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Reviews
Ready Player One (2018)
Altered from the novel, but in a fresh and relevant way.
Two thumbs up for a fantastic film adaptation of an already great novel. I haven't enjoyed a film this much in several years. It showcased an incredibly graceful fusion of digital animation and real life acting. Spielberg still has the magic touch.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
The Reel Kingdom
I saw this film on Tuesday, 5/17, and was greatly disappointed. It is visually impressive but seriously flawed in character development and portrayals. Most of the characters were not deep enough to hold my interest. The major exception is Liam Neeson as the protagonist's father, but he is removed from the board early in the film. Orlando Bloom was probably not the best choice for the male lead, with his wooden acting and cardboard-thin charisma. There was also very little chemistry between the male and female leads.
This film covers a wide scope and tries to deal with a number of issues. But I think it fails to capture the complexity of the political and personal intrigues that made the Crusades so controversial in their own times as well as in contemporary times. Running at only 145 minutes, this is no "Lawrence of Arabia" in length nor in impact.
Director Ridley Scott backed away from the religious conflicts behind the series of invasions that we call the Crusades, to focus on individual motivations. But the wandering plot line and lackluster acting seriously weakens the impact of this film's internal dialogue.
The first thirty minutes are tremendous. The entire middle is mediocre. And the last thirty minutes are laughable. Oh, Ridley... How disappointing. Don't be afraid to offend and be controversial in the search for cinematic and emotional truth. This film lacks fire, darkness, and anguish; and fails to personalize the tremendous suffering and tragedies that embody the hundreds of years of warfare in this part of the world.
Orlando Bloom's Balian survives his journey through the Holy Land through unexplained battle prowess, sheer luck, and the gift of a repentant father. At the close, Bloom's character finds a separate peace without ever seeming to fight for it. This is not realistic, not entertaining, and definitely not believable.
Grand epics are grand tragedies. Without weakness, strength means nothing. Both should be found in equal measures in a great hero, for greatness grows out of overcoming that which holds us back. And by this definition, the "Kingdom of Heaven" has no heroes.
What a far cry from my original hopes...
War Photographer (2001)
Phenomenal
I watched this film and was riveted throughout. The image quality is very high. Watching James Nachtwey work in silence with total dedication and focus while flames crackle in the background... this film is a masterpiece of understated intensity. Everybody has seen this photographers images - they just may not realize who the author of those images are. Watch this film to find out why one (and many other) individual takes the risks and endures the hardships to freeze-frame and expose the uglier sides of human nature.