Reviews by nataliegoes

I'm sure this is a very good it movie, for a gangster movie. But to me, it takes a lot for it to elevate to anything more. I can't get attached to people in these kind of films, no matter how sad a background, or what circumstances put them there. Whether it hereditary family war, mafia, etc. I just never end up caring about what happens to the characters. And this was no different, just because it took place in the slums of Brazil.

In this fairly average made for TV movie, a young man's mental quirks start to ruin his life, losing his job, he and his wife separate. And his clueless doctors don't even notice - not even his flinching, or sudden Tourettes outbursts. But a girl in the waiting room does notice and advises him to attend the meetings she goes to. The girl is played by the actress who portrays Moany Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies, and you never quite get over that and her distinctive voice. The movie is quite predictable from there. There are a few laughs and a few nice moments, but nothing terribly new or interesting.

This is everything I want in a movie. This is a smart persons movie. The movie was written for people who have seen movies before, they didn't belabor all the plot points and lead you around by the nose. Yes, the the witty dialog might be unrealistic, but I would love it if I were that quick on the draw and creative, and those around me were, too. I loved that the people were quirky, but deep, that Juno liked her step-mom...and best of all there were no "villains". People are much more complicated than being "good" or "bad" and the St. Cloud couple were brilliant examples. The movie made me laugh, cry, clap, cheer, sigh, get angry... it had it all. I can't think of a single thing that I would want to change in this film. Flawless.

The chances of a poet living into their 30's must only be 50%. And a punk singers chances must also only be 50%. Since Ian Curtis was a poet who turned to punk music his chances of living to a ripe old age were zero. And this movie follows his brief time as an adult. And a good movie it is. The director frequently lets the scene tell the story, rather than having the characters narrate their every move. And the acting was excellent. And Sam Riley was hynotizingly watchable. I was not a fan of the black and white... it gave the movie a very 60's feel to the movie, and it took place in the 70's. And there was nothing B/W about the 70's! But still an excellent movie.

Boy, was this proof that even good actors cannot save a bad script. Perhaps a director can, but not the actors. I thought that the acting was well done and that may be the only thing that allowed me to make it through the whole movie. It's the story of an old grumpy guy who ends up having to take care of a child. Just because that story has been done a million times is not an excuse for the pathetic plot devices and inane dialog. The scenery was interesting, the side stories could have been edifying, but no. And the worst transgression of this movie was that there was not one single thing that occurred without it being broadcast before it happened. It was beyond predictable...prediction implies you could guess what would happen. No, you KNEW everything that was going to happen a large time in advance. Please watch your favorite TV show in reruns for the 610th time before you waste a minute on this movie.

Prodigal Summer revolves around three separate stories that occur in the same county in West Virginia...an old rigid widower, the new city bride of one of the local farmers and a recently divorced woman working for the park service alone up in the mountains. There is no big climax in the book, no secret plotline to time them all together, no action. But the drama is real, and the characters are all interesting and can be related to. The thing that really ties them all together is their relationship with the land and nature. Her writing is not heavy handed, nor the story overly dramatic. She creates an location that's a nice place to be, and was kinda sad to leave.

I watched this on a cold, rainy Saturday night and there was nothing on tv. So I had nothing to lose. Except that my head was filled with garbage. It's the story of a robot who had some sort of wiring configuration that made him special. He's sold to a family who eventually realize he's special. But Pinocchio wants to be a real boy. And for two hours you are subjected to drivel. Robin Williams as a robot is a horrible choice. He's way to human, and that's his specialty. Why not use somebody else. It's a marvelous cast wasted on a film that doesn't work.

I am a fan of the book, but will admit that it is not brilliant writing. But there is something in the book that makes it gripping and intelligent. But it is very complicated. And there was no way that they could stay completely true to the book. But the screen adaptation has lost that "something" completely. The special effects are marvelous, and costuming and stylization was pretty much how I imagined it. They changed the "Church" to the "Magasterium" and never talk about Original Sin, like in the book, but I wasn't surprised by that (being a bit controversial). But I think the thing that bothered me the most is the way they dumbed it down and made it too obvious. Part of the magic of the book is figuring out things, and that never happens here. And maybe the fatal flaw of the movie was there inability to impress on the viewer how important each person's daemon was to them, how sacred that it, how much a part of the person this creature is. My husband (never read the book) thought this may have been one of the worst movies he ever saw. I just know that it broke my heart.

Lust, Caution was made by Ang Lee for a Taiwanese company, released in Taiwan and I believe for the Asian market. This film is really beautiful. It's set in Shanghai and Hong Kong during the Japanese Occupation of China in World War II. The scenery and costuming is so interesting, which was lucky because the story left me wanting. There are some pretty graphic, and fairly violent sex scenes in this movie, so not for the faint of heart. I found them annoying. I got bored. The story of a bunch of unprepared actors who end up trying to do a big time assassination in the name of patriotism could have been better. And the attraction between the female actor and her target never felt real to me. I just didn't get it. But, the scenery...did I mention the scenery? Awesome.

A group of small-towners talk. They're not very bright, not funny and really not interesting. If I wanted to listen to this garbage I'd have stayed in a small town and done nothing with my life, too. At least in "Beautiful Girls" they were funny and interesting, but I'm so glad I never had to spend much time with people like those from this movie. Gave up half way through it, never did find out if there was a point to it all.