Nedward Reviews

Fight Club (1999)

Simply Brilliant

[16 October 1999]

All I can say is wow. I went into fight club expecting a mediocre movie with tons of unessessary computer graphics. What I got was completely different. This film is an incredible achievement on so many levels. Unfortunately for the makers it will get endless comparisons with the matrix which in my opinion is a really bad film. It seems as though any film with a twist or an interesting style is dubbed Matrix-like which is terribly unfortunate in my opinion. In my opinion you really can't compare this to a film of similar nature because there aren't any. This film takes a dark and often comedic look at the primal part of our soul. It looks at what is bottled up in every man working at a desk and it looks at what happens when it is released. The director, David Fincher, takes a lot of risks in the narrative, structure and content and he is rewarded in spades. Although some of the laughs are in bad taste (at the beginning especially) the film has few other flaws. The direction and cinematography are spectacular and a bit showy but they add to the story instead of being superflous indulgences like in the matrix (i know I said you can't compare them but hey, I lied). The acting is phenomenal between Ed Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. All three are entertaining and believable in highly outlandish roles. Overall, the movie is very fresh very dark and very funny. I would reccomend this film to anyone seeking creativity and originality in a movie.

P.S. the movie isn't just about fighting in basements even though the ads make it look that way.

Souvenirs intimes (1999)

Big confusing jumble of a revenge flick

[3/10 · 13 October 1999]

(contains a very minor spoiler)

This year at the Toronto film festival I decided to do the patriotic thing and see some films from my native land. This, unfortunatly was one of them.

The problem with this film is not that it is so bad, but it could have been good. The acting is superb and the whole film has an interesting visual look. Unfortunatly, the script is a mess. The plot is predictable at best and ludicrous at its worst. The characters act without motivation of any kind. Example: a teenaged youth decides to live with his biological mother who he has just met and run away from his adopted mother. He has an excellent relationship to his adoptive mother, his adoptive father isn't in the picture so he isn't a factor, and the mother provides much for him. Yet for some unknown reason he runs away. At no point does he show any form of resentment towards his biological mother and at no time does he show any signs of being angry at his adoptive mother. Speaking as a teenager, we might be irrational but this is just insane.

Also, the past that the main characters share is revealed badly and many of the flashbacks have little to do with the film. The main idea of a woman who was raped seeking revenge on the people who did it isn't bad. The idea that she would do this by simply calling one of them up and annoying him is. The character who helped to rape her, Max seems filled with guilt at some times and others he acts as though she is an old girlfriend who is simply pesky.

There are other problems, like a tendancy of the director to be so ambiguous that some scenes tell you absolutely nothing. The film is also filled with many superfluous characters who add nothing and simply confuse the story (something the rest of the script achieves quite well). The ending feels as though it has been tacked on from another film. It resolves little and again is completely unmotivated. Overall, the film is confusing and the plot unjustified. But it looks nice and that's all that seemed to matter to some members of the audience. I wasn't one of them.

Love in the Mirror (1999)

Cold and uninteresting

[11 October 1999]

I was a big fan of italian films up until this one. When you think of Italian films you normally think of warm, very emotional movies like Cinema Paradiso, Il Postino and others. When you see Love in the Mirror you'll think you accidentally walked into a French movie. The whole film is cold and it seems like the film tries to make you uninterested in the characters.

There are endless sex scenes that have no point and get really boring after a while. I've always felt that if teenaged guys get bored during gratuitous sex scenes, the director must be doing something wrong. The plot is impossible to follow and after a while you are just hoping it will end. I noticed a bunch of people looking at their watches during the last hour at the premiere at the film festival here in Toronto. I do have to admit that the cinematography and set design were incredible, but with all the other flaws you really don't care.

I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998)

Unbelievably unfunny

[11 October 1999]

At a screening during the Toronto, International film festival I had the misfortune of being given a ticket to the premiere of this terrible excuse for a film. I had already been kicked out of one film because I was underage so i welcomed any tickets that came my way. While I was in line I heard the plot. A crazy cross-dressing killer breaks out of a mental institution and goes on a killing spree! Okaay. Then I heard that there was no dialogue. I was beginning to have a sinking feeling about this movie. Then I was told that it was a Ed Wood 'script' that he wasn't able to get developed!!! If Ed Wood was able to make all the c**p that he did but he wasn't able to find anyone to support this, it must be really bad. Well, I wasn't let down by. My suspicions were correct and the movie was unbearable. I left 30 minutes early so i could catch the last subway. Don't see this unless you enjoy seeing a pantheon of B-movie stars and washups being killed by an overacting killer.

