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Film
Prophet's Movie Reviews Page 6
Capote (2005)
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr.,
Chris Cooper, Mark Pellegrino
Film Prophet's Review...
After a murder of a farm family at their house one night in Holcomb,
Kansas, Truman Capote, Hoffman, reads about it in the newspaper and
decides to take the new opportunity to write on it. When the two
murderers are arrested, Truman befriends Perry Smith, and not really
Richard Hickock, to write the book titled In Cold Blood. Capote's
uncanny mannerisms and speech is often quaint in the beginning and
inhabits during his imposing acting. Catherine Keener bounces back to a
blissful and intellectual person as Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a
Mocking Bird. She was one of Capote's many friends, and Capote was
always the center of attention in a big group of chatter talking about
the success and controversy in his past books. In Cold Blood was a book
he worked on more than any others and in those years, Harper Lee even
had a movie adapted from her novel. Capote stresses on extensive
research before he begins and interviews before typing anything up. The
movie is very inspiring and would make any author proud. Not only did
the movie's direction make Capote so exceptional; Hoffman delivers a
stellar performance portraying him, almost appearing in every scene and
every other sobering scene. Several times, I cringed and had wet eyes.
My throat literally collapsed for a couple seconds and my body was
stunned during an astonishing scene when Perry releases the scenario of
what happened during the night of the murder three years later. This
relationship between Perry and Capote is the basis to the second half of
the story that consumed attention with a caring mind. I was very
impressed with everything the movie did and presented no notable flaws.
The events are very accurate adjacent to the movie off the novel and the
book, all the way to how Perry Smith walks and was held in a female
cell. All of it is reminiscent chronologically with a profound clear
message of one author lying partially to a criminal trusting him and
becoming irresolute friends through interviews inside a prison cell.
Clifton Collins Jr. makes his character seamless to harmonize with
Hoffman... he is the most affectionate sustaining subject. Chris Cooper,
as usual, prizes in his choices to pick roles. The film begins haunting,
not showing the murders yet, but the deaths examining the house on the
farm in a middle of no where with a long shot of the field. The
cinematography is beautiful and the editing is precise. One who is
familiar with the works knows what to imagine. However, when the time
comes, it's riveting like one first experienced it again with a thought
of connecting back to the original works. It's the most psychological
intense movie about an author in process of writing a novel hard to get
details, and an absorbing biopic of Capote and a misunderstood man. The
saddest part is that Perry Smith was never able to read Capote's book
about him.
Final Grade: A/A-
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Starring David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia
Clarkson, Jeff Daniels
Film Prophet's Review...
During the 1950s of new journalism over broadcasting, Edward R. Murrow,
Strathairn, and his producer, Fred Friendly, Clooney, help bring an end
to the blacklisting and anti-Communist hearings in America. Their CBS
news program, See It Now, challenged Joseph McCarthy on his claims that
Communists are working as spies in the American government. The film was
intended as if the viewers were set in as the home audience of the
1950s. It's black and white and to the point because there was no color
television and doesn't want to even associate itself with the color red.
It only shows the main CBS news program with Murrow and nothing else,
except with the usual operations behind the camera and a few humorous
advertisements on video. There were several communist hearing clips and
sermons while the actual acting in the film was less than an hour, and
most of it was Strathairn speaking directly to the camera for more than
three consecutive minutes at numerous occasions, the focal point. None
of it was too exciting because it was too real. Directed by Clooney, he
relies on archives of footages to emphasis the historical aspects and
when some are longer than expected, it makes the dullest points in the
film. Clooney does capture the time capsule of the separate social
parties, spies, and hypocrites. None of the characters were fully
developed, not even McCarthy. They were ordinary people with moral
furies to grab attention and voice an opinion. The important issue of
freedom of the press and political constraints is a little too smart for
the average viewer. Clooney's directing is very authentic, but passing
and slim... a bit disappointing as I was expecting more from him and the
cast's acting performances. It's constant on being stern with a plot
that's really just a reminder. They went on air, maybe had an interview
of actual footage with Strathairn. Once it ended, the CBS logo appeared,
and the lights went out. Everyone began smoking more, went out for a
drink somewhere, talked about how it was, checked reviews, and then went
back at it again. Television was obviously a new source for media, but
people bought the new invention for the purpose of entertainment. They
wanted something to cheer them up at night and not find a debate that
can be found in the national morning newspaper. Although, there is not
one moment the film shows any other characters but the ones who are part
of the CBS set, the film expresses a point that entertainment doesn't
last that long and so the movie itself cuts short when the entertainment
has already ran its course.
Final Grade: B-
In Her Shoes (2005)
Starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Feuerstein,
Jerry Adler
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Curtis Hanson, Maggie, Diaz, has a recurring state of
unemployment leaving her virtually homeless as she bounces between homes
of her friends and relatives. Having no confidence in her intellectual
ability because she is dyslexia, she attracts the opposite sex and
prizes a talent for choosing the perfect clothing for any occasion.
Rose, Collette, is an educated overworking attorney at a top law firm in
Philadelphia. Her low self-esteem leaves her one that things fits, which
are her shoes. Unfortunately, Maggie uses and breaks them. The story has
these two sisters travel to true appreciation for one another, aided by
the discovery of their maternal grandmother, MacLaine, they thought was
dead. Growing up together on top of differences of elder siblings shows
how different their interests and styles are. The main three acts are
bright female casts and characters who are very tender and embrace their
personality adjustment without warning. Bonds gradually develop within
the movie's time frame, then go flat and amend with regrets. The
attractiveness of Diaz brings the testosterone level up to watch more of
her charming persona. Her facade and long legs enhance the enjoyment in
a few scenes to serves its purpose, but she flashes real ability to be a
solid actress. Maggie's intelligence really doesn't improve because the
tale around her is reconciling for her not to commit faults. She starts
off as an irresponsible alcoholic with a carefree attitude, matching the
film's tone. She is unemployed and asymmetric to her sister. Each
operate as an educator at different occasion. Even though Maggie is the
struggle to her sister, they aren't rival sisters, rather the movie is
about a family apart. The enemy of the tale is poor communication, where
past the middle of the film the two sisters have no contact at all. The
tale covers little nuances to bother someone while a new soft conflict
emerges every few minutes. Though, none are daunting to the audience
because Hanson's storytelling is calm, slow, and painless. The best
bursts of acting is when Collette as Rose gets upset at Maggie, except a
little more than just a couple few stints would do. Some conversations
between MacLaine and senior citizens have nothing to talk about but
weather. Lewis, the old man, is the only funny character. The acting
held parts of the film together and the audience learns about the
connectivity between their estranged grandmother and common associations
with other people. The movie is not a standard romantic comedy... it is
just a plain melodrama. The characters kept their emotions inside and
the film focuses on character development that resolves neatly without
crazy scenarios of being threatened and attacked to respond to like
other films released in the same year. As Rose is on an infringe of
engagement, Maggie's relationships with Rose and her grandmother
deepens, cut loose, and broadens in the tolerable story.
Final Grade: B-/C+
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Starring Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright,
Virginia Mayo, Myrna Loy
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by the great early drama director William Wyler, who accounted
for several notable films many people know of, earned eight Oscar
nominations and won best picture over It's a Wonderful Life. It tells a
sincere story after America just experienced the second World War and
the not only did the audience relate to the film then that put up big
numbers at the box office, but it can also serve to modern audiences.
The story helped Americans to finally let out all the happiness and
grief. Three war veterans meet on a plane and return to their domestic
home life and families and they happen to live in the same hometown.
When the post-consequences shift to reassessment of personal priorities,
it looks on all aspects of reality, such as the inability to communicate
the experience of war, or amputation. There is not one scene drawn from
glimpses of war front lines. The film opens as the viewers don't know
anything about their past until they are back to the area of residence.
Al, March, has a grown son and daughter, Wright, whose interested in
Fred. Fred, Andrews, finds his Wife, Mayo, and discover they don't
really love each other anymore. Homer, Russell, has hooks for hands and
has a next door neighborhood girlfriend and a family who are unable to
know how to react. The small dosages of emotion coming often are subdued
affection for wet eyes. "The Navy couldn't train him to put his arms
around his girl to stroke her hair." The scene where Homer's girlfriend
experiences his nightly duties before he enters bed demonstrates pure
unconventional love. The most intriguing sub-story is Al's daughter
Peggy mixing with Fred, who is married. The moving sequence where the
three in a cab witness signs of a return to normality and civilian life
is a great sequence to begin Wyler's deeply personal work of authentic
usage expressed over three hours with an eloquent pacing. His directing
is very enriching; settings alter and the dialogue is always steady and
clear. The photography composition is at precision and its counteract
humor and manner of speaking is well placed. It is achingly real of
emptiness and hope. The characters at times would pull away from each
other to separate their lives throughout the story, as the audience
won't know the future of the film from the character's hesitant lives.
Captivating scenes of when the three rendezvous at a bar by a series of
occasions shows the reduction of relationships in the middle as
disgruntled relations develop. The plot is profound; employment troubles
and each three men are different in ages, professions, and classes that
sustain a super script with bolstering quotes such as, Have you got any
evidence to support that amazing statement. It intimately shows the
characters in normal ordinary life circumstances. Teresa Wright started
out her career better than any other performer in five straight
successful films and roles. She got more screen time than I imagined
here and when I see her, I smile... she is presently astonishing to Film
Prophet. The best years of their lives was during wartime, not their
experiences afterwards in peacetime because they didn't concern about
money or marriage... those medals and letters don't do anything.
Americans faced uncertainties adjusting to resume life with family and
friends who evolved without them. An abundant amount of scenes invest in
the character's lives to bring portions of merit from the
carefully-composed script acted by the outstanding ensemble, who all
gave their finest performances. "What do I do next - Strike him - Why do
you ask her, can't you think for yourself." Even director Billy Wilder
has said that this movie is the best he ever saw, and that is saying
more than enough. If this script was used in the millennium, it would
likely be the best film produced and greater than two average movies put
together. It is absolutely the best post-war film story because of the
varying events pounding continuous ultimatums. The impressive movie is
magnificent to a plausible ending. "I gave up the best years of my life,
and what have you done? You flopped!"
Final Grade: A
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May
Whitty, Cecil Parker
Film Prophet's Review...
Iris Henderson, Lockwood, is wrapping up a ski vacation in a snowy
mountain valley. In her hotel, she meets an elderly governess going to
London, Miss Froy. Just before boarding the train, Iris receives a blow
to the head and is taken under the protection of Miss Froy. After Iris
falls asleep, the old woman has vanished. Due to the confusion of the
passengers, the reason of why she vanished is left out and it isn't at
stake. The little mystery turns into a conflict, and that gun shooting
scene was rubbish. This movie is a subordinate distinction from
Hitchcock's notable films. One thing in the beginning of the story that
propelled the movie along its course was a coded message contained in a
piece of music that no viewer could really understand. It opens with a
boring first act then leads to pull the audience into a slow suspense
train ride. The time spent at the beginning in the hotel may seem off
topic, and the cast ineffectively conveys any suspense. Their spoken
dialogue was muttering noises and the setting was more fake than ever.
