I've seen a lot of movies over the past few weeks, as you can tell, and I've just been so behind on these reviews. I almost wanted to just skip them, but there were so many amazing ones, I couldn't bring myself to just skip them. So, in the hopes of getting back on track, I'm gonna review them, but try to keep them a tad shorter.
The Brothers Bloom
And with this, possibly (and probably) the greatest conman movie I've ever seen, Rian Johnson (otherwise known for Brick and, another movie on my top movies list, Looper) enters my list of favorite writer-directors. That's the same list that Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino are on, so that's saying something. This movie is amazing and, as a friend put it, is truly art. 10/10
Favorite Line: "The perfect con is one where everyone involved gets just what they wanted." A great example of a fantastic line in and of itself that takes on new meanings and nuances after you watch the film.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Believe it or not, though this movie is 12th on the IMDB top 250 movies of all time, I'm not a huge fan. It's quite good, and I can certainly understand why it's held in such high regard, but it's not quite my cup of tea. I found that the plot was a little slow at times and Nurse Ratched wasn't nearly as evil as I was led to believe. I'm sure a lot of my reaction was because of the high expectations I had going into it, though. The film makes an extremely interesting statement about freedom and society and is an interesting character study that, for once, doesn't try to elevate clinical insanity to some quality that just makes someone "special" and "see things differently". Some great lines and scenes in this one, too, and a strong ending. It's certainly a movie I can appreciate intellectually, just not particularly enjoy. Let's say... 7.5/10 for me.
Favorite Line: "But I tried, didn't I? Goddamnit, at least I did that." Verging on cliched, but the scene that comes before it, filled with reversals of expectations, justifies it, and it's a really skillful statement of one of the themes of the movie, something to tie the rest together.
Moulin Rouge!
This one verges on a guilty pleasure, but this movie embraces everything it is, which is something like the dark underbelly of a campy circus musical mixed with a Greek tragedy with a bittersweet ending, which makes it perfectly all right to love this, which I do. From the opening credits with the animated conductor, the very get-go, I knew I was in for something special, and when it hit the "Zidler's Rap (Medley)", which is a mash-up of "Zidler's Rap", "Lady Marmalade", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit", I couldn't keep the smile off my face. This movie had the effect that a favorite of mine, "(500) Days of Summer", had on me, which was to depress me and restore my faith in love all at once. The cinematography and direction were surprising to an absurd degree, to the point that I almost trust Baz Luhrmann to do my favorite novel, The Great Gatsby, justice next year (despite it containing two of my least favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire). The acting was also great. (A female friend couldn't stop exclaiming, "OH EWAN.") Obviously, I can recognize that the writing is often clumsy and on-the-nose with the wide and overarching themes beating the audience over the head often, but that almost elevates it to another level of storybook magic, like a fairytale. 9/10
Favorite Line: As far as favorite original line goes, since this movie uses many song lyrics as dialogue to great effect, I'd have to go with:
[To the Duke] "This woman is yours now. I've paid my whore."
[To Satine] "I owe you nothing. And you are nothing to me. Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love."
The most emotionally compelling and heartbreaking line of the movie by far.
Amelie
This movie is like... a modern fairy tale. Such an original film, unlike anything I've ever seen before. Right down to the care taken in the color scheming and such, you can tell that this movie really was the product of many people's love. Also, one of the most inventive uses of voice-over I've ever seen. It makes for perfect introductions to characters and really makes sure the story doesn't slow down. A really powerful movie that takes someone who believes that if you never take any risks, you can never be disappointed, and shows that that's no way to live. It's charming and quirky and immerses you in its world; it's a romance, an adventure, a comedy, a drama, and much more. Easily in my top 100 films ever. 10/10
Favorite Line: Oh, such a toughie. When in doubt, go with the first lines, which are wonderful.
"On September 3rd 1973, at 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14,670 wing beats a minute landed on Rue St Vincent, Montmartre. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace nearby, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth. Meanwhile, in a 5th-floor flat, 28 Avenue Trudaine, Paris 9, returning from his best friend's funeral, Eugène Colère erased his name from his address book. At the same moment, a sperm with one X chromosome, belonging to Raphaël Poulain, made a dash for an egg in his wife Amandine. Nine months later, Amélie Poulain was born."