Deep Impact (1998)

Just plain bad

[9 October 1999]

contains a spoiler Wow, was this ever a bad movie. If ever a movie was overcrowded with unrealized subplots, it is Deep Impact. There are so many characters who we barely know and really don't care about and at the ending you don't care when some of them die. The only character who you care about at all is Robert Duvall's because he is such a great actor. When part of the comet does hit Earth many of the people in the theatre began to cheer, I know I did when Tea Leoni bit the dust. She is just one of a pantheon of unbearably melodramatic characters in this uninteresting disaster of a disaster movie. The plot is of little consequence because you will probably be asleep after twenty minutes of expositional dialogue and boring characters. There are so many problems that I can't even remember all of them. In the end, it remains a bad film that should be avoided at all costs.

Three Kings (1999)

A good film that isn't afraid to take risks

[8/10 · 8 October 1999]

It's comforting to see that some filmmakers are still taking chances these days. A week after seeing American Beauty I have been very pleasantly surprised again. 3 kings is a movie that isn't afraid to experiment and take chances and this pays off. There are times when the experimentation backfires but the pros definitely outnumber the cons in this wonderfully bizzare film.

The opening scene is both incredibly funny and dramatic. it quickly turns to horror as war so often does and eventually ends in bloodshed. The film really conveys the insanity of war, especially the Gulf war. It shows the confusion and cynicism of the soldiers and civilians on both sides.

It is also the first film in a long time not to completely stereotype people of the middle east. After insulting trash like the Siege and others it is a relief to see a film that doesn't resort to jingoism to cover for a lack of imagination. It seems that U.S. films need a stereotypical badguy for every generation. It must have been a serious blow to morons in the film industry when the Soviet bloc collapsed. Never mind, I've become distracted. The film uses captivating cinematography to accurately show the desolation of the desert. Unlike some films that use strange cinematography to cover for shaky characters and stories, 3 kings uses cinematography to it's utmost advantage.

3 Kings is inventive and original, except for an ending that feels somewhat like a copout but it's not too bad. The film tries new things and gives an interesting view of the Gulf War. I recommend this film to anyone who likes to see something different in films and anyone who loves a good satire.

The Pallbearer (1996)

Stupifyingly bad

[29 September 1999]

Three years ago I was on vacation with my family in California. On the last day, everything went wrong. Upon calling home we found out our dog had died, after swimming in the ocean we were unable to shower and I was covered with salt residue for the rest of the day. After boarding a small plane in a storm for a 7 hour Red Eye flight I thought that things couldn't get worse. Then the Pallbearer came on. This was one of the worst films I have ever seen. Between its combination of no humour, melodramatic plotting and a slew of other problems this film comes off as simply depressing. It's like watching the Graduate (who's plot they completely copy) with all the good parts taken out. It is a joyless trip through narcissism and idiocy that anyone with half a brain should miss.

The Doors (1991)

Unfocused garbage

[29 September 1999]

The Doors is probably the least focused and uninteresting films I have ever seen. The film doesn't go anywhere and doesn't seem to know what it wants to say. In it's few lucid moments it makes some interesting points(backstage at the Ed Sullivan show is one example) but the rest of the time it is like being part of a bad drug trip. Nothing makes sense and you aren't having any fun. If you are in the mood for an Oliver Stone movie, see Platoon. It actually knows what it's trying to say.

The Onion Field (1979)

A disappointment

[29 September 1999]

Watching the Onion Field is like being in the trial it portrays. Overlong, boring and ultimately unsatisfying the film drags on until its uninteresting ending which resolves nothing and leaves you wishing you hadn't wasted the last two hours of your life. The opening of the film has some promise. The characters seem to have some potential but after the plotless first half hour you begin to care less and less. Then, after the first 45 minutes almost an entirely new cast of characters is introduced badly and for the rest of the film we really have no reason to care about them. The characters who were introduced early on suddenly disappear into the background and resurface occasionally in scenes that have little or no impact. The film is filled with unnecessary scenes which neither advance the plot or the characters and simply make the film drag moreso. The only character we are really introduced to and care about is Ted Danson and when he's gone the rest of the characters are strangers to us. Overall the film doesn't go anywhere and in the end you know little of what happened after the shooting and in the end you really don't care.

