If.... (1968) review

(9/10)

This was a very interesting film to watch. It made me think a lot about what could happen. This was smart, realistic, and a fairly new idea for the time period it was released.

PLOT:Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) is a senior student attending a private school in the English society. Travis is very rebellious and doesn't follow the crowd. Along with a few of his friends, Travis starts to plan a revolt to rise up against the harsh adult rule in the school. Starting with the simplest means of defiance, he sparks up a bloody revolt. It's a great plot executed excellently.



ACTING:The acting in this film is very great. Malcolm McDowell does a brilliant job as defiant and rebellious student, Mick Travis. McDowell was clearly the star of the show and ruled his part. None of the other characters were as memorable as he was. The other shiners would have to be David Wood as Johnny, Richard Warwick as Wallace, Christine Noonan as the girl, Robert Swann as Rowntree, Peter Jeffrey as the Headmaster, and Hugh Thomas as Denson, even though there really weren't any bad performances in the film.

SCORE:The score in this film is made up of a few interesting films, some hymns, and a few songs sung in a choir. The score is really well done and everything else is fairly well-arranged I'd say.



OTHER CONTENT:This was a very interesting film overall. It left me with a lot to think about. The idea of a school rebellion is actually very realistic nowadays. Back then, this idea was a fresh spark into all viewing minds. I like the whole realism to it now, and I appreciate the controversy it received back then. Laced throughout this film, also, was a lot of dark humor, good dialogue, and shocking moments. I also liked the editing of putting certain scenes in black-and-white while the rest was color. However, there were a few parts of the film I didn't necessarily get the point of or understand. Those kind of threw me off for a bit.

OVERALL,an awesome film with a brilliant plot, very great acting, well done score, a realistic plot, appreciated controversy from its release date, dark humor, a good script, some shocks, and good editing, but some parts of the film lost me.

Tamara Drewe (2010) review

(7/10)

I surprisingly liked this movie more than I believed I would. It's a sly comedy that also tells a very compelling story as a drama.

PLOT:Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) is a young girl that was raised in the small town of Ewedon, right outside of London. She left town a long time ago, got plastic surgery on her nose, and then came back into town and the lives of several others, including her past flame, Andy Cobb (Luke Evans), who now works as a farm hand for a writer's colony in town. The writer's colony is led by famous crime novelist, Nicholas Hardiment (Roger Allam), who is not very faithful to his wife, Beth (Tamsin Greig), and used to be the crush of Tamara in the old days. However, Tamara is swooped up by the drummer of the indie rock band named Swipe, Ben Sargeant (Dominic Cooper). This, however, leads into an interesting chain of events including love, scandals, and a couple of crazed fans. It's a great plot executed very well.



ACTING:The acting in here was very good. Gemma Arterton played a pretty good part as Tamara Drewe. She doesn't stand completely out, but she does the job rather well. The best performances would have to have been by Roger Allam as Nicholas Hardiment and Dominic Cooper as Ben Sargeant. They really did a good job. The other shiners would have to be Tamsin Greig as Beth Hardiment, Luke Evans as Andy Cobb, Charlotte Christie as Casey Shaw, Jessica Barden as Jody Long, and Bronagh Gallagher as Eustacia. However, there really wasn't a bad performance in the movie.

SCORE:The score in here is very well done by the great Alexandre Desplat, as well as some entertaining song by the fake-band, Swipe. I'd probably buy a song by them.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie wasn't anything too special, but it was still very much worth a watch. There were several good jokes as well as a good, dramatic story to tell. Some things about the end of the movie actually shocked me and also impressed me that it would take a turn like that. The movie overall is quirky and compelling, but it isn't anything truly memorable.

OVERALL,a good movie with a great plot, very good acting, well done score and soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat and "Swipe", some good jokes, a good dramatic story, a shocking ending, and some compelling quirks, but it just isn't anything truly memorable or able to stand out.

Naked (1993) review

(8/10)

This was a peculiar film in my opinion. I enjoyed most of it, but a lot of the humor and theme didn't seem to click with me. On the brighter side, I enjoyed a lot of the script and emotional depiction.

PLOT:Johnny (David Thewlis) is a man from Manchester with an ear for philosophy and a bad attitude. At the beginning of the film, we see him committing the nasty act of sexual assault to a young lady. He immediately steals a car and flees from his Manchester home to London to live with his old girlfriend, Louise (Lesley Sharp). This film documents his journey wandering the streets and meeting random people as he deals with his life and the deeds that have been done. It's a great plot executed excellently.



