Christopher Eccleston
INCEPTION Movie Review by C.S.: 3.24 stars out of 10 (Knowing everything about this movie cannot spoil it, but, just to let you know, this review reveals some plot details...)
I had uncontrollable high hopes for this movie.
Director Christopher Nolan is good at what he does (MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE).
Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor.
Tons of money was poured into this picture--and into the advertising campaign.
Unfortunately, it all went awry.
I have some questions:
Was there extremely loud and overbearing, threatening music through way too much of the movie?
Does DiCaprio play the same character in every movie?
We all know that zillions of dollars can't improve a bad script, right?
You want more than guys fighting on ceilings and walls in zero gravity for entertainment, right? Right?!!
You want more than the streets of Paris folding themselves over your head like in a TV commercial for pizza, right?
Could they have left out the 45 minutes of James Bond rip-off skiing scenes? (Please, God.)
Would it have been better (and cheaper and easier) for them to just have murdered the heir, thus causing the breakup of the business monopoly?
There was no doubt that the ending was the subconscious of DiCaprio's character, not reality, right? If it wasn't, it was not worth spending any more time to find out, right?
Would this movie actually have been better without all the endless complications--this is real--this is not real?
If you go back and forth too many times with this is real and this is not real--the audience starts not to care, right?
Would it have been more satisfying to focus on the similarities of ~dreams, hopes, and memories~?
My answer to all of these questions is, "yes."
See for yourself.
Movies need more than effects, loud music, and ridiculously complicated stories.
Even in commercial entertainment movies, we need characters who come to irrevocable ~inner transformation~ because of things they are forced to endure in order to get what they want. That's what makes an emotionally satisfying story.
Movies also need to create emotions that transport the audience through character and story ~meaning~--not through special effects--no matter how cool, and they need stories that thrill while not disconnecting the audience's commitment to suspend disbelief.
Directors who write their own movies need to hire writers to write good and satisfying stories if they are going to just resort to rehashing key moments from the star's last five movies to create fake resonance in the movie:
The dual lover suicide scene from DiCaprio's ROMEO AND JULIET is played again.
The "You jump, I jump" scene from TITANIC is played out in Paris with another suicidal girl asking DiCaprio's character to jump-- this time off a windowsill instead of the back of a ship.
The waterfront scenes from DiCaprio's THE BEACH and the waves-crashing-on-the- rocks-scenes from SHUTTER ISLAND are played again. (Why not just paste the scenes from the original movies into this film? Why go to all the trouble of filming new scenes of the same thing?)
I was hoping this movie would push me into emotional excitement or intellectual wonder.
Neither happened from the inception to the end.
To use a word repeated in the movie: "disappointed."
A thief invades other's dreams to steal information...or implant ideas.
INCEPTION Movie Review by C.S.: 3.24 stars out of 10 (Knowing everything about this movie cannot spoil it, but, just to let you know, this review reveals some plot details...)
I had uncontrollable high hopes for this movie.
Director Christopher Nolan is good at what he does (MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE).
Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor.
Tons of money was poured into this picture--and into the advertising campaign.
Unfortunately, it all went awry.
I have some questions:
Was there extremely loud and overbearing, threatening music through way too much of the movie?
Does DiCaprio play the same character in every movie?
We all know that zillions of dollars can't improve a bad script, right?
You want more than guys fighting on ceilings and walls in zero gravity for entertainment, right? Right?!!
You want more than the streets of Paris folding themselves over your head like in a TV commercial for pizza, right?
Could they have left out the 45 minutes of James Bond rip-off skiing scenes? (Please, God.)
Would it have been better (and cheaper and easier) for them to just have murdered the heir, thus causing the breakup of the business monopoly?
There was no doubt that the ending was the subconscious of DiCaprio's character, not reality, right? If it wasn't, it was not worth spending any more time to find out, right?
Would this movie actually have been better without all the endless complications--this is real--this is not real?
If you go back and forth too many times with this is real and this is not real--the audience starts not to care, right?
