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Reviews
Bab el hadid (1958)
Exotic Pervy Period Piece
Categorized as Film Noir Gem by Netflix, I found Cairo Station to be at the remote fringe of the genre. At best, tightened up to 20 minutes, it might have made a quirky side story to a classic Film Noir such as Casablanca. Seeing that it is shown in its original Arabic (with English subtitles), I feel lends some credence to the cultural authenticity of the dialogue and that the choice of dramatic subject (no spoilers here) must have resonated with the Arab world at the time it was released in 1958... but honestly, I'm far from an expert on Arab Cinema of this era. If not for these assumptions, lending some suspected value as a cultural time capsule artifact, I would only have rated it 5 Stars. One aspect particularly curious was the film's depiction of American/ Western influence on the youth of Egypt.
The Letter for the King (2020)
On the verge of being good, but director & cinematographer keep getting in the way!
I wanted to like this. The actors did quite well in spite of a script that always felt like the loser in a contest with (a) a cinematographer/ director much more intently focused on big, long panoramic scenes with no dialogue, (b) vignettes with colorful characters of no consequence to plot, (c) inconsistent & scattershot character development, or (d) overmuch time wasted on dialogue of little to no continuity or storytelling value that completely fails to establish proper suspense or drama.
Yes, among the many such minor colorful character scenes, I am speaking to the 10 minute scene of boozing, over the hill knights who'd given up on "making the world a better place." And the conspicuously dialogue free 5 minute scene of the protagonist army marching across fields to the French castle. (Seriously, why on earth would you not insert ANY defining dialogue or narration here!?)
Perhaps if the director/ cinematographer were not so infatuated with showing off their own narrow self-serving interpretation of Hollywood big screen grandeur, they could've shown more respect for their solid cast of actors and the actual viewers who, like myself, were expecting something more intellectually stimulating than a "Scooby-Doo Does The Dark Ages" version of a consequential historical period piece.
This is the first show that I've ever binge watched in its entirety... expecting to eventually see it get better, but ultimately being completely disappointed in its vacuous nature and conspicuous lack of dramatic development.
Takers (2010)
Blows Away Oceans 11 - Best on-foot chase scene ever!!
Ha! I can't believe all the pretentious blowhard "reviewers" here! (And neither should you!) "Plot holes" - Gimme a break... I've never seen an action heist movie that didn't have 'em, and they're hardly (if at all) noticed in "Takers." "Slow paced" - I don't think so! That's what's called "character development."
Heck, I'd like to know what these wannabe "pro reviewers" said about "Oceans 11" (or 12 or 13 or 14) -- which got high ratings based almost entirely on superficial style, overthetop garish special effects, & an all star cast whose roles were nothing but one-dimensional caricatures -- certainly not for plot or near complete lack thereof. (Oceans 11 deserved 3 stars, and the follow-ons felt like a boring cast party - as lame as an NFL Pro Bowl!)
Takers has The Best on foot chase scene I've ever seen... so exciting that I jumped off the sofa! Solid social perspective of LA for the era in which it was written. One reviewer wrote that this movie was like a GQ version of a heist movie - LOL... I agree. And what's wrong with that!? Takers offers a new "sophisticated" social take on a heist flick, very LA, a lot of fun, never dull & sometimes really exciting, lotsa plot twists. It was a helluva lot more entertaining than 95% of the heist movies I've seen & I really enjoyed the banter among the brotherhood of smart, hip, gentleman thieves.
The Last Ridge: The 10th Mountain Division (2007)
VFW Bar Stories
This is not a true documentary. It is a collection of ground level observations & feelings related via recent interviews of enlisted vets and supported by nothing more than scant few letters home & narrated diary entries. Most disappointing - there is little to no cohesive webbing to provide any sort of comprehensive overview.
The almost complete absence of any statistics or maps or detailing of strategies or objectives whatsoever for the 10th Mountain Division (less than nothing with respect to the Nazis) leaves me clueless to the larger historical picture and how this collection of foggy snapshots of feelings & emotions fit into, err... "it" ....I cringe to even say "it" because if you asked me what "it" is... well, I couldn't tell you even after watching this entire film.
- No maps;
- No talk of strategies & little of tactics;
- No listing nor comparison of materiel of either force;
- No information on technologies (only a vague definition of skills training & preparation)
- Stock film clips (many not relevant & more like a b&w tourist brochure);
- No comparison or contrast of opposing forces;
- No timelines.
I revere the bravery, sacrifice, years of the most grueling preparation, and battle stories of the 10th Mountain Division. Their story is nearly untold and thus unknown, their legacy recognized in mythology whilst under reported in facts.
Unfortunately, and to my great sorrow and regret, this film leaves me feeling completely frustrated that I know nothing more -- of the odds they faced, the obstacles they overcame, the innovations & ingenuity they conjured, nor the challenges they conquered -- than I did before watching it.
That's what's most disappointing & damning... If some youngster were to ask me what I know of the 10th Mountain, I'd be forced to say "Not much... they fought bravely in Italy, scaled cliffs, sometimes skied, & were often very cold." That's what makes this unworthy of being called a documentary. One would expect the filmmakers to demonstrate more research & detail than one would get from a "Sgt Rock" comic book.