City Lights
I'm not a fan of slapstick comedy usually because it's generally just cheap laughs, but Charlie Chaplin has always been the exception to the rule. His writing is always on point. This movie is an absolutely wonderful romance/drama/comedy. Buyer beware, it's a silent film, so it's not for everyone, but it's one of the sweetest love stories I've seen in a long time, and has some incredibly moving and compelling scenes. Not much more to say here, except that if that sort of thing appeals to you (and maybe even if it doesn't), this movie is for you. 8.8/10
Favorite Line: The final line is so moving. "Yes, I can see now."
Catch Me If You Can
Spielberg-directed, John Williams-scored, Leonardo Dicaprio (who for almost the first time acted amazingly), Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken? Need I say more? It seems that con man stories are instantly interesting to me, and this one is no exception. Such great character development, such great acting and writing, SUCH a great score. If you only watch three movies on this quickies list, they should be The Brothers Bloom, Amelie, and Catch Me If You Can. 10/10
Favorite Line: "Frank, look. Nobody's chasing you." A turning point if ever I've heard one. A verbal revelation.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Adapted from Harper Lee's novel of the same name (which I read in middle school, years ago), this is a powerful movie with a lot to say about equality, justice, courage, and the other important things in life. One of the better adaptations I've seen, but I think this book was made to be a book. The movie can come across a tad episodic and plotless. A lot of my favorite lines were left out, as well, which disappointed me. In particular, my favorite line from the novel was, “Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what,” or something to that effect. Still, some scenes are very powerful to see, and it really brings into focus that these were kids who had to deal with these issues. I'll give this movie... an 8.25/10.
Favorite Line: "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible." Atticus Finch was voted in many places the greatest hero in film history. It's lines like these that make me wont to agree. What a man.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Music of the Day: Jaymay!
I'm a little back-logged on movie reviews, I've seen a couple I haven't written up yet which I will get to eventually, but with college application deadlines looming, I am a little stressed. This is a quick post to say, merely, that if you have not heard of Jaymay, you need to go listen to her. Now. RIGHT NOW. Here, I'll even get you started.
This is now one of my favorite songs ever. Those lyrics... Gah.
This is also absolutely wonderful.
Just go listen to all of her songs, okay? Okay. I've been darn-near fixated on her music for maybe 4 months now. She just... gets things. Go listen.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Movie of the Day: In Bruges
So I'd heard good things about this movie, and particularly the writing, so I was looking forward to it. I'll get right into it.
The Basic Premise: Two hitmen have a job that goes wrong and are forced to hide out in Bruges (hence the title). Bruges is a city in Belgium, in case you didn't know (which I didn't).
The Verdict: I'm teetering on the edge of "liked it a lot" and "loved it". This movie is beautifully, amazingly, fantastically written. Extremely well-plotted, as nothing is unmotivated, nothing is unexplained, everything leads back to some more important event later. And such well-handled exposition, which is the mark of a strong screenplay. The music's quite nice, too, though it does detract from the tension some moments should have. The directing and acting are very good, but a tad artsy and in-your-face for my taste. You become slightly too aware of the directing, I think, which pulls you out of the immersive experience of an otherwise great movie. Otherwise, though, the screenplay by Martin McDonagh (who also directed it) astounds. If nothing else, Martin McDonagh has a new fan in me, he's definitely one to watch. I need to watch Seven Psychopaths now; it's his second writing/directing feature and is in theaters currently. I'll give this an 8.8/10, but the screenplay alone gets a 10/10.
Favorite Line: Very tough choice, since this movie functions so well as a drama and a crime story and a comedy and so much more, all of which is due to some fantastic lines, but I think the very first line of the movie is one of the most gripping first lines I've ever heard, and it really sets up the flexible tone of the rest of the movie. "After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - 'Get the f*** out of London, you dumb f***s. Get to Bruges.' I didn't even know where Bruges f***ing was. *Pause* It's in Belgium."
The Basic Premise: Two hitmen have a job that goes wrong and are forced to hide out in Bruges (hence the title). Bruges is a city in Belgium, in case you didn't know (which I didn't).