The sound quality was definitely off mark too. It's probably the worst
combination of sound and setting from a Hitchcock film. Hitchcock
creates some humor that gives some horror an edge, like in Shadow of a
Doubt, but not as much. Margaret Lockwood was far the most clear spoken
performer than the others, her and Mary Philbin. Her character got
cyclic after noticing the lady is missing and asking several people on
the train about her who know nothing of her. The first suspense is to
figure out which lady actually will vanish because the film left little
trace at the hotel since the plot doesn't move forward until they leave.
Second is to where the lady could have disappeared on a moving train.
From there, it is a long ride of casual mini-escapades with
conversations that fade away.
Final Grade: C+/C
Torn Curtain (1966)
Starring Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Lila Kedrova
Film Prophet's Review...
Arriving at the height of their careers when this film was released,
Newman and Andrews however appear in lesser forms as the movie had a
problem with enthusiasm. Occasionally, the base of the film is
excruciating. By quality, the movie is not thrilling as one would even
find in an average Hitchcock film. Similarly, Hitchcock never wanted to
make this film, but he had to since he had one more left under his
Universal contract. Thus, not much effort or encouragement heralded. It
should not be considered to be in his collection of best. An American
scientist defects to Germany when East Germans have been developing a
secret formula for an anti-nuclear missile device in a Cold War drama.
The lighting tells a lot about Hitchcock's characters in his black and
white films. They are also technically more efficient about the images
on screen when it isn't colorized. Anything after The Birds is generally
a disappointment; the films never matched close to previous works two
decades before and this proves colorization wasn't the best from him.
This film is a bit contemporary. More than half of the film is made up
of useless talk and loads of quiet scenes. Too many paper documents are
used to precede the story like in Suspicion. The long murder scene shows
how difficult it is to kill a man, except the viewers don't get to know
who the victim really was. The one time the film shoots a moving object,
it's done phony on a bus ride with faulty acting. Newman's movies around
his time were usually superb, but Torn Curtain failed to draw attention.
Andrews as an overvalued actress plays a character with tireless texture
who is too subtle. Many German characters are uninteresting and prattle
along while there is not enough suspense. The script didn't give capable
entertainment and it wasn't Hitchcock's style. The dialogue was numb
compared to his other films and the story plunged one minute within a
hurry and never improved. This is one film that alludes no distinction
that Hitchcock is behind the camera too. Typically coming with
noticeable camera traits, this is not a Hitchcock masterpiece.
Final Grade: C/C-
Notorious (1946)
Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern
Film Prophet's Review...
A lady, Bergman, is to infiltrate in a political spy circle to help the
man, Grant, she loves. In the romantic thriller, her father has just
been convicted of spying and she starts getting friendly with a stranger
as she's trying to get information from espionage and an evil German
cartel, Rains, with his private plans of marriage. It's a little slower
than most of Hitchcock's movies and it's his most confusing story to
discuss, especially the later half that ends unresolved. Hitchcock just
uses his basic filmmaking ability in this moderate suspense film. So,
it's more of a romance than anything else, and maybe his biggest one
too. Besides the longest kiss ever on screen and the famous staircase
camera angle sequence, what works is when the film goes downwards, it
raises up with a shift in the plot and expressions of slyness. Ingrid
Bergman is sensual allowing her insecurities to be trusted by the wrong
people. She is like the movie... beautiful, but befuddled. Her beauty is
very compelling and manipulative. It's shot attractively; the clothes
and sets work because of one spectacular female... Bergman's presence
can do it. When her character is not on scene, she comes back in a new
outfit and glorious smile. There's massive uncertainty in her too. She
drinks booze often which settles the motif, and the alcohol weakens her.
"You're sore because you're falling for a little drink you've taken in
Miami and you don't like it. It makes you sick all over, doesn't it?
People will laugh at you. The invincible Devlin, in love with someone
who isn't worth even wasting the words." Along with the script, the
acting is stunning. Although sometimes the sappy talks don't really
engage, like Grant's seduction schemes, the chemistry between Grant and
Bergman is persuasive enough to follow the two the entire length of the
story... they begin and finish it. The supporting characters are either
in it for the political aspects or arbitrarily there to drink or to be
handsome. Continuing the sexual seduction, the plot is miscellaneous and
spontaneous. There are little arguments, no disgrace, and plain romance.
Some may not even understand parts of the plot, but it's relevance is
not what matters. Hitchcock designs the film around the pair of Grant
and Bergman. They're completely hypnotic and saturated in an entrapping
exquisite production. One could care less about
the story while tthe viewers will daze in the glossy talented speech of the
two, but the second half with other characters ruin the chemistry
between them. The first thirty minutes had romance as an integral part to
setup the whole movie. The characters are caught up in their duties and
the plot sinks through. Though with zero chase sequences or a bit of
violence, it exhibits an outstanding attraction.
Final Grade: B/B+
Suspicion (1941)
Starring Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, Cedric Hardwicke, Dame May Whitty,
Nigel Bruce
Film Prophet's Review...
Like the title, Alfred Hitchcock's suspense trait is the best, but
barely used and it's very simple in this movie. A wealthy heiress wife,
Fontaine, becomes suspicious of her fortune-hunting husband, Grant,
after the murder of a friend, Bruce. In this romantic mystery, it was
the first time Grant and Hitchcock worked together. The first half
centers around Grant's charming persona while the later half has
Fontaine growing to fear the man as placid from the once unthreatened
story and Grant appears in a dark role. There's not much more to it than
that. He gradually swells on her from marriage and the viewers decide
what his intensions are. Suspense isn't around a lot because the first
half is quite friendly and doesn't really attach the viewer scene after
scene until the paranoia surrounding a mousy wife stirs. There also
aren't those classy exhilarating conversations, such found in Rope or
Dial M for Murder. Often there isn't a lot to show, rather it's on note
letters and telegrams for the wife to trace her husband's secrets and to
figure out where he's truly been when he's away from the home. The film
opens the set right away to the two strangers who meet on a train and
any movie of his with an appearance of a train, North by Northwest and
Strangers on a Train, is interesting because the transportation was no
longer regular at the time of the movie. What works best is the
mastering at cuts and the photography. He fools the audience at points
with his camera techniques to emphasis an important piece, but it only
comes a couple times, issuing the road off uphill car drive at the end.
Hitchcock lights up the setting beautiful for season fall and creates a
believable zone. He utilizes just a frequent theme large in this movie
and minor in the rest of his films as this one is a middle-low range
Hitchcock movie. Overall, it's not among my favorites of his as it
misses out on some memorable and gripping turns.
Final Grade: B-/B
Waiting... (2005)
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Luis Guzman, Anna Faris, Vanessa
Lengies, John Francis Daley
Film Prophet's Review...
As the sexual premise conquests, during one day, a new wait staff
trainee Mitch, Daley, is placed under the wing of Monty, Reynolds, a
veteran at the small restaurant who informs Mitch that all male
employees engage in a game in which the object is to get others to look
at the person's own genitals. Faris and Lengies show their better than
this movie and other people are angry and rowdy, except for one waiter
four years out of high school, Long, who learns about his dead-end
future if he sticks around. After given a chance because of the cast
attractiveness, this is what one would get if the movie Crash was
spoofed to a teen comedy without every scene happening to be about race.
The concept of this movie was flat the moment the movie began. There is
way too much talk about genitals and private parts and none of it is
even funny. A few guys are obsessed by playing games in order to expose
their parts. When Guzman demonstrates sexual positions relating cocks to
food, it's atypical and shows the workers still act childish about
organs despite being past puberty. If it weren't for some bright faces
in the film, it would be a total clutter. Though Reynolds as the lead is
uninteresting because his character's jokes are tasteless. He is more
concerned with partying and getting some with underage girls. Its used
other teen comedy notions, placed in finer manufactured comedies, is
what one would expect to receive from this and to laugh at it and that's
it. However, no laughs are found since all the humor is references to
vulgar and homosexuality. The writers didn't give the one-dimensional
characters any intelligence, hence the genial driven script... and it's
exhausting after the second time. Other conversations have unnecessary
usage of profanity pretending to be somebody they aren't.
Characteristics of the workers are bad mouths, lazy, irresponsible with
duties, obnoxious, clumsy, and unlikable. They face problems with
enthusiasm and dealing with low tipping customers. They make work more
troublesome than it is and keep in mind, it's just one day. It was
ironic the group of males talk down on homosexuality, yet they freely
enjoy showing their genitals to their male co-workers. Its dry humor is
boring and the setting basically stayed in the same place the whole
time. There was no plot development at all too. There can be gross
humor, but not the entire movie and there has to be some decent
characters and dialogue. Basically only one moment shined and that was a
couple minutes near the end with a bursting speech by Mitch. It's rude,
morbid, far from maturity, and places the viewer far from that
restaurant and movie ever again.
Final Grade: D/C-
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Directed by Isao Takahata
Film Prophet's Review...
The Japanese animated film dictates a post-World War II story on Japan
of unfairness. The sympathetic antiwar film is an honest motion picture
of childhood letdowns. There are no stereotypical funny characters and
one can't choose who is affected by war. A young brother and child
sister flee from home after it was burned down with their mother inside
so they become orphans losing the battle while allied firebombs destroy
homes and wound many. After the mother goes away, it leaves the sister
vulnerable. Beginning a tale of survival, their safety needs and
necessities to survive are in a scarce area of just white rice. The
considerate brother is eager to find some for himself and his sister, as
well to find money, clothing, water, and shelter. The director's
expertise at creating a helplessness tone is there. The visuals are
breathtaking urging pain from the sound effects of air raids that
sporadically occur. The movie spends its early time on showing the
aftermath disasters in ruins and then drains as the exploration of the
story borders itself to despair. The caring brother forfeits his
mother's possessions for white rice and fatigue sets into the characters
and the plot. The residual pray of young life won't get better. They
don't exactly lose that innocence one may think. The title represents a
literature technique and poetic experience separating horrors and joy.
The fireflies come at night and they're symbolic for fleeting joy and
happiness like them weaving to regain over time. It doesn't stress on
the dialogue particularly since the sister can't properly speak yet so
there aren't long conversations. The two move along as to what gives
them as they don't really know what to do because there isn't school and
the story matches their thought processes. Some citizens of Japan are
shown in the coldest light and some are depressed to even communicate.
There's a couple incidences where they detest the brother for stealing
their stuff; he does everything he can and must carry the burden of
everything. It teaches traumatic and pitiful conditions. With all that's
said, there is hardly a cornucopia of tension. The story illustrates the
fragility of the life and youth with patience of the story for a wide
audience. The fine piece presented by Japanese cinema is appreciated by
Film Prophet as it's about their own culture of unusual events that left
a mark.
