True Grit was a film that I walked out a bit disappointed with to say the least. It was a film I saw at the midnight premiere and walked out a bit downtrodden because what I saw wasn’t the movie I expected to see at all. Looking back over True Grit I began to do what all of the Coen Brother’s movies force me to do. I began to think. In my pondering over the past few days after seeing what was for me the most anticipated movie of the year, I realized yes, True Grit wasn’t the movie I was expecting to see, it was better.
Before delving deep into that conundrum and my review I’d like to state that I’ve never seen the original True Grit nor have I read the original book. I went in completely blind and will review this movie based on the movie it was not how well it followed the book or original John Wayne movie. That being said, True Grit, like almost all Coen Bros. films, was a masterpiece. I just didn’t quite realize it at first.
Now when I said, I went in expecting something different, that obviously begs the question, what did I expect? What I thought True Grit would be, was some kind of guns blazing, dark look into the west. A movie that would kind of mirror the themes of No Country for Old Men, but in the west. A western that might even surpass my favorite western, Unforgiven. What True Grit was, was actually one of the most light-hearted of the Coen Bros. films and on top of that, one of the most light hearted westerns I’ve seen.
Sure there was some gunplay, but for the most part, it was dialogue driven. It was a film that cared not about its action, but its story. We get to know these characters well and join them on their journey of “retribution”. Maybe True Grit isn’t the greatest western or all time and maybe its not the most enjoying, but it is undoubtedly the most real. Its not a western that’s looking to tell of a journey through the west complete with different villains, escapades and epic showdowns. It’s a film that makes you feel as if you’re right there on a horse having a whiskey with good ol’ “Rooster” Cogburn.
It was a film written and directed as well as a movie can get. I can’t expect much else from my favorite filmmakers in existence. Jeff Bridges was downright brilliant in what might just be my favorite role of his. The main character though was newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, there’s nothing profound about her performance that I’m sure you haven’t read anywhere else suffice it to say, from what I was reading, I expected a lot and she blew me away.
Early I stated that it was “better” than what I was expecting it to be. I’d like to jump into that comment a little more. I explained that what I expected was kind of a combination of my favorite western, Unforgiven and my favorite Coen Bros. film, No Country for Old Men. That’s a lot to expect out of a film. No I’m not saying that True Grit is “better” than either of those films. I am merely saying that it’s “better” that True Grit was the movie that it was.
I realized in my pondering that I don’t want True Grit to be No Country for Old Men because if I want to watch No Country for Old Men, I’ll just watch No Country for Old Men and I realized that no western will ever come out that will be better than Unforgiven. Of course better movies might come out, but no other western will because Unforgiven is a brilliant commentary on the entire idea of the west and the western genre. That being said, True Grit isn’t No Country for Old Men and its not Unforgiven, its just True Grit and what True Grit was, was a masterpiece.
Black Swan isn’t something that you can simply call a movie. It’s an emotionally draining experience on all accounts and in that way it is brilliant. There have been many movies that in the past had pushed the envelope on visual and idealistic levels and no I’m not gonna say that Black Swan did it best or was the most “wacked out”, but I will say that I’ve truthfully never seen a movie that pushes the envelope so beautifully.
Something film critics enjoy saying is “I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen” or “it was impossible to blink”, implying that the images and story at hand were so moving that you didn’t want to miss a thing, that’s exactly the case with the film Black Swan. It tells an original story we’ve never seen before in an intense and visceral way. The exact story that Black Swan was attempting to convey was told and told flawlessly. I can’t ask for anything else from a filmmaker.
Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayers, a ballerina who is chosen to play The Swan Queen in a new rendition of the “classic” ballet Swan Lake. The role takes its toll on Nina and a rivalry emerges between sweet Nina and another reckless ballerina in the troupe. Black Swan isn’t a story that should be told in writing though because the way this story is told on film, even the greatest writer couldn’t give it justice.
