saffell Reviews

Æon Flux (2005)

Good Film Despite Criticism

[8/10 · 7 December 2005]

Expect nothing and you will be pleasantly surprised by "Aeon Flux." There was way too little character development for some of the roles and the dialogue was pure tripe, but the movie on the whole impressed me. It was visually on par with what I would expect from today's futuristic, technocratic, dystopian films. Charlize Theron was well cast as the lead (mostly because she's hot as all get out) and the action scenes were well-shot and well-done.

The movie only lacked appropriate character development, as I stated earlier, as well as emotion from the actors. The actors were like the stone-cold people from Libria, the fantasy nation from the earlier Christian Bale movie, "Equilibrium," in which the people were regularly dosed to suppress their emotions. In "Aeon Flux," though, there is nothing to explain why the people in the film would be so horribly like automatons, so it comes off rather poorly, especially in the dialogue, which leaves a lot to be desired.

Overall, though, I went into the theater expecting nothing and I was pleasantly surprised. The film seemed to have a cogent and well-laid plot that even took some twists I didn't expect. I quite liked the whole she-bang, though I would recommend only seeing it in theaters for the visuals. If you are interested in content, then you may as well wait until it comes out on DVD. Finally, I would certainly never recommend it to die-hard followers of the cartoon for they would be the harshest critics and surely the most disappointed by the film on the whole. So there you have it, expect nothing and be rewarded or expect a lot and be disappointed.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Masterful effects and good direction

[8/10 · 28 December 2003]

* May contain spoilers *

After seeing this film, I was very pleased. The acting was decent enough, the effects were great, and the plot was well thought out. My only qualms were various discrepancies from the books, directorial decisions, and the occasional hokiness of the acting. After I while watching the Lord of the Rings movies, I've begun to feel that the only real men in the world have long hair, lots of facial hair, are about 6'3", and speak like prize-winning orators all the time.

None of this detracted from the movie at all. In fact, it made it more somber in some ways. But for the amazing amount of people who haven't read the books (which I discovered was a very large amount indeed), the movies may seem darker than meant to be. For instance, Denethor and Faramir concerning Denethor's insanity, that seemed absolutely unexplained in the movie. The book would explain how Denethor's possession of a palantir had driven him mad after excessive viewings of Sauron's armies, etc.

The footage needed to explain this would have been seconds at most with few cuts, and I felt that the directorial decision to cut it in order to add lengthy endings was a poor call. You can't win them all, I suppose, but it's nice to dream. Otherwise, the movie on its own was phenomenal and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I recommend it to all, but be prepared for some slight disappointments if you have read the books.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Funny and Moving, a Subtle Masterpiece

[20 December 2003]

~ May contain spoilers ~

This movie is really wonderful. It portrays well the ennui and anxiety that come from being alone in a strange place. Bill Murray hasn't lost his edge at all and is hilarious in his delivery ... his acting comes out really well against the backdrop of someone being lost and confused in a foreign country. Scarlett Johansson comes off really well with Murray. Together the have a chemistry that makes their interactions hilarious and easily understood as well.

Anyone who has traveled abroad in another country will have an easy time picking up on the subtleties of the humor in this film and also on that urge to find another person lost like yourself. That is what lends a certain air of reality and magic to the film and endows it with a sense of friendliness - as if you were hearing the story and could relate because you had been a part of it.

It's an incredibly difficult film to describe, but I can say that Sofia Coppola has done a tremendous job with this movie and that anyone would really enjoy this movie if they put their mind to it. It's well-shot, well-acted, and well-made all around, and I think it's a must-see.

Nosferatu (1922)

Murnau Paves the Way for Horror

[10/10 · 4 December 2003]

Spoilers herein:

Murnau phenomenally portrays the myth of the vampire. He does so to such an extent that many people believed Max Schreck to be a real vampire in life off screen. The tale is well told and Schreck's acting is brilliant. Clearly, these are actors who understood the limitations of lighting and sound in the twenties.

Schreck plays Nosferatu so well, that even I found it quote credible despite my skepticism about silent cinema ... my main interests lying in today's action-packed thrillers complete special effects, etc. But Schreck's insistence on playing the part of the vampire on and off screen got me going and his dramatic gestures, his gazes, nearly all his movements scared me silly.

I recommend this movie to anyone who likes scary movies. It is a must-see as it paved the way for all the horror films that ever came after it. Enjoy!

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Phenomenal Effects, Great Acting, Wonderful Film!

