| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Phantom of the Opera - PG-13 | Gorgeous and touching film. Love the music, love the casting...Shitmaker got lucky here. | October 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - R | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - R | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Max Payne - PG-13 | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Zack and Miri Make a Porno - R | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Hellboy 2) - PG-13 | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Get Smart - PG-13 | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Terminator Salvation - PG-13 | October 20, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Quantum of Solace - PG-13 | Disappointing. Requires second view | October 20, 2009 | N/A | |||
| The Dark Knight - PG-13 |
The Dark Knight hits a new epic level of cinema, for the comic book genre as well as the crime genre (and don?t forget the marketing campaign). The Dark Knight tackles themes from its predecessor (Batman Begins, 2005) and expands them to new horizons. The film starts off with an elaborately planned bank heist. Thieves donning clown masks rob one of the most prestigious banks in Gotham City, but little do they know it?s actually a mob bank. The grand schemer of this heist is none other than the Joker (Heath Ledger). The Joker holds the money ransom, bribing the mob bosses into giving him half the entire share if he can eliminate the Batman (Christian Bale). The mob intially turns down the Joker's offer. Meanwhile, Batman is hot on the trail of both the various mob bosses and the Joker himself. Batman, with the aid of Police Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Gotham's new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman begins to to bring the mob bosses to justice. But he takes it to a new level. His faithful butler Alfred (Michael Caine) warns him of his limits, not wanting to see his friend push things to far. How far is too far? The Dark Knight brings up various questions, such as 'does the ends justify the means?' It also brings up a psychological thesis on the border between madness and sanity. The Joker attempts to cripple the good guys by destroying all that they care about. "Madness," he says, "is like gravity: all it takes is a little push." Words cannot describe Heath Ledger's performance. By now, I'm sure that most of you reading this review have already seen the film (as most of the people in the world have), so me describing how magnificent his performance was will seem a little redundant. But for those of you who haven't seen it yet, Ledger's performance is one for the books. He brought something new to the character: he wasn't Romero, he wasn't Nicholson, he wasn't Hamill, and he wasn't even Ledger. He was the Joker. He completely transformed himself into the character, creating the antithesis of Batman. This reviewer really hopes for a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the very least. Other notable performances include the supporting cast. This film succeeds because of the supporting characters, who play as large a role as Batman and Joker do. Gary Oldman really portrays the future Police Comissioner as if straight from the comics, but he offers a great emotional range, showing compassion for both his friends, allies, and family. Aaron Eckhart really steals the show in the latter half. For those of you familiar with the character of Harvey Dent, then you are well aware of his doomed fate. Michael Caine provides some well needed comic relief, as does Morgan Freeman. Christian Bale isn't given too much to say in this film, but it's his characters actions that define him. Maggie Gyllenhal is really just a one note performance but she's miles better than Katie Holmes was in Begins. The Dark Knight is a great film that works on all levels. Christopher Nolan and crew really delivered. The film is more than a superhero movie: it's a character drama, a tragedy, a social commentary. It's a film to remember. |
November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| Trainspotting - R |
One of my all time favorites. Choose life. |
November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| V for Vendetta - R | Great politics, SUPERB acting...it's a brilliant film. | November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| The Fountain - PG-13 |
First, let me say the following: The Fountain is not a film; it is an experience. A thought, feeling, or idea. It is a very personal and emotional trip. Each person will have different feelings and ideas towards the film. The plot isn't the main focus of the film, but here's a brief overview. Around the year 1500, Spain is being torn apart from the inside. A religious zealot figure is hunting down those who do not belief what he does throughout the country. It leads him to Queen Isabel (Rachel Weisz), a beautiful and gorgeous young ruler who "twists the words of God." Isabel, fearing for her country and the lives of her people, sends for Tomas (Hugh Jackman), a strong warrior, to search for the Tree of Life. Whether or not this tree actually exists is up for question, yet the Queen sends him on this quest. In the present time, veternarian Tommy Creo (Jackman) is searching for a cure to brain tumors. He wishes to use this information and translate it to help his sick wife, Izzi (Weisz). Tommy becomes completely engulfed in his work and often neglects (though not on purpose) his dying wife. Izzi is writing a novel entitled The Fountain, for which she does not have an ending for yet. She is enthralled by ancient Mayan civilization, mainly Xibalba, the Mayan underworld seen in the stars as a dying nebula. The distant future holds for Tom (Jackman) years of travel to Xibalba. He travels with a tree, eating from it's bark to keep alive. The fly through the stars in a bubble housing the two of them. Tom often has illusions of both Izzi and Isabel, talking to him as if he were either Tommy or Tomas. He wishes to reach Xibalba in order for the tree to be reborn. That's the best I could do giving a plot summary. Like I said, the plot is not the main concern of the film...it only serves as a vehicle to deliver the intense emotions and feelings present in the film. I'll start with the technical aspects. The film's cinematography is gorgeous, taking in both the ancient Mayan architecture, the modern winter wonderland, and the far reaches of space. The films visual and special effects are by far the best I've ever seen in a film. The filmmakers used an unconventional means in creating the space FX...they filmed different specimens under microscopes and used those as the space FX, keeping the organic feeling to the film. I promise you, it's like nothing you've ever seen before. I really really hope that an Oscar nomination is given out. The score is really one of the highest attributes of the film. Clint Mansell, along with Mogwai and the Kronos Quartet, has done a phenomenal job. The music is brilliant and really reflects what they characters are going through as well as what emotions you are feeling at that time. Mansell really deserves the Golden Globe, and I pray for an Oscar nom. The acting is spot on. Jackman and Weisz give great performances and really know what they are dealing with. The bath tub scene is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, just because of the emotions these two feel. (The other two scenes are spoiler heavy, so I'll leave them for you to see). The climax of the film is one of the most stunning things I have ever seen in cinema. Darren Aronofsky has really evolved into quite a stunning filmmaker. He's even matured in his process. But I'm not calling Pi or Requiem for a Dream immature by any means. What I mean is that Aronofsky has created such a somber and serious tone...he's really reached a new level in his directing. Some of his quirks are present, but aside from a few scenes (and two recognizable Aronofsky actors), this doesn't seem like an Aronofsky film. It's really a new standard he has set. The Fountain is very similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey in terms of visuals, feelings, and the overall trip the viewer goes on. While 2001 was more focused on evolution, creation, and humanity, The Fountain focuses on love, life, and death as a means of creation. I'm sure that in the near future many people will be comparing Aronofsky to Stanely Kubrick. If I could, I would rate this movie higher than a five. Sadly, I cannot do so. |
November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - R | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| GoldenEye - PG-13 | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| The Flying Car - Unrated | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - PG-13 | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| Vertigo - PG | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| Donnie Brasco - R | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| We Own the Night - R | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| American Gangster - R | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| Predator - R | Awesomeness abound | November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| Jaws 2 - PG | November 7, 2008 | N/A | ||||
| Choke - R | Really let down by this one. Full review soon. | November 7, 2008 | N/A | |||
| Iron Man - PG-13 | Fantastic film! | November 7, 2008 | N/A |
413 ratings
337 reviews
