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Alexander (2004)
Alexander The Not-So Great
I have been waiting for this movie for over a year now, ever since I found out that Colin Farrell had landed this coveted role.
I had predicted back then, when I knew nothing about the movie, only that Colin Farrell was working on it and that Oliver Stone was directing it, that this could possibly be Colin's first opportunity at getting an Oscar nomination.
I was that confident in his acting skills.
I still am.
I just didn't anticipate Oliver Stone to be such a terrible director.
I was shocked to notice that some scenes were out of focus, jittery and just downright badly shot.
The CGI stuff is supposed to look real, not CGI.
The movie did start slow. Even the opening credits were long. That was completely unnecessary.
Anthony Hopkins role should have been trimmed down.
That first scene were he is telling the story of Alexander and a scribe is jotting down everything he says looked like a set.
It looked manufactured.
It looked fake.
It didn't feel real to me.
And it was just too darn long.
I love Anthony Hopkins but I felt like I was being lectured to.
Once the story gets going, we see a child Alexander terrified of the snakes his mother, Olympias (played by Angeline Jolie sporting the most atrocious accent ever) is playing with.
This is a foreshadowing scene because we see her surrounded by snakes in every single scene she's in.
Whether that's subtext for the audience to realize that Olympias is just as slithery and venomous as a snake or it's just a ploy to make her look exotic, who knows?
But it is definitely used as a ploy for us to make sense why later on, as a grown man, Alexander is attracted to Roxane, played by Rosario Dawson with an equally appalling accent, and decides to marry her.
We are to believe that because Roxane wears the same snake design armlets as his mother does and because she bears a similar profile to Olympia, that he fell in love with her at first sight.
First of all, Rosario Dawson is far from beautiful. Yes, she's attractive and exotic looking but not beautiful like Angelina Jolie is.
And no one in their right mind would say there is a resemblance between the two.
If that was the intention, then Dawson was miscast and another actress, one resembling Angelina, would have been a better choice.
Later on we see a young Alexander played by Connor Paolo who played Travis on 'One Life to Live". I recognized him but couldn't place him so I had to look him up on IMDb.com. So I was a little surprised to see a child soap actor in the movie. He did a good job, considering the material.
Finally, one hour into the movie, Colin Farrell shows up on the screen with his blond locks.
Granted, he's not a very attractive blonde but with time, it grows on you and you forget that his eyebrows are light brown in one scene and dark brown in the next.
Well actually no you don't. You actually obsess and see how many times they goof with the eyebrow color.
At first I thought it was intentional. I thought they were meant to be darker as he got older to show age.
But then a couple of scenes later, when he's supposed to be older, his eyebrows are back to a golden brown.
I know that Stone had to reshoot some scenes because he used bad film stock and maybe that's why we see the discrepancy but it was just a bit annoying.
The battle scenes were okay. Not amazing or impressive as in 'Braveheart' and 'Gladiator".
And the musical score was terrible. It was all wrong.
Oliver Stone probably picked Vangelis to work on this film primarily because he is Greek.
But this is the first time that Vangelis has ever scored an epic film and it shows.
His mostly known for his work on 'Blade Runner' (a sci-fi movie) and 'Chariots of Fire' (which was how many years ago now?? Oh yea, over 13 years). He has recently worked on 'Bruce Almighty' and 'Old School", a couple of not very epic movies.
So while John Williams (of 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' fame) or Hans Zimmer (who scored 'Gladiator") or James Horner ("Braveheart' and 'Troy") would have been much better choices, Stone picked Vangelis who should definitely not get an Oscar nod.
One of the best scenes in the movie is the battle with the elephants. But the climactic scene is given away in the trailer so when you see the scene unfold, you already know what's going to happen.
Many scenes could have been much shorter. This movie could have benefited from some expert and smart editing.
The movie dragged at times and while we get a narration provided by Anthony Hopkins throughout the movie, we aren't given enough time with the character of Alexander to really know what is going on in his head.
He keeps his men in the dark and the audience is right there with them, not knowing why Alexander makes the choices he makes.
I know that Alexander's life story is not all factually known and a lot comes from myths and legends and conjecture, but I would have rather Stone given him some solidity even if made up so that we knew what drove this man to carve the path he traversed while alive.
