows, led by evil Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) and his right hand, Ducard, played by Liam Neeson. In the first Act of the movie, Mr. Neeson becomes in the teacher of Mr. Wayne, and certainly helps him in creating the legacy and the legend of Batman.
The acting is outstanding, although with such cast it's not surprise. Christian Bale (whom I enjoyed watching in Equilibrium and American Psycho) plays the best Batman ever on the screen, so please, forget about the formers actors who had played Batman. Sr. Michael Caine, simply, plays the best Alfred butler. The relationship between these two men is one of the primal axes of the film. Then we have the ever-amazing Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, a scientific that led research project at one forsaken division in the Wayne corp.; this is the character that provides Batman's every single device, including the cape and the bat mobile. Mr. Gary Oldman is excellent as Lt. Jim Gordon.
The bad guys are really scary. Cillian Murphy (best known for 28 Days Later and Cold Mountain) plays the wicked Scarecrow, and believe me, there are a couple of scenes that will frightened you. Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone, portraits a credible corrupt, whom practically owns Gotham City. In fact, the early conversation that he sustain with Bruce Wayne in some kind of restaurant, led Mr. Wayne to take the paths of evil, injustice and wickedness. And finally, the great Liam Neeson, who plays the great teacher, the great friend, and later in the third Act becomes in his Nemesis, the personal foe of Batman.
One of my favorites moments of the movie is a scene in which Bruce Wayne cross with Rachel Dawes at the exit of some luxury hotel while he is walking out with two beautiful party girls, and at the end of their conversation, he try to explain her that "this is not the real Bruce Wayne" however, she tell him something like this: "is not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you" later, in the third Act, He would answer the same as Batman, when she ask him: "Who are you?" simply, one of the best moments of the movie!!!!
The score is awesome, the sound flawless and the special effects are amazing.
So, if you like movies, you should see Batman Begins. If you love the comic books, you should see Batman Begins. If you don't like movies, but you are bored and want to do something cool, you should see Batman Begins. If you are wandering what movie you should see this weekend, don't think about it, you should see Batman Begins. If you don't have anything better to do, you should see Batman Begins. As a matter of fact, everyone should see Batman Begins!!! Is one of the best movies of the year.
Kung fu (2004)
Stephen Chow has become in the new genius of China's comedy!!!!!!!!!
I just loved this movie; it has a simple but well driven story. Stephen Chow talent is imminent not only because he has written, directed and acted in this motion picture but also because he, like me, is a lover of kung Fu movies.
Asia has produced some amazing movies in the last years, some of them I considered masterpieces, (like OldBoy, Hero or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and others are as entertaining and thrilling as a roller- coaster (like ONG-BAK) and now, Kung-Fu Hustle, which is going to make you smile forever, I couldn't stop laughing while I was watching it.
Stephen chow's character (Sing) is desperate to be accepted by the most evil gang that ruled Shanghai in the 40's, the notorious "Axe Gang" which is formed by guys dressed in black suits. Although he wants to be a bad man, and doing bad things, everything goes wrong every time he try it, mostly because he doesn't know how to fight or how to make a mayhem action, because deep inside him he is pure. So in his search for becoming an evil man he gets into a small housing little village where lives humble people, and he tried to blackmail a young hairdresser and here is where the good action begins. The first turn in the movie comes when three great Kung Fu masters, who had lived, uncovered among the humble people shows his power to defend the people in the village. Then the Axe Gang leader hired two great Kung-Fu assassins to take revenge on the people of the village.
This movie has many hilarious moments; one of my favorites is when the landlord (after he and the landlady shows their real power in the second big turn of the movie) is talking with one of the almost dead fighter after defeat the two assassins and he speak in English stealing the Sean Connery's line at end The Untouchables of Brian De Palma, when Malone tells to Eliot Ness: "WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO!" and then the landlord tell him "why are you talking in English".
The fights are awesome, very well choreographed, of course by the master 'Yuen Woo-Ping', best known for his collaboration in the Matrix saga.
The subplot story of Sing and his love interest is simply wonderful, though they never talk each other the looks and the flashback are enough to create a beautiful love story. Just like a Chaplin movie. As I said before, I just loved this movie. You should see it!
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
A real masterpiece from a real master
Some directors are good, some are bad, some are brilliant and some are real Gods. David Lynch is in this last category, his visual art is elegant and amazing, and his films are real masterpieces.
The first movie that I watched from this great movie master was Wild at Heart!!!! I was astonished, I felt like if I was in a gallery surrounded by beautiful paintings and wonderful pictures, I was in shock.
From that moment I felt the urgency, the big thirst of looking for all the past movies of Lynch. So that, I could have a big picture of his work.
I found everything about Lynch, from ERASERHEAD to TWIN PEAKS; I became a collector of his work. Every year, since he made FIRE WALK WITH ME, I was exciting waiting for his new work.
And then he made Lost Highway, The Straight Story and Mulholland Drive.