Ben-Hur (1959)

The most over rated film of all time

[28 September 1999]

Wow. That's what I thought as I watched this melodramatic piece of shmaltz. I was amazed that anyone could consider this a serious film and not find it dated. I was amazed that anyone who saw this could consider Charlton Heston a serious and competent actor. I was dazzled at the fact that this wasn't laughed out of the theatres when it was released. Between bad acting, bad writing, melodramatic directing and a slew of other critical problems this heavily dated film is a joke today. Watching this you begin to see what the A.M.P.A.S really looks for in films. Lots of money, lots of spectacle, wooden acting and a movie that isn't as smart as it thinks it is. This is what Titanic will look like in 30 years. A piece of unintelligent garbage that hype has blown out of proportion.

Affliction (1997)

Good but flawed

[2 September 1999]

It's so annoying to watch a movie that could be improved so much with only a few changes. First of all, the ending was completely ruined by an unnecessary and expositional voice over by Willam Dafoe. His narration throughout is completely useless and simply breaks up the story. Next is the murder mystery that is badly done. It should have been expanded or completely eliminated. Also, lots of rich characters could have been expanded on. On the other hand, the performances are all incredible. The script is good at showing the effects of abuse but the flaws mask it. Worth seeing but it will annoy you that it came so close to being incredible.

The Sweet Hereafter (1997)

Deeply moving and subtle

[27 June 1999]

This was one of the saddest films I have ever seen. I do not mean that in bad way though. I have seen sad films that made me depressed and I usually disliked them because of this. The Sweet Hereafter is different though. It is a sad film without being manipulative and fake. The film brilliantly shows how people need to have revenge. After a bus accident where all but two are killed the people of the town, after a lawyer pushes them on, become obsessed with suing those responsible. Egoyan looks at how people can not accept that things happen by accident. The people of the town feel that someone has to pay for the pain they are feeling and in the end they are the ones to pay for it. The acting is excellent, especially Ian Holm. Once you become accustomed to the time shifts this is an incredibly rewarding film that you will always remember.

Chasing Amy (1997)

Great twist on an old story

[23 June 1999]

When you look at Chasing Amy closely you realize something. Kevin Smith has taken the cliched story of a woman who falls in love with a gay man and simply reversed the genders and at the same time adding a much needed dose of reality to the story. I thought that this was a very realistic take on romance no matter how complicated. Smith looked at the fact that most filmmakers overlook. Romance can be painful and damaging. Most people don't look at how painful love can be. I have seen this movie a few times and unlike Clerks the humour does begin to fade a bit. Also you begin to notice things about the characters you didn't the first time. After the third viewing I realized that I really don't like the Ben Affleck character. He is the only part of the movie that I don't completely connect with. He gets really arrogant after the the third time you meet him. Everything else is absolutely perfect though. Jason Lee is as hilarious as he was in Mallrats and is a perfect foil for Ben Affleck. Hooper X had me busting a gut even the third time I saw his speeches. Also, Jay and Silent Bob are great in their familiar supporting role (Silent Bob's speech was pure gold). I think people who loved Clerks might have a problem with Chasing Amy. I say this because people expecting the same light hearted antics will be surprised to see a serious and often profound love story under all the dirty jokes.

Out of Sight (1998)

Exudes style

[22 June 1999]

This has to be my favorite Elmore Leonard adaptation. It stays true to the characters and actually improves the plot. The acting and characters are wonderfully subtle and the dialogue is top notch. The film simply exudes style. While the plot leaves something to be desired(I know she should report to a superior)the movie is about the characters and their relationships. The plot only acts as a catalyst. Many people I've talked to complain that it was too slow and boring. This is only so if you don't pay attention. The dialogue crackles and every actor pulls his weight(the supporting cast is brilliant) but only if you pay attention to them. I think that too many people expect pulp fiction and discover that it's a subtle drama that involves criminals not a crime movie that's dramatic. I love this film and I hope that anyone who hasn't seen it does, and soon.

