gerth6000 Reviews

Anche libero va bene (2006)

Great acting in this loving family drama

[9/10 · 29 September 2006]

This film is about a family of four and told through the character of Tommi, an 11-year old boy. His sister is a nuisance, and he has trouble getting friends in school.

The mother of the family has some psychological issues and disappears for weeks, then returns for a few weeks of nuclear family bliss.

The father is a poor, stressed out cameraman struggling to find work. He goes from loving and caring role-model-father to angry, rampaging mad in seconds.

The tensions between all four members of the family are really done well, the film is believable and very emotional. Both adults and children in this story give great acting performances.

Coronado (2003)

CnC style animation

[2/10 · 12 October 2003]

Just saw Coronado... Around here the only line they came up with to sell it is "from the FX team behind Independence Day". I think that says a great deal. No talk about writers, directors, actors...

It's a cute little adventure story set in a banana republic in Mid America, but the storyline is thin.

All the way through the movie I kept thinking about how much this movie looks like the cut-scenes from some action computer war game. Although the FXs are nice, they all too often are visible. Much like the cut scenes in CGs style like Command'n'Conquer.

You almost instantly know that that particular truck, backdrop, bridge, castle, or jet fighter never existed. The look is smooth and nice, but not up to the standard we have come to expect of Action Adventures today. The movie is lacking a lot of obvious on-location filming.

The acting, storyline is below average and the FXs are nice but not up to feature film standard. I am not surprised this thing went straight to video/DVD.

In China They Eat Dogs (1999)

First and best

[10/10 · 2 February 2000]

This is definitely the best Danish action movie to date - but on the other hand, Denmark doesn't have a tradition for the action style, so this is also the first Danish action movie that has the right 'touch' to make it big time.

The action and the script and action are welded together very well and the movie appears to be solid.

I Kina Spiser De Hunde should be right next to Pulp Fiction on your shelf.

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Garbage

[1/10 · 2 February 2000]

This movie is terrible.

There are a few points that lift it from a zero-rating to 1:

1. The chapter-markers. When the viewer has fallen asleep he is awaken by some good old rock music, before he is set upon by another boring chapter.

2. The naitivity of Bess. She's so far-out that you have to laugh - and you'll not be touched by her.

I believe you're supposed to be moved by this film and be crying tears when you leave the cinema. This is *not true*. The actual effect is you'll have a few quick laughs that the movie is so terrible and you'll be enraged that you just wasted about 3 hours that could have been put to good use (like watching C-Span).