|
I am going to presume that I can post about non-horror films here as well. Yesterday, I watched several films (not really horror though except possibly one):
Titanic (1997): 10/10
This is actually one of my favorite films. If somehow you have never heard of this film or its (basic) plot here it is:this film is about two star-crossed lovers (think Romeo and Juliet) falling in love on the fated ocean liner known as the Titanic. Of course, it is so much more than this description depicts. It is an excellent period piece. Additionally, it was one of the most, if not the most, accurate portrayals of the event. Furthermore, it featured an excellent score and some pretty good performances, especially by the supporting actors and actresses. The drama prominently featured in the second half is perfect. I am not a fan of the romance aspect, but despite that it remains one of my favorite films. If, somehow, you have not managed to see this film, I highly recommend it.
Note: I have seen this before. I would say 150+ times.
Dante's Peak (1997): 6/10
I was expecting it to be alot better. The film was about a volcanologist who goes to a small town named Dante's Peaks that is located near a dormant volcano that is about to become active. Pierce Brosnan (although it is hard to picture him as a volcanologist) played a pretty good role and Linda Hamilton was not bad. Other than that, the acting was pretty bad, in my opinion. The story was okay, but it was definitely lacking. It seemed like a big ripoff of Jaws. There were some unintentionally funny scenes. The "bridge scene" cracks me up. The look on the character's face is hilarious. It was entertaining, but it could have been alot better. I feel ,although many disagree, that Volcano (1997) was a much stronger film that dealt with this theme that came out the same year, despite its scientific inaccuracies. I would not recommend this film myself, but, if you do wish to see it, at least it is entertaining. By the way, I seem to be in a minority on my opinion of this film.
Note: This was my first viewing.
Inception (2010): 10/10
This film was nominated for Best Picture in 2010 and it definitely deserved it. The film is about someone being contacted to see if he could place a thought in someone's head, via their dreams, in exchange for a complete forgiveness of their crimes in their hometown. The story was quite interesting and the film featured some strong performances especially by Leonardo DiCaprio. The premise, being able to enter people's dreams and manipulate them, was very interesting. In the way it was done, it also appeared to be pretty unique (although I am sure there might be some obscure movie it is similar to). The direction was also very well done and the dream sequences are very surreal. Definitely an excellent mind-bender. The ending is a topic of hot debate with, I am sure, hundreds of different interpretations. I would definitely recommend this film, one of the best films of this decade, so far.
Note: This was my first viewing
Argo (2012): 10/10
This film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2013. While it was not my first choice for that year, it is an excellent film nonetheless, in my opinion. The story was based off a real CIA operation to get six individuals, who escaped the embassy in Iran in 1979, out of Iran safely. In order to do this, the CIA pretends to make a fake movie named Argo. This film is well made. It is filled with plenty of emotion. The appropriate scenes are quite tense. Furthermore, there are some terrific performances especially Christopher Arkin and Ben Affleck. John Goodman was really good as well. The atmosphere was also perfect. Anyway, I would definitely recommend that you see this film, if you have not already.
Note: This was my second viewing.
Donnie Darko (2001): 10/10
Donnie Darko is about a troubled teenager who believes that he can see the future through a figure in a bunny suit and this bunny says that the world is going to end soon. I have to say that I absolutely love this film. I would honestly put it in my top ten-15 movies of all-time. There were some terrific performances, in my opinion. The best, by far, is Jake Gyllenhaal who was brilliant as Donnie Darko. His character is very well-developed character and I, personally, can identify with him even better because I have my own psychological problems. While the others are not as good as Gyllenhaal, the delivered some solid performances, in my opinion especially Drew Barrymore and, I will admit, that Swazye was perfect as the "motivational speaker" (it seemed to be quite different than his roles in other movies I have seen him in). I will say that all of the characters, from the most to the least developed, were pretty well-developed, overall. I found the story and premise to be quite interesting and well-paced as well. On that note, I thought the atmosphere, which was dark, was perfect. The music, which was from the 1980s, complemented the film quite well, especially Mad World (originally performed by Tears for Fears). This film is definitely a must-see, in my opinion.
Note: This was my first viewing.
|