[8/10 · 2 December 2003]

*~* May contain spoilers *~*

Seeing this movie in England definitely added a little bit of an edge to the film since I'm an American and knew very little of the history behind it. Apparently, Patrick O'Brian spent a lot of time meticulously researching his novels so that they, in addition to being wonderful fiction, are also technically accurate. I feel that the movie did a wonderful job of portraying the wooden world of the 19th century British naval vessel. The sense of realism I was able to maintain throughout the movie was a huge factor in my enjoyment of the film. Russell Crowe acted wonderfully as I have always thought of his acting. This film is most like some of his most recent ones where he actually exhibits some real human emotions unlike the stiff stoicism in "Gladiator" or repressed rage in "L.A. Confidential." Bravo.

My only qualm with this movie was the unnecessary history lessons. This seems to be a new trend in movie-making that I don't particularly like. Now, I haven't yet read the books and I don't know if the Jack Aubrey character does stop at the Galapagos Islands or not, but whether or not it happened in the book it didn't need to be so very harped on in the movie. As much as I wasn't a fan, I don't think that it detracted from the movie one bit, especially since it seemed crucial for the chance sighting of the 'Acheron' during one scene. Still, there was a bit too much of an obnoxious pedagogical emphasis on the naturalist portion of the film in my book. It seemed like whenever I saw the ship's doctor, it was like the director was nudging me in the arm and saying, "See! See! Just like Darwin would discover in a few years! Right! Right?!?"

However, my complaints are so very minor that I still felt compelled to rate this movie at a ten, which I reserve only for excellent movies. It seems like one of those films I can watch again and again for the appreciation of human ingenuity in the actions of the characters as well as just good, well scripted, well-shot with great special effects, action scenes. Like I say, knowing some of the history made it easier to understand as well. For instance, when Midshipman Blakeney (Max Pirkis) loses his arm and is given by Aubrey a book on Lord Nelson, that has significance in that Nelson (one of Britain's greatest admirals) also was missing an arm for most of his naval career. It was just nice to have issues clarified that I may not have understood otherwise.

The effects were very cool and I liked the various scenes during storms, ship-to-ship fighting, and the realism portrayed of what it might have been like to be a career navy man in the early 19th century. The acting was magnificent and Crowe portrays the smart, but prideful, captain quite well. Paul Bettany does well as the voice of reason slash doctor who controls how much master and how much commander Crowe is supposed to exhibit. All the other characters were of a caliber as to be interesting and contribute well to the movie without robbing anything from that captain-versus-captain battle I was looking forward to. In this way the movie set itself up well for a sequel and also could easily call it quits here and now. What happens next remains to be seen for what it's worth.

So, in summary, I felt that this movie was wonderfully entertaining and a fantastic way to spend an afternoon or evening. If you haven't seen it, get out and see it. If you have seen it, I recommend buying it for those rainy afternoons with nothing to do and nothing to read. A definite must-see.

My Name Is Tanino (2002)

Fantastic foreign film - a must see.

[8/10 · 27 November 2003]

May contain spoilers:

This movie is an incredible watch. I recommend it to anyone who likes foreign films at all. I don't how the subtitles are because I watched it in Italian, but there are enough English-speaking characters that add to the hilarious plot development of the film. It is well done and contains a mix of both languages that accurately portrays both the difficulties of Americans in Italy and Italians in America. Of course, this leads to many, many comic situations and the result is quite humourous.

The only downside is the lack of an ending. That is to say, there is no tying up of loose ends or anything like that at the end, but that doesn't detract from the movie itself much at all. I am too used to American cinema in which everything wraps up nicely upon completion. The ending that this movie has is much more realistic than some fantasy-fiction that Hollywood could toss together ... yet at the same time it is far-fetched and and fantastic as well.

Another slight detractor are the random flashback scenes that Tanino has during his fainting spells. Most of them remain unresolved and I have no idea what they were all about ... they didn't make a whole lot of sense. But at the same time, the weren't awful and the movie seemed to flow uninterrupted afterwards. I suppose they were a good means of transition at certain points.

If you have any slight interest in modern foreign films, this is a great choice. It is bi-lingual enough to catch the drift of the film without subtitles but I'm sure if there is a DVD version it will have subtitles for those who can't grasp the Italian. It is enjoyable and a genuine good time, so enjoy it with your friends.

