Somebody says Clint Eastwood, and the majority of people think either of the spaghetti western "man with no name" he played for sergio leone, or the macho detective "Dirty Harry" he played for don siegel, but it's not that clint we are talking about know, it's the other Clint the masterful director.
Mystic River is about a lot of themes, but it starts with a frightening one, Child Abuse, little Sean, Jimmy and Dave, are playing hokey on the street, then they find a square of cement pavement which is still undry, and decide to write their names on it, but as Dave is writing his name, they are scolded by what apparently are two police officers, who then show them some police ID and take dave with them in the back of their car.
Turns out these two are pedophiles, and they take little Dave to the basement of a house, where they rape him, at the end he manages to escape, then the movie shifts to nowadays Boston, nobody has moved, Dave (Tim Robbins) is a past possessed blue colar worker, struggling to rise the child he has with Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a detective in the local police, and Jimmy (the great Sean Penn) is an ex con running a local business, and has a daughter Katie, who is secretly dating a man he despises.
Katie is savagely killed, and while Sean and his partner take care of the case, the grief ridden Jimmy investigates from his side using his connections in the Area, turns out that Dave is involved in a suspicious accident the night of the murder of Katie which leaves him with a bloody hand, Sean finds that the gun used on the murder has links to Jimmy's past, while Jimmy becomes more and more suspicious of his former friend, which leads to the movie's end, with a lot of justice, and injustice, and answered questions, and buried ones.
This movie is about the violent loose of innocence, and about the consequences of one's childhood on their adulthood, it's about paternity, about vengeance, in the Irish community of Machassussets, and it's also about communication, and lack of communication in the couple, and the disastrous results it might have.
Some scenes from this movie are now cinema classics, especially because of the powerful acting of Sean Penn which earned him an oscar, but Tim Robbins is great as the angst ridden Dave (which earned him an Oscar too), and you will really leave this movie with a bittersweet ideas about what matters and what doesn't, and why it does matter.
and it's for movies like these that Clint Eastwood is such a legend, because has managed to become a great director after being an iconic action hero, and with honour in both, and if you don't agree with that, tell me the name of another seventies action hero, who got a special award to honour him this year, and who makes better and more energeticmovies at early Eighty years then people half his age, he should have his picture next to "living legend" in Wikipedia !
Jebbiness 3.5/5
5/28/2008
5/26/2008
BenX - Less than expected
The idea was alright and I expected much when I read the first critics for "Ben X", a movie that was announced to handle the problems of mobbed teenagers and videogames such as World of Warcraft well in one strike. But when I saw the movie I was quite disappointed!
Ben is a 17 year old teenager whos autistic and because of that always in the middle of the mobbing happenings at school, on his way home and wherever. To escape from that reality he plays "Archlord", a medieval fantasy roleplaygame online. There he's got his virtual girlfriend "Scarlite", who's a girl from the other side of the country. Whenever his reality brings him down too much he imagines her at his side, imagines himself as the hero in "Archlord" killing the bad orcs at school.
The idea was good, the story was set up carefully but man the movie makers should have picked a game with a graphic that fits the movie screen! The scene cut between reality and game reminds much of a B-movie and however you see the movie, it's not as classy as it was announced!
If you wanna handle topics such as the Asperger's syndrome, suicidal teenagers, violence in video games, mobbing at school and reality flight in one movie you gotta come up with more than that.
But the cast is better than the movie itself, Greg Timmermans should be a serious contestant for some nominations this year and the soundtrack is also worth a closer look.
All in all the movie is watchable but just less than expected!
Visit the official site ->
Ben is a 17 year old teenager whos autistic and because of that always in the middle of the mobbing happenings at school, on his way home and wherever. To escape from that reality he plays "Archlord", a medieval fantasy roleplaygame online. There he's got his virtual girlfriend "Scarlite", who's a girl from the other side of the country. Whenever his reality brings him down too much he imagines her at his side, imagines himself as the hero in "Archlord" killing the bad orcs at school.
The idea was good, the story was set up carefully but man the movie makers should have picked a game with a graphic that fits the movie screen! The scene cut between reality and game reminds much of a B-movie and however you see the movie, it's not as classy as it was announced!
If you wanna handle topics such as the Asperger's syndrome, suicidal teenagers, violence in video games, mobbing at school and reality flight in one movie you gotta come up with more than that.
But the cast is better than the movie itself, Greg Timmermans should be a serious contestant for some nominations this year and the soundtrack is also worth a closer look.
All in all the movie is watchable but just less than expected!
Visit the official site ->
Tags:
Greg Timmermans
5/22/2008
Features shortfilm: How to tell when a relationship is over in 90 seconds
Today, we don't wanna bring you a review of a movie, just a, as we find, very entertaining short clip to show you once again: 2 minutes can bring you more than a 3 hours monumental movie.
This little artpiece of a movie is made by Tony Roche.
Tags:
shortfilm,
Tony Roche
5/18/2008
Pirates of the Silicon Valley: Steve Jobs, his Friends, and Their Revolution
iPods, iPhones, iMacs, apple had made several breakthrough technological achievments, hard to believe that it started in a garage fourty years ago, and hard to believe that what became now a part of what we are, was just a "crazy idea", bu some former hippes, and how the quiet suburb of Sillicon Valley became the Mecca of Technology, and one of the most expensive places on Earth.
Okay folks we all hated history in highschool, but when a story is so relevant to what we are a do everyday it's good to take a look, and that's the purpouse of that movie, which tells the story of Apple computers, and the two visonaries behind it Steve Jobs (in the boardroom) and Steve Wozniak (in the laboratory).