ACTING:The performances in here were pretty brilliant. David Thewlis played a solid and entertaining part as the nasty English criminal, Johnny. The script really seemed to connect with him. Another couple of really satisfying performances would be Lesley Sharp as Louise and Katrin Cartlidge as Sophie. They really did a good job. The other shiners would be Greg Cruttwell as Jeremy, Claire Skinner as Sandra, Peter Wight as Brian, and Ewen Bremner as Archie. There really wasn't a bad performance in the film though.

SCORE:The score wasn't too important and not too memorable either. but it satisfied and got the job done.



OTHER CONTENT:This film was very interesting. I liked a lot about it. The script had to be one of the best parts due to the dark humor, emotional study, and philosophical thoughts. The dark humor inspires a few shallow chuckles, the philosophical thoughts give people something to really think about, and the emotional study is just the root of the whole film, honestly. This is an intense film study and narrative of one man's life and emotions. It really was good. However, there were a few things that I didn't agree with. The film's main emotions are sadness and depression as well as anger. If you're in a happy mood, this wouldn't be the film to watch. It's very down-bringing for the most part; you have to be in the right viewing mood. Also, a bit of the humor and script I didn't seem to get or understand, which just put me off a bit more. It was a really great film, but I have just a couple problems with it.

OVERALL,a great film with an excellent plot, brilliant acting, satisfying score, good dark humor, thoughtful philosophy, and an intense study of emotions, but it's really depressing and has a few things I didn't get.

Persepolis (2007) review

(8/10)

This animated biography about this girl's life explores the culture of an oppressive government in a touching and accurate way.

PLOT:Marjane Satrapi (Chiara Mastroianni) is an Iranian girl who constantly speaks out against the oppressive government she lives in. She loves music, rebels, and her family. This film chronicles her life from her childhood to her early adulthood through the Islamic revolution and covers most every rule from the dark veil she must wear everywhere to the restriction of media interference. It's a good plot executed brilliantly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here was pretty good. Even though I watched the French version and couldn't understand the language (I used subtitles), I still found the voices very well done. Chiara Mastroianni played a great part as Marjane Satrapi, speaking out emotionally, as if she was Marjane. The other shiners would be Catherine Deneuve as Tadji, Simon Abkarian as Ebi, Francois Jerosme as Uncle Anouch, and Danielle Darrieux as Marjane's grandmother. Danielle specifically did a great job among this bunch, due to the script she was given.

SCORE:The background score in this film was very touching and soft, matching the exact mood of the film. This also contained a rather comedic appearance of Iron Maiden and rendition of "Eye of the Tiger". I enjoyed it.

ANIMATION:The animation in here is unique and very accurate emotionally to the film. Though it was very detailed, it didn't cover some scenes as well as I believe a live-action film could've done.



OTHER CONTENT:For the most part, this film was emotionally and factually accurate. It left a fairly good emotional impact on me and made me thankful for the freedoms I have. However, I think a few of the things in the film were exaggerated outside the facts, and I didn't understand this as much as I think I should've. I think this film was mainly made for a certain crowd, and a bit of it didn't catch my attention. It did leave a big emotional impact and had a lot of good parts to it, but I feel that it had just these couple of mistakes.

OVERALL,a great animated film with a brilliant plot, pretty good voice acting, touching score, unique animation, a good emotional impact, and a lot of good parts, but I think some things are exaggerated, and I don't understand it as well as I thought I should've

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1969) review

(9/10)

This seems like a very fitting start for my Argento marathon, and not for the purpose of it being his debut. This film is creepy, stylized, well-thought out, and even terrifying to an extent.

PLOT:Sam (Tony Musante) is an American tourist in Italy with his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall). Things are going well until he witnesses a near-murder in a local art gallery. Trying to save the victim, he gets help. The cops later question him, and he tells them all he knows. He thinks that will be the end of the traumatic event, but he starts getting strange phone calls and murder attempts at him and his associates. Is the killer trying to get revenge? This spins him off deeper into the mystery of finding out more about the killer and his or her's motives. They find clues such as a painting that may be linked in, a voice persona, and even a strange clicking sound heard over the phone. Will Sam find the mystery out or die trying? It's a good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in here kind of fluctuates depending on the character, but it was fairly good for the most part. Tony Musante played a very good and convincing part as Sam, the investigating victim. His personality really drew the film all together. The other shiners would be Suzy Kendall as Julia, Enrico Maria Salerno as Morosoni, and Dario Argento as the black-jacketed killer (without face shots). I believe Eva Renzi played a decent part as Monica, but only in certain spots. She can come off as overacting in parts, but brilliant in others.

