The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[tbizzle]

El Norte - 4.5/5

This is a great film about the hardships endured by two immigrants that want to make the trip to America, as well stay there and start a new life. Rosa and Enrique know nothing of America other than it's the land of opportunity, where even the poor people have electricity and a flushing toilet. After losing both of their parents at the hands of the local violent and oppressive military, they set out on their journey to America. They endure a long and grueling trip - hitchhiking, fighting off a robber, crawling through tunnels and being swarmed by rats, and so on. At first, they both find jobs, get new clothes and begin to learn English. They're making a new life... and they are happy. But they soon realize how difficult life in America can be. Rosa says "Life is very hard here. We are not free".

After losing his job, running from immigration, and

[Show spoiler]suffering the tragic loss of his sister Rosa, Enrique feels lost. The morning after his sister's death,

he finds his old straw hat buried in his drawer. As he puts in on, he looks in the mirror and realizes who he is and where he came from. He joins the workers outside where he previously lost out on work by not being aggressive enough, but not today. As soon as work arrives, he makes it known that he is a hard worker with strong arms. It's a sad reality when we realize that his fathers words were not only true of his homeland, but of society in general. "To the rich, a peasant is just a pair of strong arms."

Enrique finds himself at a construction site shoveling dirt on a hot, sunny day, contemplating going back to Guatemala. He thinks of his beautiful homeland and the simple life that he lived. This was a place of family and community, of hard work and working for what you need, not what you want. Then he snaps back and is in an American consruction yard holding a shovel. As he resumes his digging, he has a flashback of

[Show spoiler]his father's head hanging in a tree.

We don't even need a final shot to let us know what his decision was. He'll take his chances in El Norte.

I really enjoyed this film. The direction was great, as was the cinematography (some great shots of the city as well as the Mexican and Guatemalan landscapes) and most of all, the two main actors were wonderful! Their performances were so captivating, effortlessly playing such naive, innocent and endearing characters. Highly recommend this one!

[two40]

Van Wilder: Party Liaison (2002)

No one knows how to throw a party like Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds) does. He’s the most popular student on campus and he has been there for the better part of a decade. When his rich father shows him some tough love by cutting off his tuition funds, Van and his hangers-on do whatever it takes to raise the money.

Gwen (Tara Reid) is a journalist for the college paper and the girlfriend of frat boy Richard (Daniel Cosgrove). She has been tasked with writing an expose on Van only he’s not willing to be interviewed. She pieces a story together by talking to other students and snippets of conversations she overhears. Painted in an unfavourable light, Van is not pleased and wants to set the record straight. He slowly falls for Gwen and will eventually have to face the reasons behind his long tenure at Coolidge College.

Always in party mode, this film does not take itself seriously and goes for laughs every time over any real substance. Full of one liners and quirky puns, it hits the quota for laughs without appearing desperate to please. It’s serious when it needs to be and fun the rest of the time. I like to think that this film is self aware in that it knows its target audience and it unashamedly caters to them.

It can’t all be about partying and having fun though. To balance the scales a little and give us a sense of gratification in the final act, Van is given simple obstacles he needs to overcome. The film presents him opportunities for personal growth and finding the strength to better himself. It’s a simple message about growing up and stepping up. Without complex baggage, the film excels by sticking to a tried and tested formula.

The characters are all fairly stereotypical but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing since they don’t need to waste time establishing them. We can jut get on with the business of having a laugh. They all play their part and carry their weight except for the leading lady, Tara Reid. She comes across as pensive, as if she’s thinking too hard about her acting and not actually acting. Her character felt too flat to me and could have used a touch more animation.

Daniel Cosgrove, on the other hand, was exceptional. He plays Richard Bagg and in not so many words, he is a dick. Well, just in case you didn’t get the point, he is the president of the Delta Iota Kappa fraternity (yes, DIK), and his name is Richard Bagg ( yes, Dick Bagg). Get their drift? The not so subtle labels were not necessary since he plays the unlikable boyfriend to Gwen, and Van’s nemesis with a perfect blend of vain douche and egotistical dick.

If you go in with the right expectations, you will find a well paced and enjoyable comedy that will surely add some new words to your vocabulary. As Van says, write that down.

3/5

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by two40

Pretty specific criteria there.

If you want to bring it back to a more broad theme of character growth, racism and sacrifice, there are many films that do it better. But that's neither here nor there. You shouldn't have to compare one film to another as a justification of its quality. It ought to stand on its own and Gran Torino is weak in some areas while strong in others. Certainly not a complete package.