This Film starts in the Macworld expo, with the historical return of Steve Jobs to Apple, and the deal he accomplished with Bill Gates (staring over his shoulders like big brother) then the movie comes back to the eary days in Barkley university and the student movment, how Jobs and Wozniack were making machines to make international calls for free, and how Jobs was already visionary and mystical, then to the creation of the Apple II, Apple Lisa, and eventually narrates how Steve Jobs ego became a danger on the company and how the constant pressure he maintained on his employees led to dramatic consequences for him and the company
The parallel plot focuses on Bill Gates, Steve Balmer, and Paul Allen, all undergarduate at the time, and how they were developing their own version of the DOS (i know young folks don't remember it but it was Huge a two decades ago, huh cousin ;), and how they became the richest people on earth.
While the movie focuses on the whole mouvment that lead to this huge breakthrough it's main focus is Steve Jobs (played masterfully by ER doctor Noah Whyle) from his early days to his rise to power, to his confronation with Bill Gates, after Bill did to him what He himself did to Xerox park, and how he came again to Apple to save it and turn it into the power house it is now.
And while it's clearly a made for TV movie, it's just one of these movies you can't miss, just for the mood and the historical value and the interpreation, and after you do that, you can go to youtube and watch the Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford, and for real, if all Megalomaniacs were like that, the earth needs more of them.
Jebbiness : 3/5
Okay folks we all hated history in highschool, but when a story is so relevant to what we are a do everyday it's good to take a look, and that's the purpouse of that movie, which tells the story of Apple computers, and the two visonaries behind it Steve Jobs (in the boardroom) and Steve Wozniak (in the laboratory).
This Film starts in the Macworld expo, with the historical return of Steve Jobs to Apple, and the deal he accomplished with Bill Gates (staring over his shoulders like big brother) then the movie comes back to the eary days in Barkley university and the student movment, how Jobs and Wozniack were making machines to make international calls for free, and how Jobs was already visionary and mystical, then to the creation of the Apple II, Apple Lisa, and eventually narrates how Steve Jobs ego became a danger on the company and how the constant pressure he maintained on his employees led to dramatic consequences for him and the company
The parallel plot focuses on Bill Gates, Steve Balmer, and Paul Allen, all undergarduate at the time, and how they were developing their own version of the DOS (i know young folks don't remember it but it was Huge a two decades ago, huh cousin ;), and how they became the richest people on earth.
While the movie focuses on the whole mouvment that lead to this huge breakthrough it's main focus is Steve Jobs (played masterfully by ER doctor Noah Whyle) from his early days to his rise to power, to his confronation with Bill Gates, after Bill did to him what He himself did to Xerox park, and how he came again to Apple to save it and turn it into the power house it is now.
And while it's clearly a made for TV movie, it's just one of these movies you can't miss, just for the mood and the historical value and the interpreation, and after you do that, you can go to youtube and watch the Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford, and for real, if all Megalomaniacs were like that, the earth needs more of them.
Jebbiness : 3/5
Tags:
biographical,
Steve Ballmer
5/15/2008
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - I would like ...
... if I may, to take you on a strange journey!
How can I dare to really review "The Rocky Horror picture show", so far one of the most popular cult movies of all times? Well am gonna tell you a short story. When I was a kid, about 5 years old, I saw the movie first on DVD, couldn't read the subtitles yet or understand it but I loved the music. By the age of 9 I was quite good in English but now I also could read the subtitles and I could talk the whole movie in German. By the age of 10 I also could speak the whole movie in English and had a phase where I watched it weekly and drove my parents insane ;) Does that predestine me to review it?
As I grew up with that movie, I guess many people did and there aren't many who never even heard of it. If there's one thing to say about this masterpiece then it is that you can only love or hate it. There's no such thing as "I watch it sometimes but it's not really my stuff" that just doesnt exist. You are a total fan and can sing and dance the whole movie or you watched it once and didn't see a sense in it!
The movie itself was produced in 1974 and at first nobody wanted to release or do it. THAT story? Never. Why would someone wanna see that? The movie producers were not really amused by the play written by Richard O'Brien and Jim Sharman. It was quite understandable because it doesn't come with a story you would have showed around at a family movie evening in the 70s. But imagine if not in the end someone had decided to produce it, where would we be today then?
So now for the ones who really dont know the movie, shame on you by the way ;)
Brad and Janet after their engagement decide to visit the prof in whose class they first met. On their way to visit him, in a dark rainy night, their car breaks down because Brad forgot to bring a spare tyre. They go back to the last building they saw on their way to call a mechanic and end up knocking at Frank N. Further's door. They reckon they disturbed a party "of rich weirdos" but what they actually come to visit is the exposure of Frank's latest "project" - he created himself a man. But if that wasn't strange already they soon find out that Frank and his "servants" are alien transvestites from the Planet of Transylvania ...
The careful reader may have realized that here we got a very strange version of the classic Frankenstein story.
So what does this movie make cult, you may ask if you don't know it.
First of all its the summary of outstanding performances. Not only the young Tim Curry as Frank N. Further, also Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Brad & Janet, Richard O'Brien himself as Riff Raff, Patricia Quinn as Magenta, Nell Campbell as Columbia - to make it short, every single actor in the movie - are great!
The second point are the dialogues, strange, with a bit of dark humor and quite memorable - once heard you will remember them everytime watching the movie before they are said, that's what I can asure you.
