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Reviews
Quantum of Solace (2008)
What Just Happened?
I love Bond movies. I thought the that Casino Royale was one of the best Bond movies ever made, right up there with Goldfinger and Goldeneye. And I hoped that the new Bond people were heading in the right direction.
This movie was pretty bad. The first half hour or forty-five minutes of the movie are so confusing, and the chase scenes are so heavily edited, that by the time some sort of plot develops, you have already lost interest. Which by the way, I still don't know what the plot really is to this movie.
The Bond girls in this one were also pretty bad. Strawberry Fields just wasn't needed. And the main one (can't remember her name right now) never really turns into a Bond girl. She's just another girl in the movie, really. Even the chick from Moonraker was a better Bond girl.
And even Moonraker had a climax. This movie had nothing. The ending was pretty bad, mostly because it didn't even seem like an ending. The most anti-climatic ending to a Bond movie, ever.
The one good part of this movie is the acting. Daniel Craig is a superb Bond, he plays the part really well, and Judi Dench is always great. The man who plays Greene isn't horrible, but he's no Le Chiffe. And the Bond girl wasn't horrible. It's the story and the script that really brought this one down.
All in all, don't see this one in theaters. Rent it on DVD. This just wasn't a good Bond movie. Even a misplaced Goldfinger reference couldn't save it.
Burn After Reading (2008)
Another Hit from the genius of the Coens.
There's a point in this movie that George Clooney's character, Harry Pfarrer shows Frances McDormand's character Linda Litzke something that we've seen him working on for about half the movie. It was so surprising when I first saw it, that at first, I didn't even know what it was.
Once again, the Coens have created wonderful characters, including Clooney, who is a womanizer and paranoid that people are following him, and McDormand, who just wants plastic surgery in order to look better. Also, there's John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox, who "doesn't have a drinking problem," and maybe the best in the movie, Brad Pitt as Chad, a clueless gym employee who is pushed along by McDormand.
The only character that isn't up to par with the rest is Tilda Swinton's character of Katie Cox, Osbourne's wife. She doesn't get as many laughs as the rest, and it seems like the Coens just needed her as a plot device rather than an actual character. However, she may not be funny, but she does play the character well.
The writing is brilliant and the Coens weave the story in such a way that it reminds me of their previous movie, The Big Lebowski. In the end, as J.K. Simmons character sums it up himself, nothing really happens, but while watching it all unfold, you can't help but laugh at the absurdity.
WALL·E (2008)
The Best Pixar Film
When I first heard that there would be little to no actual dialogue in the first 40 minutes of Wall-E, I was skeptical. But then I remembered what is considered the greatest Science Fiction movie of all time (and as a matter of fact, AFI just named it that), 2001: A Space Odyssey. That also had almost no dialogue for the first 40 minutes. So my opinion changed and my view of the movie changed. I thought that Pixar was going to take a risk by doing this, and leave behind the typical kids movie. And the movie itself is not a typical kids movie. It passes as a very good Science Fiction movie as well as an animation movie because it gives us a scary look into the future, but done in a humorous way. Buy n' Large, which is obviously supposed to be Wal-Mart, takes over Earth in every way, economy and government. Soon, because they pollute the Earth so much, they have to send the human race out to space, and they'll have robots clean it up. Enter the title character. Wall-E is the last of his kind, and because he's been alone for so long, he develops a personality, collecting the trash and bringing them to his home. Soon Eve comes, and becomes Wall-E's love interest. When she discovers a plant, it's off to space. Again, Wall-E comments on society of today by showing how lazy we are coming and then at one point, all humans know how to do is sit in a hover chair and watch T.V., and drink meals from a cup. Wall-E of course brings light to not only the captain of the ship Axiom, but to a few passengers as well, who even though have lived their entire life upon the ship, failed to recognized they had a pool. But in the end, Wall-E isn't about trying to warn us about the future and what we will become. Above all, it is a love story, as most Disney movies are. But this one is one of the best, right up there with Beauty and the Beast, because it is a universal love story. The robots Wall-E and Eve don't necessarily speak a certain language, it is through their attitude and movements that they tell their love story. And of course being Pixar, it is an incredibly fun ride, with great funny moments (like the captain researching Earth). A truly great movie.
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Excellent Movie
Let me first start out by saying that I am a huge Coen Brothers fan. I have yet to see a film of theirs I truly disliked. There have been a few that were not up to par, but the movies weren't horrible. This is my third favorite Coens film. The acting in this is brilliant, Gabriel Byrne is by far the best. The way he plays the character, and the way the Coens have written it, you never know what he'll do next, and it will always surprise you. Jon Polito gives a terrific performance as Johnny Caspar. The scenes with his son are hysterical. But what I think I like most about the film is that is really isn't a gangster movie, it focuses more on emotions and the way people feel for each other. Whether it be Leo's love for Verna, or the double-crossing that happens throughout the movie, and the emotional strains it puts on the characters. This being my first review, it may not sound great, but believe this. You won't be disappointed by this film if you are a fan of film.