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Reviews
Gladiator (2000)
A letdown in most respects
As I watched the previews for Gladiator, I was enveloped in anticipation of a film in a genre I adore: Historical Fiction. It evoked a "Braveheart" type feeling, though from different eras all together. We have a jaded strongman who lost his family and changes the world around him while in a haze of grief, searching vengeance. What I got was a very shallow piece that failed in bringing me into Maximus' personal hell.
Sure the colliseum scenes were awesome. But the dull, muddy colors and too-fast editing cued me into the fact that the special effects were less than spectacular. The colliseum scenes couldn't have looked more computer generated, or miniaturized if they were done in my basement.
I rather enjoyed Russell Crowe's wonderful performance, but he was so depressing, I felt like I was dragging my heels on the way out of the theatre. He's a wonderful versatile actor, and I respect the amount of effort he put into this film, so short after his stint as an overweight scientist in "The Insider". Joaquin Pheonix was deliciously evil, and kept me entertained from beginning to end. Had I been drawn into the love story with Maximus' wife and child and had a chance to bond with them, I perhaps wouldn't have felt so cut off from his grief. And if the ending hadn't suddenly taken on the molasses variety of sweet, I might have left with a much better taste in my mouth. So to put it simply, if you're going to see it to satisfy your bloodlust and love for violence, by all means, this is your film. But if you are seeking something deeper, with more beauty and significance, like Braveheart or Ben-Hur, I suggest hitting the video store and revisiting those favorites, because in what those two film did to achieve status as classics, Gladiator falls amazingly short.
High Fidelity (2000)
C'mon people! It's not all about special effects!
Having just returned from the theater with Hi Fidelity fresh in my mind, I am feeling greatly satisfied by the display of human emotions shown in this very smart script. Not only was John Cusack very memorable as a very jaded, emotional romantic, but every one of these other characters symbolized different archetypes in society. Here's Cusack, forever rejected and confused. Jack Black is the slightly deranged yet passionate musical nut, who definitely shines in the end. I agree on some standpoints that it can lag with the constant monologues, but this definitely makes it easier for someone to become engrossed in the film if they can't happen to relate to the subject matter. Some of the music titles flew over my head. Maybe I'm not as well versed in that subject as I would like to be, but I feel that this film definitely deserves kudos for it's very snappy dialogue. I haven't checked out the book, but I definitely plan on it. For those of you who didn't enjoy the film, I think you should give it another chance. Sometimes it's difficult to miss certain elements when your expectations are too high.
Julian Po (1997)
A lot beneath the surface...
Julian Po is a film that I hadn't heard of until a casual channel surf stumbled me onto HBO. I was hooked immediately. The characters in this town are so unbelievably strange and almost creepy. Julian (Christian Slater) is a wanderer, narrating his own story, who goes to a small town in order to end his life. When the townspeople find out, it becomes a sort of obsession with them. The children follow him through the streets, he's offered gifts from shop owners, and a beautiful, intense woman, Sarah, (Robin Tunney) falls in love with him, creating a very karmic bond between the two of them. Ironically, in the course of his procrastinating his death, he changes the lives of everyone around him. They ask him for advice in life matters. A man "comes out of the closet", a Priest denounces God, etc..
Julian Po left me sad. It doesn't end the way anyone would think, but it left me with one recurrent theme running through my head. Life is a beautiful thing, not to be taken for granted. Never make life or death decisions when you haven't even experienced life. And maybe one more thing... a real man sticks to his obligations... :-)
The Wedding Singer (1998)
What a blast from the past!
As I watched the Wedding Singer, laughing heartily at the mostly subtle humor, I was struck over and over at most of the things about the 80s that I had forgotten. Fads and trends that I thought were so cool and normal seemed almost ludicrous under today's standards; however this movie definitely portrayed them in a way that made me more nostalgic than anything. From the funky music to the multiple-zippered Michael Jackson jackets and breakdancing, this movie has it all in a huge, hilarious melting pot. Robbie Hart (Sandler), a very successful wedding singer, and former front man of a rock band, is abandoned at the alter at his own wedding. As he befriends Julia (Barrymore), he realizes she's in a terrible relationship with a slimey Don Johnson look-alike, and inadvertently, they both fall in love. With a dynamite chemistry, these two carry the movie along well, and become one of the cutest couples on film I've seen in a long time. Although a tad predictable, it's nonetheless entertaining, and a great film to see multiple times with a special someone.