The Verdict: I'm teetering on the edge of "liked it a lot" and "loved it". This movie is beautifully, amazingly, fantastically written. Extremely well-plotted, as nothing is unmotivated, nothing is unexplained, everything leads back to some more important event later. And such well-handled exposition, which is the mark of a strong screenplay. The music's quite nice, too, though it does detract from the tension some moments should have. The directing and acting are very good, but a tad artsy and in-your-face for my taste. You become slightly too aware of the directing, I think, which pulls you out of the immersive experience of an otherwise great movie. Otherwise, though, the screenplay by Martin McDonagh (who also directed it) astounds. If nothing else, Martin McDonagh has a new fan in me, he's definitely one to watch. I need to watch Seven Psychopaths now; it's his second writing/directing feature and is in theaters currently. I'll give this an 8.8/10, but the screenplay alone gets a 10/10.
Favorite Line: Very tough choice, since this movie functions so well as a drama and a crime story and a comedy and so much more, all of which is due to some fantastic lines, but I think the very first line of the movie is one of the most gripping first lines I've ever heard, and it really sets up the flexible tone of the rest of the movie. "After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - 'Get the f*** out of London, you dumb f***s. Get to Bruges.' I didn't even know where Bruges f***ing was. *Pause* It's in Belgium."
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Movie of the Day: Looper
"What?! He's going to talk about a movie that is current and relevant?! What a twist of events!"
So, as the trailer shows, Looper is basically about a hitman who kills people sent back through time by the mafia, but one day future-him comes back through time, and he lets himself escape, and chaos ensues.
This movie was written and directed by Rian Johnson, of Brick fame. That movie, a cult classic at this point, also effectively launched the career of another incredibly talented actor (one of my favorites) and the star of the movie at hand, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (I recommend Brick if you haven't seen it, by the way; modern film noir in a high school setting might be as intriguing as it gets.)
Now, I don't know if I'm just really easily pleased or I just happen to watch a lot of good movies, but I've given a lot of high scores in the reviews on here. Looper, though, deserves the high score I'm obviously going to give it, without a doubt in my mind. For being one of my most anticipated movies of the fall season and having been given very high ratings by all of my favorite Youtube reviewers, Looper still managed to impress beyond any of my expectations.
How do I love Looper, you ask? Let me count the ways. The exposition is handled perfectly, which is the mark of a masterful screenplay. JGL's acting is phenomenal, he completely disappears into the role (like he does in every other role of his). Emily Blunt and Pierce Gognan truly surprised with their acting chops. Rian Johnson's writing is impeccable, layered with complexity but understood with simplicity. His directing style is risky in all the right ways, with all the perfect payoffs; he takes his time when he's supposed to, skips over what he should, is fragile when he needs to be and aggressive when he needs to be. AND THAT ENDING. Perfection. Just perfection. Every time I think of the ending, right down to the song during the credits, I just get a deep feeling of satisfaction somewhere deep inside my stomach. I love it. I'm a little suspicious of the IMDB Top 250 list, but this movie definitely deserves its place on that list. It should probably be higher, even. This rating is solidified in my head the more I think about it. 10/10
Favorite line: Can't type it here, both for fear of spoiling it and because I don't remember it word for word, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's final voice-over monologue of the movie. Perfection. Rian Johnson is really one to watch.
So, as the trailer shows, Looper is basically about a hitman who kills people sent back through time by the mafia, but one day future-him comes back through time, and he lets himself escape, and chaos ensues.
This movie was written and directed by Rian Johnson, of Brick fame. That movie, a cult classic at this point, also effectively launched the career of another incredibly talented actor (one of my favorites) and the star of the movie at hand, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (I recommend Brick if you haven't seen it, by the way; modern film noir in a high school setting might be as intriguing as it gets.)
Now, I don't know if I'm just really easily pleased or I just happen to watch a lot of good movies, but I've given a lot of high scores in the reviews on here. Looper, though, deserves the high score I'm obviously going to give it, without a doubt in my mind. For being one of my most anticipated movies of the fall season and having been given very high ratings by all of my favorite Youtube reviewers, Looper still managed to impress beyond any of my expectations.
