Lawrence of Arabia

"So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are."

I've been interested in seeing this film for a while, just I've been too lazy to watch the film. It was great.

Title: Lawrence of Arabia
Year of Release: 1962
Director: David Lean
Genre: Adventure/Biography/Drama/War
Rating: 9.5/10

This film is about Lawrence, an English soldier who is viewed as a man who is foolish and quite useless, he is very educated and passionate about Arabia, and he goes there to investigate the Arab revolt against Turkey during World War I.

Well to anyone who has seen this film knows that the cinematography is absolutely amazing, the desert looks really beautiful and the shots are fantastic. It really helps make the scenes more enjoyable and the amazing scenery and great cinematography make the typically long scenes presented in a traditional "epic" film very amazing and jaw dropping. What initially attracted me to this film was definitely the desert scenes, I don't know what it is, but I just find deserts interesting and appealing. I love westerns mainly for that reason, the setting is great. I also think the attire the Arabians wear looks great, sure I wouldn't wear it myself, but in a film, it's very cool, I think. When you see them riding on their camels or horses riding into battle with their swords raised, those scenes are great, they really do look like modern warriors.

The character development is very good, probably only matched by the Godfather and Citizen Kane. There are no jumps in character personality, and the way it shows two sides to some of the characters, instead of showing them in a typical one-sided view. The character of Lawrence on the outside appears very likable but he has tendencies that can make him in some eyes unlikable. Which definitely makes him interesting. Lawrence is certainly not a simple character, there are a lot of complexities to his character, and he only becomes more and more complicated through the film, he's not quite a man you can guess what he does and what he is capable of, the only thing you can be sure of is, he is very determined to accomplish what he sets his mind to, despite all doubt.

Like Akira Kurosawa does in most of his films, there are a lot of long shots in this film, and there are few close shots, only a handful if even that many, but I remember seeing one, I cannot remember exactly of who, but it did feel strange to see it there. A lot of the time you won't notice the shots used in a film, but this is one you do, it's very effective, the use of long shots in this film in particular, more relevant than in a Kurosawa film, if I may say so myself. The long shots really help showcase the beautiful desert, the armies of men, as well, the empty vastness of the desert and how difficult of an adventure the men all go through, particularly through the Nefud desert, the desert which was considered impassable, there is no water for a long while and the sun constantly shines on you all the time, there is no resting in that area.

The battle scenes are astonishing, especially the "No prisoners!" battle scene. It's good they didn't dwindle on lengthy battle scenes for effect, because it doesn't seem relevant to this film in particular. This film is not an action film, and I don't think anyone should really watch this for the action, though the action is very good and whatnot, another example is with the trains. This film I think should be viewed because of it's amazing cinematography and brilliant character development, alone, the development as I've said is matched by Citizen Kane and Godfather, the cinematography in my opinion is matched by Apocalypse Now, 2001: A Space Odyssey (I guess that's debatable for some, but I loved it) and Seven Samurai, the two combined though are unmatched by any film, it is definitely a great achievement in film history.

If your interested in seeing this film, go ahead and watch it, if it interests you, it will match or surpass your expectations, no doubt. It's over three hours, so if you have a relatively short attention span like myself it MIGHT be a stretch to watch this, I had no problem, I even skipped the intermission, isn't it interesting how they had intermission actually edited into the film, how things change, eh? Expect amazing scenes, amazing acting and fantastic characters because that's what you'll get and more!

Click me to view the trailer!

Breaking Bad

"Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, age what? Sixty? He's just gonna break bad?"

After hearing a lot of praise for this show, I have finally finished Season One, by god, it's amazing!

• Title: Breaking Bad
• Year of Release: 2008
• Creator: Vince Gilligan
• Genre: Drama/Crime
• Rating: 8.5/10

This show is about a man, Walter White, begins to have a midlife crisis around the time he discovers he has Lung Cancer, he decides turns to crime, and begins making meth to leave some money behind in fear that if he dies he may leave his wife in debt. To make things even more complex, his brother in law works for the DEA.

