sheslovinit Reviews

American Beauty (1999)

In my top 10 of all time.

[10/10 · 13 January 2010]

I'm usually really careful not to praise a film to the point I make it seem overrated, but it's really hard for me to speak about this film and not simply gush about how great it is.

To me, the defining factor on what makes a great film is whether or not it changes you after viewing it. If you take nothing away from it, then it's not "great." Great films change you and make you see the world in a different way than you had before. "American Beauty" is one of these films. The message is so honest and true, it really does capture the essence of this confusing, often frustrating, yet ultimately beautiful thing we call life. Some might call it pretentious and simple. I feel sorry for those people for being so cynical that they can't appreciate a message so direct and honest such as this. The main theme of the film is that when you look closer, into anything...life is beautiful.

The family you see on the surface in this movie is like an example of the American dream gone horribly awry. On the the surface, they appear to be nothing but a sad, dysfunctional group of individuals. But, as the tag line says, "look closer." This movie teaches you that even underneath the ugliest situations, there is always beauty. Even death is beautiful. Most people spend their entire lives focusing on the bad, but this movie teaches you to step back and take in the wonder and beauty of the world, even in the midst of terrible situations.

Everything about this movie is top-notch. The acting is just phenomenal from all parties. The script is never boring, and the last fifteen minutes in particular are amazing. The structure is spot on. The directing balances just the right amount of humor and drama, without making either feel overbearing. The musical score is also poignant and, like everything else in this film, fantastic.

I didn't know whether to be horribly depressed or incredibly uplifted after watching this. My emotions were just swirling inside me. For a movie to impact you on that level is amazing. This movie can change someone's life. I know that's a bold statement, but I feel comfortable in making it.

Trainspotting (1996)

I don't see what most of the fuss is about, honestly.

[6/10 · 7 September 2009]

Judging by the high rating the other users of this site have bestowed on this film, I guess some people might say I'm off my rocker to rate it a mere 6, but hey...what can I say? Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. And in mine, I can't help but feel this movie is a bit overrated.

Let me start by saying I like movies in this sub-genre. As an ex-drug abuser myself, I find solace in watching fictional characters struggle with an affliction that was once part of my own life, and there's a sort of therapy involved there that seems to make one feel as if someone, even a fictional someone, at least understands the pain an addict goes through. I also just plain like raw, dark, and gritty movies. I'm not a "Mary Poppins" or "The Sound of Music" kind of guy, and any movie that sheds light on the seedy underbelly of society is okay in my book. Sure, the message is often bleak and depressing, but at least it's not contributing to the lie that mainstream movies try to sell, where everything is cute, life is wonderful, the bad guys always get punished, and any conflict is wrapped up with a nice little bow in the end.

With that being said, I went into "Trainspotting" fully prepared to feast on the dark nature of the film and find myself immersed in a cast of characters that I could relate to. But I was sadly disappointed. Things started off well enough: I loved Ewan McGregor's opening monologue, describing the pointless, cliché choices we as civilized humans tend to make in regards to our lives...as if we're all just drones, doing whatever society tells us we should do. I know that I can personally relate to feeling like this at many points in my life. But sadly, it was all downhill from there.

If I had to point out any one, main problem with the movie, it was my lack of attachment to any of the central characters. I felt unable to sympathize, or ever really care what happened to any of them. And in a movie like this, such a thing is critical. The cast was all fine and dandy, so it was nothing to do with that, but I just felt...detached. I think it might have had something to do with the fact that from the moment we are introduced to these characters, they're all already drug addicts. Part of the impact of these sort of films, for me anyway, is being able to witness the fall from grace...to see a good life gutted and destroyed by drug abuse. But as it stands, we never get a glimpse of what life was like -before- these characters were all on drugs, and to me that leaves a bit of a void.

And for however "dark" one may think the film is, I personally didn't find it all that bleak. "Requiem for a Dream" (my personal favorite movie about drug addiction of all time) makes this look somewhat childish in comparison. That's not to say that there aren't dark moments in the film, because there are, and when they do it hit, they leave an impact. But overall, I felt more emphasis was placed on the weirdness of the characters, and some of them were a little too much for me to handle.

The film is surprisingly void of any intense drama, which I sort of expected considering the subject matter. I realize this was probably intentional and done to avoid being "cliche", but I could have done with a little more intensity and drama.

This bland feeling overpowered me through most of the movie, and I found myself checking the running time to see how much time had elapsed, which is usually always a bad sign while watching any movie. I have to say the film did redeem itself in the end, and probably made me add another star to it than I normally would have. I really liked the outcome of the story, which makes it a shame that both the beginning and end caps of the film were filled with what was in between.

I realize I'm going against the grain here with this review, but I see no point in hailing this as some sort of modern masterpiece when personally I don't see it myself. Maybe I just have bad taste, but I feel it pays to be honest in these matters, and I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon and call this a fantastic movie when I don't really believe it is. Something about it felt empty to me, and it wasn't nearly as impacting as I had hoped it would be. It's no "Requiem for a Dream", that's for sure.

