Reviews for the Week of 10/5:
Lost in
Translation
is so stunningly beautiful, insanely refreshing, and
hysterically funny, I could watch it a thousand times, and
never get tired of one scene that’s featured in it. Its
subtlety is astounding—the theme, in which it chooses to
convey, is communicated through normal people living unwanted
lives—a simple, but amazing concept. There is more emotion
packed into Lost in Translation then there ever will be
in any Hollywood movie. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson
give amazing performances, and deserve Oscars for their work,
indeed. Murray is one of the few talents, still acting, who
could’ve delivered such a genuine performance, in this role.
Johansson has always been one of the most underrated actresses
in the business; as expected, her interpretation of her
character is believable, true, and she always gains the
audience’s sympathy. Especially when together onscreen,
performing under the forces of brilliant writer/director Sofia
Coppola, these two are extraordinarily fabulous. Lost in
Translation will stay with me for a long time; it’s
undeniably one of the best movies of the entire year.
In
granting Step into Liquid a very mixed review, I’m
hardly blaming the filmmakers. While I would’ve preferred some
edgier production and shorter scenes, the ultimate reason why
I only found this movie to be half-decent is because I’m not
very interested in surfing. Those who love the sport are more
aware of the tremendous skill one must have to master the art
of riding waves than the average person. The majority of
people, who are not intrigued by surfing, will have a hard
time admiring Step into Liquid.
Make no
mistake, I have a clear understanding of how talented certain
surfers are, and cannot deny that some of the footage in this
movie is absolutely insane. I’m just not all that enthralled
by it. The message of Step into Liquid basically states
that the sport will always enjoyable, no matter what the
circumstances. Since I feel the exact opposite way about this,
as a film, it failed to hook me in. I was entertained by it,
though. At times, it can be one hell of a ride.
Another
problem is that the material that the filmmakers have chosen
to present doesn’t translate well onto the big-screen. Half of
the excitement that comes from witnessing giant ocean-waves is
generated by their massive size. When compressed down the
confines of you’re local cinema, the experience isn’t nearly
as fun or amazing as it is, in person. This one would’ve been
a much better movie if it had been released in IMAX format. If
you’re going to see Step into Liquid, however, you
mustn’t wait for it to come onto video; the smaller the size
of the screen, the more magic it will loose. If you’re a fan
of surfing, this is a definite must-see. Everyone else will
have a better time, watching another type of film, though.
Neil
LaBute’s writing and sense of humor are an acquired taste. His
latest film, The Shape of Things, is no exception.
While I enjoyed every single bit of it, LaBute virgins should
proceed with caution. The writer and director of this film, he
engages us in consecutively witty passages, which are all
divinely rich in flowing content. The scenes in The Shape
of Things run for about ten minutes each, and have a very
subtle, elegant tempo. LaBute is amazingly gifted at writing
dialogue; we’re always intrigued in what he has to say. He
doesn’t rely on quick cuts and an MTV-style production to move
the flick along; the softly appealing tempo works fabulously.
While many other filmmakers do not take advantage of every
minute of footage shown in their motion picture, LaBute keeps
us interested in The Shape of Things, until the very
end of its ninety-six minute running length. The concluding
crisis is spectacularly marvelous. It does have a few flaws,
but on the whole, this one is fantastic.
While
this documentary on the life of Hollywood producer Robert
Evans, narrated by the subject himself, may fudge facts, it’s
a stylishly done and entertaining journey. I’m not a fan of
this genre, but when watching The Kid Stays in the Picture,
I was captivated and admired the work of the filmmakers behind
it. If this one had been trimmed down by a solid fifteen
minutes, it would’ve been more tolerable and consistently
fascinating. It’s just fine the way it is, however. This is a
very good movie, and is definitely worthy of checking out. The
fact that Bowling for Columbine won the award for “Best
Documentary Feature” at the Oscars and this wasn’t even
nominated is a crime, in itself. The Kid Stays in the
Picture is usually enthralling; the few boring moments are
outnumbered by the great ones.
A Review By Contributor
Daniel Leonhard:
No
Good Deed has a rather interesting story with a little
something for everyone in it: action, suspense, drama,
romance, and even its fair share of laughs. Trying to attract
more than one kind of audience will turn the average film dry,
but thanks to superb writing and acting, No Good Deed
is far from average. Samuel L. Jackson does an extraordinary
job at performing in this twisted tale of con-artists, bank
robbers, and amazing characters. He plays a cop, who
mistakenly stumbles into a world of insanity, while looking
for a missing girl, when off-duty. Even though he spends most
of the movie tied to a chair, No Good Deed still
manages to keep the audience entertained and captivated. This
is certainly one of the better movies in release at this time
and well worth a theatre trip. Bravo!
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