Natalie Portman is absolutely breathtaking as the main character that requires a pitch-perfect performance. This is the role that she will be remembered for. Kunis was actually surprisingly good as Portman’s rival. Sure she wasn’t amazing, but she definitely was able to find her own stride. All the performers did their jobs and did them well, but at the end of the day, its truly Portman’s movie. She’s the one who deserves praise and she deserves a lot of it.
Now I’ll say it again, Black Swan tells a story we’ve never seen before and it tells it flawlessly. There are a lot of movies out there that are told flawlessly and its your job to develop an opinion on which stories you get the most enjoyment out of watching. What I’m saying is that Black Swan isn’t for everyone and even though it was flawless, it might not be one of your favorite movies because of the content or it might be the greatest you’ve ever seen. That’s up for you to decide though.
I haven’t seen all of his movies, but I’ve always been a huge Danny Boyle fan. Slumdog Millionaire was his Oscar winning feel-good film, 28 Days Later was undoubtedly the best zombie movie ever (if you consider it a zombie movie) and Trainspotting is one of my favorite movies ever made. With 127 Hours, Danny Boyle releases yet another masterpiece.
Like all Danny Boyle films, everything is there, the music, the characters, the writing, the wit, the fun, but its amplified in every aspect. 127 hours is a full-fledged experience. Rarely was I ever as emotionally engrossed in a film than I was with Aron Ralston’s inspirational story. It was a film that literally needed to be made perfectly for it to work, I’m sure Danny Boyle knew it would be difficult going in, but he took the challenge and succeeded admirably.
The film is based on a took entitled “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”, which tells the unbelievable true tale of outdoors-loving, climber Aron Ralston being stuck in a canyon between the canyon wall and an immovable boulder. What takes place is inspirational, to say the least, and absolutely breathtaking.
Obviously, 127 hours is basically a one man show, so not only do you need great directing to keep the audience interested watching one person for basically an entire movie, but you also need a moving performance and James Franco gave nothing short of that. Hearing at first that the role would be played by Franco I was actually a bit weary. He’s good, but I’ve never seen him in a role of this caliber. He never let up once, he was amazing and now I truly couldn’t see anyone else in the role.
All and all, 127 hours is truly a must-see. I seriously can’t see any reason why someone wouldn’t like it, that’s how good it is. Even if you feel you’ll get queasy during some of the undoubtedly brutal parts, you could just close your eyes or something. Everyone owes it to themselves to experience this masterpiece.
A list of my Top Ten Movie Quotes is a Top Ten list I’ve been meaning to make for a very long time. The reason I’ve held off from doing so is because of how truly difficult it is to make this list. I love movies and there’s a lot of them, but I also love movie quotes and there’s even more of them, but I’ve finally decided on a list that fits my preferences.
Before reading this, I’d like to make it clear that on this list you won’t find any extremely famous movie quotes like “Here’s Johnny!”, “Say hello to my little friend.” or “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” While quotes like those are fantastic and undoubtedly iconic, their not as meaningful to me. Also, for the most part, those quotes are a lot shorter than what a truly powerful quote usually is. Most of my favorites are monologues. That being said, I’d like to get into it. Here are my top ten favorite movie quotes:
10. “The horror, the horror.” -Col. Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)
One of the most famous movie quotes of all time is, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, but if you ask me. Its not even the best quote in Apocalypse Now. That quote pales in comparison to Col. Kurtz’s final words. His death is one of the most iconic ever put on screen and when he speaks those last words my heart is pounding every time.
9. “Keep your lovin’ brother happy.” -Frank (Once Upon a Time in the West)
Henry Fonda’s character Frank in Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the most cold blooded basterds ever put on screen. We don’t learn the true depth of his villainy until the final showdown of the movie and we here him say that line as he smiles and performs one of the most despicable acts a movie villain ever has.
