CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Out Of Sight

Director

Steven Soderbergh

Year

1998

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Thursday, November 29, 2001

Sooner or later, Hollywood had to discover the qualities of Elmore Leonord’s sharp fiction. In 1997, Quentin Tarantino celebrated a big screen return with Jackie Brown, his homage to blaxploitation icon Pam Grier. Shortly afterwards, another director, that had almost been forgotten, laid hands on Leonard material. At that time, Steven Soderbergh was not the Steven Soderbergh we know right now. After his sudden success with Sex, Lies and Videotape, he had almost disappeared. Out Of Sight would bring him back at full speed...

Jack Foley (George Clooney) is probably the most famous bank robber in the United States, but that doesn’t necessarily make him successful. He never wants to spend a single day in prison again. The minute he escapes, Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) is pointing a gun at him. Foley takes her hostage, they end up in the trunk of the car. There is no denial that both feel attracted to each other. If only Karen wasn’t a Federal Marshall. While Foley is planning his final score, Karen gets obsessed with chasing the smart gangster...

Without doubt, Out Of Sight wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the sexual tension between Clooney and Lopez. I have to admit that I don’t consider Jennifer Lopez a very good actress, but she is dead-on perfect for the role of Karen Sisco. She is tough, intelligent and sexy at the same time. The toughness is crucial for the part and she embodies a certain determination. Not surprisingly, my complete praise goes to Clooney though. Yeah, I know, you are tired of hearing how sexy this man is. But forgive me, I can’t help it. This role is simply too good to be true. And after all it’s Clooney.

Let’s admit it. We all think of the bathtub dream sequence and that scene in the trunk.. and those snow flakes. Oh well, where was I? If I sound a bit distracted, you certainly know why. There is nothing more intriguing than two people desperately trying to get together when all reason says that they just can‘t. It is the forbidden that drives us crazy. The good girl falls in love with the bad guy. But is Foley really the bad guy? It is the danger implied in this situation which makes Foley the irresistible character that he is. His fatalistic attitude only adds to his attractiveness.

The supporting cast brings a lot of depth and humor to the action. Ving Rhames makes a great Buddy, Steve Zahn is hilarious and Don Cheadle steals the show. The cameos of Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson are genuinely cool. Besides that, the praise belongs to Soderbergh himself who pulled it off with his smooth direction. The way he uses freeze frames and different color schemes gives the movie a certain feeling which is underlined by the excellent score and the beautiful cinematography.

What makes Out Of Sight outstanding though is the script. Leonard’s characters never looked better on screen. They are smart, the dialogue is witty and there are plot twists all over the place. What else could you ask of a movie?

Smart, sexy, Soderbergh!

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Review

Joy Ride

Director

John Dahl

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, November 28, 2001

Even though I haven’t seen much of John Dahl’s previous work, I’ve always known he’s considered a very prestigious and talented director. Still, I didn’t go into Joy Ride expecting it to be more than a little fun and something to forget about after a while. At the end I realized I did have a lot of fun, but I also knew this movie would stick with me for much longer.

Lewis Thomas (Paul Walker) embarks on a road trip to pick up his friend Venna (Leelee Sobieski), whom he feels attracted to. In the way, he takes his brother Fuller (Steve Zahn) out of jail. Both then keep going. While on the road, they use a CB radio to play a joke on a truck driver who calls himself Rusty Nail. They wouldn’t know this would put them in a dangerous position, as this man starts to slowly terrorize them.

There’s nothing complicated about Joy Ride. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t require any strong doses of intelligence to keep up with it. It’s as simple as that. A straightforward thriller that works. Isn’t that what matters? I mean, thrillers can be very different from each other, but if they work they’ve succeeded. Joy Ride is a nail-biter as nothing I have recently seen that didn’t involve ghosts or supernatural undertones.

John Dahl certainly knows how to deliver genuine moments of tension. The final half hour is a perfect example of that, as so much is going on and our hearts are about to explode at any minute. There’s nothing pretentious going on here. This is a movie made to entertain, to scare, to have a good time.

There’s also a level of disbelief one should be able to have while watching this movie. Some may complain about how Rusty Nail was able to follow this guys’ tracks all the time. But hey, don’t think too much about it. He might’ve bugged their car. Who knows? Is it really important? I don’t think so.

I’ve also heard comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s early TV foray Duels. I really can’t say since I haven’t seen that one. Still, Duels is said to be more of a psychological character study. Joy Ride, on the other hand, is purely pop-corn fare borrowing a lot from Hitchcock’s rule of less is more. You’ll see what I mean.