Bryan Cranston leads the cast as Walter White Sr, yes, Bryan Cranston, Hal from Malcom in the Middle. This show in the first episode alone outdoes his great success in any or all of the Malcom in the Middle episodes. With this show he certainly has brought a lot of respect for the man, people loved his character in Malcom in the Middle but once the show was over there was nowhere he could really go, he wasn't too big, and he hadn't shown any real talent and versatility. This show has done everything he needed to show the world he is a very good actor and now I don't doubt that he will become big after this, he deserves it, he really is amazing.

Not only is Cranston an amazing actor but so is the rest of the cast! They're all relatively fresh faces, which is always a good thing when they're all doing wonderful performances. Aaron Paul plays his part very well and doesn't become just another annoying "wigger", which makes the show so much more enjoyable instead of having to drag myself through the scenes with him in it. I was surprised to find out that RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr) actually does have cerebral palsy himself as well as play a character who has it, he does a truly fantastic job, especially in one episode in particular, those who have seen the show I'm sure know what I'm talking about, for those who haven't you can look forward to it.

When I was about to watch the show I was expecting a comedy, after watching brief commercials and whatnot it appeared relatively comedic and I just could not picture Cranston playing a serious role. To my delight this show is a serious one, there are some minor comedic parts in some of the episodes but those come with most good shows. I have no problems with comedy shows, I love them, it's just when it comes to a show that is simply funny, after watching it I can shrug it off despite having laughed my ass off for 30-60 minutes, but with a serious show that is really good, I may be left in awe awaiting the next episode.

The way the show approaches the issues that are in the show are dealt with quite well. Cancer, of course, is very serious, and it is not simply there for the story, it is properly implemented into the show and is taken very seriously, and deals with the issue whether you should get the expensive treatment, be miserable and maybe still die but you might live or just live your last days/weeks/months/years normally. The show is really strong in that aspect. It has a long range of what is presented. It deals with very serious family issues, of course, it isn't particularly easy having a son with cerebral palsy and it is briefly dealt with seriously, another thing the show touches on several times is the general moral issue of is what Walt doing justified? As well as dealing with those issues, the other side is the drug side, the crime side if you will, which is very interesting and entertaining, especially when you get Walter Sr, need for vengeance and mercury all in one room and trust me, that is one hell of a combo.

There are two things that bother me the most about this show though, and these are the MOST bothering things (yes, I repeated myself). I don't like the character Tuco to a small extent, just the parts where he tries too hard to be Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas. Another thing is the fact they don't seem to stress very much how incredibly bad meth really is, they do so well in every aspect, maybe they just haven't got around to it yet, I guess they only had 7 episode for season one, hopefully they improve that part, especially when they don't just make dirty meth, they make clean pure meth.

I recommend this show to anyone, honestly, open audience to those age appropriate. If your a fan of Bryan Cranston from his character of Hal in Malcom in the Middle, you will be shocked to see him show such diversity, it's really amazing, as I've said. It's a good all round show, it doesn't spend much time trying to be violent, it doesn't have an f-bomb every fifth word. There is some crafty scripting put into this show. So, please, even if you think it sounds a bit iffy, give it a shot, it's quite good, I promise.

Click me to view an an advertisement for "Breaking Bad"

Re-Animator

"Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow."

I simply got interested in seeing this film, I'm a fan of "Zombie" films, so I decided I'd give this a shot after reading all the praise for the film. It was decent enough.

• Title: Re-Animator
• Year of Release: 1985
• Director: Stuart Gordon
• Genre: Comedy/Horror/Sci-Fi
• Rating: 6.5/10

This is a film adaption of a tale by H.P. Lovecraft, in which a Medical student called Hupert West knows the way to "re-animate" the dead (bring them back to life).

