A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: John Wells
Starring: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts and others
Don't really know why but before its release this movie was kind of
giving me a bad vibe. I wasn't really looking forward to it and wasn't
expecting much good from it either. But there was no need for any that
though, as it later turned out. This simply is one enjoyable and also
rather good, old fashioned, adventure movie.
It's actually kind of refreshing to see a fairytale, that's actually
set in ancient times. Unlike most other recent genre attempts, this
movie doesn't feel the need to update or even urbanize its classic tale
and all of its characters. Sure it has plenty of additions to its story
but it's at least not done to update it for modern times, or to reach a
different sort of audience with it.
It still obviously remains a far from perfect movie though. In some
ways it still disappointing, such as most notably with its earlier
mentioned story. It's a bit of a shame that all of the additions don't
really add enough and the movie actually sort of feels overwritten. I
can understand why film-makers would feel the need to overcomplicated
things with its story and throw in a bunch of side-plots and multiple
different characters but I feel that in this case the movie truly would
had benefited from a more simplistic approach and story. A princess
goes missing in the land of the giants. A group of men brave goes after
her. The group of men battle the giants. The group of men rescue the
princess and go home...the end! Or well, that's how the story should
have been in my opinion. There really was no need to throw in all of
the power struggles, betrayal and war elements in my opinion, since it
only distracts from its main story and the core of it. It would have
felt right for the movie to have revolved around Jack and the giants
but above half way through it starts to become apparent that the movie
is trying to do way more than just that, which was all quite
unnecessary in my opinion. I was enjoying the movie good enough as it
was already and the story developments only took away some of the fun
of it.
Nevertheless, this remains one perfectly watchable and also enjoyable
adventure movie, with some of the classic genre ingredients in it.
There is plenty of action to enjoy and also plenty of fun with its
story and characters. All of the characters actually work out quite
well, even though some of them were still unnecessary for the movie in
my opinion.
Probably the foremost reason why most of the characters still work out
so well is because they are being played by some fine and likable
actors. I was especially fond of Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci in
this, maybe all the more so because they were playing some roles you
don't often see- or expect to, see them play.
It's also a good looking movie. I was kind of afraid that the CGI would
distract from the movie but the movie actually benefits well from its
visuals and computer effects. Still it's kind of disappointing and
ineffective to see a bunch of CG creatures battling a bunch of human
characters. I don't know, it's sort of killer for the tension, since
it's all obviously something fake that you are watching on the screen.
I kind of wish they would have used some more practical effects at
times, also to more 'humanize' all of the giant characters. Sure, they
are voiced by some great actors but they still really never come to
live as characters as well.
But even so, this movie was much better than expected and I also still
had plenty of fun with it as well, despite of all of my criticism
toward it.
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and others
This is one of those sleeper movies, not an awful lot of people will
get to see, due to its limited release but it's absolutely one that
deserves to be seen by everyone.
It's not only a great and effective drama, that is hard not to feel
involved with but its also a movie that handles its concept in a very
respectful way. The movie revolves around the 2004 tsunami and what I
mean by saying its respectful is that it's not bringing anything in an
entertaining or dramatically forced way.
It's a very human drama, strengthened by the fact it mainly focuses on
just one family. They first struggle for survival but the movie soon
after that starts to turn into one in which the family members, who end
up being partly divided by the catastrophe, try to find each other in
the following chaos and panic. It probably still sounds like a somewhat
sappy, based on a true story, made for TV, overly dramatic, type of
movie to some but believe me; this movie is a very humble and
respectful one, that keeps things 'small' and realistic, at all times.
Because it tells everything from the family's viewpoint, you start to
feel involved real easily and everything hits you even harder. The
chaos, the wounded people, the death and of course the actual tsunami
itself. It throws you in the middle of all of it and often doesn't hold
back, making the movie a very involving and effective one.
The moment the tsunami hits is quite intense. it's done in an
incredibly realistic way and I actually have no idea how they achieved
all of it, since everything appears to have been done with practical
effects, as opposed to CG effects. Guess miniatures is the answer but
that still doesn't explain how they achieved some complicated looking
shots, involving the movie its characters. It's always a good and real
positive thing of course when a movie can surprise baffle you like that
and it's all the more an accomplishment when considering this movie
didn't had the highest of budgets and wasn't made by the crèmede la
crème of Hollywood. It's actually a Spanish production, also based on
the true story of a Spanish family but portrayed by English speaking
actors, no doubt to make this movie more available and accessible,
worldwide.
And who could also complain about it when the likes of Naomi Watts and
Ewan McGregor involved. Both are truly great, as is the young Tom
Holland, who actually at times has to carry the movie on his own.
That's what I also liked about the movie; it didn't just picked one
main character but instead focused on about 3 equally, making some of
the dynamics and story developments all the more interesting and
effective. Each of them experience things differently, from different
sides, facing different obstacles and difficulties, which is also
helping to keep the movie going and interesting. There is never really
a slow moment in it, unless the movie deliberately decides to have to.
It feels to me that everyone involved was very well aware of what type
of project they were involved with and all had their hearts and minds
in the right place for it. It makes this movie feel like a very
respectful one toward its subject and the victims and their families
and becomes a very effective and involving one through its approach as
well.
A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess. From: IMDb.com
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor and others
Well, lets just start of by saying this movie is no way near as good as
the original movie "Nattevagten", of which this movie is a remake but
it's still being a pretty good and fun whodunit to have a good time
with.
Kind of weird to notice how different this movie is in atmosphere and
approach, since it actually got directed by the same director who made
the original, 3 years prior to this American remake. And it's not just
different but also most definitely less effective. There is not as much
tension and mystery in this one, also due to some pacing issues (it's
too fast paced at times) and a poor buildup to things.
And all while this movie in essence is still being just like the
original. Not much had been changed in its story really and I was
therefore also quite surprised to find out Steven Soderbergh was
involved with the writing. Guess it was an easy paycheck for him, since
really not all that much had been changed or added to the movie, when
compared to the original movie.
While the original was being a whole lot of different things, this
movie is just being a more simple and more straightforward thriller, or
rather said whodunit. So really, don't expect this movie to provide you
with any horror but as a mystery/thriller, I can still see this movie
entertaining a whole bunch of people out there, of course especially
those who aren't familiar with the original movie already.
And really, the movie on its own is really being quite good and
entertaining for what it is. It really doesn't handle everything well,
mainly stuff concerning the earlier mentioned pacing and buildup to
things but as a whole it's still being a better movie than just the
average genre attempt. There are plenty of thrills and surprises in it,
that help to keep you invested in the movie.
It also has a cast to die for. Really an all-star cast, of which some
actors are better known now days as back then. Ewan McGregor plays the
main lead, while the movie further more stars Patricia Arquette, Nick
Nolte, a still very young looking Josh Brolin, Brad Dourif and John C.
Reilly. Not that this movie features any of their best or most
interesting and challenging performances but still, it's always good to
see so many talented people together on screen.
A definitely good enough movie as a straightforward thriller.