The third part and most important is the music! It's the same as with the dialogues, everyone who watched the movie more than once will be able to sing them. Meat Loaf stars in the movie, too as Eddie, singing 'Hot Patootie' and Tim Curry, who originally is a musical star as many of you will know, is totally outstanding singing and acting as Frank.
This movie is a must for you, no matter which genre you usually prefer, I bet you twenty bucks you will love it! (Or hate it ... :D ) Feel free to do your own little performance everytime while you watch the movie - "Dont dream it, be it!" ;)
No other musical movie has ever caused so many fan parties and fan meetings, till today there are many! 33 years of "Rocky Horror" and no end in sight! Congratulations for that to everyone who stared in the movie, produced and of course wrote it!
How can I dare to really review "The Rocky Horror picture show", so far one of the most popular cult movies of all times? Well am gonna tell you a short story. When I was a kid, about 5 years old, I saw the movie first on DVD, couldn't read the subtitles yet or understand it but I loved the music. By the age of 9 I was quite good in English but now I also could read the subtitles and I could talk the whole movie in German. By the age of 10 I also could speak the whole movie in English and had a phase where I watched it weekly and drove my parents insane ;) Does that predestine me to review it?
As I grew up with that movie, I guess many people did and there aren't many who never even heard of it. If there's one thing to say about this masterpiece then it is that you can only love or hate it. There's no such thing as "I watch it sometimes but it's not really my stuff" that just doesnt exist. You are a total fan and can sing and dance the whole movie or you watched it once and didn't see a sense in it!
The movie itself was produced in 1974 and at first nobody wanted to release or do it. THAT story? Never. Why would someone wanna see that? The movie producers were not really amused by the play written by Richard O'Brien and Jim Sharman. It was quite understandable because it doesn't come with a story you would have showed around at a family movie evening in the 70s. But imagine if not in the end someone had decided to produce it, where would we be today then?
So now for the ones who really dont know the movie, shame on you by the way ;)
Brad and Janet after their engagement decide to visit the prof in whose class they first met. On their way to visit him, in a dark rainy night, their car breaks down because Brad forgot to bring a spare tyre. They go back to the last building they saw on their way to call a mechanic and end up knocking at Frank N. Further's door. They reckon they disturbed a party "of rich weirdos" but what they actually come to visit is the exposure of Frank's latest "project" - he created himself a man. But if that wasn't strange already they soon find out that Frank and his "servants" are alien transvestites from the Planet of Transylvania ...
The careful reader may have realized that here we got a very strange version of the classic Frankenstein story.
So what does this movie make cult, you may ask if you don't know it.
First of all its the summary of outstanding performances. Not only the young Tim Curry as Frank N. Further, also Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Brad & Janet, Richard O'Brien himself as Riff Raff, Patricia Quinn as Magenta, Nell Campbell as Columbia - to make it short, every single actor in the movie - are great!
The second point are the dialogues, strange, with a bit of dark humor and quite memorable - once heard you will remember them everytime watching the movie before they are said, that's what I can asure you.
The third part and most important is the music! It's the same as with the dialogues, everyone who watched the movie more than once will be able to sing them. Meat Loaf stars in the movie, too as Eddie, singing 'Hot Patootie' and Tim Curry, who originally is a musical star as many of you will know, is totally outstanding singing and acting as Frank.
This movie is a must for you, no matter which genre you usually prefer, I bet you twenty bucks you will love it! (Or hate it ... :D ) Feel free to do your own little performance everytime while you watch the movie - "Dont dream it, be it!" ;)
No other musical movie has ever caused so many fan parties and fan meetings, till today there are many! 33 years of "Rocky Horror" and no end in sight! Congratulations for that to everyone who stared in the movie, produced and of course wrote it!
Punch-Drunk Love: PTA gets the best of Adam
"Boggie Nights" "Magnolia" on one side "The Waterboy" and "Big Daddy" on the other, it sounds like a big jump, from brilliant filmmaking, to goofy entertainment, turns out that these two world could collide, and that the result can be a very Brilliant one, and it can even win it's director, Cannes Film Festival best director award, the year David Lynch presided the jury.
Adam Sandler, plays Barry a small novelty business man in a blue suit who owns a small company, doing pretty well for himself, just that he is abused by a cast of seven sisters, Barry has no luck in love, Barry lacks self confidence, Barry is lonely, and finally Barry is into sex phone.
a car accident occurs, a harmonium is dropped near his office, and a mysterious woman enters his life, the shy and insecure barry, ends up Travelling to Hawaii, Destroying private property, Beating some people up, Driving to the other side of the country, confronting all those who abused and frightned him, and having the most passionate romance of his life, while he finds a way to travel long distances using pudding.
Paul Thomas Anderson the man behind "magnolia" and "boogie nights" and one of the "rogue A list Directors" delivers a beautiful tale of a marginal abused man, whose destiny changes, it's about frustration, self doubt, and things which happen to us when we expect them less.
one might think that the role was written specifically for Sandler, but the fact is that several other actors were linked to this project, but he delivers a great performance, and has a great cast to support him, from the beautiful and fragile Emily Watson (breaking the waves, remember ??),
Luis Guzman, Philippe Seymour Hoffman, it's as if it was a "character actors reunion" they all play roles of outcast people who are still trying to make it after they seemingly lost the three first rounds of their lives.
The music is another character in the movie, it's etheral, composed by Jon Brion, featuring a heavy use of harmonium, and you will find yourself humming the tune "he loves me" for some time after that, and at the end you will see the great ending sequence by the late video artist Jeremy Black, who died after that movie, and that's adds a layer of melancoly to a sweet malancolic film made by a melancolic director, and expressing the ambiang melancoly a lot of people swim in, and one last thing David Lynch, as president of jury watched the film from beginning to end including the titles, which is maybe the greatest hommage a filmmaker can get.
