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carlphillips1
Reviews
Donnie Darko (2001)
Ponderous, entertaining, and thoughtful.
DONNIE DARKO is a cleverly written story about a teenage boy in high school, whose mental illness causes him to speak his mind (a very human thing to do), as well as have hallucinations of a giant, deformed rabbit (not as normal). His name is Frank. Frank tells Donnie when the world will end, and 'forces' him to perform violent acts. Donnie obeys him because he believes that Frank saved him from being killed by a jet engine that unusually fell from the sky. As Donnie begins to experience more and more unusual occurrences and signs that only he can see, he tries to get as much information on one key element that he believes is critical to explaining Frank - time travel.
As soon as the movie begins, you are met with fine acting from Jake Gylenhaal (Donnie), Jena Malone (his girlfriend, Gretchen) and from Drew Barrymore (his influential English teacher) a little later in the story. The course of events in the story is entertaining and suspenseful. When you think something big is going to happen, something actually does, though you don't realize it right away. And when everything seems normal...pay close attention. The subplots and simultaneous (though unexplained) vignettes that link to the main plot are interesting to the story in whole.
Along with the main suspense story there is a good, realistic view of high school and home life. The dialogue is real, intriguing, and easy to relate to. Also, the special effects in some parts of the movie are awesome; giving eerie, majestic, or futuristic auras.
Donnie Darko is an important movie because it delves into a not often ventured part of life -questioning its normality; e.g. What happens to the dead? Do all living things follow a predefined course of life? Can we change our path? etc. It goes deep enough to inspire the viewers' own thoughts, though not enough to answer those questions, to be general.
Overall, I believe Donnie Darko was an excellent film that should be seen by all teenagers in high school as well as adults. If you've already seen it, it may be good to watch it again to pick up on some details that may have passed you by the first time.
*****/***** (9/10)
Queen of the Damned (2002)
Don't expect a lot from this one.
Despite a few acceptable adaptations of the books' main themes, QUEEN OF THE DAMNED/THE VAMPIRE LESTAT did not stay true to Anne Rices's complicated story telling. The deep layers that build up all the characters were shredded apart to only their surface, if not a completely different identity. The chronological order of the major events in the movie seemed warped and uneven.
However, there were quite a few things the movie did to deserve my rating of 7. One was that the film strongly captured the affect that Lestat (among other vampires)had to the public, especially young girls. The movie also did a fairly good job focusing on the importance of heredity and history that the vampires took pride in. The scenes of sensuality were also atmospherically satisfying.
The acting in QUEEN OF THE DAMNED was moderate, if disappointing. Stuart Townsend and Aaliyah have a surprising chemistry, though it only shows when the acting is at its best (not very often). The characters are nothing compared to the ones established in INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE. It also lacks the emotional intelligence of THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS, which is a shame because Rice's Queen of the Damned book had that, and more.
This movie doesn't give all that it appears to be. The effects are dull and very disappointing. The extravagance needed in many scenes is not given, and the dialog is tiring. The settings for many scenes are not how I pictured them in the book, and I think that many of them weren't even taken from the story. There are only a few areas of incoherence near the beginning and middle of the movie, but it wraps itself up fairly neatly, giving the viewer a full story (if they had not read the book).
Somethings that I feel the movie needed include a good original score (Howard Shore or Elmer Bernstein), instead of the mix of rock music; though I had no problem with some of the songs. Another thing that would have made the movie better is better set direction. The scenery was boring as well as unclear, which is important in a story that moves around quite frequently.
Overall, QUEEN OF THE DAMNED was an unevenly disappointing yet somewhat satisfying adaption of the important novel. With a few simple changes, it may have been a very successful piece of film work. I'd recommend this movie for people who has seen INTERVIEW or have read the books, so that they can make their own opinion on the adaption.
It (1990)
Terrifying and atmospheric, though uneven at times.
"It" is a very well done adaption to Stephen King's novel about an evil, demon-like force that is personified by a creature in a clown costume, who is terrorizing and killing children in a town in Maine. A group of friends try to kill It, with many unsuccessful attempts.
The friends emotions towards the events going on in their town are quite believable, and their overall attitudes are very likable. The sub-plots are enjoyable enough to make a whole story out of them, so even when it is not a horror film, it is watchable through its 3+ hour length.
Despite the ending, which makes the rest of the story seem like a masterpiece, the movie is unusual and atmospherically intriguing. When you do see the clown, it is terrifying; when you don't, it is suspenseful; and when it's talked about after the movie is done, you'll be shaking with fear.
7.5/10 Rating: Enjoy.
The Village (2004)
A good idea ruined... but still worth it.
In a socially uniform village in the middle of the woods, terrifying creatures dwell inches from its borders. When the story begins you are met with a series of secrets that you are unable to decode. Mixed with some effectively frightening scenes and the general feeling of mystery, the film is enjoyably suspenseful.
