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lukas1979
Reviews
The Last Legion (2007)
fun light-hearted legend
I can understand why some people may be disappointed watching this movie, especially if they were expecting a CGI laden gore-fest. If you do not expect this then you should not be too disappointed.
I think the negative comments go too far. It never pretended to be anything other than an action/adventure movie from the beginning (so why compare it to hardcore historical stuff), it was funny, mixed up a few legends, and had a very simple but nevertheless entertaining story.
This light hearted and enjoyable movie provides well-paced entertainment that would be suitable for a teenage audience (perhaps 10+) but can also be enjoyed by adults.
There is no gore, sex, or swearing, and whilst the fine cast will not win any Oscars for their performance, they did a fine job in fulfilling their roles, given the movies objectives.
This movie does what it says on the tin and does it well. A fine example of how a movie can be enjoyable without every scene being covered in blood (although I enjoy those movies too).
Un amour à taire (2005)
Emotional overload
A beautiful and poignant film that encourages you to wait for the arrival of the hero and the redemption of the evil only for neither to happen. Someone commented that the film was like a roller coaster, for me it didn't feel that way, no individual scene was too brutal or heartbreaking for me to reach for the tissues, until, as the end captions appeared the whole reservoir of emotions that had been slowly welling inside overcame my composure. With torrents of tears running down my face for the millions of the brutally murdered I wondered why; why people allowed this to happen and why we still allow it to happen today. If there is a god, surely he is crying too.
Long Distance (2005)
Dreadful *spoilers*
A dizzy girl gets calls from a serial murderer that send her from a moronic dumb blond (who can read), to a poorly acted and unbelievable anxious dumb blond, and then back and forth several times (with more incredulous screen presence in between). She is supported in our distress by what can only be described as cops worthy of a minor role in a TV soap as the dialogue blunders on and on, and we wonder if this rubbish will ever end.
When that end comes, albeit with a weak twist, we are left feeling neither scared, sympathetic nor interested (or any other emotion apart, perhaps, from dismay). It turns out the whole first 1hr20 of the film were delusions and that the serial caller/killer is actually a voice in her head that helped her kill her boyfriend and his lover. The last 10 minutes attempts to tidy up the mess already made by rearranging all the previously unbelievable characters (from the delusion) as newly unbelievable characters in the 'real world'.
The only point at which Monica Keena became a believable character as at the end in her catatonic state, lying still and staring blankly into space seemed to come naturally (perhaps this is what got her the job on the casting couch), although, to be fair, perhaps it was just an inept director and pathetic script that made her so bad.
No attempt was made at any point to get us engaged with the actors or the plot and whilst 'the clues were there' as to the outcome, by the time the twist came we no longer cared. This could be a high school production.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Artistic merit but..
It was perhaps brave of Hollywood to produce this movie given the antipathy of a large slice of public opinion towards the subject matter, indeed perhaps many thought the conclusion was just (though I doubt those people saw this movie).
It was enjoyable and thought provoking with brilliant cinematography, acting and direction but the only thing that made it sad was we all like happily ever after - which we didn't get.
It was difficult to have have empathy (particularly for Ennis) who had imposed his weakness and repression upon the relationship. I understand that that standing up for yourself is sometimes hard especially given the environment but the relationship suffered the worst of consequences without even doing so.
What message does this send out? I'm not sure. It could be read in different ways, but surely if this was a work of art the message should have been less opaque, if however it wasn't art then it simply wasn't entertaining enough.
With such mixed messages and a lack of inspiring real emotional empathy it is just a pretty film. It's good, thought provoking, but whatever it tries to do it doesn't quite do it. Better luck next time.
Worth a watch but not the film of the year.
The Pink Panther (2006)
Steve Martin does it again
WHY WHY WHY... do I subject myself to the pain that is watching Steve Martin on screen. He is neither funny nor moderately good at acting, more of a 'never was' than a 'has been'.
I enjoyed Sellers (a real comic genius) work in the earlier Pink Panther movies and thought I would watch this, as despite my reservations, it was bound to be moderately humorous at the very least.
I was so very wrong. I don't think it's because I 'didn't get it', but moreover because the whole ensemble that participated in this pantomime 'didn't get it'. Was there a funny bit? I didn't see it, not laughing once during this unfortunate waste of my time. The slapstick is similar and the plot equally as absurd as in the original movies, but there was something in those that wasn't in this.
I don't think that it is impossible to successfully reprise the role Sellers performed so well, just that is impossible for Martin to do it. His appreciable lack of any discernible talent, a quite, quite awful script, a supporting cast that (whilst talented and enjoyable in other films) are horribly miscast here made this a painful experience. The direction was adequate for an amateur but perhaps it should be left to professionals next time.
I do understand what Martin why trying to do here, but even without the comparison to Sellers, he failed miserably. His brand of humour is appropriate; if you're a child it simply does not work on any other level, I just feel sorry for any parents that are dragged along to this best forgotten tragedy.
I implore Mr Martin to stop 'acting' for the good of mankind - something I could at last appreciate him for, either way I am absolutely and utterly determined never again to subject myself to his conceited and misplaced belief in his own talent.
A truly sorry movie. Too bad.