leona-5 Reviews

Titane (2021)

Provocative and beautiful

[10/10 · 12 October 2021]

This film is provocative and with many moments of beauty. It is also sometimes hard to watch, although equally hard to look away from. It undoes gender and sexuality with ease. It feels brilliant.

The released description is vague, and I would urge people to not do too much plot research prior to viewing it. Besides, how can one really prepare for this?

Murder, She Wrote: The Murder of Sherlock Holmes (1984) Season 1, Episode 0

Celeb, drama and a kiss for Mrs, Fletcher

[8/10 · 20 September 2021]

This first episode shows us the start of Mrs. Fletcher's writing career. She wrote a novel to distract her from the grief of her husband's death. She did not intend it to be read by anyone. Her nephew says this is because she does not have dreams for herself, and takes it to a publisher. Of course, this is a hit novel.

Of serious note in this episode is the fact that Mrs. Fletcher kisses her publisher. She is hesitant to enter into the arena of love. The series generally does not entertain Mrs. Fletcher's love life, so the inclusion of a kiss is a major element.

Murder, She Wrote generally includes a great cast of characters. This episode includes Ned Beatty, Ann Francis, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman and a very young Andy Garcia. This show is excellent for spotting people before they were famous and celebrating actors who have entertained us for decades, A wonderful start to a gentle series that is full of delightful moments.

Lady Street Fighter (1980 Video)

Painful to watch

[1/10 · 14 November 2018]

At one point, the main character says 'what's going on? I don't understand.' All the audience can say to that is 'me too gurl, me too.' Poorly scripted, poorly acted, poorly edited, poorly choreographed fight scenes.

Case 39 (2009)

Not as bad as I had anticipated

[5/10 · 7 April 2018]

The fact that this had been shelved for years made me think this would be howlingly bad... it's not that bad. There are some ridiculous parts, to be sure. It's acceptable bad. Not enough to scare, not enough to laugh. Also not bad enough to turn off.

Dementia 13 (1963)

Irish?

[4/10 · 12 January 2003]

This film is supposed to take place in Ireland, and several of the characters are supposed to be Irish, however no one seems to have an Irish accent. The characters are, in no particular order, a woman and her three sons, plus the gf of one son and the wife of another. A doctor comes onto the scene, and a gardener type also wanders around. There is also a maid who is sometimes seen. I believe the sons of the woman were born in Ireland, but received their education in America. The significant others are American, however everyone else is Irish. Only the doctor attempts an Irish accent, and that's only in one scene. I am puzzled by the absolute lack of Irish voices. Since most people have American accents, why not just have the film take place in America, on the grounds of a large estate? This really distracted me from the rest of the film, which I would only rate as so-so anyway. Better scares can be had from Wise's The Haunting, or Carnival of Souls.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

better than Pretty Woman

[6/10 · 17 December 2002]

As my friend and I were leaving the theatre, she said she preferred Pretty Woman to Maid in Manhattan - I disagree totally! 1) I'll take Ralph Fiennes over Richard Gere any day. Isn't this what the romantic comedy is about? Ralph's eyes penetrate the screen, which is why he's such a good actor. Richard's are fine, but they can beady too. If I'm going to spend time watching fluff, it needs to be fluff with nice eyes. 2) I'd rather be a maid than a pro. Part two of what romcoms are about is being able to see oneself in the femme role. Hollywood needs to realize working the streets is not romantic or comedic. Okay, neither is changing sheets and cleaning toilets, however at least it's something people can respect at the end of the day. If I were going to try to emulate a movie, I'd be more inclined to get a job as a maid and hope Ralph walks in than work the streets and hope Richard picks me up.

