Martin Chuzzlewit
1994
Pedr James (director), David Lodge (screenplay), Charles Dickens (story)
Starring Paul Scofield, Pauline Turner, Philip Franks
Masterpiece Theater TV mini-series dramatization of the
Charles Dickens story. I didn't expect to like it - I don't generally
enjoy Dickens. But I did, I really did. The villains were marvelously
foul and despicable, and the heroes were noble and good (except for a few
who were rather awful to begin with but got themselves sorted out
eventually). It was fun!
I actually got caught up in the story and the characters, and found that its grittiness felt sharp rather than preachy. The acting was terrific, and Paul Scofield is a stunningly good-looking old man. Much fun.
IMDB: Martin Chuzzlewit
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Friday, May 23, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Moulin Rouge!
2001
Baz Luhrmann (director, writer), Craig Pearce (writer)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
It took me years to see this after it first came out, but when I did, I liked it, I really did. Occasionally I wanted to smack people, but I liked it, and the more times I've seen it since, the more I've fallen in love with it.
A young man goes to Paris at the turn of the 20th century to Be Part Of Art and falls madly in love with a dancer/prostitute who aspires to be a serious actress. Together they try to defy the odds and, in true bohemian fashion, have both Love and Art.
This is melodrama at its finest, and musicals at their finest, using well-known modern songs in new contexts. And it really is fun. Starring an anexoric Nicole Kidman and doe-eyed Ewan McGregor, both of whom are truly terrific singers and actors.
Definitely recommended.
IMDB Link: Moulin Rouge!
2001
Baz Luhrmann (director, writer), Craig Pearce (writer)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
It took me years to see this after it first came out, but when I did, I liked it, I really did. Occasionally I wanted to smack people, but I liked it, and the more times I've seen it since, the more I've fallen in love with it.
A young man goes to Paris at the turn of the 20th century to Be Part Of Art and falls madly in love with a dancer/prostitute who aspires to be a serious actress. Together they try to defy the odds and, in true bohemian fashion, have both Love and Art.
This is melodrama at its finest, and musicals at their finest, using well-known modern songs in new contexts. And it really is fun. Starring an anexoric Nicole Kidman and doe-eyed Ewan McGregor, both of whom are truly terrific singers and actors.
Definitely recommended.
IMDB Link: Moulin Rouge!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: Hero (2002)
Hero
2002
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin (writers)
Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi
An ostensibly simple story of how a simple man defeats three would-be assassins of the first Emperor of China, which unfolds slowly and gracefully as the newly celebrated hero tells his story to the Emperor himself.
The extended combat scenes use the surreal fighting style with lots of wire-work first popularized in the West with Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon: very balletic, not terribly reliant on physics. The pace is slow - too slow for some - but I feel that as long as you let yourself be absorbed into it, it serves to draw you in, with long lingering strokes that draw out the tension, the secrets, the questions. Visually, the movie is breathtakingly beautiful. One of Zhang Yimou's greatest strengths as a cinematographer is his use of color and textures, in my opinion, and it is nowhere shown off as strongly as in this film.
Do be warned that if you cry easily at movies, bring a tissue. Or a box. In Chinese with subtitles.
Highly recommended.
IMDB Link: Hero
2002
Zhang Yimou (director, writer), Feng Li, Wang Bin (writers)
Starring Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi
An ostensibly simple story of how a simple man defeats three would-be assassins of the first Emperor of China, which unfolds slowly and gracefully as the newly celebrated hero tells his story to the Emperor himself.
The extended combat scenes use the surreal fighting style with lots of wire-work first popularized in the West with Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon: very balletic, not terribly reliant on physics. The pace is slow - too slow for some - but I feel that as long as you let yourself be absorbed into it, it serves to draw you in, with long lingering strokes that draw out the tension, the secrets, the questions. Visually, the movie is breathtakingly beautiful. One of Zhang Yimou's greatest strengths as a cinematographer is his use of color and textures, in my opinion, and it is nowhere shown off as strongly as in this film.
Do be warned that if you cry easily at movies, bring a tissue. Or a box. In Chinese with subtitles.
IMDB Link: Hero
Monday, May 5, 2014
Very Brief Film Reviews: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not / À la folie... pas du tout
Laetitia Colombani (dir, writer), Caroline Thivel (writer)
2002
Starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie), we thought this would be a sweet romantic film in the same vein. Oh no. College-age Angelique is desperately in love with a married surgeon, whom she claims adores her, too; her friends tell her that he's stringing her along and she's better off without him, but she refuses to listen. How does the surgeon really feel about her?
A rather disturbing psychological film, quite well made. Very French. Also starring Samuel Le Bihan and Isabelle Carré. In French with subtitles.
Laetitia Colombani (dir, writer), Caroline Thivel (writer)
2002
Starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie), we thought this would be a sweet romantic film in the same vein. Oh no. College-age Angelique is desperately in love with a married surgeon, whom she claims adores her, too; her friends tell her that he's stringing her along and she's better off without him, but she refuses to listen. How does the surgeon really feel about her?
A rather disturbing psychological film, quite well made. Very French. Also starring Samuel Le Bihan and Isabelle Carré. In French with subtitles.
Very Brief Film Reviews: Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Directed by Rob Marshall
Beautiful. This is an instance where I have to say I really enjoyed the movie more than the book. The book, I was not so impressed with; the movie, I really liked. Visually stunning; the atmosphere is deeply evocative of pre-war Japan; the characters are true and very well acted. Saiyuri was actually much more believable in the movie than in the book, and the almost fairy tale-like story flows more smoothly and feels more natural. The soundtrack is also excellent.
Starring Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, and Michelle Yeoh, all of whom were bloody fantastic. In English.
Directed by Rob Marshall
Screenplay by Robin Swicord, based on the book by Arthur Golden
2005
Beautiful. This is an instance where I have to say I really enjoyed the movie more than the book. The book, I was not so impressed with; the movie, I really liked. Visually stunning; the atmosphere is deeply evocative of pre-war Japan; the characters are true and very well acted. Saiyuri was actually much more believable in the movie than in the book, and the almost fairy tale-like story flows more smoothly and feels more natural. The soundtrack is also excellent.
Starring Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, and Michelle Yeoh, all of whom were bloody fantastic. In English.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Film review: Love and Other Disasters
Love and Other Disasters
2006
Written & directed by Alek Keshishian
This was so much fun. British romantic comedy, a bit of an "Emma" interpretation but not strictly.
2006
Written & directed by Alek Keshishian
This was so much fun. British romantic comedy, a bit of an "Emma" interpretation but not strictly.
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