Lanning's Talk

2012

I went into the theatre not expecting much of this movie - and was positively surprised.

The film looked as good on big screen - if not even better - as it looks in the trailer. The special effects were beautiful, huge, effective and haunting. Sometimes there was almost too much going on, because there was so much on the screen that you could not possibly look at it all.

Of course there were a lot of surreal surviving skills performed by the cast, but a disaster movie is nothing without its core-characters surviving, right? So let's skip the obvious errors and just enjoy the destruction/re-shaping of the planet Earth.

There was more plot into this than I thought possible, and many human dilemmas. Some of them were a bit too underlined, but all in all there were many emotions that really should move the audience. There was also undeniable and well-placed humor within the story, getting many good laughs out of me. I had to roll my eyes surprisingly little during this movie, all in all.

I think this movie deserves its four stars because despite some obvious errors in physics and laws of nature - not to mention the insane amount of pure luck - this movie manages to look beautiful and massive all the same, and bring us a story of survival and compromises.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Ambitiously titled sequel to Twilight (it's a saga now?) follows the continuing adventures of Bella and Edward, with a third key character, Jacob, thrown in for good measure. Stale soap opera plot is just like every love triangle story you've ever seen. I kept thinking I was watching an episode of Days of Our Lives except with vampires and werewolves, of course. On a positive note, the cinematography is stunning as the whole film has the look of quality. However, as in the first story, there are several unintentionally funny parts. Apparently Jacob and his crew seem to be allergic to wearing clothing. Fans of the series will probably be interested in these characters, but all others will be bored

Daens

A gripping story about politics, religion, poverty, corruption, greed and society. The directing is just outstanding, you really get into the movie, you feel real hate, compassion, understanding,.. and allot more due to Stijn Coninx's fantastic directing job. And the movie has Jan Declair's best performance, i might even call it one of the best performances ever! It was really amazing. Definitely one of the best Belgian movies ever !!

Kramer vs. Kramer

What a performances by Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep even the boy Justin Henry was terrific ! They definitely deserved they're oscars. And the editing is great to, they didnt got stuck to long in a scene but they jumped at the right time to the other which made it very amusing to watch. The fantastic screenplay and the great directing turned this into one of the best drama's ever !!

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Emotionally uncompromising portrait of an overweight, illiterate inner city teen who has just become pregnant with her second child. Unflinching study is so raw and harrowing, it?s difficult to watch in parts. Be warned, this is grim stuff. Director Lee Daniels wisely lightens the proceedings with sporadic fantasy sequences that provide some relief, even humor, to the cruel details of her life. Extraordinary newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as Precious heads up a cast that is uniformly excellent. Also of special note is standup comedian Mo'Nique in a courageously grotesque performance as her abusive mother. Impressive drama takes the viewer to places that will make you uncomfortable, but it presents her circumstances honestly and with humanity.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra

Better than I dared to hope. The plot was good, although got a little dull near the end. Witty lines here and there actually stood out as entertaining rather than clichéd expressions. In general, this movie doesn't differ much from other action movies when it comes to the structure of the plot, but this film kept it pretty well together.

The animation had a lot to hope for in some scenes, which was kind of surprising considering that some scenes managed to look really good and realistic.

The cast was pretty good, although there were a few people I would have replaced by someone else. For one, I just can't take Marlon Wayans seriously - not after seeing him in his role in "Dungeons and Dragons"; he's such a clown and not to be taken seriously with that tone of voice. Ever.

Christopher Eccleston was his own good self, and Sienna Miller was surprisingly cool. Channing Tatum did what he was supposed to, being the hero but not more than that. Ray Park had the best character in the movie to play - Snake Eyes - alhough he never got to talk or to show his face. Byung-hun Lee's Storm Shadow got the award of the best looking character in the film; I couldn't stop staring at him.

There were nice side-plots tying a lot of characters together, introducing them in flashbacks that were pretty well timed with the rest of the plot. This also offered some of the best twists and turns later on.

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2012

oooh loved it!
It was so exciting really on the edge of your seat exciting disaster movie!
This film has nearly everything it has Humour, brilliantly fantastic cast: John Cusack is fantastic, awesome CGI and a pretty good storyline!
Although this movie is fantastic it does have minor flaws that you cant help but noticce and why in all of the disaster movies when you have moments to live they stop and have a long chat!
Apart from that this movie by all means shouldnt be missed!

This movie is concentrating on a family and a government cover up of the end of the world with woody harrelson being the only person knowing whats goin on but hes seen as a nutter!
its faced paced action packed and just excitingly good!
Go see it its awesome!

2012

The movie lost allot of it's originality because of the typical hollywoord cliches and bullshit but yet it stayed very suspenceful, but after a while you might get sick of see-ing that everything happens our that they escape everything at the last second.