How do I love Looper, you ask? Let me count the ways. The exposition is handled perfectly, which is the mark of a masterful screenplay. JGL's acting is phenomenal, he completely disappears into the role (like he does in every other role of his). Emily Blunt and Pierce Gognan truly surprised with their acting chops. Rian Johnson's writing is impeccable, layered with complexity but understood with simplicity. His directing style is risky in all the right ways, with all the perfect payoffs; he takes his time when he's supposed to, skips over what he should, is fragile when he needs to be and aggressive when he needs to be. AND THAT ENDING. Perfection. Just perfection. Every time I think of the ending, right down to the song during the credits, I just get a deep feeling of satisfaction somewhere deep inside my stomach. I love it. I'm a little suspicious of the IMDB Top 250 list, but this movie definitely deserves its place on that list. It should probably be higher, even. This rating is solidified in my head the more I think about it. 10/10
Favorite line: Can't type it here, both for fear of spoiling it and because I don't remember it word for word, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's final voice-over monologue of the movie. Perfection. Rian Johnson is really one to watch.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Movies of the Day: Vertigo and Jaws
Yes, this is indeed the first time I am watching both of these movies. STOP WITH THE CONDESCENDING DISAPPOINTMENT, I KNOW I'M A FAILURE AS A MOVIE BUFF. I'm working on it, I am.
Vertigo
So, this is the movie that was voted by critics everywhere as the greatest film of all time this year in the Sight & Sound poll, beating out Citizen Kane, which won for the last five years consecutively, and also was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie in the Mystery genre, beating out Chinatown. I'm not the biggest fan of Citizen Kane (I'm not "drinking the Kool-Aid", as they say), but it IS a great movie and I know it's a big deal, and I AM a huge fan of Chinatown, so I was curious to see this.
Verdict? It's pretty darn good. Better than the other Hitchcock movies I've seen for sure. Rear Window's one fault is that it's entirely too predictable and convenient, though it is an exciting mystery/thriller. Psycho was spoiled for me, so that may have something to do with it, but it seems to me that Psycho has a lot of weak writing mixed in among all of the strong writing. I haven't seen any other Hitchcock yet, but Vertigo's undoubtedly the best. It functions well as a romance, a mystery, a thriller, a redemption story, a domestic drama, and more. A lot of deep characterization and a very interesting and compellingly twisting plot.
That's not to say it doesn't have its problems. After as instantly exciting first scene, the story grinds to a halt and has a scene purely in the story for really sloppy exposition and on-the-nose dialogue. There's a lot of, "Oh, as you and I both already know but I'm going to tell you again anyway, Midge..." which just makes the whole scene fail for me and really pulled me out of the movie and made me skeptical for the rest of the movie. Also, the plot IS a little... far-fetched, in hindsight. A little convenient. These things are relatively forgivable, though, on the strength of the rest of the movie. I will say that I think Citizen Kane and Chinatown are MUCH better movies, by far. I'll give Vertigo an 8/10.
Favorite line: "Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere." A good line in general, elevated to great by the romantic subtext and even deeper layers of meaning in hindsight.
Jaws
Spielberg, man. I think we've all heard of Jaws. Needless to say, it's great, a MASTERCLASS on everything from screenwriting to directing to acting to composing. First things first, DAT SCORE. Oh my gosh, how eerie is the shark's theme? I could have sworn my heart stopped beating every time it started playing. The rest of the score is reminiscent of pirate music, too, which is cool. So go John Williams.
Next, the screenwriting. I got on Vertigo's case above for its weak and forced exposition, so watching Jaws right afterwards was like a breath of fresh air. In the first two scenes, the screenwriters almost overload us with information, but they do it so eloquently that we almost don't notice: there is a shark in the water, it's killing people, Martin Brody is the chief of police on Amity Island, he's new here from New York, and he totally has no idea what he's doing or how things work here. That's the first five minutes of the movie or so. And the dialogue is brilliant because it's character-specific, humorous while still being fitting to a thriller, and really reveals conflict without being on-the-nose about it.
And the directing. OHMIGOSH. This movie is TERRIFYING at times. I was SCREAMING at the screen right before the second shark attack, "GET OUT OF THE WATER!" Todd Alcott, a screenwriter (whose website you should check out at toddalcott.com) also talks about how Spielberg creates a visual scheme throughout the movie of the fact that, as long as you are out of the water, you're safe, but if you're in the water, all bets are off. Hence Chief Brody being scared of the water. And it really does work, too. Spielberg knows how to create suspense.
As for the acting, it's great acting.
I'm gonna give Jaws a 9.5/10. Just wish I'd seen it earlier.
