CinemaLover

Before watching Charly I had been told to avoid watching this film having just read the book. Of course I didn't do myself justice and decided to watch the film anyway. The film simply rushes through the whole storyline trying to fit too many themes in a minimum amount of opportunities in a mere hour and forty minutes.

As stated before the length of the film was much too short in order to get across the message in an efficient way let alone in a strong manner. This had a large indirect or maybe direct effect on the performance of that of Cliff Robertson who plays Charly. The transformation of his happens at lightning quick speed which undermines the book in not displaying the long and grueling process Charly had to face in which he was constantly being treated like a lab experiment. Also the way he deals with his feeling on loneliness and lack or respect is in no way the same as he did in the book which was much more understandable and seemingly much more realistic in the way Charly would have reacted. Instead in the movie he drives off and becomes wild and crazy without a second thought. A rushed script here leads easily to a rushed movie with glaring problems, even more so then the leading character.

Ralph Nelson, the director of this film, took the wrong approach here trying to have Charly change so drastically at such a fast pace. The transformation in itself is shocking enough. There is no need to further try and make the lead character undergo this rapid change because it takes away from the substance of the film and ultimately the rest of the film with it. The entire film rests on this one leading character and the director certainly displayed that challenge here, unfortunately it was not displayed in the way that it should have been.

I would not recommend this film especially if you read the book because it is filled with just to many contradictions throughout and faces its own themes in a overly simplistic way and method. The film fails miserably in trying to describe such a complex problem effectively and certainly doesn't give any answers in a precise or convincing manner. Sadly this film becomes a parody of itself.

Lenny is the story of the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce whose wild antics and crude humor lead to rise and ultimately his fall. This film though takes the risk of being shaped in a documentary-esquire design. Watching the opening minutes of the film worried me that this film would retreat into itself rather then expand in the so many aspects in which it actually did.

Lenny is portrayed with extraordinary and edgy depth by Dustin Hoffman. For me, this is the film that convinced me that Dustin Hoffman is truly a first rate actor. The range shown here by him from beginning to end is astounding in not his portrayal of the change in his personality, but in the drastic but slow transformation in his mental and psychological state. The range of the cast in general is quite commendable in the break stints in the film in which they are shown to be interviewed individually on the life of Lenny Bruce.

With this unique style of film making, much credit should be given to Bob Fosse who brings an original visual experience. Also the screenplay by Julian Barry is totally engaging. In my opinion this movie is indicative of the revolutionary style brought to movies during the 1970s. Lenny might be one of the most courageous movies ever made and it reaches its full potential.

The Phantom of the Opera is of course a very well known story and has been adapted so many times that you would probably lose count if you tried. This of course is the musical adaptation if you may have not realized by now. Now if any part of your criticism of this film has to do with it being a musical then you probably didn't enjoy viewing it. I, myself are in no way a fan of musicals but in this case I found the experience of watching this film to be extremely gratifying.

For once I did not find myself feeling disgusted at the direction of Joel Schumacher. Joel Schumacher definitely handled this storyline with much more care then he has with other films throughout his career. Right from the opening minutes the film became extremely engaging and really never slows down. One thing for sure, and most people would agree, is that the set design and visual glamour of the film is astounding.

Yet one aspect of the film that certainly has not caught on with everyone is the acting of Gerard Butler who plays the Phantom. Such criticisms as he is not scary at all or he is lacking in the area of singing. For me his singing did not bother me one bit and the fact of him not being scary enough is just ridiculous to fault him for that. This film is a musical, not a horror movie. You simply can't expect a singing murderer to ever really be scary. If there is anyone to pick at for falling short it is Patrick Wilson. In my view he never presents anything unique or appealing in his performance. He, in a way, just seems to be just there. Emmy Rossum though certainly asserted her presence in the film. Her feelings as well as the Phantom's are always felt not despite the singing or music but rather with the help of it.

Personally this is my favorite musical and I definitely recommend it even if you're not a fan of musicals. Keep in mind as I stated before there won't be much of a horror factor but that is not really the point. This is by all means a romance and tackles the theme of loneliness in a very touching, poignant and compassionate way. The Phantom of the Opera is certainly gruesome but instead poetic.