I was impressed by the way the characters worked so well. You don’t expect great depth in a movie like this, but you do have to establish your characters and make them behave in believable ways. This movie does that to perfection. Each character is perfectly delineated and they all act according to their personalities. We can’t avoid wondering what we would do if faced with a similar situation.

Acting-wise, the movie’s excellent. The casting choices are inspired. Paul Walker, whom I’ve never considered to be a particularly good actor, is perfectly fit as the somewhat timid, honest guy who has to deal with his wild, impulsive brother. Zahn, in the aforementioned part, excels, proving he’s a versatile actor with a lot to give. Leelee Sobieski, on the other hand, has little screen time, but is a welcomed presence.

A suspenseful, top-notch thriller!

“Are you ready for a real adventure?”

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Review

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Director

Stanley Donen

Year

1954

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Tuesday, November 27, 2001

Adam Pontipee (Howard Keel), the eldest of seven brothers, goes to town looking for a wife. Hopelessly full of conviction and determination, he manages to convince Milly (Jane Powell) to marry him right away and go live with him in his backwoods home. Milly, who’s been blinded by this sudden hope to lead a happy life, unfortunately doesn’t know that Adam lives with his six brothers, all uneducated backwoodsmen.

After she arrives to their home, Milly realizes Adam wanted a maid more than a wife, and decides to make it hard for him and his brothers. Thus she begins to educate them and teach them some modals. The goal: to get each of them a wife, whom they will respect as each one deserves. And of course, to make Adam appreciate her for what she is, and not for what she can do.

Colorful, intense, spectacular, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers might very well be the best movie musical ever made. It not only features an appealing story full of morals, but also a colorful set of characters with depth. All this covered by gorgeous songs and outstanding dance sequences.

The barn-raising scene is eye-popping (undoubtedly the most spectacularly staged dancing sequence my eyes have witnessed) and songs like “When You’re in Love,” “Goin’ Co’tin,” “Lonesome Polecat,” “June Bride,” “Spring, Spring, Spring” and all others mercilessly play with the viewer’s feelings.

Applause goes to Johnny Mercer and Gene DePaul for their score, Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin for their musical direction and certainly Michael Kidd for his dance numbers.

A classic musical filled with rich moments; try to catch the original widescreen version—how could anything be more beautiful?

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Review

Ghost World

Director

Terry Zwigoff

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Monday, November 26, 2001

What to do after High School? How to face the real world? Questions that everyone of us has to answer one day. Best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are just about to solve this puzzle. After graduation, the girls seem to drift apart though - or at least into different directions. Enid and Becky are those kind of girls that love to be negative. They despise the lives of all those morons that they meet every day. Most of them are just not hip or cool enough. Now, these girls must find a way to fit into society to make a living. When they decide to play a trick on the lonely middle-aged Seymor (Steve Buscemi), things start to change. Enid somehow feels sorry for that guy and tries to find a girlfriend for Seymor. Only to find out that they have more in common than she would ever have thought.

Zwigoff’s movie is based on the comic book of the same name. I cannot comment on the similarities because I have not read it. I suppose the adaptation is very faithful because both the original comic book and the script were written by the same person, Dan Clowes. The story doesn’t feel typical for a comic to me (but I am no expert) – still you can sense a connection when you have a look at the very graphic outfits of Thora Birch.

The only thing that reminds me of comic book characters is the way our heroine is a complete misfit. The role of subculture rebel Enid suits Thora Birch extremely well. She simply has the right touch to convey this very anti-attitude on screen. Scarlett Johansson is a great counterpart. Unfortunately, she is not too much in the center of attention because the movie shifts to the relationship between Enid and Seymor. Steve Buscemi is incredibly good as the lonesome loser that loves his jazz music. He is just the kind of guy that you will meet in your life and say: hey, that’s a nice guy but hell, what is he wearing.

I can perfectly identify with the two girls. In fact, I used to have a similar girlfriend when I was at High School. We loved to mock people and to make fun of all the uncool persons in the world. However, after we graduated something similar happened to us. I haven’t seen her in years. This is probably the reason why I found the movie to be so refreshing, honest and realistic. I still think that most people are morons and that I’d better not have met them. Enid’s world is populated by all those weirdos and losers. But in the end the question remains, how much weirdo do we have in ourselves?

Steve Buscemi and Thora Birch share some very intense and touching scenes. I couldn’t rave more about their performances. Zwigoff’s Ghost World is a coming-of-age story of a different kind. Poignant and sarcastic – just the way I like it.