All different movies, but with something in common, his director, his personal view and touch
David Lynch is a surrealist artist. Like Luis Buñuel, Lynch is one director who knows how to manage the strange, the noir, the dreams and the nightmares in his films. And he does it excellent, flawless!!!!
MULHOLLAND DR. is a brilliant movie, is the Lynch world at his best form.
The club El Silencio is a key place to understand the film. To love this masterpiece you don't have to be a Lynch's fan. You'll like it if you love good movies.
Laura Harring and Naomi Watts, both of them play two different characters, and that's why this movie is a puzzle.
Naomi Watts as Betty/Diane play a powerful character, her acting is thrilling. And this movie, at the start is her nightmare, and at the end is her true destiny.
Of course you'll find some strange characters, something usual in Lynch's movies. The Cowboy, Mr. Roque, The man behind Winkies and the Castigliane brothers. They are all created by Diane in her own dreams.
The performance of `Crying' by Rebekah del Rio, is devastating. This is a beautiful song written by the great Roy Orbison. She sings it without instruments, without orchestra.
Don't look for sense in this movie, like Lost Highway, this is a dream/nightmare that may mess up your sense of the right way movies goes on. Just watch it and enjoy it, which is the best you can do. Remember the real world of Diane is the last twenty five minutes of the movie, all the rest is her dream.
In this movie Lynch works with his regular collaborators: Angelo Badalamenti, (since Blue Velvet he started a rich relationship with the director) with a great original music; Peter Deming an excellent cinematography and Mary Sweeney with a flawless film editing.
This great film won several awards, Lynch won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film festival in the year 2001. Also he received an Academy Award Nomination.
Mulholland Drive is a fine masterpiece in visual art. This is real interaction between the movie and the audience, you can feel like if you are in a gallery, watching pictures.
David Lynch is with no doubt, one of the best directors in cinema history
This film deserves 10/10.
Carandiru (2003)
Even when you are a prisoner you deserve to be treating like a human being.
Carandiru, is the name of the biggest house of detention in Latin America, (designed for 3.000 prisoners but actually it was housing 7.800)
Directed by one of the best directors in South America, (to me the best in the region) Mr. Hector Babenco (who have made excellent movies like PIXOTE, The Kiss of The Spider Woman, Ironweed and Foolish Heart), this movie tells the real story of the massacre that took place in the penitentiary Carandiru in the pavilion 9 where 110 prisoners were killed by the National Guard.
The movie is brutal, violent and very realistic. At the end of the movie there is blood around every place in the pavilion 9.
Babenco took the notes of the Dr. Varella who was making an AIDS prevention program in the penitentiaries of Brazil the same days that the prisoners were killed.
The movie in the first and a half hours shows the stories of the prisoners, they tell to the Dr. his reasons to be in prison, so that you kind like these guys, because theirs stories are pretty funny!
I just love the scene when the character named Negro was bitten for the big rat, and then when him was receiving medical attention by the inexpert guys lead by No Way (the same guy who worked at City of God). Another great moment was when the guy that let throws away the hot water in the face of his best friend and killed him. As you can see, this movie is violent!!!!!!!!
The movie is very good although lacks of a good soundtrack, perhaps, due to the director wanted to make it more realistic.
Who knows, at the end of the movie you can read that there are three different versions of what really happened that day, the Guard Army version, the prisoners version and the God Version, the Dr. only knew the prisoners version.
Carandiru is an excellent movie. 7.5/10.
Taxi Driver (1976)
De Niro and Scosese, the best team work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can feel the power of the character of Travis Bickle throughout the whole movie because the perfect performance of Robert De Niro. A few actors can delivery such a great work, Marlon Brando, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and recently Sean Penn. Of course you can feel the influence of the Actors Studio, the influence of Lee Strasberg.
Martin Scorsese have created an amazing relationship with De Niro, since Mean Streets until Casino. The highlights are Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas and Cape Fear.
Taxi Driver deliver us the story of Travis Bickle, a veteran of Vietnam who is trying to forget the past and set a new life, with the beautiful woman who that he is falling in love. This seem to be easy for a normal guy.
But No for Travis. He is tired of the wrong things in live, like pumps, prostitution, scum's, thieves, he wish he could live in a perfect world. He meet Iris (and incredible young Jodie Foster) a little girl who is pimp by Sport (the great Harvey Keitel)
And he believe that if he save her maybe he can start to change the world. In little words Travis is a Hero. And of course he is a misunderstood.
In the final scene I only could imagine in Amadis the Gauda, one of the greatest characters of the ancient's knight novels. Travis Bickel is a Knight.
And use the violence to fight and erase violence. An excellent story, with such a great edition. Receive the Golden Palm at Cannes in 1976. A great honor!
Paul Schrader wrote an excellent script and Scorsese, the Master, has directed one of his finest works
One of the greatest movies of all of times. 9/10.