8. “I’d always heard your entire life flashes in front of your years the second before you die. First of all, that one-second isn’t a second at all. It stretches on forever like an ocean of time. For me, it was lying on my back at boy scout camp watching falling stars and yellow leaves from the maple trees that lined our street or my grandmother’s hands and the way her skin seemed like paper and the first time I saw my cousin Tony’s brand new Fire Bird, and Jannie, and Jannie, and Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened me, but it’s hard to stay mad when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once and it’s too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst. And then I remember to relax and stop trying to hold onto it. And then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life. You have no idea what I’m talking about I’m sure, but don’t worry. You will someday.” -Lester Burnhum (American Beauty)
There have been many movies that have tried to encapsulate the entire meaning behind the movie with just one final monologue. No other movie was able to do it quite as well as American Beauty did. In just one final monologue, Lester Burnhum (Kevin Spacey, who recieved a well-deserved oscar) reflects on his life and the “beauty” in the world. Its a quote that is mind-numbingly deep, memorable and above all, beautiful.
7. “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you.” -Batman/Bruce Wayne (Batman Begins)
Batman Begins is a masterpiece of a movie that tells the origin of the cultural icon Batman, directed with dark realism by Christopher Nolan. With this one, short line, the very essence and character of the man most call Batman, is captured. Its literally breath taking every single time when the villain Ra’s Al Ghul says “Have you finally learned to do what is necessary?” and Batman gives one the greastest responses in film history.
6. “We all have it comin’, kid.” -William Munny (Unforgiven)
Unforgiven is one of my favorite movies of all time and by far the greatest western ever made. With just this six word quote, not only is the nature of the film captured, but also the idea of the true west in general. First, Munny says the powerful line, “Its a hell of a thing killing a man, take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.” The Schofield Kid responds with a cold, “Well, I guess he had it comin,” to which Munny responds with one of the most meaningful quotes ever put on screen.
5. “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the tannhauser gates and all those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain. Time to die.” -Roy Batty (Blade Runner)
Roy Batty’s enigmatic “tears in the rain” quote is by far the greatest last words ever put on screen. The quote might not sound like much when you read it, but to here him utter those final words is absolutely beautiful. The replicant Roy Batty is one of the greatest movie characters in general and his final monologue is undoubtedly one of the greatest quotes ever put into a film.
4. “I mean if I had my way, you’d wear that goddamn uniform for the rest of your pecker suckin’ life. But I’m aware that ain’t practical, I mean at some point your gonna have to take it off. So, I’m gonna give you a little something you can’t take off.” -Lt. Aldo Raine (Inglourious Basterds)
Inlgourious Basterds is one of the greatest films ever made. It just builds and builds to what is, to me, the greatest ending in the history of film. Not much is as satisfying as seeing one of the most villainous characters on screen get exactly what he deserves and its Lt. Raine’s fantastic quote that is the absolute perfect set up for what is about to happen. Because of the events that transpired in the hours before hand, we know exactly what’s about to happen to the basterd Col. Hans Landa and I can never help but getting a feeling of pure solace as Aldo utters this quote.
3. “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.” -Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)
The Lord of the Rings is the very definition of the word epic. Just hearing the very word makes me immediately think of The Lord of the Rings. There are an endless amount of amazing scenes and moments, but the greatest quote in the entire trilogy and one of the greatest in existence is Sam’s monologue at the end of the The Two Towers. I’m litrally almost brought to tears every time because of how emotionally involved I am with the film during that quote. I get goose bumps every single time I hear it uttered.
2. “You… you just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren’t you? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness and I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.” -The Joker (The Dark Knight)
The Dark Knight is by far my favorite movie in existence, while The Joker is undoubtedly my favorite movie character. With this quote, the very essence of the reasoning behind my love for the film and the relationship between Batman and The Joker. Its one of the greatest quotes in film and it was incredibly difficult for me to put it in the second slot. This is my favorite quote that is uttered by my favorite movie character in my favorite movie of all time and it deserves nothing less than my undying praise, but I had to give it the second slot because of my unconditional love for the next quote.
