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Reviews
The Shape of Water (2017)
Not What I Expected
I went expecting to see a tacky sci-fi. This film is neither. It is absolutely epic. The acting is so good it makes an unbelievable situation believable and emotionally captivating. I came to absolutely love the heroes and hate the villains. The ending is a surprise so I will not spoil it but it is beautiful. The trailers for this film do not
and could not do it justice. This is not a film you can adequately show off or sample in sound bites. It is a film you must watch from start to end and it just keeps getting deeper and better right up to the time when the credits roll. Not a frame of this film is wasted, every millisecond is an important and integral part pf the story. Sally Hawkins is stunning in this role and it is a role that only a very excellent actress could have made believable and she did so superbly. Everything really had to come together from the story to the scripting to the casting, acting, and directing for this to work a it does. This film will remain a favorite of mine for a very long time.
The Love Guru (2008)
The Love Guru
I enjoyed the film. But then I enjoy the type of juvenile humor that is Mike Myers. I'll admit there were a couple of jokes that were overplayed, the acronym and book title jokes did get a bit stale. But overall it was fun, the midget managers office complete with midget furniture, the fake heart attack followed by defibrillator application scene, the killer guard cock, all good.
Conservative types or people who just won't allow themselves to enjoy the moment probably won't like it. Joke 'em if they can't take a f*ck! Anyway I thought it was worth the price of admission. As with most Mike Myers films, I do think the film contains relevant valid social commentary.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Different...
Most Hollywood films are so completely formula that you can pretty much guess the ending five minutes into the film.
Reading other peoples comments, many were unfavorable, and I can understand why, this film dealt with the subject of our mortality. Americans it seems would rather not think about that and just get on with their usual business of collecting things.
This film screams live life! I rarely enjoy Hollywood films, but every once in a while one comes along that breaks with tradition and actually encourages us to think and feel.
The last film I felt reasonably impressed with was Lost in Translation.
So now I have to get back to real life. Don't let the nay sayers put you off on this one, it's worth watching.
Zi hu die (2003)
Excellent film, Zhang Ziyi's best work
I'm not a big war film fan but I saw this film in spite of that fact primarily because of Zhang Ziyi's role in it. I'm split between this film and The Road Home as to which was her best role, but in both she made the character she played seem very real.
The pace of the film was a bit strange, there are painfully slow moments and then explosive terror and emotional intensity. The contrast made the intense moments stand out far more than films which are just continuous action and it allowed time to really get a sense of knowing the characters.
I wouldn't recommend this film to someone who is looking for an "action" type movie but for people who want serious drama set in a non-fictional historical setting which really focuses close-up on the human costs of war this film is excellent.