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Reviews
Copying Beethoven (2006)
The movie and the music will blow you away.
I'd never heard of this movie and checked it out of the video store on the slim chance it would be good. Boy was I surprised! It's a terrific movie. I've never seen a better depiction of the creative process. The pain and the glory, the grubby humanity and the glorious divinity of the artist. As you see the great Beethoven in his final months of life you enter into the pain of his deafness. At times the director even takes you into the experience of Beethoven's deafness. And what it was like to hear majestic music that continued to flood his mind when he could never hear it played.
How good is this movie? It's so good I'm going to buy the DVD. I rarely want to see a movie again. But Copying Beethoven is worth seeing again and again.
Now will someone explain to me why this movie didn't do better at the box office? And why Amadeus did (when this movie is far better)?
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
It's a fun ride, especially for young teens
I'm in my sixties, so I'm definitely not in the target audience for this movie. But I loved it. So did all the young people around me in the theater, who laughed in all the right places and seemed just as into it as I was.
I am absolutely dumbfounded, reading so many critical comments from my fellow bloggers on IMDb. I'm wondering if they saw the same movie I did? As to all those bellyaching because the film was different from the Susan Cooper series, I say, "Grow up!" Making a movie is completely different from writing a book. Besides, you're not twelve anymore, like you were when you read her books. Sheesh. This film captures the essence, if not the details of Susan Cooper's book. (Yes, I did read it--until I nodded off one third of the way into the book. I think the movie's better than the novel, thank you very much.) Anyway...
The story captured me from the first misty, cozy scenes of England, juxtaposed with the earliest signs of danger in the story--a dark feather Will picks up, then a black crow hovering in the foreground.
It's truly a sumptuous visual feast, keeping you scrambling to take it all in. There are a few homages to other films--a chase scene that reminded me of LOTR, a downhill plunge that reminded me of Man From Snowy River, a snake scene that had all the "eeeyoo" impact that I got from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'm so glad I saw this on the big screen--it's that kind of movie.
Performances were solid all around. I thought Alexander Ludwig was outstanding. He captured every nuance--from the pains of a first crush on a pretty girl to the much greater pain of the loss of a family member. Ian McShane fairly chewed the scenery in his scenes, but I liked him. He showed his English thespian training in every crisp syllable. Frances Conroy was understated and cool, even funny.
Go see this movie. You'll have a fun ride. Take your kids or your grandkids, or borrow someone's. It's good for all ages.
Serenity (2005)
Run, don't walk to see this movie!
Wow, what a ride! Somebody call George Lucas and tell him, this is how it's done. "Serenity" delivers thrilling F/X and a good, dense storyline. Plus a fast pace that leaves you afraid to take your eyes off the picture for even a second. Amazing that you can actually have a good story AND good effects! I also loved the texture of this film. It was futuristic, yet it felt like a good ol' western. A more realistic vision of the future, since some of it looks familiar. Worn and dusty, with touches of the Orient.
The characters may remind you of Star Wars, back when it was new and exciting. (Not just something we felt obligated to go see, loathe to admit it had lost its luster.) Well, this set of characters and the war they're fighting is brand new and ready to sweep you off your feet. Hans Solo for the Twenty-first Century. You'll love the protagonist. Complicated with enough flaws to be real, yet a person who raises to the nobility of sacrifice for the greater good. And the heroine--the mysterious, volatile River... what a great kick butt (and kick everything else in range) girl. I liked all the cast. A fun mix. And the visual excitement... Again, wow.
Don't wait for the DVD. You'll want to experience this one on the big screen. Settle in and buckle up. This is what the movies are supposed to be.
The Longest Yard (2005)
Lots of fun!
I really liked this movie. I had low expectations since I'm not a big fan of Burt Reynolds. But even he acquitted himself well. I laughed out loud so many times I embarrassed myself. And despite all the testosterone- and steroid-infused bodies, rough stuff on the football field and in the prison, there was a real sweetness about the story. Adam Sandler is growing on me. Chris Rock also turned in a good performance. He's sure funnier when he's not using four-letter words in every sentence.
If I have any complaints it's that my home state, Texas, is again a caricature of meanness. But I guess I'll take the bad with the good and recommend this movie. You'll enjoy it. We sure did.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Buddhist propaganda
OK, OK...