Favorite line: The one that's most famous, of course: "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
Vertigo
So, this is the movie that was voted by critics everywhere as the greatest film of all time this year in the Sight & Sound poll, beating out Citizen Kane, which won for the last five years consecutively, and also was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest movie in the Mystery genre, beating out Chinatown. I'm not the biggest fan of Citizen Kane (I'm not "drinking the Kool-Aid", as they say), but it IS a great movie and I know it's a big deal, and I AM a huge fan of Chinatown, so I was curious to see this.
Verdict? It's pretty darn good. Better than the other Hitchcock movies I've seen for sure. Rear Window's one fault is that it's entirely too predictable and convenient, though it is an exciting mystery/thriller. Psycho was spoiled for me, so that may have something to do with it, but it seems to me that Psycho has a lot of weak writing mixed in among all of the strong writing. I haven't seen any other Hitchcock yet, but Vertigo's undoubtedly the best. It functions well as a romance, a mystery, a thriller, a redemption story, a domestic drama, and more. A lot of deep characterization and a very interesting and compellingly twisting plot.
That's not to say it doesn't have its problems. After as instantly exciting first scene, the story grinds to a halt and has a scene purely in the story for really sloppy exposition and on-the-nose dialogue. There's a lot of, "Oh, as you and I both already know but I'm going to tell you again anyway, Midge..." which just makes the whole scene fail for me and really pulled me out of the movie and made me skeptical for the rest of the movie. Also, the plot IS a little... far-fetched, in hindsight. A little convenient. These things are relatively forgivable, though, on the strength of the rest of the movie. I will say that I think Citizen Kane and Chinatown are MUCH better movies, by far. I'll give Vertigo an 8/10.
Favorite line: "Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere." A good line in general, elevated to great by the romantic subtext and even deeper layers of meaning in hindsight.
Jaws
Spielberg, man. I think we've all heard of Jaws. Needless to say, it's great, a MASTERCLASS on everything from screenwriting to directing to acting to composing. First things first, DAT SCORE. Oh my gosh, how eerie is the shark's theme? I could have sworn my heart stopped beating every time it started playing. The rest of the score is reminiscent of pirate music, too, which is cool. So go John Williams.
Next, the screenwriting. I got on Vertigo's case above for its weak and forced exposition, so watching Jaws right afterwards was like a breath of fresh air. In the first two scenes, the screenwriters almost overload us with information, but they do it so eloquently that we almost don't notice: there is a shark in the water, it's killing people, Martin Brody is the chief of police on Amity Island, he's new here from New York, and he totally has no idea what he's doing or how things work here. That's the first five minutes of the movie or so. And the dialogue is brilliant because it's character-specific, humorous while still being fitting to a thriller, and really reveals conflict without being on-the-nose about it.
And the directing. OHMIGOSH. This movie is TERRIFYING at times. I was SCREAMING at the screen right before the second shark attack, "GET OUT OF THE WATER!" Todd Alcott, a screenwriter (whose website you should check out at toddalcott.com) also talks about how Spielberg creates a visual scheme throughout the movie of the fact that, as long as you are out of the water, you're safe, but if you're in the water, all bets are off. Hence Chief Brody being scared of the water. And it really does work, too. Spielberg knows how to create suspense.
As for the acting, it's great acting.
I'm gonna give Jaws a 9.5/10. Just wish I'd seen it earlier.
Favorite line: The one that's most famous, of course: "You're gonna need a bigger boat."
Monday, September 17, 2012
Movie of the Day (Part 2): Fracture
Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins? A good review from Chris Stuckmann, one of my favorite Youtube movie reviewers? An enthralling premise? This I gotta see.
So, Anthony Hopkins kills his wife. (Not a spoiler, it's almost the first thing that happens in the movie.) The investigating officer is the guy she was having an affair with. (Also not a spoiler, you figure that out right after he kills her.) And Ryan Gosling is the Deputy D.A. who decides to take one last case, what he thinks will be an open-and-shut case, before he leaves his current job for a better one... Until things don't go as planned. (When do they ever?)
Whoa, nelly. This movie was a real shocker. Fantastic writing and acting by all involved. Not a fan of the directing style or the musical score myself, they seemed to get a little too... in your face at times, like they felt the need to make their presence known. But this movie really works because of dense and deftly handled writing and great character development of the protagonist which is a product of great writing and great acting. Also, Anthony Hopkins's character is one of the more interesting antagonists I've seen in movies lately. I'd highly suggest you check this movie out if you have a thing for thrillers, courtroom dramas, non-courtroom dramas, or cool characters in general. I'm gonna give this a 9/10.
