Love Actually

Year: 2003
Directed By: Richard Curtis
Written By: Richard Curtis

RYAN’S REVIEW

It’s Christmas time and we have the happy coincidence to start the month with a Christmas themed film.  We aren’t going to do a themed month for the holiday like we did in October but this just happened to be our next film and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  This is a movie I have no qualms about admitting to how much I like.  It’s a chick flick if I have ever seen one and it took Amber quite a while to twist my arm into seeing it.  Once she did I was thoroughly surprised with how much I enjoyed the film and it’s provides me with a rare opportunity to recommend a film I normally wouldn’t.  This movie may fit every possible requirement to qualify as a chick flick but the movie is both funny and heartfelt.  It’s a touching film that even the most stone hearted man might find himself both laughing and crying over.

There could be plenty to cover in this film but I’m inclined to keep it simple on this one.  While I did like the film, it is what it is and I am not going to over analyze a chick flick.  I specifically like Bill Nighy in this movie.  He is a really funny actor that I have liked in many movies but in this one he is just over the top funny.  “Kids, don’t buy drugs….become a rock star and they give them to you for free!” I love the guy that randomly buys a plane ticket to America to marvel the women here with his British accent.  The fact that it works so well for him is hilarious because it is probably true.  While exaggerated in this movie there is still plenty of truth to the idea that American women will fall all over any English guy just because of his voice.  I love the stand-in actors played by Martin Freeman and Joanna Page. The way they keep having small talk while simulating sex scenes is hilarious.  It’s really funny that this guy is building up the courage to ask a woman out while he is going through the motions of sex with her.  The casual way he responds to the director’s suggestion that he massage her breasts is so funny.  It’s a bit sappy, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit to really liking the Colin Firth story line too.  That part of the story is in full blown chick flick mode but it’s clever and touching all the same. I normally wouldn’t admit to it but the story line got me on a deep down lovey dovey level that doesn’t surface very often.

There is one part of this film that I absolutely hate and it’s the Andrew Lincoln/Keira Knightley/Chiwetel Ejiofor story. The film starts with Knightley and Ejiofor getting married and Andrew Lincoln is Ejiofor’s best man and best friend.  Lincoln is secretly in love with Knightley though and the story culminates at the end with Lincoln secretly professing the love he knows he can never act on for Knightley to her. I think that Ejiofor would be justified in beating his best friend into the dirt after that scene and always regret that it doesn’t happen when I watch the film. What kind of man has feelings like that for his best friend’s wife and then has the nerve to tell her such after she is already married? It’s bad enough that he simply feels that way but it’s the kind of feeling you take to your grave.  His little moment in the end when he lets her read his feelings while his best friend sits unknowingly upstairs is shameful.  It’s cool to look back at this movie now that Andrew Lincoln has reached stardom as Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, but it’s disappointing to see him play such a douche bag.  Yeah you can look at this movie and say things like “he didn’t actually do anything wrong” or “he never acted on his feelings” but he did.  His actions would only lead to an inevitable affair later down the road one way or another.  They could pick up this story line for a sequel and call it “Divorce Actually.”

There are plenty of other great story lines and performances in this movie as well.  I typically despise Hugh Grant but must admit he delivered a good performance in this movie as the British Prime Minister.  I also specifically like the casting of Billy Bob Thorton as the American President.  He seems to be a bit of a combination President merging qualities from both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.  A blasphemous thing to do politically from an American point of view but they can get away with it in a film set in Britain.  I have always been a big fan of Alan Rickman but his role in this movie isn’t the best.  It’s not because of his performance just because of how the role was written.  I feel bad for this guy really because any of us can fall victim to what he went through.  He doesn’t go out looking to start an affair but when a really attractive woman relentlessly pursues him he is powerless to stop it.  He is in the wrong to pursue at all, clearly, but like the previously mentioned American President he was just couldn’t stop himself in the face of a woman throwing herself at him.

Now that I have already mentioned doing this review briefly it didn’t take long for my thoughts to quickly add up.  The last thing I want to mention is the role of Liam Neeson.  A very nice story that he performs well in.  I have joked many times since seeing this movie that my wife is in love with Liam Neeson because of how she reacted to the part.  I’ll set the record straight now. Amber isn’t really in love with Liam Neeson, but this is the movie that started the joke I use to annoy her so.  I like Neeson but don’t understand why he has lowered himself to some of the silly type of film roles he takes now.  I’m specifically talking about Taken and its sequel.  I have heard so many people talk about how good those movies were and I want to look at all of them and ask “why???” Liam Neeson isn’t Jack Bauer or John Rambo and that’s all aside from the point that I think the time for movies like Taken was in the 90s.  Liam Neeson can do better. We see that he is capable of more in this movie specifically, and I literally think he is doing himself a disservice with his action roles.

