It's obvious that the movie is adapted from a book, or there can be no way that 2 of the more popular stars in Japan will agree to act in this movie, provided that the screenplay is horrendous. It's incredibly slow and the slow shots are meaningless. They are just taking one minute to be ten minutes in the movie. And I was typically waiting for the guy to collapse and die the whole time, for that is obviously what is going to happen at the end. You can see it coming from the beginning. The book which the movie based its story on should be a pretty well-written book, but I highly doubt that it is suitable to be adapted into a movie. That's the thing with Japanese novels typically. Japanese authors use beautiful words and construct beautiful worlds, but unfortunately the beauty is so surreal that it can only exists in the head. Well, there are some very good adaptations of Japanese novels, say, Yogisha X no Kenshin for example. However, in that case, apart from the all-around brilliant acting from the actors, the plot plays a very important role too. The novel itself has a very strong plot, and the truth behind the crime is so impactful that it makes it difficult for anyone or anything to screw its adaptation. Unfortunately, this is no Yogisha X no Kenshin. I have not read the book, and i'm not prejudging, but still i know it is a horrible movie. Just like I have not read Twilight but I know it is not adapted well.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Burn After Reading
(2008)
Profanities, dark humor and surprises, yes, but where are the big laughs?
4 October 2008
Well, I watched the film today, and I guess I will be one of the rare ones on this board that didn't like the movie.
It's a disappointment.
Maybe it's because I went to the movie looking for laughs. I didn't get them, so did the rest of the audience in the theater. Brad's character is there to provide some slapstick humor but hey, Brad isn't Jim Carrey and can never be him. He looks awkward in the film sometimes. There are pretty much profanities in the film, the F-word, sexual humor and bad morals etc, but since everyone and everything are so ridiculous and ironic in the film and that profanities are pretty much acceptable in this type of films, so no problems here. It's just that I felt the F-word seems to repeat too frequently that it seemed a little forced and deliberate. The killings are shockers, they are pretty good, it's just that no one laughed. Maybe the audience in the theater where i am in just "didn't get it" or maybe it's just that they did not think brutal killings are funny. Period.
The best thing in the film has got to be the couple of scenes of the clueless CIA superior and his subordinate. They are absolutely hilarious. The Russians second them. The score is so ironic when applied to the film. It is pretty helpful to stimulate laughter, it's good. And the trailer has got to be the next best thing. It certainly looks great, it gives away most of the funniest parts in the film and idiotic Brad definitely comes as a surprise and is so much funnier in the trailer than in the film.
On the whole it's still a pretty enjoyable film, though nobody quite get the laughs but at least it sustained my interest because I for one, will want to know what the hell is going on in the film. It's an okay dark comedy, but if you are going for big laughs AND you are the type of person who don't find brutal killings funny no matter how they are carried out, be prepared to be disappointed.
It's a disappointment.
Maybe it's because I went to the movie looking for laughs. I didn't get them, so did the rest of the audience in the theater. Brad's character is there to provide some slapstick humor but hey, Brad isn't Jim Carrey and can never be him. He looks awkward in the film sometimes. There are pretty much profanities in the film, the F-word, sexual humor and bad morals etc, but since everyone and everything are so ridiculous and ironic in the film and that profanities are pretty much acceptable in this type of films, so no problems here. It's just that I felt the F-word seems to repeat too frequently that it seemed a little forced and deliberate. The killings are shockers, they are pretty good, it's just that no one laughed. Maybe the audience in the theater where i am in just "didn't get it" or maybe it's just that they did not think brutal killings are funny. Period.
The best thing in the film has got to be the couple of scenes of the clueless CIA superior and his subordinate. They are absolutely hilarious. The Russians second them. The score is so ironic when applied to the film. It is pretty helpful to stimulate laughter, it's good. And the trailer has got to be the next best thing. It certainly looks great, it gives away most of the funniest parts in the film and idiotic Brad definitely comes as a surprise and is so much funnier in the trailer than in the film.
On the whole it's still a pretty enjoyable film, though nobody quite get the laughs but at least it sustained my interest because I for one, will want to know what the hell is going on in the film. It's an okay dark comedy, but if you are going for big laughs AND you are the type of person who don't find brutal killings funny no matter how they are carried out, be prepared to be disappointed.
The Neighbor
(I) (2007)
A very bland movie, fails at the romance.
21 August 2008
Well. This is a not well-known movie, and initially, i was surprised at the low rating it got at IMDb. But then I still went ahead to watch, and i was wrong. The movie is interesting only to the first half, then it begins unleashing the crappiest elements of a romantic comedy.
First, there is a sense of realism and the movie attempted to shape the characters of the two main leads. We can see, from their never ending arguments to the lifestyle that they have, how different the two are main leads are. Both of them have major flaws with their characters, but nevertheless, remains quite likable. Then, comes the climax of the movie. They fall in love with each other. How? In what way? There is no plot line, no events that will lead them to even change their views of each other at this point of time(half the movie gone)and seriously, there are such little chemistry or sexual tension between the two leads that I for one, even though knowing that this is to come, still can't quite imagine them falling for each other. And before long my doubts are cleared, they are brought/forced together in a very unconvincing and awkward way. There must be divine intervention really for the two of them, with their characters to behave like they did. From then on, it's all very rushed and the characters of the main leads seem to change overnight(especially for the female lead). Why shape their characters up if you're going to ruin it so completely later on? For romance? A very awkward and forced one? NOTHING is convincing.
This is a terrible movie. Even if you've got a couple of hours free with nothing to do, don't watch it.
First, there is a sense of realism and the movie attempted to shape the characters of the two main leads. We can see, from their never ending arguments to the lifestyle that they have, how different the two are main leads are. Both of them have major flaws with their characters, but nevertheless, remains quite likable. Then, comes the climax of the movie. They fall in love with each other. How? In what way? There is no plot line, no events that will lead them to even change their views of each other at this point of time(half the movie gone)and seriously, there are such little chemistry or sexual tension between the two leads that I for one, even though knowing that this is to come, still can't quite imagine them falling for each other. And before long my doubts are cleared, they are brought/forced together in a very unconvincing and awkward way. There must be divine intervention really for the two of them, with their characters to behave like they did. From then on, it's all very rushed and the characters of the main leads seem to change overnight(especially for the female lead). Why shape their characters up if you're going to ruin it so completely later on? For romance? A very awkward and forced one? NOTHING is convincing.
This is a terrible movie. Even if you've got a couple of hours free with nothing to do, don't watch it.
9 Songs
(2004)
A failed attempt to become ART
21 August 2008
The movie is trying for something bold by showing explicit sex scenes which even includes the showing of penetrative sex(you can see the cock entering the vagina) and stuff like that. This movie can become a masterpiece, it is striving for that, but it failed. If only they can add more things to this, some twist maybe, more plot lines, some exploration on the characters themselves perhaps, and their relationship, or provide more realism...i don't know. It seems like a whole lot of things here, though the structure is there. It's just missing out the details. I won't call it porn. In some cases, either the movie become a masterpiece, or it will be a complete flop. Like what this movie is.
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