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Reviews
Gangs of New York (2002)
Worth the wait
I'll be damned, Martin Scorsese actually pulled it off. After all the production delays, the bar was set quite high for this epic revolving around the battle for the five points neighborhood in New York. Its great to see epic movie making still exists and can be done well. A great piece of film making from all angles, the stand out performance amongst the rest is Daniel Day Lewis. He again proves why he is the one of the best of his generation in his portrayal of Bill the Butcher. It'sa blessing every time he steps in front of the camera and this film is no different. With his rough accent, skill with knives and unrelenting hatred for the immigrants, you believe the fear for Bill in the movie is real.
Although there aren't too many flaws in the movie, one of them has to be Cameron Diaz. Her lack of acting skills continues to baffle me for someone who has been in movies for 10 years.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
A great film in all ways
It's so pleasing to know that great films are still being made, if even on an far too infrequent basis. The Usual Suspects please on so many levels its hard to put into words. Bryan Singer comes out of nowhere to direct only his SECOND feature film and hits a home run. While he's now quite famous from his work on the X-Men films, what he did with the Usual Suspects is far beyond any expectations that could have been placed on him. Christopher McQuarrie (who also worked with Singer on his first film) also comes out of nowhere to write a script so well thought out and put together its sad to think he's only turned out an indie and Way of the Gun since. And lastly, the cast are terrific. Top to bottom (even Baldwin) are great. Benicio Del Toro steals every scene he is in with his awkward, mumbling way of talking. And this really marked the start of Kevin Spacey's ascent into A list stardom in Hollywood. In addition to his standout performance in this film, he quickly followed it with parts in Seven, A Time to Kill and LA Confidential. If you're looking for one of the great films of the 90s, you've found it.
The Toy (1982)
Not too bad
Richard Pryor again plays the bumbling idiot in this comedy with a morality twist. The premise revolves around Richard losing his house, an opportunity to make a lot of money fast being a human toy for a rich store owner and the hilarity that ensues. While the film (and Richard) are indeed funny, it's hard to watch at times as the movie ATTEMPTS to balance racial/social class commentary with blaxpotation comedy. In one scene, Richard is giving the kid a lesson in friendship and the next we watch him running around bug eyed. And in the end, Richard plays the stereotypical blaxpotation character while Jackie Gleason is the great white rich dad. Its fun to watch but hard to digest.
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
A bumbled attempt at being artistic
The previews made this movie look somewhat witty, offering a dark outlook on the college life. I'd was hoping for Tim Burton's American Pie, but instead ended up seeing a complete mess. While I'm a big fan of the work Roger Avary has been attached to previously, (Killing Zoe, Pulp Fiction) this movie just comes off as an unorganized attempt at making another college movie. Avary attempts making artistic statements by running the film backwards at various points in the movie but it gets tired after the third time. And how many times do you plan on showing an "evil" James Van Der Beek with his chin slanted towards his chest and the camera viewing him from above?!? *Yawn* Rather than focus on some type of theme, the script just crams as much drugs, sex and violence into the shortest amount of time without any regard to the plot. I really was disappointed with this movie.
The Tuxedo (2002)
Not a very good Jackie Chan movie
I almost felt bad for Jackie as he redid all of the same stunts, action sequences and kung fu that he's done in all of his previous movies. And it wasn't even the good stuff! The plot is tired, the action weak and the acting par at best. You can't expect too much from Jackie, given that he's still learning English, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, while having improved a bit, still needs to study up on how to become a cinema star. Rent this maybe. You're much better off renting an older Jackie Chan import such as Drunken Master.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Best movie of 2001
The Royal Tenenbaums finds Wes Anderson finally hitting ALL of his marks and delivering a masterpiece. Although I'm a big fan of his previous work, I'd always find some aspect of the movie a bit tired and holding it back. In TRT, he gets it all right. The script, locations, design and "feel" are all top notch. Most importantly, the cast is AMAZING. They all deliver rock solid performances, making you believe this movie is actually peering into the dysfunctional Tenenbaum household. The sets are constructed with such detail, you must view the DVD version of the movie to understand the pain staking efforts Wes Anderson and his brother took to complete every detail. A must see.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Big fan of the book
The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books so I was destined to be let down by the latest adaptation from classic novel to the movie screen. Although I found it fairly accurate to the most essential details of the book, I found it lifeless and lacking the energy present in the novel. I never found myself feeling the intense hatred that Edmond has for those who betrayed him. While not a terrible adaptation, it's a shame it wasn't done better. Do yourself a favor and read the book!
Loverboy (1989)
A guilty pleasure
While not doing anything particularly well, Loverboy won me over by the sheer lunacy of the plot. Guy breaks up with girl, needs money, delivers pizzas, becomes male hooker.... You get the point. It's so dumb that I love it. Patrick Dempsey is surprisingly good in this movie playing the naive, bumbling gigolo who stumbles into his new job. It's worth watching on cable.