RocknRolla seems to be the beginning of the resurrection of Guy Ritchie's career. Not to anyone's surprise he does this with what he has been so potent with throughout his career; a British gangster film. If you've had any experience with Ritchie movies you know exactly what you're getting into here, a comedic thriller. This of course may seem problematic, in Ritchie's case it is not.

The writing and dialog is fast paced and quite witty and entertaining to watch. The movie as a whole maybe be a bit of a head scratcher here and there but the pay off is good and the idea is a bit of a parody of itself which is what makes this film so fun.

What Ritchie accomplishes though, in the same way he has with his past successful productions is putting together an extremely diverse and yet correlating cast. This starts with the lead man in Gerard Butler whose notoriety has steadily risen largely through his performances of comical caricatures (not an insult). With RocknRolla Butler seems to have found a role perfect for his appeal and charm he brings to the screen. This is largely because of a witty script and great, fun performances all around.

Then of course there is Mark Strong who until this year was largely a total unknown, at least in the American mainstream. While Gerard Butler may have found a genre he is most strongly suited for, Mark Strong could certainly use this along with Body of Lies to launch to the very least a respectable acting career. His posture, range and ability to change tone and style subtly not only between films but within them is something that should be and surely will be recognized.

Was this supposed to be a great movie? Of course not, but was it supposed to be funny and sweet? Well, I think anyone can answer that. Just in case you have not seen the advertisements, The Proposal is about an executive, played by Sandra Bullock, for a publishing company who is startled when she finds out she will be deported from the US due to a technicality. Quickly she finds a solution, that solution is her secretary, played by Ryan Reynolds, his next job will be to marry the woman he is working for. This beginning sets us up for yet another bland and predictable "romantic comedy" to come out in recent years.

The acting in this film was about as good as it could get in a romantic comedy. Reynolds was actually quite likable as he seems to bring a nice and appealing charm to the screen. Bullock played her character to same type of tune she has done over the past decade or so, an uptight and ill tempered woman hiding her true feelings of loneliness and insecurities.

The writing which is just essential to a comedy as the performance of its characters just didn't work. Jokes that have rehashed and overused were applied in this movie just as well. Was this surprising? No, it was not but could it have been better applied? Yes, there was a lot of room for improvement here. Its not necessarily a bad thing for a movie to be predictable but it is a bad thing when the execution of the story falls apart within itself. The film is just to implausible and is sloppy in the way it is put together. This is a poorly handled script that is choppy and just can't sustain itself after the first five minutes.

Would I recommend this movie? It seems like a no but if you enjoy movies like this there is no reason why you should miss this film, especially based off my critique or others like mine. If your looking for an escape go watch this movie, but other then that I don't see a good reason to spend $11.50 to watch this.

Have you ever watched a film while multi-tasking? Well if you have, you should do it again but this time put on Ocean's Thirteen. I would not describe myself as a fan of the Oceans' movies but I have pretty much enjoyed all of them. In light of that though this is the worst one of the series.

The movie is very well acted in that it appears the whole cast has fun with the material from top to bottom. That does not make it a good film though it just makes it a nice to get together. One thing I could say though was this time around I actually noticed Casey Affleck because of his recent breakout performances in other films. So with that, he and Al Pacino just adds to the fun of watching all the great actors and stars in the film. The script is very witty at times and did have me chuckle more often then not. What was missing though were the star actresses. Tangle in all the fun of a crazy scheme to rob a casino, gambling and just Las Vegas is the women. It would have been great to see Julia Roberts or Catherina Zeta Jones or even both back for the film. Instead we had to settle with Ellen Barkin who has not nearly as an impressive career or persona as her counterparts.

As the rest of the series this film really is not too thought provoking or deep. It won't inspire you to do something so honestly it won't be too necessary to focus all your thoughts on this film. This is an entertaining film considering George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac and Casey Affleck are in it but yet it isn't as well made or enjoyable as its predecessors.

This of course is not a great movie but I just have to give it a 10/10. I have never laughed more in my life. Even the jokes that aren't funny are funny. This film's comedic build up is about the best you will ever see. It doesn't even matter what the punch line is, its how they get to it thats hilarious.