Well, for those who aren't sure whether this is quite suitable to watch with your parents or little siblings, trust me, it isn't. It's filled with quite a lot of fun brainless (pun intended :D) gore and there is also a fair bit of nudity, now you sickos who have already grabbed their car keys to grab the film just because it has nudity, let me tell you, it's not beautiful, a lot of it is surrounded by either a headless dude or it's a whole lot of Zombie nudity. Yes, put your keys away, and continue reading. There is quite a lot of blood and guts in the film so I guess this goes without saying, but what the hey! Squeamish people, I don't think you should watch this. It's not particularly realistic violence or anything even to the level of violence in the mindless dribble flick Hostel, but still, there is a fair bit of violence.

This isn't one of those films where your puzzled by the explanations they give for how they managed to overcome the impossible and how great they are and whatnot, I can't recall any scientific explanation, simply "Well I got this thing right, what it does is re-animate people, k?", so don't go expecting some intelligent film, this isn't the one your looking for. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this film is stupid, because it isn't, if you are interested in seeing this film, and have seen any footage or read anything about it, you should know what to expect, and it's rather obvious from footage whether it's a film you can or can't watch.

It certainly doesn't take itself seriously, some may view this as a comedy, something I guess down the lines like Evil Dead II, I personally didn't find it too funny, it had it's moments, but I wouldn't consider this a comedy, but then again after watching the film it does have that sort of feel to it, but I guess thats simply because it's not a dead serious film (pun intended, again, :D).

This was about how good I expected it to be, I had hoped though it would be better, but it was still enjoyable, it wasn't a magnificent film nor was it a bad one. It was worth the hour and a half because it was still quite enjoyable. There isn't much else in my opinion to say about the film, if you simply watch the trailer you get the gist of what to expect from the film. I'd recommend it to people who did like Evil Dead II and does enjoy horror films that aren't particularly scary but more just a have-fun and enjoy sort of horror.

Click me to view the trailer!

I'm Not There

"It's like you got yesterday, today and tomorrow, all in the same room. There's no telling what can happen."

Recently, I've gotten into Bob Dylan's music, I also watched a few interviews with him on youtube, etc. After reading up a bit on this, and watching the trailer I decided I'd watch this despite I reading that it apparently wasn't much of an accurate perception of Dylan. The person who said that completely misunderstood the film.

• Title: I'm Not There
• Year of Release: 2007
• Director: Todd Haynes
• Genre: Drama/Music
• Rating: 8.5/10

This film is about 6 characters who all play a different aspect of how Bob Dylan is viewed by the public, this is not a biography or a chronicle of his life. As I've said, it is how he is seen.

Christian Bale is Jack, he portrays Dylan's "Folk" music era (I don't like saying that, as said in the film "Everybody knows I'm not a folk singer") and is told by those who knew him like a documentary, reminiscent of Scorsese's Documentary on Dylan, "No Direction Home". Bale is definitely the weakest link in this film, his acting was mediocre at best, it felt very forced, he tried too hard to look and seem like Dylan and it was very obvious.

Marcus Carl Franklin plays Woody Guthrie, a young African-American boy who has traveled across the United States, whom is inspired by the real Woody Guthrie. The boy has the words "This Machine Kills Fascists" written on it much like Guthrie did too. The real Woody Guthrie inspired a large amount of "Folk" musicians. Franklin plays his part very well, he certainly doesn't feel like Dylan nor should he, really. This aspect of the film was quite interesting, and Franklin definitely plays his part with obvious pride and maturity.

Ben Whishaw plays Arthur Rimbaud (the real Rimbaud was a poet) who is quite rebellious and throughout the film is in the same room, it looks like an interrogation room where he talks about pretty much what is happening in the movie, narrating it if you will. I don't know if this is relevant to this aspect, but I do know some fans believe the government grabbed Dylan because of his songs being quite protesting and brainwashed him, which led to his new electric style. Regardless, Whishaw does a great job in his role, it is quite obvious too he is trying to do common traits of Dylan I've noticed in some of his interviews, but unlike Bale he does them smoothly and they feel like they are common.

