After viewing it last evening, I could CARE LESS about this film. It had some really phoney crap in it- and it had some OK stuff. del Toro certainly did a good job- but the director, whom I respect, got a bug up his caboose about changing the filming style depending on locale (US- normal view; TJ- yellow tine, news reel-ish; Polictical gatherings, parties, meetings [in the U.S.]- blue tint). That simply stunk and did NOT work. The scene where the DEA head's daughter is walking through the ghetto area to get her next dosage of smack- and not a black head turns or takes notice? Give me a break. The drug scenes felt like they came from the "Drug Traffic Story Film-maker's 101" manual, i.e.- just chock full of stereotyped AND racist crap. The White House and DC in general stuff was stodgy and stuffy. Throwing real political personalities in the film (much ballyhooed in the press) was wasted as they played so fleeting they seemed liked cast extras. Douglas' wife, Zeta Jones, is too marginal a talent to be effective in her role and it glaringly plays as such.
Reviews
8 Reviews
Exit Wounds
(2001)
Yeah "This is gonna hurt" - to WATCH it!
16 March 2001
More lame-o garbage from the magnificent, malignant Seagal. Any talent he has he once again places at the sidelines, opting once again for those strained "serious" looks and monumentally inept "martial artage". Why the constant choice of these facetious testoteronic "stories"? Maybe he's forgotten that he CAN display acting talents. More likely, he needed the cash and the sheep audience will go to this in droves (desiring flailing limbs over substance). Surely the name "DMX", sweeping households across the nation, isn't the attraction. There's nothing new here but if the past, vast library of Seagal epics is your cup of tea- then drink this up. (Hey! Did someone screw up and leave a word out of the title of this film?)
The Pledge
(I) (2001)
Compelling, captivating, showing the mastery of Sean Penn's directing
20 February 2001
This film is another keen demonstration of one of the finest directors around today. Penn has impressed as an actor for a long time (was that REALLY him in "Fast Times..."?) and keeps satisfying. What a cast! Del Toro, Mirren, Wright Penn (she's up there with the few honestly natural actors- Streep, et cetera), Redgrave, Rourke, Patricia Clarkson and the venerable Harry Dean Stanton. A tale of a policeman's instinctual obsession and it's consequences on his remaining life doesn't tire or bore but sits you in the seat next to him and allows for a stylish, tight telling of a woeful tale. This is life- not filmic fantasy and Penn can bring me, for one, more tales of this quality and film-making beauty any day.
Hannibal
(2001)
Lovingly to Clarice
13 February 2001
Well Clarice, I viewed your latest "outing" on my behalf with humor, if not a bit of cynicism. Having more friends for dinner this time is not to be taken lightly (nor with a port wine), yet in spite of my personal "needs" you have decided to continue your relentless, almost obsessive pursuit of me- to the point of career destruction. It should be obvious to you by now that we can only have a love-hate relationship, so long as there are a variety of menu items available for a cad like me. Evisceration, brain food and face gouging are more sport than obligatory survival tactics with me- you should know that by now. You yourself prompt me to want to practice on your pretty face at times but I can't, for you see Clarice, I love you too much. Perhaps the next time we meet you can truly give me a hand? Adieu, H
Entertaining Quality Fluffy Fairy Tale
8 February 2001
It seems everyone on earth says to see "Crouching Tiger...". A serious senior martial arts teacher who is a co-worker says that the M.A. displayed are displayed accurately. Good. Fine. This movie to a serious FILM-GOER has good performances, plenty of martial arts that I couldn't say were good or badly executed, sequences of people being able to fly for no reasonable explanation (to the point of being ridiculous-looking), luscious cinematography and is another example of professionally-executed film-making leaving the age of the bad film-making from China in the past. My viewing was with subtitles that didn't distract from the film at all. I can say you may enjoy this film as a fantasy, a drama and a morality tale. But for a dose of reality that you can relate to, well, you won't find it here.
Thirteen Days
(2000)
But will today's audience get it?