Mad Love (1995)

My favorite bad movie

[10/10 · 31 March 2002]

"Mad Love" isn't one of the all time great films, however it is my favorite bad movie. I think that Drew Barrymore is charming and this movie allows her to be a little crazy and very beautiful. Chris O'Donnell is definately eye candy in this little gem. The filmmakers tried to use colour and imagery in an artistic manner. Watch the blue and whites of the film, and check out the symbolic use of butterflies. Although the usage isn't necessarily intellectual, there is a valient stab at being artistic. I think that another interesting aspect of this film is in comparing it to "Scent of a Woman". I feel that these two films are essentially the same, with the notable exception of Al Pacino vs. Drew Barrymore. Really though, "Scent of A Woman" has Chris as a good boy who goes on the lam with Al. Al does all sorts of crazy things, such as driving despite being blind, and eventually holds a gun to Chris. In "Mad Love", Chris is a good boy who goes on the lam with Drew. Drew does all sorts of crazy things, such as covering Chris' eyes while he is driving, and eventually holds a gun to Chris. Coincidence??

Cherry Falls (1999)

the moral of the story

[3/10 · 30 March 2002]

My goodness I did learn a lot from this movie, like rape isn't such a bad crime. While terrible murders are being committed, the lead learns her father was once accused of rape. He was never brought to justice because he was rich. He claims to have been dead drunk while committing the crime, and indicates that his buddies were the instigators of the crime. Since the girl who was raped is a little on the off side, she is shunned by the community. With the victim gone and the community standing behind him, he goes on to have a productive life with a wife and daughter; he also becomes the sheriff of the town. All that is just the background, and isn't really addressed. The lack of any caring on the part of the community shows how minor of a crime rape is perceived to be. The bad guy in this movie is the killer. Murder is a terrible crime, however if the rape had never occurred, the murders would never have occurred. This little tidbit is simply ignored as everyone in the town rallies to protect the sheriff and his raping buddies, even after their crime is exposed. Looking at the cause of crime in a slasher flick is not necessarily a good idea, and makes this film leave a bad after-taste. There could have been other causes of the crime which would have been acceptable. I learned other things, like even D&D nerds can get laid in the right environment, and all rich girls are sluts. Those lessons just pale in comparison though.

Final Stab (2001 Video)

the acting sucks

[1/10 · 20 March 2002]

This was truly quite bad. The acting was so...it's hard to even describe. If a troupe of junior high school students had attempted to make a movie, their acting would probably rival the people in this film. There was no emotion, drama, no scares. Leave this one alone.

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

quick pace, little suspense

[7/10 · 27 February 2002]

I liked that this movie went at a quick pace, however there really was no suspense. Even though the story is known, there should have been some tension along the way. There were some good lines though.

Something I would have liked to see which wasn't there was a scene with the love interest finding the scars on the Count's back. She did ask if he had suffered and we should have seen her reaction to the physical proof of his suffering.

Mifune (1999)

Angry, not funny

[5/10 · 23 July 2000]

I didn't think that this film was funny at all, I thought it was really angry. The anger doesn't seem to be structured to condemn anyone individual, except it maybe directed at mainstream society. There is one very irrational woman in the film and a large group of prostitutes. The men in the picture are all focused on sex, with the possible exception of a dim witted man who gets laughed at and yelled at throughout the film. There is a youth who drinks, smokes and swears, there is a near rape, a brutal beating and a lot of unhappy people. Maybe I just didn't get it, however I don't think those topics are funny and I don't think they were presented in a humourous manner. This film, while not terrible, is not a comedy and is not romantic.

The Darkest Light (1999)

Everyone in the audience was moved.

[8/10 · 23 September 1999]

I saw this film at the Edinburgh Film Fest, and although not the greatest film in the world, I can safely say that every person who was at the screening was deeply moved. The film deals primarily with two families, one Caucasian and one Indian. The Caucasian family is dealing with a son who has cancer, as well as farm animal difficulties (that description simplifies matters). The Indian family is new in town and dealing with settling down. The girls in the families discover a light on the moors, and this opens the film to a discussion regarding faith. What the audience gains from watching the film can't really be described, it needs to be experienced. There was a silence after the screening as people let the film absorb. There were those who cried and those who just let it sink in. I think everyone can take something different from it. As I said, it's not the most utterly fantastic film in the world, however it will affect the majority of people who watch it.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

The most amazing film EVER!

[10/10 · 23 September 1999]

This is my favorite film, without a doubt. I actually find it difficult to find words which can do this film justice. From the opening sequence right down the credits, this film is succeeds on every level. It needs to be seen.