Even keeping it general themed with a main character overcoming

[Show spoiler] racial/stereotype views

in a modern environment - I can't think of one film?

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Even keeping it general themed with a main character overcoming

[Show spoiler] racial/stereotype views

in a modern environment - I can't think of one film?

"American History X"...comes highly reccomended.

Otherwise, yeah, they seem to be kinda scarce.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

Have you ever read the Bible? This alone is where im coming from.

But the film depicts the opposite. The woman is the victim, not the man.

[Steve46]

I have watched a ton of stuff lately. My pending pile was getting big after I spent a couple of months reading.

Here's a few I have seen in the past two weeks that I haven't already mentioned:

Law Abiding Citizen
Starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler
Fairly unrealistic thriller with a couple of gruesome scenes, but I enjoyed it anyway. A couple of twists along the way. Not one to take too seriously.
4/5

Mary and Max
Starring the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Colette
Australian animation. Extremely dark humor and some sad sequences. It looks incredible and has an usual gray/brown/dreary color palette. This is the second time I have seen it and it's definitely worth checking out.
4.5/5

Armageddon
Starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi, Liv Tyler
Michael Bay blows some stuff up - people scream like they are on fairground rides - the humor is over the top - the acting is hammy. This is the brainless version of the meteor threatening earth story, not to be confused with Deep Impact. Despite all those negatives, it's actually pretty good fun if you're in the mood.
4/5

Derailed
Starring Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston
Thriller surrounding a couple who decide to have an affair. A couple of twists. Aniston actually does a decent job and Owen is always good.
4/5

Flawless
Michael Caine teams up with Demi Moore in a sophisticated heist movie. I like the genre and Caine's acting, so this worked well for me. Nothing startling, but a good watch.
4/5

Logan's Run
Starring Michael York, Peter Ustinov and Jenny Agutter
70s futuristic sci-fi where people are "renewed" when they reach 30 years of age. Hideously dated and the use of cardboard scenery and models is obvious. Quite amusing, but pretty weak by today's standards.
3/5

The Princess and the Frog
I like almost everything Disney puts out, but this disappointed. The singing was a negative. A new twist on a familiar story. One touching moment at the end, but one for the kids and I won't be watching it again.
3/5

Run Lola Run
Intriguing German film about the consequences of our actions. It's staged like a video game where Lola has 20 minutes to save her boyfriend and it shows three versions of events. It only lasts 80 minutes, but it's pretty gripping.
4/5

The White Ribbon
Desperately sad German film which was expected to win the Oscar last year. Shot in black and white, it looks amazing. The story is full of desolation. It plays like a mystery and the answers are never fully revealed. It would be frustrating for some and superb for others. If you like slow-moving films with subtitles (like most of us) then maybe it's worth a look.
4/5

[CZAR]

The Last Airbender - I heard so much negative stuff about this film but I didnt hesitate to blind buy as M. Night is my favorite director. I have never seen the cartoon so I had no idea about the original story or anything for that matter. After viewing the film I thought it was a pretty good film and was very entertained. I hear its different than the cartoon so maybe that why people hate on it, but goin in unknown and watching it for what it was I had no problem with it. The graphics were amazing and the story was pretty good as well.

I could definitely see myself watching this film again and it has good replay value. All in all M. Night has never done me wrong yet and this is another film from him that I enjoy. Its not his best film but still pretty good and looking forward to the continued story in the sequel. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)



Toy Story 3 - I was wondering if maybe I just wasnt into the first two Toy Story films as much as others as I only scored those two films I believe 3 1/2 stars which isnt bad but most people rank them 5 out of 5. So goin into this film I didnt know what to expect. All I heard was it was the best film in the series and how phenomenal it was. So after viewing I have to add that this was easily the best of the Toy Story films and ranks right up there with Cars & HTTYD as the best animated films that I have ever seen. The Story was amazing and once it captured my fill attention I was all in. I didnt have this same feeling in the first two as I dis this one. This is a perfect animated film and great way of ending a trilogy if it is indeed over. Highly recommended. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 5 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Toy Story 3 - I was wondering if maybe I just wasnt into the first two Toy Story films as much as others as I only scored those two films I believe 3 1/2 stars witch isnt bad but most people rank them 5 out of 5. So goin into this film I didnt k now what to expect. All I heard was it was the best film in the series and how phenomenal it was. So after viewing I have to add that this was easily the best of the Toy Story films and ranks right up there with Cars & HTTYD as the best animated films that I have ever seen. The Story was amazing and once it captured my fill attention I was all in. I didnt have this same feeling in the first two as I dis this one. This is a perfect animated film and great way of ending a trilogy if it is indeed over. Highly recommended. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 5 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

How'd you like

[Show spoiler]Spanish Buzz

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Diesel

How'd you like

[Show spoiler]Spanish Buzz

Haha that was classic. That boy had his

[Show spoiler]mouth piece on and spitting at females to lol.

