the-color-grey Reviews

Quantum of Solace (2008)

A Quantum of Action

[7/10 · 9 November 2008]

It's entirely forgivable to confuse the first minute of Quantum of Solace for a car commercial. Fast cuts between obscure closeups of an Austin Martin and an Italian arch fronted road are the prime elements of a picturesque advert. You're assumption that it is in fact the start of the movie is verified once bullets start piercing and wheels begin squealing.

Daniel Craig returns as (the best) James Bond in this Casino Royale followup. Like in its forerunner Craig plays a gritty emotionally unsound Bond and a non-superman. This is evident as you see him physically struggle in chase scenes. Ukrainian model Olga Kurylenko takes the role of the main, handgun equipped, Bond girl who ultimately becomes James' ethical counterbalance. Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) performs solidly as the chief antagonist.

The film ends up putting too much emphasis on its action, a fault of an absent romantic presence à la Casino Royale. Convulsive cuts, haste enough to make your eyes bleed, are apparently a modern trend in action movies. That and the obligatory rooftop chase sequence reminiscent of The Bourne Ultimatum, though the scuffle on scaffolding did thrill.

South American scenery was used for most of the movie's backdrop—something few films are doing. It also served as the stage for government corruption, which I imagine is to be explored further in subsequent films.

Quantum of Solace expects its audience to be familiar with its predecessor, so if Casino Royale is stored in your vague memory lobe I suggest reading a plot summary. Otherwise you might be just as confused with the film's plot and characters as your are with its title.

Although Bond tries to achieve a quantity of solace in the midst of world deprivation, the movie's other theme is one of hackneyed vengeance. Your primary satisfaction will beget from its action and the demeanor of Craig's Bond. It is a suitable addition to the revamped series, but the loss of key aspects that made the first so great make Quantum of Solace a lesser film.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Best movie this year - long review

[10/10 · 20 August 2006]

This just might be the beginning of a great career for first time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. I could be quoted on saying that Clerks II was the best movie I've seen all summer, but after watching Little Miss Sunshine there's no comparison. Miss Sunshine is most certainly the best I've seen all year. The humor is completely different from Clerks. It's much more real and relatable. It's also a surprise do see Steve Carell in such a different role. He's good, though, and it shows that he can play different roles. One would think Carell would be the center of the comedy but the laughs are mostly connected to the family as a whole and each character adds it's own personality into the comedy. The storyline of the movie is a family traveling from New Mexico to California in a Volkswagen van to enter their 8 year old daughter into the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, Uncle, Grandfather. Each have personalities different from each other making great conflict and humor. One of the funniest things in the movie is this one thing involving the van that reoccurs through out the movie. Check out the poster for a clue of what that one thing is. Don't like spoilers. It shows great symbolism with the family, representing how a family that hates each other must work together to achieves their goals and solve their problems, and it shows how each character came out a happier person in the end. It might sound cliché but trust me the messages aren't being shoved down your throat. You also might be thinking this is some stupid family journey movie and they end up learning to love each other in the end. This is not the RV people. I'd liked to tell you more about the characters to help you understand but I hate giving too much information that will spoil the experience.

There's comedy in the van as they travel to California, and comedy in the unusual circumstances the family gets into. It's an enjoyable film that never gets boring. They're even some scenes that are pretty long compared to your average movie, but it's still entertaining because of the dialogue. An example is one of the first scenes when the family is getting ready to eat dinner. This scene is where the audience learns of all the characters and their personalities. It's a great introduction to the life of this family. It might be a long scene but you won't notice it.

The characters are memorable, the comedy, the whole movie is memorable. Your going to walk out of the theater and know you didn't waist your money. You're going to want to watch it again. You wouldn't have minded if the movie lasted a while longer just to see the lovable characters. You might even decide to buy it when it comes out on DVD. Little Miss Sunshine is a movie that will appeal to a wide audience because of the variety of the characters and relatable comedy. Trust me it'll be one your favorite movies that you've seen all year, if not your #1.

Superman Returns (2006)

Best Superhero Movie in a While & Superman is Jesus

[8/10 · 2 July 2006]

Superman is a character you just can't help but love and that's why his movies are always a joy to watch. Superman is the ultimate superhero; he has all the powers we wish we had. It feels great to watch Superman stand up to the crooks and know that they stand no chance at all. When the innocent are in danger you know Superman will come and save them, but you still cheer inside hoping for success. When he hurts we feel bad. When he does save the day you really want to applaud. We see hope; Superman is our savior. It's all a movie but we want some one like this god to look up to and rely on in real life. We want good to prevail over evil! The good guys all ways win. That's what Superman Returns gives us.

