Reviews

A breathtakingly beautiful film that is crafted and/or constructed perfectly. The acting is sensational, the direction is flawless, the writing is brilliant, and the cinematography, wow, the cinematography is amazing and perhaps the best of any film. This film lands you in a world that is both glorious and disturbing, the character of Charles Foster Kane is one that is so well drawn out and so brilliantly played (by, who else, but Orson Welles himself) that we are able to make a connection to this guy and become totally enthralled in his world and his doings no matter how corrupt the things he did were. It is never boring, it is, from the very first frame to the very last frame, one of the most intriguing films ever made and, possibly most importantly, it hasn't aged! It feels as if it were just made today but with a black and white camera instead of a color camera. If it weren't for the fact that I am forever a devoted fan of `The Godfather' and `Casablanca`, I would say that this is greatest film of ever made. I am the kind of film buff that honestly believes that there are some films out there where every word of praise is an absolute understatement, this, my friends, is one of those films, so this review is now complete.

Final Grade: * * * * * (out of 5, meaning 'masterpiece')

A wonderful and often funny look at the life in a chain gang. Worth checking out if you could find it anywhere. It was well acted, nicely directed, and pretty interesting in its humorous look at Chain Gang farm under inspection.

A wise man once told that it isn't "what" it's "how" when it comes to film. Meaning that how well a film is directed, acted, written, executed, photographed, etc. etc. etc. is much more important then what a film is about or the message it is giving us. What I'm getting at here is that when this film was first released it wasn't well received by the public due to the subject matter of it, which is a shame because it really is a good, excellent, and engrossing look at a man who has nothing left, but then gains it all back again, and ends losing it all again. It's obvious that people in the 1930's did not understand that it's not "what" it's "how". Anyway, "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" is a good film because of how extremely well it is acted, and how wonderfully it's executed, directed, and written. Paul Muni is exceptionally well in an Oscar nominated performance, as is the rest of the cast. Another thing that makes this one something to remember is how much a connection the viewer is able too make to the character of James Allen/Allen James, you find yourself rooting for this man, feeling this mans pain, and feeling sorry for this man. A film that is definitely worth a look. By the way, the scenes where James is trying too get the chains off of his feet are especially disturbing and somewhat cringe worthy (in a good way).

This is hailed as one of the greatest, if not the greatest western of all time, also known as a masterpiece. I don't know if I would agree with all those statements, though, I can certainly see why people call this one a masterpiece, it has absolutely wonderful cinematography, good acting, a wonderful story, and a little comedy, drama, and action. It is a perfect portrayal of love, hatred, and revenge. What more could someone ask from a film? Well, an always interesting story with characters you could become emotionally attached too to name one thing. I liked this movie, it had everything I mentioned above and then some, one of the things I liked best about the film is that it, unlike most 'talking' films, didn't need dialogue too tell the story, Ford used the scenery instead and that was a wonderful idea, but I couldn't help but get that "is that all" kind of feeling after a few of the scenes ended. I was never really captured by the plot, though it was great, I wasn't always interested in what was happening. Lastly, I wasn't emotionally attached to any of the characters, though I did respect them and what they were doing. All in all I thought it was good movie that I had a few minor problems with. Grade: **** (out of 5)

Despite being very unbelievable at times with its overly nice German soldiers the film features an intriguing story, solid acting (especially from Willis, Farrell, and Marcel Iures), good writing, and amazing cinematography too top it all off. Director Gregory Hoblit offers us an insightful look at a prisoner of war camp during the 1940's. Not very original but still entertaining as hell!

*** 1/2 (out of 5)

A great film that is packed full of interesting characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and heart felt scenes. It's been over 60 years since this was first released, but it is just as magical today as it was the day it was released. Featuring an outstanding performance from both Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert and a talented supporting cast. One of the greatest motion pictures of all time and quite possibly the best comedy ever made. Capra is genius!