Jebbiness: 4/5
Adam Sandler, plays Barry a small novelty business man in a blue suit who owns a small company, doing pretty well for himself, just that he is abused by a cast of seven sisters, Barry has no luck in love, Barry lacks self confidence, Barry is lonely, and finally Barry is into sex phone.
a car accident occurs, a harmonium is dropped near his office, and a mysterious woman enters his life, the shy and insecure barry, ends up Travelling to Hawaii, Destroying private property, Beating some people up, Driving to the other side of the country, confronting all those who abused and frightned him, and having the most passionate romance of his life, while he finds a way to travel long distances using pudding.
Paul Thomas Anderson the man behind "magnolia" and "boogie nights" and one of the "rogue A list Directors" delivers a beautiful tale of a marginal abused man, whose destiny changes, it's about frustration, self doubt, and things which happen to us when we expect them less.
one might think that the role was written specifically for Sandler, but the fact is that several other actors were linked to this project, but he delivers a great performance, and has a great cast to support him, from the beautiful and fragile Emily Watson (breaking the waves, remember ??),
Luis Guzman, Philippe Seymour Hoffman, it's as if it was a "character actors reunion" they all play roles of outcast people who are still trying to make it after they seemingly lost the three first rounds of their lives.
The music is another character in the movie, it's etheral, composed by Jon Brion, featuring a heavy use of harmonium, and you will find yourself humming the tune "he loves me" for some time after that, and at the end you will see the great ending sequence by the late video artist Jeremy Black, who died after that movie, and that's adds a layer of melancoly to a sweet malancolic film made by a melancolic director, and expressing the ambiang melancoly a lot of people swim in, and one last thing David Lynch, as president of jury watched the film from beginning to end including the titles, which is maybe the greatest hommage a filmmaker can get.
Jebbiness: 4/5
Tags:
Adam Sandler,
Paul Thomas Anderson
5/14/2008
Bug - High level paranoia
Are you a fan of confusing movies, filled up with paranoia and disturbance? Then you shall love "Bug".
The story goes something like this. Agnes lifes in a small, dirty motel, far away from any city. She spends her lonely days drinking and doing drugs, going out in the evening with her friend or just stand around doing nothing.
One evening her friend brings a guy with her, she met at the local club before. He just wants to stay a night but Agnes is too happy that in the end she found a man and wants him to stay. Then her ex comes outta jail, beats her up, and again Agnes finds it useful to have a man around who can kick him out. But in a while the new visitor gets strange, talks about insects who are taking over the world and starts cutting them off himself.
Maybe not the best paranoia movie ever shot, this trophy definitly goes to "Paranoia 1.0" aka "One point zero" but its a serious candidate.
But dont search for prominent cast, this movie is still a kind of B-movie, shot by William Friedkin, even though you may forget that after a while because it will definitly catch you!
The story goes something like this. Agnes lifes in a small, dirty motel, far away from any city. She spends her lonely days drinking and doing drugs, going out in the evening with her friend or just stand around doing nothing.
One evening her friend brings a guy with her, she met at the local club before. He just wants to stay a night but Agnes is too happy that in the end she found a man and wants him to stay. Then her ex comes outta jail, beats her up, and again Agnes finds it useful to have a man around who can kick him out. But in a while the new visitor gets strange, talks about insects who are taking over the world and starts cutting them off himself.
Maybe not the best paranoia movie ever shot, this trophy definitly goes to "Paranoia 1.0" aka "One point zero" but its a serious candidate.
But dont search for prominent cast, this movie is still a kind of B-movie, shot by William Friedkin, even though you may forget that after a while because it will definitly catch you!
5/13/2008
Broken Flowers : Jim Jarmush and Bill Murray, a winning double bill.
Don Johnston (with a tee) is a bachelor in his fifties, he is some kind of a "don juan" although he hates that comparing, he made good money in computers but he doesn't own any at home (probably in the good days of the dot com burst, i wish i was thirty that time) and now he lives a quiet life with his girlfriend sherry (gorgeous Julie Delpy, too bad that she quits him in the first scene of the movie)
He receives a letter (pink) from an anonymous former girlfriend tha tells him he has a 19 years old son who went out to look for him, this letter has no return adress, no clear post stamp, nada, now is it a prank?, Don thinks so, but his faithful friend and neighbour Winston, convinces him to go check the girlfriends he had from that time, and makes him a travel plan, and Don goes in a Road Trip to meet his past girlfriends, and his own past.
This movie won the grand prix in Cannes Festival, which is not always a good reference, Bill Murray gives a killer performance, similar to his performarnce in "lost in translation", but all the other actors are good (as it is always with a good director, and a good script), even Sharon Stone is good in the role of the aging beauty queen, i thought i'd never say a sentence with "good" and "sharon stone" ever.
For you screenwriters, Jim Jarmush wrote this movie in two weeks and half, and it is just a great road trip movie, which rides on the coldfusion energy of Bill Murray, it's about aging, about fatherhood, about loneliness and family, and it reminds you that Jim Jarmush (the coolest director alive) is so brilliant that it's depressing, and now do i need to remind myself and you that this is the same guy who made "coffe and cigarettes" and "ghost dog", one sure thing, he did not steal his "legendary " status !
