fenevar Reviews

Fail Safe (1964)

Fail Safe is the serious version of Dr. Strangelove

[9/10 · 12 October 2016]

In 2013, two remarkably similar films released in theaters at around the same time. Both were about a takeover of the white house, Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. Both were phenomenal critical flops, and deserved to be so. However, back in 1964, two films that dealt with identical subject matter were released in theaters, one after the other. Both of these films are tremendous and memorable, but they take distinctly different approaches to the subject.

These films are Dr. Strangelove (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) and Fail Safe. They both deal with the topic of mutually assured destruction during the cold war. In both films, a false alarm is sent out to bomber planes, which are flying two hours away from their targets. In both films, all attempts are made to stop the planes from attacking once it is discovered there is no need for attack. However, Dr. Strangelove tackles the topic from a dark comedy angle, while Fail Safe takes a serious, sorrowful, and devastating angle. Both do so as well as is possible, and both are stunning.

Fail Safe stars Henry Fonda as the unnamed President of the United States, who takes control of the situation in a tremendous performance. His character has several discussions with the Russian president, in another scene which shows the definite difference between this and Strangelove. In Strangelove, the president's conversation is quite amusing ("You know how we've always talked about the possibility of something going wrong with the bomb?") whereas here it's deadly serious and quite realistic.

Neither of these perspectives is the right or wrong perspective, and both are directed by masters of the craft of filmmaking. Sidney Lumet, the director of Fail Safe, is known most for films like 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, and more recently Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Here, reminding us of 12 Angry Men is not only the director but the star, Fonda. Also, there is the atmosphere, the tension in the air of an impossible decision which needs to be made, and the most certainly deadly outcome will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the shoulders of those who make it.

Fail Safe doesn't make it to the ten star mark for me, personally, because of a decidedly slow start. The opening ten minutes or so are unpleasant and dull in my memory, and keep it from being a great film from start to finish. But once the plot gets on the road, this film is absorbing, tense, and everything a cold war thriller should be. Highly recommended.

The Wish List (2010 TV Movie)

Trash

[1/10 · 11 August 2013]

This movie is trash. If I owned the DVD, I would apologize to the person that gave it to me, and I would toss the DVD in the trash. It's disgustingly horrid. The acting is trash. The writing is trash. The cinematography is trash. The character development is trash. The trashy music is trashily arranged, and put in trashy places of a trashy story. It's simply trash. This movie isn't just formula, it takes the formula, spits on it (not out of disrespect, it does this because it believes it will make the formula better) rubs it into dirt, and tosses it into a blender, and then it puts it's own arm in the blender for a bloody terrible taste. I cringed throughout the film, and there were no laughable or tasteful moments. The film isn't emotional, it's just simply DISGUSTING. The characters are as stupid as the person who wrote the script. Don't watch it. Sometimes critics watch bad movies to criticize them, this is one I wouldn't watch even to criticize.

The Master (2012)

An extremely well done film, exemplifying the habits and family of a cult

[10/10 · 16 June 2013]

Paul Thomas Anderson directed the film Boogie Nights in 1997, 1998, something like that. He's known for directing such masterpieces as Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. After directing There Will Be Blood, he took his longest recorded break from film: Five years. Now, he returns, with this film, the study of a new religion. The Master echoes Boogie Nights. A newcomer to a sort of cult, a group heavily burdened by controversy. In Boogie Nights it is pornography, in The Master, it is a new religion, very much like Scientology. The newcomer is welcomed. The newcomer comes to love the people in the cult. The story is played out fantastically, with all the acting being absolutely splendid. And the way the film looks on 70mm, is nothing short of mind-blowing. I love Nolan, but honestly, Anderson makes better use of the film. Every single shot is absolutely perfect, and amazingly filmed. The dialogue is amazing, as always with Anderson films. Hoffman's character, the leader of 'The Cause', leads well, and truly defines the word 'Master', with strong words, along with unyielding vocals. Some say the film is pointless. I disagree. It is meant to show the beginning of a religion, it's rising, and it's founding, and the strength of it's leader. It's a spectacle. Watch, and be amazed. The Master says a line near the end, (and I'm trying to keep this spoiler free, so this is rather vague) describing how no one can live without a master of some kind. And he does make a point. Anderson isn't in support of Scientology in the film, he's using it as an example. And he does so splendidly.

