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FrannyBeanz
Reviews
American History X (1998)
Nothing Short of a Masterpiece
It would be an insult to call this a "movie". It is a MASTERPIECE. I first saw this in my senior year of high school, and I literally sat in stunned silence well into the end credits. By the time this film is finished, you've been taken on an emotional roller-coaster and you feel like you've been punched in the gut. I know I did. Edward Norton turns in another amazing performance as the reformed skin-head who tries to prevent his younger brother from following in his footsteps. It's the story of how Derek (Norton) goes to prison for killing 2 black guys who he catches trying to break into his car. His younger brother, Danny (Furlong) witnesses the whole thing. Prison changes Derek's perspective on life dramatically, and upon his release from jail, finds out that Danny is coming dangerously close to mimicking Derek's dangerous neo-nazi ways. In order to explain to a confused Danny why he is so different now, he tells him about his horrible and traumatizing experience in jail, which we are shown through flashbacks. Some people argue that the ending was predictable... call me naive, but I did NOT see it coming, and I was left, literally, with my jaw on the floor. This movie will stay with you, and it may even change you. Ed Norton was robbed of the Best Actor Oscar. This movie belongs in everyone's collection. It's something you won't soon forget.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Undercover (2008)
Wow. Just.... wow.
There are some SVU episodes that make you feel like you've been punched in the gut after it's over. And this is definitely one of those episodes. I don't want to give too much away, but in a nutshell, Olivia and Elliot get a case of a young rape victim. They come to find out that the girl's mother is locked up in a women's prison, and the girl's attacker may in fact be a crooked CO from the jail who has singled out the girl's incarcerated mother for cruel and unjust punishment. It turns out that several complaints have been filed against this particular guard, and others in the same prison, for raping inmates, yet somehow the CO's always come out unscathed. Olivia, feeling an obligation to bring justice to young Ashley and her jailed mother, decides to go deep undercover in the prison to catch the crooked CO in question in the act and bring him to justice. Things go from bad to worse as Olivia finds herself in a horribly dangerous situation. Can one of her co-workers (also undercover as a CO in the prison - I won't say which one, though, as we don't see right away that it's one of the SVU team members undercover, and it's revealed in a great twist) save Olivia before it's too late, and she becomes the next victim of abuse? This episode is definitely one of the biggest nail-biters in the whole series, and it will leave you on the edge of your seat, glued to the television, anxiously anticipating each riveting moment. An absolute must-see for any Law & Order fan. This definitely goes on my list of top-5 favorite episodes.
The Hangover (2009)
Funniest Movie I've Ever Seen. Period.
This is absolutely, without a doubt, the funniest movie I've ever seen. I can officially say that Apatow better watch his back, because Todd Philips just set the bar VERY high. My best friend and I were literally in pain from laughing so hard! In a nutshell, Doug is the groom-to-be. He and his 3 best friends decide to have one last, big "guys night out" in Sin City before Doug heads to the altar in 2 days. But the plans go horribly (and hilariously) awry! The guys wake up to a completely trashed hotel room to find that Doug is missing, there's a crying baby in the closet, a chicken wandering aimlessly around the room, Mike Tyson's tiger is hanging out in the bathroom, and none of them can remember a thing from the night before. They must retrace their steps and figure out where they went and what they did the previous night in order to find their friend in time for his wedding the next day. I won't give away too much more, but seriously, this film is an absolute must-see. The cast is amazing, the cameo by Mike Tyson is side-split-tingly funny (you'll never listen to "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins the same way again, I promise) and I guarantee that the first words out of your mouth when you leave the theater will be, "We GOTTA see this again!"... I know mine were! I give this movie 10/10 because I've never laughed so consistently and so hard in a theater before. Do yourself a favor and go see this movie ASAP. You won't regret it!! "Not at the table, Carlos!"
Britney: For the Record (2008)
She's Back and Better than Ever!
So I figured I'd take a chance last night and watch the new Britney Spears documentary on MTV, chronicling her life for 60 days, beginning on the eve of the MTV Video Music Awards this past September. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's no secret that Britney's life has been a crazy roller-coaster ride for the past few years. But when all is said and done, inside, she's just a normal person like you and I. It turns out that she's got a great sense of humor (her impression of her father was hysterical!), she's very perceptive and intelligent, and she goes through turmoil and pain like the rest of us do. This documentary definitely showed us that Britney is just a regular girl who just happens to be chased around by photographers day and night. It really broke my heart to watch some of the things she has to go through. Just exiting a vehicle and entering a building is a project in itself for Brit, and I couldn't imagine having to live like that. I definitely have a newfound respect for her after watching this special. She's just a normal person who loves her babies, loves to work, hang out and goof around with friends. I have no doubt that with the upcoming release of her newest album, "Circus", Brit will definitely shine. She has the drive, she has the talent, and now she has the support of her family and of people who really care about her, not those who have taken advantage of her in the past, as she discusses. Not to sound corny, but I'm definitely inspired by her - she shows that no matter the obstacle, no matter what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into, there's always that light at the end of the tunnel. She may have stumbled a bit to get to this point, but it's safe to say that Britney has finally seen that light. I wish her much success!! She deserves it.
In a Child's Name (1991)
Breathtaking, Riveting, Outstanding... Where's my thesaurus...?
I've read some complaints about how this movie is "4 hours of my life I'll never get back." But trust me, these are 4 hours you will NEVER forget. This is a story about a woman named Teresa who meets a seemingly perfect male specimen named Ken. They meet, fall in love, he woos her traditional Italian family and they waste no time in getting married - Teresa's first marriage, Ken's third. But Ken is not all he seems. Not very long into the movie, we see that he's a substance abuser, he cheats on his new wife and is physically abusive towards her. Teresa, blinded by her seemingly perfect new love, defends him, regardless of her battered state. But Teresa's sister, Angela (an AMAZING Valerie Bertinelli), suspects otherwise and alerts her husband (a GORGEOUS pre-receeded hairline Chris Meloni of Law&Order SVU fame) and family that something sinister is hiding under Ken's "Perfect Man" facade. Eventually, Teresa becomes pregnant with her first child - something that was NOT in Ken's plans, and he is visibly irritated by the news. Brilliantly acted and completely riveting to the viewer, "In a Child's Name" will have you on the edge of your seat, anxiously awaiting what will happen next. This movie takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions - fear, anger, love, hate - and it literally makes you want to jump through the screen and knock Ken Taylor in the teeth. Called one of the most "disturbing" screen-shots in ALL of cinema history - that's right, not "Lifetime" history - CINEMA history, the famous "Luminol" scene will stay with you long after the movie is over. (PS: I know for a fact that the Luminol scene is completely accurate. My grandfather was a detective on this case, as my family lives in Staten Island, where the Cimarelli's lived, and he was physically in the room when this happened. He said its totally dead-on accurate... which kinda makes it all the more scarier!) If you want a movie that will tap into every human emotion possible, and make you stand up and cheer at the end, then this is the movie for you. Valerie Bertinelli should of been nominated for best actress in this role, and the rest of the cast is stunning as the 2 families battling for custody of the murdered wife's newborn son. This film is a shining example of what a substantial movie-watching experience should be.