Absolutely AMAZING movie. Just an incredible story, and the fact that it is inspired by a true story makes it even better. I can't believe the acting ability they got from all these young stars. I mean yeah you have Hilary Swank who has already established herself with Million Dollar Baby, but this new girl April Hernandez was phenomenal. I think she made the movie. All the struggles she was faced with throughout the entire movie and the way the handled everything was inspiring. I mean I could literally feel her pain as she dealt with the struggle of whether or not to trust this new teacher of hers(Swank) or to go with her family and only look out for her own kind. The racial issues addressed in this film are very controversial, but also so important to get into the mainstream so that our society can finally realize what is going on in our country. All in all, i think this movie deserves a 20 out of 10.
Reviews
18 Reviews
The Fountain
(2006)
Simply Amazing
1 December 2006
This movie is just unbelievable. It is so good. The way the storyline weaves three completely different time periods together successfully is incredible. I love the Sci-Fi elements involved in this movie. The overall plot is really good. I'm normally not into the romance genre of movies, but The Fountain has so much more to it than just Romance. I mean yeah, if you break it down to the nuts and bolts, it's a love story. But there is so much more around the central plot that enhances this movie: Drama, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, etc. This movie has it all. Grant and Weisz did amazing jobs. Weisz is really surprised me lately. She has come a long way from her Mummy movies(which I didn't really like). First with A Constant Gardener and now this. She is really turning into a great actress. Also, in my opinion, the scenes with Grant in the Nebula are visually the greatest scenes I have ever scene. All in all, I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who really enjoys good, thought-out movies.
Smart Comedy
17 November 2006
I found this movie very interesting. Gondry did a very good job of weaving the relationships between the characters involved. I originally did not want to see this movie because I didn't think Jim Carrey was very good in more serious roles, but after watching it I must say that he did an exceptional job. All the characters cast for this movie fit their roles perfectly. Kirsten Dunst and Elijah Wood were especially good. I really like these type of comedies, ones with a smarter outlook on comedy. This isn't a movie that any idiot can pick up and watch. The humor is very witty and takes intelligence to find it funny. I really like movies like that. All in all, I would recommend this movie to any intelligent human being who can understand smart humor.
Lucky Number Slevin
(2006)
The Ol' Kansas City Shuffle
12 September 2006
Wow, this is a great movie. No one should be surprised that this movie is so great because it has great, great actors involved. This is a wonderful Mystery movie with lots and lots of twists and turns. You really will not guess what happens next. This movie is just a huge puzzle that slowly gets put together, but it's like the puzzle is getting put together with pieces missing. Then by the end when those missing pieces are revealed, it's just amazing. The dialogue in this film is absolutely incredible. You can feel the emotion pouring from every scene. The greatest scene in this movie is at the end with Morgan Freeman and Sir Ben Kingsley. These two guys are such great actors; this movie is worth watching just to see this one scene. Not that all the other scenes aren't great, but this one is in a class all its own. Everyone should see this movie for all the great acting. Here's a little on the major actors in the film: Slevin(Josh Hartnett): I'm not a huge fan of Hartnett, but it seems as though this role was tailor made for him. I honestly don't believe they could have picked a better person to play Slevin. Hartnett's personality and charisma fit this role really well.
Mr. Goodkat(Bruce Willis): It just seems that Bruce Willis plays an excellent hit-man. When he gets into these hit-man roles, you can just look at him and see a stone cold killer. I wonder if he has ever really killed a man? It sure seems like it in this film. He seems like an old pro when he's got that look in his eye like he wants to kill you just for the fun of it. Great casting choice.
Brikowski(Stanley Tucci): Brikowski is the lead detective in this film. Brikowski is quite eccentric and a little obsessive compulsive. He has to have control of everything; he can't stand for something to out of his control. Tucci was a great choice because he seems like a guy who always need to have order and control in his life.
Lindsey(Lucy Liu): The girl next door. Adds a little comic relief to the film, but also kind of holds the film together as well. I really don't think this movie would have been as good without this character. Lucy Liu fits the role well because she has the spunky, peppy personality just like Lindsey.