Richard Gere plays Billy who is more focused on being the elderly Dylan of today, though it is set in a different time. Richard Gere performed well enough, much better than I had expected, I had my doubts about him. He was well supported with a brilliant script though. During his aspect it seemed more to me that he wasn't as much as Dylan as the surroundings were, an example of this I guess is when you see a man seeing a song during the memorial of the woman who has died, he wears white makeup much like Dylan did to mask his emotions during rough times, also wearing a similar hat as I've seen when Dylan had the makeup on, I can't really think of any other examples from this aspect, but you get my point.

Heath Ledger plays Robbie Clark who is a famous actor in the film, this aspect of the film focuses more on Dylan's disfunctional personal life. Ledger unlike Whishaw, Bale and Blanchett I feel Ledger makes the part seem more of his own instead of trying to become Dylan, or anything like that, sure I guess there are some minor elements which he is trying to implement to remind you of Dylan, but they aren't near as significant as those others. Ledger in my opinion shines the most in this film and after watching an interview with him on "I'm Not There" it is clear he "gets" the film, which is definitely a bonus.

Last but not least, Cate Blanchett plays Jude Quinn, Blanchett definitely had the hardest part to tackle of the entire cast, her part focuses on Dylan during the height of his fame. Her part starts just after he "sells out" and goes electric. Blanchett as well tries to feel and look like Bob Dylan, and she succeeds the most in this aspect, as well her acting was fantastic, it was easy to forget that it was a woman, which wasn't a problem in the first place anyway. Her part was not just the hardest but it was the most important and it was gone about perfectly. She deserved her nomination at the Oscars, but if you ask me, Ledger was the best in this film.

The music, as expected, was terrific, I'm not sure exactly what the theme was that kept going throughout the film randomly but it didn't sound like a part of a Dylan song (I feel ashamed with fear that it actually is) but instead an original score. The music was definitely an important part of this film, though the bulk of it was cover songs, minus the finale song "I'm Not There". The films cinematography was terrific, every frame seemed like art, 'twas amazing.

Another aspect (a word I've used a lot today) of the film I enjoyed was seeing parts which were quotes from Dylan himself, or references to his songs. As well, minor reenactments of some of his interviews, example, in the car where Jude Quinn says "How can I answer that if you got the nerve to ask me?", this just added to my enjoyment of the film.

I highly recommend this to Dylan fans, DO NOT expect a biography of Dylan's life, this is not what this is, and to be honest, I'm quite glad, because the way this was done was very creative and original. Anyone could watch this, I guess, but it may not make too much sense and it will be a lot less significant than if your a fan of Dylan. If you did want to see this film, I recommend you at least watch and read up a little on Dylan just so you know a little about the man, even if you don't like his music.

Click me to view the trailer!

Casablanca

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

More or less after watching On the Waterfront I was really in the mood for another timeless classic that is critically acclaimed, so I chose Casablanca. I don't think I've seen any other Humphrey Bogart films, so I was quite excited to experience a "Bogey" film.

• Title: Casablanca
• Year of Release: 1942
• Director: Michael Curtiz
• Genre: Drama/Romance
• Rating: 8.5/10

Rick is one of the most respected men in Casablanca, for some seemingly unexplained reason he cannot return home to New York City. While in Casablanca he runs a saloon. It is set during World War II in Casablanca, Africa.

From the beginning of the film I found Rick a very interesting character, everyone respects him. Some of the saloon workers and army officials feel they know him quite well, but really it becomes more and more clear they do not know him very well at all. The only person who seems to know him well is Sam, the saloon's piano player. Rick appears quite stubborn at the beginning, Captain Renault begins to think Rick is a sentimentalist. The character of Rick is quite complicated, he just becomes more and more interesting throughout the film.