The broken flowers in the titles, are the link of the whole movie, some kind of a visual link, pink and flowers are everywhere, from the pink letter, to the pink woman's suit sherry is wearing, to the pink robe Lolita (yeah lolita !) is wearing, pink and flowers have a strong link with that story, and what if this story is about women, and what if it's about how love gets old, as flowers dying, post breakup years might seem long, but we are all aware that we are on earth for just a brief time, broken flowers are maybe all these romances which ended abruptly, or drifted away with disappointment, and bill murray is just visiting "themes" more then looking for a missing part of him.
ps: it's so great that my co-editor and dear cousin changed the basic colour to "pink" (used to be deep red), it's so "broken flowers"
Jebbiness: 3.5/5
He receives a letter (pink) from an anonymous former girlfriend tha tells him he has a 19 years old son who went out to look for him, this letter has no return adress, no clear post stamp, nada, now is it a prank?, Don thinks so, but his faithful friend and neighbour Winston, convinces him to go check the girlfriends he had from that time, and makes him a travel plan, and Don goes in a Road Trip to meet his past girlfriends, and his own past.
This movie won the grand prix in Cannes Festival, which is not always a good reference, Bill Murray gives a killer performance, similar to his performarnce in "lost in translation", but all the other actors are good (as it is always with a good director, and a good script), even Sharon Stone is good in the role of the aging beauty queen, i thought i'd never say a sentence with "good" and "sharon stone" ever.
For you screenwriters, Jim Jarmush wrote this movie in two weeks and half, and it is just a great road trip movie, which rides on the coldfusion energy of Bill Murray, it's about aging, about fatherhood, about loneliness and family, and it reminds you that Jim Jarmush (the coolest director alive) is so brilliant that it's depressing, and now do i need to remind myself and you that this is the same guy who made "coffe and cigarettes" and "ghost dog", one sure thing, he did not steal his "legendary " status !
The broken flowers in the titles, are the link of the whole movie, some kind of a visual link, pink and flowers are everywhere, from the pink letter, to the pink woman's suit sherry is wearing, to the pink robe Lolita (yeah lolita !) is wearing, pink and flowers have a strong link with that story, and what if this story is about women, and what if it's about how love gets old, as flowers dying, post breakup years might seem long, but we are all aware that we are on earth for just a brief time, broken flowers are maybe all these romances which ended abruptly, or drifted away with disappointment, and bill murray is just visiting "themes" more then looking for a missing part of him.
ps: it's so great that my co-editor and dear cousin changed the basic colour to "pink" (used to be deep red), it's so "broken flowers"
Jebbiness: 3.5/5
Tags:
Bill Murray,
Jim Jarmusch
5/12/2008
Asian Cinema Special : Mou gaan dou (infernal affairs)
Yeah, Martin Scorsese got his first Oscar after trying so hard for almost three decades, and for which movie, "the departed" the movie was okay, but the great one was Mou Gaan Dou, the one which "inspired it" (with all due respect, it's a remake)
so the story is an undercover cop named Chan (played by the great Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who has ben sent to infiltrate the Chinese Mafia from a very young age, and an undercover Mobster, inspector Lau(Andy Lau) , who is infiltrating the police of Hong Kong
A deals goes wrong and the Mafia Boss (arguably a better performance then the same role played by Nicholson in the remake) is aware that he has an informer in his ranks, so he sends Lau to investigate, while Chan is getting more and more depressed of his crime life, which leads him to consult a psychic, his assignment taking much longer then the original arrangment he had with his superiour, SuperIntendant Wong (Anthony Wong, Brillant), who is also some kind of a parental figure to him, the plot then gets momentum and slides to a brilliant ending where all the parts confront each other and their past, and where nobody gets away totally clean.
This movie was considered a "revival" of Hong Kong cinema, and has a brilliant plot, a great cast, and above all, a real reflection on the difference between being on one side of the law, or the other, the criminals are depicted as likeable people, to whom it's just a job, and who have a strong loyalty to each other, similar to the cop's loyalty, and the superintendant wong being the best character in this movie, honnest, efficient and honourable, he balances the story, all this in a running time of 100 minutes !!
If you still think that Hong Kong cinema is about a buncha people doing some martial arts acrobaties, this movie is a good starting point to see it as it really is, one of the most innovative cinema centers in the world, and if you are a conoisseur, this movie is still a great movie to watch and admire, and one last note, the original title means "the non-stop path", the lowest level of hell in boudhism, and it's true, what would be worse then being in a situation which you have no means of breaking out of, it would be ....Infernal.
Jebbiness: 4/5
so the story is an undercover cop named Chan (played by the great Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who has ben sent to infiltrate the Chinese Mafia from a very young age, and an undercover Mobster, inspector Lau(Andy Lau) , who is infiltrating the police of Hong Kong
A deals goes wrong and the Mafia Boss (arguably a better performance then the same role played by Nicholson in the remake) is aware that he has an informer in his ranks, so he sends Lau to investigate, while Chan is getting more and more depressed of his crime life, which leads him to consult a psychic, his assignment taking much longer then the original arrangment he had with his superiour, SuperIntendant Wong (Anthony Wong, Brillant), who is also some kind of a parental figure to him, the plot then gets momentum and slides to a brilliant ending where all the parts confront each other and their past, and where nobody gets away totally clean.
This movie was considered a "revival" of Hong Kong cinema, and has a brilliant plot, a great cast, and above all, a real reflection on the difference between being on one side of the law, or the other, the criminals are depicted as likeable people, to whom it's just a job, and who have a strong loyalty to each other, similar to the cop's loyalty, and the superintendant wong being the best character in this movie, honnest, efficient and honourable, he balances the story, all this in a running time of 100 minutes !!