Final Grade: ***** (out of 5)

It's a wonderful movie that is beautifully acted and skillfully directed. I did, however, find a flaw with one of the lesser characters. That being the character of Freddy, of whom I found to be one dimensional and undeveloped. I think the film would of been just as good or probably even better without that certain character. It was Unnecessary because I found that he was just there to be an emotional crutch for Audrey Hepburn's character. Rex Harrison is perfect and has a great singing. Hepburn is also very convincing, as is Stanley Holloway. Despite that one flaw, it is still a great film.

Michael Cimino's Academy Award winning Vietnam epic presents us with an atmosphere of realism. Everything just seems so real; the characters, the emotions, the dialog, everything is real and very intense. This more then just a Vietnam war movie though, it is a film about friendship and courge... Under stress. The Deer Hunter is brilliantly written, beautifully acted, and skillfully directed. It is one of the greatest motion pictures ever. I will admit however that I found the first hour to be overlong and uninteresting, therefore causing me to knock my grade down one notch. The film picks up and becomes interesting as it moves on though. The Russian Rollette scenes in the film are some of the most intense moments in film history. Keep that in mind.

Final Grade: ****1/2 (out of 5)

Academy Award winning director James L. Brooks made what could of been a dull and pointless look at some womans complicated life and turned it into a perfect study of life, happiness, and love. Despite a few flaws including a slow and uninteresting beginning with annoying mother and daughter characters, it does however involve you in the story as the movie slowly progresses, it also captures your interest after about the first half an hour. Featuring wonderful performances from Jeff Daniels (where was his Oscar nomination?), Shirley MaClaine (deserving of the Oscar), Jack Nicholson (always fun to watch), and of course Debra Winger (deserved the Oscar nomination). This isn't exactly a film that I would recommend to everyone though, because as I stated it does have a slow beginning and people with short attention spans are likely to think that this is the worst film ever, but I assure you that it's not. I got involved with each character, I really started to feel the pain and emotion of each character. It's a really heartbreaking film that caused me to get a lump in the back of my throat. All in all it's a wonderful film with terrific acting, brilliant writing, and fantastic direction. A must see for anyone who considers themselves a film buff. Not a film for everyone however.

Final Grade: *** (out of 5)

What is it about this film that makes it so compelling? Is it the amazing cinematography? The brutal and raw story of a NY paramedic about to go over the edge? Is it Scorsese's flawless direction? Is it the fact that Tom Sizemore steals the show with his convincingly brutal performance? Is it the very believable performances from Ving Rhames and Patricia Arquette? Or is it Cages insightful narration from the beginning to the end? If you ask me, it's all of those things. From the opening scene, to the fast motion Ambulance scenes, to the very last frame this film is just brilliant. But, it does of course have its flaws one of them being that for the first half of the film Cage was playing Cage, he didn't become believable until late into the film. Not a big flaw, but still big enough to knock my grade down one notch. This isn't exactly as good as say Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, or GoodFellas, but it comes close.

Final Grade: **** (out of 5)

It is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Amazing photography, cinematography, acting, directing, writing etc. etc. It's also a very poetic film, I've seen it 4 times (first time being back in 1995) and it gets better with every viewing. The visual images are thoughtful and provocative. One of the most powerful, intelligent, and triumphant stories I've seen on film in a very long time. The acting from Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley are three of the unforgettable performances of all time. A great story about the Haulocost.

This has got to be one of the most delight comedies ever made. I totally agree with one comment that says "Around the World in 80 Days like a fine wine, it gets better with age". Featuring fine performances from David Nivven, Cantinflas, and the rest of the cast in this wonderful movie about a man and his servant who try and travel around the world in just eighty days. This movie oddly enough was 175 minutes long and in all honestly I didn't believe that for second when I first heard because it really only seemed like 88 minutes. One of the most fun, wittiest, and delightful films of all time and that's coming from a person who adores film and has seen plenty in his (my) day. I do not recall the last time I had so much fun while watching a movie, it's basically just one big fun fest! The cinematography and photography are unarguably some of the best ever in any film. How anyone could call this film boring is beyond me. It is fun, witty, delightfully written, directed, and as I already mentioned acted. The score is also a work of genius. See this film, then see it again. If you hate it, well, then you need to lighten up a bit (no offense intended).