The acting is phenomenal, from every word, movement and facial expression Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart) becomes a memorable character and Bogart's own. The smaller characters and Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman) are also very good, not as great as the high level set by Bogart. Overacting and just plain bad acting which makes you cringe are not present in this film anywhere.

Throughout the film it has a nice feel to it. Maybe it's just me but the setting, and way everyone in the film was, and the plot just went so well together, it made me be able to get into this film so much more, because of this within the first ten minutes I was already right into the film. This film never drags on, bores or depresses you, it's not that sort of film. Really, it would be difficult for it to drag when it's only one hour and forty minutes. I felt very comfortable with this film, I say nice, but that's an understatement.

Some may be turned away from this film because it's usually referred to as one of the best romance films, if not the best, but it's more than just being simply put into a genre. It's not just about the romance in the film, there is a lot more going on in it, there is something for everyone present. It's sixty six years old and it still hasn't aged a day, the only thing that really shows it's age is the fact it's black and white which people should be able to get past very quickly, but I know there are quite a lot of simple minded people out there who are turned away by black and white films which is quite ridiculous and pointless, so, watch this film, it's a must see for anyone who considers them self a film lover.

Click me to view the trailer!

The Long Way Round

"I said, "Eve, I want you to look after my wedding ring while I'm away," and she started to cry and I said, "Eve. Eve, I can't wear my ring or I won't get laid on the trip!"."

A while back I saw some random episodes, I quite enjoyed what I saw, but I never watched the whole thing, only parts. My brother got into the show so I decided I'd watch the show too. What a great show it was..

• Title: Long Way Round
• Year of Release:
  
• Directors: David Alexanian & Russ Malkin
• Genre: Documentary/Adventure
• Rating: 8/10

The show is about Ewan McGregor and his best mate Charley Boorman who decide to go on an extremely difficult trip through Russia, Mongolia, Siberia, Kazakhstan, and then finish up flying over to North America where they will go to New York and finish their massive adventure. Throughout the show they struggle, and it is not quite as easy as they thought it would be.

Without Ewan McGregor this show more than likely would not have been made, the only reason I feel it was made, was because McGregor is an A-List celebrity, and to see how he can cope on a trip that could easily be made into a film, he doesn't act, he doesn't try to act like someone else, it is obvious throughout. It's very easy to go through the show and not realise there is more spotlight on McGregor because of his fame, which would generate most of the interest (worked in my case at least), but throughout the show Charley does grow on you and you really enjoy his presence in the show, he didn't just become "the other guy". Once you actually watch the show, neither of them make the sure better or worse than the other, they are equally as interesting in the show.

When the going gets rough in the show, mainly in Mongolia I feel, it was very exciting, and you could just feel their frustration build and build because they would constantly fall off of their bike literally every 20 or so seconds. Though you see them get quite frustrated at their situation, they do become more optimistic and try to keep their cool, which is obviously difficult. Having to go down some tracks that were so difficult only to realise it's a dead end and you have to go back would get quite annoying, and you really begin to feel it. Despite being in the middle of there is quite a few people that show up here and there that are very friendly, people offering a room, assistance, throughout. It looked like such an amazing trip.

The show is great in that it's entertaining to see these two men (and Claudio) go on this epic journey, the scenery they come across is really amazing, and again stacks up with the many different things that make this show so enjoyable. Charley and Ewan themselves picked out the music for the show, and all the songs throughout go perfectly with the show and only enhance the show. The theme is quite catchy and decent as well if you ask me.

So if your even remotely interested in this show at least watch the first three episodes. This show is very enjoyable and by the end you actually feel as if you know the two men on a personal level, similar to what Ewan says about the Orange County guys, you feel you know them because you've not only seen them for several hours, but you've seen them through good times and bad. Those interested in these sort of things, you'll love this.

Click me to view the trailer!

