Reviews Written by Sean
-
August 25, 2006
-
August 23, 2006
I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue...
Pros: Hilarious, Classic
Cons: Dated, Sometimes too sophomoric
Airplane is a classic farcical disaster comedy. This is a simple movie that is easy to watch, and filled with a mad string of comedic situations. There is a ton of word-play, sight gags, bathroom humor, and satire. While it's not exactly an art movie in the sense of "Mulholland Drive" or "Amelie", it has a beauty and perfection of it's own. If you've never seen it, you'll recognize any number of lines, and will surely enjoy your time. ...
-
August 22, 2006
Kubrick's Unofficial Final Movie
Pros: Dark, Beautiful, Thoughtful
Cons: A little goofy
Spielberg and Kubrick had long discussed "AI", but had never found the means to make the film happen. By the time this came about, Kubrick had passed. Spielberg made a fantastic homage to the master filmmaker in "AI", creating the slow, dark beauty of "2001" or "A Clockwork Orange". While the silliness of certain robots does take away from the Kubrickian experience (and do scream Spielberg) it is a beautiful, deliberate film that is, in my opinon, vastly underrated. Osment is creepily fantastic as David, and Jude Law delivers his usual great performance. Teddy is a fantastic character, and I found the ending to be excellent, touching, and very deserving of a film dedicated to Stanley Kubrick. ...
-
August 21, 2006
You Have To Love "The Deconstructionist"
Pros: Funny, Thoughtful, Complex
Cons: Some aspects of "twins" a bit gimmicky
In adapting "The Orchid Thief" into film, Charlie Kaufman went about it in an extraordinarily original semi-autobiographical manner. This is a complicated, thoughtful movie, that is deeper than it appears to be on the surface. Kaufman's writing is superb, as is Spike Jonze's direction. Cage is fantastic, in dual roles, as are Steep and Cooper. This is an insider Hollywood movie to some extent, and should be a special treat to film lovers everywhere. ...
-
August 20, 2006
Disappointing "Trainspotting&quo
t; Follow-up Pros: Beautiful, Dark
Cons: Flawed plot, development
I expected better from the director of "Trainspotting&quo
t;. Somewhat inconsistent characters stumble around a beautifully sparse, post-apocalyptic, zombie-ridden London in this occasionally gory thriller. Impressive efforts for a low-budget movie, but the acting and plot are shadows of Boyle's previous triumph. ... -
August 18, 2006
I Found My Thrill...
Pros: Dark, Thoughtful, Well-Paced
Cons: ??
Excellent sci-fi brought to us through the mind of Terry Gilliam. "12 Monkeys" was one of the films that turned me on to quality moviegoing, as this is a great mainstream sci-fi story with a lot of artistic merit. Brad Pitt is excellent as the psychotic son of a millionaire researcher, and Willis is memorable as the time-traveller trying to find a cure for a future plague. Madeleine Stowe is great as Willis' companion in the present.
Great effects on a tiny budget, and an excellent plot that will keep you guessing until the outstanding end. ... -
June 26, 2006
Kubrick's Unsung Masterpiece
Pros: Phenomenolly Beautiful, Touching, Historical
Cons: Slow spots
This is my favorite of Kubrick's films, an outstanding story of an Irish lad forced into finding a life of his own. In his wanderings, he develops a taste for style, society, and wealth. Redmond Barry is a character you will like at times, dislike at others. The scenery in this movie is amazing, every set is detailed perfection. The costumes, props, everything made this seem as if it were filmed during the late 18th century. Fantastic, and certainly worth seeing if you are a fan of art. ...
-
June 26, 2006
Invite Your Droogs for a Bit of Ultra-Violence
Pros: Beautiful, Satirical, Thoughtful
Cons: Synthesized Beethoven soundtrack
Another masterpiece by Kubrick, "A Clockwork Orange" is a story of a young thug caught up in a system determined to reform him. There are so many memorable scenes, with a lot of ironic beautification of violence, crime, etc. This is a great movie if you aren't offended by that sort of thing (there's a great high-speed sex scene too) and if you can put up with the soundtrack which I found quite annoying. Sure, it was relevent to the story, but I like my classical music performed in a classical manner. This should also be appreciated by thoughtful punks, and other phiolsophical members of the counter-culture. ...
-
June 26, 2006
Three Defining Moments in the Evolution of Man
Pros: Beautiful, Majestic
Cons: Slow
It's really hard to explain 2001, a sci-fi masterpiece. Broken into three parts, we travel from the dawn of man, to the not-to-distant future as we reach our next major evolutionary advance. This is a movie that is often refered to in popular culture, in several episodes of "The Simpsons", for example, and the ubiquitous theme from the Dawn of Man. This is a slow movie, even for Kubrick, be prepared for 15 minutes of no dialogue or action, but constantly beautiful shots and masterful imagery. ...
-
June 21, 2006
As of Today, I Have No Favorite Directors!
Pros: Cinematography, Direction
Cons: Crap compared to Coen's previous work
I generously gave this film 3 stars because it is still better than a lot of the hollywood fare out there. As far as Coen movies go, it is absolutely 1 star, and not worth watching. I had hoped a second viewing would reveal more, but I was tragically wrong. This is a shallow, if amusing, story about a divorce lawyer trying to hook up with a client's ex-wife. There is a little quirkiness, but to me it seemed the dying gasps of a spirit crushed.
This film was somewhat enjoyable the first time around. Mostly depressing the second.
I had hoped that "The Ladykillers" would show this movie to be a fluke. Oh, was I disappointed. Should I even get my hopes up for 2007's "No Country for Old Men"? Probably not, but I will anyway. ...
See the list of Top 100 Reviewers
These Are Hard Times For Dreamers
Pros: Beautiful, Funny, Charming
Cons: None
This is a nearly flawless masterpiece by Jeunet. "Amelie" is a comedy, an art movie, a love story, and a fantastic trip all rolled into one. It's hard to even describe the joy and wonder that is seen through the eyes of Amelie Poulain, as she embarks upon an adventure of do-gooding. You will be engrossed from the opening shot until the credits start to roll. Amazing. ...