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Review

Moonstruck

Director

Norman Jewison

Year

1987

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Sunday, November 25, 2001

Young widow Loretta Castorini (Cher) leads an independent life that is hardly ruled by herself. When Mr. Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), her boyfriend, asks her to marry him, she accepts though she’s not in love with him. He then leaves to visit his mother in Sicily, asking Loretta to invite his brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) with whom he hasn’t had contact for some years, to their wedding. Loretta visits this young man, who’s been caught between depression and selfishness for years; Loretta and Ronny fall in love, and both their lives develop through that.

In the meantime, Loretta’s father, Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) gets into an affair; her mother, Rose (Olympia Dukakis) analyses her marriage and her love life; her uncle Raymond and aunt Rita (Louis Guss and Julie Bovasso) fall in love again; and her grandfather (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.) preaches about love.

All under the spell of a giant, shiny full moon in New York City.

Delightful (to say the least), this elegant comedy moves smoothly and pleasantly around a set of likable characters, most of them belonging to an American-Italian family. Not criticizing their colony but merely observing it, John Patrick Shanley created an irresistible story of universal approach, defining love, family and relationships without any judgments. Norman Jewison directs with the same philosophy.

The moon has as much appeal as most of this film’s characters, but the performances are all wonderful. Special mention goes to Dukakis, strong but vulnerable as the mother, and of course to Cher, who manages to communicate beauty with every word, every look and every step. The scene where she walks in the street, early in the morning, kicking a can, is simply unforgettable.

A small one… a great one.

“La bella luna! The moon brings the woman to the man. Capice?”

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Review

The Man Who Wasn't There

Director

Joel Coen

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Coffee

Review date

Saturday, November 24, 2001

I guess the reason for most people to go out and see a movie is that they want to be entertained. Now of course the question of what entertains and what does not is one that every viewer has to decide for him- or herself.

The newest flick by the Coen brothers, who became widely known with Fargo (1996), obviously doesn’t deal with entertainment too much, but is instead a film-noir styled character study. And the subject of the study is... a barber. A barber who smokes every minute of the film and who doesn’t talk in whole sentences except in the off.

Maybe you’re grinning now and thinking “Yeah, but what about the great deadpan Coen humor?”. Think again. Humor is nothing more than a side effect in this piece and frankly said The Man [..] is as much fun as a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The plot is as strange and Coenesque as it can get: Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) lives a quiet and monotonous life with his coldly pragmatic wife Doris (Frances McDormand).
When Ed gets the impression that his wife is having an affair with her boss Big Dave (James Gandolfini), he decides that it’s time for a change. Ed starts blackmailing Big Dave - not because he is jealous, but because he wants to fulfill his dream of running his own enterprise.

The twists and turns of the plot are the Coens as we know and love them alright. But the characters of this black and white cinematic meditation are less bizarre and somewhat more thoughtful than those of Fargo or The Big Lebowski. We watch with fascination as Ed Crane makes the only spontaneous decision of his life – as a result destroying everything he has ever achieved. The relationship between Doris and Ed is so devoid of any deeper emotion that Ed has no choice than to project his subtle urge to escape onto Birdy Abundas (Scarlett Johansson). But just as with his plan to rip off Big Dave he can only fail.

With The Man Who Wasn’t There Joel Coen clearly follows Samuel Beckett’s philosophy that “there’s nothing funnier than unhappiness”. Thus, the only way to find the movie funny is to see humor in the disastrous failure of its protagonist. Ed Crane stumbles through the story unable and unwilling to change his fate. He is like a 1950s Sisyphus except that he doesn’t even bother to roll the boulder up the hill.

Since The Man Who Wasn’t There can be seen as a character study, the main weight of the picture lies on the shoulders of the cast. Billy Bob Thornton gives a stunning performance, surpassing all other movies he has made up to date. Frances McDormand, always a favorite with the Coens, plays the role of Doris perfectly, drawing the picture of a woman whose pragmatism is chilling. The cast is effectively rounded up by Gandolfini and Johansson, both fitting wonderfully into the film-noir concept.

So, there you have it. This movie is little entertainment but much to think about. Ed the laconic barber stands for millions of “little people” who mostly just try to fit in. When Ed leaves his chosen path his world crashes and burns. Maybe you’ll think of Ed, next time you consider biting off more than you can chew...

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Review

Run Lola Run

Director

Tom Tykwer

Year

1998

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Thursday, November 22, 2001

Lola runs. She runs for the life of her loved one. She runs to rescue him, to rescue her love. Isn’t it this very passion that drives us on in life? I cannot think of a stronger image. The woman who runs on and on to make a difference, to prevent her life from being ruined. German filmmaker Tom Tykwer has chosen this image for his movie Run Lola Run. A movie that has become an international success. A movie that has won numerous awards and critical acclaim.