On the Waterfront

"I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am"

Well I got interested in this film, I had read by numerous places that this was one of the best films in the history of films, and the fact it had the Marlon Brando was a big push into me wanting to watch the film. I got an urge to watch the film and I got right into it, trying not to get my hopes up too much (I wasn't doubting the greatness, but merely not expecting the wrong thing). I loved this film.

• Title: On the Waterfront
• Year of Release: 1954
• Director: Elia Kazan
• Genre: Crime/Drama/Romance
• Rating: 8.5/10

Terry Malloy, an ex boxer who could of been someone lives in a dangerous area filled with corruption, after the murder of Joey Doyle he finds himself worried conflicted about his situation, all the while he meets Joey's sister, Edie Doyle, who he begins to feel a connection with.

Anyone who has seen this film will not say the acting was even remotely bad, or average, especially from Marlon Brando. Terry is enhanced so much because of Brando's performance, he made his emotions so perfect, the way Terry tried to bottle up his feelings, and the way he would try to overcome the odds, as some sort of representation he hasn't lost his skill, and that he would do anything for a second shot.

Throughout the film there are some very interesting, but quite subtle foreshadows for whats to come, which for me only made the film more enjoyable. The climax of this film was terrific, it wasn't quite like today where all the action builds into a final showdown of bullets and explosions, instead it's more intelligent and real, which I respect greatly. It concludes with a very good ending which is always a bonus.

Marlon Brando fans, this is a film you have to see. Film fans, this is a film you have to see. It shines very well in every aspect possible. It's not a boring film, nor a long one, it's easy to get into and one that hasn't aged a bit in it's fifty-four years it's been around.

Brokeback Mountain

"Jack, I swear..."

As a straight male, I was reluctant to watch this film. For some reason I decided to watch the trailer, I decided to get past the whole fact it involves two gay men. I've no problem with gay people, just I find it quite awkward watching two gay men.. doing their thing.. but I got past it and because of that, I was able to enjoy this very good film.

• Title: Brokeback Mountain
• Year of Release: 2005
• Director: Ang Lee
• Genre: Drama
• Rating: 8/10

This film is about two men who fall in love with each other, they live separate lives during a controversial time, where in some parts of America people wanted to accept homosexuality as an okay way of life, but did not want it to happen with someone in their own lives. Of course, the two men, Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal), find it very hard to lead a normal life as well as continue their secret life with one-another. This is debatable, I guess, but this is one of the first mainstream films to show homosexuality in this light, there are other films that show homosexuality (Midnight Cowboy, Philadelphia, etc) but this is the only real one that shows the love between two men and the difficulties they face together.

There is no doubt Heath Ledgers acting in this film was very good, he managed to throw his Australian accent and put on a perfect Southern American accent, his acting was so amazing. It seems quite clear from this film that Ledger is a method actor. Jake Gyllenhaal does a great job as well, but Ledger definitely shines brighter in this film. The fact these two men, both straight, did such a great performance as two gay men shows their extreme professionalism and talent, because it's awkward enough for two men to hug let along get "passionate" with one another. I've gained a lot more respect for the two men for their performances, it was also good to see Ledger's first real film that he really tried his best in, he no longer had to worry about being rich or famous, he was there, he was able to finally act to his fullest potential, rest his soul.

Undoubtedly the cinematography in this film is outstanding, every frame of this film looks like a work of art. It really helps you enjoy this film more when you see the stunning visuals, whether it be the simple camera-work or the beautiful scenery, it really adds to the enjoyment. It's a pity they didn't film down here in New Zealand, I would love the film even more because I'm a proud Kiwi (aren't we all).

One problem I had with the film is it's jumping in time. I guess it was necessary to keep the viewer interested and it prevented the film from dragging out, just it was weird sometimes how quickly the relationships developed in the film, I felt you didn't get to see enough of this development But the character development in this film for Jack and Ennis was perfect, the rest of the cast developed, you didn't really see it, but it wasn't quite necessary.