If you still think that Hong Kong cinema is about a buncha people doing some martial arts acrobaties, this movie is a good starting point to see it as it really is, one of the most innovative cinema centers in the world, and if you are a conoisseur, this movie is still a great movie to watch and admire, and one last note, the original title means "the non-stop path", the lowest level of hell in boudhism, and it's true, what would be worse then being in a situation which you have no means of breaking out of, it would be ....Infernal.
Jebbiness: 4/5
Tags:
andy lau,
anthony wong,
tony leung
5/09/2008
Deconstructing Harry - Best of Woody ?
here is ANOTHER movie which deals with writer's block, but hell more funny, it's Woody Allen's "deconstructing harry", now everybody says that woody's movies all look the same lately, but every now and then he manages to surprise even the most faithful of his fans.
Woody's character in the movie is called "Harry Block" he is a famous writer with a chaotic personal life, a number of ex wives, problems with his conservative family, addiction to hookers, and now he has writer's block (Harry Block, Writer's Block, got it ??), the movie travels between the realy life of Harry Block, and some some of the character's of his stories, who are based on himself or some people he knows, which causes him more trouble.
The climax of the movie is when Harry drives to uptown New york to receive a honorary degree, taking with him his son, a hooker, a friend of his, while on the road he has encounters with real and fictional people who matterd to him, the end of the film is suprising and very pleasent, and it's as if Woddy Allen himself, was paying hommage to what made him the legendary author he is.
The cast is top notch, Billy Crystal, Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Shue, Tobey Maguire, and the sketches are hilarious, this is a movie which should be considered as a part of his masterpieces, along with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan", curiously it flew under the radar, and it's almost forgotten about which is a shame, but still this movie earned him an Nth academy award nomination for best screenplay, and reminded people that ol' woody still has it, this movie is really smart funny and has wit, and the characters are amazing, and in this age of reality shows it reminds us that a movie can still have a heart and soul, and what can you say about a movie containing a reflection as deep as "All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we chose to distort it", along with lines as "Every hooker I ever speak to tells me that it beats the hell out of waitressing. Waitressing's gotta be the worst fu**ing job in the world", and wihtous sounding corny !
Jebbiness : 3.5/5
Woody's character in the movie is called "Harry Block" he is a famous writer with a chaotic personal life, a number of ex wives, problems with his conservative family, addiction to hookers, and now he has writer's block (Harry Block, Writer's Block, got it ??), the movie travels between the realy life of Harry Block, and some some of the character's of his stories, who are based on himself or some people he knows, which causes him more trouble.
The climax of the movie is when Harry drives to uptown New york to receive a honorary degree, taking with him his son, a hooker, a friend of his, while on the road he has encounters with real and fictional people who matterd to him, the end of the film is suprising and very pleasent, and it's as if Woddy Allen himself, was paying hommage to what made him the legendary author he is.
The cast is top notch, Billy Crystal, Demi Moore, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Shue, Tobey Maguire, and the sketches are hilarious, this is a movie which should be considered as a part of his masterpieces, along with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan", curiously it flew under the radar, and it's almost forgotten about which is a shame, but still this movie earned him an Nth academy award nomination for best screenplay, and reminded people that ol' woody still has it, this movie is really smart funny and has wit, and the characters are amazing, and in this age of reality shows it reminds us that a movie can still have a heart and soul, and what can you say about a movie containing a reflection as deep as "All people know the same truth. Our lives consist of how we chose to distort it", along with lines as "Every hooker I ever speak to tells me that it beats the hell out of waitressing. Waitressing's gotta be the worst fu**ing job in the world", and wihtous sounding corny !
Jebbiness : 3.5/5
Tags:
billy crystal,
robin williams,
woody allen
The Darjeeling limited - You've got a train to catch
Three rich American brothers are going on their way through India to fresh up their relationship and to visit their mother and ask her why she ran away and didn't even come to their father's funeral. For that the catch the "Darjeeling limited" train, packed up with a lot of plans to realize on the journey.
This movie is for you if you like slow stories, if you are definitly not planning on an action movie or hope to see Owen Wilson naked. I don't wanna take you illusions away but if that's why you wanted to watch the movie, you will fall asleep after a few minutes.
The performances of Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as the three brothers Peter, Jack and Francis are really outstanding and even though the story gets a little bit loooong and at the same time boring in the middle, the movie is also worth watching for just having a closer look on India. Also it is great to see how a movie can be produced with a maincast of 3-5 people and still be entertaining.
A really good piece of work directed & written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
One question left: Why is Billy Murray listed everywhere as maincast when he was in it as a business man with one line to say and a bit to run for 2 seconds only? Cut out scenes?
This movie is for you if you like slow stories, if you are definitly not planning on an action movie or hope to see Owen Wilson naked. I don't wanna take you illusions away but if that's why you wanted to watch the movie, you will fall asleep after a few minutes.
The performances of Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman as the three brothers Peter, Jack and Francis are really outstanding and even though the story gets a little bit loooong and at the same time boring in the middle, the movie is also worth watching for just having a closer look on India. Also it is great to see how a movie can be produced with a maincast of 3-5 people and still be entertaining.
A really good piece of work directed & written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola.
One question left: Why is Billy Murray listed everywhere as maincast when he was in it as a business man with one line to say and a bit to run for 2 seconds only? Cut out scenes?
