Journal Entries
Pearl Harbor
Posted Jun 14, 2001
The real stars of Pearl Harbor are the pyrotechnicians and the special fx guys. But this is usually the case with Bruckheimer films (and director Michael Bay is Bruckheimer protegé). The love story angle takes up an unnecessary amount of story time and might been better if it had been part of a series of vignettes.
And its about 30 minutes too long.
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Latest reply: Jun 14, 2001
Moulin Rouge
Posted Jun 5, 2001
I really needed to see a film like this - silly, whimsical and visually over-the-top.
Moulin Rouge is a strange rock opera: set in one of the most exciting places in the late 19th century, to the music of some of the greatest hits of the late 20th century.
Baz Luhrmann showed a great flair for OTT visuals in Romeo + Juliet and here is no exception. Huge song-and-dance numbers, larger-than-life characters and a surrealistc (well, cartoonish) view of Paris in the 1890s. There's quite a bit of farcical stuff as well, which you really don't get from the trailers.
The roles are all well filled by their respective actors. Jim Broadbent is awesome as Moulin Rouge owner Ziedler, and at times you could almost imagine Nicole Kidman as the Divine Sarah. (Well, almost)
It's not without its flaws - MR really falls flat in between all the crazy stuff and big production numbers. Which is a pity because those are the bits that are meant to drive the story along.
MR doesn't really bear a lot of analysis - one should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
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Latest reply: Jun 5, 2001
The Dish
Posted May 25, 2001
Australia's answer to 'Apollo 13' - a little Ozzie flag-waver about its seemingly small but pivotal role in the American Moon Landing. A role that almost ended in failure
The Dish focuses on the Parkes Satellite Dish (in the middle of a sheep farm) and the four technicians who man it. The dish played a crucial link between Apollo 11 on the moon and several million TV screens around the world.
While Apollo 13 was loud, bombastic and very serious, The Dish is quiet, quaintly Australian and self-deprecating. It's has fun with all the characters, but it's not disrespectful or disparaging to the technicians.
Good work by all concerned, but in particular Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld).
Apart from a few colourful peculiarities of Aussie speech-patterns, this is one the whole family can go and see.
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Latest reply: May 25, 2001
The Gift
Posted May 8, 2001
Such a talented cast - such an average story. A murder mystery with no hidden twists. Really, what's the point?
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Latest reply: May 8, 2001
Bounce
Posted May 8, 2001
Morally dubious tale about a guy who kills another guy, then seduces his wife. She finds out about it and still wants to go out with him.
Hannibal was more romantic than this - at least Lecter made dinner for the object of his affections.
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Latest reply: May 8, 2001
Mustapha
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