Reviews

This film simply pretends to be more than it is. Pretends to be profound, subtle, stylish, "important" and intelligent...and the critics love it because it's from a trendy director and stars two trendy, fashionable actors. But this is one of those films that people jump on the bandwagon for...and I'm usually one who always agrees with the top critics. But not for A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. and I'm a huge cronenberg fan by the way. I thought his last film, SPIDER, was fantastic.

It's "cool" to like this movie. But I guess I'm not cool then because I think this film lacks any substance whatsoever, and that Maria Bello tries waaay too hard to be good at acting. The harder she tries the worse she is. It's a sad sight to see.

I love HIDEOUS KINKY for the same reason most people do...Kate Winslet is the star of the film. She chose this role over the leads in ANNA AND THE KING and Shakespeare IN LOVE...and if you ask me her character of Julia is much more challenging and interesting, and faces REAL dilemmas. And Winslet is just luminous...really the woman is staggeringly beautiful here. And the story is simple and sweet, quietly moving. SAIID TAGHMOUI is also very good. The photography and scenery is beautiful, the music is beautiful. This is the kind of film you can watch as eye candy...but there is still substance there in the story. It just doesn't hammer you over the head with trying to be ultra important. However, that said, there are very serious matters of the heart and soul dealt with by the 2 lead characters.

Kate Winslet is the best actress of her time.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the boldest, most heartfelt and creative film of 2004. Kate Winslet is the only actress who could play Clementine so well...she deserved every acting award under the sun for her performance, and Jim Carrey is fantastic as well.

I'm so glad Charlie Kaufman won his Oscar for this remarkable screenplay. This film will be an all time classic...and it will be studied in film schools around the world (it already has been in some) Jon Brion's score is so beautiful and subtle...and has wonderful variations from whimsical and playful to romantic, and excitement as the memories are being erased in the more thrilling sequences.

This film is a masterpiece and Michel Gondry is a great artist.

Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (aka The Lovers on the Bridge) is such a unique film, really I can't find anything to compare it to in terms of story or style. Juliette Binoche is one of the great screen actors of all time, and here she is very captivating and with very little dialogue. Denis Lavant is equally good in a very challenging role. Leos Carax gets a double thumbs up for sticking with this project and his unique vision over the extremely long production schedule.

With more moments of silence than sound, it is amazing that the film manages to engage so thoroughly. I've seen it twice and both times I was surprised at how hard it was for me to look away. The cinematography has something to do with that of course.

Some moments are so calm and tender...and others are very jolting and violent. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there really is something extraordinary in The Lovers on the Bridge.

This film is astonishing. Really, I rank it tied in first place as the best film of 1994, shared with PULP FICTION.

Peter Jackson's masterpiece (thougth I love the Lord of the Rings films) is definitely HEAVENLY CREATURES. It's a challenging film, very difficult to watch at times. But it brilliantly captures the brightly burning, constantly changing, wild emotions of these two intelligent and creative but seriously damaged teenage girls.

Sarah Peirse as the mother is incredible in her role. Melanie Lynskey reaches such a depth with her character...I actually think it's a bit frightening how good she is. And Kate Winslet...ahhh KATE WINSLET! At first glance...the performance might just be blown off as over the top and amateur. But that's only at first glance. Look closer, and stay with it, and you will see what amazing things she has done with this character. It's a remarkable achievement unlike any other acting I've seen in any film of this kind, which is to say a true life crime thriller.

Heavenly Creatures is, and I say this with absolute certainty, the best true life crime thriller ever made. Because instead of trying to be a classic thriller with cheap tricks, Peter Jackson gets you inside the twisted minds of these two girls, and whether you hate them in the end or not, you completely understand why these girls did what they did...and that it was doomed from the start. Kate Winslet is just brilliant. WHY wasn't she given every award under the sun for this?!?!??!

Thomas Hardy isn't an easy writer to tackle. His work is so black and depressing, really. It's brilliant, but very challenging.

Michael Winterbottom isn't my favorite director. I didn't like his last 2 films, and Welcome to Sarajevo was very stupid and white washed. But JUDE is easily his best accomplishment...and he was the perfect man for the job. His best decision was to cast the amazing CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON and KATE WINSLET, who, as Time Magazine critic Richard Corliss stated, is "the star of her time." The tragic scene at the end of the film is so devastatingly performed by Winslet and Eccleston, that just writing about it makes me want to cry. Sue's reaction to what she sees is just...absolute horror and devastation too great for words. For me, JUDE ranks with SOPHIE'S CHOICE as one of the saddest stories ever brought to the screen.

But the film does have moments of wonderful tenderness and humor, believe it or not. And the chemistry between Winslet and Eccleston is like nothing I've seen on screen in the last 10 years. See Jude if you haven't yet! It starts off slow, but with good reason. The cinematography, music, acting, direction...everything is first rate! But prepare yourself to have your heart torn out of your chest, thrown on the floor, and stomped on a thousand times.