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Deanjones1970
Reviews
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
A wonderful masterpiece.
This is a film unlike no other and epic movie that may never be seen again which makes this even more magical. The film was not only filled with top notch actors, directing and wonderful performances. We are all compelled to not only feel for the death we witness but also for the amazing like we see him experience. This was an incredibly visual and emotional journey of a man who ages backwards. The man played by Brad Pitt goes through the same things we all do growing up and growing old. He starts to discover life from all angles but that doesn't make him any more unique its the love he has. His whole life he tries to comprehend how his love for Daisy works and only has a few years to love her. With the frustration and hardship that their lives shows us its all worth if even if its only a few moments of joy. The end result is nothing but flawless. The way he is able to weave the story together and makes it flow so that it is enjoyable from start to finish. All the shots are impressive that at almost 3 hours none of it is wasted. With the performance of Brad Pitt is nothing short of amazing, his nuances are so believable and realistic throughout even with his make up and computer graphics he still is the one who makes him come alive. This was such a imaginative depiction of life, love and loss. This is not your average drama that spoon feeds emotions, its the message that what makes our lives impressive are the moments we don't seem to grasp long before letting go. With this movie Fincher should be solidified as a top in the industry with a film that is so magical, riveting ground breaking and a timeless classic. The theme of age is only a number and we can choose what to do in our lives no matter what that number is. The best way they choose to tell this was a man who ages backwards and the experiences he has. How can we fall in love with someone when that person looks like the persons child? How can a child play with the kids on the block when your body is old enough to be in a wheelchair? Although Brad Pitt does a great job the winners go to the women with Cate Blanchett and Taraji p. Henson. Blanchett playing the complex character of Daisy with ease and charisma. Taraji with her performance warming your heart as a mother not able to bear children takes Ben in and takes care of him as her own, her funny and loving nature showing she was the mother. With the complexities of the film David was still able to make the film seem reality and still having that magic. The score and cinematography also helped with the beauty of the film. Seeing the romance between Ben and Daisy seeming to transcend age, time and location made one of most compelling romances of the year and within years. With fabulous computer graphics and make up its hard to tell when it is used and when its real which goes to the skill of the people working on the film. This film was a work of art and should not be missed by anyone.
Invictus (2009)
Clint Eastwoork and Morgan Freeman at their best.
Another great movie by Clint Eastwood and acted inspirationally by Morgan Freeman as Mandela. Morgan has always seemed to play supporting roles still at a great level and seeing him finally play a Starting role and runs with it. Its hard to imagine that this role the fits like a glove to Morgan Freeman did not get him the Oscar that he has deserved for so long. Its amazing to see a movie about this man be made that seemed to preach about forgiveness and someone who reached across the aisle to unite a divided country. While his election caused a lot of unrest among the ruling whites and the years worth of oppression. With his wisdom he knew that the Rugby team could cause more unrest if it were to be ended, so he instead choose to challenge the captain to win the world cup and unite the whole country. The whole message for forgiveness, unity and persistence make this a movie to see. The relationships created weather with the black and white security detail, the team reaching out to the communities to teach them how to play was a testament to Mandela and his leadership. The way Mandela used the sport of rugby to unite a nation and the way Eastwood also showed this was a very emotional and delightful message that people should be cheering for. In one of his more straight forward works of his career Clint has accomplished one of his most inspirational films in Invictus. Everything in the movie worked on so many degrees of art without being too exaggerated and egotistical it only asks of you to have a open mind and heart. The way Eastwood uses his skills to direct the film so perfectly and to lay back directing when he needs to with out pushing the subject matter too much in our faces. In a time when neighboring countries replaced that white power base that ended up with more self serving regimes whose power was maintained by seizing assets of the former white citizens, that were also replaced with friends being placed into positions of power. These countries then resulted into a land of squalor and destitution. He was then treated with a lack of confidence raising question on how he will be any different. The film was Mandela but the rugby team was his symbol of what he faced that the Africans rooted for the other teams because of apartheid and division between all the races. With his focus and determination the symbol of division would be revived to be the catalyst to unite all South Africans. We may all like a feel food under dog story which this was but this was a much more touching film that is more about people coming together to rebuild their country. With so many great moments and a little romanticized bit of history, this will be something you enjoy and stays with you after the movie is over. He did not solve all the problems of the country but he helped create the foundation for a unification and to improve and grow.
Dreams Awake (2011)
Great movie to see.
I bought this movie because of a friends reference and I really enjoyed it. Being a old fan of Buck Rogers it was great to see Erin Gray and Tim o Connor again. Its great to see a movie that you can watch over and over again and each time you see something you missed before. Being a fan of Mt. Shasta and spirituality it was fun to see some of the little stuff people may have missed. This movie also moved me a lot with some of my own experiences being on the mountain. Although this movie is a spiritual movie it doesn't get too preachy about it, it instead lets us use our imagination. Being able to use your imagination rather them something spoon fed helps to enjoy it even more. With all the negative, super violent movies out there it is always refreshing seeing a positive movie like this. Being a big fan of the actors and the movie I would recommend this to my friends.
The Green Mile (1999)
A soon to be classic movie.
The Green Mile was definitely one of the best movies of the year. With the character driven storyline, all of the characters played well, to the mix of joy, laughter and sadness. This is one of those movies where every single actor puts their all into their craft. It was interesting that this was taken from a book that Steven king wrote being that it seems he writes a lot of horror and thriller books. I did not get a chance to read the book but i have heard it is almost perfectly taken from the book with just a few parts taken out that didn't improve the movie. Some people have complained that it was too long around 3 hours but i believe that is what made it even better. the way the story flowed and the skills of the actors the movie did not feel like it was slow and dragged on. The movie wasn't about the friendships on the green mile but it was more of a miracle of a man and the people he effects. When Michael Clarke Duncan's character gets convicted of a crime and is placed on the green mile everyone is in awe of not just his size but how humble and mild mannered he is. When a few miraculous events take place the guards start to think he has magical powers gifted to him from god. With all the things the happened and his attitude the guards start to doubt that he did the crime he has been convicted of. The message I got from this was that there is clear that there is injustice and the miracles can happen in the unexpected of places. One thing I also noticed was the depiction of the relationship of the guards and inmates. They all seemed like friends they seem to have been treated with respect and dignity and because of that they seemed to not have as many problems that you may have in other prisons. Weather that was because of the beliefs of King or the director or both that we should treat our prisoners better so that they don't end up back in prison and not as violent while they are in it. This film will get you to think about its subjects and gradually build on you. This will be a movie that will be hard to forget even after the credits have ended.
Dogma (1999)
Another great Kevin Smith movie
I have always enjoyed Kevin smith so this was a must see for me and should be for any Kevin smith fan or his brand of comedy. This movie does have a theological reflection and a call to the church on things that matter the most, living life to the fullest. helping the needy, and honoring and respecting all, rather then the beliefs that cause us to condemn those who disagree with our beliefs. Even though the central them is that there is a god, but not necessarily the god people know, think or believe in. The characters are trying to get the message that we have changed from a original god, that we have made god into a image we want him or her to be. With the thought that we have created our own religious rules some that god may never have intended or created. This film does poke a little fun at the institution that is the catholic church without showing disdain. It more embraces religion and points out problems that can occur with any religious institution. So take the religious parts more with a grain of salt and just enjoy the comedy that is Kevin smith.