julia-59299 Reviews

U Turn (1997)

dark but absorbing

[9/10 · 28 November 2015]

I know people who can't watch this film simply because it's just too off putting to look at. It takes the audience into a very unappealing, seedy world, the cinematography is overexposed and grainy, and the whole film seems like it could easily be a best seller at a local Grindhouse theatre. Call me crazy, but that's what I love about it.

First off, it's hard to ignore the superb cast involved here. This remains J. Lo's finest hour, for her performance is truly fantastic as a dangerous but vulnerable femme fatale. Penn is also excellent here and Joaquin Phoenix is hilarious as a volatile loud mouth always up for a fight.

Oliver Stone has directed some great films like PLatoon and Wall Street but he hasn't made many that are as fun and enjoyable as this one. You won't regret giving it a shot.

Pocket Listing (2015)

Light entertainment

[8/10 · 28 November 2015]

This is a fun and relatively clever little film, far from perfect and a bit slow to get going but generally enjoyable overall.

What's interesting about it is that it is set in the backdrop of the American real estate crises but somehow it doesn't dwell on the drama of that dilemma. Rather, it spins an energetic crime caper about a Malibu villa and all the players that are trying to sell it for their own very shady reasons. As long as the film stays with this threadline, it works. When it tries to become a bit message oriented with a subplot about a Downtown tenement that's tied to the sale of the house and to the main real estate agent, it loses momentum and becomes less zesty.

Fortunately, it maintains enough energy to keep the audience engaged and one most give credit to the younger actors in the film for really carrying it nicely. Lowe and Reynolds have smaller parts but it's really the fresh faced ingenues that make this film pop. Overall, "Pocket Listing" is certainly ambitious, somewhat flawed but undeniably compelling.

True Romance (1993)

true classic

[10/10 · 28 November 2015]

They don't come much more entertaining and enthralling than this early '90's classic. Even though this is very much a Tony Scott film (and one of his very best for that matter), ample credit must be paid to our man Tarantino for putting this wonderful, crazy ride together. His dialogue pulsates with wit and verve, his characters radiate with charisma and manic energy, and the whole film is a colorful, rich, endlessly engaging romp. And we can't forget the dynamite cast, who are all at the top of their game here. The Walken/Hopper Sicilian scene is truly one for the ages, and the chemistry between Slater and Arquette is fiery.

It's just a shame that the film wasn't more appreciated and lauded upon its initial release but it has rightfully found a cult following in the years to come.