5/08/2008
Barton Fink: False boring movie / True Masterpiece
I had this buddy who was an aspiring director, with whome i had a lot of interesting cinematic discussions (we had the same first name, but that's really an insignificant detail), and he was telling me about Barton Fink, the movie by Joel and Ethan Coen, and how it was a "masterpiece" and it really made me more perplexed, first of all the title was weird, and movie was set in the fourties, and it received Cannes Recgonition, i thought it was one of these "arty" movies with only ten people liking them, and it had won a Golden Palm in Cannes Festival, which is really a bad thing considering that most of these film tend to be arrogant and boring, but i ended up by getting the dvd anyways
This movie is really a "masterpiece", it's about a theaterwriter "Barton Fink" (John Turturro) who is hired to write a wrestling movie in LA, so he moves there and he checks in the "Hotel Earl" and starts to write, only to discover that he has writer's block, so he starts to seek help from: a legendary writer he meets in a public bathroom, a studio executive, or from his fat happy wierd neighbour (amazing performance by John Goodman), only to see his life getting more and more complicated and gloomy, but that's only the first layer of a very thick movie, with sublayers of reflections about movies, writing, images, illusions, snobism, while still remaining a cool enjoyable movie (believe me i was more sceptical then you at first)
This movie remains the only movie to have won the (best actor, best director, and an UNANIMOUS golden palm in Cannes Film Festival) frankly you can't affoard miss this one, would it be for the performances by Micheal Lerner, or Jon Polito, or Tony Shalhoub, and then you will have a lot of fun tracking it's "hidden meanings" on the internet, and what if "Hotel Earl" was not really a hotel, and what if Barton never made it to LA, and what about the pictures hanging on his wall but that's just one of the MANY questions which might keep you thinking a loong time.
Jebbiness : 4/5
Tags:
Coen,
John Goodman,
John Turturro
Jeff Goldblum - A man of style and taste
Jeff Goldblum.
Generally I would tell you I don't need to comment anything, the name itself says it all but this time am gonna make a difference and tell you a few words about him.
Do you know someone who has never seen a movie with Jeff Goldblum in it? I don't know a person like that and guess why: Jeff seems to be in every good movie you've seen over the years! And he gives movies this image that after the movie, even if it was only a small role, you got the feeling you just watched 90 minutes just him. How he does that? I would say it's based on his charisma, others say it's his style generally.
You could know him from Blockbusters such as "Independence day" or "Jurassic Park" (1&2) "The fly" or "The tall guy". Or maybe it was "The adventures of Buckaroo Banzai at the 8th dimension", the tv series "Raines" or one of the other hundered movies that burned him into your mind.
Jeff Goldblum is also a always welcome and entertaining guest on late night shows, does a few commercials and gives a few interviews.
And believe me, who ever read an interview with Goldblum knows they are just as entertaining as if you would read a good novel about a very strange guy, who says and does very strange things.
But that's just the way he is, because he's Jeff Goldblum!
Have you ever wondered why our site is called "JebbyMovies"?
That has alot to do with Jeff Goldblum himself. As we considered he is the ultimate stylish actor, we made up the word "jebby" as definition of "cool" "stylish" or "classy". So everything that has style is jebby. Got it so far?
What is a jebby movie then?
A jebby movie has style, it has a "soul", it's something you might wanna have a closer look on. Not all the movie we review are really jebby but a few.
Generally I would tell you I don't need to comment anything, the name itself says it all but this time am gonna make a difference and tell you a few words about him.
Do you know someone who has never seen a movie with Jeff Goldblum in it? I don't know a person like that and guess why: Jeff seems to be in every good movie you've seen over the years! And he gives movies this image that after the movie, even if it was only a small role, you got the feeling you just watched 90 minutes just him. How he does that? I would say it's based on his charisma, others say it's his style generally.
You could know him from Blockbusters such as "Independence day" or "Jurassic Park" (1&2) "The fly" or "The tall guy". Or maybe it was "The adventures of Buckaroo Banzai at the 8th dimension", the tv series "Raines" or one of the other hundered movies that burned him into your mind.
Jeff Goldblum is also a always welcome and entertaining guest on late night shows, does a few commercials and gives a few interviews.
And believe me, who ever read an interview with Goldblum knows they are just as entertaining as if you would read a good novel about a very strange guy, who says and does very strange things.
But that's just the way he is, because he's Jeff Goldblum!
---
---
Have you ever wondered why our site is called "JebbyMovies"?
That has alot to do with Jeff Goldblum himself. As we considered he is the ultimate stylish actor, we made up the word "jebby" as definition of "cool" "stylish" or "classy". So everything that has style is jebby. Got it so far?
What is a jebby movie then?
A jebby movie has style, it has a "soul", it's something you might wanna have a closer look on. Not all the movie we review are really jebby but a few.
