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theluke311
Reviews
Serenity (2005)
Enough to make one resign from the human race
Seriously, people? 8 stars? Aren't we better than this? God-awful dialog, special effects that look like they're from Half-Life 1, a plot that sags in the middle like a hammock, and... a Western... set in SPACE. How much of a fan boy do you have to be to eat this tripe and give it a 10 star rating? I can stand a spot or two of bad dialog, but the constant placing of punchlines was way too much. It's like they were written by a sugar-high sixth grader and a group of his friends. "Oh God, oh God we're all gonna die?" "In all that time on the ship... I've always regretted... not being with you." "With me? You mean to say... as in sex?" Never mind the fact that we're in dire straits, let's have a sex joke!
The Treatment (2006)
Just not enough
Somewhere between adaptation and shooting, the magic leaped out of this film. The synopsis looked promising and it could have delivered, but it seems that poor casting choices and spotty dialog made it fall short. The leading man isn't quite convincing on film. His technique feels more fit for stage, but when on screen you see an actor and not a character. Famke Janssen and Ian Holm are the two bright spots in the nigh hour-and-a-half feature. Holm was the one actor who garnered a laugh. But they both seem out of place, heavy hitters in a smaller film. It could be that a bigger star was set to play Chris, but dropped out, leaving the film with less studio support while Famke and Ian stayed on. This film has gone on to win some festival awards, which makes me wonder if I missed something, or was simply not in the right mood for the film. Nevertheless, it could have been much, much better.
Tideland (2005)
What did I miss?
Honestly I think that there are few truly bad movies. I believe a lot of them are just meant for different people or meant for a different time. Usually when finished with a movie I liked, I can understand what people might dislike about it. Similarly, when I'm finished with a movie I hate, I can see what people would like about it. Tideland is not one of those movies. I have no idea what is redeeming about this film. It is senseless, and not in an explorative, existential way. It is unsettling, but with no basis. I sat through it all, wondering if the ending would tie everything together - it didn't. I love Terry Gilliam. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of my favorite films of all time. Yet with this, he missed me. I left the film with the same feeling I had after watching "Nothing but Trouble" - disturbed, confused, and depressed. Keep in mind that I will not give "Nothing but Trouble" a rating because IMDb doesn't let you give negative stars. The acting is slightly above-par (thus the 2-star rating).
Little Children (2006)
Fantastic.
Todd Field has directed something remarkable. I do not understand how this could have passed under so many radars. This film is a phenomenal observation on how we subconsciously long to interrupt the stagnation of our lives, and how forgiveness comes to us in so many ways. An affair erupts between two disenchanted suburbanites and ignites lost feelings of humanity within them both. They act recklessly and selfishly while keeping their encounters a secret under the veil of their children's friendship. Jennifer Connelly is particularly chilling during a scene at a dinner table with her husband and his true object of affection. The film does a detailed job of capturing the lengths of this relationship, from the initial interest, to the desperate attempts at "accidental" encounters, to the first sexual experience. All of it done tastefully and with metaphors of the relationship sprinkled throughout the film. Jackie Earle Haley plays a very subdued and real man struggling with his own deviant proclivities. His journey through the film is the one I found the most troubling, frustrating, and engaging. He does not play the character in a very theatrical way, which is a relief. Indeed, he did deserve an Oscar nomination for this role, as he played it in a way I had never seen before and was amazed to watch. By the ending, the dream-like blanket that was draped over the film is lifted as the characters are faced with the ultimate responsibilities they had dedicated their lives to. This is a film to talk about for hours on end.