However, as most of Shyamalan's movies are, the story's first half is well done, but worsens as it progresses. Part of the Village's secret is revealed quite prematurely, allowing the viewer to expect the coming events, no matter how much they seem to contradict. Some things that still allowed the film to be enjoyable was the atmospheric music and the vividly natural forest setting.
What prevented the story from coming to a dull halt was the suspense of what will become of Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard), a blind young woman who is given permission to venture through the woods to get medicine for Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), her boyfriend. He had been stabbed by Noah Percy (Adrian Brody), an insane man, who was also in love with Ivy. Some of the questions that need to be asked are "Why does Noah break out in laughter whenever the roars of the creatures are heard in the woods?" and "Why is Ivy allowed to venture through the woods, but nobody else?"
Besides being moderately thrilling and somewhat enchanting, the story also lays heavy on the aspects of unusual human behavior. Even with all of the movie's flaws, you may leave the theater thinking... "Would I have done the same thing?"
Mystic River (2003)
Imagine the darkest moments of aftermath. Now think again...
Clint Eastwood did an incredible job directing this film. It captures the pain and trauma of a death that affects multiple people in different ways. The plot is less intricate than it seems but the constant mystery and suspense makes it seem as though three completely different stories are taking place at once.
Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) becomes overwhelmed with grief after a beloved family member (Emmy Rossum)is brutally murdered. He is reunited with two of his childhood friends as a result of the death. The three friends recall a terrible memory from when they were younger, that cleverly works its way into the story. It involves one of the friends, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), who's remembrance of the event causes him to take a desperate attempt at indirect revenge. Unfortunately, this makes him the prime suspect in the investigation of the murder. Even more, his two friends (the victim's father, and a cop) are, of course, questioning him, as well as his wife (Marcia Gay Harden). The movie subtly reminds viewers that there are somethings in life just should not occur, ever.
The acting in Mystic River was incredible (Sean and Tim's Oscar), and the atmosphere created by the music and dark colors create a most mysterious and genuine tone that accents the emotions played by the actors. As the story begins to unfold, you yourself are subdued into the depths of the aftermath that continues to linger from the begin to the end of the film. Be prepared for some unexpected turns, and even if you do predict the ending, you'll still be thinking about for months.
A+
Mean Creek (2004)
Excellently acted, emotionally genuine, and subtly intelligent.
Mean Creek, in my opinion, was an excellent film. Though the actual plot of the movie is somewhat unoriginal, Jacob Aaron Estes does a fine job directing it, and steering it away from any clichés. The acting was also exceptional, and the actors captured all the strong emotions caused by a death and regret, but in a subtle way.
The story slowly reveals the characters' true selves as they travel along a river, planning to pull a prank on George (Josh Peck), a local bully who has dangerous mood swings, and beat up Sam (Rory Culkin). Sam's girlfriend, his brother, and his brother friends take George on a trip, making him believe that they want to be friends with him. During the trip, George acts unusually nice, and the rest of them start having second thoughts, except for Marty (Scott Mechlowitz), who has no reason to discontinue the prank. Unfortunately, George had a strong mood swing, and nothing good came of it...
... that is, except for an originally captivating emotional ride, which sits heavy on the concepts of unimaginable regret and questioning whether the truth should be revealed. The last scene, in which George explains how his mind works, makes you look back on the movie and think, "Wow."
28 Days Later... (2002)
Was a surprisingly excellent film.
When I first saw the previews for 28 Days Later, I figured it was simply another middling zombie movie: crowd-pleasing, but shallow. After its release onto DVD and video, however, I saw that it was given very good reviews, and I decided to rent it. I was amazed.
Besides being chilling and exciting film, many parts of it had a genuine atmosphere. The visual effects, including the key color- red-, give the story a dream-like authenticity. Sometime while watching it, it hits you that the plot is actually fictional. Though it is easy to realize that many of the most eloquent scenes are set up in previous ones, if you think about it for a while, you'll only remember the stunning imagery, interesting camera angles, and the simple but spine-tingling music.
The acting in 28 Days Later was also quite satisfying. Cillian Murphy gave a good performance as Jim, who's mysterious and strategical sides are revealed when he is on the run in a temporary military post in upper England. Naomie Harris also performed very well as Selena, a kind and motherly young woman, who's main concern is protecting Hannah from the raging zombies as well as from the military soldiers who, dazed by isolation, are trying unnecessarily to procreate.
I believe one of the most chilling moments is when Jim (Murphy) looks up into the sky and sees a plane flying across. This was when I first truly realized that the only place affected by the dangerous virus was Great Britain. Everyone else in the world was still going about their usual business, and might not have even known of the epidemic. The ending makes you believe that everything is done and over- but truly, is it?