Final Grade: ***** (out of 5)

A.I. was number one on my must-see list of 2001. I was so excited because the plot had this mystery surrounding it that just fascinated me, but when the end credits rolled you could imagine my disappointment that it turned out to be a remake of Pinnochio set in the future. I will agree that the film had great acting all around and that the visuals were amazing, but not even those two things could save the film from it's slow and predictable pace. Now, I love a slow, thought provoking movie as much as the next film buff, but this one was just to much in my opinion. A.I. just doesn't match the greatness of Spielberg's first Sci-Fi film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". I actually believe that if Kubrick had lived to direct this project that I might of loved it. But, with Spielberg it just didn't work. However, I did love the character of Teddy, the most interesting character of the movie in my opinion.

Final Grade: ** (out of 5 stars)

Wow! What can I say about this film that no one else has? Calling this film a masterpiece is becoming a cliche because it is so true! I really don't know what to say about the beautiful visionary film from Steven Spielberg. I guess I can explain a few things that I really liked about it; the acting was perfect all around and Richard Dreyfuss was perfectly cast as the lead because he is every man, he can play every man. Very talented actor indeed. Another thing I loved was the story, this has got to be one of the most thought provoking, intelligent films ever made. Never a dull moment, every scene just leaves you awe. It is beautifully photographed, directed, and written. Also features amazing cinematography and the score is a work of genius. I don't what else I can say, you simply just gotta see it. One of the greatest motion pictures ever made and also Spielberg's second best film behind only Schindler's List.

Final Grade: ***** (out of 5, meaning 'excellent')

A very thought provoking, realistic political thriller that succeeds on every level. This film features great acting from everyone involved but namely Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and of course Fredick March. Each one of these actors were very convincing it their respected roles. The film also featured amazing cinematography, directing, and very powerful writing. Given the current situation in the U.S. this film despite its age is a perfect example of what could happen in the next few years. Unlike the other anti-war film of 1964 (Dr. Srangelove) this actually presents its viewer with a believable story line, one that will keep your interest throughout. I highly recommend this film to any avid Film Buff because it is an example of perfect filmmaking. A terrific film that deserves all 5 stars that I am giving it.

GRADE: *****

There isn't much one can say about this movie. I mean it speaks for itself. I will however explain why I enjoyed this masterpiece. It was a triumphant and intriguing story about man vs. society. It featured an amazing performance from John Hurt (as John "The Elephant Man" Merrick) and from a very talented supporting cast led by none other then one of the few acting gods Anthony Hopkins. It is a powerful film that will/should totally involve you. One of the best things about it is the fact that the viewer starts making a connection to John Merrick, you find yourself caring about this man because you know that he is otherwise alone in this world. This movie had a profound effect on me because for the first time in my life I was able to understand that no matter what people look like they are just like you, they're Human beings. Many people believe that Raging Bull was robbed of the Best Picture Oscar in 1980, I on the other hand disagree. I always say that the most interesting film should always win Best Picture and "The Elephant Man" is far and away more interesting then the other masterpiece of 1980 "Raging Bull". Like I already stated; Elephant Man had an amazing effect on me when it comes to human beings, Bull however did not.

Final Grade: ***** (out of 5, meaning 'excellent')

Taxi Driver was(is) a revolutionary film that was brilliantly directed, acted, and written. The photography is simply amazing as is the cinematography, editing, and camera angles. And if all that isn't enough add in unarguably one of the finest performances in film history given by Robert De Niro and a brilliant score. I will admit however that when the film first began I was bored out of my mind, but trust me it does get better, much much better. If you take everything that I just said and add it all together you get one of the greatest films ever made.

A beautifully shot film that featured an excellent performance from Jack Nicholson, but otherwise was poorly written, a little too long, and had a very very slow pace. I usually don't mind a slow paced film because I usually have a good attention span, but this is something that I just couldn't handle. Another thing it did wrong was leave so many questions unanswered, a good film doesn't do that. It's not bad and it's not good, it's just okay.