This is a good movie and a perfect one to see during this holiday season.  There is no shortage of good Christmas films out there and this one belongs in the rotation of such.  When it comes to a chick flick, a guy could sit through a lot worse because not only does this movie not suck but it is quite funny.  So, gentlemen, if you want to please your spouses this holiday season with a film geared more toward her taste than yours then check this film out.  I know it is probably a really appetizing idea to see Christmas Vacation for the 100th time because it never gets old but this one will make her really happy and you will probably find yourself laughing much more than you would have expected.  This movie is without doubt worth your time to see.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I never wanted to watch this movie, let alone love it as much as I do. This is one of my absolute favorites. I really love how it takes different love stories all going on in the same area and ties the people together. The ultimate message of the story is that “love actually is all around us.”

Let’s montage another poster you guys! They managed to fit 10 different people on this poster. And on top of that they gift wrapped the poster. Ugh I hate it. I think it would have been prettier and more effective if it didn’t look like such a cheesy holiday movie poster. The home screen for the DVD is beautiful. It shows a sliced up heart moving in pieces. It is really a strong graphic. I think it would have suited here too. And these people have all already made such a name for themselves that their faces aren’t even needed. I think they could have listed them and it would have been just as effective as their faces.

I am sorry to have to say I hate this poster when I love the movie so much. It’s unfortunate, but true. The typography of the title is okay, not amazing, so at least it has that.

NEXT MOVIE: Machete (2010)

Gangs of New York

Year: 2002
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Written By: Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan

RYAN’S REVIEW

I remember when this movie first came out in theaters, it was the year I graduated high school.  I didn’t see it in the theaters but I remember running into some friends coming out of the theater when they had just seen it and I was on the way to see something else. I had been reading about this movie and knew of it for some time.  It was delayed time and time again before its release, once because of the 9/11 crisis. It was the new movie by Martin Scorsese though and the delays only made me look forward to it more.  I was a big fan of Goodfellas and Taxi Driver so I was really interested in the film despite not being at the theater to see it then.  I asked them if the movie was any good and I will never forget what they said.  They looked at me with a disappointed expression and said “It was bloody” and another said “it was really violent.” What they said was all in their tone though.  I had not seen this movie but somehow I knew, I didn’t know how but somehow I just knew that they were wrong.  These guys weren’t good friends but they were friends and somewhere deep down I never looked at any of them the same after that.  Once I actually saw the film the verdict was in, these friends had no taste and they didn’t have enough sense to appreciate something so incredible. Not to mention that I found myself wondering before and after seeing it ‘what kind of guy finds something too violent or bloody?’ I have lost touch with those friends since high school and I’m OK with it, somehow it is all because of this movie.

I remember looking forward to the DVD release of this movie quite a bit since I never ended up seeing it in the theater. Our movie collection was young at that time and DVDs were quite costly then.  Not too expensive but much more so then they are now. What I mean by that is that at the time this collection was a slower work in progress.  I didn’t buy DVDs carelessly not only because I could not afford to but because it was much more expensive to do so back then.  Yet when this movie came out on DVD I went to the store and bought it on the day it was released without having ever seen it. It was a gamble that paid off well.  This is one of my favorite movies ever from Martin Scorsese, in my opinion it might be his best film.  That is a tough thing to say because there is a lot of steep competition.  Martin Scorsese is one of the men that made film making what it is today. He has been making great movies for over forty years.  His contributions to the industry will be studied 100 years from now and then some.  One day he will leave behind a legacy that will turn him into a legend.  This film is my favorite of the ones that make the legend that is Scorsese.

Before this movie I had a certain impression of Leonardo DiCaprio, and it wasn’t really good. I was a teen during the time Titanic came out I came to dislike DiCaprio the same way that most young men don’t like Justin Bieber now.  He’s the guy that all the teen girls go nuts over and it is annoying to the point you find yourself disliking them.  This changed all of that in the case of Dicaprio, I saw the value that in truth had been there all along I was just too foolish and immature to admit it.  DiCaprio is the best actor in the business hands down. He is great at choosing roles and he has an ability that is impressive.  With this movie he effectively became Scorsese’s De Niro of the 21st century as well with many more collaboration to follow. He can use a wide range of dialects and he has worked with many of the greatest directors out there. It was this film that changed my impression of him and I have since looked forward to every film he has made. I imagine that DiCaprio is the kind of actor that would learn from the greats when he had a chance and during this film he got to work with one of the best of all time.

