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elliehemm
Reviews
Little Nikita (1988)
Average movie in almost all ways.
This is one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen, however like many similarly dumb movies it does have its entertaining moments. To start with the plot is about as farfetched as they come. **SOME SPOILERS ** During a routine check to allow a boy into the airforce it comes to this FBI guy's attention that the boys parents are either the undead or are using fake names. Now the FBI agent has to do some snooping and finds out that the boy's parents are in fact Russian sleeper spies and that other sleeper spies in the region are being killed one by one by a rogue Russian spy! the FBI agent tells the boy who predictably does not believe that his all-American parents could be Russian spies but after he does some snooping he finds some passports revealing that his parents are Russian and in fact his name is not Jeff Nicholas Grant as he thought but is actually Nikita! We can all guess what's going to go down now. **END OF SPOILERS **
So the plot is a big weakness but combined with the terrible script Little Nikita makes all its cast and crew look like amateurs. There is seriously only one reason to watch this movie.....the crazy talented RIVER PHOENIX. Phoenix is the only one able to breathe some light and life into the script and his scenes are the only ones worthwhile watching. In a film that is undeserving of such talent River Phoenix comes away unscathed. His performance is solid even if at certain points he too looks embarrassed both by the lines he has to say and the stereotypical Russians he is playing against. Phoenix was the best actor of his generation and it is a deep tragedy that he was taken so young.
My verdict on this film is: AVERAGE script, AVERAGE plot, AVERAGE acting from all but River Phoenix who is great in every part.
Don't pay money to see this film, don't rent it and don't buy it. It's the kind of film you may want to catch on TV if you have a couple of spare hours. If you are a fan of River Phoenix then you probably want to check it out but don't expect too much, his performance is good but the movie itself is far from his best.
5/10
Stand by Me (1986)
Funny, sweet, dramatic, exciting, touching..I could go on and on.
This is one of my favourite movies of all time, I could seriously watch this movie over and over again forever and not grow tired of it.
** WARNING SOME SPOILERS **
The basic premise of this movie is four twelve year old boys going on a two-day trek to locate the body of a kid about their age called Ray Brower. On the way there the boys run into all kinds of obstacles and ultimately learn the importance and strength of their friendship.
The four boys are Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) and Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell). Gordie is the thinker of the group, he's sensitive and smart and is always coming up with a good story or comeback. Chris is the leader of the group, he's tough but he's also the peacemaker. Chris and Gordie are best friends. Teddy is the crazy member of the group, he's always doing crazy dares and is obsessed with the military. Vern is the sweet, kind of chubby kid who the other guys pick on. The four of them together have wonderful chemistry and the acting from each boy is AMAZING.
The film kind of rests on the performances of Wheaton and Phoenix and it suceeds largely due to them. The friendship between Gordie and Chris is wonderful and their scenes together are always sweet and honest. I love each and every scene in this movie but in particular I love the scene where Chris shows Gordie the gun and the scenes where Gordie and Chris comfort each other at the campfire and later by Brower's body.
My favourite character in this movie, although it's very close, is Gordie Lachance. Gordie is such a sweetie and I find myself empathizing with him the whole way. Gordie often seems to have the worst of it, whether running from a junkyard dog or a train or having to extract a leech from the worst possible place. Chris is my second favourite then Vern and Teddy.
The supporting cast is brilliant too, especially Kiefer Sutherland as the menacing hood Ace Merrill. It's weird to watch him in 24 after seeing him play such a different kind of character in Stand By Me. John Cusack also works well in a few short but important scenes as Gordie's recently deceased brother Denny. I thought the scenes between Gordie and Denny were very sweet and also sad considering what happens later. Gordie has always been in his brother's shadow but his brother had also been his close friend and only ally in his house as his parents seem largely unaware of his existence. I was also struck by how much Wheaton and Cusack look like each other, that's some good casting.
I could talk about this film forever but mostly I just want to say that this is the BEST SUMMER MOVIE EVER. Everyone should see this movie for the story, the script and the wonderful performances by Wheaton, Phoenix, Feldman and O'Connell. This movie has some of the best lines in any movie I've seen. It's surprising how funny this movie can be at times and how sad and poignant it is at other times.
I will love this movie forever, even if it makes me sad at the end due to River Phoenix's tragic early death. I urge everyone to see this movie.
10/10 absolutely PERFECT.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
An educational experience and a great movie.
