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RichardRowell328
Reviews
Donnie Darko (2001)
Mentally and Philosophically Intriguing
Donnie Darco has unbelievable emotion range and at the same time is an intensely thought provoking movie. I am currently reading a book called "A Universe In A Nutshell" and my favorite movie ever made is "Fight Club" so you might be able to tell right away (if you have seen this film) that I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
The part when he is discussing time travel with his science teacher and rebelliously lashes out at that conservative town teacher (who is quite hysterical, adding to the elusive deranged theme of the movie) who tries to tell Donnie to sum up life between the categories of 'fear' and 'love', are two of the best scenes.
Since I have been reading a lot lately and currently have some supplement knowledge about quantom theory and time travel it somewhat helped me decipher the movie to find out if it was even more than an artistic creation. Donnie Darco cinematic ally is filmed showing his alternate universe if a fictional rabbit with a bunny suit had got him out of the house before the jet engine had crushed Donnie Darco. As you see the movie unfold you notice how this tangent universe (or more simply, altered destiny) has shaped this new personality Darco exhibits. This is where I think the brilliance of the movie is based on two factors, all the relevant emotions subtly exchanged in the movie and more implicit were in the editing, directing, and screenplay that added an extra element of complication in the movie by giving the audience information about this tangent universe, majority of the movie emphasizing a great experience for the moviegoers.
The energy coming out of your chest outlying your expected path in time was a great and nicely visually represented helping me to grasp quantum theory, it shows how empty space really isn't empty but is very dynamic and that spacetime is indeed curved (time is constant but also variable, which shows how you can continue on spacetime through a tangent and ultimately rejoin spacetime at a later personal time...which may or may not have been one of the hidden suspenses in the movie).
One theorized way to find out if there is a fourth-dimension is to spatially subtract finite empty matter, invalid space, relevant to valid space. This is the tip of Hawking's mathematical depth.
I was also thinking that after he was talking to the scientist about spacetime that he would perhaps find a way to travel to the speed of light to change his destiny.
Before I want to get to far ahead of myself, this is what's going on. This movie is the only movie that you can say contains everything you could possibly need in a movie. Science, entertainment, visualization, suspense. And if I'm not mistaken, a truly grand decision by the crew of this movie who knew when they made it that it could entertain on all levels and also incorporate very creative artistic talent.
***Spoilers***
As far as the ending goes, I infer that the ending basically shows Donnie Darko going back in time. And embracing his original fate or dying in order to save Gretchen (because she would have never met him in the first place and got killed) and also to surrender because of his basic knowledge (from Frank) about the world that shows him that people die alone and that he'd rather just accept his original fate then go on knowing he could have prevent Gretchen's death and have the knowledge of such despairs in the world. Donnie took these thoughts well and in a comedic sense said "f-this" and just went on and died the way it was intended for him.
9/10
The Matrix (1999)
True Cinematic Achievement
In the year 1999, "The Matrix" and "Fight Club" were undoubtedly the best films of the year. The Matrix was truly revolutionary in special effects, specifically in CGI (Computer-Generated-Imaging) technology. The still cameras that were used to capture multiple angles of a single shot, in bullet-time technology, was a creative new approach. The film is initially suspenseful with people not knowing quite what was happening until Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) reveals that Neo's (Keanu Reeves) reality was actually a fabricated world that is an elaborate simulation created by machines. Neo and the majority of the world's inhabitants have been stuck in simply a mental simulation prison.
The magnitude of philosophy in sync with special effects make "The Matrix" a one-of-a-kind movie masterpiece. College classes show this movie in their philosophy class, and at the same time can prove to be one of the best special effects movies ever. Supplementally, "The Matrix" also provides endless action and a pretty solid storyline that influences the philosophical ideas in the movie.
There are so many great things in this movie, it is just crazy.
The color palette along with the time and effort put into stunts also accelerates this movie on all filming levels. "The Matrix" leaves the viewer a sense of pride in the world he/she can live in to just know that people are capable of creating at this level. Unfortunately, monetary and timing motives offset the potential quality of the sequels. "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" were just a waste of time and weren't carefully thought out, as was the first Matrix.
10/10
The Tom Green Show: Early Exposure (2001)
This Is The Funniest Man In The World
I've been searching online for Tom Green Show DVD's (which are hard to find which pisses me off).
For those of you who don't know who Tom Green is, he is basically a man with 0% fear and creates great comedy.
In a world dominated by mainstream censorship, censorship on comedy should be minimal or not even exist (which it unfortunately does and I don't know why the world works this way), anyway, Mr. Green goes the limit and promotes real comedy that isn't censored. Another thing, also mentioned in the book is how Mr. Green, "razzes" people, in other words, a primary goal of Tom Green is to get bizarre crowd reactions which is an unexplored comedy in itself which is exhibited in this great material.
Mystic River (2003)
Mystic River....Good and Bad
Usually when I watch a movie I know right away if I think it is good, or if I think it is bad. Mystic River, is a tough movie to judge because it lingers between having a large-cast motivated monetarily and having a large-cast motivated to this movie artistically.
