12 Monkeys is the story of James Cole (Bruce Willis) being sent back in time to save the human race from being exposed to a deadly virus which wipes out 5 billion people. This film is filled with a fascinating dystopia aesthetic, superb acting, and a story that examines a popular question in today's society: do we have control over our own fate or does fate have control over us?
Acting- 10 out of 10:
Aside from the story this is the best part of the film. Brad Pitt has a role in this flick as a mental hospital "crazy person" and he excels at the role. This was actually the first time that Brad Pitt was nominated for an acting Oscar, this one being for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Bruce Willis also shines in this film with a very dynamic and round performance who is always on the brink of both insanity and discovery.
Visual Intrigue- 9 out of 10:
The dystopia created in this film is phenomenal and I can only compare it to that of Blade Runner and even then, it has a look that is very unique in its own light. It gets a point knocked off for the lack of being able to incorporate the visual effects shot on blue/green screen with the real life filming going on. There are about 2 or 3 scenes where I can see the black outline of the characters, which is a dead give away.
Story- 9 out of 10:
Very very good story. I love to watch Science Fiction films as well as films that discuss or at the very least tell the story of, people dancing between fate and control over ones own destiny. There are a few loose ends which could have been discussed and a few ends that they did tie up which may have worked out better to have been left undone. Never the less, it is still an excellent story that stays with you even after you take the dvd out of your machine.
Soundtrack- 7 out of 10:
This is where the film lacked the most. The focus on visuals and character made the moments where there was music become out shined by the other elements.
Overall- 8 out of 10:
A very well done film which has excellent acting, a well crafted story but where the soundtrack is out shined by the dystopia aesthetic.
Themes:
Destiny is obviously a theme as I mentioned earlier and as most films that explore this topic there is a shift from trying to change the destiny to accepting it and seeing the beauty in it.
Other Thoughts:
I read on imdb.com that Terry Gilliam (the director of this picture) gave Bruce Willis a list of "Bruce Willis acting cliches'" which he did not want in his film. It worked.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Gone Baby Gone (10 out of 10)
First and foremost, for those who have not watched this movie I would definitely recommend it especially if you are one of many people who enjoy to have talks about morality because there are two characters who discuss this in the film in such a way that is not out of place however I will touch on that later. So without further adieu here is my first movie review.
Acting- 10 out of 10:
In this film each actor and actress does such a convincing job at portraying their character that you forget that you are watching high caliber actors such as Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and Casey Affleck. I myself am not a huge Ben Affleck fan however his younger brother Casey actually knows how to act, and act well. Aside from Ocean's Eleven the only other movie where I have seen Casey in was The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford where he had the role of the awkward and subtly creepy Robert Ford.
The dialog between characters in this movie is wide ranging from morality to drugs, alcohol to street talk and back again. None of the dialog seems forced and everything appears to fit the occasion and not have the particular occasion brought to the film just to have a piece of dialog filled.
Visual Intrigue- 8 out of 10
This category receives a couple notches out of its score because of the lack of visual effects. For the most par there is some cinematography and other visual elements such as that which is honed in different scenes to take us on the same journey as the characters however any sort of improvement on bulletime effects would have felt out of place in this crime drama, which is why the rating is still very good.
Story- 10 out of 10
All I will say about this is that you will think you have it figured out but then you will be proved wrong. The end almost made me pinch myself.
Soundtrack- 9 out of 10
In this film Ben Affleck uses a "less is more" mentality regarding music. For about 90% of the movie there is absolutely no music which adds a nice cinematic effect to the film. When music is introduced it is for key scenes in the movie.
Overall- 10 out of 10
Even though there was a lack of visual intrigue the acting made up for it ten times over. The scene with Casey Affleck speaking with "Cheese" has a nice piece of dialog for Casey in which he shines magnificently.
Themes:
The main theme I caught from this movie was the whole idea of the proceeding of right action after the truth is realized. One can know the truth and do nothing or know very little and choose to remain in that state of mind. Then there are people who will search for the truth no matter what dirt they have to get on their hands or where they must go to find the truth, and once it is found, they do something about it. Truth is meaningless without action. Faith is worthless without deeds.
Other Thoughts:
This film is a fantastic debut for Ben Affleck and will hopefully be one of many from this young director. Let's just hope that he doesn't pull a Mel Gibson or a Clint Eastwood and decide to act in one of them.
