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cwboldt
Reviews
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Striking, Elegant and Incredible
I'll keep this short.
The movie is beautifully done. Visually it is stunning, with several 'gasp inspiring' moments. The direction is fantastic- especially with the use of music and silence and sudden chaotic action. The musical score fits perfectly with the movie and is unique.
All the acting is very credible- especially by children so young. Tilda is amazing (naturally). Also, I thought I may hate Liam as the Lion, but I honestly didn't.
The Christian allegory is all there to be sure, but I don't think Christianity has a monopoly on the theme of self-sacrifice for the greater good. That theme is used time and again in good storytelling. And in the context of this movie, it is utterly powerful.
And best of all, the story hasn't been tampered with (too much). Granted there are some differences, but overall the storyline stays very faithful to the book (unlike the most recent Harry Potter movie).
This Buddhist DEFINITELY recommends this movie.
Matrimonium (2005)
I laughed my a$$ off
First off, let me say that I hate ALL reality TV. Because I harbor this intense, seething hatred, I tend to relish anything that skewers, derides, and/or basically pokes fun at the reality TV 'genre'. This movie does just all of this, which in itself is worthy of high praise.
But this movie is so much more than a "two-minutes hate" on Reality TV.
Matrimonium uses the reality theme to spotlight several deeper topics, such as gay marriage, the sanctity of all marriage, and the general 'appropriateness' demonstrated in most reality TV.
Of course, the political flavor is just an undercurrent to the over-the-top hilarity of the whole thing. The loosely-scripted, improvisational style of the movie provides some great one liners that will require multiple viewings to fully process.
The actors do an very credible job of being non-actorish, "real" individuals caught on the show's cameras. The camera-work (and the show's 'hostess') are spot-on imitations of REAL reality TV programs.
All in all, even if I were an elk or a piece of paper, I would highly recommend this film. I can't wait to get it on DVD!