Such a great film man. We need more animated films of that magnitude. Got Em!!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Haha that was classic. That boy had his

[Show spoiler]mouth piece on and spitting at females to lol.

Such a great film man. We need more animated films of that magnitude. Got Em!!

His

[Show spoiler]dancing to impress Jessie was hilarious.

Glad you enjoyed it so much since you only liked and didn't love the first two


This is my #2 animated movie.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Diesel

His

[Show spoiler]dancing to impress Jessie was hilarious.

Glad you enjoyed it so much since you only liked and didn't love the first two


This is my #2 animated movie.

Yea there was a few classic moments in the film. What is your first favorite? Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Great review!!

As far as this part -- what if her "mental illness" could be viewed from a theological/biblical perspective? Where women are viewed as flawed/evil/sinful/etc? To support this: Didn't her paper she was reading/writing did discuss that women

[Show spoiler]deserve to be abused/etc? In other words: enforced a mental illness of hate/gulit of one's own gender?

. Also wasn't the film in "Eden", where Genesis (i.e. theological perspective) says that

[Show spoiler](1) God told Adam/Eve not to pick fruit from Tree of Knowledge, (2) Serpent tempted Eve (translation: women effed up), (3) Eve took fruit, gave some to Adam, (4) Adam and Eve ate fruit (5) God kicked Adam and Eve (i.e., humanity) out of Eden, and forbid them from Tree of Life (from a life free of sin/pain), all because momma bear effed up From that standpoint, it seems reasonable that the director is suggesting (1) "She" feels guilty about her son's death, and her guilt/mental illness is based on/fueled by (2) a theological perspective of women being the source of evil/sin/etc in our world. I think the director may be trying to show us how effed up this Biblical/Genesis perspective is (from which Western culture is based, being Judeo-Christian). So he just shows us the extremes of a mental illness which is consistent with it.

The point where I get fuzzy is: if the theological perspecitve/GEnesis (that women are the source of sin/evil in the world) is bad, then what is the film saying instead? that we actually live in a God-absent world where everyone is effed, instead of before (with God) where only "bad" humans (that succommed to the female-originated sin) were effed?

I know...need to watch it again.

Everything you said was 100% accurate IMO. Loved the spouse-counselor analysis! Great insight there. Also, regarding her

[Show spoiler]illness/guilt

, its true that she was doing whatever she could to avoid it, like you said.

Surfdude, I would be particularly interested in your opinion of my final paragraph in my spoiler.

The Bible states those things, yes. But

[Show spoiler]the film isnt about women in general. The film is about one specific woman and how old writings and myths (all generated by insecure men ) are aiding in the perpetuation and progress of her mental disorder.

KEY to remember is that she was well down the path BEFORE her son died.

Look at it this way. What if someone suffered from extreme irrational paranoia. Then, at night, that person actually (really and truly) sees a person, hunched over, wearing a hoody, scoot across their front yard? Fuel baby. Water and fertilizer on the seeds.

The same is true with the woman in the movie. She had a problem. Then she started reading and studying the history of the plight of women. This added fuel and reinforced her insecurities. People are talking about God and Satan and the evil of women. But where was that in the movie? In HER HEAD. We witness an actual flesh and blood woman losing her noodle. What origionally planted the seeds? I dont know, but I'd venture to guess a combo of genetics and childhood trauma. BUT thats not what I'm am supposed to do. I am to watch the film and see what story is told. I can REACH really really far to find parallels, but for what purpose?

The director is not presenting these themes, the character is exploring and embrasing them. Huge difference IMO. The director isnt saying God is great, or God bailed on us, or Satan Rules, or Women are the gateway to Evil, or Nature is Evil. The character is grasping at, embracing, rejecting (in a very confused way) some of the notions, which depicts the depths of her illness. Its all just to show how troubled SHE is, not to depict the true plight of mankind.