Would it have been more satisfying to focus on the similarities of ~dreams, hopes, and memories~?
My answer to all of these questions is, "yes."
See for yourself.
Movies need more than effects, loud music, and ridiculously complicated stories.
Even in commercial entertainment movies, we need characters who come to irrevocable ~inner transformation~ because of things they are forced to endure in order to get what they want. That's what makes an emotionally satisfying story.
Movies also need to create emotions that transport the audience through character and story ~meaning~--not through special effects--no matter how cool, and they need stories that thrill while not disconnecting the audience's commitment to suspend disbelief.
Directors who write their own movies need to hire writers to write good and satisfying stories if they are going to just resort to rehashing key moments from the star's last five movies to create fake resonance in the movie:
The dual lover suicide scene from DiCaprio's ROMEO AND JULIET is played again.
The "You jump, I jump" scene from TITANIC is played out in Paris with another suicidal girl asking DiCaprio's character to jump-- this time off a windowsill instead of the back of a ship.
The waterfront scenes from DiCaprio's THE BEACH and the waves-crashing-on-the- rocks-scenes from SHUTTER ISLAND are played again. (Why not just paste the scenes from the original movies into this film? Why go to all the trouble of filming new scenes of the same thing?)
I was hoping this movie would push me into emotional excitement or intellectual wonder.
Neither happened from the inception to the end.
To use a word repeated in the movie: "disappointed."
God bless you in Jesus' forgiveness, love, joy, peace, and grace.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life" -Jesus, in John 6:47.
The Bible says that God loves all people.
Unfortunately, we have been alienated and separated from God because of our breaking of God's Moral Law (sin). This is what has caused all of the evil, pain, disappointment, emptiness, meaninglessness, despair, soul-craving, confusion, fear, war, sickness, and death in the world.
Jesus Christ is the sinless and holy God-man, prophesied thousands of years in advance in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus loves you and died on the cross to pay for your sins.
He rose from the dead on the third day, showing that God the Father accepted His sacrifice for our sins.
Salvation, also known as redemption, is a free gift from God, received instantaneously, through believing in Christ.
The Bible says that if you believe in Christ, even for a moment, then you will not be punished for your sins in Hell (even future sins).
Rather, you will be given the permanent guarantee of Heaven, you will have meaning in your life, you will have God's love in your life, and a new holy identity in Christ, and you will immediately receive the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, forever.
You will be able to have a spiritual fellowship relationship with God every day.
God loves you, and I love you, too. Please believe in Christ right now and become part of God's family today. -Curtis
A thief invades other's dreams to steal information...or implant ideas.
INCEPTION Movie Review by C.S.: 3.24 stars out of 10 (Knowing everything about this movie cannot spoil it, but, just to let you know, this review reveals some plot details...)
I had uncontrollable high hopes for this movie.
Director Christopher Nolan is good at what he does (MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE).
Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor.
Tons of money was poured into this picture--and into the advertising campaign.
Unfortunately, it all went awry.
I have some questions:
Was there extremely loud and overbearing, threatening music through way too much of the movie?
Does DiCaprio play the same character in every movie?
We all know that zillions of dollars can't improve a bad script, right?
You want more than guys fighting on ceilings and walls in zero gravity for entertainment, right? Right?!!
You want more than the streets of Paris folding themselves over your head like in a TV commercial for pizza, right?
Could they have left out the 45 minutes of James Bond rip-off skiing scenes? (Please, God.)
Would it have been better (and cheaper and easier) for them to just have murdered the heir, thus causing the breakup of the business monopoly?
There was no doubt that the ending was the subconscious of DiCaprio's character, not reality, right? If it wasn't, it was not worth spending any more time to find out, right?
Would this movie actually have been better without all the endless complications--this is real--this is not real?
If you go back and forth too many times with this is real and this is not real--the audience starts not to care, right?
Would it have been more satisfying to focus on the similarities of ~dreams, hopes, and memories~?
My answer to all of these questions is, "yes."
See for yourself.
Movies need more than effects, loud music, and ridiculously complicated stories.