SCORE:The score was very well done by Ennio Moricone. It was very creepy and mystical all at the same time. It truly enhanced the creepy feeling of the film.

EFFECTS:They say Argento is known for his effects as well as his editing and violent scenes. The effects aren't shown very much, but of what is shown, they are pretty good. The blood looks real in the scenes it's shown.



OTHER CONTENT:This is a very fitting start to my horror film marathon and my Argento marathon. It's creepy, well thought-out, and full of style. There are certain moments in the film that send shivers down my spine, whether it be the effects of the atmosphere or the facial expressions the characters give off. Argento really knew how to pull this off. He also thought the mystery he wrote into the film out with every detail leading back to something. I appreciate that shock. Argento's editing is something else as well. His stylized violence, clean-cut editing, and overall direction of it all just comes together to make something unique. However, this did have a flaw I noticed. Most of its imperfections worked with the film, but one didn't; that one was the fact that Argento wrote in some non-essential, comedy relief-like parts which, to me, kind of interrupted the flow of the film. A couple examples would be the scene with the transvestite in the pervert line and the odd diet of the artist. These kind of deter from the film's flow and throw it off balance for just a little while. Aside from this, it's a very great horror film.

OVERALL,an awesome Argento horror film with a greatly-executed plot, good acting, very well done score, realistic effects, creepy atmosphere, well thought-out mystery, and clean-cut editing, but some comedic scenes seem to throw the film off of its terrifying axis for a few moments.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) review

(10/10)

I've been waiting to see this acclaimed work of Del Toro for a long time, and now that I have seen it, I have to say that it's definitely like nothing I've seen.

PLOT:During the Spanish Civil War around 1944, 10-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) has traveled with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her tyrannical stepfather, the Captain (Sergi Lopez). Ofelia has always been a heavy bookworm, but her parents haven't been real appreciative of it lately. They think she should grow up. However, this storybook world Ofelia has created influences her future. She finds her way down to the labyrinth outside her quarters and meets a mysterious creature known as the Pan (Doug Jones), a faun. This creature tells her that she used to be princess of the underworld in a past life, and that she can regain her place on the throne if she completes three perilious tasks. It seems decently easy, but her mother's getting violently ill from the baby, the war outside is getting rough (especially with secret spies running around), and the Captain is getting rougher. Even more complicated, what if this world's just a fantasy inside her head? It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The performances in this film are done very well. I think Ivana Baquero played a pretty respectable part as Ofelia. She played childlike emotions in such a way that it fit in with the whole feeling of the film. The other shiners would be Sergi Lopez as Captain Videl, Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, Doug Jones as Pan and the Pale Man, and Alex Angulo as the Doctor.

SCORE:The score was very well done as it was composed of various themes and lullabies put together by Javier Navarette.

EFFECTS:One thing I really liked about the effects for this film is that for the most part, they looked real. The bugs, giant toad, pale man, and even Pan himself all looked mind-boggingly real. Needless to say, they are very well done.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is truly a work of art on Del Toro's part. It's a beautiful, emotionally-packed, well-edited allegory to war through the eyes of a minor. The film is shot in such a way that it comes off as a work of art. It's packed with a whole tangle of different emotions felt throughout the entire film: sadness, wonder, mystery, anticipation, terror, etc. It's truly an emotional film on its own. Guillermo del Toro definitely put a touch upon editing the film, for each scene is shot with as much precision as Speilberg does in America. The main thing that makes this film great is the meaning. It's a tale of war taught through a child's eyes. All the violence and trauma the war has caused has even caused the fantasy-land in her head to turn dark. Each event in her life draws a different event in her fantasy whatever it may be. If you guess right, you can infer the only way for her to find peace. However, the audience is never quite sure if the magic existed or if it really was all inside her head. Either way, it's a very touching comparison to the war. There are a few moments where it can become predictable, but everything else overall makes up for it. This truly is a horrific fantasy for adults.

OVERALL,an epic dark fantasy with a brilliant plot, very well done performances, very well done score, realistic effects, the effect of real art, emotional variety, precision editing, and a touching comparison to war, even if it can get predictable.

The Artist (2011) review

(9/10)

A worthy Oscar-winner, but not the best of 2011. Either way, it's still visually pleasing, artistically filmed, and full of classic charm.

