Australia is a supremely unoriginal, overly-ambitious bomb that spews out one cliched scene after another. It tries to be an old-fashioned epic but falls flat on its face. This is Baz Luhrmann's first film since his vastly over-rated Moulin Rouge (5) and we can only hope he doesn't make another film for seven years.
It does have some merits though. The art direction is excellent, probably thanks to Ian Gracie. And Luhrmann's one positive signature move is the overhead tracking shot that drops into a reverse pan. These were also the only saving graces of Moulin Rouge.
This isn't enough to overcome a botched story and shoddy direction though. A 3 rating.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Apocalypto - Gibson, 2006
I had low expectations for this film, expecting another Gibson gore-fest. And while there is plenty of blood and guts tossed about here, it is also an entertaining action movie. I give Gibson credit for sticking with native languages and subtitles, as this film wouldn't work without that. He also includes some very good details during the village and city scenes.
Gibson is a simple message kind of director, much in the Clint Eastwood style, but this is his best work. Better than Braveheart (5) and far better than the nauseating Passion of the Christ (3). The action is way over the top in some places (such as the baby being born under water while his mother struggles against drowning) and that helps knock it down a notch, but I still give it a 6 rating.
Gibson is a simple message kind of director, much in the Clint Eastwood style, but this is his best work. Better than Braveheart (5) and far better than the nauseating Passion of the Christ (3). The action is way over the top in some places (such as the baby being born under water while his mother struggles against drowning) and that helps knock it down a notch, but I still give it a 6 rating.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust - Kawajiri 2000
Definitely a better than average anime flick, full of action and stylishly drawn backdrops. The characters are pretty stock, but there are plenty of good action sequences.
This is a sequel and I didn't see the first movie, but it was easy to catch on to what the characters were up to. Also, the dvd I saw this on played badly and I expect that detracted a bit from the excellent animation. A 6 rating, and close to a 7.
This is a sequel and I didn't see the first movie, but it was easy to catch on to what the characters were up to. Also, the dvd I saw this on played badly and I expect that detracted a bit from the excellent animation. A 6 rating, and close to a 7.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Reader - Daldry, 2008
The Reader is a very slow paced, serious film. Like Daldry's earlier The Hours (7), it is told in non-linear fashion with flash-forward scenes. While not quite as good as Hours, it is still a solid effort. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her performance here, and I guess she deserves it, although Meryl Strep was quite good in Doubt (7).
I haven't read the book that this was based on, but I suspect that it suffers from trying to be true to the original material, while at the same time staying within a two hour format. It moves along slowly, yet at the same time there are moments when it seems like we've jumped though the story very quickly, as if we've skipped ahead a few chapters in the book. This is a typical problem with novel adaptations.
It's still a good film though. A 6 rating.
I haven't read the book that this was based on, but I suspect that it suffers from trying to be true to the original material, while at the same time staying within a two hour format. It moves along slowly, yet at the same time there are moments when it seems like we've jumped though the story very quickly, as if we've skipped ahead a few chapters in the book. This is a typical problem with novel adaptations.
It's still a good film though. A 6 rating.
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