4 out of 5. I think Rupert Wyatt's RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES washed a bad taste out of most people's mouths that the sequels of the original left. I mean, if I was truly being honest aside, other than the killer score by Jerry Goldsmith, the Planet of the Apes is a well-made B-movie. This one however was a great popcorn flick. It had a nice story set-up, great set-pieces, and characters who's actions were believable given the extraordinary circumstances. It delivers on all cylinders and doesn't leave you with an empty stomach like most tent-pole movies. It was a wild ride that you didn't want to stop. The motion-capture and stunt acting is tremendous. What are you doing right? GO WATCH THIS, ALREADY!
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4 out of 5. Three highly imaginative and
creative minds come together in Michel Gondry's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. It seems almost as rare as sighting a comet but this
perfect storm of talent represents a
time in Hollywood when creative films could still get made. I believe it
was the first thing I'd seen of Gondry's work and have gone onto check
out his THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP which is also enjoyable. The acting is
wonderful and as surreal as the Charlie Kaufmann's story gets Jim Carrey
is pitch-perfect in his reckless abandon. This movie does not
disappoint in the least.
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4 out 5. The original SOLYARIS by the great Russian filmmaker Andrei
Tarkovsky is almost what you'd call a space race of a film. Even though
Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey eclipsed it by a few years it
should be just as recognized as a winning film. The creativity and
design of Solyaris is memorable if not familiar with the "high tech" of
the time, yet it also has a timeless quality. It's creepy and cool like
only the isolation of space can provide. If you like the recent indy
film MOON, you will really like this. Great score too, and that
ending...not much different than the weirdness of Kubrick...makes you
wonder.
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4 out of 5. Duncan Jones' deceptively simple MOON shows a real sincerity to filmmaking. Really smart well-done sci-fi flick. The story is rich and
the attention to details respects the audiences intelligence. Sam
Rockwell does a great job in this difficult role. With possible nods
to Tarkovsky's Solyaris and Syd Mead the production design was a real
treat. There was still something about it that held it back from being a
GREAT film. It might have been the lack of deep emotional ties to other
characters. For fans of movies like Sunshine and Solyaris you will
revel in the sights and sounds of this well-crafted film.
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3 out of 5. CUBE is a great example of how a
smart director like Vincenzo Natali can make the best use of his art
skills with so little. Like PRIMER the concept is deceptively simple and
yet highly believable in the context
we're given. It's a great little thriller/horror film that is clever and
smart without being overly aware of itself. I like these kinds of films
because when you pull back to see the larger picture there is an even
bigger story at hand.
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