Remember that ultimately she was the victim. First, a victim of sickness, then the victim of a Mans inability to endure emotional hardship and to love her unconditionally.

In her final hours she FEARED abandonment and bolted the wheel to his leg. On the surface that looks crazy, but what does it say. She desparately WANTS HELP. She rages and screams "But you promised to help me!" She wants help and to be loved. He, with all his academic knowledge and husbandly unconditional love, should have bound her wrists and put her on a leash and returned her to town to receive intense clinical help. But instead, he allows his anger to rule himself and he takes her life. He murders his wife, a sick person, who is PLEADING for help. He behaved in a non Christly fashion. He exhibited intolerance, unforgiveness and revenge. If anything the film shows that MAN has always blamed women for his own shortcomings and that MAN is truly evil, not women. Perhaps the title Antichrist IS fitting, and it describes MAN.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Wow -- I make this same point, but reverse the films in the argument!

IMO, if we were to travel back in time to 1800, we wouldn't see a Jack Sparrow , we'd see a Jack Aubrey! Enough said. I dig realism.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Ok, sure... it might be more realistic, but that doesn't make the movie better. I was extremely bored throughout 60% of the film and I felt that the acting and script were sub par. Also, there were lots of characters I never felt attatched to... which equates to lack of character development. There are so many negatives about this movie that there's no way it could ever compare to POtC.

Originally Posted by Diesel

Curse of the Black Pearl > Far Side of the World



(But let's be fair, they're very different movies)

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

what's that? you're jealous that I like both films? or that I can individually assess each and score them differently like different entrees from a menu?

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Acting:

I guess I can see why people think the acting/supporting acting was bad. However, I think the supporting characters' emotions (fear, guilt, etc) could be conveyed by someone with a robotic-like or a very stiff-like personna, which seemed to be what the supporting characters had.

Film in general:

Good acting or bad acting, this film is one of a kind. I can't see how anyone wouldn't think that. Can anyone else name me a film with an old senior/veteran biggot in fear of

[Show spoiler]change in his neighborhood

and the resulting character arc he goes through, which involves modern and relevant raw/nonPC dialogue?

Brilliant film, IMO.

As Good as it Gets.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by CZAR

The Last Airbender - I heard so much negative stuff about this film but I didnt hesitate to blind buy as M. Night is my favorite director. I have never seen the cartoon so I had no idea about the original story or anything for that matter. After viewing the film I thought it was a pretty good film and was very entertained. I hear its different than the cartoon so maybe that why people hate on it, but goin in unknown and watching it for what it was I had no problem with it. The graphics were amazing and the story was pretty good as well.

I could definitely see myself watching this film again and it has good replay value. All in all M. Night has never done me wrong yet and this is another film from him that I enjoy. Its not his best film but still pretty good and looking forward to the continued story in the sequel. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Toy Story 3 - I was wondering if maybe I just wasnt into the first two Toy Story films as much as others as I only scored those two films I believe 3 1/2 stars which isnt bad but most people rank them 5 out of 5. So goin into this film I didnt know what to expect. All I heard was it was the best film in the series and how phenomenal it was. So after viewing I have to add that this was easily the best of the Toy Story films and ranks right up there with Cars & HTTYD as the best animated films that I have ever seen. The Story was amazing and once it captured my fill attention I was all in. I didnt have this same feeling in the first two as I dis this one. This is a perfect animated film and great way of ending a trilogy if it is indeed over. Highly recommended. Got Em!!

Film Rating - 5 stars (out of 5)

PQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

AQ - 5 stars (out of 5)

Did you tear up a bit?

[Foggy]

Got Toy Story 3 today, so I'll be watching that after. Can't really think of anything better or more important to watch really

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Did you tear up a bit?

I didnt tear up but I presume u are referring to the part when they were about to

[Show spoiler]hit the fire pit at the garbage spot?

That was a bit touching and sadfelt but I didnt tear up though. Got Em!!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Yea there was a few classic moments in the film. What is your first favorite? Got Em!!

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

[IMG]http://files.sharenator.com/GMDC_TOUCHE_Sharenator_Moti_Posters-s355x453-79984-535.jpg[/IMG

Originally Posted by surfdude12

dude, you know me, half the time

[Show spoiler]I'm talking out my a$$. I don't even know if that POTC argument is valid. It just gave me leverage in the debate (by diffusing any "but POTC is in your collection..." counterargument)

Well played