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Lance_Tait
Reviews
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)
Everyone dreams, everybody invents things - sometimes it's for the good and sometimes it's crazy.
There are those who have a deep desire to see beauty and even be part of it. There are also those who are on moral quests. There are people who are excited by the imaginative. If this is you this movie may turn out to be a favorite of yours. The movie is not a retelling of the Don Quixote novel. It's a variation on the themes, the landscapes, the yearnings and other ingredients in the original Spanish source (Cervantes). Universal ideas and conflicts from it are reworked and put in different contexts. Gilliam's best for a long time? We'll see. I would say that it's loftier than he's gone before (but with some low comic touches for sure). There are many storyline twists in 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.' In addition, the movie business is satirized (sometimes with a feather, sometimes with a hammer). As for the locations: Gilliam has chosen them with great care; the cinematography does not let his gorgeous choices down. The directing, acting and music are superb. To date, (for me anyway) these are the most memorable film performances by Jonathan Pryce, Adam Driver, and some others in the cast. Pryce is eloquent but above all touching; Driver is perfect as the freaked-out guy who needs to escape the mess. Other characters/actors give me the creeps or fill me with praise for their spot-on nasty or nice performances.
Postia pappi Jaakobille (2009)
They're not kidding: this is excellent.
Careful, finely-honed directing by Klaus Härö features wonderful performances by Heikki Nousiainen and Kaarina Hazard. Brilliant casting. Small, tiny, luminous inventions are everywhere; nothing is heavy-handed. The story, first written by Jaana Makkonen, is austere, moving; the film ends just where it needs to in order for the story resonate. In any other person's hands besides Härö's, the result could have been disastrous. Why? Because the story does not appear to be overtly exceptional; and the visuals of the film need to be composed with the actors in natural, country surroundings and among existing buildings and a church. Härö, a cinematic poet, transmutes the physical materials he has on hand into gold. See this film if you dislike badly made movies and yearn for outstanding quality.
Puccini e la fanciulla (2008)
A superbly crafted film.
This extraordinary film by Paolo Baroni and Paolo Benvenuti creates its own particular—and strikingly beautiful—cinematic world. In contrast to many of today's shaky, rough-and-tumble pictures with rapid edits and over-dark scenes, 'Puccini and the Girl' is confident in its experimental yet classical visual language; many of its surprises are subtle. One example: we see a train at a station; there is a zoom out; the zoom is slow; then we find we have been looking at this train through the window of a car. The year is 1908. Society will see a transition from trains to automobiles. Though the film speaks of Giacomo Puccini, his love life, and the opera he is currently composing—'La fanciulla del West', opera lovers are advised that it is not a biopic of Puccini which has fully-orchestrated opera excerpts on display. The main location of the film is Puccini's house; the lake – and Nature – surround it while the characters (carefully researched, based on fact) strive to restrain their desires. This is a superbly crafted movie. There is a lot to savor here. A great deal can be learned about the art of cinema by watching 'Puccini and the Girl'. I cannot wait to see it again. – Lance Tait
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Moore has some major points to score for the side of democracy and against lopsided rule of the Republicans and their freedom for all those who can afford it.
Moore hits at the Bush agenda with the Moore perspective. Moore is deeper, far more articulate than the Bushies. Moore has some major points to score for the side of democracy and against lopsided rule of the Republicans and their freedom for all those who can afford it. Moore's job IS a real job. He necessary to society. Bush turns out to be a destructive, selfish figure who's never had an honest job in his life. Moore might well convince many that Bush is a war criminal. If Bush had ever had a real job maybe he wouldn't have got into this trouble. This picture is not just your average documentary. It has more drama and laughs than a lot of features. It also appears to be a social phenomenon. I will only describe the scene at the theater as packed--and the people, after the show, very concerned. Oh, and Moore has a way of lightening up--surprising given that the material can be heavy. You are denying yourself an opportunity to be an informed citizen if for some irrational reason you decide not to see this movie and see what everybody's squawking about.