Final Grade: B/B+
The American President (1995)
Starring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox,
Richard Dreyfuss
Film Prophet's Review...
A widowed president, Douglas, is working to be re-elected and falls in
love with a female lobbyist, Bening. The life of a president leaves
little time for dating as several questions are addressed with one being
what does the president see in this woman anyways who hardly gives an
impression. One woman says men like to be insulted by women because it
makes them feel loved. On top of the White House set is a minor insight
to the operations inside with the administration and other personnel. A
viewer would figure the privacy in the personal relationship towards the
public press would get in the way, but it really doesn't; the president
is very casual. There's a few ideas about both romance and the
government with comedy, class, and a political message. It alienates
some of the audience when it rams rhetoric fabric so that there's some
kind of importance here. For the first thirty minutes, the script is a
disappointment and a sign of intimidation to the audience is shown. The
script tries to be preachy and educated campaigning on a fair altitude
between each other because the dialogue comes out of their mouths way
too fast giving the characters less pragmatism to the thought process.
This film has sophistication in some areas and its exhaust is a waste,
but it does show Douglas, whose acting skill is always on target, as a
busy working president. The expectations of the debut of Bening's
character was high because of her buildup. Her character was to be an
intelligent political worker and instead the movie pictures a giggly,
air headed woman. Besides Douglas, none of the characters are really
believable because the speech material they deliver is dry at the start.
They talk so much and when they inconsiderately offend the president,
they regret it so quickly and the president just ignores it because he
knows everything they say is pretentious - Are you under the impression
I'm mad at you... get a clue, quit apologizing and be quiet, he doesn't
mind. The film moves scene to scene completing an over-delight mode and
musical score. The best of the talk is when the president cheeks the
lobbyist's intelligence in a joking manner through that telephone
sequence, or basically anytime the dialogue is spoken through a phone or
between Douglas and Bening. Michael J. Fox was great near the end just
as director Rob Reiner pulled through after a rocky start. When the film
slightly improves, the scenes aren't so liberal and more panic stirs
into the premise and relationship. "No, he's not hopping, no hopping
sir." It's not bad, nor super. Douglas satisfies the title character
portraying an unforgettable president from a movie with that chilling
conclusive speech.
Final Grade: B-/C+
Doom (2005)
Starring Karl Urban, The Rock, Rosamund Pike, Al Weaver, Richard Brake,
Dexter Fletcher
Film Prophet's Review...
An expert fan will look for the connection from the movie to the
first-person shooter computer game. The plot is simple; creatures from
Hell come out of teleportation gates so space marines led by Sarge, The
Rock, introducing John Grimm, Karl Urban who looks like the main
character, are sent to Mars and their mission was to make sure nothing
escapes to Earth. The atmosphere is what one would expect to find at an
indoor Universal Studios ride or even a haunted house... erratic. This
film insists on being suspicious as it took a while until the first
creature is fully shown on screen. Often, it mixes up Half-Life elements
with the prolonged soldiers entrance, shoddily harmed scientists,
mutating after contact with a demon, and the setting architecture. Its
also similar to the style of Resident Evil's action and supernatural
enemies. The demons, hypothetical, were to be from Hell, not from a
virus of genetic experiments. The Rock as Sarge was never a maniac
determined killer. The Rock did raise the level of intensity because of
the change in Sarge's personality. After witnessing what is group is
dealing with, he engrossingly orders his men to irregular humane
conflicts with a vigorous attitude. He is perplexed; several times he
asks what is going on here to John Grimm's sister, okay. Every creature
was once human she says, and for the classic Imps, they don't throw any
fireballs, such a letdown. There's gore, migrating around the dark
facility, and severe sensations to the audience. Even though the
appearances of the demons were cut short, they made their arrivals
gratifying. The awesome sound and music raises when a character is at
the faint point when someone is encountering in front or from behind. It
did miss some cool demons and their massive endurances. There was no
Spider Mastermind, Cacodemons, or flying fiery skulls. There are more
powerful demons than the Imp like those Barons, my favorite one.
However, the space marines barely handled the Imps. A trendy part of the
film was finding new weapons in a room, most notably when the Sarge
finds the BFG 9000. The color coded keys for access, graphics from the
game, a neat first person camera view, and chainsaw were somewhat
present. Using the structure of the third Doom, the flashlight control
was either using it or just the weapon, but here the light is attached
to the gun. There's plenty of explanations of science after dismal
returns from adventures and exciting demon encroachments. Doom does
succeed to be categorized among the ultimate video game to movie
adaptations.
Final Grade: B-/B
Ed Wood (1994)
Starring Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray,
Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones
Film Prophet's Review...
People, this is absolute humor... this outstanding film has real,
advanced entertaining comedy and it's shining to the supreme. Merging
humor and horror, the film is perfect on imperfection. Low-budget
Hollywood director Edwood D. Wood Jr., who notoriously was voted worst
Hollywood director, directed bad monster horror films and botched
productions in the fifties. He used anything and for one time only, just
as long as it fits his unusual art vision. The black and white
cinematography notes the age of the time frame and places the film back
to evoke a nostalgia mood. The story is a biographical tale about Wood's
life, his independent film making career, dressing in women's clothing,
and the people around him. He finds elder Bela Lugosi, the original
Dracula, to star in his pictures. The former film star is the only thing
going for him, but his belief in Lugosi's performance continuity is
encouraging. Tim Burton's potential as a director is highlighted with
this one. He turns Wood's work into sharp and zany outtakes towards his
unprofessional weirdness. Making a movie about a career of one who
wasn't the best at doing so is something incredible and close to uniform
that gives Burton his finest astonishment. The cast is very remarkable,
the dialogue is crisp, and the execution is greatly stingy to correspond
to the title character. Depp matches versatility and quaint expressions
for Wood and Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, who never came close to
winning an Oscar himself, won one as being Bela by hitting that accent
wholly. Since the cast enjoyed what they were doing, it makes the
viewers enjoy it even more. Burton gathers a humorous and plausible
insight into the development of making a film and the life of Logosi and
Wood. Just about every conversation between Depp and Landau startles
joy, 'Why are you buying a coffin - I'm planning on dying soon.' Their
observations and remarks are funny, especially funnier for those who
have knowledge of older horror films back in the day. 'What is the one
thing if you put it in the movie, it will be successful - tits - no
better than that.' The quotes frequently burst with jokes. There's
always a bit of delight padded in every scene because it's so silly
sometimes... oh what does that old queen know, she didn't even show.
Some sequences begin with a spooky reference and finish with a sense of
wit that followed through the start. The affection in the story is for
Bela. Viewers laugh whenever any character brings up Karloff's name to
him, then empathize to his late life. A favorite scene is when Wood
spotted a young lady who just moved to Hollywood to recruit at a
restaurant, or maybe the riot rowdy crowd at the premiere of one his
supernatural bad movies. Part of the reason of his one shot only takes
was because the studio allowed him certain amount of time to use the
stage props, down on money, so he was used to it. Ed Wood and his
production crew deal with getting shut down, bad reviews, altercations
in scripts, character motivations, and new personnel that all modify the
utmost chronicle of pursuit.
Final Grade: A/A+
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Christopher
Walken, Michael Gambon
Film Prophet's Review...
Another fun, amusing collaboration between Johnny Depp and director Tim
Burton, as Danny Elfman once again provides the always loud haunting
score, this time, for a gothic ghost story. The time is around the turn
of the nineteenth century... Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, an
outwardly hapless detective from New York City who is sent to the small
village of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of several head
decapitations that are plaguing the town. At the little Dutch village,
he finds that most of the townsfolk believe the culprit is the Headless
Horseman, the ghost of a monstrous Hessian soldier, who seems to be tied
into one of the town's families. The production values give the village
its harsh and bright realism of fog, smoke, and distant lightning... it
looked like a portrait or painting. The story mostly takes place during
night time and when any character gets close to the haunted woods, it
brings excitement and eagerness to look out for the headless horseman.
The film pulsates the noise of his horse riding from evil to wipe out
the next victim. There have been animations and references leading up to
the supernatural, fantasy horror movie. Burton has made it more gruesome
than ever, but not horrific and gory. There's plenty of flesh, bones,
and wounds cleverly made in a dark and creepy atmosphere. Conversely, a
little more appeal of frightening characters and moments with an edge
and explosive malevolence would do because there were some middling
gradual areas in the film. Walken was amazing at his parts as the
horseman, and Depp was entertaining as usual The case at anonymity is
wrapped in a ghost tale while the format has series of murders followed
by dumbfound conclusions, then parts where Depp thinks by himself in
disbelief to faint before the natives get themselves into individual
battles with the horseman. When the title comes to mind, most people
think of the headless horseman riding through a small tunnel bridge
throwing his fiery pumpkin head. That image serves correct. However,
there's a bit irrational reasoning twenty minutes prior the ending which
can not be disclosed since it would spoil. Though, the movie was a fun
ride afforded by Elfman's music and Burton's art direction as the
recipe.
Final Grade: B-/B
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Starring Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Preston Foster, Noel Francis, Allen
Jenkins
Film Prophet's Review...
James Allen is a returning veteran from the war in the army and decides
to pursue his dream to be an engineer instead of working at the local
factory where his family wants the best for him. "He's got to be happy.
He's got to find himself." He searches but very little is available
because of the era of depression. Faced with depression realities, he is
arrested for robbery when he happens to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Despite his innocence, he is sent to a brutal Southern
prison camp and goes for an escape. Afterwards, there are several other
incredible turning points, such as the coerced marriage, which makes up
a great compact story. This story is graceful to follow and there are
numerous scenes in which the viewer will go wow, such as the sight of
medals at a pawn shop. The film releases a dark side of mainstream
America of its justice system. Amazing films such as Cool Hand Luke and
The Defiant Ones resemble this initiative premise. Muni's acting style
fits the film's tone of brutality and demoralization. His character is a
self-made man in a gang system that opens to unusual punishment.
Director Mervyn LeRoy captures its dehumanizing approach with an
astonishing force. The cinematography is attractive and Muni is in
almost every scene. As an early Oscar nominee for best picture, the full
talkie shows how the justice system can be ignorant while it leaks out
evil when the problem is being overlooked. It's really the first
groundbreaking drama with dialogue that mirrors true culture and
conditions. The social awareness of the time is present, when even
amusing scenes transcend to unsettling ones that continue to astonish.
