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Reviews
Control Room (2004)
See this instead of Fahrenheit 911
An absolute must-see documentary that gives an incredibly illuminating view of the Arab world. It's not just about Al-Jazeera, it's mainly about the war in Iraq and the perspectives of different people about it. The "characters" are so interesting: the US army press officer that comes to see the other point of view, the Al-Jazzera senior produce that wants to send his kids to study in America... There are so many amazing moments, of which perhaps the most important and moving is the killing of an Al-Jazeera journalist by a US bomb.
The film is balanced, gripping and excellent in terms of picture and sound editing. See it if you want to learn more about Iraq, the Arab world, the Muslim world, the war reporters and the soldiers they interact with. See it if you want to get facts and multiple perspectives, as opposed to the single perspective given by films like Fahrenheit 911.
Rating: 9/10
The Pledge (2001)
Outstanding, underrated, haunting, MUST-SEE
When I say MUST-SEE, I mean it. I heard this was good; in fact, it completely blew me away. And here's why:
- Jack Nicholson's best performance ever (and one that will surely be appreciated, even by those who do not appreciate Jack's style). He is subtle but evocative, intense but not obnoxious. His eyes and lips speak volumes. The moustache was a great touch.
- Mickey Rourke's best performance ever, easily surpassing the somewhat overrated Angel Heart, he uses 2 minutes of screen time to give us an unforgettable character who we feel we know much more about than is actually said.
- Other actors utilised beautifully and all giving their best: Robin Wright Penn, Benicio Del Toro (in another very short appearance, much better than his award-winning Traffic cop), Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Redgrave...
- Sean Penn's truly exceptional directing. Putting us squarely in Jerry Black's troubled, haunted, obsessed mind-frame, we are often not sure where reality lies. The session with Helen Mirren's doctor and the whole final reel are exceptionally well done.
- A story that (cliche but accurate) breaks all the rules...deep, thoughtful, compelling, morally dubious and uncompromising. It treads distressingly close to real life, to the real pattern of our world, unlike any other film of this type.
- An inspired soundtrack, great cinematography, excellent editing, and locations that seem to conspire in creating the haunting atmosphere, complete the picture.
See it and challenge yourself to forget it.