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Reviews
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Try to find the original Spanish version, you'll be happier
When I first saw the previews for Vanilla Sky, I scared everyone around me with my jumping up and down that "I've seen this movie before!!!" Indeed, I had seen the original Spanish version on IFC, and was literally forced to watch the whole thing to the end to find out what really becomes of the main character.
To say I was rather p***ed someone tried to remake that movie was an understatement. But I came expecting nothing - though I hoped this might be just as good, if not better.
Unfortunately, like most other 90-00s hollywood remakes, this film was rather hollow. Sure, Cameron Crowe followed the original Abre Los Ojos exactly (rip-off might be more appropriate) - like the gutter shot, the nightclub, the post-birthday party experience (including the drawing and photos), the post-accident "dream" - but he added way to much meaning to the whole story. Abre Los Ojos was just a psychological thriller, Vanilla Sky wants you to believe it will change you...
My suggestion? Find Abre Los Ojos and watch that...preferably before you see Vanilla Sky - the plot will be more entertaining. Besides, Tom Cruise isn't as much of a 'looker' as Eduardo Noriega.
Gummo (1997)
hmm
When I first saw Gummo, I didn't know what to think of it - it was on IFC and Anthony Kiedis and Flea introduced it as their favorite movie. I ended up feeling really bad for everyone in the movie because they were so messed up.
But then I saw it a second time, and it was during vignette of the retarded girl that i realized that she was a very beautiful person - she smiled more than a frown or even a straight face (unlike most of the other characters), she described what she did as a little child would, and loved to sing simple little songsover and over. By the third time I thought everyone in the movie was beautiful in some way...except for maybe the pervert and the drunk hairy guy that was beaten at arm wrestling by the midget.
Antitrust (2001)
Oh, but AntiTrust tries so hard to be realistic but fails
One can see the filmmaker's influences: the movie Hackers, computer games, and tech news for the last few years.
The movie's probably got the most realistic depiction of computers onscreen yet - though it still suffers the same errors that make some people's skin crawl...like the keyboard noise (those keyboards don't make that much noise - especially THOSE keyboards), the fact that the characters navigate by typing on the keyboard (I mean when using windows interface), and so on.
What is nice is the use of the GNOME desktop throughout the movie and the obvious inferrence to Linux.
The Evil Villain, Gary Winston, appears to be a clone of both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs: he has an exaggerated cutthroatness of Gates with the style of Jobs (check out his office! I want those "seasons" windows!). Tim Robbins, as expected, did a great job as the ego-maniacal CEO.
In all the content of the movie is poor. Ryan Phillippe has a hard time showing any real human emotion. Not even halfway into the film is it obvious who's behind all the odd deaths. In fact, the movie seems to rely on visuals and suspense to make it a good movie. In comparison, the movie Hackers was WAY off in accurate depiction, but the storyline is enjoyable and the characters interesting and unique.
In conclusion to a rambling comment, the movie is so-so. It was compelling enough to watch it the whole way through, but it lacked the integrity and plotline of a great movie.