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hollywoodkiddo
Reviews
Closure (2018)
Dark Comedy/Suspense at Its Finest!
Without giving away any spoilers, the film is about a woman who travels to LA to find her missing sister. Sounds simple enough, but in true La La Land fashion, things just get weirder and weirder. The writing is fantastic, and the performances from the entire cast are brilliant- especially Catia Ojeda. Loved the movie from start to finish- highly recommend!
Sucker Punch (2011)
Beautiful Visuals, Ultimately Disappointing
I went to see this movie with high hopes, as I Love action films where women are empowered and shown as warriors. I'm also a fan of previous Snyder films, mainly 300 and Watchmen.
The film was set up beautifully in the beginning, the audience really feels connected with Baby Doll as she is put through the ringer by her very evil Stepfather, and thrust into a disturbing mental institution. We see her wage war against monsters and robots alike (via her imagination), and against humans as well. Her imagination also brings the girls that live in the mental institution into her battles, and they help her complete different missions that are assigned to her. Mix in the fact that she only enters into these supernatural battles when she begins to dance provocatively. All the makings of a great film, right?
This is where the disappointments start to creep in. While her dancing is the key to these realms, and much of the scenes take place on stage or in a ballet studio, there is little to no dancing at all in this film. Baby Doll is supposed to put men and women alike in a trance when she dances, yet we only see her journey to the battlegrounds, and are never able to see what she does with her dancing that is so hypnotic.
Baby Doll is the leader of the battles and the escape plan for the other girls, and we are rooting for her for the entire film. Cut to . . .
The biggest letdown of the whole film happens at the end, when Snyder basically in an instant has Baby Doll sacrifice herself for the only other remaining girl left from the group, Sweet Pea, the girl who also complains about the escape plan for the entire film. In a way, it's almost like he wrote the entire film with the objective of setting up Baby Doll to lose. This to me was such a disappointment, because the audience has spent the greater part of 2 hours rooting for this girl, wanting her to win, and perhaps gain vengeance on her Stepfather, only to see her be lobotomized and left brain dead.
Great visual effects and fabulous hair, makeup, and costumes, yet an ultimately disappointing experience for the audience.
The Misfits (1961)
Bittersweet and Haunting
The Misfits touches upon a group of strangers living in Reno, Nevada who meet, become fast friends and decide to leave town together to embark on new adventures. As the film progresses, their disillusionment is shown full force, and tragic secrets of the past become exposed. With each new adventure comes self discovery, and unlikely friendships evolve.
Marilyn Monroe's performance is heartbreaking, and this film truly shows what a brilliant actress she was. Her chemistry with Clark Gable is lovely to watch. John Huston's direction of Arthur Miller's screenplay is exceptional, and each of the actors (especially Gable, Thelma Ritter and Eli Wallach) give vibrant performances. It's no surprise that this film has become a classic. A truly bittersweet, beautiful and haunting film.
For Your Consideration (2006)
Hilarious and Heartwarming
Christopher Guest does an outstanding job on this film, a comedy about the inner-workings of film production and the craziness that results from awards-show hype over performances. The entire cast is hilarious, but Catherine O'Hara definitely gives the performance of her career, and I'm very disappointed that she was overlooked for an Oscar nomination. She's brilliant, and you'll see what I mean when you see this film. Other notable performances are from the always outstanding Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, and from the ever-hilarious Jennifer Coolidge. And also look for Sandra Oh in a great but all-too-quick cameo spot.
Dreamgirls (2006)
Like a Dream
Magical, bittersweet story of the ups and downs of fame, friendship, and love. I was pleasantly surprised by Beyonce's performance as Deena Jones, the humble backup singer who gets thrown into the spotlight. Needless to say, Jennifer Hudson gave a legendary performance as Effie. People were applauding so loudly in the theater after her songs that it felt like I was at a live theatrical event. You know an actress has done a brilliant job when people in a movie theater give her a standing ovation, and that's what happened after Ms. Hudson sang "I Am Changing". Other stand-out performances came from Eddie Murphy and Anika Noni-Rose. Go see it!