Paisan (1946)

A Fine Dramatic Representation of American Liberation in Italy

[8/10 · 21 November 2003]

This film was well done for what Rosselini had. Although I was never a fan of many of these films done with left-over soldiers and bad actors to show what real-life people were like, "Paisan" definitely shows the unity of people joined in a cause. Each episode of the American progress north through Italy the American/Italian relationship become a little more united. Until, finally, in the Po River Valley, the Americans and the Italians are almost indistinguishable from one another. It conveys a good message through a good medium.

The on-location shooting was a plus, too. For people who have been to Firenze, Napoli, Sicilia, Roma, or any of the locations in this film, it is a stunning sight to see places you know crawling with Nazis and Allies struggling. It endows the movie with a sense of realism that it needs badly. It needs this realism because the acting is horrendous. Of course, the unskilled acting was supposed to convey more realism, but I think it detracts in actuality.

If you are interested in history or Italy during the World War, see this film. It is a good representation of what life was like then, but beware that not everything could be represented ... so it is not all-inclusive. It is a long film, but anyone with an interest will enjoy it immensely, I think.

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Good idea gone wrong ... again.

[3/10 · 19 November 2003]

Horrendous! I want my seven Euro back. This movie was the death blow to what the good idea that was half-beaten to death by the "Matrix: Reloaded." After that second movie with it's unnecessary first hour of footage, the "Matrix: Revolutions" finally destroyed all hope of resurrecting the revolutionary (no pun intended) 1999 film, the "Matrix."

Where to begin? I suppose, first of all, dialogue. Cheap, trite philosophy from Keanu Reeves? No thanks. Uninspired speeches given to men going to battle robots that can swim through air with no sort of propulsion apparatus? No thanks. Insincere, hokey love duet between Keanu and Carrie-Anne Moss? No, no, no. Why did he bring her back in the second one? To spite me?

To quote a friend of mine, "I have seen this thing in other movies ... it's called acting, and it just wasn't in [the "Matrix: Revolutions"] at all." Now, though I want to agree with this, is a little unfair. Hugo Weaving acted quite well, as usual, but the lack of acting skills from nearly everyone he interacted with made him appear to overact at times. Sorry, Hugo.

Also, although I realize some of the following examples will be stretches, but I feel I must mention them, there are the rip-off scenes. First, the same friend who commented above also said that he appreciated the scene where Jada Pinkett Smith flew the ship (or whatever) into Zion and EMP'ed all the robots more when it was the Millennium Falcon escaping the Death Star. Sorry, Will, your wife just isn't Billy Dee Williams. Oh yeah, Ben Affleck from "Daredevil" called for you Keanu, he wants his superpower back. To put Agent Smith in a human body only to get killed after he accomplished next to nothing in it ... great idea Wachowskis. And the mech robot thingies... seemed stolen from "Aliens." I know that's a bit of a stretch, but if I imagine a military version of the cargo loader that Sigourney Weaver fights the Queen Alien in, it would be one of those. Plus, that speech Captain Whoever gave before the battle seemed like a cross between "Patton" but dumbed down to "Independence Day" proportions. And the whole of the movie that happened outside of the "matrix" (which really only began in the second film) has always seemed to me a rip-off of the man vs. machine war that started in "Terminator," only the machines are more modernized with special effects.

Also, this film tossed in a bunch of incredibly useless extra characters like the Trainman and Sati and her parents. I say these are useless because Morpheus and Trinity go to see Merovingian and Persephone in an encounter which lasts about five minutes. In fact, I believe Monica Bellucci's cameo was merely to point out that she has an ample bosom as her one line was utterly meaningless. The new extra characters detracted from the old ones and the old ones just seemed tossed into the script. Ugh!

To the Wachowskis, great idea with the first one guys, but when you expanded the world of the matrix, you bit off more than you could chew. The entirety of the trilogy should have been contained within the matrix in a fight to free the minds of all the other humans or something, but the Zion, machine world, and the Matrix was just too much to handle in three movies. Also, if you guys want to philosophize in that manner, go to a Star Trek convention or brush up on your Kant and Rousseau first. Seriously.

Conclusion: I recommend seeing this movie only if it's raining and you've watched every one of the movies you own six times or more and this just happens to be available. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Watch this film in the original language

[7/10 · 19 November 2003]

May contain spoilers:

Wow! Christophe Gans is fantastic. This movie surprised me completely when I first saw it. The acting is superb and better in French. Watch with the subtitles ... if you understand French, then watch it in the original language without them. It is a long movie, though. Dedicate some time to it.

