hbraun Reviews

Two Tigers (2007)

pretty neat and very entertaining

[9/10 · 25 September 2009]

I really enjoyed this movie.

Before I watched it, I had checked the IMDb score and some user comments, and already thought to simply return the DVD to the public library. Glad I did't. This is a really neat little film.

In many respects nothing special, the first thing I was wondering about was the strange English. But as one of the main characters is Hungarian (in the film and for real), and some of the others Chinese (?), this made perfect sense. There are more obvious flaws, but I did not really care. The film does not pretend to be more ambitious and flashy than it is. And transcends itself somehow, party through some sort of understatement, partly through flowing very smoothly.

I have to admit that I liked the two main characters, perhaps not great actors, but believable as real individuals. And of course pretty erotic, also in a very understated way. Temporary nakedness as something natural. The two quickly established a beautiful relationship, that might be called kitschy. But so what? I guess women might like the film as well, since the male characters are quite ridiculous, although also in a quite normal way.

And a nice happy end. Really very kitschy, but perfectly suitable to this carefully-made and quite detail-rich permutation of a trivial movie theme.

The Good Shepherd (2006)

possibly very good, but very boring

[4/10 · 1 September 2007]

Pretty disappointing. Not a thrilling and subtle political thriller, but just an exceedingly long panorama of an uninteresting person's miserable life. Despite excellent acting, I always thought that the scenes looked like artificial studio settings. It always looked like a movie, not like an illusion of real life which movies should try to achieve. The plot might be very intelligent, and it is certainly thought provoking. But perhaps it only looks as if is intelligent. Maybe it is just very confuse and arbitrary and makes you wonder that you just did not get all the details. Possibly the details were just missing. Certainly very boring and instantly forgettable. Although I think it is a very good movie. Just plain boring.

Bye Bye Blue Bird (1999)

mixture between amateur-cinema and a real movie

[6/10 · 10 December 2001]

Maybe another example, where an ambitious newcomer director hides the lack of a true story behind a road movie. This time with two weird young ladies returning to their Iceland home country.

The movie isn't really bad, it is quite entertaining, sometimes a little bit funny, some scenes really 'breath life' - but only sometimes the two main characters seem really 'alive' (not a mere construction played by wanna-be actresses).

If you want to enjoy the wonderful Icelandic countryside, I rather recommend 'Cold Fever' (also a road movie, but a really beautiful one).

Suzhou River (2000)

subtle poetry

[9/10 · 29 November 2001]

Although I enjoyed watching the movie, I thought sometimes if there's enough substance beneath the beautiful and sometimes poetic pictures. Thinking about this interesting movie and remembering scenes for one day - yes I think there is. The two melancholic love stories are indeed intelligently combined. Surely nothing for the typical popcorn-eaters, but highly recommended for people looking for 'real cinema'.

The Pledge (I) (2001)

very good, but leaves you a little unsatisfied

[7/10 · 21 November 2001]

This was much above the average U.S.-movie (characteristically it came here with much delay, only for one week, and in a neighboring town). But besides the story, that goes to the merits of Friedrich Dürrenmatt (subtitled then 'requiem of a detective story'), including the somewhat unsatisfying end (if I remember well) - there was missing something, and I don't exactly know what. Acting was good, cinematography was very good, music was good, but all the perfectly produced film was lacking some substance equally deep for going along with the technical perfectness.

Three Colors: Red (1994)

one of the best and most beautiful movies I know

[10/10 · 17 November 2001]

What some Hollywood-movies try and practically never succeed, creating somehow metaphysical connections between persons (without becoming unrealistic), manages this beautiful movie perfectly well (resembling in that way a little to the wonderful 'La Double Vie de Veronique' of the same director and with the same beautiful actress). This is a REAL movie, that changes perspective of life a little bit - intelligent and beautiful story, masterfully directed, excellent main actors, masterful cinematography. I've just seen the movie the 3rd or 4th time, and I still think it's one of the best I've ever seen. And if you should be unhappy with the ending of 'White' - 'Red' puts an happy end to the whole trilogy.