PLOT:George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is the Hollywood-hit silent film star in the late 1920s. Everybody loves him and he is rich with a wife and a dog which appears in the pictures with him. One day after the premiere of one of his films, he "runs into" a young lady named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) and immediately starts to joke with her. During the filming of another of his works, he finds Peppy being cast as an extra. While they're filming, Peppy keeps messing up and George just keeps playing along. George meets her in his dressing room and gives her a little pep talk on her acting career. After this, her career starts to soar from extras in his movies to even bigger parts. All is going great for them until one day when Peppy gets into a film with sound, or a "talkie". That is the day where everything turns around. George, being an expert silent actor and not letting go of his art, is fired from his current studio and forced to make his own living, but with the talkies being the new thing in Hollywood, his career starts to fall. Because of his pride in his art, his life starts to change drastically. It's an interesting plot idea executed artistically.



ACTING:I mentioned before that acting in silent films has to be done carefully considering there's no dialogue. Well, the acting in here is brilliant for a modern-day silent film. Everybody did a pretty great job. Jean Dujardin played a brilliant and accurate role as George, capturing his laughs to his roles to his stresses. Berenice Bejo also played a well-done part as Peppy. I could really sense her feelings. The other shiners were John Goodman as Al Zimmer, Penelope Ann Miller as Doris, and Malcolm McDowell as the butler with honorable mentions to Bill Fagerbakke as the tuxedo policeman and the dog, Uggie, as himself. This animal was actually pretty well-trained.

SCORE:The score was mainly made up of mood-fitting piano and string tunes that fit the era, plus a fitting song. I believe it was pretty well composed for a film of this type.



OTHER CONTENT:This film was very well-made. It was charming in the same old way, visually pleasing in matching the time, and film with an artist's style and hand. I have to give credit to the director for filming this with such a vision and interest that it all comes together magically. The only problem I found with this is that for a silent film, it's too long. It starts to lag in the middle and lose a bit of its wonderful, nostalgic magic. I also kind of thought the character development had a flaw or two, but I just let it go. It was a worthy Oscar-winner, as "The King's Speech" was, but I believe there was a better of 2011. (HP7.2, Tree of Life)

OVERALL,an awesome silent film with an interesting plot, brilliant silent acting, well-composed score, similar charm, pleasing visuals, and artistic execution, but it lags a bit in the middle and loses its nostalgic charm.

3 (2010) review

(6/10)

I see a lot of potential here, but the film doesn't seem to know what it wants.

PLOT:Anchorwoman Hanna (Sophie Rois) and engineerng artist Simon (Sebastian Schipper) have been in love for at least 20 years and living with each other. They're real, down-to-earth, childless people that have been through a lot as a couple. Things are going pretty well with their romance until they each meet stem cell doctor, Adam (David Striesow) and fall in love with him. It's a intersting plot executed artisicly, but it is has a few development problems which I'll get to later on.

ACTING:The acting was pretty good throughout. I believe the best performances came from Sophie Rois as Hanna and David Striesow as Adam, but disagreeabley, I thought Sebastian Schipper was kind of bland as Simon. I didn't see true emotion come out through him as I did with Sophie and David.



SCORE:The score was made up of a few calm, mood-setting peices and a few notable songs. It was good, I'd say.

EFFECTS:I don't know if the effects were done in real time, considering this is an indie film, or if they were done through make-up and such, but they were good because they looked real and were even cringe-worthy, which I'll explain in the next section.



OTHER CONTENT:I am new to Tom Tykwer's films and direction styles, but I can already see a lot of pontential in his style. He starts off the film with a passing car and a voice explaining the life of Hanna and Simon, along with an interpretive dance of the film's main events. It also had multiple screen shots at one time, a brief animation, and the notable scene of the three main characters lying naked fading against a white background. He has earned my respect with his unique direction and editing style for sure, but this had a couple major problems. The plot isn't real well developed; some of the events (such as Simon's mother's death and his testicular operation) have so little to do with the plot that it distracts from the main idea of the plot. It really just ends up as unneeded. Also, the character development as a small problem. Tykwer tries to incorporate accurate character development by filming that little scene in the beginning with the passing car and putting those unneeded events in the film, but it doesn't make up for how we see their personalities shine. They end up looking like karma-stricken victims in a horror film due to the problems. This film wasn't really my cup of tea, to be truthful. At times it grossed me out and made me want to stop watching. I think that's another reason why I didn't favor it due to the wonderful direction...

OVERALL,an ok indie film with an intersting and artistic plot, pretty good acting, just good score, real-looking effects, and a visionistic direction by Twyker, but the plot isn't real well developed, the character development has a few problems, and the film just wasn't my type.