sylenski Reviews

Life (I) (2017)

They shocked asystole. . .

[6/10 · 6 April 2017]

Any doctor - in fact, any medical student would know that asystole (flatline) is not a shockable heart rhythm. So . . . why would a doctor, who clearly must have been at the top of his field to work for Nasa . . . make such a rudimentary mistake ?

Beyond this, the movie itself I found was no where near as bad as the critics make out. Although I will say that the ending was quite predictable.

The Hitcher (2007)

Pleasantly Surprised !

[7/10 · 21 April 2007]

I'm not exactly one for the horror movies - most of the time they make me laugh at how ridiculous they are - but every once in a while i make an exception and go and see one - this time it was The Hitcher - now I didn't see the original version and I couldn't care less about the fact that this is a remake - I judge it solely on the acting and the lack of cliché ! I was definitely pleasantly surprised with this movie - I enjoyed it ! Sophia Bush and Sean Bean were great - and there was very little that was too over the top or melodramatic so on the whole i'd definitely give it at least a 7/10 !

I recommend picking up the DVD - it's great if you want a movie that you can just watch without having to do a whole bunch of thinking !

Playing by Heart (1998)

Positively Charming . . .

[9/10 · 22 November 2004]

When I first came across this movie I was somewhat unconvinced by the blurb given on the back of the DVD. However, I decided to give it a chance any way (mostly due to the excellent ensemble cast) and I found that I was completely surprised - this movie was positively charming ! Granted, it is not without its slightly exaggerated moments but in the end this does nothing but add to its charm ! Angelina Jolie's character, Joan is delightful if somewhat melodramatic and Gillian Anderson does a great job as the relationship-shy Meredith enraptured with, yet afraid to commit to, the charismatic Trent. Sean Connery's performance is effortless and the rest of the cast are all excellent as well. There are light moments and completely heart-breaking moments but all in all - it ends on such a high note of hope that one cannot help but be delighted !

Definitely worth your time - 9/10

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999 TV Movie)

Halle Berry is brilliant...

[8/10 · 9 January 2004]

This movie is all about Halle Berry - to look at it from any other point of view would be to overlook the most powerful force in the movie. Berry is brilliant in her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge - her acting is flawless and we witness the greatness of Dandrige and exprience the pain of her downfall with Halle Berry as our guide. She is supported by a strong cast which all help to make this a movie to remember. 7/10

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999 TV Movie)

Halle Berry is brilliant...

[8/10 · 9 January 2004]

This movie is all about Halle Berry - to look at it from any other point of view would be to overlook the most powerful force in the movie. Berry is brilliant in her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge - her acting is flawless and we witness the greatness of Dandrige and exprience the pain of her downfall with Halle Berry as our guide. What a tremendous coincedence that Halle Berry would play the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award when she herself would later become the first African-american woman to actually receive the prestegious award! She is supported by a strong cast which all help to make this a movie to remember. 7/10

Paycheck (2003)

A pretty good action movie . . .

[7/10 · 8 January 2004]

At first glance this appears to be a movie that relies a little too much on science fiction. However, if we look beyond that - it is an action movie and I would say that it was a pretty good action movie. Far from all the epics going on at the moment (Cold Mountain, LOTR Return of the King, The Last Samuri) it is a refreshing break for the mind; that is , as long as you don't over think certain elements of the movie. Ben Affleck fits perfectly into his role as a cocky engeneer and though there isn't really much for Uma Thermon to do, she does her part well. The ideas behind the storyline are very interesting and do not fail to capture the viewer's attention. However, if they do, there's always the fast paced action to appease the masses. 6.5/10

Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003)

Christina Milian did well...

[8 January 2004]

If you liked "Drive Me Crazy" then you'll like this - the story is basically the same.There's not much to say about this movie i'm afraid - Christina Milian did well without a riveting plot (or enough adequate actors) to back her up. The attempt at an intimate scene between Milian and Cannon (when she's at home playing her guitar) looked more awkward than anything else but this was due to Cannon's misrepresentation of his character in that particular case. By the end of the movie you're left wondering why Paris (Milian) gets together with 'pool boy' Alvin (Cannon)at all because as the movie progress his dissatisfaction with himself turns him into a "popular-by-association" and arrogant robot and his treatment of the one person that helped him get there is shocking. However, if you can forgive this, the better aspects of his character seem to emerge at the end of the movie. Steve Harvey did well to bring his own brand of humour to the movie but this wasn't enought to elevate it above 5/10.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Fun for all the family...

[9/10 · 8 January 2004]

I found this movie to be much better than its 1976 predecessor. Though the plot line may not exactly be new that does not present a problem at all. I found many of the elements of this movie very amusing. The actors were all great - the brother was hillarious, the daughter was wonderful as the mother and the mother was 'rockin' as the daughter. Even the grandfather and the husband-to-be had their moments. The mother/daughter arguments were excellent and the Chinese restaurant owners were great!

In all,this movie is a lot of fun for all the family.Enjoy. 8/10

A Walk to Remember (2002)

Miss this and you miss out...

[10/10 · 8 January 2004]

As far as teen movies go this was delightfully surprising. A tale of two North Carolina teens it was both touching and inspiring.

The story is beautifully crafted and Mandy Moore's portrayal of Jamie Sullivan is enchanting enough to bring the character to life for any audience. Her shyness and lack of acting experience make her ever more believable as Jamie and a sweetness and innocense naturally shines through. Likewise, Shane west is no let down either. He is perfect as the bad boy in search of better things. Completely believable and at ease with this character his charm and charisma sail him through his role.

Concurrent to being a love story this movie also envoques more interesting topics - so far relatively untouched in teen movies. Having Jamie as the reverend's daughter is a wonderful twist and presents new problems for Landon (West).

All of this contributes to the very effective bitter-sweet ending of the movie and one is left both inspired and with feelings of hope as well as affection for the main characters.

This is by far one of my favourite teen movies and if you miss this one, you will most certainly miss out. 10/10