Swordfish (2001)

probably the most stupid action movie I ever saw

[3/10 · 13 November 2001]

I didn't expect much - some solid action, a more or less interesting plot, some cool scenes, and well, never seen Ms. Berry in a movie before. Left the theatre pretty disappointed. Senseless action, extremely stupid plot, no really cool scenes, and well, Ms. Berry surely is extremely sexy, but not in this movie (in spite of the ridiculous topless seconds).

Tocá para mí (2001)

strange, mostly beautiful, a little bit amateurish

[8/10 · 8 November 2001]

When I watched this somewhat extraordinary movie it wasn't in the database yet, and my memory's pretty bad. But I remember I liked it, it has some beautiful scenes, although other moments are a little bit artificial, and not all characters are completely 'real' and believable.

The story of a drummer in a punk band, who tries to find out where he comes from, when his adoptive-father dies, is sometimes surrealistic, sometimes pretty innovative, sometimes a little constructed, but quite refreshing compared to all the uninteresting mainstream-movies.

Angel Eyes (2001)

J. Lo is a much better actress than singer

[7/10 · 7 November 2001]

The movie's not bad, I really liked some parts. Some parts I would qualify in German as 'kitsch', but not necessarily in the negative sense. But the story's somewhat illogical (how does this 'catch' find the woman, did he search for her?) and a little bit 'lifeless'. I have to admit that J. Lopez was the reason I wanted to see 'Angel Eyes' - she really acts very much better than she sings (although it's astonishing, how unerotically she's in the film).

Rosetta (1999)

more a documentary about a girl's miserable life than a real movie

[4/10 · 14 July 2001]

This movie maybe actually deserved all the prices it won, but it's very unpleasant to watch. The camera is jumping worse than in any dogma-film, there's almost always traffic or other noise, and the main character is very nasty. Then suddenly it's over, and with an uncomfortable feeling when the credits are running silently without any music, you ask yourself if it was worth having spent one and a half hour watching all this ......... maybe not.

27 Missing Kisses (2000)

don't trust the beautiful title

[2/10 · 26 June 2001]

I'm very disappointed. First of all, the German synchronization is bad. Maybe in the original version (with subtitles) it would have been better, but the whole movie looks like if the director saw Luna Papa and Black Cat White Cat and tried to produce something in this style, too. But failed in every aspect. It's an incongruent mixture of a weird unbelievable story and very childish gags. No atmosphere, no life. Extremely primitive sex-humor. I voted 2, because 1 is the worst, and the other point for 'Sybilla', she's really cute. Sorry - I like 'eastern' movies, but this one is really superfluous.

Audition (1999)

very interesting

[8/10 · 15 April 2001]

(Maybe this comment is a little bit spoilerish)

I am still thinking if it was all a nightmare, or if the 'awakening from the nightmare' was a nice dream - If I had more time I would like to see the movie again tonight. I hope they leave it in its original Japanese version, synchronizing this peculiar sweet voice of Asami would be a sacrilege.

Marcel Proust's Time Regained (1999)

boring movie about boring people leading boring lives

[4/10 · 9 April 2001]

I think a movie where nothing happens should create a special atmosphere, visualize vague feelings, transfer some kind of poetry, or something - that's where it failed almost completely for me. I liked the main character wandering around in this superficial high-society-world, looking like an owl, but that doesn't carry through such a very long film. I never thought that something where Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart and Chiara Mastroianni (that's why I wanted to see this film - I liked her in the great 'Le Journal du Séducteur') are participating could be that terribly boring.

Mirror (1975)

Maybe actually a brilliant movie - but terribly boring

[5/10 · 1 April 2001]

If I watched the movie in its original version I wouldn't have understood less, could have enjoyed the pictures and worked out my own story. I found it so incredibly boring, that I got me a beer and watched directly afterwards Sergio Leone's great C'era una volta il West (had to see a real movie) - now my back is hurting because of the most uncomfortable seats in our cinema.