Now this cast was perfect. Anytime you have Randy Quaid in a film you just know the film is going to make you life just by looking at him. Kingpin couldn't have shown this any better as he plays an Amish man who just happens to be amazingly talented at bowling. Woody Harrelson plays a has-been ex-professional bowler who makes a comeback with managing through Randy Quaid. Together they go on a ride across the country making money left and right. Along the journey they are great supporting comedic performances given by Bill Murray and Vanessa Angel who certainly makes the look of the film more appealing.

The Farrelly brothers in my opinion give their best direction they've yet to have. Yet it is the writers who so perfectly set up one joke after another. It seems as if the script is so sharp that their are jokes within jokes. The Farrelly brother handle this material so well by virtual unknowns.

As I have said before this is not a great film but I would highly recommend this if your in the mood of watching something spontaneous. It may not be the most technically sound movie ever made or the deepest but I have never laughed so much in life and that in it self is what comedies are about.

Toy Story is the film that started Pixar Animated Studios into its long string of never ending success. What Pixar does is not just absorb the younger demographic and keep the older ones mildly entertained. It completely absorbs everyone watching no matter the age or the level of maturity, films of Pixar, starting from Toy Story, have kept a certain magical touch around it with an unexpected amount of depth. Everyone as a child imagines their toys will come alive and go on their own adventures. One of the great things Pixar does is that it does not attract audiences with its overloaded superstar casts but rather with its material. The only superstar here is Tom Hanks and Tim Allen is the next most aforementioned voice over. Unlike what most people think their is an actually a method to casting for animated films as there is to a live-action one. As a result of this Pixar stays faithful to its material and creates a great genuine and warm feeling around the film and its characters.

The Departed is a great film to say the least. The film centers around an entire police department's chase of a top boss in Boston. The plot may not seem original but the film gives you a feeling of something new with the intensity of that of a drama and the awe of an action flick.

The acting of the cast all around is great with the likes of actors such as Leonardo Dicaprio playing a rookie cop getting his first assignment. As a result of his family's history of criminal activity his first job is to be working undercover gathering intelligence in the dealings of a mob boss played different yet brilliantly by Jack Nicholson. This goes without notice as Nicholson has his man on the inside as well. On the opposite side of the spectrum Matt Damon also plays a rookie cop starting out of the box with a good job though as a result of his honorable family history. There also plenty of great supporting performances by Martin Sheen and Ray Winestone as well as a breakout performance given by Mark Wahlberg.

Despite so many explosive performances this film is driven by its story so perfectly directed by Martin Scorsese. With this film Scorsese uses his skill to show the hard and gritty tough life on the streets as he once did so often as well as his fine attention to detail with amazing plot dynamics. What both of these things culminate into is a well rounded and balanced film with an unlimited scope of cops and gangsters. The depth of the film is limitless as it is so well layered. Scorsese here makes the film of his life here throwing out everything he has. Scorsese and William Monahan, who so adapts this film so vividly, combine for one of the most thrilling and psychologically explosive movies in ages as the film so perfectly illustrates nothing is as it seems as well as a chain is only as strong as strong as its weakest link. We may think we know it all from profile and background checks but as long as we don't know whats going on inside a person's mind we won't ever know what the person is truly about.

Juno was a good movie at the most but certainly not anything close to a great movie. This movie tries too hard to be witty and cute when in reality it comes off as annoying and unrealistic. For example: If your teenage daughter gets pregnant I doubt you will start cracking jokes about it especially 2 minutes after you hear it. There were a few nice aspects of the film.

The acting of Ellen Page was pretty good and a had a nice warm feeling surrounding her. There was also Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner who came off as the only realistic characters in the film as a married couple about to adopt Juno's soon to be born baby. The rest of the characters (partly because of the writing and acting) in the film who were supposed to be quirky and unusual were just too laid back at the situation at hand. This movie plays itself off a realistic to a tone of that of Little Miss Sunshine yet the characters come off as corny and unaware of the delicate situation that is the central theme of this film.

Despite many of these flaws I do not think there was much of an area the film could have been improved upon. The film's idea was a bit too ambitious in trying to make a comedy out of a teen pregnancy in the way it was. This film has been often compared to Little Miss Sunshine yet there is a reason for why that movie is considered original. Of course it is because of the balance it was able to create between comedy and a realistic drama. Juno tried to do this as well but failed to accomplish simply because the idea of the film simply isn't that funny, at least not in the way this film presented it.