17 January 2001
I was 8 years old when the Missle Crisis prevailed over the nation. The mood of immediate adults and what was on the tube influenced even now my impressions of the time(s). This film, in my opinion, captured that mood/attitude/state. Frankly, I am surprised that the film didn't leave the circuit one week after hitting it. The majority of persons in the showing I saw were my age or older- and I'd be willing to bet that, while each and every one of them are aware this was a actual occurrence under the administration of the last leader to sit in the White House, the primary reason for seeing the film was for a reminder of just that- when the nation had leadership and that same nation relied carte blanche on that guidance.
The bulk of the dialog in this film is based on actual transcripts, and it serves well to pace the film. Costner may be THE big name and he does as a good a job as he ever has, but truth be known- his character in the real events had virtually no input or involvement. Here the screenwriter and director take an Oliver Stone approach and effectively combine a lot of other "players" words [which is not at all bad filmmaking if done respectfully) and have them being spoken by Costner. No matter- the essence of the events are here, the immediacy and frailty of the players is very apparent and the certainty of just how close we came to the brink will, unless you are simply numb, gather you into the "action". I am sure there will be viewers, asking the same thing I disgustingly heard when viewing "Apollo 13" for the first time- "Did this really happen?" I admit severe bias about JFK and his times- but I can only say that seeing this film for the younger set could allow them to understand greatness of mere humans. And it could be a manual for studying how to deal with the next instance of human threats to the entire planet.
The bulk of the dialog in this film is based on actual transcripts, and it serves well to pace the film. Costner may be THE big name and he does as a good a job as he ever has, but truth be known- his character in the real events had virtually no input or involvement. Here the screenwriter and director take an Oliver Stone approach and effectively combine a lot of other "players" words [which is not at all bad filmmaking if done respectfully) and have them being spoken by Costner. No matter- the essence of the events are here, the immediacy and frailty of the players is very apparent and the certainty of just how close we came to the brink will, unless you are simply numb, gather you into the "action". I am sure there will be viewers, asking the same thing I disgustingly heard when viewing "Apollo 13" for the first time- "Did this really happen?" I admit severe bias about JFK and his times- but I can only say that seeing this film for the younger set could allow them to understand greatness of mere humans. And it could be a manual for studying how to deal with the next instance of human threats to the entire planet.
Hammett
(1982)
It has character-a-plenty and that includes the score....
19 December 2000
Watched Coppola/Wim Wender's "Hammett" again this past w/e- the film grows on me- has a flavour I like- the detective genre mixed with post-turn of the 20th century San Francisco- and the fact that SO MUCH is done on soundstages gives it a surreal quality. The film's production history has always been interesting (Frederick Forrest and Marilu Henner got married and divorced during it's long, tumultuous halt-run production). But, if you have never seen this or heard the John Barry score- you should. At least the score. It's to be placed in the Barry category called "unusual"- piano melodic and a lot of strained strings prevail- giving it a gin-soaked, withdrawn feel that still tugs through a foggy SF even when it's clear. A dubious above-ground underworld sucks all the characters and audience into a not-so-licentious but rather everyday (same then as today) corrupt city power structure. The film and score play off of each other, intertwining, massaging and playing out a tale of woe, misbegotten friendship and a lusty disgust for those in-power at that unique place by the bay. If ANYthing can be said of this film- it's that it has character-a-plenty and that includes the score
Soldier
(I) (1998)
More Genius from Blade Runner's scripter!
24 October 2000
A previous commenter says this is so bad? What film did he see? More inventive than "Terminator"- it uses real humans trained to be ultimate fighters against their successors- genetically engineered humans. It's good versus evil versus plain meanness! Kurt Russell shows yet another facet of his under-appreciated talent as the silent, goal-oriented mega-soldier who, in the end, has a huge heart and believes in people- not manufactured replacements. Starkness of abandonment and de-commitment from a cold humankind are reflected throughout this adventure and quite frankly- it felt as if I too was on that planet. Look for the referrals to "Blade Runner", which added a bit more fun for me. I'll take this any day over "Terminator" or it's imitators. Like a little depth in your story? See this-
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