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Reviews
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Excellent performance from Whitaker but many flaws otherwise
The reason to see this film is for Forest Whitaker's performance as the brutal, insane Idi Aminhe brings a nuance to the role that demonstrates how he has grown as an actor and what we can expect of him in the future. But as to the rest of the film, I personally found it flawed. Not enough of the history of this period is covered, which would truly show us what a monster Amin was. There are mentions of genocide but they come late in the film. The big problem is that the character of Nicholas Garrigan is essentially unsympathetic. The main reason to tell a story from an alternate POV is because the main character (Amin) lacks sympathy. But we have little to root for with Garrigan. He is a naive opportunist who quickly turns his back on his original goal when the wife of his boss turns down his advances. He doesn't even attempt to use any of his influence once he becomes Amin's right hand man to help the struggling mission. And to sleep with Amin's wife is on par with the teenagers going out into the woods where the maniac is waiting with a chainsaw. Garrigan not only puts himself at risk--he condemns the woman to a hideous death. He takes an awfully long time to assess what's going on in Uganda and then his only motivation is to save himself. We are supposed to think he somehow redeems himself when he doesn't cry out during the torture sceneanother improbability. The film itself could have benefited from some editing to contrast the chaotic, under lit tone. It felt as if we had one hectic scene after another, with frequently mumbled dialog (between a Scotsman and an African no less!) shot in low light with a soundtrack that, although interesting at first, grew overbearing, and felt inserted.
En la ciudad sin límites (2002)
Compelling drama, well-made
I really enjoyed this film. The drama of Max approaching death and losing his grasp on reality intertwined with his fear/wish that he might still be able to undo an act committed 40 years earlier was compelling and very real, at the same time providing a strong element of suspense as his son Victor slowly unravels the truth. The romantic sub-plots work nicely to enhance the theme of betrayal. My only criticism was that I didn't think the gay theme worked and felt inserted into the plot. I personally found the relationship between the two men more profound as purely a political one. I think Marie's jealousy would have been more poignant if she had felt threatened by that side of the men's friendship and not the sexual. But overall an excellent film, well worth seeing. Great soundtrack.
The Business of Strangers (2001)
Tight suspense, beautifully simple.
Saw this film last night and was impressed by the believability of the characters and situation. Frequently suspense movies go over the top in order to get just one more twist out of the plot but this one keeps it simple and taut. The story reminded me of Patricia Highsmith at her best, and the film-making was reminiscent of Ice Storm in its moodiness of modern American life. A very good performance by Stockard Channing.
Wilbur Falls (1998)
Check it Out
This sly thriller has originality, quirky characters and twists that make up for the occasional clunky humor. Shanee Edwards turns in a more than respectable performance as the teenage girl who accidentally kills the high school bully who humiliated her years before. If you like offbeat mystery/suspense, check it out.
Memento (2000)
A great movie, but...
I agree with a lot of the comments made on this great film. A terrific film noir treatment, provocative and intriguing, told in reverse (part of it anyway). I, like others, want to see it again and do a little more detective work. But I wonder if that would yield any more information...
The ending (beginning) is so ambiguous, it's pretty much all open for interpretation. If there is any kind of rule in a suspense/thriller/whatever, it is that we should get some kind of handle on what really happened. And I don't think we do. As a member of the audience, I've just spent 2 hours in Lenny's head and I felt a tad unfulfilled. But go see it anyway.