Favorite line: I think I'd go with, "You're a winner, Willy." I think that's the first point at which you know that Ryan Gosling's character is... in over his head, to say the least.
So, Anthony Hopkins kills his wife. (Not a spoiler, it's almost the first thing that happens in the movie.) The investigating officer is the guy she was having an affair with. (Also not a spoiler, you figure that out right after he kills her.) And Ryan Gosling is the Deputy D.A. who decides to take one last case, what he thinks will be an open-and-shut case, before he leaves his current job for a better one... Until things don't go as planned. (When do they ever?)
Whoa, nelly. This movie was a real shocker. Fantastic writing and acting by all involved. Not a fan of the directing style or the musical score myself, they seemed to get a little too... in your face at times, like they felt the need to make their presence known. But this movie really works because of dense and deftly handled writing and great character development of the protagonist which is a product of great writing and great acting. Also, Anthony Hopkins's character is one of the more interesting antagonists I've seen in movies lately. I'd highly suggest you check this movie out if you have a thing for thrillers, courtroom dramas, non-courtroom dramas, or cool characters in general. I'm gonna give this a 9/10.
Favorite line: I think I'd go with, "You're a winner, Willy." I think that's the first point at which you know that Ryan Gosling's character is... in over his head, to say the least.
Movies of the Day: Lord of the Rings Trilogy
I finally did it. I finally sat down and watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies. And, yes, I loved the whole trilogy. I'll address each one individually.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
This one was my least favorite of the trilogy, definitely. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was pretty predictable, and there was a lot left to be desired. A lot of the dialogue was bland and there was a lot of telling, not showing, which breaks one of the cardinal rules of screenwriting. But, as an introduction to characters and themes, a setup of the grandiose and immersive world, and an emotionally compelling story, it was really good, no doubt. That I didn't think it was perfect is blasphemy, I'm sure, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. I think an 8 is pushing it, so I'm gonna give this a 7.75/10.
Favorite line: A lot of epic sounding dialogue in this one. Maybe, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Simple statement of theme that worked for what it was.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
So I was obviously somewhat disappointed by the first installment of the series. "Is this what all the hype is about?" I thought. But, I was still interested in the fates of characters who I was now emotionally invested in, so I sat down to watch this feeling wary but optimistic.
Oh. My. God.
This one was SO GOOD. Gollum is one of the more interesting and compelling characters I've ever seen on film, and the other characters really came into their own as well. And the writing fixed a lot of the problems I had with the first one, keeping the long-winded monologues to a minimum, not painting bad people as all bad and good people as all good and nothing else, showing instead of telling. AND THE HELM'S DEEP FIGHT SCENE. HOLY CRUD. I'm not sure I've seen many other things as exciting as that. Probably my favorite of the trilogy, and I now get what all the hype is about. Must credit the directing and acting for that. Couple of little things here and there, though, so not a perfect rating, but pretty close. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Oh, I actually have to declare a tie. First, of course, "My precious." CHILLS. Smeagol/Gollum is the Darth Vader of Lord of the Rings, and the fact that I bought his inner dilemma and even sympathized with him is a testament to the writing and Andy Serkis's acting. And then, as Aragorn says, "There is always hope." Cheesy, I know, but... I found it worked. Inspiring.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Another really really great movie. This one comes in just below The Two Towers for me, because I had a few pacing problems with it, especially near the end, but some of the scenes, some of the themes, man, they just got me. Also, the directing in this movie is fantastic. Minus some pacing problems, the fight scenes, the intercutting of story lines, some of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever seen in any movie ever... phew, man. I realized at a certain point that EVERY time the scene cut to a different set of characters, I was thinking, "Darnit, I wanted to see what happened!" meaning I was equally invested in every character. The fight scenes were epic in scope, and the fact that Peter Jackson didn't shy away from showing soldiers dying left and right shows that he wasn't trying to give anyone any easy answers. He embraced the moral ambiguity of the trilogy, which is great. And some scenes were Hitchcockian in suspense. I mean, there was a scene where I was literally cowering behind my arms and hands between my face and the screen. It was terrifying. (For those of you who've seen it, the scene with Shelob and Frodo in the canyon.) I solely disliked the length of the epilogue and some parts of the last scenes between Frodo and Sam, which I thought really dragged on and really pulled me out of the experience, and for that it'll be a little below perfect. 9.5/10
Favorite line: Hmm... This is gonna be a long one. "Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Was stuck between almost crying tears of pure inspiration and getting up and beating someone up after this one. Anything that can do that... Kudos.