So, men, get past the fact it has two gay men in love in it, surely enough, your comfortable enough with your orientation that you can watch this film, you probably will feel uncomfortable and may even cringe when they get "passionate" with one another, but get over it. It's a very great film, which shows the somewhat unseen in the USA. It includes brilliant performance from the whole cast. Just watch the film already.

Click me to view the trailer

The Great Dictator

"Look up, Hannah! The soul of man has been given wings and at last he is beginning to fly."

My friend recommended I watch this film, I was pretty reluctant to watch a Chaplin film after seeing parts of some of his silent Films on TCM, I'm not a huge fan of the sort of humor I saw in some, and not too keen on silent films either which stained my view of Chaplin even though this isn't a silent film. For some reason something in me changed and I wanted to watch the film, I'm glad I did.

• Title: The Great Dictator
• Year of Release: 1940
• Director: Charlie Chaplin
• Genre: Comedy/Drama
• Rating: 8.5/10
  

This film is a comedy that spoofs Adolf Hitler, Mussolini and their ridiculous views on Jewish people, their hypocritical views on Brunette's, etc, of course it's exaggerated. As well as showing a character that spoofs Hitler, Chaplin plays a nameless Jewish barber, who has his fair share of problems from the very beginning of the film right through until the end.

From the beginning of the film I found myself laughing trying to keep quiet so I did not wake anyone in the house, this didn't continue so much throughout the rest of the film, I didn't find everything completely "laugh out loud" funny, but still I found certain things quite funny. At the beginning I had to hold in laughter when he drops the very crafty looking Hand Grenade down his sleeve. Then there are scenes where you will just smile, like when the Barber falls through a roof into someones apartment, I can see that being quite funny but in todays days and time that has been done quite a lot it didn't feel original, though at the time, I'm sure it was. I loved Hynkels (Hitlers) bursts of raging German with the nice subtle English translation.

The final scene is wildly discussed because, well it's absolutely true, and so very intelligently constructed. Though the film is sixty eight years old the final scene is still relevant today, if this doesn't show how great a writer Chaplin is, then I don't know what will. The acting in this scene in particular was quite good, the Barber transcended the message perfectly and makes you realise the serious nature of the film, at the same time enjoying the humorous side.

Another element about this film is the fact that this was such a brave film, that almost feels ahead of it's time. Of course, Chaplin did not know what was going to happen after 1940, he was not aware of the Holocaust (obviously), he's also gone on record as to saying if he had of known he would not of made this film. The fact this film is so anti-Hitler is interesting, it's more interesting that it wasn't anti-Germany which would be very easy to have done back in those times, Chaplin could of easily made this a propaganda film, but instead did something more, he made an honest film.

I recommend anyone remotely interested in this film to see it, as well those who has studied or is studying Hitler and WWII to watch this film. It's entertaining to say the least, it doesn't have an annoying out-dated feel that some films of the time did. Unlike most "comedies" this film actually has a message it tries to bring to you, watch this film, you will be better off for having seen it.

Click me to view the trailer

Ratings

I've added ratings to the previous films. Scroll down to check 'em out or click on it from the index on the right.

Saving Private Ryan

"I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel."

Last night I needed to kill two hours or so, I was going to watch Das Boot but it's four hours (practically), so I looked through my DVD's and when I looked at Saving Private Ryan it was like love at first sight (again) so I popped it in my laptop and decided to watch it seeing as it's been nearly a year since I last saw it, I think.

• Title: Saving Private Ryan
• Year of Release: 1998
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Genre: War/Drama
• Rating: 8.5/10

For those who have been living under a rock on Mars since 1998, I'll explain to their deprived mind what this brilliant film is about. It opens on Omaha Beach, when all the boats are about to approach land, everyone is nervous as hell, eight men in particular are the center of the opening. These eight men are sent on a very conflicting, almost pointless, immoral mission. The eight men must risk their life, to save one man, Private James Francis Ryan. Why? Well, you'll just have to watch and see..