I used to be very disappointed by German cinema. Once there were big names like Fritz Lang or Ernst Lubitsch. I thought German cinema had lost its spark forever. Tom Tykwer has proven me wrong. Without doubt, Run Lola Run is the best German movie in decades - as passionate, innovative and ingenious as films can get.

Set in Berlin, Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) looses 100.000 Deutsch Marks that he had to take care of for his criminal boss. In this desperate situation, he makes a phone call to his girlfriend Lola (Franka Potente) telling her he is a dead man. Lola doesn’t give up though and decides to do everything she can to save Manni. She has to get 100.000DM in twenty minutes. Lola runs against time - and against fate.

What starts as an almost conventional movie, soon turns out to be a pure gem filled with intriguing ideas. Animated sequences are part of the action. Entire lives are told in several fast shots. The score takes on an important role. It melts with the images. I can’t think of the movie without associating the score with it – and vice versa. In my opinion, this is the best one can achieve. The soundtrack is as hip and fast as the movie itself.

After the first 20 minutes, one thing is clear. Lola is not willing to give in to her fate. Another two episodes follow in which fate will decide if Lola and Manni get out alive. The way of telling the story in these episodes is nothing completely new. Still I had not seen anything like this before. And the “what if” question raised in Run Lola Run has certainly inspired many movies to follow. In this regard, the movie is highly philosophical. Does fate really decide about the things that happen to us? Or are we the ones to choose our own fates? Tom Tykwer certainly supports the second thesis.

His lead character Lola is so powerful and determined that she can mix up space and time. She is not a superhero, but a normal woman who fights for her love. I think the movie has become such a huge success because of this universal theme and the way you can identify with Lola. Franka Potente proves herself to be an extremely talented actress. I am sure this is only the beginning of a very successful career to come. Moritz Bleibtreu makes a great second lead, while the cast of supporting actors and actresses is good as well.

Run Lola Run combines a unique way of storytelling with fascinating visuals - above all Lola’s red hair, her looks and the city of Berlin. Its editing is excellent. Tom Tykwer’s vision of love that surpasses all boundaries is a powerful tour-de-force of great depths. Truly remarkable and one-of-a-kind, Run Lola Run is a modern classic.

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Review

The Devil's Advocate

Director

Taylor Hackford

Year

1997

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, November 21, 2001

This very interesting motion picture has grown in popularity throughout the years. Even though it isn’t any old, and even though it wasn’t enthusiastically received at first, critics and people alike usually cite it as a reference or just plain like it when they see it again. I’ve seen it many times and its various themes still resonate in my mind.

Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a lawyer with a clean and straight record. He’s married to Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) and his life is ok. Suddenly, an irresistible offer comes in the form of John Milton (Al Pacino), the powerful head of a huge New York firm. Thus the happy couple watch as their dream unfolds, but things radically change when strange events start to happen and Kevin starts to suspect his boss might not be what he seems.

The Devil’s Advocate plays a lot with the concept of good and evil. Make no mistake about the fact that the movie intentionally takes place around a lawyer’s firm. That clearly says something (no pun intended). But don’t be fooled, it isn’t as superficial as it may sound. The human condition is way more complicated, and that’s exactly what this movie’s about.

Temptations, greed, money, vanity, feelings and desires we all experience. Because, at the end, aren’t we all looking for our own best? Ok, so maybe it isn’t that drastic, but we’re always looking for more, that’s a fact. Kevin is no different. He’s immersed in his world and that’s what ultimately leads him to trouble. That’s life, and no one knows it better than the Devil himself.

Fortunately, the movie never disappoints. It builds and builds until its very last scene. There’s a large climax sequence which is great, totally unpredictable. But that last shot with the perfect dialogue is what has stayed with me all this time. Ironic, shocking, but sadly true.

Al Pacino needs no complimentary words because his sole name is already an adjective on its own... a good one of course. What could be more delicious than seeing him play the Devil and go all over-the-top while never seeming out of place? Keanu Reeves, on the other hand, makes an excellent counterpart, while Charlize Theron shines in what was her breakthrough role.

Strange stuff in here. Certainly provocative ideas. A movie that will leave you breathless.

“The worst vice is advice.”

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Review

The Hole

Director

Nick Hamm

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Coffee

Review date

Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Teenagers are Monsters.
Not that this realization is completely new to the conscious movie buff. There have been numerous films dealing with the special kind of cruelty that only teens seem to be capable of.

In Nick Hamm's The Hole we are confronted with one perfect example for the grade of cold-bloodedness violence that one kid can bring to another and even though that’s not completely new either, Hamm takes the theme to a new level.