The Boss(Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi(Sir Ben Kingsley): It's freaking Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. Any role they play is gold. Enough said.
Mr. Goodkat(Bruce Willis): It just seems that Bruce Willis plays an excellent hit-man. When he gets into these hit-man roles, you can just look at him and see a stone cold killer. I wonder if he has ever really killed a man? It sure seems like it in this film. He seems like an old pro when he's got that look in his eye like he wants to kill you just for the fun of it. Great casting choice.
Brikowski(Stanley Tucci): Brikowski is the lead detective in this film. Brikowski is quite eccentric and a little obsessive compulsive. He has to have control of everything; he can't stand for something to out of his control. Tucci was a great choice because he seems like a guy who always need to have order and control in his life.
Lindsey(Lucy Liu): The girl next door. Adds a little comic relief to the film, but also kind of holds the film together as well. I really don't think this movie would have been as good without this character. Lucy Liu fits the role well because she has the spunky, peppy personality just like Lindsey.
The Boss(Morgan Freeman) and The Rabbi(Sir Ben Kingsley): It's freaking Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley. Any role they play is gold. Enough said.
The Woodsman
(2004)
Very Taboo
7 September 2006
Wow, this is a very Taboo movie. This is some really, really touchy material. I'm surprised it was even made, everyone involved had a lot of guts to even touch this movie. It picked up some pretty well known Actors too (Kevin Bacon, Mos Def, David Alan Grier, Eve, Kyra Sedgwick, and Benjamin Bratt). Even though this was a very touchy subject, I am so glad it was done. This type of movie couldn't have been done any better. I never in my life thought I would feel any sort of sympathy for a Child Molester; I feel that they are the most despicable creatures on the face of this earth. However, this movie had me feeling sympathy for Bacon. He was trying to keep himself clean, and you could see the struggles he had with it everyday of his life. He lost all of his friends, all of his family, and had to constantly look over his shoulder to see if his secret had come out. I thought this movie was very well done, and by the end of it I actually teared up a little. This is a wonderful, although very adult (I would not recommend this movie to children or any parent who plans to watch it with their children), movie.
The Illusionist
(2006)
"Everything you have seen here has been an illusion."
6 September 2006
And Edward Norton is absolutely right. Nothing in this movie is what it seems. I was floored by the end of this movie. This was a wonderful job by everyone, actors and director. I couldn't believe how it ended, I wanted to stand up and clap at the end because of how beautifully it was done. This movie really grows on you. In the beginning I wasn't really impressed, but by the end I was completely convinced that this was a real work of art. The acting was great. Norton, Biel, and Giamatti all did tremendous jobs in my opinion. This is the best fictional biography I have ever seen. This Eisenheim character seems like a real person and not someone based on a short story. Norton is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors, the guy has more range than I've seen from anyone in a while. He's always playing different characters and he always does a very good job. I think everyone should go and see this movie, it won't let you down.
Casino
(1995)
The Mafia......
5 September 2006
You just do not mess with the Mob. When are all these people going to realize that. You see all these movies with these tough guys who think they are bigger than the Mob and everything the find out they aren't, usually by getting whacked. I thought this was a very good Mob movie, ranking right up the with the Godfather and Goodfellas. This movie would have gotten a perfect 10 had it not been for the narration style of the movie. I didn't really like the way De Niro and Pesci just kinda told the story. It would have been better if they left all that out. But other than that this was a really good movie. I think everyone should go see it, it's a great acting job by De Niro, Pesci, and Sharon Stone (she is absolutely NUTS in the movie by the way and plays it perfectly). Not the greatest Mafia movie but ranks right up there with them. If you haven't seen it then what are you waiting for? Go check it out.
Stay
(I) (2005)
This movie left me completely in Awe....
4 September 2006
I can honestly say that this is one of the most incredible movies I have ever seen. I was speechless when I got through with this movie. I just cannot believe how complex this movie is. It had so many levels to it. Mark Forster is an absolute genius.
