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This movie is difficult to review because of how much I loved the first 90 minutes of the movie and how quickly it went downhill. The movie reunites the team behind 28 Days Later (2002) Danny Boyle (Director), Alex Garland (Writer) & Cillian Murphy (Actor) and follows a team of astronauts whose duty is to drop an atomic payload into the sun to "restart" it. If it wasn't for the talent involved in this movie, I would have easily written off the movie based on its plot which dreadfully lacks originality. The movie starts off slow (in a good way), in which we meet the diverse cast and are given time to appreciate the beauty of space as we have been unable to do since the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Solaris (1972). From there shit starts going crazy and before you know it some man who resembles Nemesis from the Resident Evil series is cutting down the cast of the Icarus II (what astronaut would want there ship flying towards the sun with a name like this) like in a typical horror movie. While I've seen some logic in people's arguments behind the existence of this Nemesis-like character (some which I agree with), I still believe the characters inclusion in the movie diminishes my appreciation, rather then adding anything to the movie which contains some beautiful moments. I give this movie a 5/10, because I just recalled how bad the last five minute of the film were.
5/10
Two viewings of this movie and I still have very little to really grasp onto. The facts as they stand now though are that both times I'm really pumped to watch the movie, start to wane after the first hr, lose complete mental functions after the 2nd hr and leave the movie another hr latter hating the movie and having very little brain fuctions left. The next week all I can think about is the movie. If it had been made by any lesser director then David Lynch I would have probably dismissed this movie right off the bat, but based on my history of appreciating Lynch's work I know the man is no joke. This said, I really don't get any of the movie, really none of the movie, but that won't stop me from watching it again and again and eating up the three hrs of bonus features on the DVD. I give this film a 7/10, since no one can terrify you like Lynch can, his images are horrifying.
7/10
Wow was I dissapointed by this. Bland non-existent story line + ridiculous/unrealistic characters + over sexualized situations = crap. I didn't like any of the characters, found very little draw towards any of their acting abilites except for maybe the young kid and just was cringing throughout the film from minute 15. There were perhaps two or maybe three slightly humerous scenes and or moments that actually matered in the film, but how can we realy care about moments that matter when we don't care for the characters at all. How can a movie create a young female charcter that is creating a dowry for her future husband and not explain why she is the way she is and as a male please tell me why two girls never decided to comapre blow job technique on me and when I become a creepy old man will young girls pretend to be lesbian lovers for my amussement. I give this movie a 3/10, since it only cost me 90 minutes of my life.
3/10
Up till this point most of the Godard films I have watched have been his early film which while experimental in nature are a lot easier to "get into" then his later politically experimental films. Tout Va Bien is one of those such politically experimental films and one which I had a great deal of difficulty getting into. The movie follows an American woman and French man during the turbulent May 68 Student Revolution and how the revolution impacted a meat factory. The movie moves from moments of sponatneous signing to long drawn out monologues the characters seem to be having either directly with the audience or with the camera itself. At the time this movie was made the audience would have far more background information about the current situation in france then I myself did. Due to this lack of information I immediately fell behind in this movie and quickly lost my way. I give this film a 5/10, since it doesn't reward the viewer enough for all the difficuly.
4/10
We all know Miyazaki is a phenominal director and has creaed two of my favorite movies of all time, Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Howl's may not have as much depth as Spirtied Away, but is still a great movie with a quality and unique plot that one would only expect from a Miyazaki film. The animation is also quality and Billy Crystal provides some pretty humerous comic relief as a fire demon that due to a curse has to maintain the form of a meer household fire and power Howl's Castle. I give this film a 8/10, for falling into format which has been typical of Miyazaki's film,but a what a brilliant format it is.
8/10
By this point Godard was at the heights of his fame, everything he touched was gold or at least silver. In this film he tackles the oh so confusing topic of love, relationships and males and females. The movie does contain some great scenes like the painting of Peace In Vietnam on the side of the American car or Madeleine's speech about her dreams of having a number one record and a brand new car. Even the random moments when people randomly die and we are told "One Woman, One Man, An Ocean of Blood"...(or something like that...are quite entertaining). For each great moment the film has though, it has an equal moment that just doesn't sit right in the film and partially this isn't this film. The best descriptions I've found of his films, describe them as a car with a loose wheel that is about to fly off, but never does. I give this film an 7/10, for being too serious to take lightly and too light to take seriously.
7/10
Godard's second film, which was banned in France for 3 years because of its neutral view on France's current strugle in Algeria. The film is interesting because it really isn't a strongly anti-Algerian War film like you would expcept from a leftist like Godard. Instead the film is very much Godard trying to use film as a public forum to figure out what his own views on the complex situation are. Besides these positives I found the rest of the film kind of lacking when compared to many of the other films which I have loved by Godard. I give this film a 7/10, because if you love Godard then you will eventually get around to see this and appreciating it, but if you haven't seen Godard before don't start here, its just not his best work which seems obvious under all the pressure he must have been under to follow up the success of Breathless.
7/10
