Reviews

From the title through every character right to the end this film is a roller-coaster ride of absolutely ridiculous fun that will have kids and adults alike doubled over with laughter. I personally nearly choked from laughing so hard at one particular point.

What makes this movie so great is the characters...you can't go wrong with Bill Hader ever and Anna Faris I wouldn't be a fan of at all but she is cast completely out of character here and you would never guess it is her. The real entertainment lies in the support cast though. James Caan is outstanding as the father and Mr. T as the loving father and over enthusiastic local cop will have you in tears. Benjamin Bratt and Neil Patrick Harris didn't have much work to do with their characters but even with so few lines they are stars, particularly Steve the 'talking' monkey. There was one bit character that I found highly entertaining who had the best line in the whole thing when referring to hamburgers as tasting "significantly better than sardines".

I would consider myself a bit of a movie buff and my leaning is very much toward the art-house. On a recent Saturday afternoon, I choose to take a risk and cross the sticky floor, trying to avoid stepping on one of the many screaming kids running around, my heart beating fast and hard with nervousness and anxiety that maybe this was a mistake. When the time came I casually donned my 3D glasses and 90minutes later with a pain in my side I wanted to go again... It's been an long time since that has happened!

Throughout the actual film I could tell that it was quite low budget with a small crew and having worked in film making a little I wondered to myself how could they have done it. Luckily there was a really well made "making of..." included as an extra on the DVD I rented and it portrayed the story.

The story of the film makers is a fascinating parallel with what is being presented in "In the Hands of the Gods". They go through all of the same problems trying to get their jobs done. The most intriguing aspect of the behind the scenes is the difficulty there seemed to be in resisting the temptation to help the characters over come their obstacles but this also makes you appreciate even more the authenticity of the documentary. It is such a pity that there was not more that one camera involved in the making of!

With such bizarre personalities to analyse and such a cray story I don't think the potential was lived up to. I felt this documentary got bogged down in technical economics and should have focused more on the social aspect. The working environment of the company and the repressions of its collapse.

The first 40 or so minutes were very repetitive, the next 30 were pretty boring but it did finish strong. One thing I found very annoying was the text that scrolled across the screen showing the progress of the cost of Enron shares over time. It made for fascinating reading but it was a really small and in a difficult to read format. I'm sure this was different in the cinema...

Two really good aspects of the film were the original photography and soundtrack. This is evident from the opening with a very original aerial shot of the Houston skyline set to Tom Waits.

Worth watching certainly but not all that impressive given the potential!!!

Ed Murrow, I believe, was an intellectual! Accused by many of taking sides. This may be true but as the film stated, the other side is well represented. The political environment of America is one that fascinates and confuses me. Like all things in this world it appears to repeat itself.

"We must remember always, that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another, we will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason." In recent times, this statement is once again completely untrue in America. Accusation is proof. Look at Iraq and the accusation of WMDs with no solid proof. The majority of ordinary decent citizens in the McCarthy era, the ones that lived in fear, most likely had no idea what communism was. When you think about it, communism would be something to embrace except that it is too theoretical to put into practice. The thing to fear is a suppressive political regime. And if the paranoia created by the fear creates another suppressive political regime then who is the enemy? As far as I can see, America still lives in fear, still paranoid. The new word for communist is unpatriotic. The very thing that Ed Murrow prided himself on, reporting the truth, challenging the status quo and "bouncing ideas" has been abandoned in American journalism. An industry given over to sensationalism and "insulating society from reality".

I know there is very little about the actual film written here. The fact of the matter is that this is not a very visual film, it is a dialog based intellectual film. What is said is as important as what is not said and the most important thing is the thought and words of the viewer afterwards. George Clooney is no ground breaking director. This film won't blow your mind. It will fascinate you and make you think. It is amazing how in your face propaganda can be, and then a film like this comes along that deliver a subtle message. No even necessarily the truth, but to question yourself as to what is the truth!

Some minor criticisms: the quality of the sound was a bit lacking and I felt the story could have gone on for much longer. It was difficult to figure out if this was a film about Ed Murrow or just about his battle with the junior senator from Wisconsin.

This, in my opinion, is the best episode of Family Guy ever. No doubts about it. It contains all the essential family guy ingredients: Peter being stupid, Brian being drunk, Lois being Lois. Endless pop culture references. The same joke going on for so long that it becomes not funny then becomes funny again.