Trilogy as a whole
After seeing the whole thing, this is one of the greatest full trilogies or series I have ever seen. Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Family/Comedy/Tragedy/War/Epic... This does every genre justice. I may have some minor problems with each installment, but... you know what? Overall, the whole trilogy easily joins my list of favorite movies. Gotta love it when the sum is greater than the parts. 10/10
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
This one was my least favorite of the trilogy, definitely. It was good, don't get me wrong, but it was pretty predictable, and there was a lot left to be desired. A lot of the dialogue was bland and there was a lot of telling, not showing, which breaks one of the cardinal rules of screenwriting. But, as an introduction to characters and themes, a setup of the grandiose and immersive world, and an emotionally compelling story, it was really good, no doubt. That I didn't think it was perfect is blasphemy, I'm sure, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em. I think an 8 is pushing it, so I'm gonna give this a 7.75/10.
Favorite line: A lot of epic sounding dialogue in this one. Maybe, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Simple statement of theme that worked for what it was.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
So I was obviously somewhat disappointed by the first installment of the series. "Is this what all the hype is about?" I thought. But, I was still interested in the fates of characters who I was now emotionally invested in, so I sat down to watch this feeling wary but optimistic.
Oh. My. God.
This one was SO GOOD. Gollum is one of the more interesting and compelling characters I've ever seen on film, and the other characters really came into their own as well. And the writing fixed a lot of the problems I had with the first one, keeping the long-winded monologues to a minimum, not painting bad people as all bad and good people as all good and nothing else, showing instead of telling. AND THE HELM'S DEEP FIGHT SCENE. HOLY CRUD. I'm not sure I've seen many other things as exciting as that. Probably my favorite of the trilogy, and I now get what all the hype is about. Must credit the directing and acting for that. Couple of little things here and there, though, so not a perfect rating, but pretty close. 9.75/10
Favorite line: Oh, I actually have to declare a tie. First, of course, "My precious." CHILLS. Smeagol/Gollum is the Darth Vader of Lord of the Rings, and the fact that I bought his inner dilemma and even sympathized with him is a testament to the writing and Andy Serkis's acting. And then, as Aragorn says, "There is always hope." Cheesy, I know, but... I found it worked. Inspiring.
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Another really really great movie. This one comes in just below The Two Towers for me, because I had a few pacing problems with it, especially near the end, but some of the scenes, some of the themes, man, they just got me. Also, the directing in this movie is fantastic. Minus some pacing problems, the fight scenes, the intercutting of story lines, some of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever seen in any movie ever... phew, man. I realized at a certain point that EVERY time the scene cut to a different set of characters, I was thinking, "Darnit, I wanted to see what happened!" meaning I was equally invested in every character. The fight scenes were epic in scope, and the fact that Peter Jackson didn't shy away from showing soldiers dying left and right shows that he wasn't trying to give anyone any easy answers. He embraced the moral ambiguity of the trilogy, which is great. And some scenes were Hitchcockian in suspense. I mean, there was a scene where I was literally cowering behind my arms and hands between my face and the screen. It was terrifying. (For those of you who've seen it, the scene with Shelob and Frodo in the canyon.) I solely disliked the length of the epilogue and some parts of the last scenes between Frodo and Sam, which I thought really dragged on and really pulled me out of the experience, and for that it'll be a little below perfect. 9.5/10
Favorite line: Hmm... This is gonna be a long one. "Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Was stuck between almost crying tears of pure inspiration and getting up and beating someone up after this one. Anything that can do that... Kudos.
Trilogy as a whole
After seeing the whole thing, this is one of the greatest full trilogies or series I have ever seen. Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Family/Comedy/Tragedy/War/Epic... This does every genre justice. I may have some minor problems with each installment, but... you know what? Overall, the whole trilogy easily joins my list of favorite movies. Gotta love it when the sum is greater than the parts. 10/10
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