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Reviews
Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
The history that really matters in this movie
Let's get one thing out of the way: real life does not make for good film. We are all aware of this. With that out of the way, I'd like to get to the real point: that this story records the history that really matters for the next generation. The creation of the personal computer and how it echoes into the future is what is detailed in this film.
The Steve Jobs and Bill Gates featured in this film are not quite the real life Jobs and Gates, but they stand as what will be remembered - their efforts to create a system for the average person, and to build a financial foundation to continue to do so.
It also highlights the flaws in Jobs' vision that caused his downfall: that he was willing to do so at the expense of his employees. His treatment of Wozniak and of his programmers, the feud between Apple II and Macintosh: this is real. It really happened. So was Gates' purchasing of CP/M and turning it into the operating system that ran PC compatibles for decades.
And this movie highlights it in the format of a biopic that does not bore and does not dress up characters in clothes that focus on their virtues at the expense of their vices. Jobs and Gates are both shown, scars and all, in their battle for superiority in the world of computers, and if you care about computers at all (and you must or you wouldn't be reading this), you'll be caught up in it all.
I would suggest at least giving this a rent if possible.
The Doctor (1991)
Very useful for those on the other side of the fence
As a person born with a genetic disorder that suffers from a variety of maladies, I have a very hard time being sympathetic towards people in the medical profession. Many times, it seems like being a doctor requires you to turn off your heart (so to speak) and treat everything like a problem that needs to be solved, forgetting about human things like emotion and fear.
This movie is very useful for people like me in that it makes doctors human again.
I admit that in the past, I have often vacillated in my opinion on this movie. The main character (William Hurt) does not appear to have learned anything by this movie's conclusion. While he is more sympathetic to the fears and woes that patients suffer, much of the underlying pathology present in the medical profession in general is downplayed. For example, the variety of cancer patients that have to suffer either painful or humiliating deaths (or both) because their cases were mishandled seem to simply be put aside as mistakes that happen because doctors are human.
That may be the point, though.
Without spoiling excessively, the final scene of the movie involves Hurt's character getting a message from a friend of his, a terminal cancer patient played by Elizabeth Perkins that had died recently. She tells a story about a farmer who is feared by crows because he chases them violently off his farm. One day, he changes his heart and comes outside, raising his arms to welcome the crows. But no crows come - because they are terrified of the farmer's new scarecrow. Doctors have a path to follow. When they find what they are looking for, they must use their knowledge and compassion together to create a new path for themselves. They cannot expect the world to forget their distrust in a heartbeat. It takes demonstrated work.
This is what "The Doctor" teaches you. Doctors and patients alike should give this movie a fair shake. It may not be a classic piece of film, but it is a very compassionate, heartfelt story.
You've Got Mail (1998)
Why did we need to remake "Sleepless in Seattle" for the digital age?
I'm very hard on this movie, as evidenced by the rating. But don't mistake that to mean that I think this movie is poorly done. On the contrary, Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan and Nora Ephron can be counted on to perform very well. The issue here is that this is a movie that does not learn from its inspiration. The film was obviously intended to revisit themes touched on by "Sleepless in Seattle", but goes on to entirely miss the point of its previous incarnation. If there's one thing I detest in a movie, especially one I had to see in a theater, it's a complete repeat experience.
My verdict: Skip this movie and watch "Sleepless in Seattle" instead. Sometimes magic is better than technology.
Indigo (2003)
People are taking this movie way too seriously.
To the people who hate this movie because it presents an unrealistic idea - please. Grow up. It's a movie. Do you hate Dragonball Z because it presents an unrealistic idea of aliens that are human-like in appearance and speak English? Your critiques are pitiful on their face.
With that being said, "Indigo" is an entertaining movie with a good script that could have done with a bit more coherence. The direction felt somewhat like the movie was done for fun and not as a piece of art, which is both a good and a bad thing. The acting, while amateurish, actually works for the story that the movie presents. The scenario of the road trip is a comfortable one for movie watchers, and it works here. I think what I liked the best about the movie, though, is that it leads you to believe that it's going to end in a violent way and ends up not doing so. That disappoints a lot of people, but I think it was a perfect way to end the movie. And whether or not you believe in the whole "indigo child" thing, this movie is worth watching. I hope future projects from these filmmakers have tighter writing, though.
Mindwalk (1990)
Self-indulgent pseudo-intellectual hoohah
Don't get me wrong. I like the occasional brainy flick, the kind that makes me think about relevant issues. Something that challenges my world view. This movie at no time challenged my world view, and resembled three blow-hards endlessly trying to convince each other that their view of the world and humanity was the best. Not even the pleasant imagery made this journey any more endurable. It was like getting on a bus or plane and being stuck next to an old guy who won't stop chattering about how much better things were back in HIS day.
By the way, those who are fans of "Law & Order" are going to be really shocked at Sam Waterston's wishy-washy character in this film.
Elektra (2005)
Good story, bad direction
This is a good story that falls victim to lazy direction. It begins well enough, with Elektra the revived assassin unable to complete her mission (which is killing a man and her daughter). However, because of the overuse of slow motion, the audience loses interest fast, and it only fizzles out with the final battle which is utterly anticlimactic. It's good to see Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa (of Mortal Kombat fame) back in action, but the other actors are uninteresting in their roles. Best reason to watch this movie - watching Jennifer Garner getting kissed by a woman who kills people with her kisses - AND RESPONDING. 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn (1992)
Tribute to the life of Shiho Niiyama...
Sailor Stars begins as most Sailor Moon series do, with a sidequest that leads into the main plot. But there's a lot more to it than that on closer inspection.
The main plot revolves around visitors from other planets. The Starlights, servants of the Kakyuu Princess of Kinmoku, land on the Planet Earth fleeing from the destruction of their planet of old and disguise themselves as the boygroup Three Lights - Kou Seiya, Kou Taiki and Kou Yaten. Their purpose is to find the Kakyuu Princess, who is floating in space, through the wavelength of their songs.
Meanwhile, the one responsible for the destruction, Sailor Galaxia, is on Earth hunting for "star seeds" - the light that allows life forms to live on this sphere. She begins by taking the Earth's golden star seed - protected by none other than Mamoru Chiba on his way to the United States to study in college.
The Sailor Soldiers have a hard task. Creatures who lose their Star Seeds become phages - false Sailor Soldiers. They have to deal with the Starlights, who don't care about protecting the Earth and only want to find their Princess. And Sailor Moon - Usagi Tsukino - has to deal with the mutual attraction between her and Kou Seiya.
This story is about what a Sailor Soldier is. If you're interested in Sailor Moon, it's worth it to watch this series. But most of all, this series is a tribute to the life of Shiho Niiyama, Kou Seiya's voice actress, who did the performance of her life in this role. She was taken from us by leukemia in 2000.
So it's not like the manga - who cares? This story is good in and of itself.