Bloody Birthday (1981)

Entertaining movie about evil little triplets.

[6/10 · 6 September 2009]

I get the feeling "Bloody Birthday" is one of those films people will either love or hate. First things first, this is an early 1980s slasher movie revolving around a group of siblings (three, to be exact) that go on a murderous rampage in their town, which appears to be stemmed from the fact they were born during a solar eclipse, which blocked out the planet Saturn, thereby making them void of emotion. Still with me?

Anyone looking for a well-written horror movie with professionalism etched into it may as well stop reading now and skip this one. As with nearly any slasher film from this era, it's not even close to winning any Oscars. Hell, half the films in this genre are lucky they even got made in the first place. But for those who can -appreciate- a film of this kind, you will likely find yourself having a good time here. What do I mean by "appreciate"? It's simple--some people, like myself, enjoy a bad horror movie for its sheer entertainment value. While this one isn't "Mystery Science Theater 3000" bad, it definitely suffers from some of the pitfalls that plague other slashers from the era. Some of the cinematography could have been touched up a bit (though thankfully we do get some nice, professional looking shots here and there that raise this film's production value). The musical score is a hit and miss half the time. It really just varies scene to scene. But, surprisingly, the acting is very decent. I say surprisingly because usually good acting is too much to ask for in a slasher movie. The kids in particular are all excellent in their roles, especially the female killer and her nerdy, kill-happy brother who sports a pair of annoying glasses that make him look like the munchkin version of a guy you just know is going to be a serial killer when he grows up.

The killings are entertaining, if nearly bloodless. I was delighted at the way some of the characters were dispatched. These kids definitely come up with some interesting ways of offing their victims--nothing is off limits. There's also a general creep factor involved seeing the children use toys (jump rope, skateboard, baseball bat, etc.) to kill their unlucky victims. I'm sure in 1980, the idea of kids killing kids (and adults) was just that--an idea--but in today's age, where things like this can, and do, happen, I daresay this film hits a little close to home and would probably be met with some controversy were it to be remade today.

I enjoyed watching these evil little kids stalk and prey upon unsuspecting adults and peers, and was entertained despite the low budget and often cheesy components of the movie. No, "Bloody Birthday" is not an award-winning movie, but it -is- a fun little flick to put on with a group of friends when you're in the mood for something less serious. Honestly, isn't that what's so great about these slasher films? You know they're bad movies, but they're just plain damn entertaining!

Beautiful Thing (1996)

Not entirely sold on this one...

[5/10 · 6 September 2009]

"Beautiful Thing" is one of those films I find hard to review. On one hand, it's a nice little low budget film about two young boys coming to grips with their sexuality amidst a colorful cast of characters living in the same apartment building. But on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel something was missing here.

Being a gay male myself, I haven't delved very much into the world of gay cinema, but I will say I was pleased that nothing in this film seemed intent on exploiting homosexuals, which is the very thing that has kept me away from the genre most of the time. The story unfolds in a very low-key manner, and for once I didn't feel as if the filmmakers were simply trying to cash in on the hordes of homosexuals out there that will pay to see anything they can relate to, not even realizing the filmmakers are just after their wallets.

For a movie whose central feature is the evolving love story between two teenage boys, Jamie and Ste, I felt it was void of the usual pitfalls that plague most movies in this vein--thankfully, the clichés are kept to a bare minimum, and there's very little of what I like to call "Hollywood"-isms in the film, which I was grateful for. The chemistry between the two male leads was what kept me watching the film, as I felt the writing and the casting were both spot on in this department.

If anything leaves me humbled and a little puzzled, however, it has to be the film's focus on the other inhabitants of the apartment complex, mainly a vivacious black girl who is friends with the two leads, Jamie's mother and her new boyfriend, as well as Ste's father. Jamie's mother is struggling to land a job managing her own pub, while her new boyfriend struggles with fitting in. Couple this with multiple scenes of the black female behaving oddly while singing oldies songs, and I have to honestly say I don't see what relevance any of these story threads add to the overall plot. I feel as if by writing this, someone more "educated" will step in and point it out to me, thereby making me feel stupid, but alas...as it stands right now, I felt most of these scenes were rather pointless. It also doesn't help that the end is a little anticlimactic, making me wonder why they spent so much time building up these little anecdotal vignettes of story lines if they were just going to leave them hanging in the end anyway.

By the time the end rolled around, I was a little puzzled. There are some good things here, yes, but then other things that make no sense to me as well. In any case, I recommend this to anyone looking for a nice, cute little film about young homosexuals, without all the Hollywood hoopla.

Aliens (1986)

One of the best sequels of all time.

