hi all - still having a rest from ciao - but I am still reading my guestbook - so get writing me a m...
hi all - still having a rest from ciao - but I am still reading my guestbook - so get writing me a message - Emma xxx
Member since:07.06.2001
Reviews:58
Members who trust:59
This film got 5 Oscars including best picture. 6 Baffas including best firm. So if you haven’t seen it yet you’re in for a very entertaining two hours.
Lester Burman is a 42-year-old man who is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. The film starts by showing you him in the shower wanking off. He says “this is the high point of my day, it’s always down hill from here. He then talks about his life, saying is wife is a total head case and just watching her exhausts him. His neighbours are gay and his daughter Janie is a typical teenager, angry, confused he explains “I’d like to tell her these feelings will all past” then adds “but I don’t want to lie to her”.
Lester’s wife and daughter think he is a total loser and go about their day just ignoring him. Lester thinks he is a loser himself but then he says “things are going to change”.
His boss Brad is about to fire Lester, when he quits anyway, then blackmails him for 60.000 dollars.
Some new neighbours move in next door, the boy is about the same age has Janie and he quickly takes
a liking to her. He wanders around all day with a cam- corder filming anything to anyone he finds interesting. The lad seems very strange and slightly mysterious.
Lester and his wife go to see their daughter do a dance routine at school. This is the moment that changes Lester’s life. This is the moment he meets Angela. (Janie’s best friend at school). Angela is a bit of a flirt herself and I think she is very confused, she is always trying the impress people and is always talking about sex and men.
Meanwhile Lester can’t get Angela out of his head he starts to constantly daydreaming and fantasising about her. He starts to feel like a man again and decides that he is going to sort out his life and have some fun.
Janie spots the strange boy from next door spying on her and calls him a psycho, but really she has took a liking to him. She likes the way he is different from the other boys and the way he always acts so weird.
Lester and his wife go to a dinner party together, she asks Lester not to embarrass her, which he does anyway by acting sarcastic. While she plays the little miss businesswomen act, Lester goes to the bar and gets bladdered. The strange boy from next door is working has a waiter at the party. He spots Lester and they get talking, and they end up smoking joints and laughing and joking.
When Lester and his wife arrive back home their daughter Janie and Angela greet them. Angela sleeps over the night and Lester over hears Angela saying she thinks he his sexy and that if he worked out and got fit she would fuck him. So Lester starts working out and lifting weights in his garage.
Janie gets more and more friendly with the boy next door. He tells Janie a bit about is life, his dad caught him smoking dope when he was 15, so he made him go to military school. He got kicked out of military school, and then at his new school a boy started making fun of his hair cut so he beat the lad up. His dad then put him in a mental hospital, where he was drugged and left for 2 years. His dad is a complete control freak; he makes him have drug tests, searches his room and beats him. Life for Janie has become very depressing, with her parents constantly arguing, she turns to the boy next door for love. She longed to run away with him to get away from it all.
Lester decides to get a job again but not in an office or for a high rate company, no he decides to go for a job interview at Smiles fast food (it’s like our Mc Donald’s).
Whilst Lester was working at Smiles fast food one day, on the drive through, he over hears his wife talking while an order was being taken. He goes to give them their order and sees his wife in the car with another man. Lester then smiles and says “ you don’t get to tell me what to do ever again”.
There are loads of different things going on all at once in this film, although it is very easy to follow. I don’t want to spoil the ending and the object of writing an opinion is suppose to make you want to rush out an get a copy, so I am going to leave the ending for you to watch. It may sound a little funny but when you are watching the film it seems to have quite a serious mood all the way through it. This as got to be one of the best films made ever. Not to be missed. The ending made me cry, but I can’t say anything more.
Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Mike Binder - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Carl Franklyn, Carl Franklin - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Not enough about the disc itself (as others have mentioned), and a little too much of the plot given away (sorry, but that is a very important thing when reviewing...bear in mind you're taking away the element of surprise for ppl who've not seen the film). If under the film-only section, would be a "Helpful" rating. Glad you enjoyed the film, though...it is definitely a classic. Cheers, J.
Connoisseur_Haggler 23.06.2001 16:06
very interesting account, Ive heard so much about this but havent seen it yet! Must get it on a rental, and may even buy the a DVD except I my DVD player is on my Pc! cheers (sorry I cannot rate this the ciao ssytem wont let me, will re-try on Monday!)
danradders 22.06.2001 21:30
Cool, sounds alright to me, will have to rent it out someday. DAN
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a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
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journey through life in suburban America.Look closer at fortysomething ad man Lester Burnham and his status-seeking wife, Carolyn, as their marriage and lives slowly un...
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a mesmerising confidence and acuity epitomised by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Marking the feature film directorial debut of award-winning theatre director Sam Mendes ... more
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Advantages: Intelligent script, inventive direction, superb acting...memorable in every respect Disadvantages: Definitely not one for the children. Explicit language, sexual content and violence.
EnglishPatient 22.01.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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