The whole bisexuality issue wasn't as present as I expected it to me.
In truth, Colin Farrell only kisses one man in the entire movie. And while there are innuendos indicating that he slept with men, more importantly Hephaistion (played by Jared Leto as a complete and total wallflower who will stand by Alexander no matter what) and Bagoas (played by newcomer Francisco Bosch, looking as pretty as ever), the most they did was throw heated lusty looks at each other and hug.
Beyond that, nothing else happened and it was all implied.
So even Stone, known mostly for his controversial views, shied away from really exploring the bisexuality of the time. Anti-gay activitists should have no big problems with this movie. But then again, they need something to believe in and fight for so let them rally.
This movie isn't one of Stone's best. It isn't even one of Colin Farrell's best. Nor any of the exceptional actors in the movie.
I totally blame this on Stone. He dropped the ball big time. Or maybe he just lost his fizz.
He intended this to be his opus and he failed miserably. He sunk a lot of money into this movie and I fear that he will not be able to regain it all back in box office sales.
Word of mouth will get around and hurt this movie's performance in the box office. It will probably have a strong first opening week, but will quickly die after that.
Granted, the movie isn't terrible. It does have some good elements in it and could have definitely benefited from a healthy dose of editing.
But it's over and done with now. Not as good as 'Braveheart' nor 'Gladiator' not even equal to 'Troy' which had a better storytelling style, but it's watchable and enjoyable in some parts.
If you are still curious, go see it. But keep an open mind.
Lbs. (2004)
A little movie with a big heart
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** Carmine Famiglietti stars as Neil Perota, a 315-pound man who suffers a heart attack and is advised by his doctors that he needs to lose weight if he wants to continue living. He makes a promise to his family that he will eat well and lose weight. His mother, superbly played by Susan Varon, cooks him healthy meals and is very attentive. Probably a bit too much for Neil. He cracks and sneaks out of the house with the pretext of going for a walk and exercising and yet walks his way right into the nearest pizza place where he proceeds to eat huge amounts of food.
Neil even enlists the assistance of his best friend, Sacco Valenzia (Michael Aranov), by having him sneak in twinkies and chocolate bars and junk food into his bedroom under the watchful eye of his father (Fil Formicola). And no matter how often his sister (Sharon Angela) weighs him, he doesn't seem to ever lose weight.
After his sister's wedding ceremony, his brother-in-law (Lou Martini, Jr.) feels disgusted with Neil and has the courage to say what no one else in the family wants to accept: Neil is not keeping his promise and losing the weight. It is wreaking havoc in the family and Neil finally comes to realize that he must do something to save himself and restore his relationship with his family.
Here comes the turning point of the film, the moment when Neil abandons his family, his house, his comforts, and more importantly, his needs. He drives up north to the woods, buys a couple of dilapidated trailers in the middle of nowhere and begins his quest. But not without the momentary assistance of his dear friend Sacco who also has an addiction of his own, drugs.
Sacco agrees to take on Neil's quest and clean himself of the toxic drugs he craves. But after going through the pains of withdrawal, both Neil and Sacco realize that, although their quest may be similar, it is one with two distinctive paths, one that they need to walk alone. Sacco leaves and Neil now has to learn how to live by himself, take care of himself, cook for himself and try not to go mad with boredom up in the woods where he can't even learn how to fish successfully.
In a very funny skit, he tries to find the courage to ride a bike, something that he probably hasn't done in a very long time, quite possibly never. But no matter. Because Neil finally overcomes his fear and bikes his way back and forth the local market which is miles away. Sometimes even in the snow.
Many months pass by and it is evident that Neil is on his way to fighting his gastronomical demons. By now he has lost a lot of weight and makes his way back home to his family, whom he has been excommunicated from since he left them. He arrives a brand new person but not to a happy family. His mother, at the sight of him, gasps and promptly slaps him and yells at him, accusing him of being a bad son for worrying his mother and not writing even one single letter to her. She shows him the numerous letters she has written him over the months, with no address to mail them to. Neil responds simply by hugging his mom.
