brooke-25 Reviews

La Dolce Vita (1960)

Think About Your Life

[10/10 · 23 August 2004]

This episodic film has to be seen more than once. The following

are my first-screening impressions. I loved many of the scenes:

the opening shot with the helicopters; the party guests looking at

the beach (near the end of the film); and especially the final shot

(which reminded me of The 400 Blows). La Dolce Vita brings up

the issue of celebrity: whether we're rich or poor, we all love it. It

also looks at the issue of "other people's lives": we always think

someone else is so well off and has got it together – this is not

always the case (the grass isn't always greener).The film definitely

leaves an impression and will get you thinking about your life. On a

last note, Marcello Mastroianni gives an outstanding performance.

Along Came Polly (2004)

Along Came a Good Laugh

[6/10 · 27 June 2004]

The story's not overly engaging, but for some reason Along Came Polly is fun. Ben Stiller just has that knack of being able to embarass himself and we love him for it. You can't help but laugh. But the film is worth a look for Philip Seymour Hoffman, too, as the child actor still looking for recognition -- and work. The basketball court scene is great, but the best is his performance with a community theatre's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. If you've ever been in community theatre, or you've hung out with actors, you'll appreciate this.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Stylized Mind

[8/10 · 6 November 2003]

Although I will probably never watch this film again (for that matter I

don't know how it will age), it is certainly worth a look for the

stylized way it is filmed (almost like film noir). George Clooney did

an excellent job in his directorial debut, creating suspense and the

unknown. Was all this espionage stuff in Chuck Barris's mind or

was it real? Clooney's performance as the CIA agent is great. And I

really don't need to say how fantastic Sam Rockwell's performance

is! He has now become one of my new favourites (and that's not

because he appears naked in the film!)

The Italian Job (2003)

Heists are Fun

[7/10 · 18 August 2003]

I can't say I was overly looking forward to The Italian Job, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's just a sheer action film, where the thieves are not really bad because they don't use guns. They just take stuff that doesn't belong to them. Anyway, it's a fun film, with a great boat chase in Venice. And an even greater chase in L.A. involving three Mini Coopers and a helicopter! Somehow I don't think three Minis are inconspicuous, but nevertheless, it was a wild ride. BTW, watch for a snippet of Michael Caine in Alfie. Caine was in the original Italian Job in 1963.

Die Another Day (2002)

Shaken, But Not Stirring

[6/10 · 10 June 2003]

Usual Bond stuff: cool gadgets, cheeky sexual innuendoes, gorgeous babes and a nasty bad guy. But outside of that, Die Another Day has a pretty poor story line. It's a fun film (James Bond now paraglides!), but I'll probably never watch it again. It didn't have the zest of the true Bond films with Sean Connery and Roger Moore. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's 006!

Spellbound (2002)

Tension Time

[10/10 · 26 May 2003]

This documentary, which follows 8 young American students to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., is nothing short of brilliant! It shows how the students and their parents deal with the pressure and the kids' studying habits. There are also interviews with the students' teachers, as well as previous Spelling Bee winners. It is a well-rounded and perfectly paced film. There are great closeups of the kids' faces as they struggle to spell words I have not even heard of! It's fun and tense at the same time. I found myself trying to spell the words with them. And I learned a few things, too: wedding banns is spelled b-a-n-n-s, and...I need a bigger dictionary! This is a must-see!

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Heavenly

[10/10 · 11 May 2003]

It's 1950s small town America and rich society widow Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) has fallen in love with her gardener Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), but can the gossipy town handle it? This beautifully filmed classic, directed by Douglas Sirk, is so touching. And even though it's considered a melodrama (and at times a bit syrupy--just watch for Bambi!) there is a deeper meaning underneath all that Technicolor. Listen for the Thoreau quote that Cary reads when she and Ron visit his friends, Mick and Alida Anderson. That's the whole lesson of the film summed up right there.

Added note: There's a classic line that Wyman says to Hudson in the car when he says that she should not let others influence her decisions, like his friend Mick, who had to learn how to be a man. She responds with "You want me to be a man." Then he says, "Well, just in that one way." It's funny now in retrospect!

In the Mood for Love (2000)

In the Mood for a Lovely Film

[8/10 · 4 May 2003]

Beautiful film set in 1962 Hong Kong about a man (Mr. Chow) and woman (Mrs. Chan) who become close friends when they suspect their spouses are having an affair. Stylistically, the film is also beautiful. Wong Kar-Wai uses a lot of slow motion and close-ups on parts of the body (feet, hands, waist). The film itself has a reticence and properness that suggests its time period. It's sexy without showing everything. Wong Kar-Wai also doesn't allow the audience to see what the spouses look like, suggesting that Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan should be together. Smoking is even made to look elegant with close-ups of the curls of smoke. A really lovely film. Just prepare yourself for the ending.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

Sing Along With Motown

[8/10 · 30 April 2003]

This was a really excellent documentary on the session/backup musicians (many still living) who played on many of the Motown hits during the 1960s. You'll know all the songs and you'll be singing along-I did. Unfortunately, all the songs aren't in the documentary. (Darn time constraints!) It must have been hard to choose which ones to include. There are so many greats!

S1m0ne (2002)

Virtual Junk

[5/10 · 24 April 2003]

The concept was innovative, very smart, indeed, but this was a concept in search of a decent story. Al Pacino and Catherine Keener deserved a better film than this. On a good note, newcomer Rachel Roberts was very convincing as the virtual actress Simone.