1. “Well there’s this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know that my name is the lord when I lay my vengeance upon you. I’ve been sayin’ that shit for years and when you heard it, that meant yo’ ass. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was some cold blooded shit to say to a mother fucker before I popped a cap in his ass. I saw some shit this morning that made me think twice. See now I’m thinkin’ maybe it means you’re the evil man and I’m the righteous man and Mr. 9mm here, he’s the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean, you’re the righteous man and I’m the shepherd and its the world thats evil and selfish. Now I like that, but that shit ain’t the truth. The truth is, you’re the weak and I am the tyranny of evil men, but I’m tryin’ Ringo. I’m tryin’ real hard to be the shepherd.” -Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)
Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest movies of all time and to tell the truth, when it comes the writing, its undoubtedly the best. In his greatest performance, Samuel L. Jackson plays the fantastic character Jules Winnfield and in what is the greatest scene in film history, he says the greatest quote in the history of film. Many people love the Ezekiel 25:17 Bible verse and don’t get me wrong, I love it too, but its basically nothing without Winnfield’s unforgettable examination behind the meaning of the words. No monologue, line or quote gets me nearly as emotionally involved in the film at hand than this one. I truly don’t see it ever being surpassed. Not even my favorite movie/character was able to do that. Jules Winnfield is unquestionably the holder of the greatest movie quote of all time.
In my review for what is supposed to be the final film in the Saw franchise, I’d like discuss not only Saw 3D, but the series as a whole. Lets first begin with Saw 3D. My biggest complaint regarding this film is its title and use of 3D. First off, I’d like to establish my hatred for the idea of 3D in general. This really isn’t the right place to discuss it, but 3D is unneeded, pointless, it doesn’t make a movie better and it never will so just stop. James Cameron is an awful person who makes terrible movies. Anyways, lets talk Saw.
Okay, go ahead and make your movie 3D, I’ll be a little frustrated, but I’m not gonna complain much. What I will complain about is the way the filmmakers felt it necessary to attach “3D” to the title as if thats what’s going to make me want to watch this movie. Because it makes me happy to have the feeling that I can reach out and touch someone’s severed spleen. I’m being sarcastic if you couldn’t tell. 3D didn’t add anything to this movie. Call it Saw VII because that’s what it is. Now, lets just chat about the actual movie.
Saw 3D was awful. It was absolutely atrocious. It was a movie filled with a corny plot, dreadful dialogue, terrible acting and dull direction. To tell you the truth, going in, I didn’t expect anything else. I knew whole-heartedly going in that what I was about to see was going to be a terrible movie. This statement begs the question: Why did I go see it at all then? Well, before I delve into that question, I’d like to give you my ranking of the Saw series (from least to greatest):
7. Saw II
6. Saw V
5. Saw VI
4. Saw IV
3. Saw III
2. Saw 3D
1. Saw
I feel the same way about Saw 3D that I do about the entire series. Its absolutely awful filmmaking on almost all accounts, but I can’t fight my feelings on the series any longer. I love the Saw movies. The Saw series is our generation’s Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween and I consider myself lucky cause, you know what, Saw’s better.
Don’t get me wrong. All those crappy slasher movie series, from Halloween to Scream are a blast, but I get more enjoyment out of the Saw movies. The Saw movies actually take their multiple killings and attempt to put a complex story and meaning behind them, sure it was corny and impossible, but it was a series that was fun to watch. It was interesting to see what would happen next. And I’m not talking about the traps, I’m talking about the plot of the entire seires that came to a great close in Saw 3D. Saw 3D made everthing make sense in a Saw sort of way and brought everything full circle and in that way it was pretty awesome. At the end, it was obviously corny and in no way could ever happen realistically, but that didn’t stop my heart from pounding and my lips from smiling.
So there you go, the Saw series is awful, but I’m not ashamed to say that I love it. I’m finding it very difficult to grade this movie, because even though I love it I can’t hide the fact that it was a terrible movie. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to grade Saw 3D from the stand point of a lover of movies and a critic, but I will say this. The Saw series is essentially the ultimate guilty pleasure for me and that’s by far the best way I can put it.