It's enjoying and entertaining because everyone is familiar with Superman and we want to see him in action. The effects are awesome which show off the Man of Steel's absolute power. But unlike some other super hero movies Superman isn't just about the special effects. It concentrates on character too.

It mostly concentrates on the romance between Lois Lane and Superman, and partly because of Kevin Spacey's superb acting we get to see Lex Luthor's realistic evilness and more of his character. There's also a surprise revelation with a certain character and I don't even know if it was ever part of the comics, but this revelation does add to the development of the characters. The story was nothing spectacular. Evil = greed and power. Good = unselfish Again it was mostly the character that drives the story, like most super hero films

Speaking of characters the casting was excellent, for the most part actually. Brandon looks like Superman (& like Christopher Reeve) ; he also plays a well as Clark Kent and Spacey of course plays a great Lex Luther. However I've never pictured Lois Lane as Kate Bosworth. She acted well, but I don't think they concentrated on getting an actress that looked like Lois as much as they did to get the right actor for Superman.

Aside from character the movie contained some reverences to the son of God. In movies, aliens always seem to be connected to Jesus; for example E.T. Superman isn't human remember; he's from Krypton. You'll notice these Jesus references when you see them.

"I'm always around" "You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one"

Along with Christian references you might also catch a couple sexual innuendos. It is PG-13

Let's see, negative aspects. The movie did seem a little too long, just a bit. It clocked around 2hrs 30 min. It was probably because there were many moments when it could have ended but then it continued. It was sill a good movie on the whole.

There's shock, suspense, thrill and action. It's fun to watch and it's actually a good superhero movie. It's even comparable to Spider-Man, which is one of my favorite superhero movies ever; Spider-Man being my favorite comic hero doesn't hurt that opinion. Yet, now I'm starting to like Superman a lot more. Let's just wait till Spidey 3

Superman Returns is probably the best movie out there right now aside form The Devil Wears…, which I haven't yet seen. Everyone's going to like it unless you hate Superman.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Deeply Entertaining

[10/10 · 16 April 2006]

The Squid and the Whale is now one of my favorite movies. Amazing script and acting, and it's very relatable. The unique characters are enjoyable to watch and feel real. You chuckle at the humor because you can relate. Yet, the comedy is somewhat hidden, not shoved in your face like a typical mainstream comedy. For example some characters are in the middle of a conversation and in the background, unsuspectingly, you hear something funny. Also the humor isn't laugh out loud hurt your gut funny, but you might find yourself giggling at some little thing. This film isn't really a comedy or a drama; it's more like life. As you come to the end of the film it's deeper than a family struggling through a divorce. It has a lot to do with emotions and the conflicts in life. The ending may come abruptly, but if you think about it for a while it's not bad that it ended that soon. I think it does bring a closure to the movie even though it seemed as if ended so suddenly.

Family separates and conflicts follow. It's was a fun movie to watch; I even saw it twice. The fact that it was only 81 min long helped that decision, but it was still worth it.

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Independent but Hollywood.

[7/10 · 9 April 2006]

I was expecting to laugh a whole bunch while watching this satirical comedy. Unfortunately this movie has fallen victim to the spoilers of trailers. There were about 2 good laughs that were new to me, but the other 7, I had already seen in those marvelous trailers. I would have probably enjoyed Thank You for Smoking a bit better if I had not seen the trailers. So the lesson is to avoid trailers. Trailers are spoilers.

The story was good, maybe because there haven't been any movies about a spokesperson for the tobacco industry. Still, you'll find some, possibly, Hollywood clichés, even if this is supposedly an independent film. I'd think the mainstream audience would enjoy this film, more so than Transamerica. Its style of jokes perhaps is the reason. For example, subtitles or symbols are introduced to add humor, which of course aren't seen by the characters. It doesn't make the movie any worse, but the type of humor is why I'd think casual film goers would enjoy this movie, and the satire is in some ways similar to what is on TV now a days.

Sure it had some good jokes and was an interesting story, but as the film ended it just didn't fit together. Don't want to spoil it but there were some mix messages of what the movie was really about? Thank You for Smoking was a nice film, which seemed to have a unique story, but had some Hollywood influence.

Spoilers Why didn't I like the ending?