Final Grade: 2/5 stars (meaning 'fair')

"Living With The Dead" is an excellent and very compelling film. I am not a huge fan of horror films and I hated "The Sixth Sense" for some odd reason, anyway when I first saw this film advertised on CBS I promised myself that I would resist at all costs and watch "Taxi Driver" on DVD instead, but then this made for television film started and to my surprise I was totally involved with the story and felt a connection to the character of James (I don't see dead people, if that's what you're thinking). I sat there by the tv totally mesmerised by this spectacular story. The story, directing, dialoge, acting, and suspence are all top-notch. I really loved the performances in this mini-series, I thought every actor played his/her part perfectly, but there are two people that I was really impressed with, when I saw the previews I didn't expect much out of Queen Latifa because I never really considered her to be an "actress", but she was just excellent in this film, gave me a newfound respect for what she does. The other performance I was surprised by was given by Ted Danson. You see I have always thought of Danson as a comedic genius because of his work from "Cheers" and most recently "Becker", but I have never thought of him as a dramatic actor so I didn't expect much from him either, but once again I was taken by surprise as this man really became the character and played the part perfectly. He was extraordinary in this movie.

Bottomline: It's a really great film that I hope to see again sometime.

Final-Grade: 8/10

I watched "Saving Private Ryan" the other for the third time hoping I could find it better then I did the first two times. I got nothing. The only things about this film that are worth mentioning are the battle scenes and the acting. Everything else about the film is badly done, I didn't care about any of the characters, I felt nothing when they died because I wasn't able to get to know each character and understand their feeling of the war. They (the soldiers) were just there and did nothing but talk and talk and talk. The film is dull and badly written. An excellent war movie is one with great acting, a great plot, great battle scenes, great direction, great dialog, and likeable characters. This movie only has good acting (not great), good direction (not great), and great battle scenes. It lacks everything else needed to make it a great war movie. This war film is not the best ever made, it doesn't even compare to better movies like The Thin Red Line, Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, Platoon, and All Quiet On The Western Front. If you want to rent or buy an excellent war film that won't bore you half to death then get any one of those films that I just listed. With them you can't go wrong, with Saving Private Ryan you go wrong.

Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are perfect as usual. The film itself really gives the viewer an understanding of the AIDS virus, and the lifestyle of homosexuals. This movie is excellent, it's compelling, it's heartbreaking, my friends it is breathtaking. I have never been so close to shedding a tear at the end of any film except this one. I felt a connection to the character of Andrew Becket (Tom Hanks), and his lawyer Joe (Denzel Washington). The story here is stunning, it's brilliant, one can not praise this film enough. I don't think there has ever been a time where I have felt so drawn into any film. The acting, the directing, and the stroy are all top-notch. I can't really describe this film any better. The whole movie can be summed up in one word; "brilliant".

Raging Bull is stunning and it is indeed a masterpiece. It features the best performance ever given in any film and of course I'm talking about the greatest actor film has ever seen Mr. Robert De Niro. I wouldn't call this Scorsese's best work (I consider "Casino" to be his best) but it certainly ranks up there among the best. The acting, the story, the cinematography, the score, the directing, and the editing are all top-notch. The minute this film begins you just get so involved with the story and with the characters that can't take your eyes off it for the entire 2 hours and 9 minute running time. Raging Bull is a must see, it isn't boring, it isn't Scorsese and De Niro's worst work (far from it). This film is a stunning, brilliant, breathtaking masterpiece. I won't say anything else about the film because well, the film speaks for itself. See it, and then see it again!

