No Country for Old Men (2007)
–If I don’t come back, tell mother I love her.
–Your mother’s dead, Llewelyn.
–Well then I’ll tell her myself.
Enjoyment of a film often depends upon our preconceptions and how well a film meets those expectations. Quite often, we hear so much buzz about how great a film is supposed to be [...]
Archive for August, 2008
A Passage to India
Posted in Reviews, tagged Alec Guinness, August 2008, David Lean, E. M. Forster, Judy Davis on August 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
A Passage to India (1984)
My dear, life rarely gives us what we want at the moment we consider appropriate. Adventures do occur, but not punctually.
The great British director, David Lean, famous for his epics such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Doctor Zhivago, made his last film in the 1980s. [...]
The Sting
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, George Roy Hill, Paul Newman, Robert Redford on August 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Sting (1973)
What was I supposed to do – call him for cheating better than me, in front of the others?
This is why I wanted a high definition television and high definition DVD player! Well, not this movie specifically but to see classics like this in the best possible home viewing. When a high definition [...]
The Edge of the World
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Michael Powell on August 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Edge of the World (1937)
The slow shadow of death is falling on the outer isles of Scotland.
If you are unfamiliar with the great classic directors of British films beyond Alfred Hitchcock, there are four names you should know: Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, David Lean, and Michael Powell. Michael Powell is primarily known for his [...]
The Mummy/The Mummy Returns/Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh, Rachel Weisz on August 25, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The Mummy — 1999
–Look, I…I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O’Connell, but I am proud of what I am.
– And what is that?
– I…am a librarian.
The Mummy Returns — 2001
–No harm ever came from opening a chest.
–Yeah, right, and no harm ever came from reading [...]
The Brothers Grimm
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Heath Ledger, Matt Damon, Terry Gilliam on August 21, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Magic beans don’t work! They don’t bring people back to life!
You may have noticed a number of my reviews have starred Heath Ledger. Oddly enough I didn’t realize this at first. When Ledger died back in January, I refused to watch any of his previous work for months. It hurt to think [...]
Chicago
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John C Reilly, Musicals, Queen Latifah, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Rob Marshall on August 21, 2008 | 8 Comments »
Chicago (2002)
This trial…the whole world…it’s all…show business.
The Hollywood Musical – for years it was one of the most lucrative genres for studios to make, but alas those days are no more. You can thank Rob Marshall’s Chicago for the fact that there has been an attempt to revive the old splendor. The story of Roxie [...]
Casanova
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, BBC, Casanova, David Tennant, Heath Ledger, Lasse Hollstrom, Peter O'Toole on August 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Casanova (2005)
–Casanova, the philosopher? Who devotes his life to the perfection of experience? Yes, I know him.
– No, Casanova the libertine, who devotes his life to seducing women.
– Well, we’re obviously talking about the same person.
Casanova (2005, BBC version)
Gentlemen! I’m sure we can work this out amicably. Look at it this way; if you could [...]
Unbreakable
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Bruce Willis, M Night Shyamalan, Samuel L Jackson on August 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Unbreakable (2000)
Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world, to not know why you’re here.
It’s fashionable these days to bash M. Night Shyamalan. After the mega success of his 1999 supernatural thriller, The Sixth Sense, everyone waited with baited breath to see what shocking surprise he would [...]
The Dark Knight
Posted in Reviews, tagged August 2008, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman on August 18, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The Dark Knight 2008
“Wanna know how I got these scars?”
Expectations were exceedingly high for this movie. It’s the follow-up to a very successful film, Batman Begins, as well as the last completed performance of a talented actor who was just beginning to hit his peak, Heath Ledger. Early buzz said that Ledger was almost assured [...]
