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new-spirit-jazz
Reviews
Inception (2010)
A few minutes of fun. The rest is just madness
Dear Mr. Nolan.
I am writing to you about that movie you made, "Inception".
I am sorry but I have to tell you that I find it really annoying.
The only part I liked is when Leo and the girl sit in the café and he explains to her that it is a shared dream they're creating. Then she walks around and tinkers with the dream world as she pleases.
Which means doing stuff that is interesting to look at yet ultimately totally pointless. While people walk by and stare at her. Yeah, seriously. That's all they do. What an interesting dream. You know I can have that (the staring part) in real life whenever I want to, I don't need to (or want to) go to the cinema for that.
Some physics experiments later Leo goes on to tell her that, for some reason, he doesn't like it when she recreates large chunks of her real memories in the dream world.
Huh you say? Yeah, I say that too.
Supposedly it is because that sort of creative action "makes her lose grip on what's real and what's not".
Uhm. You know what? That is just nonsense. You can create dream worlds all day long and it does not make you lose any grip on anything.
Sadly, the movie goes steeply downhill from there.
Music that is supposed to sound ominous sets in and never stops for the rest of the movie. It's the kind of atmosphere that tells me right away that whatever happens on screen is not worth watching because it's just frightened clueless people telling each other "serious stuff". Kinda like politicians talking to each other. I hope you forgive me that I skipped through most of this while watching the movie.
After a lot of that BS a guy who is in way too many movies (Michael Caine), appears and the flick ends.
Here is the larger picture.
"Inception" is part of what I call the "New American Madness". Movies of despair, disjointed, logic falling apart, stories making no sense. Everything always seems dangerous and ominous, but nobody knows why and nothing leads anywhere.
The cinema worlds of the New American Madness can be seen as a reflection of America's wars in Iraq (halfway past), Afghanistan (current) and North America (upcoming) which are really nothing but large-scale implementations of insanity. You really shouldn't think about this stuff too much lest you like to go insane yourself.
To sum this up, Mr. Nolan: Please find a proper story writer for your next movie. "Memento" was so, so, so good. wtf happened to you after that?
Nevertheless! You are without doubt a talented artist and I wish you the best of luck for future endeavors. You might want to consider joining the peace movement which I happen to be spearheading.
Greetings, New Spirit Jazz
Kick-Ass (2010)
Another movie of the New American Madness
I'll give you an important piece of background information that will help you understand this movie: Hollywood, just like most of America, is in the process of turning insane.
That's why the movies coming out of America in recent years make less and less sense.
"Kick-Ass" is a fairly clear example for this tendency. Superficially, it resembles formats of older, saner movies. It is a bit of Spiderman, a bit of "The Incredibles" and a bit of a dozen other movies.
But behind the facade, madness lurks. The "good guys" in the movie are not good at all. They kill just as mercilessly and indiscriminately as the supposed "bad guys" (or even more so): It's all just one big mess of violence.
This disgusting, graphic violence is mixed with sappy cuteness. An eleven-year old girl - and she really is cute, I have to admit - goes on a killing spree. Together with her gun-crazy father. I beg your pardon: THAT'S your "story"? One of the worst scenes is when one of the "superheros" shoots the little "superhero" girl in the chest. For no reason. With no warning. Just like that. That actually physically shocked me and I hated the writers for it. Such a vile scene. Who'd write a thing like that?
It's insanity, no more, no less. A movie like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: No purpose, no mission, no real enemies, just violence, violence, violence.
I did enjoy some parts of the movie - it was funny here and there -, but mostly I was just appalled by this cinematic insult to everything which is good and right.
The Night Flier (1997)
This is a really good movie
I'd like to add my own comment to this movie because I have some personal fondness for it. The reviews around here aren't so unfavorable either, but I'd like to up the praise a little. I'll also keep this spoiler-free, how about that.
So what do I like about "The Night Flier"?
a. Overall atmosphere. Right from the start, there is a thick air of mystery. Sometimes it retreats into the background, but it never goes away. It's not only mystery, but also a presence of the supernatural; an awareness of some being with more than human powers.
b. Music. Supports the atmosphere very nicely. This applies especially to what you could call the main theme - the theme of the night flier's plane.
c. Tempo. Almost perfect, just slightly on the slow side here and there maybe.
d. Characters. The different reporter characters - especially our "special couple" (you'll understand when you watch the movie) - bounce off each other perfectly. Add their respective relationships to the evil guy - and to evil in general -, and you have fertile soil for an interesting story.
e. Story. Following up on item d, yes, an interesting story was indeed written - mostly by Stephen King I guess (haven't read his book).
f. Cast. Interesting actors. It's got Miguel Ferrer in it, and he fits his role 100%. Also, I love that plane repair hick and the way he talks. It's just quirky and cool. Oh, and the villain's voice: Genius - pure genius.
g. Acting. Good. Just good. Can't complain about anyone really.
h. Repeated viewability. I've watched this flick quite a few times now, and it still grasps me. I do skip some of the scenes anyway. Some of the stuff is decidedly too graphic for my taste.
i. Source of inspiration. "The Night Flier" teaches a lot about people who seek to understand the extremes in the world: the best and the worst. Well, the movie focuses more on the latter.
