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ilieMoromete
Reviews
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Last year's sleeper
Inasmuch as Robert Ford, this movie feels like it was destined for great things. It truly is a pity it did not garnered more audience, for it truly is an epic. The story is quite complex but also gripping, the characters are simply fabulous, each and every one of them, as for the cinematography, well... the Academy got it right: it is quite the achievement. Also there are so many little details thrown at various points in the movie that, when added up, make for perfect cohesion and reward an attentive viewer.
So, what can be interesting about a movie whose ending is predicted in the title? We already know what's going to happen, but the way we get there is so rich that at certain points we almost feel like Jesse James won't really die. And in a way, he doesn't, as the end of the movie shows. Regardless, this just goes to show that Hollywood is getting more and more on the right track to making good - but also entertaining - movies: focus on the story and characters people, that's all you need. Speaking of characters, Pitt and Affleck are both highlights, each in their own right. Pitt manages to completely submerge in his role: he's one mean, loving, vicious, conflicted Jesse James. Affleck has a certain thing - that I've seen in Gone Baby Gone - that makes him truly captivating in any role.
But the one thing that really turns this movie into something special is the cinematography. Whether it's the stereoscope view, the nature shots or some specific scene like the train robbery scene, it all makes it worth wile your viewing, even if you're not a Western fan. For truly, this is a Western in it's purest tradition. One that's classic and modern at the same time. The story, the people, the music, everything fits perfectly in this underrated jam.
The God Who Wasn't There (2005)
Even Michael Moore presents two sides of a story
I'm actually surprised at the amount of good ratings this anti-Christian pseudo-documentary got. Now, I respect the guy's opinion and faith, I myself am not, at this state, believer of the taught Christian doctrine. However, anti-Christian propaganda is somewhat of a different issue.
This film has valid points, but they are very few and represented in a very biased context. I'm not recommending against seeing it. In fact, I think everyone should see it and decide on their own whether they believe it or not. And this is actually more of a chance than the one the director gives to Christian teachings. Rather than an inquiring approach on the subject, it looks like a personal vendetta on the Christian school that affected his childhood. It also misrepresents the Christians most of the times as either incredibly naive or fundamentalists, no moderation in between.
The director uses movie scenes from Passion of Christ without permission, sets up an interview with the headmaster of his former school and presents almost solely anti-Christian historians and writers. I actually found the headmaster to be the most down-to-earth person and think that his attitude was fully justified. I also strongly doubt that any of the Christian believers who were interviewed were consulted afterwords or even told before the interview the purpose of the inquiry.
With this being said, there are certainly new and interesting facts to be found here and some very original thoughts on the question of Christianity. But the way in which this whole think is produced is often offensive, highly unprofessional and dreadfully biased.
Hârtia va fi albastra (2006)
Who shot who? Revolution through the eyes of a soldier
Was it a revolution? Was it a coup? Who was in control? Was it the military? Was it the armed militia? Nobody really knows actually. But what we do know is that the events depicted in this movie - which took place more than 16 years ago - changed the history of a country.
The film tells the story of a young militia force soldier on the night the alleged Romanian revolution takes place. He is young, he is a bit confused, a bit enthusiastic, a bit scared. Yet he decides to disobey his superior and go fight on the side of the people to protect the national television headquarters against the terrorists. Soon after he leaves, his mates decide to abandon their patrolling mission and go in search of him. But somewhere along the way, things turn terribly wrong. For everybody. Because there is fighting on the streets, because its dark and its cold, because nobody knows whose supposed to fight who, where everybody else is (as the soldier, Cristi, never gets to the TV headquarters), who the terrorists are, what the recognition password is...
The characters all seem to fit so well with the general confusion but also adding compassion and humor to the whole story that one might think this is almost a documentary of real events. Of course, this is achieved through an attention for detail that only those familiar with Romania would truly appreciate. But do not let that put you off; the real message of this film has nothing to do with specific issues and humor transcends borders.
Trying to be as objective as possible, given the clever directing, natural and sharp dialog, solid script, I can only give this movie a 9, as nothing that is country-specific will detract from the pleasure of watching this movie. Highly recommended!
Heaven's Doors (2006)
Your friends may betray you, your wife may betray you, but your mother never will...
Almost a masterpiece, and i'm not exaggerating.
This movie, reminiscent in some ways of traffic in matter of style and story lines crossing is in everything else original, truthful, sensitive, magic. Three characters have their lives changed, all part of the same story, but at the same time each living their lives independent from the others; a young man dreaming to get rich or die trying - whilst his mother tries to look over him -, a woman who feels like a failure to her mother and has to become a mother herself, and an old man who's missed most of his life in jail with his mother as his only support and who exits prison only to witness his mother dying.
The story is complex and well tied; the script and the dialog are truly excellent, reminding the viewer of Michael Mann in places, as for the image, it's captivating for sure; what's most, each story has an individual feeling to it, helped also by the truly masterful soundtrack; you could take any of the three stories and present it separately, but it's so much better when they're all together.
Thoroughly recommended!