Daniel Day-Lewis had been retired before this movie came out and was persuaded out of it by direct involvement from Scorsese and I think DiCaprio too. It’s a good thing he decided to get back in the game because he gave one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in any movie. He has since remained unretired and I am grateful for that because I think he has a lot to offer. Day-Lewis is a notorious actor as far as his methods go.  He stays in character at all times during filming and that kind of dedication clearly pays off for him. He gets to know his character on a different level and I think you can see that in his work.  As Bill the Butcher he scared me.  He was so intimidating in this role that his persona came through into reality and struck fear into my soul.  He was that good.  There is so much about films that is predictable, but when I watched this for the first time I had no idea what the Butcher might do at any time and it was thrilling.  There are only a handful of characters in film that can provoke that kind of feeling, the Butcher is one of them. The intimidation that he invokes, the power that he commands, and his strange sense of honor make him a character for the ages.  I think he was robbed of the Academy Award that year and I have never felt that Daniel Day-Lewis got enough credit for this part.  His accent  was really incredible, as I understand it he spoke in that accent throughout his time working on the film.  The character that he plays Bill “The Butcher” Cutting is based on a real man named William Poole but this movie isn’t necessarily an accurate portrayal of who he was. He was part of the Know Nothing political party that specifically despised Irish and German immigrants coming into the country.  There is some truth here, as with the Tammany Hall parts of the film but as with all films you need to do your own research to find the truth.

Aside from those two great actors there are many other talented people that brought something to this movie.  John C Reilly didn’t have the best part to play in the role of a character that doesn’t inspire a lot of love.  I like Reilly though and think this movie is one of the many examples that show his true value.  He has great range to be both serious and funny depending on what movie he is in.  I have never been a big fan of Brendan Gleeson but I can’t quite figure out why.  He is in many movies that I love and he played a great character in this one as well.  This was the first movie I remember seeing Henry Thomas in since his role as a child in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial so it was cool to see him still acting, albeit in a role as a weakling.  Liam Neeson had quite a good role in the beginning as well.  I read once that originally his character was hacked piece by piece to death during the battle but it had to be changed to get an R rating. However during the battle, right before the butcher attacks him you can see a quick shot of his arm being hacked off that wasn’t removed from the final cut.  It just appears to be someone else being cut because you don’t see this injury on him as the Butcher kills him.

The only role that I didn’t think was great in this movie was that of Cameron Diaz.  It isn’t anything against her either I think she is a beautiful and talented actress but just not right for this role.  I think she looked too pretty for the part.  A pick-pocketing hooker during that era wouldn’t have such a perfect looking face with such pretty features.  Originally the part was to be played by Sarah Polley, who I think would have been much better in the role.  I am a fan of Polley but she isn’t an A-list actress by any means and that was the problem.  The studio wanted a more bankable star in the role and the casting was changed at the last minute.  Nothing against Cameron Diaz but this decision hurt the movie.  That’s the biggest problem in most films.  Executives think in terms of what will make them the most money and not what will make them the best movie.

This is an epic movie, a wicked and amazing epic movie. It is violent, witty, and generally top notch across the board. If you haven’t seen this movie it is worth your time, because I can assure you that you will be satisfied when it is over.  If you aren’t and you don’t like this movie then let me know why because I would really like to know. I happen to have asked a few people about this movie this past week and they didn’t know it.  I counted it as an anomaly to what most people must have seen because it is so great but in the event that I am wrong there might be more of you out there.  In that case, see this movie, it’s great but brace yourself because it is violent…there will be blood.

AMBER’S REVIEW

This movie is great. It tells an interesting story and keeps you interested throughout. The most notable thing about this film, however is the acting. This movie is filmed with A quality actors. I am sure that Ryan already mentioned all of the names in this film, so I won’t reiterate here, but when you put this kind of talent all together in one film, the result is bound to be incredible, and I think it definitely shows in Gangs of New York.

If you like a nice blood bashing then this is for you. It’s a great movie with a lot of meat to it and I definitely recommend it.