The performances where overall 'watchable', no good performances but no bad ones either. Altho i think John Cusack would fit better in a comedy then in a disaster movie.

The special effects where amazing, the best ive ever seen. Roland Emmerich keeps suprising me with his talent of directing disasters with great cinematography, extremely good effects and great lightning but unfortannaly thats the only thing that he can direct with style.

As the maya's actually did predict the end of the world and that the screenwriters where able to turn that into a great suspencefull movie like this is amazing. But the comedy is highly missplaced, watching somebody die, even if it happens in a funny way is still not funny.

Diary of a Chambermaid

got into this movie with little misunderstanding (i thought its the Luis bunuel Version!).,but dear,just so glad that i watch this Renoir intrepretation.,this is a great movie with a great story,an overlooked classic (only 13 reviews in flixster)

A Serious Man

The Coen brothers have created THE NEW FIDDLER ON THE ROOF! Here are the reasons I say that: first, the trailer in its own way presents a musical composition to us; second, the opening scene presents roughly the same time period and place; third, the story takes place in an almost exclusively Jewish community; fourth, the main character Larry is dealing with comparable family troubles and trying to find answers from God; and fifth, look at the poster.

Now the Jefferson Airplane song Somebody to Love figures prominently into the movie too as does ceremonial Hebrew music for Larry's son's bar mitzvah. The opening Yiddish scene is darkly humorous and I suppose it is there to suggest the ancestors of the Gopniks may have caused a curse on the family. I have heard that the movie portrays a very authentic Jewish community especially in the way the characters speak and interact. Professor Larry Gopnik lives in America in the 1960's, so he only has two children, a son and a daughter, but his family and professional troubles turn his life on its head with divorce, marijuana, gambling, bribes, and seeking tenure. Wishing he were a rich man hasn't changed though! Being an educated man from the 20th century means Larry doesn't have conversations with God in the same way. He seeks three rabbis as links between him and God because the religious institution is really the only connection to tradition anymore, and being a mathematics/physics professor he is more versed in the Uncertainty Principle. Larry does actually venture up on his roof too, but not to fiddle. Well, wait... yes, by another definition of the word fiddle, Larry Gopnik is a Fiddler on the Roof. He tries to adjust the TV antenna for a show his son likes to watch and then he notices he can see his hot neighbor sunbathing nude.

Sy Ableman is Larry's Lazar Wolf, but as with every other parallel to the old musical, there is a twist. Sy is the one described as a serious man and Larry through all his questioning and trying to fix his life crisis wants to be a serious man too. The cast is awesome! I think the Coen brothers have mixed tragic troubling moments with darkly humorous moments excellently. Like in No Country for Old Men, you may think the plot is being wrapped up all nice and neat, but then the story continues briefly and leaves you realistically (in a way fatalistically) hanging. So well constructed! I loved it!

Fiddler on the Roof

TRADITION! Well actually the movie is about changing, bending, breaking traditions. The Fiddler on the roof as described by Tevye in the opening of the movie is symbolic for existentialism. It is a metaphor for the challenge of balancing your life and knowing your place in the world. Traditional religious rituals and customs give the community where Tevye's family lives the supposed comfort to get through the balancing act. However, Tevye's three oldest daughters challenge tradition in their romantic lives and the "outside" world is entering into a time a extreme turmoil. The ways of the older generation clash with those of the younger generation. And through it all Tevye is really pretty progressive for a man in his society.

The story is serious and humorous. The film is shot beautifully. The songs are great, some more catchy than others. Tevye's constant dialog with his "best friend," God is thought provoking and often funny.

Since it is based on the book Tevye's Daughters, it is appropriate that his daughter's romantic awakenings be the main concern of the plot. The oldest daughter challenges tradition a little by pledging her love to a man of her choice, but he is a (soft-spoken) tailor from the same village and they still have a customary wedding. The middle daughter bends tradition by falling for a progressive teacher and budding revolutionary. I love that in the existential crisis he claims humankind must take much more responsibility for balancing on the roof and that traditions are not going to keep us safe up there. The youngest of the three daughters of marrying age meets another intelligent reader, but he is a Russian Kazakh and Christian. This is breaking the tradition entirely by having a marriage of two faiths. It is because the relationships of the three daughters and the father-daughter relationships are so well rendered that this story is more than a Jewish story.

2012

Ludicrous disaster film details details how the people of earth react after an explosion on the surface of the sun starts events that bring about the end of the world. Hackneyed script full of inane dialogue is hilarious in the extreme. Audiences will have fun counting how many times a character assures everyone that things are fine, only to be struck with another disaster immediately following those words. There isn't one genuine emotion in this entire overblown 158 minute film. These aren't characters, but rather devices which exist solely to recite poorly written dialogue while everything around them blows up in beautiful demonstration of CGI technology. However you have to admire director Roland Emmerich. Not only does he have the chutzpah to rip off other people's films like Armageddon, but even his own The Day After Tomorrow. Film's sole entertainment value is the stunning display of special effects which are indeed impressive.