The plots basically centers around two characters, Sam Foster(Ewan McGregor) and Henry Letham(Ryan Gosling). Sam is a psychiatrist who deals mostly with neurotic stockbrokers, but at the beginning of the movie he is filling in for one of his colleagues. That is how he comes to meet Henry. Henry is a very strange Art student who idolizes this artist named Tristan Reveur. Reveur was a magnificent artist who burned all his paintings and committed suicide on his 21st birthday (he actually told people he was going to do this on when he was 18). Henry decides that he wants to leave the same mark and tells Sam that he is going to commit suicide on midnight of his 21st birthday. It then becomes Sam's job to try and stop him, but during that promise Sam must also fight to keep his own grip with reality.
This movie will mess with your head throughout the entire film. It is a very artistic film, and the whole concept of art (painting, drama, literature, etc.) holds the plot together. The most amazing part of this film however is the complexity of it. I still cannot believe how Forster was able to tie all these characters together the way he did, it really was a work of art. By the time you reach the end of this film you will be utterly amazed. In my opinion this is a true masterpiece. I'm going to leave this with my favorite quote from the movie:
"Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art, because it documents human failing." - Tristan Reveur
The plots basically centers around two characters, Sam Foster(Ewan McGregor) and Henry Letham(Ryan Gosling). Sam is a psychiatrist who deals mostly with neurotic stockbrokers, but at the beginning of the movie he is filling in for one of his colleagues. That is how he comes to meet Henry. Henry is a very strange Art student who idolizes this artist named Tristan Reveur. Reveur was a magnificent artist who burned all his paintings and committed suicide on his 21st birthday (he actually told people he was going to do this on when he was 18). Henry decides that he wants to leave the same mark and tells Sam that he is going to commit suicide on midnight of his 21st birthday. It then becomes Sam's job to try and stop him, but during that promise Sam must also fight to keep his own grip with reality.
This movie will mess with your head throughout the entire film. It is a very artistic film, and the whole concept of art (painting, drama, literature, etc.) holds the plot together. The most amazing part of this film however is the complexity of it. I still cannot believe how Forster was able to tie all these characters together the way he did, it really was a work of art. By the time you reach the end of this film you will be utterly amazed. In my opinion this is a true masterpiece. I'm going to leave this with my favorite quote from the movie:
"Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art, because it documents human failing." - Tristan Reveur
The Usual Suspects
(1995)
Decent, that's all
3 September 2006
I don't really get all the hype about this movie. It was a decent movie, but not a great movie in my opinion. Everybody talked about the plots twists and "surprise" ending, but if you watch the movie carefully the ending isn't a surprise at all. This movie just didn't do it for me. The script was pretty good, but there was a bad choice in character selections. I think I would have really liked this movie if they cast different characters for a few of the roles(Baldwin and del Toro in particular). I just do not see why everybody loved this movie so much. It was just another mediocre movie in my opinion. It's decent, worth watching at least once, but not great.
The Quiet
(2005)
The title says it all.......
3 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is very "Quiet" and eerie. I personally think this was a terrific movie. Elisha Cuthbert played the perfect stuck-up cheerleader type. I can't really explain why this movie was so good. I really, really liked the plot. And the dialogue was excellent as well. I had been looking forward to seeing it for a while, and it just opened this weekend where I live. I must say I was definitely not disappointed. When I went to see it their were only two other people in the theater other than me and my girlfriend. That was very disappointing considering just how good this movie. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. It has a very good plot and a very good script. I don't really want to give away anything that is going to be in the movie because that would just ruin it for anyone going to see it. It is just a very well put together movie with an eerie feel throughout the entire thing. Please everyone go see this movie, you will not be disappointed.
Goodfellas
(1990)
Great, great mob movie!!
