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mftuchman
Reviews
Curve (2016)
An act of violence against the viewer
Without context, this is really a rather pointless act of violence, designed to deplete our souls. The outcome is never in doubt, but how can we be scared when this setup is so improbable? It's sort of like being scared of vampires or zombies, since they can never exist.
The only scenario that gives this any kind of redeeming value is perhaps that it is punishing somebody for arrogance. But that requires context, and no, I'm not going to provide my own context because the filmmaker was too lazy to provide it. Perhaps some flashbacks from the hero to give a sense of what came before - that would have been nice.
What lesson should I get from this? That if you're stuck on a smooth surface above an abyss, you're gonna die. I really can't generalize this to life because it's such an absurd scenario. Just left me feeling empty, with nothing redeeming to learn from it.
Lucifer: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam (2021)
Heaping Helping of Horrible
This was out of character compared to the other episodes, and annoying to watch. It also meant the amount of dialog and story is reduced. Just horrible. It didn't add insight. Basically, it was equivalent to added commercial breaks into the story. The story itself was not too bad, and that kept this episode from hitting rock bottom.
The whole concept of God controlling people by making him sing might have worked if he did this once or at most twice. But the gimmick got real tired, real fast.
The episode was redeemed somewhat by the vulnerability shown in the final scenes, but there I fast forwarded to it. Just couldn't stand another kitschy musical number. This series is a detective series that also grapples with big celestial issues. The musical format ruins both of those themes.
Many series have tried this format, and failed similarly. Even the almighty Lucifer is not immune to the failure of this format.
Women... and Sometimes Men (2017)
Where are we?
I have to say that I found the characters in this movie extremely engaging and likable . A lot of aspects of this plot made no sense to me, but that has nothing to do with how well the movie was made. The film pulls you in enough to like the main character in care about whether or not she succeeds. The use of silence and music we're both quite effective.
Despite all this Cinema verite charming awkwardness, the ending left me feeling dissatisfied, but that may have been what the director wanted us to feel at the end of such an odyssey.
Nonetheless the dissatisfaction stays with me and I wish they had at least made one point rather explicitly whatever it may be. What did you do this for? Did she learn anything from it? Did she come away with something revelatory that was with jettisoning her long term relationship?
I also could not accept that August somehow remains in the plot and seems to have very little by way of a realistic reaction to what happened. Put differently, his character just did not develop, and for that matter I'm not sure hers did either. I would like to have seen at least a little bit of dialogue from her that was more self-revelatory and less bashfulness and awkwardness.
People say life is about the journey and not the resolution, and that may be true, but in the film going experience you need to get the director's point of view of what happened. I don't really feel that that was accomplished, leaving me to wonder what happened to the last 82 minutes of my life.
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Unwatchable
This movie is way too facile in the way it attempts to resurrect Michael . The whole thing felt like a giant backpedal, and it was just a self serving tour guide with some pretty scenes. In my view, the glossing over of difficult or destroyed relationships actually undoes (not in plot but in spirit) the entire second movie. The acting is second rate, and by the time the plot got rolling, I didn't care.
The love scenes were awkward. Andy Garcia seemed plastic and unbelievable, and Sophia should have stayed behind the camera.
There was some suffering all right, but no Godfather could ever undo the movie goers agony at having to sit through this mess, not even at a daughter''s wedding.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
For a deep movie, a lot of saccharine moments
I spent a lot of time checking my watch, wondering when this movie was really going to get rolling. When it did, it was good, but the whole movie could have used some more editing. Also, I found it had for me an annoying 'life is beautiful' postcard-y sense about it for such a difficult topic of kids dying of cancer. There was little difficulty or real conflict in the first three quarters of the movie. Laura Dern's talent was completely wasted. Willem Dafoe put in a fine performance as a crotchety, hateful writer, but it wasn't enough to add any real depth to the movie.
I wish I could say I liked it more. Hazel, Augustus, and Josh came off as likable, real people, although A's perfect attitude began to bug me as the movie wore on.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Tedious
The entire LotR series was done in three movies, and they couldn't finish the Hobbit in one? This slow paced clunker failed to amaze most of the people in my family, and focused too much on visuals rather than action, dialogue, plot, or character development. CGI alone does not a movie make.
Yet for all the tediousness of the initial dwarf visits, they failed to capture the charm of either Bilbo or the guests. It seemed that in the book they captured him with the power of adventure and the fun of being a burglar. The movie's version of the scene had all the excitement of a deposition for an estate in probate.
