Tag Archive for "Movies"
We went to see the Dark Knight movie today.
This is a hard PG-13 film - very intense throughout except for a slight lag at the end. There were some moments in this film when I couldn’t help but wonder if this Joker is the most frightening villain I’ve ever seen in cinema. This is particularly true when he’s focusing his formidable animus on a specific individual. At those moments you aren’t wondering if something bad is going to happen - you’re just wondering WHAT this fiend in the clown make-up is going to do to the person in front of him. He brings a mixture of predictability and unpredictability that is unnerving and fascinating to watch at the same time. As played by Heath Ledger, this freak is completely ruthless and bristling with menace. Without a doubt this is a villain that will do down as a classic for the ages - as memorable and yet completely unique in his person-ality as a Darth Vader or a Hannibal Lecter.
Christian Bale and other actors do a good job of playing their roles - but Heath Ledger steals the show.
I recently watched Cloverfield on DVD. I don’t know why it’s so much fun to watch a large horrible beastie destroy New York City. But it is … and the shaky-cam technique that was used to film the movie was very effective - it worked much better in this film than in that Blair Witch flick. Just my opinion.
I kind of wish I had seen this one in the theater. It would have been even better on the big screen - though I read the camera-work made some people feel nauseous.
Today, somewhere (can’t remember where) I saw something about the possibility of a sequel …
Note: Here is where I saw the discussion of a sequel come up.
We watched Les Choristes (on DVD) and loved it. It’s a French film with English sub-titles.
In online reviews, some compare the movie to “Dead Poet’s Society” or “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” While I can see the logic, that is not a comparison I would use. In my opinion, this is a movie that is unique in many ways and stands on its own.
As usual I don’t really want to discuss the movie but allow potential viewers to find out what they think of it for themselves.
It appears this animation movie was released in 2003, but I had never heard of it until this week. It’s probably the most original and unusual animation story-line I’ve ever seen. It’s a French movie, but there’s almost no dialogue. The drawings and animation basically tell the entire story.
If you haven’t seen it, give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
