SV's Talk

Dog Day Afternoon

"This is the first newspaper article I have ever written, but it is necessary so you the people can know the truth. On April 23, 1973, I was sentenced to serve 20 years for armed bank robbery even though I made a deal and pleaded guilty. The powers that be did not keep their part of the deal even though I am a first offender. I'm now serving time at the U.S. Maximum Security Fortress at Lewisburg, Pa."....

I thought the movie was great, very well directed and acted but you shold hear the fact about this from the real Sonny. The rest is here:
http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC15folder/RealDogDay.html

A Lobster Tale

Enchanting story about a community united when an ordinary man discovers something extraordinary

Zeitgeist: Addendum

It's like a mixture of an economy class at university and a horror movie. But a really scary one. It's talking about pretty much the same stuff with the first Zeitgeist movie but this one has a better editing and a better handling. They go easy on the religion this time, and try to make it a little more universal so they focus on the monetary system. It presents nothing cinematically, it's basically a man talking, but talking about really important stuff that everbody needs to hear.

Zeitgeist: Addendum

It's like a mixture of an economy class at university and a horror movie. But a really scary one. It's talking about pretty much the same stuff with the first Zeitgeist movie but this one has a better editing and a better handling. They go easy on the religion this time, and try to make it a little more universal so they focus on the monetary system. It presents nothing cinematically, it's basically a man talking, but talking about really important stuff that everbody needs to hear.

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

Don't be put of by the fact that this appears to have been made for Spanish television, there is nothing "tv" about this film.

A simple but exceptionally well done tale of time travel and all of the repercussions involved with screwing up the natural order of things. Even when you've only traveled back an hour!

It was fun to watch all of the intricate pieces of this puzzle fall into place, often with some very clever and unexpected twists. And I love the fact that they were able to do it so well, without any of the trappings of a big budget production.

All things considered...a very solid piece of work.

Brüno (Bruno)

While there are moments of comedic brilliance and social commentary here, this film felt far more contrived then it's predecessor: Borat.

While I see what Baron Cohen was trying to do here, I'm afraid that (sadly) most of the people who need to "get it"...will not.

The scene at the end with the "Ultimate Fighting" crowd in Arkansas(?) was by far the most disturbing to me. And I feel that Baron Cohen missed a great opportunity with this segment.

I think it would have been much more powerful if he would have showed that "ultimate fighting" people are comfortable with two guys wrestling in their boxer briefs, but call it "Homo Wrestling" (and change NOTHING else about it) that same audience would loose their minds.

It's both funny and scary. But mostly scary.

The Hangover

This film feels like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: Bromance - Roadtrip Film - Dark Comedy - Comedy Of Errors - Uptight Men Go "Frat Boy" Crazy.

While incorporating all of these elements into one film (successfully) seem like a daunting task...it doesn't seem impossible. Sadly, it did not quite work here.

The cast was great and there are a few genuinely funny moments (most involving Galifianakis) but all in all it just felt kind of "all over the place" and not in a "crazy / fun" sort of way.

I feel like everything that was presented here had been done before and (for the most part) done better.

Entre les Murs (The Class)

a fasinating lookat a french class and teachers thoughts at a french hi school, very realistic in its aproach, feels like a documentary throughout, with both pupils and teachers in situationsb very real, most of the running time is taken up by watching pupilb and teacher interact over topics. also the story does go somewhere, with a pupil/teacher situation arising,again, this is a fasinating development in story, great performances all round, anda genuin french gem

The International

I think this one is really quite underrated. It may not be as original and creative as other Tykwer movies but still it's not a bad movie. I think the movie didn't find its audience; both people who were expecting an action packed international thriller and people who were expecting something like the director's previous works aren't satisfied.

I was so looking forward to this at first but bad reviews put me off. If I saw it when I had two tickets to a screening here when it was first out, I could be disappointed but I missed it and read so many bad reviews ever since that my expectations went so low that the movie could meet them. Overall it was a decent watch on dvd and I had to give an extra half star because it ended in my beautiful city!

Twilight

First I have to say...I'm normally a sucker (no pun intended) for a vampire story.

Especially when a story / film puts a new twist (Let The RIght One In, 30 Days Of Night, The Blade Trilogy, The Underworld Trilogy) on the age old tale of the undead cursed to walk the earth for eternity in search of blood. Sadly, this was not the case here.

Now, I realize that I'm FAR from the target audience for this film and / or series of books. But a friend loaned us a copy of the film and (as I mentioned)...I'm a sucker for a blood sucker! Plus I like to be able to speak / write about a film based on having actually seen it and not on a preconceived idea or what others have said about it.

Unfortunately, aside from some really beautiful cinematography work there isn't much I could say about this film that wouldn't whip the legions of pre-teen, teen and single young adult fans into a rabid hyperventilating rage. : P

So I will just make these few points:

I can only assume that the books are written in a much better way then this film was. I'm sure the books were more successful in filling the great voids of nothingness with written words, deep thoughts and teen angst, then this film was able to do. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The inconsistent "pale vampire face" make-up was REALLY distracting and (most of the time) very poorly done and seemingly only applied to the actors faces?.

Why would you create a "vampire family" (to help you blend in with the human community), that consists of a Mom, Dad, Brothers & Sisters who all appear to be seemingly within 5 years in age of each other? Why not just say you are all siblings who's parents had died? Not very cunning for vampires.

On a positive note:

Kristen Stewart is definately one to watch. I have been impressed by her work in several films prior to this. And think that she has the potential to become a really great actress. I hope she is given that opportunity.

