4/5 stars
Gorgeous and heart breaking. Great story, acting and visuals. I have to say right off the bat here that I adore Chinese films, especially Zhang Yimou's. Hero is his first 'kung fu' movie and it works well.
The acting is superb and the special effects are better than Crouching Tiger and Yimou's House of Flying Daggers.
It's sad the majority will probably look a film like this over. All we in North America have is Jolie and Pitt churning out pap, so sad.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Movie Review Cold Mountain
3/5 stars
I can't believe I'm about to say this but Jude Law has won me over. He and Zellweger make this movie worth seeing. Kidman I usually adore, I loved Dogville, The Others, Dead Calm, but she's just cold in this movie. There doesn't appear to be much chemistry between the Law and Kidman which doesn't help.
Law dons the best accent in the film and, Kidman's is so forced it sounds rediculous but Law's is understated and perfect.
Kidman looks gorgeous, her beauty is really played up. But he actors don't seem to know quite what to do with themselves at first. Like the director told them to act awkward so they do the best they can but it doesn't come across as genuine. Only Law and Zellweger maintain their characters well.
The story is dramatic and interesting and I cried through the whole darn thing. I'm grateful for the graphic nature of the war scenes, maybe we won't glorify war so much if we actually see what happens instead of a sterilized version.
So, I recommend Cold Mountain if you like epic-type period films and above all, love stories.
I can't believe I'm about to say this but Jude Law has won me over. He and Zellweger make this movie worth seeing. Kidman I usually adore, I loved Dogville, The Others, Dead Calm, but she's just cold in this movie. There doesn't appear to be much chemistry between the Law and Kidman which doesn't help.
Law dons the best accent in the film and, Kidman's is so forced it sounds rediculous but Law's is understated and perfect.
Kidman looks gorgeous, her beauty is really played up. But he actors don't seem to know quite what to do with themselves at first. Like the director told them to act awkward so they do the best they can but it doesn't come across as genuine. Only Law and Zellweger maintain their characters well.
The story is dramatic and interesting and I cried through the whole darn thing. I'm grateful for the graphic nature of the war scenes, maybe we won't glorify war so much if we actually see what happens instead of a sterilized version.
So, I recommend Cold Mountain if you like epic-type period films and above all, love stories.
Movie Review Hotel Rwanda
5/5 stars
How in $%* didn't this warrant an Oscar nomination???
In 1994 I was 23, in April we had just started building our home and when I wasn't building one news story had me completely transfixed, OJ damn Simpson. His murder trial was the biggest story of 1994, especially the summer. What a waste of air time.
It is a fact that very few news organisations to this day do not have a reporter (print or live) in Africa, not.one.reporter for all of Africa. Why don't we care what happens in Africa?I wonder if it is exactly the same in Darfur? I haven't even heard the word Darfur in the media for months now.
The world, especially the very rich and powerful UN, failed Rwanda. They didn't fail to intervene in Yugoslavia though, some say they had learned their lesson in Rwanda, I say they intervened because Yugoslavians are white, plain and simple.
I'm not ashamed to say I bawled while watching this movie, I've been known to weep during a touching seen but this movie touched me profoundly it was gut wrenching. I don't believe it could have been done better.
I can say it would have been perfect had Daillaire been willing to cooperate but I can't say I blame him for not trusting the Hollywood machine. He doesn't agree with the portrayal of UN general based on him, Nolte's character.One good thing about Nolte though, he doesn't tear up the screen like he's been known to do. He performance was understated and perfect. Along with the rest of the cast, just flawless.
Everyone on this planet needs to see this movie, especially our children. It should be part of the high school curriculum, required viewing. Along with holocaust films. Anything we can do to increase compassion in our children, this is the only antidote to genocide. And I'm not speaking of the type of pseudo compassion religions teach, I mean real compassion for our fellow man regardless of the circumstances.
How in $%* didn't this warrant an Oscar nomination???
In 1994 I was 23, in April we had just started building our home and when I wasn't building one news story had me completely transfixed, OJ damn Simpson. His murder trial was the biggest story of 1994, especially the summer. What a waste of air time.
It is a fact that very few news organisations to this day do not have a reporter (print or live) in Africa, not.one.reporter for all of Africa. Why don't we care what happens in Africa?I wonder if it is exactly the same in Darfur? I haven't even heard the word Darfur in the media for months now.
The world, especially the very rich and powerful UN, failed Rwanda. They didn't fail to intervene in Yugoslavia though, some say they had learned their lesson in Rwanda, I say they intervened because Yugoslavians are white, plain and simple.
I'm not ashamed to say I bawled while watching this movie, I've been known to weep during a touching seen but this movie touched me profoundly it was gut wrenching. I don't believe it could have been done better.
I can say it would have been perfect had Daillaire been willing to cooperate but I can't say I blame him for not trusting the Hollywood machine. He doesn't agree with the portrayal of UN general based on him, Nolte's character.One good thing about Nolte though, he doesn't tear up the screen like he's been known to do. He performance was understated and perfect. Along with the rest of the cast, just flawless.
Everyone on this planet needs to see this movie, especially our children. It should be part of the high school curriculum, required viewing. Along with holocaust films. Anything we can do to increase compassion in our children, this is the only antidote to genocide. And I'm not speaking of the type of pseudo compassion religions teach, I mean real compassion for our fellow man regardless of the circumstances.
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