Strictly Sinatra

There's something about the movie that makes me thing about all the other ordinary movies, this movie has nothing special, nothing new, just one of those movies you see and hear about all day long. For a movie about one of my favorite artists they could at least played a song with his voice our even hang a poster at some fucking wall somewhere, afterall the title of the movie is 'Strictly Sinatra' but they dont go further then mentioning his name a few times and a guy with a soulless voice covering his songs.

Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked)

now,i haven't actually love Richard Curtis work.i haven't seen four weddings and a funeral yet,and,while i thought Love Actually is a fantastic movie,i need more proof.Then comes The Boat That Rocked,the answer.it is seems to me that Curtis work is always full of spirit.after showing the spirit of love in Love Actually,now in this movie,he shows a full of spirit movie about rock n roll!great!

Sunshine Cleaning

I loved it!
Great actors and great acting i love Emily Blunt and i have to say she's brilliant in this and steals the show!
Its a great indie movie that is loveable, funny and a feel good quirky movie thats just got to be loved!
Its a nice family movie where Amy Adams and Emily Blunt play two sisters that find a good new sisterly love whilst cleaning!
Its funny cute and just an awesome movie with brilliant cast and brilliant acting!

Amy Adams and Emily blunt are two sisters, Adams is a single mum and a maid who is having an affair with a cop but when her son is chucked out of yet another school she wants to get a better job so she can put him in private school! Emily Blunt plays a sister who still lives at home with her dad Alan Arkin , and doesnt realy take life seriously, there dad polays a get rich quick schemes that never work but when Adams is presented with the opportunity of cleaning up homicides and suicides she jumps at the chance armed with cleaning materials and her sister this provides the movie with a good storyline worth a watch!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

A radiant Audrey Hepburn highlights this adaptation of the Truman Capote novella about a carefree woman who cannot commit to anyone or anything. She can't even bring herself to name her cat. Indeed it is a tribute to Audrey Hepburn's talent that she can make this shallow, chain smoking, shoplifting, gold digging drunk, so utterly charming. There is real vulnerability here. Nevertheless, this light, frothy flight of fancy is extremely overrated and awfully dated (Mickey Rooney's exaggerated performance is an embarrassment). However, the vividly eccentric characters and the luxurious style of it all, is captivating.

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Gorgeous adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic is a 3D feast for the eyes. This slavishly faithful interpretation, is highlighted by effects so extraordinary, there are moments where it literally looks as if snow is falling in the theater. As recounted here, the story really takes its time and exhibits a dark moodiness, especially in the early scenes. In other parts, there are nightmarish images that are rather jolting for a PG rated film. Consequently, the film will please adults much more than it will entertain young children. However, for those that are patient, this atmospheric version of the classic tale is an enjoyable holiday treat.

Wendy and Lucy

A heartwarming tale, tragically uplifting, and surprisingly engaging. People looking for a more in-depth plot should probably steer clear of this little film. However, if you dig character study, and want to make a new friend.... Wendy Carrol is definitely your girl.

It's near impossible not to empathize completely with Wendy, as she is on a the cusp pf a life-changing journey to Alaska. In this specific instance, I feel completely comfortable siding with Ebert in his review:

"Wendy and Lucy is another illustration of how absorbing a film can be when the plot doesn't stand between us and a character."

So that's the thing about this movie, for the average film-head it might be found quite boring, not having a thicker plot. However, I feel like this film is a twinkling, sparkling light in the independent film world, and might light up yours if you let it.

I immediately sided with Wendy and Lucy, in their determined battle against the harsh realities of life. Anyone who has been in a rough spot, fleeing from home to pursue a new life in a new place, can understand how isolating and cruel the world can be. For those who haven't been there, it might be safe to say that you have experienced it by the end of the movie.

I found myself surprised in the amount of integrity in our young woman, obviously a very unique soul, struggling as an outcast. Possibly escaping other problems at home. A girl on the road with her only friend, her dog Lucy.One of greatest lessons in life can be learned from Wendy, that the right choice, is usually the hardest.

I am clearly ignoring any other aspects of this film... Aside from amazingly natural acting, and smart writing, there is not much else to take from this one. However, I did find the photography to be very smooth and pleasing, and the small town Oregon scenery is gorgeous, naturally.

Michael Jackson's This Is It

No more rumors that it wouldnt be MJ who was going to perform on his last shows, our that he didnt got 'it' anymore. He was fantastic, alive and kicking. Great docu/movie containing his rehearsels for his 'This is it' concerts. The movie gave me a total diffrent perspective about the king of pop, i didnt know he was that polite and friendly and he really was the artist, everything is his idea, the effects, the music, the dances, really everything.