The whole movie is swayed by Allen being remarkably innocent under
unrecognized influence, except when he's part of the chain gang
sentenced for many years like others, he can't do anything. The story of
James Allen as a human being is changed once his true color is
destroyed. The chain gang is all male who have depressed looks of
sadness when they're chained up forced to work long days to pound rocks
and eat terrible meals. He didn't want a mediocre life, however, he
received the wrong experience. "I was just wiping the sweat off my face
- you got it knocked off." Every time he is mocked or gives an ill
expression, the viewers will sense a knock in the gut evoking damage
from the once high spirited man. He doesn't cry for mercy; he's a man
about it and lives what uninformed humanity gives him under slimy
circumstances he didn't please for. In one scene, it gasps everyone's
ears to listen to the horrors of the belt beatings. The film is an
example of what Hollywood has forgotten how to do. The plot and acting
are its strong points, which means it carries an exceptional rate
throughout. The barbershop scene is an example of intensity and then
relief much like others... fantastic. The superb editing, dialogue,
script, and steadiness traps attention to focus on the misery in an
entertaining, but suffering fashion. His integrity is inspiring to give
the viewer one hundred percent at everything. When Allen gets hammered
in his ankle, the viewers will cringe with him. I've never cared more
about one character than James Allen. His speech near the end is
priceless that provokes my anger. The story brings out the most evil
displayed from the country and the film probably has the most effective
conclusive ending in film history. Through all of the momentum and
adjustments in one story, the life of James Allen, that has multiple
climaxes, phenomenally exposes mistaken justice. Every minute of the
movie is powerfully sadistic staged well ahead of its time.
Final Grade: A+/A
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Starring James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond
O'Brien, Andy Devine
Film Prophet's Review...
John Wayne is the icon of the Western era while James Stewart continues
his always favored charm who compose of two film legends on screen
together. Director John Ford's nostalgia for the past is constituted by
his poetic old west town with a fearless gunman and loss of freedom.
Westerns are purely the legit form of film that America can express a
true story about its culture that once existed. The story is told by
Ransom Stoddard, Stewart, after his surprise return to his home town
decades later because a very close pal passed away, who was Wayne as Tom
Doniphon, the unsung savoir of the story. By this time, Ransom is a
public figure as a senator. To a journalist who wonders what the senator
is doing back in Shinbone with his wife, he tells his career started as
an idealistic lawyer who comes to bring legal law to the West. Ransom
taught the natives how to read and write, but what really held him in
reserve was the greatest bandit by the name of Liberty Valance. Most
importantly, he troubled Ransom and Valance defines a chief antagonist
redeeming qualities of bad and evil. His appearances are short stints
that make a lasting consciousness of a theme between gun violence and
law enforcement. Using a bright lighting in a black and white picture,
it hinges pulsating sound effects adapting the standard Western film
pace. The story educates who came before them and what happened on the
land they once stood on. The present dialogue starts it up about how the
setting has changed in a slow melancholy reflecting back on Shinbone.
Wayne's dramatic capability fits in his noble character and Stewart gets
easily frustrated and raises his temper than ever before. Vera Miles,
who looks different in her roles, pulls if off as possibly the most
undervalued poignant supporting actress of her time. 'I don't want to
kill him; I want to put him in Jail' quote sets the goal as Valance is
often on Ransom's mind. He stumbles into town with his wife and stay
there while he ties in his temptation to use a gun guided by Doniphon
and politics supported by the natives of this town. The story takes it
easy and leans for balance through an irresponsible positive Marshall
and a town drunk in a small town of few buildings all in proximity where
everyone got along and there wouldn't be a conflict without the presence
of the ruthless bandit and his two cronies as grown bullies to create
the story's contention. It features Western's most gripping rivalry, an
astonishing cultural nostalgia view, and an underlying conclusion that's told from
an excellent concise, creative script.
Final Grade: A-
Serenity (2005)
Starring Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Morena Baccarin, Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Alan Tudyk
Film Prophet's Review...
Taking place five hundred years from present time, it revolves around an
ensemble of humans on a spaceship, Serenity, and the encounters they
erratically face in galactic zone. The film centers on a captain, his
crew, and his apprehensive relation with an abnormal teenaged girl as
they find themselves caught between a military force and cannibalistic
savages. The success of the movie has been established from fans and
their tirades who where fixated with a cancelled television show that
ran no more than one year. Years later, the same director, Joss Whedon,
of the show reintroduced the premise in this feature length film
designed for anyone's viewing treatment. The universe supports human
life on several other planets that are uncivilized and despiteful while
violence is the solution to all problems, except the problems came from
a plot that didn't strike. It recycles used science-fiction notions and
there aren't any creative, feasible, or popular characters or weapons.
The cast does not have any stars either. There is no wisdom or central
evil. They still use handguns and duel in fist fights, how unoriginal.
There's even a stable called the alliance. The characters don't acquire
valuable screen time, so their motivations are hazy and they drew in
little sympathy. The horrible acting and the incomprehensible dialogue
comprise of the film's two most insipid areas. The narrative was
unbalanced; the scene transitions were so awkward... they cut right in
the middle of some action to perceive that image to begin the following,
in and out between storylines. Plus, the camera would be out of focus on
most of the characters speaking. The movie involves some nameless people
flying around to different locations getting into adventures. During
this, they slot in premature remarks; there is no gist of solid
chemistry between anyone. The best way to relieve strain is impaired
humor, such as, I swallowed a bug. After a minute of conversation, it
isn't easy to concentrate on the banter and it take seriously any
longer. In result, the plot can be disregarded for about an hour. The
comedic elements are similar to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
movie... irrational, unfunny, and doesn't come across well because it's
full of itself. The action is brainless and some viewers probably won't
know why the characters got into them in the first place. The movie puts
the concept that there is nothing exciting to do in space but to get
into unlikely distractions, which makes it far from practical, but
daringly entertaining for a jiffy.
Final Grade: C
Downfall (2004)
Starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Christian Berkel, Corinna
Harfouch, Andre Hennicke
Film Prophet's Review...
"Everything is lost, completely lost." Commencing the cruelty of man,
the final hours of the Fuhrer's empire falls with him in Germany at the
end of World War II. The portrait of madness is a close look at his
failures in the war to the courage and despair of his German sycophants.
People during his years of power were reflected in the last twelve days
in the underground bunker with frustrations when things go against his
loyalty creating stress on his home territory of war noises. Bernd
Eichinger signified this historical subject in a suitable manner to show
that there was no hero in this liberal defeat. His capacity to gather
information and present some of it is sobering in detail...
illuminating, portraying accurate history, compelling language, and
believable reactions of his people under horrific circumstances
realizing he lost leading to inhumanity of madness and self-destruction.
It opens when the Fuhrer hires a woman secretary and from there, she is
the character with the vision to witness the events. In the midst of his
final days, startling and impulsive scenes make a breeze to the movie as
a whole. The stirring acting, especially from Ganz, renovates from
Germany's point of view on a riveting subject of human evil. The war
trauma has breathtaking outcomes and cinematography with an even
structure of visual and sound effects through explosions as the viewer
can hear the terror. Random bombs falling out of no where puts the
viewer right inside Berlin. It's the Saving Private Ryan of Germany.
"This is not a position, it's a trap. The Russians will come from two
sides and you won't be able to get out." The film saves time for
socialism collapse, war strategy talks, and little concerns to the
civilians. One thing apparent is that the generals and officers didn't
appear to trust one another. They would have conversations that weren't
lengthy and the only one they wanted to hear from was the Fuhrer. The
generals slighted another; there was no control of conduct anymore, and
so, pointless deaths happened in the chaos. Not once were the
concentration camps brought up to him. His notion was that weak people
die out and he had no compassion for them. To some people, he was
friendly, but others, he had a severe relationship if they went to be a
traitor. It's about his growing weakness that alienate many of his
followers and the obsessions of the ones who stayed with him and carry
out what he said. The desertions and suicides are all result of this one
callous central figure. They knew they lost and couldn't do anything.
Among the saddest things was when they tested poison to his dog. The
most arduous sequence to watch was that a mother killing her own
children in their sleep, and there's more like these in this very film.
The burdensome movie succeeds switching between scenes of war panic,
suicides, havoc, suffering, and serious crisis resorting to deaths and a
chilling, alarming finale of downfall.
Final Grade: A-/B+
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Original Music by Joe Hisaishi
Film Prophet's Review...
Hayao Miyazaki's animated medieval Japan tale explores a benevolent
struggle between nature and human. Ashitaka, who after being cursed by a
demon boar, leaves his village to seek the forest spirit who has the
ability to heal before the curse kills him off. He meets an epic
conflict between the gods, who are speaking animals, of the forest, and
a close by mining village of humans with a ruthless female leader. A
young princess, the spectral spirits, and her wolves must defend the
forest from human encroachment, as it threatens the unbalance forces of
nature. I didn't put the usual cast lineup above after the title because
there are two voice versions using English and Japanese language, but
it's the same story and stunning artwork. The score by Hisaishi fits so
proficiently in the film and the direction of the visuals are magical
and complex; the background fog and noises aid to the natural
environment appeal. The sound works to effect, the watercolor landscape
design has multi-coated shadows, and the writing reflects a cultural
issue in a fictional story that defines a conflict. There's thunderous
passion built in the forethought that's apparent from the setting,
mythic fantasy themes, and music score. There's an immense thematic
development happening and there's too much to discuss, so I'll ration
myself. The story introduces new characters in new surroundings in a
repetitive structure the film uses to convey an incredible amount of
personalities. The supporting characters reconstruct hope or evil to
pivotal ones during adventures of beauty and brutality. All characters
have weak qualities and believable drives. Ashitaka, in the middle of it
all, wishes to protect both sides, as his quest for his own salvation
withers. He is a wise talker, a mystifying warrior who learns something
new about the power of his curse. The story presents both sides of the
fable between humans and the forest. There are many memorable
mini-battles between them. The anti-human forest fears guns, humans are
selfish and have gender disputes, civilization changes while nature
remains intact, and the story has an excellent edge to fuse them. Each
side must survive to start over and one simple message is that everyone
deserves to live. It is a refreshing way from the usual Hollywood
treatment. The graphic violence is at a low and the childish laughter is
not here; there are no beloved sidekicks or musical numbers. "Listen to
me, please don't throw your life away."
Final Grade: B+/A-
Corpse Bride (2005)
Voices by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham
Carter, Emily Watson, Paul Whitehouse, Christopher Lee
Film Prophet's Review...
In Tim Burton's stop action animation, a young dumbfound piano man
mistakenly weds a corpse from her grave. He later falls in love with
her, though there aren't many scenes that show it. Meanwhile, his real
fiancée has been drawn into a scam of another marriage. Burton's dark
setting is pleasant as the movie put great emphasis on the art and music
than the fairy tale. Running at less than ninety minutes, the thin
concise story is categorized as comedy horror, but it is too mild and
there is not one joke that was rousing of laughter. The childish comedic
relief was just discreet and took away from anything the movie was going
for. Danny Elfman's score can bestow anyone into the mechanical
entertainment just as the bold characters try to make their impressions.
The most enjoyable parts of the film were the songs, but then they went
on longer than expected and the lyrics would become avoidable to hear.