Liz Dunn (Thora Birch) and her friend Frankie Smith (Keira Knightly) are two bored and rebellious students at a posh public school in Great Britain. When Liz’s nerdy friend Martin (Daniel Brocklebank) shows her the secret entrance of an old war shelter she sees the opportunity to finally spend some time with Mike Steel (Desmond Harrington), the school’s coolest boy whom Liz secretly loves. When all other students leave for a free weekend Liz, Frankie, Mike and his buddy Geoff are locked up in “the hole” by Martin for two great days of party, sex and excitement. In the beginning everybody is still thrilled by the limitless life in the hole, but when it becomes clear that they cannot escape from the underground prison the terror begins..

As another viewer put it in a review on IMDB “...forget about the hole!”. He wasn’t referring to the movie but to the gloomy claustrophobic setting. Indeed this movie isn’t about some haunted place – it’s not the spirits of the deceased that haunt our protagonists but the twisted psyche of their peers. The war shelter becomes the stage for a play that depicts obsession, paranoia and ultimately madness. Hamm gives the audience the role of a morbid spectator, seeing the world through the eyes of one character after the other and letting us decide for ourselves whether there is such a thing as the truth and where in those dark tunnels it’s hiding. Oh, and of course the old question remains who’ll survive the torture (both mentally and physically) and who won’t.

Thora Birch obviously feels at home in Liz’s sick mind and gives one of her best performances up to date. The mixture of cuteness and cruelty she shows is much scarier than any physical prison. The rest of the cast – most notably Daniel Brocklebank and Desmond Harrington is fresh and powerful while at the same time of great professional ability.

Diector Hamm manages to give a great example of the classical cat-and-mouse genre, where the fascinating aspect is finding out who’s the hunter and who’s the prey. He also stirs clear of cheap clichés and gives his characters the credibility that is essential to keep the story in motion. All in all, The Hole is a tough and chilling picture that will surely make you avoid dark underground lock-ups in the future.

Skillfully disturbing and morbid.

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Review

Spy Kids

Director

Robert Rodriguez

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Monday, November 19, 2001

Who would have thought that Robert Rodriguez would reinvent a genre that is so NOT connected to the spaghetti westerns and horror films we know him for? I am talking about Spy Kids, which could be described best as a movie for the whole family. I am not making fun of you. It really is a film that aims at adult and children audiences alike. And it succeeds splendidly.

Spy Kids tells the story of two children by the names of Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Savara) Cortez, whose parents used to be top secret agents. Once mom (Carla Gugino) and dad (Antonio Banderas) got married, they quit the job and started a normal life. Now that more and more fellow agents are disappearing, the couple decides to go on another mission to rescue their old friends. Their skills turn out to be a bit rusty though, when they are captured by the evil Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), who is secretly building an army of clones to rule the world. It’s Carmen’s and Juni’s turn to rescue their parents – they become spy kids.

The movie’s premise is as simple as that. But damn, it works well. Rodriguez creates a colorful world full of cool gadgets, weird villains and secrets to discover. While we are watching the movie, we get the feeling that we are indeed involved in rescuing mum and dad. The witty dialogue is used very effectively to make this movie extremely funny. From start to finish there is not a single scene that does not fully catch our attention. Spy Kids is fast-paced and action-packed with very likeable smart characters. I especially like the hilarious opening sequence with the 'spy wedding'.

Even though the movie cannot be called deeply philosophical, it implies a certain message. Family values are of importance, but not in the usual heart-wrenching way we are used to see in all those Disney productions. Rodriguez doesn't come close to being preachy or anything like it. He decides to let the children become the most important characters of his movie. Rodriguez makes them as cool as kids can get. The two actors who play them are true finds. I really enjoyed their fights and the way Carmen made fun of her little brother.

Besides, Spy Kids also works fine as a parody of the Bond series. Sometimes the movie’s looks are pretty cheesy, but it’s part of the fun. This movie is very creative and imaginative – or have you ever seen those thumbs before? Due to its innovative ideas and clever script, Spy Kids never gets boring.

A movie that surpasses its genre restrictions and becomes ultimately cool. Rodriguez delivers nothing but fun. Let’s see if the sequel will be just as good. I sure hope so.

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Review

The Truman Show

Director

Peter Weir

Year

1998

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Sunday, November 18, 2001

Jim Carrey’s first foray into dramatic territory surprised most of us. He proved he could do something else apart from funny faces. He was also lucky enough to have Peter Weir at the helm. Did it pay off? Most certainly!

Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) has lived inside a fake city all his life. Since he was born the world has been watching every single one of his moves. That is, you see, because he’s the star of a TV show produced by Christof (Ed Harris). The catch being that Truman doesn’t know it. For him, life is good. He’s got a lovely wife (Laura Linney), he lives in a nice neighborhood, he’s got a great best friend (Noah Emmerich) and overall he goes day by day without suspecting anything. One day though, he met a beautiful woman (Natascha McElhone) who told him something strange and with whom he fell in love. She has since disappeared, but when strange things start to happen in town Truman starts to acknowledge not everything might be what he thinks.