1 September 2006
This is a really, really good Mafia movie. This movie ranks right up there close with the Godfather movies. I think this movie actually seemed a little more realistic than the Godfather. But don't get me wrong, it's still no Godfather. De Niro, Pesci, and Liotta were all great. Every time I see Pesci I think Mafia stooge; that's just the way he comes off in all his movies. He plays his role to perfection. He definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. De Niro was fantastic too, although this wasn't the normal role he plays. He was still a tough guy in this movie, but he was really paranoid throughout the whole thing. Every time I saw him on screen I could tell how badly he wanted in "the family", so he played that part perfectly. If the Godfather movies had never been made, then this would be the top Mafia movie out there.
Reservoir Dogs
(1992)
Not what I expected, but still good.
1 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
With all the hype that I heard about this movie I was actually expecting it to be a little better. Don't get me wrong, it was a really good movie, but I was let down a little because everyone said that was this really awesome movie and it just wasn't the best thing I've ever seen. It's a pretty funny movie, and anybody who watches it will have a good laugh. It blends comedy and drama together very well in my opinion. Here's my take on the "bad guys": Mr. Blonde: The homicidal maniac of the bunch. This is one of the craziest dudes I've seen in a movie in a long time. He loves to torture people just for the sheer fun of it. This guy has a few screws loose in his head. Overall, a well played character, but I just do not like Michael Madsen.
Mr. White: The father figure of the group. He tries to take care of everyone, and he's the only compassionate one of the bunch. He seems a little out of place with all these killers, but his role does fit very nicely with the plot of the movie. Nice job casting Keitel.
Mr. Orange: The young "innocent" guy of the group. He's very inexperienced (of course) when it comes to this robbery business. He comes off like the whole deer caught in the headlights when everything goes down. Tim Roth does an excellent job playing the scared, innocent kid.
Mr. Pink: The paranoid schizo of the group. When everything goes down, he's the one trying to figure out how to save his own skin. He seems like he would be the guy you always see blabbering about the whole government conspiracy stuff. He's the first one to talk about a setup, because that's just how his paranoid mind works. Personally, he's my favorite character in the movie, and Buscemi played the part to perfection.
Mr. Brown: Pretty much just a filler character. His character is never fully developed and he doesn't play a very big role in the film at all. He does have that hilarious "Like A Virgin" scene though, which had me laughing so hard it hurt. Tarantino plays this guy and it fits pretty well.
Mr. Blue: Another filler character. I can't really say anything about this guy because he only has like 2 lines in the whole film.
All in all, this was a pretty good film. If they had stretched the time a little longer and developed some of the characters a little more then this would have been an excellent film. There were just too many characters who didn't play any kind of significant role in the film. Other than that, it was a good movie, worth a 9/10.
Mr. White: The father figure of the group. He tries to take care of everyone, and he's the only compassionate one of the bunch. He seems a little out of place with all these killers, but his role does fit very nicely with the plot of the movie. Nice job casting Keitel.
Mr. Orange: The young "innocent" guy of the group. He's very inexperienced (of course) when it comes to this robbery business. He comes off like the whole deer caught in the headlights when everything goes down. Tim Roth does an excellent job playing the scared, innocent kid.
Mr. Pink: The paranoid schizo of the group. When everything goes down, he's the one trying to figure out how to save his own skin. He seems like he would be the guy you always see blabbering about the whole government conspiracy stuff. He's the first one to talk about a setup, because that's just how his paranoid mind works. Personally, he's my favorite character in the movie, and Buscemi played the part to perfection.
Mr. Brown: Pretty much just a filler character. His character is never fully developed and he doesn't play a very big role in the film at all. He does have that hilarious "Like A Virgin" scene though, which had me laughing so hard it hurt. Tarantino plays this guy and it fits pretty well.
Mr. Blue: Another filler character. I can't really say anything about this guy because he only has like 2 lines in the whole film.
All in all, this was a pretty good film. If they had stretched the time a little longer and developed some of the characters a little more then this would have been an excellent film. There were just too many characters who didn't play any kind of significant role in the film. Other than that, it was a good movie, worth a 9/10.
