Change Your Image
noisy_mouse
Reviews
My Last Confession (2005)
Amazing.
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to watch My Last Confession during a Calgary film festival. I've been sitting here trying to think of something clever and insightful to say about this film, but I can't. It is amazing, and that is all I can say.
The writing is witty and interesting, delivered effortlessly by the talented cast. The lighting is gorgeous, the cinematography is interesting, and it all comes together to tell a subtle, surprising, and powerful story.
A treat to watch. Amazing. It's as simple as that. If you ever get the opportunity to see this film, I heartily recommend it.
Frankenstein (2004)
Not worth my time.
I snagged this movie because I am a huge Frankenstein fan and thought I'd be in for an entertaining little Halloween film. Instead I got the driest remake of a favorite story of mine that I've ever seen.
The characters are poorly developed, their motivations are poorly explained, and therefore, I don't care about any of them. I didn't get INTO any of them. The movie drags and drags. I found myself falling asleep. The only nice thing I can say is that it featured some great shots of some beautiful mountains. But should that be the highlight of a Frankenstein movie??
The only interesting thing which kept me watching this as long as I did was the unusual take on Frankenstein's creature. Instead of a large, ugly, intimidating yet intelligent creature, we get a skinny black-haired pop star (the actor is a pop star) who cries as he destroys the people in Frankenstein's life. Sheesh.
I tried very hard not to compare it to the older movie by Kenneth Branagh, but the two are so similar that I couldn't help thinking every five minutes, "this was better in the other movie" or "this was more interesting in the other movie". Don't bother with this one: just go rent Kenneth Branagh's version.
Tôkyô goddofâzâzu (2003)
A different kind of Christmas story
At first glance, I wasn't sure if I would like this movie. The "miracles DO happen on Christmas" cliché is very boring and I typically don't enjoy movies that employ it, but this is a very different kind of Christmas movie.
We are given three homeless characters with complex personalities and backgrounds, who are as endearing as they are repellent. They take up the task of caring for a baby they found in the trash, and trying to bring it back to its mother. We learn the secrets that made these people homeless, we learn about the workings of human shame and desperation, and we learn that "miracles DO happen on Christmas." But in the least cheesy way possible!
The plot is very slow-moving, but still, it is interesting and very carefully laid out. This would be a very compelling live-action movie, but the use of animation adds so much visual interest, particularly the expressive (and sometimes hideous!!) face of Hana, the gangly transvestite. The choice of music is unique and very fitting: the song played during a walking-around-the-city montage is reminiscent of Clockwork Orange.
Interesting and careful story, complex and realistic story, tremendous visual appeal and excellent music. I guess this movie pretty much has it all!
Ôdishon (1999)
Best horror movie in the world!
Movies like Scream, I Know What you Did Last Summer, and their teenage-pheremone-reeking ilk have absolutely no right to call themselves "horror movies" when we have a film like Audition to watch.
This movie starts out very slowly, very sweetly, and builds to a fantastic gruesome climax that you don't see coming. Genuinely scary. I am a huge horror movie affectionado, and I have NEVER in my life watched a movie that made gasp like this one did. I was revolted, I was disturbed, I was scared.
Why is this movie so much better than anything I've seen? Subtlety. This movie makes good use of silence, sound effects and off camera action to SUGGEST instead of SHOW you what's happening. It's much more satisfying to watch a movie with this kind of approach than it is to watch people get stabbed with blood spraying all over the place. This movie follows no classic "horror movie rules". It's completely original.
It's not without its faults, of course. The plot is a little strange, and as the movie progresses on it sometimes gets a little hard to follow. Some would also argue that the beginning is too long and too heavy, but I think this is a perfect and even needed contrast to the crazy goings-on that will unfold.
This is a fabulous movie. Check this out if you'd like to see a REAL scary movie.
Gohatto (1999)
Very, very different.
I tend to prefer foreign movies to western movies because I like the unique cinematography, conventions and stories that foreign movies use, and Taboo is certainly very... different.
This movie has very little plot, and is mostly about a young beautiful samurai, and how he bewitches and controls everyone he meets. And that's what the movie is about. That's it. Nothing else that happens is important, it's all just a context for this main theme. Despite being about samurai and featuring some interesting sword fighting, this movie is mainly a psychological drama.
The film is well shot, the actors are good, but this is an extremely unique film that will not appeal to everyone. People used to Hollywood movies with lots of explosions will be bored, and people used to Hollywood actors who don't know what "subtle" means will be confused. People who are homophobic will not want to touch it.
But, do give this movie a try if you'd like to see something to challenge your "cinematic palette". You've probably never seen anything like it.