The Truman Show works in many levels. It’s the story of a man trying to find his own identity in the world. It’s kind of a metaphor of the process through which we all human beings go about finding who we are, who we want to be, what do we want to do with our life. Truman has never had a choice. Everything’s always been perfectly arranged so that he finds his existence thoroughly enjoying. But does this artificiality work? Why did he fall in love with the only person who wanted to tell him the truth? Well, because that was real, and his life was not.

On the other hand, the movie arrived a few years ahead of its time. Today more than ever the concept of reality shows is questioned by many. Much has been said about how far would producers go. When’s the line crossed? How ethical is it to do it? Are audiences being fooled? I guess the movie pretty much sends a message about how inhuman it is to play with real human lives. How everyone must be free to do whatever they like, how precious it is to love, to feel, to create your own path.

The movie is filled with classic scenes of which one stands out for me, albeit in a purely comical way. I just couldn’t stop laughing at the scene in which Truman goes to a travel agency and watched a poster hanging on the wall with the picture of an airplane being hit by a thunder and the legend “It could happen to you!” written below. Such rare moments abound in this intelligent, provocative, very well-written movie.

Jim Carrey, as I said before, is simply amazing in the heartbreaking role of a man in desperate need of the truth. A truth that might set him free, but which might be too hurtful to face. Ed Harris, as the head of the show, perfectly conveys the way his character can be seen as a God of some sort while also loving Truman in a paternal kind of way. Laura Linney is excellent as the actress playing Truman’s wife.

A great Andrew Niccol script, the hand of Peter Weir behind-the-camera, an excellent score and everything else I’ve just mentioned, The Truman Show emerges as one of the best movies of the 90’s. No more, no less.

“Good morning! And in case I don't see you: good afternoon, good evening and good night!”

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Review

Das Experiment

Director

Oliver Hirschbiegel

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Thursday, November 15, 2001

When I was at school, I used to be into psychology - exploring the different theories from Watson, Piaget and Adler to Sigmund Freud. Call me pathetic, but ever since, I’ve been compelled by these ideas.

Now, German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel presents us with an intriguing movie on this subject matter. Das Experiment is based on real events, the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by a group of psychologists in 1971. A group of men is paid for their participation. Most of them decide for the project for money purposes, others have different motifs. After a series of tests, the men enter a simulated prison situation. Some of them are named the guards, the others are put behind bars to play the role of the prisoners. The wardens are told to have them obey certain rules without using physical force. What starts as fun, soon turns into brutal reality. The experiment is getting out of control.

While the movie is fast-paced and full of suspense, it excels from sheer entertainment. In its own way, it takes us into the human mind. You will find different types of characters: the opportunists, the men that follow without asking questions, those that fear to be harmed, those that like to be part of a working system. And above all, the ruthless sadist Berus (diabolical Justus von Dohnanyi) who takes on leadership. His opponent is the rebel that refuses to follow the rules, Prisoner No. 77 (Moritz Bleibtreu). Bleibtreu, best known for his performance in Run Lola Run gives an outstanding performance. He goes through a wide range of emotions from self-confidence to terror. He makes an excellent lead while the supporting cast is good as well. The antagonists present us with a horrifying power play. How far are they willing to go?

Talking about psychological theories, the movie is based on the book ‘Black Box.’ Literally the black box takes on an important role in the movie. The black box is also a concept of behaviorist theory. The human mind is regarded a black box. Its processes cannot be explained, they are of no interest - only the output is taken into account. A person is given a stimulus to react in a certain kind of way. Feelings and motifs are not important. Instead some psychologists believe that human behavior consists of learned acts so that everyone can be ‘manipulated’ to become a certain kind of person. Environment determines the men in Das Experiment as they learn to react in certain patterns. I found this pretty interesting given the context.

Das Experiment is certainly shocking in the way it portrays the cruelties men are willing to commit among each other. Violence is used to suppress the weak links of the system. What makes the movie most disturbing is its realism. The characters are credible from start to finish. We all know someone that is in a way like this character or the other. The movie’s main accomplishment is that it makes us think. Which role would you have chosen? How would you have reacted? Would you have tried to make a difference?

Das Experiment depicts the principles of fascist society in a haunting way. A dark trip into the human psyche.

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Review

Toy Story 2

Director

Ash Brannon

John Lasseter

Year

1999

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Wednesday, November 14, 2001

I’ll put it simple: the people at Pixar are Gods.