The Sentinel
(2006)
Good for a little entertainment
31 August 2006
This was a pretty decent movie. This movie is good to just sit down and watch and be entertained. Just a typical Hollywood film. This movie will never win an Oscar or anything and definitely doesn't deserve one, but I thought it was pretty good. It's kind of like the show 24 but set into movie format. If you like the whole we've got to stop the terrorist from killing the president kind of movie then you will enjoy this flick. I personally think that storyline has been done WAY too much, but The Sentinel does add a little twist with the mole in the Secret Service. All in all, this movie won't leave your jaw to the floor or change your life, but who says every single movie has to be like that to be good?
American History X
(1998)
Raw, Gritty, and REAL
30 August 2006
Like my headline says, this is one of the most gritty and raw movies I have ever seen. I just watch it for the first time tonight and I am completely in awe. The movie almost had me in tears by the end of it. If you aren't moved after watching this movie then you just aren't human.
Derek Vinyard (Ed Norton) is one of the most dynamic characters I have ever seen in a movie. I mean he is so impressionable but yet so charismatic at the same time. Very rarely do get that kind of dangerous combination together. He was so gullible and would believe what any strong willed person forced upon him, but the dangerous part is that he take what he learned and influence so many people with it. He had that special something that people were just drawn to. He could make people do whatever he wanted them to do, but in the same turn would do whatever someone else wanted him to do. His transformation by the end of this movie was just so inspiring. This is one of the best characters I have seen in a long long time.
If you have not seen this movie yet, you do not know what you are missing. I'm not going to lie to you though; this movie is not for everyone. American History X will show you a side of the real world that no one really wants to know about. So if you want to stay in your perfect little bubble that there is nothing wrong in the world then DO NOT watch this movie. This movie tackles the race issues in our society in a way that most people would be afraid to touch. By the end of this movie you will be almost ready to cry because it shows you everything that is wrong with society today, but there is that silver lining of hope that everyone can change. In conclusion, if you're faint-hearted this movie isn't for you, but if you want an in your face look at the dark side of society that will send a chill down your spine then check this movie out.
Derek Vinyard (Ed Norton) is one of the most dynamic characters I have ever seen in a movie. I mean he is so impressionable but yet so charismatic at the same time. Very rarely do get that kind of dangerous combination together. He was so gullible and would believe what any strong willed person forced upon him, but the dangerous part is that he take what he learned and influence so many people with it. He had that special something that people were just drawn to. He could make people do whatever he wanted them to do, but in the same turn would do whatever someone else wanted him to do. His transformation by the end of this movie was just so inspiring. This is one of the best characters I have seen in a long long time.
If you have not seen this movie yet, you do not know what you are missing. I'm not going to lie to you though; this movie is not for everyone. American History X will show you a side of the real world that no one really wants to know about. So if you want to stay in your perfect little bubble that there is nothing wrong in the world then DO NOT watch this movie. This movie tackles the race issues in our society in a way that most people would be afraid to touch. By the end of this movie you will be almost ready to cry because it shows you everything that is wrong with society today, but there is that silver lining of hope that everyone can change. In conclusion, if you're faint-hearted this movie isn't for you, but if you want an in your face look at the dark side of society that will send a chill down your spine then check this movie out.
The Last Samurai
(2003)
Cruise's best movie ever!!!!
29 August 2006
I don't care what anybody says, this is Tom Cruise's greatest acting performance ever. I absolutely love this movie, it's in my Top 5 for sure. I honestly do not see how anyone can not like this movie. Even if you hated Tom Cruise, you would have to love this movie. The portrayal of Japanese culture is just amazing. It's unbelievable how honorable and self-reliant these people can be. I have always been such a huge fan of the Japanese culture as a whole. The lifestyle lived by a Samurai, the whole devotion to the simpler things in life, is very enviable. If our society could learn the honor and loyalty exhibited by the Samurai, we would live in a better world today. If your a fan of real acting and a very tasteful portrayal of Japanese culture then I HIGHLY recommend this movie.
