Flight (2012) - 8 stars out of 10
"Flight" has little to do with airplanes and everything to do with alcoholism. Denzel Washington's portrayal of an alcoholic living in denial is chilling and raw. While he is surrounded by good actors and a fresh script, this film is all about Denzel. The progression of his alcoholic state from start to finish is nothing short of impressive. Director Robert Zemeckis steps out of his comfort zone with this edgy drama. Realistically, the only thing in this film that would indicate "Zemeckis" to me is his name on the closing credits and the choice of Alan Silvestri to write the film score. To his credit, the film has some incredible moments, the least of which is the vivid portrayal of the plane crash. That scene grew so intense and real that it brought me to tears as the flight attendant spoke into the black box. Also, the camera angles during the mini bar scene blew me away. John Goodman brings some much-needed comic relief, although I didn't appreciate drug usage being portrayed with such levity. Don Cheadle was okay while Melissa Leo really stuck out during her limited 10 minutes of screen time. "Flight" my not be the greatest drama out there but it is definitely worth watching and rewatching, particularly for Denzel's raw acting skill.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
JFK - 10 stars out of 10
JFK - 10 stars out of 10
A thousand puzzle pieces come together to paint a perspective-altering image of the integrity of our American government, the power held by its officials, and what goes on behind the scenes. The well-written roles in "JFK" played by Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Joe Pesci, Jay Sanders, Gary Oldman, Ed Asner, Wayne Knight, and Walter Matthau are all pulled together by Kevin Costner in a riveting performance. Though my attention wandered due to the sheer length of the film (I could only get a hold of the special edition extended by 17 minutes), there is a driving intensity that makes the time fly by - particularly in the courtroom scene which lasts for over 1/2-hour but seems to be over in a snap. You have to see this portrayal of one of our country's most significant tragedies brought to life.
A thousand puzzle pieces come together to paint a perspective-altering image of the integrity of our American government, the power held by its officials, and what goes on behind the scenes. The well-written roles in "JFK" played by Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Joe Pesci, Jay Sanders, Gary Oldman, Ed Asner, Wayne Knight, and Walter Matthau are all pulled together by Kevin Costner in a riveting performance. Though my attention wandered due to the sheer length of the film (I could only get a hold of the special edition extended by 17 minutes), there is a driving intensity that makes the time fly by - particularly in the courtroom scene which lasts for over 1/2-hour but seems to be over in a snap. You have to see this portrayal of one of our country's most significant tragedies brought to life.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
ParaNorman - 4 stars out of 10
ParaNorman - 4 stars out of 10
"ParaNorman" was a let-down. More than anything, this movie helped me appreciate how awesome "Frankenweenie" was. Not only are the story and characters considerably less interesting, but the animation can't even compare. It had so much jerkiness that it felt like a stop-motion picture from 15 years ago. Probably the best visual aspect of the film was the CGI effects added to the zombies and that's not a compliment since we're talking about a stop-motion film. The voice acting is fine but the story is very bland. Well, the zombies chase the kids. Then they chase the kids. And then, oh! They chase the kids some more. This story doesn't have nearly as much depth as "Frankenweenie" and throws in unnecessary language (even though this is obviously intended for kids). It wasn't even very funny. Animation company Laika (who also created "Coraline") is like the equivalent of Don Bluth's films when compared to the Disney renaissance during the 90's. It's good but it just can't compare to what others are doing in the same field. I applaud any stop-motion film for the tedious effort that it takes to bring one of these films to life, but "ParaNorman" is just a disappointment when compared to Tim Burton's impressive output.
"ParaNorman" was a let-down. More than anything, this movie helped me appreciate how awesome "Frankenweenie" was. Not only are the story and characters considerably less interesting, but the animation can't even compare. It had so much jerkiness that it felt like a stop-motion picture from 15 years ago. Probably the best visual aspect of the film was the CGI effects added to the zombies and that's not a compliment since we're talking about a stop-motion film. The voice acting is fine but the story is very bland. Well, the zombies chase the kids. Then they chase the kids. And then, oh! They chase the kids some more. This story doesn't have nearly as much depth as "Frankenweenie" and throws in unnecessary language (even though this is obviously intended for kids). It wasn't even very funny. Animation company Laika (who also created "Coraline") is like the equivalent of Don Bluth's films when compared to the Disney renaissance during the 90's. It's good but it just can't compare to what others are doing in the same field. I applaud any stop-motion film for the tedious effort that it takes to bring one of these films to life, but "ParaNorman" is just a disappointment when compared to Tim Burton's impressive output.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)