The film does little to consume attention. There isn't much energy like
in other Burton works that inhabit a fun and colorful place. Although,
due to the lack of terrific animations this year, Burton might get his
first Oscar nomination. The production crew used resourceful technology
to create visual art on the models and gears of the characters with
effort into each frame. While the viewers can tell who the characters
resemble towards the voice performers, the sets all appear the same:
very small and dark. The colors were limited; nothing is bright. Various
colors of gray are used and it becomes bland and bleak after awhile much
like the characters since they didn't get worthy time to develop. Depp
and Carter's characters needed one big adventure between the two to
establish a noble bond, except the story ceded tiresome outcomes. It
begins with the supporting tier where they all sing and dance together
and the story doesn't fulfill at any of these times. In the little
story, there aren't any twists and once it is resolved, it ends
absurdly.
Final Grade: C/C+
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene
Dietrich, Judy Garland
Film Prophet's Review...
An American judge at the Nuremberg war trials of 1948 is faced with the
issue of how much guilt an individual must bear for aggressive war
crimes against humanity committed in Germany during World War II,
particularly the concentration camps. Based on fictionalized true
events, the judge, Tracy, must compose a final opinion attempting to be
as fair as possible since there was no correct answer. Stanley Kramer's
black and white historical courtroom drama is politically important. As
one defendant points out, what exactly is this prosecution trying to
prove, the rationale of it all was to illustrate how to censure German
people after the Allies had secured victory. The main concerns happen
inside the courtroom with excuses and exaggerations from four former
Nazi judges on trial. It wasn't about the military leaders following the
laws that ruled Germany. There's a nobility standpoint against
nationalistic choices and actions probing at duties, laws, and conduct.
The movie deliberates between many moral issues of socialism, civic
behavior, justice, and human rights. Two elements are big for this film:
the cast and the touchy subject of international law. Running at over
three hours, the film is sporadic. At once, it's gripping with a
searching look surrounding the actions of the accused. The performances
were seeking to grab an interest which did not always happen. They
looked rugged and the females came in the movie a tad late. The film got
right under way to the topic and aimed to be as realistic as possible
with interpreters exchanging excerpts. When the defendants enlighten
Spencer Tracy's judge character, his reactions sends the courteous
tendency to the audience that he must be swayed. Similarly, the audience
would be too. Some are preachy and slightly convincing scoping out
civilizations. When they raise their voices to broadcast their pleas,
they are halted when the judge overrules it and sustains order in the
room. The others just use their headphones and listen to a mix of
monotone voices. The film can educate an audience past textbooks.
There's barely a score, other than the German choir chorus. Half of the
movie was limp because of the frail conversations that went a bit faint
on material that could have been relevant, but it was done in a way that
didn't make much impact. Besides the content and occasional
performances, there isn't much complexity left. It's made up of
repetitive instances through depravity, criminal, and immoral conduct in
different objections and evidence. Many accounts are forgettable,
especially after the first third which heads into the judge's personal
life with a woman that's boring off case. Beyond the judge's final
statement, there were two demonstrations that stood out. One was
Garland's testimony of did you sit on his lap and what else do you
admit. The other of the two was the footage tape on the Holocaust and
the horror description about it followed by an aftermath reaction of the
defendants - children would be injected with morphine so they'd be
unconscious when hanged, they were told to take baths, then the doors
were locked...
Final Grade: B-/B
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Starring Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis
Capra, Taral Hicks
Film Prophet's Review...
"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." A young Italian American
son nicknamed C of a sincere bus driver, De Niro, looks up to a local
mob boss, Palminteri, after he witnesses his murder on a man in public
daylight. He didn't offer any information to the cops, and thus a
friendship is forged between the two. Changing his lifestyle, the father
adapts his supreme working man's ethics to his life and the fundamental
themes mostly come from him, such as don't get involved with the wrong
crowd. As the main two adult actors in the film, De Niro makes his
directing debut and Palminteri writes the play. De Niro's expansive plot
transitions are impressive and the excellent screenplay is converted
into thoughtful, nostalgic sentimental material. They also play two
father figures offering ways of protection in different prospective
where Sonny, the mob boss, gives him a street education, with both
providing valued lessons. The vigilantly constructed crime drama sets in
racial tension during 1960s New York while the subgenre hits the end of
its peak with this movie reaching the ultimate pinnacle to be the last
one of its own kind. The film covers the scenery of Bronx, splitting the
neighborhood views in half when C falls in love with a black girl. He
provides the underlying storytelling with a narration to express
personal views that progressively engross from his once curiosity acted
by Brancato and Capra. Through unconditional drama, the viewers learn
many quality lessons while C is continually told when he is older, he'll
understand his environment in the Bronx. The story tests friendship and
loyalty, respecting others for who they are. There's comical gestures
and language combined with Sinatra's tunes flowing along. The dialogue
is strong unlike British mob spins that isn't funny. Awkward tension
stirs when different individuals collide. The scene where C's
stereotypical pals beat those black boys down in the street was an
extremely stellar scene. Other than the bike gang scene, the mob
violence is rarely exposed and they are kept low mostly. Sonny isn't
exactly an antagonist; both him and C's father want C to do the right
things, which what ultimately decides the character's fate by the
choices they make. De Niro appeared in every other few scenes and his
impact wasn't necessary as it would be in other films because there were
plenty of other integral parts. The film managed to cast young actors
who weren't bothersome and they fit right in. De Niro's slow motion
techniques with great camera angles and pace beats the bore Mean
Streets. The marvelous engaging acting got the most from its cast and
the movie begins and ends dynamically... it never falls to tedium in the
vein of Miller's Crossing. "Mickey Mantle don't care about you, so why
should you care about him... nobody cares."
Final Grade: A/A+
The Elephant Man (1980)
Starring Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, Freddie Jones,
Hannah Gordon
Film Prophet's Review...
Director David Lynch's breakthrough film, nominated for eight Oscars,
tells a true story of John Merrick, Hurt, in nineteenth century England
as a hopeless, deformed being under Proteous Syndrome, dubbed as a
circus freak. He slaves for a carnival vendor because of his unordinary
physical form. An Englishman Dr. Frederick Treves, Hopkins, is a
compassionate surgeon who allows him to stay at the hospital he works at
though they can't cure him. In his fight for dignity with those who
still choose to view him as a freak, he struggles over prejudice as the
film examines disdain and nuances marked in stylish, black and white
imagery. Technically, it is shot superbly. The low lighting and
nightmarish mood aims at a surreal environment. For the first hour or
so, Merrick carries himself quiet and speechless under the vein dimness
and dreams of having a normal life. The audience suffers for him and
through his inabilities such as to speak properly. His image though is
hidden during this time. There is a paper bag over his head or he is
behind a curtain shadowed off. He has huge bumps all over his back, a
bad arm and hand, an enormous head, and he tussles with his walk and
breath in an undying fortitude. Dr. Frederick treats him as a patient
and an object combined. He manages to keep up his spirit showing him
pictures of women and meeting them and their politeness. However, the
villains exploit him putting many obstacles against him in the film. The
perception of himself through others is bleak and he is witnessed from
the bursts of eyes in some characters. Given little chance to prolong
the outside world, the sensitive man is mistreated. Coping with fear of
repulsion, his vulnerability and innocence shows he is a smart man at an
odd separation as he becomes more open when the story progresses. It is
evident that the dialogue and slow conversations were not rushed. The
viewer is put in the position of curiosity for a long time while the
movie sends moral messages of judgments and observations provoking
concentration on the demonstration of disabilities the film presents.
Everyone's affectionate performance digs into their characters by means
of Lynch's interpretation, especially Hopkins - Don't lie to me, where
is he - the strong acting triumphs over the gentle dialogue in an
achievement for a young cast and director. In a big scene, the vendor
comes back for him as he tortures and embarrasses him in a deceiving and
gloomy circumstance where he's weak and muted. Samuel Barber's Adagio
for Strings score is the sincerity to the subconscious ending
experience.
Final Grade: B/B+
Cabaret (1972)
Starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem, Marisa
Berenson
Film Prophet's Review...
The most imminent cabaret stage production winning eight Oscars focuses
on Liza Minnelli as a young modish nightclub entertainer with her dreams
of becoming an aspiring singer and dancer in Berlin, Germany goes on
with her shows while the Nazis rise to power. As a musical, it doesn't
have many memorable songs, if any, and they were all sung up on stage.
Some of the lyrics in them weren't really historical or emotional
important to the storyline where director Rob Marshall for Chicago
excelled when each song played some part in the overall play. The spotty
lighting and misty atmosphere, dress and chair routines, were there for
the cabaret crowd even though the camera doesn't really show their
reactions... it's always on Minnelli who wasn't bad at all for her
occupational role. Though, when she goes up tempo singing and when the
beats flare, it ends suddenly. Liza's appearances there entertained her
crowd more than the home viewer. She stays in her uncomplicated cabaret
character and look no matter what setting she is in and over-reacts to
any situation. Her agenda and volume doesn't change and surrounding her
were some annoying affectations. The messy acts and gentlemen in the
movie seize of unconvincing romance and dialogue. Their subplots came
arbitrary and the two men around her were quite plan and humble. Besides
those two, Grey with the painted face who danced with a person in an ape
costume was the most atrocious to the ears because of his accent and
bisexuality tune as there wasn't anything exterior to his silly career;
he remained on the same small old stage. Every character is morally
imprecise, unresolved, and anxious towards their lives. Often, the
entertainers confuse lines with puns where one wouldn't know how to
accept it as funny or useless. Even The Music Man had a couple chuckles
and ecstasy between banal and happy people. This movie stays on a set of
characters who smile and enjoy themselves except they aren't reflecting
off any stimulus and they drag for a while without any big appealing
scene. They cut between boring bedroom scenes to a song on stage to
jabber. The revelation in the characters are when a few admit they are
Jewish which didn't come to much of a surprise and trims off there. The
story went soft and stopped digging within a foot of its ground. It
tried to grip the historical affect of pre-war Germany, but not until
the final shot summarizes it all.
Final Grade: C
Life as a House (2001)
Starring Kevin Kline, Hayden Christensen, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jena
Malone, Mary Steenburgen
Film Prophet's Review...
After twenty years of being an architect, a dying father, Kline, finally
leaves his job to pursue to construct a home himself. He knocks down his
home near the pacific ocean and builds a new dream house with help on
his own land while getting reacquainted with his estranged son,
Christensen, over the summer. The adolescent son doesn't let anything
get to him as he just listens to his alternative rock music as one of
those signs of troubled written behavior. His father is courageous
enough to have him over as he tries to win over his son. For two
decades, the father was unfulfilled at his job working tirelessly losing
happiness and his separated family when he realizes life has come short
to an end. His next door neighbor is a former woman who he used to date
and her daughter, Malone, helps to brighten Hayden's summer. She is open
to experience like her mother and she was my favorite character for some
reason. The marked metaphor title means out with the old and in with the
new. Using its little originality, it's very erstwhile and conventional
as the film opens up with them doing gross habits towards what gets on
people's nerves. For about the first thirty minutes, the third-rate
dialogue had dire humor with lines like, I'll hate you for the rest of
my life, You're not even an architect and a miserable human being, Got
anymore weed - the film is a depressant to growth. Typically, the
dialogue's makeup is based on the character's one-liners and not useful
assumptions and observations that didn't astound one. After squabbling
back and forth, it sometimes cuts to some sympathy score and regretful
expression of faults while the characters are a bit hostile and unsure
of themselves... they are scripted off each other's subjective views.
