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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Watchable
I only watched the first two Harry Potter movies because I am in love with Emma Watson. I thought both movies were, otherwise, unwatchable. The Prisoner of Azkaban is different - it has a rational plot and believable adult story line. The star of this movie is Hermoine. She gets all the witty lines and all the good scenes. Emma Watson has improved greatly as an actress. It's truly hard to believe that she was only 12 when they first started filming it(13 in later scenes), she's incredibly mature for her age. Except for a preposterous grab of Harry's shirt in the tree swinging scene, a lack of fear in a werewolf scene, and a silly line regarding Hermoine's hair in a serious moment - the movie is quite believable within its magical boundaries. The time reversing sequences are exceptional with Hermoine taking charge. The intelligent plot twists are an unexpected welcome addition. It is a dark, beautiful, mysterious, and enjoyable film which even adults are welcome.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Alien intelligence
If this had been a silent movie, it would have gotten a higher rating. Visually stunning, the story is severely flawed with many preposterous scenes. There are poorly scheduled jokes, inconsistent story lines, and the scientific creations have more emotions than the humans. If the story would have been kept simple, then the action could have carried the movie to a successful fruition. The writers didn't do their job - they complicated matters with weightless stupidity. The movie is well cast; the amazonian Weaver is in perfect contrast to the tiny petite Winona Ryder. Ron Pearlman fits in perfectly. Unfortunately however, the actors & set designers could not save the movie from the brainless screenwriters. Turn off the sound and you might actually enjoy the ride.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Girl Interrupted - *****
The dialogue in most movies seems to be an afterthought. Hollywood seems to be more focused on beauty, action, and sex. In Girl Interrupted, the dialogue takes the front seat and the results are amazing. Probably because it is based on a book taken from actual experience, the memorable lines in this movie are endless from start to finish. The 'crazy' people in this movie are full of witty banter and deep psychological feelings. You come out of this movie wishing that everyday 'sane' people were this interesting and multidimensional. Ryder, Jolie, Brittany, & even Goldberg are FANTASTIC. You can tell that this movie meant a lot to all involved - especially Winona. This isn't just a 'chick flick'. I recommend this movie to anybody who likes intelligent, thoughtful, and thoroughly interesting characters. Except for the confusing opening 30 second flashback scene, the movie is practically flawless. I wish all movies were this good.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Visual Only
'A Scanner Darkly' should be titled 'A Visual Only'. The roto-scoping film/cartoon technique is the only star of this film. Much like 'Blade Runner', this movie could have been made into a silent film - and probably should have. Perhaps a music video should have been created instead of a movie. Keanu Reeves still gets by via his looks - and as always, he displays no acting skills whatsoever. His poor acting is only surpassed by the lack of plot. Here's the plot - people spy on each other and lie about it while taking drugs. That's it. If it weren't for Robert Downey, Jr., there would be nothing to listen to. However, Winona Ryder is visually hot, even as a cartoon. Especially a NUDE cartoon. But that's it. I actually fell asleep for about 10 seconds during one of Reeves boring scientific drug analysis of some imaginary biology. Perhaps I should have taken drugs before entering the theater.
Mickey One (1965)
Mickey One review
This movie is about a stand-up comedian who is running from the mob. Warren Beatty is a comedian(supposedly) who has racked up some serious gambling debts and must now avoid the unhappy loan sharks. The worst part about this movie are the jokes. The jokes are not the slightest bit funny. At all. The club audience sits in as a human laugh track. I hope these extras were paid more than the minimum SAG wage, because it took some serious acting to laugh at these pathetic attempts at humor. Beatty's comic delivery doesn't help.
On the positive side, the movie is visually splendid, like a well made MTV video. The film is in black-and-white which adds to the haunting and mysterious nature of the plot. Warren Beatty is definitely a full fledged movie-star, one can easily see how he got the girls. The jazz music in the background is perhaps the best aspect of the movie.