Proof of Life (2000)

much better than I thought

[7/10 · 30 March 2001]

That's an in a pleasant way old-fashioned Hollywood-movie.

The only thing I didn't like - there's nothing about the obscure role the U.S.-government plays by financing the so called 'Plan Colombia' that is supposed to fight the cocain-production, and has severe outcomes of which especially the bordering Ecuador (where the film is shot) is suffering from (refugees, invasion of 'narcotraficantes' and criminals, economical breakdown, and a bunch of related problems).

The Experiment (2001)

highly recommended to see (spoiler in last line)

[10/10 · 15 March 2001]

Really excellent in every respect. The plot is perfectly developed, I don't think that any possible aspect of this very impressive story wasn't considered. Perfect acting, all is completely realistic, sometimes almost breathtaking. And from the artistic/cinematographic point of view it's very good, too. I read somewhere that the romance wouldn't have been necessary - that's not true. It's a contrast to the obscure things happening in the pseudo-prison, and maybe important for the main character's psychology. And (now comes something like a spoiler) as a spectator I needed the happy end (well, not for all involved persons) after all those cruel and shocking things.

Quills (2000)

completely overrated

[6/10 · 14 March 2001]

On the poster they write something like 'best movie of the year' - well, it's not bad and worth seeing, but nothing special. A typical big and boasting production, but pretty superficial. Especially the characters are all very pale, although the acting is good (maybe because the story is an adaptation of a theatre play). I like very much 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' of the same director, but 'Quills' is something you see and forget.

Alaska.de (2000)

very good

[8/10 · 11 March 2001]

Although a rather 'small' movie (although in cinemascope) it's indeed a really great one. The only thing I didn't like so much is that the story plays in teenager-milieu. But they are all real and authentic persons, far from those penetrant Hollywood-clowns. And it's exiting, with one person stabbed to death, a poor dog killed, and another victim at the end. And something like a romance. All very well told with beautiful ideas and free from cliches. The camerawork is excellent, too. With extraordinary perspectives. And the filtered colors create a very peculiar atmosphere, that goes perfectly well along with the story about a girl and some more or less criminal (and more or less stupid) guys in the suburbs of Berlin.

Andrei Rublev (1966)

a very long film about bearded men

[6/10 · 22 February 2001]

I was a little disappointed, having read the euphoric user-comments, and then seeing the movie. Well, the camerawork is very good and some pictures are really impressing - but there's no real story or characters you care for, apparently pure allegory. A lot of bearded men, some telling boring religious monologues, an icon-painter who almost never paints anything, a young un-bearded bell-builder, a lot of more or less cruel medieval things happen, but there's no real connection. And the film is indeed very long........

Go (1999)

bad, full of clichés, completely uninspired

[2/10 · 17 January 2001]

That's a completely superfluous movie - there's nothing new, no nice ideas, the characters and plot are pure cliché, you never think the film-makers did this trivial and primitive flick with any kind of love or ambition - I am indeed angry that I watched it. If I came over it on TV I would have zapped away after at least five minutes. Maybe young popcorn-eaters like it.

Shaft (2000)

very disappointing and boring

[1/10 · 18 November 2000]

I wanted to see a good, cool action movie - but was terribly disappointed. Senseless shooting and car races, primitive cliché-gangsters, unlogical plot - a very boring movie. Police, detective or hitman movies from Hongkong or Japan are a hundred times better than this uninspired Hollywood-slush.

Ekspres, Ekspres (1995)

beautiful railway movie

[10/10 · 14 October 2000]

A kind of road movie in old-fashioned trains in the Slowenian late summer province. At the beginning you see someone in underwear sewing trousers from black cloth, and when the same young man in his black trousers leaves the house with two suitcases, you see that the trousers-part is missing on a flag of mourning (appearently his father has died). In the train he meets a young lady, and almost without words, but many small gestures, a wonderful love story begins. It's a somehow surreal, very poetic, and a little bizarre movie, with a lot of strange characters and strange incidents. Beautiful pictures with love for beautiful details.