Reviews

Although I am no fan of the rom com, this film had me on alert as it's a unique departure to the usual clichés found in the genre. Once you get past all of the wild camera tricks and visual gimmickry, you arrive at the core of The Rules of Attraction and find out that it's really about something other than replicating the party life at a New England college. Avary's film uncovers an important truth about male/female relationships - that attraction isn't always mutual, and, even when it is, happily-ever-after is frequently not the result. The Rules of Attraction begins at the end, then, after moving forward a little, backs up (literally going backwards), then re-starts, following the actions of a different character. From a visual standpoint, The Rules of Attraction is a busy motion picture. The film is filled with flash edits, scenes played backward, and split screens. At times it works but, on other occasions, it's too much.

Quirky, offbeat and rather lacking- these are the words I would use to describe Michael Gondry's Be Kind Rewind. It takes a while for Gondry to get where he's going, but Be Kind Rewind eventually puts aside its romantic misfire, its half-hearted arguments against gentrification, and its comic book silliness about Magnet Man, and settles into an ode to low-budget filmmaking. In the end, Mike and Jerry set out to make their own movie and, in doing so, involve many members of the local community. It's guerilla filmmaking at its finest, and some of the best laughs come during these segments. But, to be honest, the whole thing is kind of a mess, although not an uninteresting one. Be Kind Rewind hits and misses with equal abandon. It frustrates even as it entertains, and that's not always the most satisfying or enjoyable of mixtures. Still definitely worth a watch, if for nothing else than for being an ode to independent filmmaking.

The middle film in the unofficial Man with no name films For a few dollars more is a fantastic chapter with certain shlock elements which seem dated. Eastwood returns as the bounty hunter as does a new dude played awesomely by the great Lee Wan Cleef. He is so good that you almost start believing he is cooler than Clint. Both meet one another and together they pursue the bandit El Indio and his henchmen who are planning a raid on the biggest bank in the region. El Indio is played by the great Gian Marie Volonte, who if you ask me should be equally well known and beloved as Le Cleef or Eastwood. It is a shame that such a great performance is not measured in the same words as the more popular ones. He was amazing as the middle brother Rojos Ramon in the previous film and just as devilish in this. The cinematography and look are fantastic- old film stock shot in hot, humid rocks. In a western the location is perhaps as important as the theme and Leone's films exemplify this. Unmissable film.

I saw this film way back in the late 00s and was quite moved by its intentions and executions. Wolfgang Peterson's Troy is a great period war film with the plot that concerns the Trojan War and takes place in a matter of days(or weeks as opposed to the 10 year timeline of the historical event). Featuring a host of stars like Brad Pitt, Peter O Toole, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom the film is an epic with some neat battle sequences. Among the performers Eric Bana shines the brightest though it is Pitt's Achilles who commands the screen. If you like historical epics then Troy by Wolfgang Peterson is right up your alley.

Zack Snyder's Watchmen is an underrated movie and it is easy to see why it is loathed by some. Based on Alan Moore's hugely influential graphic novel which is incredibly multilayered just to bring the book to screen would seem an arduous task. Snyder brings his usual visual flair and the characters are given the best possible content that one can put in a feature film of a certain length. All the actors are very good and embody every character in the best way imaginable. The film is bleak and the morality of many of these "heroes" can be questioned on so many levels. Regardless of the general consensus I suggest you watch this film with an open mind and make your own judgement. This is a very good film in my opinion.

Denzel Washington is is top form in Robert Zemeckis's plane drama flight. Washington plays a pilot addicted to booze and the occasional cocaine. An addict, on the day of the tragic flight he wakes up after snorting cocaine the night before and mixes vodka in his orange juice aboard the plane. Not due to his fault the plane hits some issues and ends up floating upside down before being landed by him, an act for which he is considered a hero. However, upon drug test reposts it is realized that he was indeed inebriated and then the judicial system comes into play. This is a good movie and features a harrowing plane crash sequence. Washington is the soul of the film and even though he is not a good man, we side with him.