Black Hawk Down is one of those rare movies that I find myself watching repeatedly and pressing on friends, family and anyone else who cares to listen. It is without doubt one of my favourite movies and I will tell you why. In 1993 America intervened in Somalia. First by sending in 20 000 marines (maybe not exact figure but it's in my head from somewhere) to aid UN efforts to feed the thousands of starving Somalians, later that year they brought in their special ops, their Task Force Ranger to track down the warlord Aidid. When I first saw Black Hawk Down I did not know any of these things, I in fact knew nothing about this movie other than it was a war movie and it starred Josh Hartnett. Seeing this movie made me realise something, I was alive in 1993 (okay only 7 at the time) and yet I knew nothing about what had happened then, you could i guess say the film was an educational experience for me but it was more than that. The movie inspired me and afterwards I read the book by Mark Bowden and have done research of my own to bring myself to the point where I feel that relatively I know what happened that day.
So now I know the facts and I know the movie is not completely accurate, and that certain people's roles have been beefed up or amalgamated into one person however I still watch it because this is a GOOD movie!! Ridley Scott throws us right into the action on that day. We see war for what it really is. Yes war is hell but in that extreme situation we see other humans doing amazing things; the best example I can think of is Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon roping in when the second helicopter went down. Their bravery speaks for itself, amazing people.
The movie has been criticized for having all the characters look alike and blend in but that's the point, no person should stand out as "the star" they are a team. The acting is very good and some of my favourite scenes are the ones showing the camaraderie between the men such as the scenes in the hangar before the mission. I have seen the movie countless times and yet I still cry during the scene where the medic and other soldiers battle to save Jamie Smith.
Yes this movie has flaws, it is hugely one sided in parts showing the Somalians as an evil mob. However the good things outweigh the flaws. this is a great movie with great performances. This movie shows the heroism of men drawn into a battle where they fight not for themselves, but for their friends. Even if they never wanted to be heroes I think they are.
This comes from a non-American
10/10
The Good Son (1993)
Elijah Wood is the one good factor about this movie.
This film was okay, not particularly wonderful but not awful either, it's the type of film you catch by accident on a Sunday afternoon, it's briefly entertaining but then you turn off the tv and forget about it. I'll just give you a quick review of what I thought were the best and worst aspects of this movie. Bad aspects; the storyline was lame and poorly portrayed as the script was lacking and the pacing off. Macauly Culkin said everything in the same monotonous tone, to watch it you'd think he was just passing by the set and had reluctantly agreed to stand in for the real actor and read the lines off a board. The woman who played the mother was just plain irritating to the point where you wished the evil son would just get it over with already! The ending was lousy and a let-down for the partially promising tension the young actors (Culkin and Wood) had previously established. **SPOILER** no mother would ever do that! **SPOILER FINISHED** You're maybe wondering why I watched this movie then, well one simple factor; Elijah Wood. I borrowed the tape off a friend because I had heard he was on it and being a long-time fan of his I was eager to see it. I was not disappinted, he played the part with such rare innocence and sweetness you had to go 'awwww' as soon as he appeared your eyes were drawn immediately to him and he carried the film remarkably well. Having seen this film I am more convinced than ever that Elijah is going to be the actor of his generation and I am sure that his work in the masterpiece LOTR will soon go rewarded with an Oscar in either 2003 or 2004. He takes a film which could have been a total loss and turned it into something oddly unique and touching. Apologies for gushing but I cannot resist, even at the age of 12, Elijah had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, I wish him the very best because any actor that could take this film and turn it into something I would be happy to watch again deserves all the credit and praise going. I can't tell you whether to see this film or not, if you are an Elijah fan it's unmissable but if not I am unsure whether this film will draw you in enough and hold your interest long enough. Conclusion; film 4-5 out of 10 Elijah Wood-10 out of 10 Good luck Elijah!!
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Cleverest movie ever shot.
