Chris Weber
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Chris reviewed...
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Coming off the heels of the sadly underrated but brilliant To Die For,… More
Coming off the heels of the sadly underrated but brilliant To Die For, Van Sant made his first overtly mainstream, but no less superb effort, which is this movie.
Co-written by co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, this is the story of Will Hunting- a troubled 20 year-old janitor at MIT with a dark past, and a bad attitude, but an amazing gift for upper level mathematics. He is a genius, but would rather spend his time hanging out with his blue collar buddies in Southie. After secretly solving a challenging math problem posed for students, the professor seeks Will out. Due to some troubles with the law, he's facing jail time, but finds an out. The catch is that he has to do math for MIT and see a therapist. He reluctantly agrees, and despite a rough start, he soon finds himself with a better grasp on both his troubled past and his uncertain future.
Damon and Affleck won Oscars for their script, and Robin Williams won an Oscar for his turn as Will's no-nonsense sage therapist. It's all some very impressive work. and the film itself is quite a marvel. It's a very touching and moving drama with some great life lessons and message, but there's still a decent amount of humor here, too.
The film is well shot, the cast are terrific, and, as I said, there's a strong message. The characters are well crafted and believable, too. It's fine that Van Sant directed this. He's versatile, and his style is pretty fluid, or at least it can be, so he's a fine match. It's a fine film, even if it might be a tad overrated. It does a lot right though, so, even with the hype, give it a chance.
4 days ago via Flixster
Chris reviewed...
Milk (2008)
One of the most moving and remarkable films of the past decade. Milk… More
One of the most moving and remarkable films of the past decade. Milk is an extraordinary and extremely well-made film about the final eight years of the life and career of Harvey Milk- a time when his life truly mattered, and when the world was altered because of him. If you don't know, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in the U.S., and a major player in the world of gay rights. I didn't see Sean Penn in this movie. All I saw was Harvey Milk. That's what I love about Penn- no matter what the role is, he takes it and totally disappears into it. The rest of the cast is equally amazing, and it's a shame that they all couldn't get Oscars for their work. I was especially fond of Hirsch, Brolin, Franco, and Pill. This is somewhat of a return to more mainstream stuff for Gus Van Sant, but I wouldn't call it a complete sell out. That he is openly gay himself doesn't necessarily make the film on the nose, nor does it make the film any better, but it probably doesn't hurt. I just love how this is a show of his versatility. He can make a string of artsy indie stuff, then, no pun intended, play it straight and do something like this: a straightforward biopic about a gay man. Bottom line: This is an important film that needs to be seen-regardless of one's personal convictions.
4 days ago via Flixster
Chris reviewed...
Last Days (2005)
This is the final film in Gus Van Sant's so-called "death trilogy",… More
This is the final film in Gus Van Sant's so-called "death trilogy", and it's a tough one to sit through. But that could be said about several of his films, so I'm not sure why I'm stating it. Maybe as a disclaimer or something. This is basically a non-narrative, minimalist (plot, dialogue) piece about a burned out, lonely, and mentally isolated rock musician named Blake, and the last few days he spends alive before dying in a very ambiguous manner. The film is only very loosely based upon/inspired by Kurt Cobain, and what his last few days very may have been like. The pacing of this film is extremely slow, and very deliberate, Having a slow pace makes the film seem far longer than 96 minutes and a chore to sit through, and while that is true, it is also a good thing. The audience is forced to sit through the wandering, dull, random and basically pointless activities like laying around, walking around, mumbling to oneself, and doing nothing really in particular. This is a tedious film that's not for everyone, but it was purposefully made this way. It's an indie/arthouse film, not a Michael Bay blockbuster. It's hard to relate to Blake personally, but not his experience and the pain, loneliness, despair he feels. I applaud Van Sant for being bold enough to make this kind of movie just for the sake of making it. For me, the best parts come from the technical end (directing, editing, acting, camera work and music). This is not really that fun or pleasant an experience, but it's one that should be experienced at least once.
4 days ago via Flixster
