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Reviews
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Equal to the original classic?
Johnny Depp is brilliant in this more digital than expected film by Tim Burton. I would say that Depp is the reason that i left the theater feeling good about the movie. His character is nothing like a pirate, a river rat, or opium addict. He changes his voice, and has makeup all over him that wonderfully distort his face, o so slightly.
The movie, as an art piece, is intriguing. It is not as innovative as Citizen Kane or as bizarrely real as the original Batman, but Burton does some wonderfully subtle things. All of the characters who wear glasses are shot in a way so that the glasses make their eyes just a bit bigger. And I think that those subtle things best show Burton's creative, animated side.
But the movie was still lacking in a two areas for me. The sets were too digital for me. I have seen the original Batman so I know that Burton has the ability to distort without using a computer, so I was sad to see all the digital sets. The second issue was the child acting. With the exception of Charlie (Peter from Finding Neverland), the rest of the actors and actresses were just average, and Mike Teevee's character is a disaster.
But all in all this movie is solid, and maybe even excellent when considering that it is a kids movie. The movie is more humorous than the first movie, but it will depend on your devotion to Gene Wilder to decide if you like this one or the original movie. I would sum up the movie by saying that it is as good as a modern day PG movie gets.
12 Angry Men (1957)
Impresssive Direction
Some of the most impressive direction I have ever seen. This movie is set in one room, and Lumet can make that room feel very large and very small depending on the different situation. The most amazing aspect of this movie for me was the framing. The most wonderfully beautiful images are on screen during this movie. For me, the issues for this movie come from the script. Some of the dialog isn't too great or well delivered. The acting is only OK. I really look for acting in these older movies because I sometimes feel that it holds movies back. The acting in 12 Angry Men does not hold the movie back, but it could be better. On a whole, this is a wonderfully artistic and moving movie. It covers many interesting topics about life and death, and Mr. Lumet is on the top of his game.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Disappointment
This movie let me down big time. I knew it would be action filled, not a real drama or anything of the sorts, but what I did not expect was a lackadaisically acted film with horrible direction. The plot is a husband and a wife who are both hired hit men, but don't know it. Brad Pitt plays his ONLY role of the dude who eats and beats people up (I know he is supposed to have great jawbones, but enough eating already), and Jolie plays Laura Croft again. Roger Ebort said that this movie worked because of the chemistry between the two, but I missed it. As for the directing, there is no artistic impact in the movie at all. The camera reminded me of the O.C. and the special effects were horribly done. I gave it a four because Jole is still beautiful.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
If you look hard enough.....
If you look hard enough you just might see that this movie was originally a book, and therefore has some pseudo-intellectual aspects to it. For starters, I have read a few comments that said that the acting is actually quite good. Personally I would have to disagree. The best actor in the whole movie is the little girl who plays Tibby's assistant (She's 12). The rest is average, but it works because this movie is not trying to win an Academy Award. Back to the good points, if you cut out the cheese and padding (often of the actresses bras), you can see the movie has a message. It's about exceptin the time you have as good, busting through the bad, and trying your hardest to find yourself. For a movie made for teenagers, and being a teenager, I can't think of a more appropriate set of messages.
Crash (2004)
Touching just to feel
In the clever opening sentences spoken by Don Cheadle, the movie's message is quickly understood. It is a movie about interaction, about the way we all come together for the most random and seemingly uneventful occurrences in our daily life. It plays with race relations involving the whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. The dialog is always talking about race, but never does it go over the top to the point of becoming repetitive nor does it ever seem like we are being read an essay.
I must admit I was more than hesitant about seeing a movie in which Ludicrous played a major role, but he, and the rest of the cast, played some of the most interesting and real characters I have seen in a long time. They play roles of what should be stereotyped characters, but for some reason they aren't. Director and Writer Paul Haggis was able to stretch these characters stereotypes all the way without breaking the bonds that keep characters real.
Possible issues of concern for this movie are the way that the movie is so intertwined that it could be seen as "unbelieveable," and its sometimes predictable nature. Where as I personally believed every twist as something that could happen in our daily world, I could understand how somebody may not. And as for its predictable nature, this is one of the few films where knowing what might come next really doesn't hurt its impact.
The movie, to me, sends reminders of the movie Magnolia, the way we are all connected through the most twisted of eternal plans. So if you enjoyed that movie I do not doubt that you will enjoy this one. It is, in all seriousness, one of the few movies I have ever wanted to stand up and clap for. I don't know why, it was not a flawless film, but the characters had me hooked. I promise that you will leave the movie feeling uplifted and with a greater understanding of just why we work the way we do.
Rating: Studly (Highest)