Even in commercial entertainment movies, we need characters who come to irrevocable ~inner transformation~ because of things they are forced to endure in order to get what they want. That's what makes an emotionally satisfying story.
Movies also need to create emotions that transport the audience through character and story ~meaning~--not through special effects--no matter how cool, and they need stories that thrill while not disconnecting the audience's commitment to suspend disbelief.
Directors who write their own movies need to hire writers to write good and satisfying stories if they are going to just resort to rehashing key moments from the star's last five movies to create fake resonance in the movie:
The dual lover suicide scene from DiCaprio's ROMEO AND JULIET is played again.
The "You jump, I jump" scene from TITANIC is played out in Paris with another suicidal girl asking DiCaprio's character to jump-- this time off a windowsill instead of the back of a ship.
The waterfront scenes from DiCaprio's THE BEACH and the waves-crashing-on-the- rocks-scenes from SHUTTER ISLAND are played again. (Why not just paste the scenes from the original movies into this film? Why go to all the trouble of filming new scenes of the same thing?)
I was hoping this movie would push me into emotional excitement or intellectual wonder.
Neither happened from the inception to the end.
To use a word repeated in the movie: "disappointed."
God bless you in Jesus' forgiveness, love, joy, peace, and grace.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life" -Jesus, in John 6:47.
The Bible says that God loves all people.
Unfortunately, we have been alienated and separated from God because of our breaking of God's Moral Law (sin). This is what has caused all of the evil, pain, disappointment, emptiness, meaninglessness, despair, soul-craving, confusion, fear, war, sickness, and death in the world.
Jesus Christ is the sinless and holy God-man, prophesied thousands of years in advance in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus loves you and died on the cross to pay for your sins.
He rose from the dead on the third day, showing that God the Father accepted His sacrifice for our sins.
Salvation, also known as redemption, is a free gift from God, received instantaneously, through believing in Christ.
The Bible says that if you believe in Christ, even for a moment, then you will not be punished for your sins in Hell (even future sins).
Rather, you will be given the permanent guarantee of Heaven, you will have meaning in your life, you will have God's love in your life, and a new holy identity in Christ, and you will immediately receive the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, forever.
You will be able to have a spiritual fellowship relationship with God every day.
God loves you, and I love you, too. Please believe in Christ right now and become part of God's family today. -Curtis
Three well-to-do Edinburgh flatmates acquire a suitcase full of cash when their mysterious new lodger is found dead. Conspiring to dispose of the body, the trio soon become suspicious of one another and their distrust ultimately proves their undoing...
This Britpop thriller is, for some inexplicable reason, one of my mother's favourite films, which I think speaks volumes about my home life.
Returning to Danny Boyle's 1994 debut after some time, I was somewhat disappointed by its tricksy editing, smarmy humour and unappealingly arrogant protagonists. Ewan McGregor's subsequent ubiquity means that it doesn't take long for his chirpy Highland charm to wear thin and become an annoyance. However, the film has barely dated and is still an intense, taut suspense piece, much more claustrophobic than, say, Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan (1998) for being largely contained within one apartment. Some motifs here would be echoed in Boyle's next outing, the mega-hit, epoch-defining Irvine Welsh adaptation Trainspotting (1996), such as the pounding techno theme by Leftfield and the clockwork baby seen crawling across the floorboards. Boyle may not have been Britain's answer to Quentin Tarantino, as he was hailed in 1994, but he did finally cement his place in the international mainstream with the multi-Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire in 2008.
I think the real reason to see Shallow Grave again is for Christopher Eccleston's utterly terrifying performance as David, the accountant who takes to living in the loft, unable to cope with reality after dismembering Keith Allen's corpse. Look out for Ken Stott as a quirky detective with writer John Hodge at his side and actor/director Peter Mullan playing one of the grimey hoods seeking to reclaim the money (the total value of which is never disclosed, incidentally).
The story, about a friendship gradually eroded by greed, may be one of the oldest in the world and go back on screen to at least The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948) but it's still a damn good one.