Although Neil is back home, don't believe for a second that everything is honky-dory. It is difficult to come back to your old life when you have changed so much. And by the same token, it is very easy to slip back into your old habits. Neil does slip but thankfully it doesn't have any lasting effect. In the end, Neil is comfortable in his skin enough to go lay out on the beach, sunbathing even with or without the excess fat.
Lbs. is a little movie with a big, huge heart and a great message - Go seek what you must for your happiness and accept yourself no matter what happens.
In one of the most shocking scenes in the movie, we finally see what Sacco has become and it is very sad and painful to watch. His path had become very different from Neil's. Michael Aranov did an amazing job of portraying Sacco as a flawed human being, with his funny lines and his need to be a good friend to Neil and yet failing miserably to both Neil and himself.
The rest of the cast was incredible, their chemistry and easiness with each other was clearly evident on the screen as well as out of it. They worked very well together, like a beautiful symphony orchestra, all complementing each other and making glorious music together.
Carmine Famiglietti co-wrote this film with the help of his friend, Matthew Bonifacio and based it on his own experience and addiction with food. His realization that he needed to save himself moves him to sit down and start writing the script for this film. He lost about 170 pounds for this movie, being the heaviest at the beginning of the movie. In order to get funding for this movie, he had to prove he could lose the weight. Once he was able to prove that he could definitely lose the weight required to play the lead part, he then had to gain and lose weight accordingly depending on what was needed for the movie. It is also important to point out that while this is Famiglietti's first venture in acting, writing and producing a film, it is Bonifacio's directorial debut. He could not have picked a better project to launch his career.
At Sundance, Carmine admitted that he still struggled every day with his addiction, that he hadn't overcome it. He even said he was 30 pounds over his desired weight. Nevertheless, he still looked very good.
The Girl Next Door (2004)
Funny, witty, very enjoyable.
On Friday, I went to see The Girl Next Door with Benji because they were offering a sneak preview. The movie doesn't come out until March 12.
The worse part of it all is that I actually got free passes for this movie but decided not to go as the last minute. I didn't even realize that the movie I got passes for was this one. Because I had seen previous of this movie and I was dying to see it. Oh well . . . no use crying about it now.
I have finally seen it and I have to admit that while my expectations were low, I was surprised with how funny, smart and fast-paced this movie turned out to be. Yes, it might be a bit convoluted at times and have too many things going on, but the movie handles that incredibly well. You are entertained every step of the way, the movie doesn't feel slow or long at any point and it's downright hilarious.
I have to admit that the only reason why I wanted to see this movie was because of Emile Hirsch. I first saw Emile in The Emperor's Club and was amazed at how good he was in that film. He played the cocky troublesome kid with such ease that I was instantly reminded of another younger actor who acted in a similar fashion: River Phoenix.
I really believe that if River hadn't died, he would be one of the greatest actors around. But since that's not to be, then someone else should take that title and I am convinced that Emile Hirsch is the Next Best Thing. Let's hope he makes the right role choices and projects that will ultimately advance his career. Because he has incredible potential and it would be a waste if he doesn't take it seriously.
Aside from having such charisma and charm on screen, the kid can act. He's not just a pretty face. And in The Girl Next Door he plays Matthew, a straight-laced senior high schooler who is getting ready for college but needs a scholarship to attend Georgetown, his university of choice. He follows the rules, he studies hard, he never parties and his life is on the right path.
That is, until he meets Danielle, who is housesitting next door. She disrupts his life but in a good way. She forces him to take chances, to take risks, to skip school, to enjoy life to the fullest.
Now all of a sudden his life has been derailed. But it's all good until he discovers that she is a former porn star. He is upset and handles it badly. He makes attempts to win her back but is confronted by her manager, Kelly, who will have none of her quitting the business. Timothy Olyphant plays the manager in a casual manner, as if it's not hard to envision him doing this on a regular basis. I was a bit appalled to see he got porcelain veneers over his crooked teeth (which you can see in "Go"). They looked fake and much too big for his mouth. But anyway, Kelly is a scoundrel looking to make it big in the biz. And he considers Matthew very much an obstacle in achieving that goal.
