jasonmckensey Reviews

Contadora Is for Lovers (2006 Video)

Fun & frolic on the Island of Contadora

[9/10 · 4 February 2007]

This is a great film for anyone thinking of visiting Contadora Island off the gulf of Panama. It's one of those film where you wish you were there with the characters frolicking and sunbathing while treating yourself to a massage and Pina colada. It's a very simple story yet fun and enjoyable to watch. I believe most will be able to empathize with the Gabriel character. I felt for him. His plight and his inability to find someone available leads him into impossible relationships. Apparently, its not the first time he's gotten involved with couples since his boss warns him about getting involved with people who are unavailable to him. He chooses to ignore her good judgment and ends up in the same predicament as she forewarned him. The film does a great job showing us how we are all creatures of habit. However, I was very surprise by the reaction of the fiancé. All in all a good little film. If I ever have the time and money to go anywhere, Contadora (Panama) will be first on my list.

The Messengers (2007)

Recycled material, but very good horror flick

[10/10 · 2 February 2007]

This is no Descent or Evil Dead, but its nonetheless actually something good to watch. I was pleasantly surprised by this film. It delivers the shock and it is scary at times. I'm a horror fan myself and have been very disappointed with the GRUDGE, GRUDGE 2 and crap like that. I love movies that have to do with supernatural things, ghost, etc. (no zombies nor vampires - that is so totally overdone Im not sure they could come up with something original...well, I'll see it when I believe it. This movie is a mixture of Amytville, Poltergeist and a drop of exorcist all mixed in and rehashed. What I like about it is that it takes itself seriously and not like the horror spoofs the are making today. Its a breath of fresh air.

Forgiven (2006)

An outstanding thought provoking film everyone MUST SEE!!!

[10/10 · 5 November 2006]

Thank God for Paul Fitzgerald. I saw this film for the second time at AFI film Festival after seeing it at Sundance earlier this year. The reaction to the film has been quite controversial in itself, but I have nothing but praise for the filmmaker in choosing a subject matter that does not take sides yet presents the hypocrisy of society so real it seems to be upsetting many here. the performances were flawless and the story was so riveting I could hardly swallow my saliva. It is a very intense movie and not easy to watch the injustice that is happening here. Even worse, the film doesn't supply the viewer with an easy answer hence why this picture is a must see. The filmmaker/star is to be commended for he handle the subject matter, storytelling, starring role and everything else he did in between with lost of dedication to the craft giving us a final product he should be proud of. I hope this film does find a distributor. I do warn this is one of those film that MUST BE handled with care. It needs to be available to as many people as possible. This story is so universal and so present in what's going on everywhere that is it disturbing to see such a film that is so truthful and right on in its message. To the writer,director, filmmaker, actor, I will be looking out for you and anything else you make because you are an accident waiting to happen and you have the looks and charisma of a star. Thank you for offering this work to the world. I hope it is well received and will I personally will be telling everyone about it and rooting and supporting it when it does get released.

Volver (I) (2006)

Uneventful

[4/10 · 5 November 2006]

Im an Almodovar fan, but I must say I was unpleasantly surprised by his latest outing. I'm not sure its because I had a long day, but I sat to watch this movie after a hard days work and found it to be so slow, boring and uneventful I had to force myself several time to keep awake. The premise is quite good, but there was just something that was not working for me. I really liked Bad Education and the other almodovar's film. What separates this filmmaker from the other is that he's so utterly original and imaginative. I like his work, but sorry, Pedro, this one did not do it for me. I will however look forward to your next film.

Grande école (2004)

Excellent!!!poetic and memorable

[10/10 · 1 August 2006]

I rented this film and just felt compelled to have to comment on it. This is one of those rare gems that stays with you for days. You can't help to admire the beauty of the Paul and Louis as you wish they got together. The music and men in this film are fantastic. The nude scenes and love making scenes are so beautifully done you wish you could join them and never leave and I'm straight!!!. The women were strong in their role and intelligently written. Everything about this film was artistically and beautifully made. The vision of the director certainly jumps out at you and grips you to the end. On the down side the movie does portray the sorrow of having to deal with feelings that sometimes are beyond your control. I applaud the director for using this cinematic language to describe the gut wrenching hurt you can suffer when you love someone so much when specially they don't seem to feel the same for you. I shall highly receommend this film and it should be one that every film lover should have in their collection.

The House of Adam (2006)

Absolutely Fabulous - a tongue in cheek dark drama

[10/10 · 24 April 2006]

This film was presented as the centerpiece film at Reelpride this past Saturday at the Cinema D'or. First, I must comment on the projection. From the beginning the sound and image were awful!!!. I left the auditorium within minutes of the film's beginning to complain about the sound. The sound was really bad!. That is when I was told that the speakers in the theatre had blown out. The sound was so distorted, I was hard to hear what was happening. Every time the sound peaked in the movie it got distorted. This is something, also with the projection, that I will blame the festival for. There were other films that I saw earlier at the festival that had the same type of sound problem. By the time I saw this one, It was hard to understand anything. Anyways, back to the film. The film was fabulous. The director is very insightful. I really enjoyed the directors tongue in cheek dark humor that you don't usually see in a thriller...Even though I would refer to this film as more of a drama with thriller elements towards the end. The tongue in cheek humor I found it in the irony of what was happening when the wife is telling the detective who previously lived at the cabin she now owns what happened to the previous cabin owners not knowing she was taking care of him...very clever! Also, I thought it was a riot when the wife hits the detective with her car and tells her husband she must call him back. There was a sassy campiness to the film that gave this thriller a certain light edge to it even though I found the material to be heavy. I liked the actors (Antony and Adam actors). The writing was quick and witty. The nina character in the film was very annoying. She was so annoying it's not too difficult to comprehend why her husband would leave her for another man. Since the projection of the image and sound were so poor (it was projected digitally) it was hard to tell how good, or not so good, were the production values. I liked the story a lot. It was very entertaining. The filmmaker should continue with this style of film-making. I like it. He deals with some very heavy subject matter here but handles it in a way (dark comedic tongue in cheek) that you can't help to laugh at the absurdity of situations some people put themselves into in real life. I applaud the filmmaker for that and look forward to seeing more of his work.