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mcgregorandrew
Reviews
Ice Road Killer (2022)
A Fine Low Budget Movie
I really enjoyed the nuanced characters - especially the bad folks who have sympathetic elements rather than just being 1 dimensional characters. The ending is quite moving too.
The lead actress, Sarah Allen, is strong and believable and the younger actresses are also believable.
The story has decent twists and there are real moral dilemmas which occur.
Sure, the sets and special effects are limited, but it is a lot more interesting than the last 50 Bruce Willis movies (except maybe Looper).
I also enjoyed the suburban Ottawa locations! Sadly there are no ice roads in the movie, but it is very snowy.
Sand Serpents (2009)
Surprisingly Well Done - Suspenseful with a Dramatic Conclusion
I wasn't expecting much but I found this movie well written with none of the clunky lines that make me wince. There is genuine suspense and some interesting inter-cultural parallels.
The CGI and monster logic are not great but the characters are well done. It's not Aliens or Terminator 2 but I'd say it's more memorable than most.
I thought the Afgan characters were interesting with thought provoking stuff about what it's like to be in the middle of a civil war. The tension around the "are they on our side or not" was very effective.
The US army characters were a bit stereotypical but well written and acted.
I really liked the ending but others might find it a bit grim. Thought provoking to me.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
Truly Moving
I saw the film with my kids (7 and 8) I was really moved. The movie is as much about the fans as it is about Justin Bieber and that was my favourite part. You can see how much he his part of so many people's (well girls' mostly) lives.
There are nice insights into the great pressures of being the centre of an entire organization at the age of 16 and how so many things have to be in place and working for this phenomenon to be pulled off. It's easy to see how a young pop star can end up off the rails so quickly.
P.S. Ignore the rating (1.3/10). It's obviously being gamed by some haters. I saw an NSync concert film some year back and it was stomach turningly horrible. This was very good.
Drumline (2002)
Great movie! No cheap cop-outs!
I loved this movie! The writing is tight and the plotline completely believable, speaking to problems of kids today. Very positive message without sugar coating or a partonizing tone.
I thought that the ending had to be a wimpy cop-out (hero comes on and saves the day - like so many Hollywood movies), but instead it was an uplifting tribute to the point of the movie.
Sure, not everything works, and some of the side plots detract from the story - what is that fraternity thing doing there, anyway? - but the marching band sequences more than make up for it.
The Cold Equations (1996)
Low key, but very moving
Definitely a B movie, but I was pleasantly surprised at how effectively it was done. I had read the short story and I thought this was better than the story. Nice spirit at the end without giving in and making everybody happy.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Amazing highs, horrible lows
There are amazing special effects and a gripping political plotline, coupled with wonderful cityscapes and action scenes.
The utterly crippling part of this movie is the love story. Totally unbelievable, uninteresting, boring. George Lucas needs to go out on a date (badly!). I just had to shut my eyes during some of the love scenes. Simply editting these out would be great (looking forward to the DVD!). If the romantic leads were aliens you could excuse (maybe) their terrible dialog.
Ridicule (1996)
Wonderful movie
I've seen this movie a couple of times and I think it is a great presentation of a different world (the world of Louis XVI).
The wit and humour is great, although I saw it subtitled and the modest French I know helped a lot because the spoken language is a big part of the movie.
Even has a happy ending!