An unusual better-than-its-predecessor case, Toy Story 2 gets back to the world of toys we so much loved in the first installment. This time around Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) gets kidnapped by an evil toy collector. While there, Woody gets to know Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack), a cowgirl, Bullseye and Stinky Pete (voice of Kelsey Grammer), who are all part of his past. Meanwhile, Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen) goes to the rescue with all the other toys in what becomes a hilarious ride.

Where do I start? It is always more difficult to review movies one deeply loves. Toy Story 2 is the perfect example of classic animation brought to life with perfection. It has everything you could ask for. It is funny, it is entertaining, it is touching, it is poignant, it is masterfully done. God, every single detail is perfect.

One would say that by keeping Buzz and Woody apart from each other most of the time the movie wouldn’t have worked. But that is no problem, ‘cause the movie is so well-written that every scene is glorious to experience. We get many different characters and yet we fall for each and everyone of them. They become alive.

Perhaps one of the most touching sequences in animated movies ever is the one in which Jessie remembers better times while singing Randy Newman’s “When She Loved Me” in the voice of the wonderful Sarah McLachlan. I dare you not to shed a tear!

I also loved the way the humor was so clever. There are movie references, funny cameos, adult jokes, kiddie jokes, just about everything to please everyone. There were some scenes in which I just couldn’t stop laughing. Definitely a laugh-out-loud experience.

Quality is impeccable, so impressive animation was expected. Also, the character voices are right on, with all the actors doing an extraordinary job.

Exciting action scenes, very funny gags, a story that touches. They did it all! Yeah, those Gods!

“No Buzz, I am your father”

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Review

Koyaanisqatsi

Director

Godfrey Reggio

Year

1983

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Tuesday, November 13, 2001

Unique, incomparable masterpiece of a film, Koyaanisqatsi seems to have the sole purpose of capturing in film the beauty of the world both in its natural and civilized forms, achieving so in a perfect way by mingling day-by-day scenes of natural landscapes and various human scenarios both in slow and fast paces and accompanied by an unforgettable music score by Philip Glass.

The idea parts from Hopi Indian prophecies that are somehow interpreted here. The word “Koyaanisqatsi” means “Life out of the balance,” which is in a way just what is seen here. However, I don’t think that the raison d’être of this film is actually that. I think that the real achievement of this film and its purpose is to cave deep into the human mind, causing a numbing effect rarely felt nowadays.

I found myself absolutely absorbed by this set of moving images that somehow drugged me. The fact that what we see is mostly nothing uncommon, makes the experience even more impressive.

Godfrey Reggio (director) and Philip Glass (composer) created a gorgeous film with the rare virtue of being a completely different experience with each view. Perfectly edited with outstanding timing, every scene has many layers and the whole pack does as well. A slowly moving airplane can be as impressive as a furious sea. Life is a miracle, as is the world.

The beginning and the end are unforgettable. The final scene is especially meaningful.

A real triumph. Go live it!

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Review

Best in Show

Director

Christopher Guest

Year

2000

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Sunday, November 11, 2001

Christopher Guest has already established a reputation for expertly handling mockumentaries in a way no other has been able to do. This time around it is DOG SHOWS which stand as its main target. Without any doubt, he’s done it again, ‘cause Best in Show is a little comic gem.

The movie revolves around a bunch of people bringing their dogs to the annual Mayflower “Best in Show” competition in Philadelphia. There’s the common suburban couple (Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara), the gay couple (John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean), the conflicted yuppie couple (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock), the simple town man (Christopher Guest), the air-headed millionaire (Jennifer Coolidge) and a lot more. As expected, hilarity ensues.

Best in Show’s greatest asset lies in the way the movie is told. Mixing a documentary style with more mainstream filmmaking, Guest is able to create a world of his own. His characters are stereotypes, yet somehow they don’t appear to be anything of the sort. Everything is taken way over-the-top, yet it never feels forced or artificial. After all, dog competitions are silly. If only they could understand what’s going on around them...

I found myself laughing from beginning to end. Not everything works, but it does so in a consistent level. It is never boring and there’s always something extremely funny around the corner to keep you in the right mood.

Especially funny are Posey, Coolidge, Levy, O’Hara and Fred Willard. Posey is an excellent young actress whom I really admire and who delivers a great comic turn in this movie. Coolidge, on the other hand, barely talks, but I couldn’t stop giggling at her character and her expressions. Her first scene is priceless. Levy and O’Hara are amusing as a loving couple. He screams loser while she exudes charisma. This will lead them into some unexpected and hilarious situations. Finally, Willard excels in the role of the ignorant show host who keeps embarrassing the experts he’s working with.

All the more impressive is the fact that the movie was mostly improvised. These people certainly know what they’re doing.

