vertigogirl21 Reviews

House M.D.: The Tyrant (2009) Season 6, Episode 3

Different but excellent

[10/10 · 6 October 2009]

forough_shafiee, I agree with you about Hugh Laurie, except that - shocking as it is - he has never won an Emmy for this role, so it is high time he did for this season! He is getting greater in every episode, it's almost unbelievable.

However, the rest of the cast is doing a great job too, especially in this episode. Jesse Spencer is an excellent actor and it showed again as he got a more prominent part, taking a side becomes to Cameron, and although so many people hammer the "Foreteen" line, I think Omar Epps and Olivia Wilde are such excellent actors and I just enjoy watching them on screen. Their relationship allows for the emergence of their complicated characters, especially Foreman's, who I never really understood before, but the picture is getting clearer in the 6th season.

I also loved the House-Wilson moments. It's reasonable that House is not so much involved in the case yet, as well as the subtle power game between him and Foreman, all this is great writing and acting. It would be inconsistent to throw House back in to the hospital as if nothing has changed. I'm really interested in what happens next, everything cannot be the same but it does not have to, I guess. I trust the writers, they have not let me down so far. We just have to be open-minded and take whatever turn the story takes. It is still the unmistakable House. Oh, and an Emmy for Hugh Laurie, pls!

Mesmer (1994)

A little slow-paced and fragmented, but Alan Rickman's and others' performances are worth watching

[6/10 · 14 September 2009]

I agree with those saying the film is uneven. It might be due to the script, the editing as well as the directing, each of which could have been much better I suppose. As for me, if the creators had been able to decide what they wanted to tell us from Mesmer's story, if it were a bit more well-paced and the script better elaborated on, it could be a good film.

I had heard a lot of criticism about it before claiming Alan Rickman was the only good thing in it. Yes, of course, Alan Rickman is mesmerizing, but although I am a fan I don't think either he could save the whole film or he was the sole good thing in it. To give the movie a bit more credit, I think Amanda Ooms was also excellent in her portrayal of the blind patient - and as there is much more to her character than just that, I think the basic idea of the story is excellent - if only it had been explored and elaborated on more subtly.

In addition, Alan's performance can be seen just as uneven as the story-telling, although I'm sure it is the screenwriter and the director's fault. The fragmented sketches of sometimes seemingly random occurrences of Mesmer's life and career left Alan Rickman with not much space for a coherent performance. Still, he does his best in every shot and his versatility shines through. I l-o-v-e the amplitude of the energy and the restraint he can display, I just love this in an actor! He is able to express the extremes without being over-the-top, this is first-class. (Though I know he doesn't need a pat on the shoulder from me, I'm just fascinated by his acting :).)

All in all, I think the film as a whole is better than I expected though it misses a real point, and the performances are worth seeing, not to mention the beautiful cinematography and the landscape (both Hungarian, so I might be seen as biased but I'm sure I'm not :)).

Valiant (2005)

Much underrated, resourceful, witty - in one word: recommended

[9/10 · 13 July 2009]

I only saw this movie yesterday and I must say it is hugely underrated. The story is very resourceful, funny, witty and interesting, the characters are well-written and I personally find it really refreshing after having seen many technically convincing animation movies without a really original details in the story (like Monsters vs Aliens last time, e.g.).

By the way, the animation is also great here, especially the development of the characters, the fascinating English landscapes and buildings or the stormy sea and the warships, which are formidable. The cast of voices is hilarious, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais or Jim Broadbent, just to mention a few.

Finally, what I really liked about Valiant is that it lacks any form of "wanting to be cool", it doesn't have the arrogant self-righteous, self-reflective tone I find nowadays with many animation pieces. Taking place during the Second World War, it is a great tale which is not barely the figment of the creators' imagination, so this makes it even more worthwhile to see. The music is also authentic and my favourite, but even if it's not yours, I'm sure this film has enough virtues to be seen by the young or the older ones as well. I've downgraded it by 1 star only because I found the burping jokes a bit too excessive at one point, but otherwise, it's highly recommended.

My Favorite Season (1993)

Complex, touching, down-to-earth, cruel - it should have taken the Palme d'Or in 1993

[10/10 · 4 September 2008]

Once again I was watching a Téchiné film and found myself gaping with amazement at how terribly well the dialogues are written, and how incredibly well it is all acted (by Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil, which, I suppose, doesn't need any further explanation, but the others are also all excellent in their roles). Every single sentence is like a strike of the hammer on the consciousness of anyone who has experienced dysfunctional family life - and I think I'm not the only one.

What is more, after I went to bed, the thoughts just kept coming, unfolding from one another, leading to interrelations between the people, the situations, the conversations and also to conclusions, some of which might not even have been intended, but still fit perfectly into the mosaic of the film, because the director had a perfect vision and created a world that functions on its own.

It is a very atmospheric movie. It is artistic, but not in the abstract way - it's as down to earth as possible, as grounded in reality as it can be - and anyone who has been part of such a family will realise this instantly. It does suggest things, but then it also claims them, but in a language that puts into words the unsayable. Things get said out loud; still, it never sounds didactic or threadbare. It just portrays what IS; it never judges - as it is showing exactly how impossible it is to judge any human behaviour, when there are so many unseen forces in play behind it. And the real mystery is how on earth the film avoids being depressing... But it's Téchiné's secret, and I'm glad he has it.

I have never seen the complexity of human feelings and family relationships told so realistically, yet so sublimely before. If you only like action-packed blockbuster movies, this is definitely not for you. Otherwise, I can only recommend it, and it's a perfectly round 10.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Perfect performances - a must see!

[10/10 · 21 July 2008]

Having read so many unfavourable reviews hammering Mamma Mia! I had some secret fears that any of those might turn out to be relevant when I see the movie myself. I was wrong. This film - whatever is said about the direction - is amazing, but not only as a fresh summer "let's-laugh-clap-sing-dance-andhavefun"-type piece. Although it's meant to be funny - and it really IS -, the dramatic moments - most of which the movie owes to Meryl Streep - are breathtaking, and around their culmination point in "The Winner Takes It All" this movie is everything but only a light summer dessert.

It is the most risky scenes that are perfectly managed by the actors and saved from becoming sentimental or cheesy. Although it is highly comical, the drama totally works as well when it comes to it. Furthermore, the music is fantastic, not only because it is all ABBA songs, but because the competence and energy they are performed with provide them with an atmosphere you cannot escape. Meryl Streep DOES GIVE a professional musical performance, she used to train to be an opera singer so it is a serious understatement to say she would not qualify as a professional singer. She is simply amazing, especially in "The Winner Takes It All", as she brings all her acting abilities to it as well and the whole scene becomes a dramatic monologue that glues you to your seat. It is just perfect.

Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and - of course - Julie Walters all contribute a great deal to the fascinating outcome. I can only recommend it.