The group bumps around each other while their pettiness tries to ask for
generosity as the allegory inflates. These unfulfilled characters engage
in random tempers and anger flairs designated with a dizzy camera and
some spongy composed music. If it weren't for the blatant music, the
movie couldn't result of half of what it was. When an emotional
flabbergast arises, the high volume music is cued to grow upon their
concerned looks for lament. The summer conversations they have try to
improve off each other as what one learns during that time is the west
coast has one ugly looking pizza. The father and son theme ties into
content family ideals over time in an average story a la Terms of
Endearment. However, there was still something key about Christensen's
performance as a teenager with Kline as the father. Taking over the
second part, everyone re-evaluates their position in life under
emotional distress and tear-jerking moments persuaded during the
manipulative music.
Final Grade: C+/B-
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Starring Bertil Guve, Ewa Froling, Jan Malmsjo, Gunn Wallgren, Pernilla
Allwin
Film Prophet's Review...
"Anything can happen, anything is possible. Time and space do not
exist." In Ingmar Bergman's later work of his career, a Swedish family
falls under turmoil after the man of the home, the patriarch, dies and
the mother loses stability to her children as soon as she marries a
callous minister. Their new life is more lonesome and suffered than
before, though the beautiful personification by Bergman is symbolically
viewed through three hours of a foreign language film. Foremost, the
winning cinematography was so scenic and luxurious surrounding the joy
of family at holiday season. The overture score and sound was
saturating, spacing out the dialogue allowing the camera to picture its
exquisite and overwhelming scenery that's more art than anyone can ask
for in a movie. The fancy house with unique color blends, the colorful
Christmas three, shiny utensils, and snow grounds were all part of the
warm, polite opening in which Film Prophet can tell Bergman was behind
the camera in his most personal film. The breathtaking acting and
accents had some exhilarating dialogue - the thick walls of this
playhouse. There's no silly lines and the language is very credible. The
title characters are the little son and daughter as they play the roles
of listeners and they're hushed gathering the perspective of the
audience. There's way more focus on Alexander and Fanny has no say in
many things. The etiquette family's father joked around to his kids and
serious to adults. Everyone's acting was amazing on one screen including
what the people did in the background that will catch the viewer's eyes
everywhere. The mere section of the movie that wears the audience down
and tires out are the old aged adults who play little roles. They have
uninteresting and depressing one on one conversations, but shows the
dull points in life as how it is meant to be... it is almost sickening
how sexually active a certain couple is in a gross manner. Anyways,
there were three generations who all have influence, but no more when
the bishop becomes the stepfather. He is the turning point in the entire
story. His demands to exercise complete control over his new family
effects increasingly with uneasy and sudden changes. His stubborn
character could almost be reminiscent to Robert Mitchum in The Night of
the Hunter in many ways. Everyone was almost vulnerable and defenseless
to him. Alexander's weakness is his truth being told and staring down
lies, fearing adults with their severe demands as the audience begins to
quench a sour attitude to the bishop. The floating cinematography still
drills some of the work and it's frequently stunning poking at
incredulity and pain. The expanding nature of the story gets daunting
and restless, especially when Alexander is forced to look at his dying
father gripping his hand as one of the startling scenes. The death of
art is disturbing and plentiful to detail the attention to the
character's roles that's too natural on their appearance and dress. The
river cuts resembles pivotal points, though there are a few continuity
errors in the scenes. When Bergman visualizes something, it's without
subtlety and nuance. The script is graved on prayers every so often, and
then fibs and perjury because of the stepfather based on morality, but
makes the best relationship to watch between him and Alexander. The most
striking scene is around the two hour mark - the punishment is to teach
you a love of truth. Spiritual and forgiveness, disappointments and
dreams, longings and questions anguish the characters. Once was
beautiful becomes a dying terrifying sculpture, warm art is cold,
cheerfulness melts to distress, and what was there isn't there any
longer.
Final Grade: A-/B+
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Voices by Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey
Film Prophet's Review...
The imaginative fairy tale by Tim Burton appears in the first feature
length stop-motion animated musical film creation. Jack Skellington, the
Pumpkin King, lives in Halloween Town where the residents prepare for
Halloween annually to the world. After the holiday, Jack suffers from
depression out of human quality when he's tired of the usual chores and
tricks and desires something new. He wanders off alone into the night to
contemplate his future where he finds himself in unfamiliar territory.
The scenery starts out in the graveyards with decaying characters from
ghouls and goblins and then captures a small blend of annual holiday
images of Easter, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick's Day, as Jack enters
Christmas, a different town, for a while. "There's got to be a logical
way to explain this Christmas thing." He schemes to take over Christmas
and kidnap Santa when he gets back while a concerned patchwork girl
tries to warn him not to. During Jack's pondering stage, the viewer
desires for the film to escape the dark layered Halloween town and go
back to Christmas once again. There's an old message to the story to be
happy and understand with one's self despite a lot of things before one
interprets the wrong way. Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs,
provides the singing voice of Jack. His musical composition creates an
appropriate atmosphere with illustrious poetic tunes as the most
memorable song is 'What's this.' Disney's alternative style of seditious
energy, creatures, and visual effects is quite stunning and gripping for
a diverse entertainment. This is where the fascination of the movie
kicks in where the animated sequences is the variable to the mixture of
songs. It puts on a sensational show rather than sustaining a lingering
poise since it's no longer than an hour and a half. The humor of the
film comes from many sources, such when it is done visually - getting a
bunny instead of Santa or being attacked by Christmas toys. The gothic
present feel of the story is simplistic and fast, zesty to the tunes
convoyed with pure eye candy treated for one to watch several times.
Final Grade: B+/B
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Starring James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf
Film Prophet's Review...
"My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I
thank you." Directed by Michael Curtiz, the inspiring story tells the
life of American George M. Cohan, the Broadway entertainer, composer,
dancer, and writer, and his contributions to the United States through
his songs and shows during the first World War as he became the first
performer of theater to win a Congressional Medal of Honor. During his
prime, his Broadway acts were high on recognition with sing and dance
melodies triumphing from 'You're a Grand Old Flag' to 'The Yankee Doodle
Boy.' Subsequently, his countless patriotic tunes during his existence
became a timeless celebration making a great independence day film while
this film boosted morals, devotion, and nationalism as the movie of its
time. "A man may give his life to his country in many different ways...
'Over There' was just as powerful of weapon as any cannon, as any
battleship we had." Narrating to the president the story of his life, it
starts from his childhood days born on independence day as a headstrong
child brought up where his parents loved theatre. When Cohen becomes
big, he invited his parents and sister to star with him for one of his
Broadway shows. There's plenty of memorable symbolic historical tunes
amusingly done on stage where it's meant to be and the best thing is
that they aren't overbearing and there's a man's story to be expressed.
The infecting sentimental, nostalgic storytelling is very warming and
wasn't troublesome with everything steadily enchanting and glorious.
James Cagney, who I was not a big fan of his films until this one, acts
really well and pulls off a particular magnetism and blissful voice. He
allures concentration to himself on screen at every occasion and
rewarding expression through the terrific camera views from a genius
musical screen play. Winner of best Oscar actor, the most rousing,
inducing act was his tap dance down the White House stairs. It was an
indication that Cagney didn't do just second-rate gangster films. When
the acts are on and Cagney isn't doing his fun footwork, it gets
exciting backstage and it's not too much. The story carries an energetic
and sensible drive through numerous songs and character relations
without ever hitting dead boredom. He acts and speaks at a pace that
keeps up with the storyline's sharp and lucid dialogue, as his lady
says, "I know I have talent even if I am from Buffalo." The supporting
cast below him complement his performance and they're exceptional. The
film easily shows the business production values, new plays, sensations,
and performers evolving mutually through sadness, fun, aging, and
growing times. It approaches strong caring parent and sister ethics in a
very smooth divide between family and theatre where success eventually
dwindles down to failure shaping to World War I in an amazing logical
narrative that's way above expectations. His encounter at an older age
when he's on his hammock and a couple teenagers ask him about his past
was magnificent and its the film's most perfect winning scene. The last
ten scenes are remarkable like Cagney's performance in this great
patriotic momentous film closing it gorgeous and exquisite.
Final Grade: A/A-
Oliver! (1968)
Starring Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Jack Wild
Film Prophet's Review...
The artistic musical pits an orphan in nineteenth-century London who
befriends a pick-pocketing gang of boy thieves in a search of a better
life and escape from hostile supervision of the English workhouse
officials. He tries to find out who his friends are in this youthful
tale of mischief. The movie got eleven Oscar nominations and wins for
Carol Reed's direction and best picture towards Charles Dickens' novel
Oliver Twist. The big-budget musical film did not win any acting award
for a reason. The cast appeared to be built from a children ensemble
when they came out for food with high energy to sing and dance in bad
conditions of the workhouse that almost looked like a prison. However,
when the titled character was pointed out for trouble amongst the
others, he gets placed in a movie controlled by adults who then act like
they are the main characters and Oliver has no more say if he ever had
any. The 'Who Will Buy' sequence with Harry Secombe singing in the
streets of snow walking with Oliver is probably the only favored scene.
It's hard to consider that the climax was that scene which was around
the ten minute mark. After an undertaker buys the boy, the kids from the
workhouse mock him from inside. The story expands merely through Oliver
only concerning his character and where he decides to run to. Since it
follows him, the viewer has little to cheer for. His persona was
unclear; he was just trying to get an adventure out of his cheerless
life on the streets. Oliver has no idea who anyone is; no names are
spilled and he has no where to stay since he runs away every twenty
minutes or so. When the greedy, unlikable adult trio arrives on screen,
they get more screen time than Oliver himself. The terrible
performances, accents, and appearances are from Ron Moody, Oliver Reed,
and Shani Wallis where there is too much hate between them because their
characters were pitiable and disgraceful. They have tedious
conversations for an hour about trying to get Oliver back after another
runaway since Oliver's talks last for no more than a minute and any
other talk between other characters are aching. Everyone in the tale has
some accompanied evil, even Oliver since he was the original quiet
troublemaker and there was some bad acting by Lester in him. The small
story has several little holes probing Oliver and the other character's
logic and decisions. The story is quite slow as any new place Oliver
finds, there's bound to be redundant singing, such as 'Consider
Yourself' which was a repetitive refrain around a large section of town
for a long time. Next came 'You gotta pick a pocket or two.' The music
causes frequent sidetracking points waiting for it to end so that the
tale has a rationale for existence. There aren't any drawn out
discourses in the film leading up to sequences that aren't juicy enough
to attract to Oliver's uninteresting journey going in no destination and
focusing on irrelevant adult characters in a portraying children
musical.
