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deptfordkit
Reviews
Windtalkers (2002)
Most disappointing movie ever
The aerial photography of Monument Valley was fabulous. The rest of the movie, probably, disappointed me more than any film I have ever seen. How could they botch such a great story? Why did they make the protagonist a white guy? Why did they stick to the regular formula for war stories? What a mess! The writers should be shot. And John Woo has amends to make to Native Americans.
I think Mr. Woo can purge himself of this sin by telling the natural sequel to this story. Leslie Marmon Silko wrote a wonderful book called CEREMONY which tells the story of a Laguna tribesman - a veteran of the War in the Pacific - whose PTSD disabilities are not healed until he immerses himself back into his culture. A screenplay based on the book, told with conviction would make a great movie!
I hope someone can get this suggestion to John Woo. He'll never get into Heaven without compensating for WINDTALKERS.
Flyboys (2006)
Terrific in the air, formula on the ground
I really want this movie to be a success. I have written a series of scripts about an air race in 1919, so I want people to be all fired up about WWI Aviation. The terrific aerial sequences are even better than I hoped - though I wonder about the accuracy of the Zeppelin scene. On the ground, the story is languid and predictable. I think I knew everything that was going to be said before it was said. AS soon as the French girl, Lucienne, appeared I knew almost everything that was going to happen to her. The only small surprise was that she was raising her niece and nephews. I knew the French commander was going to let the Texan off after disobeying orders to rescue Lucienne. Etc. Etc.
I was very glad, however, to have someone remind me that the French are our natural allies. Perhaps, if everyone saw this movie they might be inoculated from Bill O'Reilly's absurd Francophobia.