It seems that Season 1 was a learning process and with Season 3 they took on more than they could handle. Season 2 is the best and Wasted Talent is the best of the best. Honorable mentions include Da Boom and E. Peterbus Unum. The only episode that lets this season down really is A Picture is Worth....

It seemed to me that the writers here had a decent enough idea but couldn't make it into a film with a proper narrative running through it. It's been a long time since I've seen so many montages in one film. I don't have a problem with it but the purpose of the montage is to summarise a lenght of time passing by. In this film the technique was used solely for comic effect...and it worked. The problem was that when it then came to the actual passing of time there was a lack of comic value and an inability to make it any way realistic. I know it's comedy and it's slapstick to a degree and it doesn't need to be realistic but, unless the comic elements are in place properly the lack of realism can't be ignored.

William H. Macy steals the show and really really shows the other actors up. He's got some great lines and acts the slapstick comic role really well. Steve Zahn is pretty good too. Certainly not his worst role and shines in his montages. Jeremy Northam was a bad choice for for the role of Harry / Steve. I haven't seen him in that much stuff so I wouldn't like to say he's a bad actor but, I don't think he can do comedy. It smelt like cheese every time he spoke.

If you're in a silly mood and up for a laugh this is worth watching. There is much better comedy out there though. This doesn't come close to anything from the Ben Stiller / Wes Anderson / Wilson Brothers / Will Ferrel stables.

This movie gives a historical and very human account of the Korean war. I am no expert on this (or any) war and so found some details difficult to follow. I am, however, a big fan of War films. This annoys my girlfriend no end but, she enjoyed this one as much as me.

The human side is represented by the story of two brothers who are drafted to fight for the south. The personalities of these two are very different even though they are family. As a result, the effect that the war has on each one is very different. Despite the differences that grow between them they remain dedicated to protecting one another.

The gruesomeness that other comments have slated was something I rejoiced in. Not because I enjoy seeing blood and guts but, because I hate when realism is glossed over for the sake of mass appeal. It is true that not everything in the film was realistic but it beats a Hollywood blockbuster hands down.

Be warned that you'll need over 2 hours to spare but it is very engaging once it gets going. Highly recommended!!!

The story of Johnny Cash and June Carter. That would have been a more fitting title and sounds like something you'd watch on the Hallmark channel or something like that. The story of Johnny Cash is a great and interesting one that anybody with any interest, I'm sure, has heard many times. The problem with this film is that it's just being told again. The acting is brilliant, possibly Reese Witherspoons best performance ever and she deserves to get the Oscar. The scripts is, like Johnny's music "slow like a steam train and sharp like a knife". It's these two factors that make the film so good. There was so much possibility to make this a classic but instead it won't be remembered in 20 years time. There is a great energy on screen during the opening scene and the main scene at Folsom Prison. Some of the other concert scenes, particularly when he's in a bad way, are shot really well. Bringing to mind album covers and photographs of the man in black. I think what's happened here is we have the director making the mistake of focusing on the actors and not spending enough time directing the crew. This I find strange when you think of films like Girl Interrupted, an immensely atmospherics film throughout and Identity which, in my opinion, suffers on the acting front, is made good by the production and the story.

Having had my little rant I must stress that I still rated it 8 out of 10. The film is very good and I would recommend it. I don't think you'll lose out by waiting for the DVD but if your reading this and the year is 2026 or later, I've a good feeling you'll think this is very average. Hopefully by then we'll have a Darren Aronovsky version of the life of Johnny Cash that will be darker and more mysterious.

This is a really well executed film. There are some scenes that are absolutely just perfect, like the main war sequence. I think it is beautifully filmed and the story is OK but the characters make it. I particularly like the smaller characters as played by Brendan Gleeson, Renee Zellweger and Philip Seymour Hoffman is, as always, amazing. The two female leads are actors that annoy me as much as they impress me but have most definitely impressed this time around. The one problem I speak of is Jude Law. There are any number of great actors that could have played the part and they wouldn't have even had to fake an accent. By no measure does he ruin the film and actually does a good job through most of the film. It's when he and the Nicole Kidman character aren't going at it that the relationship is farcical. Their debates as to whether they are behaving appropriately as a couple and their attempts to outdo one another in the "most poetic expression of love" competition were unnecessary.