[8/10 · 4 September 2009]

This movie ranks up there as one of the best movie sequels of all time for many reasons. For once, they didn't just remake the same movie, which is a common problem with most sequels, but they took it into a completely different -genre-. Whereas the first movie was an artfully realized cross between a haunted house movie and a monster tale, "Aliens" is a balls-to-the-wall science fiction action flick. This decision to take the story of the previous movie and transfer it into a completely new realm is what makes the story work as brilliantly as it does. There's also the satisfying feeling you get knowing that the people behind this picture genuinely cared about crafting a good movie, and not just making money (a common problem with most sequels).

The story picks up half a decade after the events of the first movie, when a deep salvage team stumbles across Lt. Ripley floating out in space, still in a deep hyper-sleep (which apparently keeps the subject from aging, it seems). She is rescued only to tell her story to a group of disbelieving suits that represent the company she once worked for, who promptly dismiss her claims that there are dangerous aliens roaming around on planet LV-426. They're soon proved wrong, however, when the company loses contact with a colony of civilians now living on the planet to help stabilize the atmosphere. The same company that screwed her over now asks Ripley to join a group of military grunts setting out to investigate the mysterious events, hoping her previous encounter with the species can prove useful. But once they set foot on LV-426, all hell breaks loose...

Director James Cameron could teach Michael Bay a thing or two about action films. This film starts off as a slow burn, taking time to introduce us to the colorful crew of the military ship Sulaco, and also setting the stage for an action-packed second half. Few modern directors would have taken the time to set everything up before cutting straight to the explosions--this absence of new millennium MTV-style editing is a welcome change of pace for those accustomed to modern action flicks that seem catered to ADD-riddled kids. We get to know these characters, so that when they do bite the dust, they're not just alien fodder. Cameron peppers the movie with an assortment of memorable characters that keep us interested even when there's not anything being shot at or blown up (how often can you say that for modern action films?).

The performances are worth mentioning in that they're all excellent. Sigourney Weaver is the standout here, obviously, taking her role of Ripley far beyond what we could imagine from the first movie. She is truly a fantastic heroine and one of the greatest female action characters of all time, as this movie proves so well.

This movie needs to be shown to certain big budget "directors" as evidence that plot, characterization, and good action can all be melded together into a fine piece of work. Thank you, "Aliens", for 2 1/2 hours of good, solid entertainment.

Graduation Day (1981)

Only for hardcore '80s slasher fans.

[3/10 · 4 September 2009]

The title for this review about sums up how I feel about this movie. I can't imagine what audience there would be for this thing, if not for the die-hard fan of 1980s slasher films who simply has to see -everything- from that era. Otherwise, don't even waste your time on this.

The story is similar to most films of its type: something awful happens to one of the characters in the opening scene, which inspires a bloodthirsty killer to go on a murderous rampage. Been there, done that. Truth be told, none of these '80s slashers were known for their originality, so I can't see the point in harping on the film simply for this.

But where the film fails is in its suspense and murder sequences. I've seen some pretty scary slasher movies from the 1980s that had far lower budgets than this. This one just fails to create any real suspense. The director throws in some nice camera angles and some semi-professional directorial touches here and there, but they mean nothing if you're not frightened. The gore is pretty tame as well, so anyone who watches these things with the intention of seeing some cool 1980s makeup effects will be sadly disappointed.

The movie manages to clunk along rather dully. Honestly, the key ingredient to almost any slasher is the tight pacing--you have to keep things moving along swiftly and keep the murder set pieces staged at regular intervals, because, let's face it, we don't watch these things for the great characterization and stellar plots. But the pacing, whether due to the script or the editor, is all off. The murders are spaced out at odd intervals, leaving us with some long-winded scenes (no doubt meant to build "character") that serve only to bore you and leave you praying for the next kill (which, as I've said, usually isn't executed all that well anyway).

As for the killer, don't expect anything original or even remotely frightening. He (or she?) wears a jogging suit, a fencing mask, and his (or her?) primary weapon is a sword. I bet the writer just wet himself over thinking he came up with an original, "cool" murder weapon, but the idea just comes off as impractical and silly. There's also not much emphasis placed on the "whodunnit' nature of the film, as if they either forgot or don't care to place any red herrings in the mix to throw us off.

I have the sense that the people behind this were trying to make something decent and respectable, and at times, it shows their intentions were probably a bit more genuine in regards to making a quality film as opposed to countless other knockoff slashers from the era. But alas, the attempt fails for the most part. There is, however, some pretty good acting (at least, for this type of film). There is attempt at characterization, but none of it ends up meaning anything in the end, so...what a waste. Here, all it manages to do is bog down the plot and make the murder sequences feel like they can't come soon enough.

In the end, if you're really into these old '80s slashers, by all means, check it out, if only to say you've seen it. There's a completest in all of us. But don't expect to be blown away or anything. What we have here is a very mildly entertaining slasher movie that leaves no real impression at all.