In honor of the Halloween season, I thought it only necessary to pay tribute to some of scariest fictional characters ever created with a list of my top ten favorite horror movie icons. These are the characters that haunted my nightmares as a small child, before I was old enough to even see the movies they were a part of. There are so many different kinds of horror movies and its truly amazing to me how awful one horror movie can be, while another can be one of the greatest films ever made. Horror films are always a blast to watch, good or bad, and this is a list of my favorite villainous basterds that star in them:
10. Chucky
I’m not ashamed to say it, dolls, dummies, toys, whatever, can be very creepy and it would be a sin to not include the most iconic killer toy known to film history. The idea of one of your childhood toys coming to life was just a frightening idea all its own. Child’s Play was that idea put into movie form and its villain was a sinister killer “good guy” doll named Chucky.
9. Ghostface
I love Scream. Period. Its the greatest satire on horror films I’ve ever seen, while at the same time being a horror film. It was also the film that introduced us to the killer “Ghostface”, a now classic mask thats almost impossible not to see when your out trick or treating. “Ghostface” was such a great killer in the way he tried hard to be a great killer learning so much from his fictional predecessors.
8. Leatherface
Whether we’re talking the 2003 remake or the original, Leatherface was one of the most disturbingly realistic killers ever put on screen. The intention was to make him as real as possible and it worked. His weapon of choice is a chainsaw and he uses his victim’s skin to cover his disfigured face. He is not the kind of man I’d like to meet in a dark alley.
7. Jigsaw
Sure every movie after the first one was god awful, but it still doesn’t take away from the idea of this now iconic movie killer who finds disturbing ways for his victims to kill themselves. Jigsaw is our generation’s Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers. Yes, with an iconic horror villain you’re going to get a bunch of crappy sequels, but there will always be bad movies with cool characters that stick with you.
6. Norman Bates
“A boy’s best friend is his mother.” Psycho is the film some believe to be the greatest horror movie ever made. It is quite the masterpiece and it introduced us to one of the most famous death scenes of all time (the classic shower scene) and the iconic horror villain, Norman Bates. Due to the pitch-perfect performance of Anthony Perkins and the brilliant direction of Alfred Hitchcock, we were given one of the most terrifying killers in history.
5. Jason Voorhees
Ever since the release of the now classic horror series, Friday the 13th, the hockey mask has been associated with both death and fear. Jason Voorhees is so mind-numbingly iconic with his mask, his machete and his creative kills. Over 10 sequels and remakes have been created after the first centering around him and his killings. I don’t know if the masses are still entertained by him, but he will surely never be forgotten. For he is a staple in the slasher sub-genre.
4. Michael Myers
Halloween is the movie that arguably originated the slasher movie and if not, it at least made the sub-genre awesome. The slasher film would seriously be nothing without Halloween and its killer, Michael Myers. He’s quiet, he takes his time, oh and its nearly impossible to kill the guy. Michael Myers is the iconic slasher movie killer. This goes with out saying, but I am talking about the 70s classic. Rob Zombie’s remake was awful.
3. Freddy Krueger
In a list of the best horror movie icons, you had to expect to see Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. The only question was where to put them. On my list, they fall back to back and Freddy Krueger is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. A Nightmare on Elm Street took the slasher movie and redefined it with Freddy Krueger who literally kills you in your dreams. If the plot of not being able to sleep at risk of dying a horrific death wasn’t a enough, you got the fantastic charisma of the iconic horror character, Freddy Krueger.
2. Jack Torrance
The Shining is a masterpiece of epic porportions, one of my favorite movies and the greatest horror movie. What drives this fantastic tour de force is the one man’s decent into madness. Jack Nicholson is brilliant as always as one of the greatest horror movie icons in existence. Looking over many other opinions on the web on the topic of horror icons, it seemed that Jack Torrance was for the most part overlooked. Not only is he a horror movie icon, he’s one of the best.
1. Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter is not only the greatest horror icon in existence, he’s also one of the greatest movie characters of all time. Anthony Hopkins earned a well-deserved oscar for his portrayal of the sadistic cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He’s confident, he rarely blinks and he enjoys the little things in life like a bit classical music after biting off the flesh of a man’s face. Hannibal Lecter is one of the most interesting and entertaining movie villains ever put in a movie and because of his lack of screen time, you have to savor every second while he savors something else.
Movies-Films-MotionPictures 