Strip away the nostalgia. Strip away the "must-see-it-ness" of the sixth and final (which was really the third because the first in the series was actually the fourth... oh never mind!) movie in a series which defined our generation. What are you left with? A mediocre film with so-so storytelling and a big heaping side serving of Buddhism.
If anyone were to lace a movie with this much sermonizing from a Christian perspective, the media and pundits would be howling. But because of the rule that every religion *but* Christianity deserves respect in Hollywood, no one says a word.
Then there's the obvious slam against President Bush and all conservatives. In reply to, "You're either with us or against us!" comes, "Only a Sith believes in absolutes!" Well then, I guess I'm a Sith because right and wrong actually matter in my book.
I found the movie mildly entertaining. If I can go buy popcorn in the middle of a film and not even complain about the long line at the concession stand, that is not a particularly engaging movie. It certainly wasn't the most entertaining flick I've seen lately. For that, I'd have to give nods to "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Crash." Those were good old edge-of-your-seat dramas.
I noticed Lucas was the only one credited for writing this lumbering clunker. Could it be that the huge success of this franchise has completely isolated Mr. Lucas from any outside person willing to tell him when something isn't all that great? Has anyone in Marin County had the nerve to tell him that the last three movies were boooo-ring?
The Interpreter (2005)
Starts great, but ends up mediocre
What went wrong with this movie? For the first hour it's great. I loved the setting at the United Nations. I also found the story line in Africa gripping, and tragically true to life. As Nicole Kidman's character accidentally overhears an assassination plot in the empty UN building, you feel real threat and suspense. As you learn more about her experiences growing up in Africa, you understand a bit about the difficult position many whites find themselves in. Also, the African-liberator-turned-corrupt-despot reminds you of many leaders.
Everything is moving along, and the drama is keeping you engaged. You wonder what is going to happen next. Then...
I don't want to give any spoilers, but near the end the film suddenly veers toward the implausible. Because this storyline doesn't ring true, the suspense you were feeling evaporates like support for the UN in the Red States. It's too bad. This could have been another remarkable movie in Kidman's career.
The Four Feathers (2002)
A sweeping epic!
I loved this movie! It's a good old adventure- and romance-filled flick, a real winner. I can't fathom why it didn't do better at the box office. Maybe it was the unfortunate title. "Four Feathers" just doesn't capture the sweep of this movie.
The cast all do a good job. Kate Hudson is winsome. This is Heath Ledger's best role since "The Patriot." And Djimon Hounsou is great, as always. I've loved him since "Amistad." If our film industry weren't so Euro-centric, Hounsou would have won an Oscar by now.
The cinematography captures the stark beauty of North Africa. The clash of civilizations--Muslim Sudanese, a rebel leader who reminds you of Osama bin Ladin, and British soldiers of Christian Victorian England--stands as a warning lesson for us Americans, attempting to bring democracy to countries we scarcely understand, just like the Brits of the 19th century.
There's just so much in this film. Watch this movie. You won't be sorry.
Little House on the Prairie (2005)
Great fun! TV worth staying home for on a Saturday night!
We've been glued to the tube for the last three Saturday nights. Wow. I loved it. This is TV worth staying home for. The story has grabbed us, the cast is just right--especially little Laura, Mr. and Mrs. Scott (what a hoot!), and Wildcat. Loved the cinematography. The production values are worthy of the big screen. Such stark beauty. And that part about them driving the wagon across the frozen lake as it is thawing... White knuckle time! The scenes with the Native-Americans are some of the best I've seen in any film. You catch a sense of how strange it was for both the white man and the Indians, locked in their silent dance.
I definitely recommend this movie. Hope it comes out soon on DVD!
To End All Wars (2001)
Right between the eyes! That's where it hits you.
I was prepared for an entertaining movie. I had read the book by Ernest Gordon, and was expecting a good yarn. But what I got instead was something that hit me right between the eyes. Suddenly the story wasn't comfortably removed from sixty years ago. It was just as up-to-date as September 11th and the latest beheadings posted on the internet. Could I forgive enemies who are pure evil like Dusty and Ernest did? I don't know. Ciaran McMenamin (he of the unpronounceable name!) does a great job. So does Kiefer (but we've come to know his acting chops through 24--great show!), and Carlyle. You've got to see this movie. See it twice, like I have (so far). It's worth your time.