At times the movie seemed to have some acting flaws. Other times, the cast members impressed me a lot, I give a little extra credit to Sean Penn because I think he did an outstanding job. (Although, I would have kind of preferred Bill Murray to win Best Actor in 2003 for "Lost in Translation.")
I think the movie didn't touch base emotionally to viewers as well as it could have (especially with the other competitive movies in the recent years that have been humanistic revolutions, and really have been able to convey subtle emotions and themes of movies to the viewer better in these last few years).
But, the character development was really presented well. I think that Clint Eastwood did an amazing directorial job and the movie didn't bore me at all (it will bore some people who are impatient). I think that Mystic River is really above average compared to other large-cast, monetary motivated movies. Those types of movies are more apt to produce theatrical error.
7/10
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
This Movie Is Funny
To supplement your "rental store job" from the comment of the person who lives in Oregon, I work at an Edwards Theatre, and when this movie played I don't think I've ever heard such an upproar of laughter in a theatre.
Napolean Dynamite, offers substantial amounts of hilarious comedy, if you are ready to see a kid who plays 0-percent games, then Napolean Dynamite is for you.
To decode what I just said, this movie is the funniest movie by far of 2004. If you rent or buy this i Guarantee you will not be dissatisfied.
Modestly = 8/10
Fight Club (1999)
The Best Movie Ever Made
As soon as I watched Fight Club at a friends house sometime in the year 2000, after it was released, I was amazed and fascinated by it. Fight Club is truly a film of the 21st century, revealing all the flaws in modern day society and bluntly verifying, challenging, and exhibiting philosophical ideas while enlightening all who watch it.
Undoubtely, this movie faced much criticism in-part because it challenged the structure of society itself. The concept of giving up all hope is freedom is one of the best, and all extra subtle philosophies offered, and the experience of the movie itself is just truly a masterpiece. Fight Club was based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, who is the best modern novelist in the world. With no positive answers for anyone, this movie offers an inner satisfaction of destructive concepts.
The collaboration which is perfect for the development of this film was great because it had superb acting from both Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, and especially Edward Norton (Edward Norton who enjoys making dysfunctional films). The film had a great connection between director David Fincher who incorporated his fantastic CGI abilities to the film along with the genius of novelist Chuck Palahniuk. Chuck Palahniuk who should be equally praised as well, writes in 1st-person narrative, with short-sentences and sentences contrasting with detail, pin-pointing perfection, Palahniuk expresses his dark (very unique) 1st-person experience in his book.
Fight Club is a film that will be misunderstood by many, but from those who do understand it, will get too experience a contemporary masterpiece that reveals a true evolution in all ideas the lie in the destructive side of humanitarian spectrum.
10/10
Lost in Translation (2003)
One Of The Many Contemporary Goods
I love contemporary movies.
The reason I liked "Lost in Translation" was because the movie wasn't explained to me rather than shown to me. The movie was an experience rather than an explanation. An adventure film in the city, "Lost in Translation" was the contemporary start to the revolution of modern humanistic film-making in 2004, which resembled films like "Sidways" and "The Door in the Floor." More relative to "Sidways" this movie is also good because of the exploration of Japan, exploration of Bill Murray's confusion, and de-sensitized involvement in the characters of Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson.
The things that are evolving more so in acting quality and human screenplay in these recent years is the realism of acting, and subtle feelings delivered to viewers.
These recent years have shown us that special effects and virtually new films aren't required for cinematic artistry.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Great Contemporary Comedy Adventure
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was a great movie!
This movie (lead by Bill Murray) explores an offbeat lifestyle on an Aquatic Voyage. The Zissou Society is made up of a crew of people including interns who follow Captain Zissou's orders and lifestyles out at sea.
The great things about this movie are the very original themes exhibited by Wes Anderson along with a surprising good soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh (who I hadn't really liked before). Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Daffoe, all did a superb job at portraying Wes Anderson's very contemporary comedy/adventure vision on-screen.
2004, not a year of special effects or a huge line-up of movie artistry (like the year 1999), but definitely a year of capturing contemporary humanistic evolution and unique directing without virtual or special effect domination.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a fun enjoyable film with unique comedy.
Sideways (2004)
Refreshingly Good Movie
This movie was an interesting original take in cinema. The movie was great like majority of independent films (or limited release films). I live in Santa Maria, California and was surprised and thrilled that the movie was filmed so close to my town and also one of the final chapters of the movie it showed Giamatti dining in what I believe was an "Orcutt Burger" here on Broadway St. that was suppose to be in an anonymous fast-food joint in San Diego. The whole movie I knew exactly where they were which was exciting, anyways......
This is definitely the best movie of the year, and I agree with many of you in saying that this is a good test to show people and see if they have a knack for understanding the meaning of film-making. If they don't like a film like this, then the person (unless they have a good reason) doesn't understand theatre and the elementary value of film-making.
The film went for about 2 1/2 hours and I wasn't the least bit bored. Best film since I've seen since "Farhenheit 9/11" and "Napolean Dynamite" and everything else since the summer 2004 releases.
9/10