-A

NEXT MOVIE: Ghostbusters (1984)

Darkman

Year: 1990
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Written By: Sam Raimi

RYAN’S REVIEW

When I was about seven or eight years old I saw the first ten minutes of this film on HBO before my mom came in and caught me watching the R rated film and turned it off.  It was too late though; the damage was done. The opening of this film had already set an impression on me.  It immediately became a very popular scenario that played out among my G.I. Joes as they battled on my bedroom floor.  Watching it now the opening seems kind of corny, but it still has its moments.  I like the disarming of Durant and his henchmen, especially the fact that one of them is actually carrying nun-chuks.  I also like how Durant uses his cigar cutter in manors of persuasion. I think Durant was a really well written and crafted villain but I think the part could have been cast better.  Larry Drake isn’t bad, I just think the part could have been played better by someone else. For example, I think Christopher Walken or Al Pacino cast as Durant takes this movie to the next level.  You can say that about nearly any role in any film though.

I’m not really a fan of Sam Raimi but I do like some of his films.  Specifically this and the Spiderman films, which actually share many similarities.  Including an oddly similar scores both done by Danny Elfman, the score for this film is also reminiscent of the Tim Burton Batman films, also done by Elfman. Liam Neeson does a really good job with this part, but I think we all benefit from the fact that his face is covered in bandages for most of the film.  Neeson tends to get really crazy with this character at times but that’s what I like about his performance.  Francis McDormand plays the female lead and while I think she is great I don’t think this was her best role. Her significant other and his brother (the Coen bros) also make a cameo in one brief shot in the movie driving a Oldsmobile. They are good friends with Raimi apparently and even did a little work on the script for this film.

This is not the greatest movie and if truth be told we wouldn’t even own it if it hadn’t been so cheap.  It was an impulse buy because it reminded me of that time when I was seven or eight.  That does not mean it isn’t worth your time though.  In fact I think it is a really good movie that will catch you off guard if you aren’t paying attention.  It has a campy feel to it but Raimi wrote it to be a comic-book-like story so it is supposed to be that way.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I have been looking forward to this movie for a while now because it is the first movie with Liam Neeson in it.  I do not know why, but for some stupid ass reason Ryan goes around telling everyone that I am in love with him.  This is not true, I don’t even like him.  I think it has something to do with his role in Love Actually and when I made Ryan watch that a long time ago.  So let me make it 100% clear: I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH LIAM NEESON.  If you hear Ryan ever mention it call him out as a liar! I don’t really have anything to say about this movie actually.  It clearly wasn’t made for the female audience.

NEXT MOVIE: The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Bounty

Year: 1984
Directed By: Roger Donaldson
Written By: Richard Hough and Robert Bolt

RYAN’S REVIEW

I was in college studying history the first time I saw this movie.  So naturally I enjoyed it both because of its relation to my field and of course, the natural native nakedness.  It was not in any class that I saw this for the first time though.  I believe it was around 2004 when I saw it because it was on television all the time, and it would have fallen on a 20 anniversary.  This movie sports a great cast and an interesting story based on actual historical events.

Anthony Hopkins plays Lt. Bligh, the captain of the Bounty who lost his ship to an angry mutinous crew. Hopkins has an intensity that he brings to his characters and this movie is a great example of it. As Captain Bligh he has a temper that strikes fear and a look that will turn you cold.  His unreasonable demeanor will make you understand how he managed to lose the favor of his crew.  Mel Gibson isn’t bad in this movie, he does have his crazy Lt. Riggs moment during the mutiny though. Is it possible that the making of this movie with all the native nakedness had any influence on Mel Gibson’s decision to make Apocalypto? This wasn’t Daniel Day-Lewis’s best role, it wasn’t even particularly good, but it would be a crime to not mention him.  Liam Neeson plays a good part in the film, I have to mention him because Amber is in love with him. Not the last movie Laurence Olivier made but it was at the end of his career.