The period in which it is set is pretty original especially since it poses as a true story although it is complete fiction. It is cleverly done, glorifies intellect over strength, and still somehow incorporates stylistic, ballet-like martial arts fighting ... and gets away with all this!! Amazing. I was able to suspend disbelief and really enjoy this movie despite glaring discrepancies from reality.

I recommend this movie highly if you have the time to watch it and with a crowd of friends that will appreciate it in the original language. Enjoy!

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Coen brothers at their best

[8/10 · 19 November 2003]

This bad boy continues in a tradition of humorous and iconoclastic Coen brothers films. I haven't seen every single one of their works, but I'll get around to it eventually. "Intolerable Cruelty" certainly isn't as weird or meandering as "Barton Fink" or "The Big Lebowski," but it is really well-done and masterfully funny.

George Clooney surprised me as an ideal lead-role for this film and his acting was incredibly amusing to understate it. The chemistry between him and Catherine Zeta-Jones is an interesting dynamic of the Coen brothers cynical approach to modern love. Only the Coens could make pre-nuptials and divorce law romantic, and they certainly succeeded with this film.

Another characteristic that stands out quite admirably is the Coens' knack for casting phenomenal minor characters. The re-emergence of background characters at later points in the film is woven intricately into the primary plot with an adroitness that is markedly a Coen specialty. My particular favorites are Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), Wheezy Joe (Irwin Keyes), and the hilarious Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy (Jonathon Hadary). Absolutely hilarious.

With witty dialogue, strangely subtle yet also in-your-face social commentary, and a surprisingly risible plot-line with plenty of twists and turns, I recommend this movie highly to anyone with even the slightest interest.

Aliens (1986)

One of the greatest movies out there

[10/10 · 19 November 2003]

Watch out, minor spoilers included.

Muscle-tensing, adrenaline-pumping suspense and action pervade this film from nearly beginning to end. One need not even have seen the first installment in the "Alien" trilogy, now quadrilogy. This movie is ripe with tense fearful moments and the realism of less special effects than modern cinema combined with tried and true techniques of older cinema. H.R. Giger's creatures in this movie are stunningly scary and the acting of the charaters carries the viewer along with the fiction.

This movie is up there on the list of greats in my book and I can't rightly put into words why. But I can tell you that it is gripping, fast-paced, and involves Paul Reiser's death ... a plus in my opinion. The seemingly no-name cast is made up of great supporting actors and Sigourney Weaver is the perfect female-lead again. Bill Paxton's performance is great, Paul Reiser is even half-way decent, and the rest of the cast mesh together in a way that is seldom seen in a movie where so many of them die off so quickly.

The cinematography and setting are well done and the plot is easy to follow and entertaining. Having seen this movie in excess of 20 times, I can safely say that is a classic among sci-fi nerds and over-sexed macho men alike. Every time I see it, I am left entertained and I've usually memorized another line. Enjoy it everyone!

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

I think it's a damn good flick.

[7/10 · 17 November 2003]

Don't read this if you don't want the plot spoiled a little bit.

Well, it's definitely Tarantino. And as it goes I also think it's a little too "stylized" in the words of my roommate. The bloody action scenes are a cross between old school kung fu films like "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky" and Monty Python. In essence, I think it was overdone in some places ... an attempt to make the film too campy. It was obvious the director (Tarantino) was striving to achieve the campiness of originals.

Also, that whole thing about the coma-raping and Buck - unnecessary. Albeit, it does explain how she got out of the hospital and overcame atrophy, but that could have been done in dozens of other ways without such gratuitous sex-and-violence nonsense. And if I thought it was excessive (and I don't mind the intestine scenes in any of the kung fu films I've seen), then I can only imagine what other folks thought ... especially the Italians I was with in Firenze who don't mind all-out sex scenes, but edit the least bit of blood from everything.

However, this didn't mar the cinematography or story. I came away knowing I had seen a movie, and, even if I never suspended disbelief enough to fully lose myself in The Bride's suffering or whatever, I did enjoy a great revenge story. Plus, it had all the classics: the one man (or woman) army against incredible odds, the sword-blade reflection shot, the ridiculous Asian weaponry (the chain-ball-sickle minus the sickle that Go Go Yubari had), and that shot of Uma from underneath the glass dance floor was cool, too.

Yes, this movie was a great time and I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks that they can stomach it. It's well done and enjoyable, so go see it or if that's not an option, at least rent it when it comes out on DVD or video.