Much hilarity ensues as Matthew attempts to win Danielle back, try to win the scholarship for college, try to fix all the messes Kelly has left behind. Amazingly enough, in the end, it all ties up very nicely. You are always cheering for Matthew and Danielle and enjoying yourself along the way.
I didn't expect to like Elisha Cuthbert in the role of Danielle. I had seen her before in the TV show "24" and I always considered her boring and vapid. But she was good here. Although I am not sure if I completely believe her to be the same age as Matthew as portrayed in the film, but that's neither here nor there.
I highly recommend this movie is you just want to see a smart comedy a la Risky Business/Ferris Bueller's Day Off (and no Matthew never speaks in the camera - Broderick was the only actor who could pull that off successfully and it should never be attempted again).
Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
Subtle, yet powerful enough
We first meet Griet, spectacularly played by Scarlett Johansson, cutting and chopping vegetables and placing them in a beautiful display on a large plate. Her patience and care for making sure that all of the vegetables are balanced correctly in shape, form and color is only a glimpse of what becomes clearly evident later on in the film: this girl has the Eye.
She is ushered by her mom to begin her job as maid at the Vermeer's household while at the same time prompting Griet to shut her ears whenever someone is praying in presence. She says her goodbyes to her father, who loves her very much and is pained to see her go. It seems that her parents never expected her to assume the position of maid, but financial circumstances have forced Griet to make her way to her new master, Johannes Vermeer, superbly played by Colin Firth.
Griet settles in fairly well in her duties as maid and was given the chore to clean Vermeer's studio, a room that Vermeer's wife seems to avoid at all costs, almost fearful of what happens within its four walls. So right from the beginning we realize that Vermeer's wife is ignorant to her husband's talent, work and passion. This is a common theme throughout the movie and eventually culminates in an amazing confrontation toward the end of the movie.
It doesn't take long for us to realize that Vermeer and Griet have forged a bond: she fetches his colors, she grinds and mixes the paints, she cleans the windows in the studio so that better light comes in, she even moves a chair so that it doesn't appear on the painting Vermeer is working on. When he asks her why she moved the chair, she answers simply, "She looked trapped." referring to the female subject in the painting inspired by Griet herself. And it made perfect sense for her to do that. But it was also bold and only one who feels comfortable in that setting would have dared to do that, even for a person in her station, a maid.
Vermeer is commissioned to do a painting of Griet by a lustful Van Ruijven, played by Tom Wilkinson, who believes that Vermeer and Griet have fooled around and wants to join in and have a taste for himself. Thankfully he doesn't get his way but he does get the painting which is remarkable in its own right. But not without any hardships. Griet, understandably so, didn't want to participate in the sitting simply because she would it would anger his wife. Eventually persuaded by both Vermeer and his insipid mother-in-law to have it finished, she agrees to pose and get her ears pierced so that she could wear the beautiful pearl earring, a piece of jewelry belonging to Vermeer's wife. This leads to a confrontation when she finds out that Griet has worn her pearl earrings and demands to see the painting for herself. Vermeer doesn't want her to see it, claiming that she wouldn't understand, and inevitably so, once she sees it, she deems it grotesque, clearly showing us that she is ignorant and completely out of her element. This frustrates her and sends Griet packing, severing the connection between Vermeer and Griet when he does nothing to stop the dismissal.
Every shot in this film looks like it could be a painting itself. It's an absolutely beautifully shot movie. The movie is also incredibly quite and could be considered slow at times. There is not a lot of action in this movie, unless you consider Griet's little rendezvous with the butcher's son, played by Cillian Murphy. But then again, this is not an action movie. It is simply a story of girl who came into the life of a very talented painter and inspired him at the time he needed it most in his life.
Even Johansson's performance is quiet. She hardly ever speaks, yet her eyes and her face speak volumes. It is by far one of her best performances, only rivaled by her rendition of Charlotte in "Lost in Translation" where, incredibly enough, she plays the role of a woman who connects with an older man on a very human level and yet no physical consummation is ever present. Very much so like Griet and Vermeer connect in the confines of his studio and yet are worlds apart outside of it.
I enjoyed the movie very much but it is clearly not for everyone. It can seem slow at times, too quiet in others, but it's worth seeing if just for Johansson's performance, one which I am sure she will get recognized for.