Final Grade: 9/10

High Crimes is the story of Tom and Claire Kubic (Jim Caviesel and Ashley Judd). A seemingly perfect couple with everything going for them, that is until Tom's past comes back to haunt him as he is arrested by the Military for the murder of 9 people in an event that took place in L Salvador in 1988. To prove that her husband is innocent Claire (an high powered U.S. attorney) agrees to defend him by taking his case along with a former Marine who is now a very smart Military attorney named Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman). As the case is progressed we learn different interesting facts about that certain day in 1988. Along with the help of Claire's sister (Amanda Peet) and her newly found boyfriend Lieutenant Embry (Adam Scott) the pair start to slowly piece together what had happened on that day through the help of a few outsiders who were either there on the day or knew a lot about the day. As events like attempted murder and house robbery start to happen it looks as though Tom was framed and didn't commit those tragic murders after all. For more information you will have to see the film yourself.

Anyway, it's a good story and really kept my interest until the near end of the film, that's when I started rolling my eyes. Why? Because, the ending in this movie is nothing you and I haven't seen before. It (the ending) has been done and over done. But, there is one thing that about this film that struck me as excellent so to speak, and that is the acting! The acting and direction in this film is all top-notch, Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, and Jim Caveisel give what I would a captivating performance. The two other leads (Peet and Scott) also do a great job as they make their characters believable to an extent. But, like I said: This is nothing but a good movie, that was partly ruined by the over-done ending. If they would changed the ending and made something new, this film would have gotten a 9/10 from me, but for right now I will stick with an 8/10.

After seeing Black Hawk Down only one word came to mind "WOW"! That's all I could say, it is just brilliant and surpasses every war film ever made. It features the best and most realistic battle scenes ever put on film. If everyone remembers how well Saving Private Ryan did with the message of "War is hell" you will certainly realize how good and how straight forward Ridley Scott is with the same message. As I was watching this film about a failed mission that was supposed to last only an hour but at the end it was near the 16 hour mark, I really got to care and respect each and every character despite the lack of character development. I got to know each character as the movie went one therefore character development would have been pointless because as I watched these guys get killed I felt a tremendous amount of emotion for each character.Why? because I got to know them as soldiers before the battle began. I didn't need the whole life story in order to appreciate these guys. Moving on, I do want to point out that this film is very violent and features probably the realest and most graphic scenes ever. You see open wounds and you see men with there legs blown off. If you have a weak stomach I advise you to turn away during these scenes because they are like I said very graphic. Another thing to remember if your a parent is this: If you must see this movie make sure you find a sitter because it is NOT for kids... I recommend this film to any adult that enjoys war films and film making at an all time best. It's very emotional and very touching. An unforgettable experience. Not even the very good Lord of the Rings is better then this masterpiece.

Black Hawk Down: 10/10

Ocean's Eleven is a very entertaining movie, one that I have been looking forward to seeing for awhile, the movie has gone up and beyond my expectations, It is probaly the best of 2001 so far.. First of all the acting was just great in this film, George Cloony (Danny Ocean) gives us problay one of the best performanes of his career, Brad Pitt (Rusty) does a great job with his charecter as does Matt Damon, you can tell that both of them put in alot of time trying to perfect there perfomances... Oceans Eleven tells the story of Daniel Ocean just released from prison, who set's up a casino hiest, 3 casino's in one night, impossible? maybe but with the help of his Right-Hand man (Brad Pitt) he figures out every detail of every casino and sets up a team of 11 men to try to pull it off. The story is great, no visible plot holes, no scenes that could of been left out, and no cliches involved. The movie is probaly the best hiest film ever made. Steve Soderbergh has out done himself here, giving us the most entertaining movie of the year. He does a fantastic job capturing the beauty behind Las Vegas, and the overhead shots of the city or some of the best I have ever seen. The only thing that really got to me though is Don Cheadle's irish/british acsent it gets annoying real fast, but that is one thing I can easily forgive and forget, and overall Ocean's Eleven is the most entertaining movie in years. I truly recommend this film to anybody that love's film making at it's best, and acting at it's best.... This is by far the BEST movie of the year (Next to Lord Of The Rings) it's so much fun to watch, It's not an easy task for movie to receive a 10 from because I am very STRICT with my rating system, but this and LOTR were the one's that captured me the most therefore they both receive a 10/10.