The casting was great but almost unnecessary. As was the marketing ploy of the bit part player Jack White, who performs the musical parts well but acts badly. Other personnel include Cillian Murphy, Natalie Portman and Giovanni Ribisi who do really well but, again in bit parts. Ray Winstone is unrecognisable as "the baddie" and plays the part really well. Charlie Hunnam is someone I'd never heard of before but I'll be keeping an eye on, pure evil.

Overall a very good watch and good value for money with over 2 1/2 hours entertainment.

My girlfriend has an unbelievable talent for knowing "what's going to happen next?". It can often end up ruining movies for me. With the Life of David Gale the twists were executed brilliantly. All the information was made clear throughout the film to make the twists believable but, not so much that it was possible to guess what was going to happen. Except for the final twist which, I thought, was the only thing that was left to be revealed and that made it obvious. I'm sure this all sounds very confusing if you have yet to watch the film but I do recommend it. I gave it 70% because it's not exactly mind blowing but it is very clever and worth watching. After all, if 50% is average, 70 is a good score...

There's nothing worse than a film made for the masses. Every little detail, no matter how implausible, explained. In this film there seems to be enough going on "between the lines" to make a Hollywood trilogy. The film twists and turns through quirky scenarios. A little dose of comedy followed by drama followed by joy followed by sadness. It's almost Shakesphereian in it's style. The characters are well developed. The dialog is believable (this is a problem with so many modern films). It also looks very low budget with most of the film taking place in the same 5 or 6 locations. This is a fantastic achievement and I recommend every one should see it. I can't wait to see 2046!

There are a few too many convienient coincidences in this movie for my liking. How very convienient for instance that a girl would accompany her friend to work, that just happens to be a hooker. What's she going to do, wait for a few minutes until they're finished??? When they're running from the club and apprehend a truck it just happens to be full of ether. I don't think ether just happens to be everywhere the same way it is in this film. Then of course the bad guys bullets can't penetrate the barrels because they don't blow up unless the good guys shoot at them.

This is a really lame cliched story saved (in part only) by the antics of Will Smith and Martin Laurence, a beautiful woman and a lot of guns and explosions. Result: don't force your girlfriend to watch it with you. It's one for the guy's staying in and having a few beers.

This is a fast paced short with an almost documentary style. Alan Gilsenan is like a modern, gritty Terrence Mallick with his use of poetic dialog (Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness") and astounding imagery. The music is absolutely amazing and I could not divert my eyes for any of the almost 12 minutes. I have spoken to people that didn't like it because of the cinematography and I can see how it might not be to everybody's taste. I for one was energised at the sight of something so fresh and original. The ending is very powerful and as the credits start to roll you'll feel a sense of relief, as your heart gradually stops pounding you'll want to watch it again. I saw this short in a little art house theater in Cork, Ireland and it was on before Apocalypse Now REDUX (which is based on heart of darkness). Zulu 9 was the perfect intro, and if you can see it on the big screen do. The TV screen takes a lot from the impact.

The first thing I wanted to do after watching this film was watch it again (because I'd missed lots with all the laughing I did). I'm European and I've studied abroad and I've as good as lived with Spanish, french, Italian and German people. The film was full of stereotypes, which, more often than not, p*** people off, and reading some of the other reviews I see that it did p*** people off. But, this film gets the stereotypes so right I cannot fault it. Except for maybe the way the french guy became a drunken party animal. The English guy was the perfect "geezer" stereotype. Drunk, annoying, insulting but shines through in the end. As well as the stereotypes the film also got the emotional aspect of studying abroad correct. At first he's shy, doesn't know anybody, misses home, doesn't know his way around. As time progresses it becomes his home and when the time comes to leave, it is extremely difficult. A feeling people can only understand if they've experienced it. I highly recommend this film.

This, in my humble opinion is the number one contender for most intellectual film of all time. Terrence Malick does it again in the same way as he did it with Days of Heaven and, to a lesser extent, Badlands. The use of natural light and colors and nature in general causes certain emotions in the viewer without the viewer even noticing. Watching this movie is truly a cinematic journey that is not for the faint of heart. Most will not appreciate it but all should sample it. Never has a war movie demonstrated the aspect of fear, which is most likely a major factor in any war, so well. This is due to the amazing cast and flawless direction and cinematography. I can't find the words to explain the brilliance of the film but watch it, and if you love it, read the book.