The Hobbit's plot isn't deeply complicated. A tighter, better screenplay can still be true to the spirit of the book. This one misses the mark. It just wasn't fun.
Les anges exterminateurs (2006)
Climaxes without Climax
It takes a lot of work for a movie featuring stunningly gorgeous women, about the topic of female self pleasuring, to be made into a bad film. I'm sad to have to say that this film pulls it off.
At the beginning of the film, the character playing the director of a documentary about female pleasure explains to the actress that 'this cannot be a porn flick'.
Well, it's not an art flick just because the film says it is. In fact, once you get past the first couple of scenes, you'll wonder where this film is headed and why. There is no real energy propelling this film forward, if you'll pardon the expression, towards any real climax.
As Celine, one of the films characters who plays an actual porn star in the film, that's really what people want, after all.
For me, although the movie was pretty, it was ultimately rather pointless, as one pretty scene seemed like any other.
And, to make it worse, this concept of the exterminating angels who hover around the hero echoing advice just hangs like dead weight over the whole film, adding confusion instead of providing direction.
Train (2008)
Slow ride to nowhere
This film was not at all what I expected. There seemed little motivation for this movie except to reinforce the stereotype that anything in Eastern Europe is dangerous. What I want to know is this - why is it in this and many other movies do Americans hand over their passports to untrustworthy strangers? After this, the hapless tourists wind up in one improbable blunder after another while committing every cliché horror movie mistake along the way.
The acting is acceptable, and one had enough sympathy for the main character, played by Thora Birch, to see it through to the end, although the movie never satisfactorily explains how a young, vulnerable woman without ID can nonetheless get her credentials and passport back. While we do not expect horror movies to be realistic in every detail, we do expect not to have gaping holes in logic (unless explained within the movie itself).
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Traumatic
This movie deserves comparison with Clockwork Orange as one of the truly traumatic film experiences of all time. This sense of violence for fun without remorse is hard to capture well on film, but Craven does it. It was very hard to watch, but extremely well directed. The true horror of this film is Krug, played by David Hess.
Another traumatic film experience that comes close to matching this one is the boat scene on Cape Fear. What makes all of these scenes so much more than horror is the plausibility factor: It could happen to you or to a woman you love. Another parallel to Cape Fear is the degree to which a horrible person can enter your own safety zone so easily.
The 'Keystone Kops' aspect of the chase is the one flaw in the film. But even there, the statement by the filmmakers that cops cannot be counted on to defend you is worth making.
I did my best here to only discuss generic aspects of the film and not reveal any plot outcomes.
United 93 (2006)
Powerful
This is an emotionally difficult movie. It brings home the cold, chilling nature of evil and the bravery of those willing to face it. Watching this movie is like reliving a trauma,and viewers are recommended to discuss it afterwards to enable a smoother emotional recovery. The lead villain played their role with absolute sang-froid, which made the actual takeover all the more terrifying. This movie will go down in history as one of the greats in the chronicle of evil, second perhaps only to Schindler's List. Even though this is an historical movie, and the outcome should be known to most Americans, its contribution to the event is a look at both the highs and lows of human potential.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Powerful and Sweet, but a little Schmaltzy in places
This movie has been out for six years. Although this appears to be a story about the supernatural, it is really about our hopes that we never are completely separated from those who love, or loved us.
After a traumatic evening with a man breaking into their house, our Hero's life goes into a tailspin. He cannot seem to connect with his new patient, a young boy with similar symptoms to one he could not treat. His wife is distant and uncommunicative. He often has difficulty keeping track of time. And on top of all this, the patient claims to be able to see dead people. Sure, here's an easy case to solve in a stress filled life.
This often has parallels to our own lives, as those who love us come closer and farther in a gentle, undulating wave. But we are not prepared for the separation that no amount of work can undo. It is this poignancy that the movie captures so expertly. Granted, it is couched in supernatural terms, but the lessons for us mere mortals should be clear.
The soundtrack is superb. James Newton Howard has made several mediocre movies quite bearable, and here he makes a good film into an excellent one. The track is truly one of the important characters in the film, and does its job by staying in the background without interference.
There are some moments of startling horror. I have seen this movie many times and I still jump at places.
The pacing is well done, and the characters are all developed sufficiently for you to care about them. After six years, I still recommend the Sixth Sense.