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Review

Un Chien Andalou

Director

Luis Buñuel

Year

1929

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Saturday, November 10, 2001

This brilliant, 100% surreal 16 minutes masterpiece by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí is probably the weirdest film piece ever made and almost surely the most intense, inventive and shocking one considering its power despite its length.

An absurd set of images (including the slicing of a woman’s eye, the itch to kill a woman, the desire to possess her, the pulling of pianos filled with dead donkeys and with priests attached to them) and an incoherent manipulation of time confuse the mind and fill it with questions that perhaps have no answer.

There seems to be absolutely no point in anything that is seen here but probably that is the point. Pure surrealism is masterful for having no objectives; in that way, this film is a truly simplistic masterpiece of mindless dimensions. On the other hand, the human mind, always trying to find a meaning for everything, can put many explanations to the “plot” of this film. Every scene could have a meaning, a criticism, and a point. All in all, the whole film could have a story (I have a theory of my own actually). In that way, considering all the hidden meanings that could be there, this short film is masterful as well.

Two geniuses together created a shocking, funny and beautiful masterpiece. Short but long-lasting. A true treat.

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Review

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Director

David Hand

Year

1937

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Thursday, November 08, 2001

Beautiful Princess Snow White meets her fate when her envious stepmother, the Queen, is told by her magic mirror that the girl has surpassed her famed beauty. Forced to run away in fear that the Queen might kill her, Snow White hides in the woods and is guided by loving animals to the cabin of the Seven Dwarfs. There, she spends some great time in the company of these little men who have nothing but good intentions in them.

Spectacularly beautiful, this film was the first animated feature ever made and is in ways the best one, considering its originality and its standard-setting status. No wonder its importance for the Walt Disney Studios and the millions of clichés and rip-offs it’s generated. This is the animated fairy tale of all time (based upon the Grimm Brothers’ tale)… and like all good original things, one of the most unpretentious, and good-natured.

The different personalities of the dwarfs, the amazing animation and the unforgettable songs (including “Heigh Ho,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Some Day My Prince Will Come”) make this an irresistible gem, and a masterpiece.

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Review

Zoolander

Director

Ben Stiller

Year

2001

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Sunday, November 04, 2001

Ben Stiller is, for me, one of the most talented comedic actors of his generation. That’s why I was very interested in watching Zoolander, a movie he conceived, directed and starred in. It sounded like fun, so I was up for the ride.

The plot is quite stupid, but so is the movie and nobody cares. It is something about a supermodel (Ben Stiller) who is programmed to assassinate a Malaysian leader while he is confronting some hard times of his own, since, you see, he’s no longer the star he once was and a new guy (Owen Wilson) is now taking his place.

Why did I like this movie? Well, for simple reasons. I love clever humor. I love clever satires. And yes, before you start shouting at me for even mentioning the word “clever” while reviewing this movie keep reading on to understand what’s my point.

Zoolander is a very stupid, very silly movie. Sillier than what you might expect. But it is intended as that. Scene after scene I kept thinking about Ben Stiller and about the goals he must have wanted to achieve with every moment, every line. He’s a smart guy, and with Zoolander he’s not only trying to spoof the male supermodels’ world, but also movie clichés in general, accommodated, of course, to his very particular purpose.

‘Cause Stiller makes a joke out of every single movie cliché I could think of. His main characters are brainless guys. Taking advantage of this little aspect, he goes on to develop it to its fullest. There’s a scene at the end of Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy that I loved which took place in a courtroom. Adam Sandler knew his scene would be silly, so he decided to take it over-the-top and make it just as silly as possible as of making fun of himself. Zoolander is all about scenes like this. And believe me, I laughed.

The tongue-in-cheek way in which the movie moves proved irresistible to me.

Oh, and Stiller’s way of poking fun at supermodels is also very funny. Highlights include the runway “walk-off” duel, the breakdance fight, the awards show and the on-going joke about the different Zoolander face expressions. Silly, silly, silly!

Ben Stiller, by the way, is excellent as the charismatic yet very, very, extremely good-looking Derek Zoolander. Owen Wilson, as his counterpart, also leaves a strong impression. Watching them interact, especially at the end, is worth the ticket price alone. Stiller’s wife, Christine Taylor, and dad, Jerry Stiller, are well-cast. So is Will Ferrel, whose wig alone will at least make you giggle, if not smile all the way. Dozens of celebrities cameo, which is also part of the fun. And it can get very ridiculous. Believe me...

Indeed, the movie is not perfect and some moments might not work as good as others. Still, it is funny and entertaining. You end up having a good time and if you see it my way it could be a blast! Just don't take it too seriously...

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