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mezzamac
Reviews
Ultraviolet (2006)
MY EYES!!! ...MY INNOCENCE!!..MY 84.5 minutes...
If only there were a pit or black hole deep enough to cast this film into. My soul has been violated. Regardless of the magnitude of the crimes perpetrated against humanity, by the Nazi government, Stalinist Russia or communist Vietnam, these things are at least forgivable.
This film out Herrod's Herrod.
The sheer degree of depravity which is this 84 minutes, has raped me of my very soul. I am less of a human for seeing this.
To call the visuals C.G. is both insulting to computers and graphics at large.
The fight scenes gradually corrupt from mediocre-o.k, to non-existent mêlée's occurring in another room, being 'overheard' via sound effects.
At every turn, the director denies even the slightest possibility of plot and exposition, character development, emotive or textual connection.
I would pray to be sent on a death march before seeing this 'film' again.
Nacho Libre (2006)
Met with my expectations for this kind of film
A lot of other comments in here say that if you are a fan of Jack Black or Napoleon Dynamite, then you will enjoy this film. I don't feel this is entirely accurate. I came into the cinema without huge expectations (being that it's a Nickelodeon film, and undoubtedly silly). I expected that Jack Black would pretty much just do his regular thing - this time in tights (which he did) and that the story would involve some wacky/ ugly characters (which it did).
It had a few funny moments, but I didn't feel this made up for the lack of content and exposition.
And am I the only one who would like to see more of something else from Jack Black??
Napoleon Dynamite relied on quirky characters as well, without actually explaining much about their motivations. Nacho Libre seemed to have even less explanations! A few characters appear repeatedly in the film without any exposition about them or their relationship to Nacho. There also seemed to be a lack of dramatic tension to drive the story. Instead, the film appears to progress out of habit than the characters' necessity.
The verdict: mildly amusing way to pass an hour or so, but would not be on my "must buy" list!
Secretary (2002)
Visually Splendid, Wonderful Film
Secretary is a wonderful film in so many ways. Each element of the film - be it visual, script, actors etc all complement each other and work cohesively to tell a beautiful love story.
What I love most of all is that despite the subversive nature of the characters involved, that is not what the story is really about. It is merely a different viewpoint from which to explore a subject close to everyone's heart - finding someone to share experiences and life with.
Having not encountered the realm of Lee and Edward's fantasies in my own life, I had at first expected to find it difficult to relate to their desires and needs. Quite the contrary, the film invites you to understand and empathize with their motivations and troubles. Thought Edward is often dismissive and distant, you get a very strong impression of his reason for being. Similarly, Lee undergoes a lot of growth and finally accepts who she is.
Brilliantly acted, Secretary is never sleazy, always interesting and a wonderful study of "the human condition"
In Good Company (2004)
Sadly a disappointing film
I bought this film on DVD, without even hesitating. It looked like an interesting exploration of a middle aged man's struggle to retain his position in the world. Sadly, it was just a mess. Apparently (so the extras say) quite a bit was edited out from this film. Perhaps these scenes would have been key to actually understanding what story the filmmakers were trying to tell. I couldn't work it out! Seemingly, the director/ writer was trying to do too many things and cover too many aspects of the story. This meant that nothing was really explored fully enough to give an effective overall message, or even a cohesive through line to the film.
Performances felt honest enough, but I was left feeling like it could have been such a great film, if the director had only focused telling one storyline, instead of half-exploring a number!
I really like Scarlett and Topher, and Dennis Quaid (whilst having made some poor decisions in the past, seemed to really relate to his character), and I don't want to think that they are idiots. So I wonder if they read a different script before agreeing to do this?!!