Man of Steel (2013)

Superman finally gets the movie he deserves

[6/10 · 15 June 2013]

Up to this point, all the Superman films made have either been extraordinarily cheesy, or just plain boring (Superman Returns). But when the news got out that Nolan was making the story for the next film, Goyer was writing, and the visual master Snyder was directing, fans were excited. Although in certain areas, Man of Steel didn't live up to some expectations, the film was absolutely fantastic, with some incredibly executed action scenes. Shannon's acting is also commendable. The story is well done. A slightly intricate plot, with some fantastic dark scenes, one of which includes skulls, and a wide-spanning threat, is unfortunately slightly done in by some less than spectacular dialogue. If only Nolan had also written the script. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue isn't bad, but it certainly isn't extraordinary. Zimmer's score works brilliantly in the film, and it's also an excellent stand alone soundtrack, exemplifying heroism in it's strong trumpet blasts, and a fantastically uplifting theme. In summary, the film is certainly well done. It lacks in a few areas, and falls short of greatness, but it is entertaining, and something any true movie collector would be proud to add to their collection. Superman has finally gotten a good movie, with a plot that begins at the beginning, and continues on splendidly.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The perfect relaxing film, hiding a deep philosophy

[10/10 · 12 June 2013]

The Big Lebowski, yet another absolutely perfect masterpiece of a film from the Coen Brothers. These brothers seem to be masters at the medium of film. Every single line of dialogue in this movie has a way of being seen as funny, even if you can find a line in the film that isn't very obviously comedic. The film is genius in the way that through all it's seeming simplicity, through all that it seems to focus on the ridiculous plight of a stoner attempting to solve a mystery, it harbors a deep philosophy, a sort of live and let live philosophy. In other words, the Dude Abides. The three main performances, those of John Goodman, Jeff Bridges, and Steve Buscemi, are expertly played, as are the majority of the roles, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro. Also, the music in the film, as some people have pointed out, is much like a character in the film. And it just 'fits right in there' to quote the Stranger. The movie is fantastically rewatchable. One could probably watch it once a day and not grow weary of it, because it's incredibly funny, quotable, and genius.

Magnolia (1999)

One of the few perfect films I have seen, and the best at that

[10/10 · 11 June 2013]

Magnolia is one of two of Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpieces, the other being There Will Be Blood. I personally love every single solitary frame of this movie. I love the acting, I love the cinematography, I love the lighting (this is one of the few films that I actually notice lighting in) and I love the emotion, the intense, beautiful emotion. Magnolia is a spectacular mosaic of beauty, forgiveness, sadness, and love. Every second of Magnolia expresses a certain sympathy and sadness, as well as care. The acting is commendable, especially on the part of Tom Cruise. I happen to be one of the seemingly few people who find Cruise to be a fantastic actor. And in this movie, he shines. His performance, like Day-Lewis' performance in There Will Be Blood, is stunning. In a climactic scene near the end of Magnolia, he breaks down in tears beside his father, and the emotions expressed through his eyes, his mouth, and his hands, are nothing short of captivating. Like Aronofsky's 'The Fountain', this movie makes me cry at multiple times throughout it, every single time. And it's because of the depth, and the beauty of the whole spectacle. You come to care for each of the many characters, and feel sympathy for all of them. As Tom Cruise shouts in hatred at his dying father, you feel for both Cruise's character and for the dying father, as well as Hoffman's character, in the corner, watching. As he watches, and I only speak for myself here, his emotions reflect my own, both of us observing, and feeling sympathy and sadness for both sides of the ordeal. The dialogue is beautifully composed, as well as performed. The music also makes every second of the film climactic, and it should be. All the actions in the film are important to help us understand the characters, inside and out. The film's timing is perfect, and had it been shorter than it was, contrary to what some impatient film-goers say, it would have been lesser. It would have lowered the quality of the overall film. This film is the greatest film I have ever seen, and I've seen every Coen movie, every Nolan movie, Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, and many Scorsese films. I say that this is the best movie I've ever seen, knowing the quality of those films, and acknowledging that this film is deeper, more human, and more intensely emotional than any movie I've ever seen.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Enjoyable at times, but lands with a dull thud