Acting- 10 out of 10:
In this film each actor and actress does such a convincing job at portraying their character that you forget that you are watching high caliber actors such as Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and Casey Affleck. I myself am not a huge Ben Affleck fan however his younger brother Casey actually knows how to act, and act well. Aside from Ocean's Eleven the only other movie where I have seen Casey in was The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford where he had the role of the awkward and subtly creepy Robert Ford.
The dialog between characters in this movie is wide ranging from morality to drugs, alcohol to street talk and back again. None of the dialog seems forced and everything appears to fit the occasion and not have the particular occasion brought to the film just to have a piece of dialog filled.
Visual Intrigue- 8 out of 10
This category receives a couple notches out of its score because of the lack of visual effects. For the most par there is some cinematography and other visual elements such as that which is honed in different scenes to take us on the same journey as the characters however any sort of improvement on bulletime effects would have felt out of place in this crime drama, which is why the rating is still very good.
Story- 10 out of 10
All I will say about this is that you will think you have it figured out but then you will be proved wrong. The end almost made me pinch myself.
Soundtrack- 9 out of 10
In this film Ben Affleck uses a "less is more" mentality regarding music. For about 90% of the movie there is absolutely no music which adds a nice cinematic effect to the film. When music is introduced it is for key scenes in the movie.
Overall- 10 out of 10
Even though there was a lack of visual intrigue the acting made up for it ten times over. The scene with Casey Affleck speaking with "Cheese" has a nice piece of dialog for Casey in which he shines magnificently.
Themes:
The main theme I caught from this movie was the whole idea of the proceeding of right action after the truth is realized. One can know the truth and do nothing or know very little and choose to remain in that state of mind. Then there are people who will search for the truth no matter what dirt they have to get on their hands or where they must go to find the truth, and once it is found, they do something about it. Truth is meaningless without action. Faith is worthless without deeds.
Other Thoughts:
This film is a fantastic debut for Ben Affleck and will hopefully be one of many from this young director. Let's just hope that he doesn't pull a Mel Gibson or a Clint Eastwood and decide to act in one of them.
Critique For Movie Reviews
In order for me to constructively compose a review of a movie while attempting to be unbiased in liking the film or not liking the film, I have thought up this rather simple critique. In addition to the critique I will add other thoughts such as constant themes present in the film (or lack there of), things of note, or if I dislike a film yet it is a good piece I will make such thoughts known in that section of the blog entry. Each category will be on a scale of one to ten
Acting: Its the number one reason why I watch films. The more believable, intriguing, charismatic, introverted (etc.) the character(s) is, the higher this rating will be.
Visual Intrigue: I was originally going to have more then one section for the visual elements of a movie however in light of the fine lines between visual effects and visual aesthetics and cinematography, I have decided to compile all of these into one section. The better the filmmakers are at creating a world that is entertaining yet engaging, the closer to ten they are likely to reach.
Story: This section is quite self explanatory. Film's get brownie points for having original and creative stories.
Soundtrack: In terms of the anatomy of a scene, this is the make or break point. The music can aid the film in so many ways and adds depth to the film with either the lack of sound or the variety and richness of the sounds used.
Overall: This category takes into account the impact of the film and the other aforementioned elements.
Themes: I will discuss any themes I found visually, musically, or otherwise in the film.
Thoughts: Any other additional thoughts, or things that caught my eye, ear or mind I will mention here regarding awards, mindless trivia or the movie itself.
Acting: Its the number one reason why I watch films. The more believable, intriguing, charismatic, introverted (etc.) the character(s) is, the higher this rating will be.
Visual Intrigue: I was originally going to have more then one section for the visual elements of a movie however in light of the fine lines between visual effects and visual aesthetics and cinematography, I have decided to compile all of these into one section. The better the filmmakers are at creating a world that is entertaining yet engaging, the closer to ten they are likely to reach.
Story: This section is quite self explanatory. Film's get brownie points for having original and creative stories.
Soundtrack: In terms of the anatomy of a scene, this is the make or break point. The music can aid the film in so many ways and adds depth to the film with either the lack of sound or the variety and richness of the sounds used.
Overall: This category takes into account the impact of the film and the other aforementioned elements.
Themes: I will discuss any themes I found visually, musically, or otherwise in the film.
Thoughts: Any other additional thoughts, or things that caught my eye, ear or mind I will mention here regarding awards, mindless trivia or the movie itself.
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