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Black Swan (2010)
An Ambiguous Drama Film
Many call this a psychological thriller, sometimes even a horror film. I believe it is those two, but it is mainly a psychological drama film at heart. A psychological drama with abundant symbolism and ambiguity. It is one of the most artful and beautiful films I have ever watched, and it has honestly blown me away.
Natalie Portman plays her role to sweet perfection, as do the rest of the actors and actresses. They all, especially Portman, seem to actually become the characters, and lose themselves in their roles.
The direction is spotless, and the camera-work is stunning. The colors and visuals are breathtaking, and the story is quite the marvel. Not everything is fully explained throughout the film; one must interpret it. The merging of the story of the film and the story of Swan Lake was flawlessly done. Also, contrary to popular belief, the film is not actually about ballet; it is about diving into the depths of insanity in order to produce perfection. The result is not pretty, but depicted very adeptly. A second viewing is recommendable.
A passionate film, it can be very unsettling and at times goes into horror territory, but this is just one of the things that makes this film such a delicious piece of mysterious, ambivalent, and intelligent art. Again, it is a psychological thriller, but one should look past the scary scenes and become immersed into the beauty and the message that lies beneath the surface.
The message that lies deep inside the water, that becomes warped and blurred, and can be read in many different ways in time. The message is still there, but not clear. Yet that makes this film so fascinating and charming.
Definitely 10/10 stars
Now You See Me (2013)
A Good Movie
"Now You See Me" is a good movie and is definitely entertaining. There is not a whole lot else to this, though, other than those two things. I do believe this film has substance, but not too much. It is mostly just an entertaining crime thriller with some comedy and romance mixed into the equation, which spells out 'fun' for me.
I like this movie, but it is not the best. Sometimes, the movie felt somewhat contrived, trying to be really smart and unique, when it really does things that have been done hundreds of times before. Now, this movie does it all fairly well, but like I said, it feels a tad bit forced sometimes. The ending had a huge twist which I sort of saw coming, because as I have said, it has been done before. It could have been done a little better, I must say. Also, I do think the film might have been more interesting had it been a more science-fantasy-like film, although that is just my opinion. The film presents an interesting concept, but the twist ending tramples on that concept a bit. Maybe I set my expectations a little too high, but whatever the case is, it is a fine flick that is great for watching with family or friends.
"Now You See Me" has a great cast, consisting of mainly big-name actors and actresses. I enjoyed their acting very much. Plus, the film's special effects were superbly done, and some of the more action-like moments were very thrilling and kept you close to the screen, wanting to see what happens next. That is saying a whole bunch, considering I am not even a fan of action at all.
Maybe a second viewing will change my perspective of this film, but for now, it is a solid 7 out of 10. Recommended!
Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
A masterpiece of an anime!
This anime is phenomenal. It is what most people refer to as 'avant-garde,' and rightly so. It is different from any other anime I have watched, but very deep and symbolic. Almost everything has a deeper meaning, and has some meaning. It may be confusing for some, and that is reasonable. However, watching it a second time might make this series less confusing, as some of the questions this anime brings up are answered, just not directly. Once you re-watch this series, you will probably notice some things you didn't before. I know I did. The message(s) this anime conveys are great, and are underlying, but there. This anime, as many have already said, was way ahead of its time. Furthermore, the animation and art is amazing, especially for being from the late 90s. The voice-acting is realistic and well-done, too, and the story/plot is astounding, and really stands out, as slow-moving as it may seem. The characters are well-developed, and have substance. This anime is a true work of art. In only 13 episodes, it masterfully develops the story and characters and displays much intelligence and philosophical elements, as well as psychological elements. All in all, a wonderful anime series that, although a bit creepy or depressing at times, is genius and should be watched at least once. You won't regret it. It's a fascinating and profound journey that will make you think by the end of it. Ryutaro Nakamura did a great job with Serial Experiments Lain! May he rest in peace. 10/10 stars
Heathers (1988)
One of my favorite black comedy films!
I had never heard of this wonderful and hilarious film until recently. I saw that it had received really good scores on all the movie websites I visited, this one included, and so I decided to watch this film and see what it was about. My goodness, I laughed so hard throughout this film! It's such a dark yet hilarious film; it's extremely dark humor done right.
The plot was quite unique yet made sense, and was interesting. Plus, all the characters were very fascinating, too. The cast was wonderfully chosen, and each actor/actress played their role quite nicely. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater both suited their roles perfectly, and were very believable. The dialogue is excellent, too, and there are some quotes that particularly stand out throughout this movie. I love the all of the music/songs used here, too; they all have that 80's feel, yet communicate the atmosphere of the scene they were used in effectively.
Plus, there are some interesting things going on in this film; there is much symbolism and color-coding. In the recurring croquet games, Heather Chandler is the red ball, Heather Duke is the green ball, and Heather McNamara is the yellow ball, while Veronica (Ryder) is the blue ball. Each color describes the character well: red for dominance, green for jealousy, yellow for weakness/cowardice, and blue for trueness. The ending for the film was bittersweet, might I add.
Overall, Heathers is not your average teen movie; it is very funny and intelligent, and (in my opinion) very memorable. It is definitely one of my all-time favorite comedy films. 9/10 stars
Alice in Wonderland (1999)
A very good adaptation of the novel
This movie is very good. It is a very enjoyable movie (or miniseries, as some call it), and is a pretty faithful adaptation of the original book by Lewis Carroll. This movie has its flaws, though. For example, the movie somewhat revolves around Alice having to gain confidence in herself through her adventures in wonderland so that she can sing the song "Cherry Ripe" in front of an audience at a garden party (she must sing at the garden party in the real world, not wonderland). While this is not a huge mistake, I would have preferred if it had stuck to the original novel's version, where Alice is sitting by a riverbank with her sister (in the real world). No sweat, none of that was a spoiler. Anyway, that was one of the only few flaws this movie had, in my opinion. That being said, the rest of this film is wonderful. The acting is great, although a bit over the top sometimes (but, hey, it's Alice in Wonderland!), and the special effects are very nicely done, especially for a 1999 TV movie. The story is very good, and just as mentioned, is for the most part faithful to the book. Tina Majorino makes a splendid Alice, I believe. The rest of the cast was great, too. The music was also good. Overall, this is an excellent film that, although it has some flaws, is still very entertaining to watch. 8/10 stars
Kanon (2006)
Funny, Sad, and Excellent Overall
This anime is one of the only animes that actually managed to make me burst into tears. It also made me laugh plenty of times. This anime is both funny and sad at the same time. Yet, as sad as it was at times, I was hooked. I could not stop watching. Every situation had me hooked, and I had my eyes glued to my TV, wanting to know what happened next. Each character is very interesting, and very unique. Sometimes, I felt I could actually relate to them. Overall, I had a very great time watching this anime. And trust me, all the girls in this anime are very cute, and very nice. So if you like funny moments, sad moments, romantic moments, and cute girls, this anime is for you! It's a great show; I definitely recommend it. 10/10 stars
The Exorcist (1973)
Creepy, but good!
First off, this movie was excellent. It was marvelous! It is one of the only horror films that has actually scared me. This movie is very slow, but it is well-told. And the scariest scenes were not only frightening, but some were full of impact. The acting was very believable, and the story was absolutely magnificent. This movie was not much for gore and blood, but rather for the psychological impact the viewer would receive from some scenes. Those are the main reasons on why I like this film so much. I will not go any further. I will not reveal anything from this film. I am leaving it up to the reader to decide whether or not to watch this film, and will let the reader find out for him or herself what this movie has in store for him/her. Overall, this film was excellent! 9 out of 10.