Change Your Image
psychobitchua
Reviews
Jumper (2008)
Plain disappointing
Plain disappointing. I went to see "Jumper" because Doug Liman directed "Bourne Identity", one of my "Top 10" movies of all times. I'd probably love "Mr. and Ms. Smith", too, if I wasn't overfed with Brangelina that much.
Anyway, I believed Doug couldn't make bad action movie. I was so hopelessly wrong
No, there are a few awesome and memorable action scenes. And Jaime Bell is pure charm all the way. But it's not enough to make a good movie.
It starts out slowly, promising a deep and detailed storyline, providing a list of clichés instead and horribly dull acting by Christensen and Bilson, so you start to pray silently for *something* essential and surprising to happen. When events finally start to build up, you think you are saved and that here, at least here Doug can do no wrong
oh well. The culmination lasts for about a minute to be followed by a pointless final scene and credits.
It feels like the movie was initially much longer, but then someone forced Liman to reduce it to 88 minutes, so he started to cut scenes out randomly. Characters disappear just like that, important scenes end before you start to get the point
Damn, it was like watching "Eragon" again
Munich (2005)
A thin line between executioner and a victim to be executed
I'm giving it all the stars possible because it was the best film of a few years of my life. I got interested with the poster which appeared online long ago, where a man with the gun, the executioner, looks like a victim to be executed. The dose of despair in "Munich" is breathtaking. The biggest contradiction of human nature is shown clearly: human-beings don't want to be killed, but a machine of violence following violence following violence is working and even with all understanding and diplomacy it's barely possible to stop it. And audience is helplessly watching the way those pinions inside the machine moving and affecting each other. Spielberg showed the sequence of a human-being breaking under the weight of God's duties he was given: to take lives away. "Munich" is strong enough to affect every viewer. It had an impact on me, it had an impact on part of audience who came to see "Hector of Troy without a beard". They stopped to giggle and grow serious after first 10 minutes. Movie is powerful when no one can open a mouth and start making silly jokes.
The Crow (1994)
The best movie adaptation of a comic book
Surreal dark atmosphere, that was created, combined all the characters into one storyline perfectly. Simple story spiced up with vivid characters, scenes and retorts, no extra pieces, no stereotypes which look stupid. Everything is just like a perfect melody. There is one way to make a good man be a bad man. There is one wound that hurts the most. There is one law that works in any religion and any universe: everything pays off. The Crow gave birth to many stereotypical characters, like a never-ending river of copies made with very bad xerox machine, and the worst ever TVshow, but original of it really worked. And will work for a long time ahead.
Brigada (2002)
Killing realism
I was ignoring Brigada for almost three years because I'm sick of 5 Russian soap operas on each channel each night. But thanks to insomnia, I stumbled across the re-run and my God, nobody expected technical perfection, but I started to wonder if creators of the movie contacted real "bratva" to add realism. I'm recognizing gestures, sayings, places, manner to act, altitudes, everything. I know nothing about "lawless" part of life, but "law" part of life is reflected with frightening accuracy. Because "I-know-the-person-who-would-say-exactly-the-same" feeling doesn't come often to me. And Kos... Kos is just Kos the way he is. lol
I don't like Al Pacino and Italian movies parallels though. It's like comparing hamburger and old good sandwich with Moskovskaya salami. It has the same purpose -- to feed -- but then similarities end and national specifics come into play. Watch the way it happens here as we know it in other words.
Gerry (2002)
We needed one of this kind.
I needed for sure. Round-dance of vision, thoughts and retorts which make you feel and think whether you want it or not. You don't need to count punches or wonder what chick is hotter because there are no chicks or punches to count, no explosions and no predictable jokes, no villains and old good guys. Characters are two men, desert and the thing which made them step out the path and look for itself. The desire to seek was so strong that they weren't thinking about consequences. We are not allowed and can't be correct when we just follow the impulse. Movie is different each second: funny, stressful, sad and hopeful, all at once. One of those movies which make you find new meaning each time you watch it, new unseen lines. And the thing rocks no matter what. But fans of "Bourne" and "Ocean" movies should save their rainbow illusions. lol Perfect.
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Orchestra had good musicians, but symphony didn't sound good...
There is one thing that can kill good thriller. It's humor. When there is too much of cursing-funny constructions, movie turns into a parody and you have an impression that even characters laugh at themselves. When Dracula looks like night club bouncer, you start to wonder of why the movie didn't have "comedy" written next to the title. I loved first two movies and if I didn't see them, I would say Trinity was great, but I did and I say Trinity was not a waste of money, but it was the worst part of the trilogy. It had many interesting characters and lines which could perfectly work under the right development. For some reason they just didn't. Orchestra had good musicians, but symphony didn't sound good...