I don’t know very much as far as historical accuracy goes, I can say truthfully that no film is actually accurate despite its intentions.  I have done a little bit of research as I always do though.  The film isn’t 100% accurate, The Bounty never tried to sail around Cape Horn among other minor inaccuracies.  The film did many things right though as you can plainly see when you watch the movie.  It may be deemed inappropriate by some however, the nakedness may be of good intentions and natural but it is still aggressive nonetheless. I think many would agree that there is a lot to learn from this movie.  This is also a good movie and worth your time to see.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I didn’t even know we owned this movie. When we watched this the other night, I actually had to play close attention because I realized that I had never seen it before. Soon after I was completely sucked in and watched it through to the end. I really enjoyed this story line, which is surprising to me. i thought this movie looked like something I wouldn’t really be interested in, but I was wrong. This story is different and it also includes a lot of actors that we know really well now, and they looked like babies in this film. This was even pre-crazy Mel Gibson. He is skinny and young and actually quite attractive. Anthony Hopkins look super dapper in this movie, and super young. The story is great, like I said and I think it is hard for us in today’s time to think about a world where you have to travel by ship to reach different lands and learn different cultures. The British thought that the Tahitians were savages, and really after watching the movie, you in some way side with their way of life. They are all about happiness and being carefree and loving and making love. The British soon fall in love with their culture and way of life and this upsets the ship’s captain, played by Hopkins. The turmoil that happens within the crew after is what sets up the conflict.

This movie is definitely worth watching, especially if you haven’t seen it before. It is interesting and worth the time to put yourself into a different time and place.

NEXT MOVIE: The Bourne Identity (2002)

Batman Begins

Year: 2005
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Written By: David S. Goyer, Jonathon Nolan, and Christopher Nolan

RYAN’S REVIEW

This movie caught us all by surprise, I don’t think anybody was expecting much from another Batman film, and the franchise reboot was a new and unfamiliar idea in 2005.  I had never even heard of Christopher Nolan.  I was aware of Memento and had heard good things, but I had not actually seen it.  I knew of Christian Bale but he was by no means an A-list actor and not very well-known at the time, most of his movies didn’t have wide theatrical releases. These films are good but little known, films like Equilibrium, American Psycho, and The Machinist.  The Machinist wasn’t great or anything but to see what Bale put himself through is really amazing.  Nolan and Bale both became house hold names with this movie and that notoriety was well deserved.  They took a franchise that was in the dump and turned it into one of the highest grossing franchises of all time, one that will rival Spiderman in the end, if not completely surpass it.

I followed this film very little during its production because I was so disappointed with the last Batman movie, Batman & Robin.  I did not think the franchise could come back from that and not knowing the two biggest names in this movie I assumed that it wouldn’t be very good.  I was happily proven wrong though.  Amber and I were at Myrtle Beach and went to the theater to see it on a whim.  I was blown away, I usually know so much about a film already before I go in I have certain expectations that are usually right on target. This movie caught me off guard, but this is the kind of surprise that I can appreciate. This movie is easily one of the best comic book films ever, and a movie that will always be remembered.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most exciting directors out there right now, I think he is the most exciting one actually.  There are many great directors out there making great movies, but Nolan is different.  At the center of all his films is a great and interesting story and his Batman is no different. David S. Goyer, who has been involved with several great comic book films wrote the script along with Nolan and his brother. Batman Begins is very well written and the performances are fantastic. Nolan always has many great actors on hand and he makes good use of him.  I am a big fan of Ken Wantanabe, who Nolan has used more than once, he has a small but excellent part in the movie.  Michael Caine is a Nolan regular, he makes a fantastic Alfred. Katie Holmes is the ever necessary hot chick.  Her part was actually originally written to be Harvey Dent, but they needed a female lead so they made subtle changes to the script and changed the name to Rachel Dawes.  Cillian Murphy, another Nolan regular is great as Scarecrow.  Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer are all great.  My wife would be mad at me if I didn’t make a special point to mention Liam Neeson, he is her favorite actor of all time, she is in love with him.  Finally, Christian Bale as Batman.  Some people criticize his voice as Batman but I think it was necessary for the role.  Bale is great as Bruce Wayne, looking every bit the part and owning it.  He is good as Batman too but he does lack an upper lip, making him look a little funny when he gets close-ups.

I am always running into people who tell me they have never seen this movie, less these days but it still happens regularly.  I am shocked by that, especially since everyone has seen The Dark Knight.  If you haven’t seen this movie then you are in luck, because you have something great and exciting to look forward to.  This movie is more than worth your time.

AMBER’S REVIEW

I am not one for watching movies on vacation, but Ryan talked me into seeing this with him on our very first beach trip together. It was totally worth it. I thoroughly enjoy this film. I love the plot line and how we learn about how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. It holds my attention throughout. Ryan and I have this inside joke that he tells everyone that I am completely in love with Liam Neeson. I think it stems from Love Actually, because I love the character he played in that film, but now it is an everlasting joke at me that I am in love with him. It kills me, but he finds it funny and continually finds ways to tell everyone, including you all. In any case, I think he plays a great character, and with every good movie there is a twist at the end. So this one is a definite must see.