The movie was a satire on the people in charge of the tobacco industry. However it did show the good in the people, at least the lobbyist, Nick Naylor. The message was delivered that people had to do their jobs to get by in life, to have money to support it. Another was to decide for yourself and not let a higher power tell you what to believe. Yet in the end the tobacco industry lost and Nick decided not rejoin the industry. Tobacco was seen as the enemy once again. Nick should have rejoined and the industry should have continued. It's contradictory of what the start of he film was. The movie basically told the audience tobacco was bad directly, not through satire. It seemed as if a Hollywood producer got hold of the script and changed it to be morally correct. It just didn't fit. Unless the ending was a satire on how Hollywood movies end; good guys win. I doubt it. Well, it was based on a book, I don't know how it ended but either way I didn't like the ending of the film.

Transamerica (2005)

You'll love it

[10/10 · 26 March 2006]

This is a funny and entertaining movie that unfortunately few will see. Mostly because of it's limited release, and it's an independent film. Movie enthusiast will love it, but also I think the mainstream audience would, too. If they'd only give it a chance. The reason is because it's funny. It's not a serious movie like Capote or Caché that only film lovers would appreciate. If you don't like those types of movies, then you'll probably like Transamerica. So when it comes out on DVD you better rent it. I'm confident that you won't get bored for one second. What else can I say to make you see it? Toby's character, he's the boy form Airbud. Really! You know by now that Felicity Huffman is in it, right?(all you Desperate Housewives addicts) That reminds me of the superb acting. Felicity is great! She deserved the Oscar over Reese, most definitely. Have I convinced you to watch it yet? Watch it now, or this weekend.

Caché (2005)

Cache - Review

[10/10 · 18 March 2006]

This French movie is about a family whose lives are terrorized by mysterious tapes that have been sent to them. These tapes indicate that they're being watched. It's a psychological, thriller, mystery! It's an enticing film and when you least expect it there'll be some shock ando thrills. The movie is in French with subtitles, so if you're one of those crazy people who can't stand subtitled foreign films ask yourself why you're reading this? If not read on. I've noticed that there is no music in the entire film, no film score or background music. This isn't a bad thing; I don't think music would go well with this movie. It would be distracting and lose its sense of tension and mystery. Also there's some scenes where basically nothing happens (some of these scenes may be too long), you'll know when you see it, therefore, some of you may get bored, but seriously stick around because this is truly a great movie. There's a moment of total shock that was so amazing, no other movie has made me gasp like this one. It's a huge 'Oh My God' moment. You have to see this film. It'll stick around in you're mind for quite a while after seeing it.

Remember to look carefully in the crowd in the final scene.

Capote (2005)

Review

[10/10 · 8 March 2006]

Capote? It's a film about Truman Capote, well known American author. Capote takes place from late 50's to mid 60's. It tells the story of how Truman Capote was inspired and how he researched for one of his best selling nonfiction books In Cold Blood. This movie is recommended for movie lovers, not for the casual movie goer. With that said this is an amazing film that interests the mind. The cinematography is dark and sets the mood well for the killings Capote is investigating, but also adds a since of mystery. It is well contrasted when Capote vacations to Spain. The lighting is bright, he wears light clothes representing his separation from the troubles in Kansas, where the murders took place. Most important, the acting played a major role in making this film great Philip Seymour Hoffman truly captures the essence of Truman Capote; his emotional highs and lows are acted out perfectly. Although the character of Capote may have eclipsed other roles, the cast of actors still played well beside him. The writing and directing were top notch, which added to overall quality of the film. It was well worth watching and I highly recommended it for film lovers.

The Heart of the Game (2005)

Review

[9/10 · 25 February 2006]

First time filmmaker Ward Serrill has really created a wonderfully emotional film. The Heart of the Game, truly has heart and it beats hard throughout the movie. Serrill filmed a girl's basketball team for 7 years; he recorded a total of around 200hrs. The movie turned out to be 102 mins.

As the team competes in games you really start to get into it and begin to root for them in your head. You don't know if they're going to win or lose; when they lose you feel disappointed, when they win you feel relieved. This film just grabs you mentally and it feels like you're watching it live. I felt for the players, felt for the struggle of Darnellia Russell, central character. The film was even humorous at times. The coach, Bill Resler, was a unique character and enjoyable to watch. You really get interested in the narrative and really want to see what will be the out come of this team and it's players. I remember being amazed that it was a documentary; it could have been a storyline for a movie. It's an intense emotional film and it holds and keeps you until the credits run up the screen.

There wasn't much negatives to the film, except like in many films, the movie wasn't as exciting until the middle and then the end. Of course, the ending of the movie wouldn't have been that great unless you've seen the beginning exposition. It was an enjoyable film, so don't let the impression that it's a usual motivational sports documentary, drive you away. The film will be released in wider theater screenings in the summer and the DVD maybe late 2006. I recommend it.