Robert Pattinson goes from looking like the "dreamy doe eyed teen vampire" to some sort of "slightly mongoloid glazed over halfwit" in any given scene. I've read that he has no particular fondness for this role or these stories, so I took that into consideration while watching his mediocre acting here.

But what it comes down to is dollars not sense. After all...how can millions of screaming, crying, clawing fans be wrong? : /

Rejected

Grey Gardens

A film version of a my favorite documentary? Needless to say I had my doubts.

But what is obvious within minutes of starting this film, is that it was made with love and a deep desire to do justice to these two incredible women (the Edies).

After many viewings of the original documentary by the Maysle brothers, I didn't think it was possible to feel more heartbroken by the story of the Beales. But hearing snippets throughout the documentary, given by two women who's grasp on reality (at that point) is questionable at best...does not prepare you for the heartache of watching it all (or most of it) unfold before your very eyes. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking. And both Lange and Barrymore are simply AMAZING as Big and Little Edie (respectively).

While both actresses have obviously put their hearts into their roles, I have to say that there are several moments were Lange's performance is indistinquishable from documentary footage of "Big" Edie. It is more then a little erie.

Aside from suffering from a few "Lifetime Movie Moments" this is a wonderful film, which sheds a little light on the (pre documentary) lives of two of my favorite film heroines.

Vamp

I rewatched this having seen it in the theater when it came out.
Two words: Grace Jones.
Just about everything else in this film is forgetable, with the exception of Dedee Pfeiffer (who is absolutely adorable). Sadly both of them are greatly underused.
But it is almost worth watching just for the scenes in which Grace Jones appears.
Grace Jones has always been a sort of enigma to me (and others I'm sure). I have always found her utterly enchanting and completely intimidating and one only has to watch her scenes in this film to get a feel for what I mean.

Brüno (Bruno)

bruno is no borat, and it does take a while to get into his latest creation, unlike borat, but there are very funny moments here throughout, laugh out loud moments, but nothing here to top the naked wrestling in borat, but certainly some funny x rated humour, andlike borat, it dips a little at end, when oviously a 1 hour 25 minutes is clearly to long, beware in uk, from 24th july, a 15 rated version is apearing, see the 18

Moon

sam rockwell, puts in a terrific performance, as a employer of a major coperation, harvesting the moon to provide electricity to earth, doing it alone, with only his faithful computer to aid him, andnearing his end of contract, of 3 years, but bad visions, causes him to crash, and when awokend, finds himself having to deal with another him, a exact model, why is he there, what happend at the crash, and, is he a clone,are all questions he has to answer, this film is very well made, thestory engageing from the fantastic opening credits, right through to the end credits, rockwell plays two charactors, who are the same person, but adds so much depth to each, and the interaction between both isso great to watch, great use of effects to get them together also, lots of interactions, the music is exellent also, and kevin spacey puting in great vocal work as gerty the robot, a film very 70s in its style for me, and, 2 films, soloris, and silent running, being 2 films you should see, if you havent, a great suprise for 2009

Genre

The Visitor

This is one of those movies that makes you feel warm inside. After all the news you see on TV where people hate and kill "the other", this reminds you that there are people who loves one another no matter what their ethnics, religions and colors are.

Writer and director Thomas McCarthy and oscar nominated Richard Jenkins' fine acting deserve all the credits. All the supporting actors are great, too. Use of music, both in the movie, and in the story as the object to unite two different people is wonderful.

We should not forget that we are all visitors in this world.

Casanova

I took this journey mainly because of Heath Ledger. The fact that Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin & Oliver Platt were envolved also helped.

But what I assumed would be a sort of lush period piece with a dash of period specific humor (a la' 'A Room With A View") ended up feeling more like a "slap-sticky" comedy of errors.

Beautiful costumes, sets and location shots. Had I not been expecting a more realistic "period piece" type film, the cheesy over the top acting probably wouldn't have bothered me as much.

In any case while the story is predictable, this was ammusing and a (mostly) enjoyable romp. It did make me a bit melancholy for the great things that I believe would have come from Mr. Ledger had he stayed with us longer.

[Rec]

I'll admit that I'm one of those people who always asks: "Why are they doing an "American version / remake" of that?". And after viewing both versions of a film, 90% of the time the American version has done NOTHING to improve on the story that is being told and usually cheapens the whole experience.

In "American remake" cases, I usually like to see the original version first and then the "remake". But with REC there was no release date in sight when it's American counter part QUARANTINE came out. And the promo's for Quarantine looked AMAZING...so I couldn't resist,

Having seen Quarantine several months ago (and REALLY enjoying it), I was eager to see what the original had to offer. And much to my surprise, they are (for the most part) THE SAME MOVIE.

Sure the actors are different and yes it is Spanish, but some of the sets even looked exactly the same and the story (with few exceptions) was identical.

Now you won't catch me saying this very often, but I actually think that (with the exception of the last 15 minutes or so) I enjoyed the remake a little more. I just feel like perhaps they had a budget on the American version that allowed then to improve on some of the technical weaknesses of the original, without loosing that "raw footage" feel.

Having said that, I think that the last 15 minutes or so of REC are far more effective and down right creepy then the last 15 minutes of Quarantine (which were creepy too).

But If someone wanted to only watch one version and asked me which one I would recomend...I would probably say Quarantine.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Can that guy from "How I met your mother" carry a movie on his own? Yes, he can. He is no Seth Rogen but he shows some extra skin to get more attention. Since he also wrote this movie he must have said "I have an idea! I will show my dick! Once at the beginning and once at the end!"

As his dick witnessed very closely, our guy Peter is dumped by his girlfriend , some funny shit happens in between and another girl comes along to make him forget the other one. Not a corny rom-com, genuine and quite funny.