Final Grade: C
The King and I (1956)
Starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson
Film Prophet's Review...
Deborah Kerr plays a widowed English teacher at her new posting during
the mid-nineteenth century as tutor to the Siamese king's hundreds of
children. The relationship with the king is exuberant between the two
wary protagonists with a bright mix of comedy, drama, and music. Using
her western values, she was a strong enough woman than the rest to stand
up and approach the king, not being intimidated at times of his
arrogance. She acquires a rapport in a fortunate way right before she
begins her hypnotic performance in An Affair to Remember. In this
musical, the yielding poignant score relies on the steam the music
produces as it fastens the viewer sooner or later. The story and speech
is easier to understand than My Fair Lady, which is a positive sign. The
acting is very much so a stage play presentation with its painted
backdrops evident to see around water, though indoors the art was fine.
Kerr surprises when she sings her songs and Yul Brynner as the king won
best Oscar acting. The time spent during the songs are a bit projected
than when they speak regularly and if they did that through the whole
movie, it wouldn't have its charm anymore. However, Brynner's dialogue
is more entertaining than his few songs when he doesn't use proper
grammar in his sentences like the rest of his oriental royal community.
The king's debut is humorous making jokes and awkward speeches as he
makes the movie enjoying with his wit display. The fanciful direction of
its small premise and beautiful ending excludes unnecessary debris and
the audience gets a sense of the character's thoughts during the film.
The reason Kerr was appointed by the King of Siam as the teacher of his
children was that their education was not up to date and he wants them
to learn more modernly. These people are very uneducated and so was the
king. They became better off after a white woman came to teach them
about her Western customs, culture, dress, and language to their Asian
life. In one scene, the expired and fake version of a map was shown to
the children and she reveals them the current one as they're impressed
at the new sizes of the countries. When the children didn't believe in
things like snow, as they all admire her greatly learning words like
etcetera, the king enters scene and talks about them getting a modern
expensive education to learn things they don't believe in and uses more
funny lines. The film settles down just a bit after an interesting third
when other people get the solo singing spotlight. The best parts are
when the king and the tutor are together in the same scenes because it
show two people of very different backgrounds drawing apart and then
together that's fun to watch. She helps him impress the English royal
court at dinner with hilarious ways too. The Siamese true yarn has all
sorts of sentiments in several incidents and one painful line - a sad
heart wishes no longer to beating.
Final Grade: B/B-
Harvey (1950)
Starring James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Victoria Horne, Charles Drake,
Cecil Kellaway, Peggy Dow
Film Prophet's Review...
"In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well,
for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant and you may quote me." James
Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd is a regular at a pub who claims he keeps
company with a six-foot-tall, invisible rabbit as his best friend no one
can see but him. His charm embraces a nurse's romanticism and grace to
everyone with a splendid ease of loosening his mind and confidence. He
is tolerated by the citizens of his community and when the people
witness Elwood talking to air, he isn't embarrassed about it, though his
sister and niece, who he live with him, are. His sister believes the
alcohol drinking may have caused him to see this invisible imaginary
friend, so she makes a mistake when she tries to get Elwood committed to
a sanatorium. With Harvey, Elwood has more joy in life and so does the
film. Though, the rabbit is not present visually to the senses, the
adult imagination can carry over to children and families connecting to
a diverse audience. His alter illusion of the rabbit could represent
himself in a more kind, friendly spirit, as the movie makes a valid
conclusion near the end about this. Stewart, who mirrors his character
in It's a Wonderful Life by talking to an angel he can only see, is the
most charismatic actor in American classic history. Elwood P. Dowd is a
very memorable character and Stewart even said this was his favorite
movie he made. His acting is above excellence when he goes up against a
paranormal quality of a rabbit. Stewart's kind dialogue is alternately
hilarious grasping a screwball comedy of mistaken beliefs. The comical
acting brings on a smile when he acts and speaks to nothing visible and
it's fun to see other people's reactions to this. The harmless fantasy
comedy balances dark and congenial sides uniformly in a social
commentary about its time. It's cheerful and extremely pleasant, and
it's screen play moves and alters at a pace so that the performers can
perform and budge while speaking lines. Elwood is always careful with
Harvey around, asking him to go first when he opens a door, and uses
nouns in plural. The undertones of humor - let's drink up - is very
amusing in all its sincere manner. The other side of the story is the
paranoia and misinterpretation by the doctors on the innocent sister's
half, who the incompetent doctors are villains part time living in
denial for a while. The direction is dazzling so that the doctors don't
look at Elwood's actions towards the invisibility of the rabbit. The
acting provides this conveying and it gets uncanny. Every supporting
character is developed during the fiascos too and a chief to the story
is that no one really asks if Harvey is a real being. In the center of
the plot, the stranger's different views on what they've witness has a
script that is meant to be watched on screen to get the factual vision
from it. Elwood meets and befriends strangers and he is the only one who
knows where Harvey is exactly because he can see if he is there and this
creates a stir among the others in an original demonstration, as the
story adjusts upon situations based on what they've seen. There's many
seams of eternal meaning with a tremendous smart resolution to the story
countering a normal life - you know what stinkers they are - and how
Harvey plays into it teaching values and lessons. "We came as strangers,
soon we have friends... I introduce them to Harvey and he's bigger and
grander than anything they can offer me. When they leave, they leave
impressed. The same people seldom come back."
Final Grade: A
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Starring Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden,
Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman
Film Prophet's Review...
The Coen brothers wrote a wearisome view on the Prohibition era with
organized crime not with bootlegging to make money, but to slash off men
who divide the city's gangster competitive control. A crime boss orders
his right hand man for a botched hit, and he has debts he can't pay so
he plays both sides in the gangland. The parody on The Godfather's
opening was meant to be bold, but it was not that compelling at all.
Filmed in lighter atmosphere, deciding to be a comedy or a serious drama
was puzzling under its own belt. The plot generated nothing but
hard-nosed retribution and murder, as its soft dialogue is not rich.
There's this determination with a woman where two opposite gangsters
admire her, but it is nothing significant to speak of as it makes no
impact. The problem is the movie has excessive mumbles that don't
accelerate a story. More than half of the movie's scenes don't focus
enough on the plot to penetrate a coherent concept of the film. The
scenes don't take a turn for the better. In fact, the film is more of a
distance than it is up close. There's no hook that can get one started
and taken into the film. Rather, most of the film is dialog seen over
reoccurring conversations behind a desk with the usual mediocre setting,
which was exhausting to watch over and over in their same suits and
overcoats. The actors just go along talking about their lives they live
and I expected a nice art display or an humane message that's super and
it did not happen. Every character has some folly, and some have too
many. Gabriel Byrne, who appears in almost every scene, has this bland
appeal; he is uninteresting and acts with the same facial expression who
just moves his mouth when he speaks as he took a lot away from the
movie. Steve Buscemi's cameo had the best appearance though it was a
brief stint, it made Byrne look obsolete up there with him. The
hierarchy is not visible and the film doesn't make a valid case to
further a pebble across a two foot lake. The backstabbers and killings
make it difficult to tell who is where at any given time. There's little
action and no comedy relief with any personality. Two men can not just
talk between each other to express the story in every scene, unless it's
Rope, and basically they were all with Byrne. The characters as
gangsters didn't seem criminal enough either. Gabriel gets beat up along
the film and there's trivial shootings and brawls that don't accomplish
a point. Most of the scenes are easily forgettable since they were
tedious after the next. The one shooting in the house was unrealistic
looking with the constant unimpressionable faces. Ending with a bromidic
finish and compared to other Coen films, the Coens brothers are
nonetheless a hit and miss.
Final Grade: C-
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
Starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp
Film Prophet's Review...
A doctor risks his life when he drinks a potion and out comes his bad
side, effecting two women around him, one who is different than the
other. Directed by the great Victor Fleming, the film is an easy droning
psychological tale with ethics and omitted horror. His version of Robert
Louis Stevenson's classic novel creates terror emotions that don't
unbolt ever. The title is really popular, but most people don't know
what it truly concerns... the dull and uncharismatic character Spencer
Tracy portrays that would make anyone want to change into another
person. Since the doctor's life is boring just like the film, he takes a
complete change with making a potion. To show when he is in his evil Mr.
Hyde state, the film takes a matter of ten to twenty seconds of a
close-up of his face and how it sweats with a evil grin, changing with
fades, then it's over passing by with one little evil act if that. He is
truly more crazy and dangerous to himself and his outcomes. He was open
in the beginning with discussions about morality in a soul and
exchanging theories, but never really got into the matter. He led an
ordinary liberal life and when the women would join him, they would be
just as lackluster as him. The one on one conversations they have don't
involve much of anything, but weak seduction and monotonous quarrels. At
first, Jekyll in his top hat and cane enjoys this transformation, which
his sexual urges get a notice with a local barmaid and woman who her
father consents to be married with. The doctor begins his miscellaneous
calculations and hypothesis towards the potion that transforms him into
Mr. Hyde. The cinematography was a neat feature, so was the foggy
setting of London, though the story did not match. Both sides of the
doctor were empty and all he did was grin and stage the rest of his
dreary paving. Somehow he manages to bring tears to the two women who
just sob over banal frustrations. The movie can be finalized with a line
at the end - I'm Dr. Henry Jekyll, I've done nothing.
Final Grade: C/C-
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Starring Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Headey, Monica Bellucci
Film Prophet's Review...
Two traveling exorcist con-artists, brothers Jake and Will Grimm, arrive
at a town populated of wretched civilians where the town keeps losing
their children. Their bravery is stricken in their own yarn with other
childhood fantasy fairy tales, which reminisce in memory, but not fully.
When the brothers search the forest for the missing children and come
back to the town, they are tied up with rope because the people don't
believe they witnessed supernatural evils who have taken the children of
the village since they're too pitiable. The rest of the movie's
sequences are proceedings of torture to relieve information or just for
the fun of it, then they overcome and head back in the creepy forest to
get tied up by enthralling trees and creatures who can consume them
whole, where all of the stunts and mysterious action take place in the
woods. The interference by the French army was more of a threat to the
brothers than the actual evil of the story, the Mirror Queen, whose
hazard was less exposed. There are a few intellectual moments the
viewers can laugh at during its dark humor, then daunted at the creative
creature designs. There are no signs of reality because the film is
completely unnatural to limited entertainment. The film is very
experimental with crazy visual apparitions on several fictional outtakes
of fairy tales. Their incidences are at a bewildering rate that range
from Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White,
Cinderella, and The Gingerbread Man. The plot however is very
unpredictable until the last couple minutes, while the reaction to most
of the actions are mixed, nevertheless suiting the subject of the film.