As for criticism: My only complaint might concern the ending. It's a bit over the top and I didn't quite like the resolution they came up with.
Watching "The Night Flier", for me, is a kind of redeeming experience. Maybe it will be for you too? When the voice of the evil flier (or God masquerading as such) woos you, you'll know you're called and you'll know what to do: Go to your favorite movie outlet and ask for: The Night Flier.
Duplicity (2009)
Enjoyable like a punch in the guts
Many of the reviewers here say that this movie is a "waste of time". I think it's worse. It made me feel physically sick; and that was after watching just the first half hour of it.
But let's start with the good (there is some).
The package is quite slick. I found the visuals excellent. Almost every frame is superbly arranged, with masterful Soderbergh-ish composition, perfect colors and flawless lighting. Reminiscent of the Ocean's movies. Interesting, diverse locations.
I also liked the music. Again, very Ocean's 11/12/13-like, with some original twists. Excellent drumming, and a hint of Tango here and there.
However - none of this saves this movie.
The problem is, quite simply, the story. Or lack of a story.
These people are spies, agents. Double agents. Triple agents. Or whatever the hell they are - I stopped caring really quickly.
The thing with this governmental spying business is: It makes no sense. It doesn't satisfy because it doesn't serve a purpose to humanity.
Quite the opposite really: It just interferes with legitimate human business by lying, stealing, confusing and sabotaging.
It is evil business, and it inevitably turns you into an evil person if you participate in it.
Contrary to popular belief, evil is not fun. Evil just eats you up and leaves you empty and sad.
So that's what happens to the stars in this movie: They set out for a con and they get conned. And that's it.
The only good thing in the whole movie is that they - Owen and Roberts - sleep with each other. But even that doesn't provide any real enjoyment to the viewer. A, they don't even show it (haha). And B, Julia Roberts' character repeatedly denies that it even happened.
I kind of had a similar thing happen to me recently: A woman I got romantic with decided to steal from me and deny she even knows me.
So early in the movie, when Owen first confronts her, I was like: Wow, that movie was made for me, what a coincidence.
But then the flick went downhill, with nothing resolved and people not realizing their stupid ways. Eventually I turned it off in frustration.
I don't need this inane movie - I am coming up with much much better ways of solving all my problems myself, thank you very much.
OK, so much for this review.
Finally, a general note: My current theory is that Hollywood is actually in the process of turning insane. Since 2009 or so, all they seem to produce is pointless crap. They still know how to do special fx and all that (well, even that seems to slowly disintegrate), but they have lost all sense of what makes a good story.
Girlfriend Experience (2008)
Dull mockumentary
So this is basically a fake documentary about guys who regularly see prostitutes and imagine them being girlfriends.
Could be interesting, but somehow it isn't.
I didn't like this movie. All action is filmed in a dull and uninteresting way. When the women talk, you can barely hear it because they purposely (what purpose?) quieted down their voices. In many scenes there is a flashing subtitle that reads "re-enactment" - that puts the final nail in the coffin of what is this movie's believability. Why should you engage your fantasy in something that doesn't even claim to be the real thing?
The movie also has a continuous undercurrent of sadness. That is maybe related to the fact that prostitution is illegal in the US (an absurd state of affairs to be sure). Or the un-reality of the imagined girlfriend experience. But none of these things really explains it. Apparently the director chose to make a sad movie for unknown personal reasons.
{SPOILER AHEAD - although it doesn't matter much if anything is spoiled because there is no tension anyway}
The movie also ends sadly, with the client being arrested by undercover officers for seeing the prostitute who claims to be underage. Maybe that is the movie's message?
But then, what is the message? The movie stays strangely detached from all that happens and you never really know what it's trying to say. I don't know. I feel cheated and I don't want to watch this ever again. There isn't even any wisdom or anything surprising in what the guys say - and they basically talk all the time.
Nah. This movie isn't even a turn-on.
I'll give it a 2 for the fairly original concept. And for making a movie at all. But give us something enjoyable next time, please.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Now this is an odd movie
I immediately liked it when I saw the first scene. On some country road that could just about anywhere in America, a car approaches. As it comes closer, you begin to hear dialog between the siblings (as in the rest of the movie, most of it just babbling, some of it quite funny). The scene takes exactly 55 seconds. That's a slow pace, and the movie mostly sticks to that. I really enjoyed that, how many movies dare to be really, really slow these days? In one scene, Trisha looks up into the sky and the camera slowly rises so we look down on her. The fact that she's doing that is pretty gratuitous, but the scene itself, just the way it's done - a pleasure to behold.
So Mr. Salva shows off some style here. Minimalist and well done.
I also found the acting pretty decent. Unfortunately, that's about the only qualities this movie has. The story is supremely simple, and after a promising introduction, it collapses rapidly. The teens alternatingly try to hunt down or escape from the killer, accompanied by clueless cops and a Matrix oracle replica who Just Can't Stop Talking.
The down slide continues until the very end, with a final scene that neither makes much sense nor managed to captivate me in any way (won't spoil it here). I suppose it could have been dramatic had I had any clue why the people on screen did what they did.
That's what's so odd about this movie: its unbalancedness. A lot of good workmanship thrown at an utterly ridiculous story.
When you go rent it, print out this review and talk the clerk into halving the price because you're only going to watch the first 45 minutes.