Vicky Cristina Barcelona – *** 1/2
Posted by admin | Filed under Movie Review
We rented Vicky Christina Barcelona from Amazon – Video On Demand (Formerly Amazon Unbox). I went in with no expectations but I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz both impressed me. Rebecca Hall as Vicky was not someone I had seen act before and her performance was spot on as well. Scarlett Johansson was less interesting but I might be influenced by the nature of the character she is playing. The ending has a nice symmetry, though perhaps too satisfying a payoff for those too quick to judge the turmoil surrounding Javier Bardem’s character. Like so many things, ultimately I enjoyed the journey a bit more than the destination but it was a trip I was very glad to have taken. Authentic dialogue and performances that crackle all set in gorgeous Spanish countryside.
Mini- Amazon – Video On Demand Review
Amazon – Video On Demand via Tivo is a service that enables you to download films (for purchase or rental) over broadband internet. The service works flawlessly thanks to the integration with Tivo but is still a bit pricey. The quality of the downloaded video is more than acceptable on our 32″ HD TV. The convenience of browsing and purchasing without the need for a Netflix cue or a trip to Blockbuster is hard to beat. We tend to wait for sale pricing and have yet to rent any of the HD titles, but so far so good.
Tags: movie, Movie Review, Technology, Tivo, video
Watchmen Doesn’t Work For Me
Posted by admin | Filed under Movie Review
Tags: media, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized
In The Case Of Indy… If Ebert Likes It I Probably WIll Too
Posted by admin | Filed under Film
Tags: Ebert, Indiana Jones, movie, Movie Review, Podcasting 2006 December Croncast TWIT Filmspotting, review
Cloverfield Review
Posted by admin | Filed under Movie Review
It’s been three days since seeing Cloverfield and here are my thoughts.
The shaky camera thing is both a blessing and a curse. It drives a sense of authenticity AND nausea. I (a first person shooter gamer) generally do alright with fast camera moves, but even I found my stomach churning during some portions of the film. My wife had to look away for minutes at a time to keep her popcorn in her stomach. That said, I found the constantly moving camera really did help to up the sense of realism. The ever moving camera pays dividends when Hud (the camera holder) is surprised by a stream of military troops marching up the street with all their weapons blazing. His point of view drifts from trying to take in the soldiers, to focusing on his friends and back again. His mounting sense of confusions and fear is palpable.
While I can understand how it might effect those from NY and Washington D.C., the use of 9/11 imagery in the film doesn’t bother me at all. I think as a country we are still working out what we took in on that fateful day. Well made movies that visually reference 9/11 aren’t so much exploiting our memories as providing another opportunity for us to reflect on the horror from the more comfortable distance of a Hollywood movie.
My strongest critique of the film centers on the relative lack of inspired character development and the less than stellar script. Imagine this film with a linguistic punch of authenticity that was able to match the visuals and you would of had a nearly perfect film. As it stands it is still a remarkable night at the movies, which is more than can be said for the likes of The Bucket List.
Tags: Cloverfield, movie, review