[6/10 · 11 June 2013]

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone does not reach greatness, nor does it reach any definition of incredibility. The film is worth a single watch, but nothing more. Steve Carell's performance is very 'The Office' - like. I saw the film online, and whenever I would glance away, it sounded like every other line he said was in the private shots, the ones that take place in the conference room of 'The Office'. This could be seen as humorous, or terrible. Carell's opposing star, Buscemi, does a fantastic job, and plays the part perfectly. The film's climax tries to maintain suspense, and amaze us, as often magicians do, but the amazement it attempts to push on us lands nearly silently, and quite hollow. But, the film has some good moments, some fantastic cinematography throughout, which reflects the feeling of watching a magic show well, and some good humorous moments. Worth a watch.

The Hangover Part III (2013)

Nothing great, but enjoyable.

[7/10 · 11 June 2013]

The Hangover Part Three initially didn't draw very much excitement from fans of the series, but when it was announced that John Goodman would be in the film, that stirred up interest from people who weren't even fans of the original. However, the film didn't seem to make very good use of the incredible actor. He gets very little screen time, but for what he does have in the film, he is fantastic. The Hangover Part Three is most certainly an enjoyable ride, recalling scenes from the first Hangover, and adding in a sense of conclusion to the series. Don't get me wrong, the movie is nothing great. It most certainly will not go down in history as one of the great comedies. But it is easily better than The Hangover Part II to say the least. And not as if it really matters in the quality of a film, but the film is certainly far more appropriate than it's two previous films. The acting is hilarious, especially on the part of Galifianakis, who is fantastic in each role he has ever been given. Cooper is also a great actor in the film. I would suggest the film to anyone who watched the other two, or even just the first one. It doesn't live up to the great originality of the first, but it's certainly fun, and has a few laugh out loud moments.

The SharkTank Redemption (2000)

Horrible

[3/10 · 20 April 2013]

This was absolutely horrible. This film should not even connect itself to Shawshank in any way. Shawshank is an absolutely incredible film, and this doesn't live up to even spoof quality. I had the unpleasant experience of watching this with some friends, and I had to say 'I'm sorry' at the end. They also thought it was horrible. The lines that are slightly related to lines from Shawshank are horribly executed and written, and acted. The acting. The acting is just so absolutely horrible throughout this film. Andy Dufresne's parody character, who's parody name isn't worth remembering. This whole film is just bad. Don't watch this. It's a bad experience that will have you cringing at nearly every line, and despairing for the future of film spoofs.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Very Good!

[8/10 · 27 July 2012]

I'm tired of all the people saying oh, the old one was better. It wasn't. In addition, this one was far closer to the book, and the acting was far better. It made you dislike the four brats more, and Johnny Depp beat Gene Wilder easily. This one was directed better, music was better, jokes were better, just about everything was better. Although this one did add in a back-story for Willy Wonka, that was one of very few differences from book to movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and I don't see why anyone would prefer the old one. Do people simply believe it's more honorable to prefer the old to new? I just don't see the sense in it. I would suggest taking a new look at this, with non-judgmental eyes, not thinking about Gene Wilder, and just realize how good this movie is!