Tags:
Highly recommended,
Jeff Goldblum
5/07/2008
Tarantino - is "Death proof" as powerful as the early works? (Don't think so)
Back in early nineties, Tarantino was the man, he made back to back two of the most praised indie features of the twentieth century "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction", and then everybody started to wonder what he would do next, well he first visited Blaxploitation with "Jackie Brown" then he made the masterful "Kill Bill" in which he managed to sew all the cinematic genres he admires with a very solid and credible storyline
Now that the audience had the chance to view his latest effort "Death proof" as a whole movie, out of the whole "Grindhouse" double feature experience, it is easy to draw comparaisons with his early two celebrated films, just because the mirroring is obvious, the bunch of badass guys is replaced with badass girls, the "edgy" dialogues are the same, and always as sharp, and the fun is here along with the humour, the sarcasm, the pop cultural references, movie references, it's a Tarantino Gourmet Dish
Still something seem to be missing, everybody can notice that Tarantino is still on top of his game, but it's nothing as punchy as PF, or RD, even the "girls breakfast scene" is far from being as powerful as the "Reservoir Dogs breakfast scene" with Madonna references, and tipping philosophying, but then again, maybe the problem is in the whole QT fanbase always expecting more
Death Proof, respects the code of grindhouse cinema, it's tough, it's off the hook, it's raw, and it's powerful, and the way Tarantino is keeping up on the slang and the internet culture, and what's hot and what's not, is really surprising, that's an auteur with an ear to his audience, if it was any other director, he would be hailed for it by now, but we always been taught to expect more from Tarantino, and he always was surpassing our expectations
At the end of the day, maybe what we need is another "pure tarantino masterpiece", and that will only raise expectations higher for his next "Mount Everest" as he loves to call it, "Inglorious Bastards" which he seems to have written a 600 pages script for, we are drawn to think that maybe it would be more fitting for Quentin to write about the subject where he fits
the most "tough guys",but still "death proof" still remains a solid
film which you need to own in any form whatsoever, but we are
still expecting more Quentin !
Jebbyness: 3.5/5
Now that the audience had the chance to view his latest effort "Death proof" as a whole movie, out of the whole "Grindhouse" double feature experience, it is easy to draw comparaisons with his early two celebrated films, just because the mirroring is obvious, the bunch of badass guys is replaced with badass girls, the "edgy" dialogues are the same, and always as sharp, and the fun is here along with the humour, the sarcasm, the pop cultural references, movie references, it's a Tarantino Gourmet Dish
Still something seem to be missing, everybody can notice that Tarantino is still on top of his game, but it's nothing as punchy as PF, or RD, even the "girls breakfast scene" is far from being as powerful as the "Reservoir Dogs breakfast scene" with Madonna references, and tipping philosophying, but then again, maybe the problem is in the whole QT fanbase always expecting more
Death Proof, respects the code of grindhouse cinema, it's tough, it's off the hook, it's raw, and it's powerful, and the way Tarantino is keeping up on the slang and the internet culture, and what's hot and what's not, is really surprising, that's an auteur with an ear to his audience, if it was any other director, he would be hailed for it by now, but we always been taught to expect more from Tarantino, and he always was surpassing our expectations
At the end of the day, maybe what we need is another "pure tarantino masterpiece", and that will only raise expectations higher for his next "Mount Everest" as he loves to call it, "Inglorious Bastards" which he seems to have written a 600 pages script for, we are drawn to think that maybe it would be more fitting for Quentin to write about the subject where he fits
the most "tough guys",but still "death proof" still remains a solid
film which you need to own in any form whatsoever, but we are
still expecting more Quentin !
Jebbyness: 3.5/5
Tags:
Tarantino
5/06/2008
The tall guy - Just Jeff
A strange movie with 90s humor and Jeff Goldblum, this time having sex on a piano
Would you believe someone who tells you he has seen Jeff Goldblum wearing a tutu? Well you better do because just maybe that someone has just seen "The tall guy" - or he's halluscinating.
In 1989 this piece of british humor was released to the wild with Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson and Jeff Goldblum as the main cast. Let me put it like this. The movie was not really necessary but Jeff made it work!
Dexter King (Jeff Goldblum) tries to make his life in the London entertainment scene and somehow he ended up years ago doing his part in a show of Ron Anderson (Rowan Atkinson) who is the star of the city when it comes to comedy but actually an arrogant ass when it comes to real life. Dexter realizes that he is about 40 now and his job is to stand in the background on stage, not noticed by anyone and he also realizes that he wants more in life. His last relationships didn't really work so he is Single and totally unknown as an actor. Suddenly he meets the nurse Kate and life seems to change when he falls in love.
Maybe the best part of the movie is the musical parody when Dexter later starres in "The elephant" - maybe you should just see it by urself, I just give you a line of one of the songs: "Somewhere up in heaven there's an angel with big ears!"
Jeff Goldblum's performance is outstanding as always, who would have known that he could play comedy just as well as serious movies!
Even if you are not so much in 90s humor, this movie is worth watching!
---
Would you believe someone who tells you he has seen Jeff Goldblum wearing a tutu? Well you better do because just maybe that someone has just seen "The tall guy" - or he's halluscinating.
In 1989 this piece of british humor was released to the wild with Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson and Jeff Goldblum as the main cast. Let me put it like this. The movie was not really necessary but Jeff made it work!
Dexter King (Jeff Goldblum) tries to make his life in the London entertainment scene and somehow he ended up years ago doing his part in a show of Ron Anderson (Rowan Atkinson) who is the star of the city when it comes to comedy but actually an arrogant ass when it comes to real life. Dexter realizes that he is about 40 now and his job is to stand in the background on stage, not noticed by anyone and he also realizes that he wants more in life. His last relationships didn't really work so he is Single and totally unknown as an actor. Suddenly he meets the nurse Kate and life seems to change when he falls in love.
Maybe the best part of the movie is the musical parody when Dexter later starres in "The elephant" - maybe you should just see it by urself, I just give you a line of one of the songs: "Somewhere up in heaven there's an angel with big ears!"
Jeff Goldblum's performance is outstanding as always, who would have known that he could play comedy just as well as serious movies!
Even if you are not so much in 90s humor, this movie is worth watching!
Tags:
comedy,
Emma Thompson,
Jeff Goldblum,
Rowan Atkinson
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