I am a horse lover that randomly clicked on this movie knowing nothing about it. I wasn't expecting your typical horse movie from the synopsis, but this was ehhhh not what I expected. It really doesn't have a lot to do with horses, and when it does, it's not exactly the type of story a horse lover wants to see, but I'm not faulting it for that. It is a tragic and tough look at poverty and the real world. The acting is good, but there is nothing uplifting or happy about the story. For me, parts seemed to drag. I ended up skipping through the last 30 minutes or so. Overall, it's a good watch if you enjoy being sad and slightly bored. Anyone looking for a horse movie should skip.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Holy Lands
(2017)
Reading the book helps
22 June 2019
I read the novel, which is a collection of letters between the characters, when it first came out. I really enjoyed the film! It has the same feel as the book, which makes sense as the author is also the writer and director. If you haven't read the book, I can see where you may feel it is a bit jumpy.
The acting is great, Hollander is my favorite actor and I always enjoy James Caan as well. They work well together and I really enjoyed their scenes. The supporting cast is also charismatic.
The story is, again, enhanced by having read the book I think. We're looking into the lives of these characters, and the events take a realistic approach in not giving a big resolution. I feel this enforces the principle that time goes on, and nothing is ever wrapped up in a big tidy bow forever.
Overall it is a sweet film about friendship, family, love, growing old, and death. I think it teaches a few timely lessons. It's an easy way to pass a couple of hours.
The acting is great, Hollander is my favorite actor and I always enjoy James Caan as well. They work well together and I really enjoyed their scenes. The supporting cast is also charismatic.
The story is, again, enhanced by having read the book I think. We're looking into the lives of these characters, and the events take a realistic approach in not giving a big resolution. I feel this enforces the principle that time goes on, and nothing is ever wrapped up in a big tidy bow forever.
Overall it is a sweet film about friendship, family, love, growing old, and death. I think it teaches a few timely lessons. It's an easy way to pass a couple of hours.
The Descent: Part 2
(2009)
So bad it's good.
6 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
While the first installment in these two films was an insanely scary and mysterious thrill ride, the sequel, The Descent: Part 2, was so terrible it was almost enjoyable.
The movie opens with Sarah escaping the cave and pouncing on the window of a tow truck driver. And so the jump scenes begin. She is suffering from shock and memory loss, which is understandable. What is not so understandable is how the doctors in charge of Sarah's health would let a goofy sheriff tow her back into the cave to help lead an expedition to find the other girls. As unrealistic as it is, the team, including the sheriff, another female law enforcement officer, Sarah, and a team of three professional cave explorers are lowered on a creepy elevator by a creepy man through a mine shaft to reach the under workings of the cave.
As you can probably predict, the group is too soon hunted by the mysterious 'crawlers' and, like the first movie all but one of them are killed.
This movie was a bloodbath, sporting the red-orange blood similar to that used in the Final Destination films or even the amazing musical-horror Sweeney Todd. It also has too many jump scenes for you to count, some good and some bad. I will not tell you that none of them got me. Jump scenes aren't really made to be unpredictable. Let's be honest: Even when you know they are coming, 75% of the time you still jump.
The worst part of the movie has to be the last 15-20 minutes. Juno makes a sudden appearance, killing a crawler with the same pick axe that Sarah used to wound her in the first film. How did Juno live? No one knows. Given previous evidence of the brutality and violence committed by the crawlers, when you are attacked by >10 of them you probably won't survive, especially if you are wounded. Oh, and also she knows where the exit of the cave is, yet she hasn't tried to escape. Don't be alarmed by this sudden triumph though, she dies in the next 10 minutes of the film.
Sarah and the female cop are the only ones left at this point. One way or another, the female cop, Rios, is surrounded by crawlers, about to see light for the last time, when, low and behold, Sarah decided to sacrifice her life to distract the crawlers long enough for Rios to get out. Noble. Stupid, but noble.
After Rios escapes the cave in the same 'rising from the ashes' fashion as Sarah hallucinates herself doing in the end of the first film, she is hit over the head with a shovel by the same creepy old man that lowered them into the cave in the first place. He drags her back to the opening where the movie ends with, you guessed it, a final jump scene.
So what about all the loose ends? How did Juno survive? Does Rios get eaten or escape again? Where the hell did all those crawlers come from, and how many are there? Why didn't Juno try to escape if she knew where the opening was? Why did the creepy old guy feed Rios to the crawlers? Well folks, I guess you just get to make those answers up for yourself, because this movie sure doesn't give you anything.
Overall, if you are into bloody gore and creepy monsters and do not care about plot lines, this movie is for you.
The movie opens with Sarah escaping the cave and pouncing on the window of a tow truck driver. And so the jump scenes begin. She is suffering from shock and memory loss, which is understandable. What is not so understandable is how the doctors in charge of Sarah's health would let a goofy sheriff tow her back into the cave to help lead an expedition to find the other girls. As unrealistic as it is, the team, including the sheriff, another female law enforcement officer, Sarah, and a team of three professional cave explorers are lowered on a creepy elevator by a creepy man through a mine shaft to reach the under workings of the cave.
As you can probably predict, the group is too soon hunted by the mysterious 'crawlers' and, like the first movie all but one of them are killed.
This movie was a bloodbath, sporting the red-orange blood similar to that used in the Final Destination films or even the amazing musical-horror Sweeney Todd. It also has too many jump scenes for you to count, some good and some bad. I will not tell you that none of them got me. Jump scenes aren't really made to be unpredictable. Let's be honest: Even when you know they are coming, 75% of the time you still jump.
The worst part of the movie has to be the last 15-20 minutes. Juno makes a sudden appearance, killing a crawler with the same pick axe that Sarah used to wound her in the first film. How did Juno live? No one knows. Given previous evidence of the brutality and violence committed by the crawlers, when you are attacked by >10 of them you probably won't survive, especially if you are wounded. Oh, and also she knows where the exit of the cave is, yet she hasn't tried to escape. Don't be alarmed by this sudden triumph though, she dies in the next 10 minutes of the film.
Sarah and the female cop are the only ones left at this point. One way or another, the female cop, Rios, is surrounded by crawlers, about to see light for the last time, when, low and behold, Sarah decided to sacrifice her life to distract the crawlers long enough for Rios to get out. Noble. Stupid, but noble.
After Rios escapes the cave in the same 'rising from the ashes' fashion as Sarah hallucinates herself doing in the end of the first film, she is hit over the head with a shovel by the same creepy old man that lowered them into the cave in the first place. He drags her back to the opening where the movie ends with, you guessed it, a final jump scene.
So what about all the loose ends? How did Juno survive? Does Rios get eaten or escape again? Where the hell did all those crawlers come from, and how many are there? Why didn't Juno try to escape if she knew where the opening was? Why did the creepy old guy feed Rios to the crawlers? Well folks, I guess you just get to make those answers up for yourself, because this movie sure doesn't give you anything.
Overall, if you are into bloody gore and creepy monsters and do not care about plot lines, this movie is for you.
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