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hurley_chic182
Living in Prince Edward Island, diploma in Photography & Digital Imaging. Back in College taking Dental Assisting.
Reviews
The Woman in Black (2012)
Good for some thrills, but that's about it
What can be said about Daniel Radcliffe's first movie role since Harry Potter's conclusion last summer? Well not a whole lot. There wasn't a lot of depth by any of the actors involved. Mostly not a lot of opportunity - which makes sense when for the majority of the film he's in a mansion isolated from all the other characters. He can either talk to himself, the dog, or the ghosts that pop up constantly (prompting shrieks from the 14 year old girls who are sitting directly behind us, causing us all to have to plug our ears and me to question if before the end of the movie whether my ears will be bleeding from the trauma).
This movie is based on a novel which I never read, or even knew existed; It's another vengeful ghost story, with lots of scares that everyone sees coming. But this one doesn't entirely make sense. I guess the writers figure a ghost or spirit doesn't have to be rational. But the vengeance The Woman in Black was taking seemed unrelated to her personal vendetta, and therefore petty.
The atmosphere set this movie up for some good scares (mostly ruined by everyone in the theatre), some delivered better than others. It did get a little repetitive after a while, which is sad for a 95 minute film. Daniel Radcliffe's character must not scare easily either. I never got any sort of read on his emotional state for most of the movie. He mostly just looked nonchalant, occasionally mildly surprised or curious. Not nearly the right reactions for the circumstances.
I blame the producers for this lackluster suspense
They are probably guaranteed to make money, as most scary movies make more than they cost, and most people will tend to go to anything with Daniel Radcliffe. With the exception of maybe a couple of the secondary actors, it is clear that the cast did not require serious acting skills and were probably paid accordingly. But hey, they made a movie with Harry Potter; they can tell their kids that some day.
This movie is good for some thrills, and that's about it. If you're into that sort of thing, then by all means, check it out.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
The most "real" portrayal of an evil child
There are countless movies with the plot of an evil child. This is the first one I've seen that I found to be completely and utterly 'real'. It's a gripping and thought provoking film. We see how Eva (Tilda Swinton), the mother of Kevin (who went on a killing rampage of his high school), is forced to live with the consequences of what her son did. People treat her as though she is responsible for her son's actions, continuously punishing her, and she takes it without dispute.
We continue to follow Eva through her memories of Kevin. Starting with conception and pregnancy, she seems less than thrilled whereas her husband Franklin (John C. Reilly) couldn't be happier. As Kevin grows, so does his and his mother's resentment towards each other (insert the chicken or the egg theory here). Her husband on the other hand gets along perfectly with Kevin.
Through Eva's flashbacks we see Kevin as a monster, and it's not an expression in this case. He is manipulative, he displays many traits of a sociopath from an early age, but only his mother seems aware. And he treats her with pure contempt when they are alone, yet fooling everyone else into believing he is a good and decent person. She desperately wants to find something wrong with him, hoping for some sort of cause to his actions. The viewer is left to contemplate Nature vs. Nurture. Is the way Kevin was brought up, and how he reacted to and interpreted his mother's feelings towards him the reason for his sociopathic tendencies? Or was he born that way, and that's why his mother is the way she is? Despite the way he treats her, she never stops trying to reach him. I think she wants to be capable of loving him, and truly tries, but at the same time she hates him for who and what she knows he is.
This is the first film I have seen by director Lynne Ramsey, and I will definitely seek out her other works. I am not a fan of Tilda Swinton, but this is the best performance I have ever seen from her. I wanted to sympathize with her character, yet at the same time I was so frustrated and angry with her for constantly holding out hope for the hopeless. Why she was not nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress in a Leading Role leaves me dumbfounded (But then again, I feel like the Academy really missed the mark in a lot in the nominations this year). All the actors who play Kevin through his various stages are tremendous and extremely believable. They make me absolutely fear what Kevin is capable of and hate him for it.
We Need to Talk About Kevin strives to be a perfect film, and it comes extremely close. It shows that everyone involved gave this movie their all. Definitely a must see!
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
One of a kind - a joy to watch
I watched this as a kid fairly often, but hadn't seen it in probably 15 years. I finally got my hands on a copy, and I have to say it is pretty special.
The setting is 1940's Hollywood, where cartoon characters coexist with people. They live in a neighborhood called ToonTown, but are usually found on the back lot of film studios. Bob Hoskin's plays private detective Eddie Valiant, hired by a production company to reconcile Roger Rabbit with his wife Jessica because Roger's broken heart is causing him to lose focus on his latest picture.
What starts out as a quick and easily wrapped up case for the PI turns into something more when Roger is suspected of killing Acme Incorporated owner, his wife's "patty-cake partner", Marvin Acme. When Eddie discovers a motive that no toon would kill Acme for, he teams up with Roger to hopefully bring the real murderer to justice.
Robert Zemeckis, who brought us the amazing Back to the Future Trilogy, does another amazing job directing. The writers did a remarkable job working in jokes and zany anecdotes that somehow make total sense in a cartoon/real world crossover. The actors are very convincing; it's as if they are really interacting with toons. Considering that this movie was released in 1988, the animation/live action crossover is excellent; you really believe that the toons are manipulating the "real" environment.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a joy to watch – I can't think of how it could be any better. I don't know of another movie like it that actually reaches the standards of this film, it is simply superb.
If you ever get a chance to watch this movie (again, or for the first time) don't turn it down. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
The Descendants (2011)
A touching and incredibly acted film
This poignant story is simultaneously tragic and comical, a feat not many movies even attempt to claim, and this one nails it. Through the situation and the circumstances surrounding it, we witness Matt's journey through his grief. The character development is so fluid that you don't always notice it until after it's happened.
Alexander Payne did a great job directing. As I watch I am so absorbed in the story and characters that I feel that I am witnessing it all happen right in front of me, like I'm a fly on the wall in this moving story. The actors are exceptional for the most part, as though they aren't really acting – which always makes for the most believable characters. Amara Miller who plays Matt's younger daughter Scottie did amazing in her first role. I look forward to seeing her in more movies. The story itself is not amazing. It is rather forgettable; it was a novel first, and probably makes a stronger impact as a book.
One of the problems I had with this film is with the character of Matt. Faced with so much we rarely see him vulnerable, and he always is taking the high road, and being the better man. But in the situations he's faced with, I find that pretty inconceivable. Any real person faced with the kinds of revelations he is faced with couldn't be expected to deal with them in such stride. And even though the character wasn't written entirely authentic (in my opinion), George Clooney still did an excellent portrayal – the best role I've seen him play. But I still would give the Oscar to Jean Dujardin for 'The Artist'. But George will probably walk away with the gold anyhow, the Academy loves him, and every year it seems that the Academy Awards are becoming more and more about the politics. Please surprise me this year Academy!
Okay, enough of that; back to my review:
Will this movie cling to my memories for years? Probably not, but it was interesting to see George Clooney flourish in a different role than he usually takes on. Though the story isn't memorable, it is touching, and there is a good mix of comedic relief that lightens the heavy subject matter nicely.