Drama > Keener, Catherine Drama

An unusual, entrancing drama.

Advantages: Wonderful performances, excellent soundtrack, gorgeous scenery.
Disadvantages: Gets rather dark, some may not take to Penn's jumpy directing style.

Sean Penn's movies as a director have always been interested in the loner, so it was an apt choice for him to film an account of the unusual tale of the young Christopher McCandles escape to explore America. Penn's camera captures the beauty of the American landscape in an astute piece of direction that avoids his usual dour heavy hand. At the centre of Penn's professionalism is the charming boyishly handsome Emile Hirsch who has a laidback yet dominant ...
...with the highlights being an Oscar nominated Hal Holbrook who takes a grandfatherly liking to Christopher and a subtle turn from Catherine Keener as a hippie who carries the weight of a lot of sadness under her demeanour. As the film reaches its heartbreaking conclusion, McCandles still comes across as a mystery, his reasoning and actions are still flawed and naive, yet having met many people on his journey and gave them each in a way a jolt of happiness ...

Syklone 15.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Into The Wild (DVD)

8mm DVD Review

Advantages: Characters, Tension.
Disadvantages: Not for everyone.

...(Chris Bauer) 8mm exhibits bad taste and may be shocking to most people, but to me it felt like a movie with serious intent, especially seen as though it tracks the descent of Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage), as the ordinary guy, into the nasty, immoral world of underground pornography. The character, understandably, is tormented, mentally, as he simply cannot accept why all the evil surrounding him exists. Notoriously panned by critics upon its release, ...
...Carter), Welles is handed an 8mm recording of the young girl being murdered- dubbed a "snuff film"- and has to uncover whether the film is real or not. Joel Schumacher brings the typical suspense and twisted horror that made Se7en so popular in its time, though, in a sickening kind of judgement, I must admit that I enjoyed 8mm a lot more. The atmosphere is one of the main features that I judge this film as being a success. The dark, surprisingly ...

andycarrington 01.04.2009 · Read full review
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Review of 8MM (DVD)

I'm glad they are not my friends or neighbours

Advantages: Good cast; interesting repeated scenes
Disadvantages: Doesn't seem to go anywhere; a lot of yuppie angst?

"Your friends and neighbors" is director Neil LaBute's second film, following on from "In the company of men". In essence it's about relationships between men and women. But it's not a romantic comedy kind of take on relationships, not at all - this movie is more about how bleak relationships can be - and that probably applies to friends as well as lovers. OK, it;s a bleak look at relationships, but with some added humour, so that it's not completely ...
...well, actually they are the only characters in the movie... others appear in the background, but no-one apart from the 6 main characters has any dialogue whatsoever. These 6 characters are: 3 men and 3 women - a married couple, a couple living together, and two single people, a man and a woman. The married couple Mary and Barry, played by Amy Brenneman and "In the company of men" star, Aaron Eckhart, look from the outside to be a happy couple - ah, ...

radamson 25.10.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Your Friends And Neighbours (DVD)

Lovely and Amazing is Adorable and Sweet

Advantages: fantastic acting, moving, true-to-life
Disadvantages: a bit slow

Nicole Holofcener's Lovely and Amazing may be the ultimate 'chick flick.' There is barely any action to speak of; all of the male characters are jerks; and it deals with issues of self-esteem and body image. Surprisingly, this is one of my male housemates' favourite films of the past couple of years because it is so heart-warming and sweet. Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) has three daughters, all of whom struggle with self-esteem and identity issues ...
...Elizabeth at least on some level. Lovely and Amazing addresses many important issues facing women today, but some people may find it to be too slow-moving. With its memorable characters yet familiar emotions, it is simultaneously mundane and extraordinary. Certification: Canada:14A / UK:15 / USA:R ...

OKkaraoke 20.11.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Lovely And Amazing (DVD)

The Rise and Fall of a Rolling Stone

Advantages: Good supporting performances,
Disadvantages: Unconvincing central performance

Question: What do Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, JFK and Princess Diana all have in common? Answer: People have formulated 'conspiracy' theories as to how they died. While most of them don't really bear any serious examination but in the case of Rolling Stones founder member Brian Jones who was found dead in his Swimming Pool in 1969 the verdict of death by misadventure does seem a little more debatable than many of the others. 'Stoned' a film by ...
...to such diverse offerings as 'The Company Of Wolves', 'Letter To Breshnev' and 'Interview with the Vampire' was a real labour of love. The research undertaken by Woolley took over ten years to compile and included interviews and testimonial and official statements of those people involved in the last few tragic months in the life of Brian Jones. The film specifically deals with Brian Jones' last few months alive when he was based in a farmhouse ...

Mauri 10.09.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Simpatico (DVD)