Clerks (1994)

My favorite comedy

[22 June 1999]

This has to be my all time favorite comedy and one of my all time favorites overall. About three years ago a friend of mine came to school one day raving about the funniest movie he had seen on late night. He talked about this black and white low budget movie about two blue collar losers who talked endlessly about sex. From that description I wasn't anticipating a masterpiece but I decided to rent it anyway. It was probably the best surprise I have ever had. I was laughing the entire time, so much so that I nearly woke up everyone in my house. For months afterwards my friend and I would endlessly talk about and quote this incredible film. Everyone I have recommended it to has loved it and I can easily see why. I know that some people attack the movie as being vulgar and excessive. The way I see it it is being true to life (I'm sure that when you have 10 hours to kill you'll talk about the average pay of a gizz mopper). In short I absolutely love this film and it gets better and better with every viewing. Rent this film as soon as possible if you haven't already.

Matewan (1987)

Absolutely stunning

[10/10 · 22 June 1999]

I just watched this extraordinary film and it has blown me away. John Sayles, who wrote directed and acted in this incredible movie is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I saw Lone Star about a year ago and Men With Guns a month ago and in both cases I was extremely impressed. This film has done nothing but reinforce my positive feelings about Sayles. This brilliant film is a tremendous drama and at the same time a wonderfully realized period piece. The characters are perfectly rounded and very believable and the acting is top notch. The final showdown between good and evil is perfectly choreographed and incredibly tense and moving. Of all the actors I think that David Strathairn sticks out. His portrayal of the honest lawman is exceptional. This is an incredible film that should not be missed by anyone.

Prizzi's Honor (1985)

Wonderfully zany look at the mob

[21 June 1999]

What a wonderful surprise this film was. When I thought about a comedy about the mob I was worried it would turn into a low brow slapstick about bumbling gangsters. Nothing could be farther from the truth in this incredibly intelligent comedy that is brilliantly acted. Jack Nicholson is pure gold in the lead role as Charlie the less than average intelligence mob hit man. His romance with a fellow hitman(hitwoman?) Kathleen Turner is terrifically played and leaves you on the ground laughing every few minutes. The star of the movie is really William Hickey though. He steals every scene he's in as the venerable mob boss. He goes from threatening someone to offering them a cookie in seconds and it seems completely natural. One second he seems senile and the other a mastermind. This movie is the crazy without the actors trying to play it that way. It is a seriously played zany film which works perfectly. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Very uneven

[21 June 1999]

Night of the Hunter was one of the strangest and most uneven classics I have ever seen. Bouncing between hokily over acted and brilliantly dark the film never really took off for me but there were certainly segments where I was in awe. The shadow of Robert Mitchum in the children's room is one example of the brilliance contained in this mediocre film. The silhouette of Mitchum on the horse pursuing the children is another and of course Shelley Winters in the lake. The parts that I was less enthusiastic about were the scenes with Lilian Gish. As if the blatantly obvious imagery near the end wasn't enough we have Gish endlessly repeating that children are resilient. Was Laughton not aware that he could be subtle with messages? Regardless, I also don't understand why everyone seems to think that this is such a terrifying movie. When Mitchum is running after the children it looks as if he's doing a bad impersonation of Frankenstein's monster. Later when he's pursuing them into the river he seems more concerned with keeping his feet dry then recovering the money. Overall though the film is worth seeing for some jaw dropping cinematography and occasional moments of brilliance from Mitchum.

To Have and Have Not (1944)

Poor man's Casablanca

[21 June 1999]

While watching To Have and Have Not one thought kept going through my mind; this is Casablanca with a different supporting cast. Unfortunately it is not a better supporting cast. Other than Lauren Bacall the replacements are terribly sub-par. The piano player who replaced Dooley Wilson(Sam) can barely stay in tune and can't act. The fat man in the beret (I can't remember the actor) feels like sydney greenstreet lite. Everything about the movie feels like Casablanca but much less satisfying. To change direction slightly, I thought that the scenes between Bogie and Bacall were fabulous. The 'you know how to whistle' scene will stay in my memory for a long time but overall it will still be a poor man's Casablanca