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Third, Reviews
Jan. 31st, 2007 10:45 amAdmittedly, a day late. Anyway, the weekend was a good weekend for films. Watched three, two on DVD and one in the theatre. In order, they were:
The Quiet American from the novel by Graham Greene, so you know it is not going to be a happy story. Set in French Indochina in 1952 (Vietnam for those who do not know your Colonial geography). It tells of a love triangle between an old British reporter who has 'gone native' (played by Michael Caine), a young idealist American here to help the people (played by Brendan Fraiser) and a Vietnam woman. Threads of loyalty, politics and love intertwine and unravel. Beautifully filmed, well acted, a very melancholy story though. On DVD. My grade: B
Pan's Labyrinth written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Of the four movie I have seen by del Toro, this is head and shoulders above the rest. Like the movie above, very melancholy, dealing with Fascist Spain and one young girl trying to find her place in it. The blend of magic, bloody reality, and life is fascinating as the story traces through the lives of those involved. Like a classic fairy tale, the ending is just. The special effects are fairly minimal, but very well done, and the CGI used is nearly seamless At the theatre. My Grade: A-
Tombstone, a big western starring, well, just about everybody who ever wanted to be in a western. Kurt Russell at Wyatt Earp was good, but I really liked Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, even if I had no idea what kind of accent he was trying for. Interesting but too long, some good scenes, but nothing that really grabbed me. On DVD. My Grade: C+
The Quiet American from the novel by Graham Greene, so you know it is not going to be a happy story. Set in French Indochina in 1952 (Vietnam for those who do not know your Colonial geography). It tells of a love triangle between an old British reporter who has 'gone native' (played by Michael Caine), a young idealist American here to help the people (played by Brendan Fraiser) and a Vietnam woman. Threads of loyalty, politics and love intertwine and unravel. Beautifully filmed, well acted, a very melancholy story though. On DVD. My grade: B
Pan's Labyrinth written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Of the four movie I have seen by del Toro, this is head and shoulders above the rest. Like the movie above, very melancholy, dealing with Fascist Spain and one young girl trying to find her place in it. The blend of magic, bloody reality, and life is fascinating as the story traces through the lives of those involved. Like a classic fairy tale, the ending is just. The special effects are fairly minimal, but very well done, and the CGI used is nearly seamless At the theatre. My Grade: A-
Tombstone, a big western starring, well, just about everybody who ever wanted to be in a western. Kurt Russell at Wyatt Earp was good, but I really liked Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, even if I had no idea what kind of accent he was trying for. Interesting but too long, some good scenes, but nothing that really grabbed me. On DVD. My Grade: C+