Invincible
(2006)
Disney is GREAT with football movies
29 August 2006
First Remember the Titans and now Invincible. Disney has really got the right formula for making a good football movie. I actually think Invincible is better than Remember the Titans. If you like football movies then you will love this. And if you don't like football movies, you will still love this. It's that good.
This movie tells the story of Vince Papale, a huge fan of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 70's (a time when the Eagles were at a real low point). After a horrendous season, the Eagles hire Dick Vermeil to try and restore a little dignity to the franchise. Vermeil decides to hold open tryouts to any Eagles fan who thinks they can make the team. He's trying to put a little energy back in the fans. Papale, a 30 year who never played college ball, gets talked into going to the tryout by his friends. To find out more you will have to watch this wonderful movie.
The best part about this movie isn't the football aspect of it (although I would be lying if I said I wasn't on the edge of my seat pumping my fist in the theater). The best part is Disney's ability to show the poverty the people of Philadelphia were suffering from. You really sympathize with Papale and everyone around him. When he suffers, you suffer and when he triumphs, you triumph. If you haven't seen this movie yet, get to the movies this weekend.
This movie tells the story of Vince Papale, a huge fan of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 70's (a time when the Eagles were at a real low point). After a horrendous season, the Eagles hire Dick Vermeil to try and restore a little dignity to the franchise. Vermeil decides to hold open tryouts to any Eagles fan who thinks they can make the team. He's trying to put a little energy back in the fans. Papale, a 30 year who never played college ball, gets talked into going to the tryout by his friends. To find out more you will have to watch this wonderful movie.
The best part about this movie isn't the football aspect of it (although I would be lying if I said I wasn't on the edge of my seat pumping my fist in the theater). The best part is Disney's ability to show the poverty the people of Philadelphia were suffering from. You really sympathize with Papale and everyone around him. When he suffers, you suffer and when he triumphs, you triumph. If you haven't seen this movie yet, get to the movies this weekend.
Requiem for a Dream
(2000)
Extremely Emotional Movie
29 August 2006
This was such a terrific movie. I can't believe it took this website for me to hear about this movie. I am going to tell everyone I come across to watch this movie. I don't understand why this movie hasn't gotten more recognition. Everyone should see this movie at some point. It will keep your eyes glued to the screen for the entire 106 minutes.
Requiem follows the lives of four individuals: Harry, his Mother Sarah, his girlfriend Marion, and his best friend Tyrone. Harry, his girl, and his best friend are all addicted to cocaine. Harry's mom gets a phone call telling her that she was won an opportunity to appear on a game show so she decides to try and lose a few pounds to fit into her favorite red dress. Harry and Tyrone decide to buy some premium cocaine and cut and dilute it to make a lot of cash. Everything begins to spiral out of control from there. I'm not going to ruin anything for those of you who want to watch this, all that I'm gonna say is this is a definite must see. You won't believe it until you see it.
Requiem follows the lives of four individuals: Harry, his Mother Sarah, his girlfriend Marion, and his best friend Tyrone. Harry, his girl, and his best friend are all addicted to cocaine. Harry's mom gets a phone call telling her that she was won an opportunity to appear on a game show so she decides to try and lose a few pounds to fit into her favorite red dress. Harry and Tyrone decide to buy some premium cocaine and cut and dilute it to make a lot of cash. Everything begins to spiral out of control from there. I'm not going to ruin anything for those of you who want to watch this, all that I'm gonna say is this is a definite must see. You won't believe it until you see it.
Brick
(2005)
Terrific Movie
21 August 2006
This is one of the best movies I've seen this year. I'll admit it starts out a little shaky, like a bunch of over-dramatic kids with cheesy lines. But if you can get past that you will love this movie. It had so many twists and turns, by the time it ended I was actually surprised. I can normally snuff out the dramatic twists the writer wants to throw at you, but this movie actually surprised me by the end of it. I've never heard of this director before, but if he keeps making movies like this then he's gonna make it big. If you're a fan of indie films then you can't go wrong with this work of art. This Johnson guy was able to put a new twist on a genre with almost nothing left to add to it. All in all, I say this movie definitely deserves a 10.
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