This comes very close to having one of the best openings in film history, now I'm not talking about the very sad opening with the old man walking through the War Grave, tears in his eyes, I'm going to talk about the Omaha Beach opening part. To watch this film in surround sound would be such an outstanding experience. Watching the opening with my headphones alone was amazing, you can really feel the bullets fly past your head, the sound effects was amazing. Not only were the effects amazing, but it was very dramatic and sad at the same time. To see so many bodies drop like flies having been so insignificant to the battle, so many friends and families would be torn apart because every one of those deaths. It's easy to just look at the opening as an exciting "action" segment, but it's so much more, beneath the surface. It's very graphic to help intensify the scene, to help you realise how extreme war really is, but of course, you cannot and will not really know without experience of war itself (so I don't, obviously).

I can easily imagine people simplifying this film to an action movie, which believe me it is not. Throughout the film it blends both action and dramatic scenes perfectly. I can promise you this is not a slow film which you feel is a burden to watch simply to see how great it is, it's a film that will actually keep you interested throughout, you can admire it from the beginning to end, you won't have to think back on it to just like it like with some films. It's two hours and forty minutes roughly, sure that's long for most people, but as I've said, it won't drag. It does have very conflicting scenes involving the soldiers, where they will question the importance of the mission, the tragic nature of war, etc, but then it will fade into a great scene with explosions and flying bullets. I can't help but feel I'm simplifying the film in this paragraph.

I've barely scrapped the surface of what makes this such a great film, but if you simply watch the trailer you will quickly see whether this is a film for you, which I'm sure it is. It's quite gruesome, but it's not ridiculous like in a lot of films, it's brutally realistic. Stereotypically speaking, both males and females will like this film, at least respect it, a lot. You will not be bored. It's amazing.

Click me to go to the trailer!

Sunshine

"So if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it."

When I first watched "Sunshine" I was quite tired, still, I enjoyed it. After having seen "2001" and "Solyaris", I was deeply in the mood for another film in space, so I decided to rewatch this, especially because I could barely remember what happens in the film, mainly the ending. I was thoroughly enjoyed, even though it does not compare to "2001" or "Solyaris" it's still a good film.

• Title: Sunshine
• Year of Release: 2007
• Director: Danny Boyle
• Genre: Sci Fi/Thriller
• Rating: 8/10

This film is about a group of astronauts who go on a mission to reignite a dying sun, though most probably unrealistic, it does not feel as if it's unrealistic or lame. The group are aboard the Spaceship Icarus II, Icarus I failed to complete the mission.

First I will talk about the acting. I'm sure even those who didn't like the film can agree, the acting was quite good from most of the cast, probably Cliff Curtis was the least brilliant in this aspect of the movie. To my surprise, Chris Evans really does shine (pun intended) in this movie, it really showed he actually has a talent other than the simple, 2d characters he has played in the past for simple "money flicks". As expected, Cillian Murphy does a superb job in his role.

John Murphy, I salute you. Murphy's score for the film was one of the best parts of this film, especially in the dramatic scenes, when the theme was played it would really get you into the film, it was so great. Music in movies is quite often under appreciated, in few movies do they manage to get such a good score that it makes you want to listen to it in your spare time, or give you that feeling in your stomach that makes you feel for the characters so much, simply because of the enticing music.

As you may have seen from the trailer, the special effects for this film are very good. This film definitely has some amazing visuals that you can admire even if your not enjoying it, generally.

I can understand why people don't like the film, I won't deny them their opinion. If it was given a second opinion on the end, and added another 30-60 minutes, it would have been perfected, I'm certain of that. As I stated earlier, it doesn't compare to the brilliant "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "Solyaris", those films simply put me in the right mood. If your looking for an interesting Sci Fi film, I highly recommend you check this out, as well, as usual, check out the trailer, because generally speaking it will point you in the right direction if it's your sort of film.

Click me to go to trailer.