Although, some of the characters and fairy tales blended into one whole
plot aren't answered, possibly because there wasn't much material to
begin with. The character expositions got in way too quick before the
viewers can pick up the startling sections and even names. Terry
Gilliam's eerie horror perspectives and incapability to get under a
character's skin is applicable once again.
Final Grade: B-/C+
Funny Girl (1968)
Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Walter Pidgeon
Film Prophet's Review...
"The moment you're out there on stage, nothing bothers you." The
fictionalized musical biopic shows the personal life of stage singer
Fanny Brice, Streisand, starting life on the Lower East Side of New York
rising to star in Ziegfeld's show. The supplement to her life is sly
gambler Nick Arnstein, Sharif, whose fate is inevitable in their
relationship. The opening scene begins with her daydreaming aspiration
in a vacant quiet theater talking to herself. When she auditions, her
superiors just witness her physical looks and turn her down. Her star
quality about her doesn't reel in until she gets going with her voice
singing in tune and done individually, not in a chorus, where she
shines. Plus, her clumsy antics, dances, and poses do a little bit to
entertain the audience even if they are embarrassing, she is not really
worried about anything. Her raw and comic talent won her best Oscar
actress in her movie debut musical role. Not much is going on in terms
of poetic and artistic compositions for a while. Experienced director
William Wyler tackles on a musical as he solely links the film to a
musical and romance genre split in half, where the second one is more
advanced. Fanny's unsuccessful life off stage with Nick is the key to
the story. Sharif may remind one of Clark Gable, a manly soft spoken
manner, as he was an excellent choice to pair with Streisand in her best
film. The story picked up at thirty minutes when he first appears and
from there, his next appearances are anticipated. Everyone else in the
movie was unessential and disregarded, just the two held the movie from
its pieces. Without Sharif's character, there would be a level two
story. When he wasn't around, the script was spacious and indistinct
while the lyrics about beauty sung by Streisand were centered around
her, but not about her. Her range does expand as the movie develops. The
songs are spaced out where the dialogue gets enough credited time to
make some impact. While the two don't have established plans, the depth
structures stretches out over the context of three hours when the second
half gets going with drama, money, and love. Streisand and Sharif are on
and off together who have surprise returns on several occasions. The
later half about their relationship is the real and ripened elevation of
the story away from Streisand's frolics, all but one - her sense of
humor. The issues are well-acted and approached that closes to a
magnificent and powerful, but delicate ending song, My Man, the utmost
film musical song.
Final Grade: B+/B
The Music Man (1962)
Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Ron Howard, Pert
Kelton, Paul Ford
Film Prophet's Review...
In a small Midwestern town, a conman, Preston, becomes a music professor
from out of town who promises to teach and form a small-town boy's band.
The conman tries to steal money from the parents of River City with his
band scam, nevertheless, charming them with winging his melodies. It was
harder than he thought when a pretty but skeptical librarian, Jones,
changes the story and his motives. The conman's theory wasn't to use
notes, rather using his think system no one could truly explain.
Nominated for best picture without any stars, the musical debuting cast
pictures in an offbeat, brisk film. The movie looked strictly for the
music presentation and hearing pleasure. Meredith Willson's soundtrack
was barely the only thing going for the film. The impractical plot
sequences push its bounds of believability. The brass band tunes and
theatrical performances relied too much on telling the story through
songs and using them for conversations. The first song scene had a
couple dozen men who all look the same and bounce up and down on a
moving train while dishing out one line lyrics to each other with no
instruments. They couldn't just speak normally, they had to sing it
flat. Anytime a conversation is longer than thirty seconds, a song is
bound to follow in a discussion form. The entire movie I expected more
of these singing conversations and when there was a normal one, I was
surprised that it didn't end in a note. The whole town sings in groups
and there are some awful musical numbers where guys appear from no where
and this carries on for two and a half hours of dancing during a
pointless plot. One dance scene in the gymnasium went inept for too long
and they go so long to cart it on the streets - I abhor these people.
The feature was missing a special ingredient - the direction of the
musical's story. Musicals are enchanting and fun to watch. Without
comedy or drama, the direction added too many musical extras and
refrains devoid of logic. One scene had people stopping and observing
the conman because he's speaking this long argument around the town for
few minutes and the viewers could get tired and exhausted when he is
finally done, but the pathetic town is tempted to join in on his song
before he stops. Preston sings to the woman in the library and no one
whose reading tells him to be quiet, then they all join in on the act
minutes later since the guy never quits... give it up man. Another thing
is the town is always blind and credulous. The all-male school board is
excessive with being annoying. Preston manipulates them when he sings
one line of a song as he just needed to warm them up. The Gary, Indiana
song by little Ronny Howard was neat to see. The only song I really
enjoyed listening to was Being in Love by Shirley Jones, a yearning
lyrical song. Listening to the soundtrack might be more enjoying than
watching the town's commencing attitudes on screen. The plot does get
better just before the two hour segment and saves it, as rest of the way
is fine, but it was too late even though it had a nice resolving touch.
Final Grade: C+/C
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Starring Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Tom Drake, Lucille
Bremer, Leon Ames
Film Prophet's Review...
Directed by Vincente Minnelli, a 1903 St. Louis dwelling family
experiences changes of the four seasons together at home. During the
seasons, a boy next boy charms Garland's character, the World's Fair is
coming to town, and the happy family is shaken by the father's prospect
of moving to New York. There are reasons to stay and reasons to leave.
The Smith family has four young daughters in a grand female cast in this
nostalgic and romanticized musical movie. The setting is very exuberant
in a colorful neighborhood. There's no private life in this family view
of an American city at the beginning of the century. In a very kind
social story, new love interests and stressful situations are easy-going
for a very happy prototypical suburban family. The seasons comprise of
different acts where one has the trolley song that goes - Clang, clang,
clang went the trolley, Ding, ding, ding went the bell. After The Wizard
of Oz, Judy Garland follows up with another no place like home theme
with songs that rhyme and time well during the story. The songs and
voices are pleasant to hear. Garland his this deep mature singing voice
from an energetic youthful gal with a lady's lush tone and acts the part
very well. Musicals tend to halt the story to put a pause in the film
where only the characters singing get the spotlight, which are mostly of
longings and it's like no one else around them hears it. Every musical
is tricky to tell whether they sing live or if its synchronized because
it seems like it's sung while being filmed, but most, if not all, are
done on a sound system prior or after filming. The most memorable lyric
is of course the title song near the start as Meet Me in St. Louis, the
refrain, and then the father says, That's all everybody sings about or
talks about. Beginning with the summer, the story had one scene that
boosted the movie. Everything has to be perfect for them. The father
even needs his meat to be cut, not shaven, and that's the scene that
kicks it off. Some humorous lines pass and it was actually funny in the
first dinner scene when the entire family peers in on a certain phone
call. Every daughter is blissfully happy who want it their way all the
time and they constantly look forward to the beauty of a future. The men
are more shrewd to the facts while the women are spirited. The daughters
have complications with their friends and family, except no one is the
antagonist. This is a musical where one can await the songs than the
actual story since there's little adversary in it. The viewers enjoy and
laugh with them because there's barely an enemy but the family decision
of going to New York, which comes in the center of the story. The father
tells his family to try something new and the enemy is perhaps changing
human accustoms. The film loses some steam after the announcement when
some characters think they're better than others and they whimper when
things don't go their way. The most captivating moment was near the end
when Garland sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Final Grade: B/B-
Throne of Blood (1957)
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura
Film Prophet's Review...
Akira Kurosawa, master of Japanese war drama, is an accomplished writer
and director of Japanese cinema. This film came out around the same time
as The Seven Samurai as another Kurosawa-Mifune connection film. In his
most under-valued great film, two warriors find themselves lost in a
dense forest during a thunderstorm as a ghostly old woman appears and
predicts that Washizu, Mifune, will soon rise to power as the great lord
of spider's web castle and his friend will become commander at first
fortress. Akira's compositions create memorable visual images such as
the ghost and her thread spinning. It opens to a foggy climate, a black
and white picture, in front of the lords who think of war strategies and
show patience. The viewers can hear the strong wrath in their voices and
they pour them out craftily. A lot of things happen in one frame to look
and listen for - background noise, voices, scenery, costumes, and the
plot - a more unforgettable one than several other Akira films. I was
amazed on the perception of the film's outline. The spirit creature has
some great lines in this subtle, smart approach on a man's life and
reveals unbelievable future ranks. Afterwards, there is even a cyclical
and amusing scene where the two men on horses ride back and forth saying
nothing, then joke around afterwards about what they saw and the viewers
can laugh with them because it's brilliantly shot and well acted. Life
can always be improved, as one character says and this is among Akira's
best films with lots of quotes and settings to direct for, notably the
first scene between Washizu and his wife. She doesn't make eye contact,
acts very motionless, but competent and says sharp glimpses contrasting
with her husband. She doubts his nobility and thinks his friend will
pose as a threat. They work together, but do not always agree. The
foreshadowing tale gets strange and unusual, but nothing unordinary for
Akira's story conflicts. There's lots of scenes with silence and mutual
understandings when to speak of reason. There's superb cinematography
with stylish colossal trees and silence suspense. Most of the talks are
about planning successors and traitorous schemes, leading to
humiliations. Washizu's vision is a sign of motivation to fulfill his
prophesy further to kill those who compete for the castle ruling.
However, power and greed cross each other just like ambition and doom do
in a dark reality. His strong belief in his fate that is precisely true
carries the film towards the sad and treacherous ending. The movie
results in betrayal when a man just like others gets too far in his
quest and ungraciously rages with arrows.
Final Grade: A-
The Jazz Singer (1927)
Starring Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, Eugenie Besserer
Film Prophet's Review...
The historical importance of the movie is proclaimed to be the first
Hollywood talkie ever made. However, it wasn't the first to use voice
techniques in a movie, but this musical was a landmark after using a new
sound system and pioneered a huge change in the movie industry - the
Hollywood turning point early on. It's the film that made talkies
popular from silent features and it became a reality with the success of
this film. The activity of the sound was mostly synchronized by Jolson's
vocal numbers accompanied by his soft male solo singing and instruments.
The first, and only, lengthy talking scene came a bit before the center
of the film after Jolson sings in front of a cabaret crowd and says,
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You ain't heard nothin' yet." It was the
first said line in the film and he was basically the only voice with
more than one line. The under-rated story tells a Jewish father wanting
his only son Jakie to be a cantor just like him, but Jakie later moves
out of the house and goes into show business over his objections. His
choice in life goes against family tradition and his father's footsteps
and he enters a new culture building a semi-rebellious life into his
choice. I came into this movie expecting a bunch of revolutionized talk
and in return I got an enhanced fluidness to a story than projected in a
silent movie form outweighing the certain talking aspect. Declaring this
film as full talkie wouldn't be very precise because it's mostly
Jolson's singing that can be heard. It uses songs over speaking
dialogue. There are sta |