The first time I watched this movie a couple of years I was a little apprehensive as to whether I'd like it or not, a few hours later I was absolutely taken aback by the quality of this movie. I have now seen 'The Usual suspects' about five times and it still remains one of the cleverest and most entertaining movies I have ever seen. **SOME SPOILERS** It starts out with an explosion at a harbor then jumps back six weeks to explain how this event came to happen. The story is told by Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey)and the tale he tells weaves across America from a line-up in New York to a harbor in California. The film constantly throws you red herrings and as each layer of the story is added the audience is tricked into believing a story which may or may not be true. The final revelation has to go down as one of the best plot twists of all time, leaving the audience feeling confused but that's the beauty of it, we then have to go back through the story, which parts are true and which are false. **END OF SPOILERS** The performances of all the actors in this film are incredible, Kevin Spacey was extremely deserving of the Supporting actor award, but the whole cast are fabulous: Gabriel Byrnes (Keaton), Kevin Pollack (Hockley), Benicio Del Toro (Fenster) and especially Steven Baldwin (McManus) are wonderful in this movie. This film is definitly one of my favorite films and I urge everyone to rush out and watch it. If you like clever mvoies which don't simply cater to the popcorn-blockbuster audience then you will LOVE 'The Usual Suspects' 10 out of 10, a masterpiece of modern film-making.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Possibly the best film of my lifetime.
I have seen LOTR twice now and I absolutely adore it. I had previously read the trilogy and I am very pleased with the translation from book to screen. I love every minute of this movie, from Cate's (Galadriel) opening speech to the last shots of Frodo and Sam. In particular I loved scenes in the Shire, in Rivendell, the mines of Moria and the trek up Caradhras. The acting was fabulous, my favorites being Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, however the whole cast did a phenomenal job and all praise goes out to them. I thought the scenery was breath-taking and the musical score added to the movie as a whole. The loyal hobbits, the beautiful elves, the bravery of the men and the strength of the dwarves, as Elijah said this film is really about courage and good triumphing over an evil force. My favorite characters on screen and in print are Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and of course Legolas. I don't undertsand the problems some people have with this movie, if you disliked the sudden ending I advise you to read the books. To people who are criticising this film because the genre is 'fantasy' I urge them to go watch the film and see if they can understand what we all see in this movie, it does not matter elf or man, it is a fantastic story or friendship and bravery. I think this is the best film I've ever seen, to me it is perfect. but don't take my word for it, go see for yourself. I also urge you to read the trilogy before the release of 'The two towers' this Christmas, I for one can't wait. Congratulations LOTR!!!!!
The Others (2001)
Spooky, chilling and completely fantastic.
I saw 'The Others' last year sometime and I absolutely adored it. It was a sophisticated thriller along the lines of 'The Sixth sense' or 'What lies Beneath' and in my opinion just as good if not better than both of these movies. Nicole Kidman is wonderful and convincing in the part of a woman who gradually begins to lose her take on reality. The children were also great, although the girl was a little bratty. The somber colors and musical score keep you on edge as does the constant shots of the mist shrouded house. I was on the edge of ym seat throughout the viewing and at some points jumped as did the rest of the theatre audience. If you have yet to see this film then I suggest you find a way to see it now! It is a masterpiece and will certainly stand as a classic for years to come.
10/10 A+
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Truly Spectacular Spectacular!
I saw Moulin Rouge a few months ago, but was just thinkin about it tonight while listening to the soundtrack. I loved this movie, though at first it seemed like the sort of film I would hate, I was drawn in and by the end I was used to the continual breaking into song and sudden bursts of color or sweeping camera shots. Nicole Kidman is fantastic, I have never been much of a fan before, but I thought she was fab in this, she also has a surprisingly good singing voice. Ewan McGregor was also very good, I had never thought much of him before either. They had great chemistry and I loved their duets.
Overall this film was fantastic, the story may be simple with the ending revealed early on, but look past this and you will see the magic of this film. it is the type of movie that makes you smile and want to break into song (maybe not..)A beautiful piece of film that is as colorful and crazy as it is original and touching. Spectacular Spectacular!!
Band of Brothers (2001)
The most honest portrayal of war seen on tv.
I saw the final episode of this show a couple of weeks ago and am still thinking about it. I thought it was excellent, wonderfully filmed, acted and scripted. It really gave the viewer a glimpse of what war really was, without resorting to the usual clichés. I watched the show faithfully every weekend, however I did miss episode six. I thought it really began to pick up at about episode five, it was good before that but by then I was beginning to recognise and remember the characters from episode to episode. While I feel all the actors were great, my favourite character was Guarnere, I thought he was funny and very brave, Frank John Hughes acted him brilliantly. Other characters that stood out to me were; Liebgott, Webster, Luz, Malarkey, Toye, Compton, Perconte and Shifty, though they were all great. I've read the book too and I think the series did justice to it and to all the men of Easy company and WW2. A fabulous series that deserves awards for acting, writing, directing, costumes, etc.