Change Your Image
bahgdadc
Reviews
The Constant Gardener (2005)
As an African, this movie cut my heart in half
You can take the African out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of the African. Even though I've been living in the US for eight years now, this movie still hit me with the impact of a low-yield nuclear weapon. I never thought that they would be able to convey the complexity and pathos of Le Carre's novel to screen as well as they did.
All the film making elements mesh together to draw you in to the story. Despite a momentary lapse towards the end, the important message of the story is conveyed without any of the heavy handedness we've come to expect from Hollywood. The cinematography and editing was incredible, and the music was perfect. The performances by all the actors were superb.
All in all, this is one of the best films I've seen in a long time, and I would highly recommend it.
Die Another Day (2002)
What on earth have they done to James Bond?
Come back George, all is forgiven: At lease "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was recognizable as a Bond film. The latest installment in the franchise, the 20th installment in fact, should have been a cause for celebration. Instead, I have to rate it a solid 1, and that only because the system won't let me rate it lower. When did James Bond morph with Rambo? What happened to the wit and charm that was evident in the best of the series, films like 'Goldfinger" and "The Spy Who Loved Me"?
There is nothing in this film that feels original or fresh. And the John Woo influenced cinematics have no place in a Bond film. And what's with the use of CGI in place of real stuntmen doing the impossible, as they did in every other film? Sure, it may look "super cool" in concept, but in fact it looks fake and out of place. They didn't use CGI to make trucks act like race cars in "License To Kill".
I'm afraid that on his 40th anniversary, the cinematic James Bond is looking every bit his age, dressed up like a 70 year old hustler trying to pick up teenagers. Forget the snazzy trappings and the flashy action scenes and get back to the basics.