movie reviews by PvtCaboose91

"People don't always tell you what they are thinking. They just see to it that you don't advance in life."

The character of Dr. Hannibal Lector is one of the most brooding, foreboding screen villains in history. Michael Mann translated Lector from written literature to film with Manhunter. That film had Brian Cox portraying the title role.

But when Silence of the Lambs hit cinemas, Sir Anthony Hopkins made the role his own. Hopkins was unforgettable, and Silence of the Lambs was acclaimed by both critics and audiences.

About 10 years after its release this sequel was announced. Because of the quality of its predecessor, Hannibal had some seriously large boots to fill.

Hannibal finds the character of Dr. Hannibal Lector (Hopkins) still at large after reaching freedom ten years ago. Now Lector is living the good life in Italy as a museum curator under the guise of Dr. Fell. Special agent Clarice Starling (this time played by Moore as opposed to Jodie Foster) has reached a pitfall in her career after an unsuccessful FBI raid that seriously questions her judgement; what befalls is Clarice being relieved of active duty.

Over in Italy Lector's cover is blown when a sneaky inspector (Giannini) begins poking around; believing that he has found one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives. As Lector has now been exposed he initiates a game of cat-and-mouse between himself and Clarice when he heads back to American shores. On top of this a horribly disfigured millionaire (an unrecognizable Gary Oldman) wishes to exact revenge on Lector for what he did to his face several years earlier.

So was it worth the wait for Hannibal, this belated sequel? The answer to that question is seriously up for debate. The major downfall of this film was the little interaction between Clarice and Lector. Silence of the Lambs was brilliant for its frequent sequences that featured communication between the two central characters.

The taut direction of Jonathon Demme was replaced by the artistic, focused direction of Ridley Scott. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Ridley Scott is a highly talented director who will always be skilled behind the camera. Every shot during the film was eye-catching because Scott is always so focused on reaching perfection. The dialogue scenes in particular were filled with energy and engaging performances.

Jodie Foster chose not to reprise the role that won her an Oscar. She is replaced by Julianne Moore: a capable actor whose performance is top notch. Moore does justice to the character; falling just short of reaching the standard of Jodie Foster.

Anthony Hopkins will always be the essential embodiment of Hannibal Lector. Hopkins is unbeatable when you discuss this role. He is menacing and ominous; always remaining cool whenever something happens. The beauty of the character is that no matter how bad the situation is he will never alter his facial expression; instead always remaining brooding and nonchalant.

The production values are utterly sublime; the make-up in particular was outstanding. I could not recognise Gary Oldman underneath the astounding make-up he was caked in.

Hannibal contains some pretty graphic imagery; sometimes displaying a sickening degree of violence and gore. Where would a Hannibal movie be without the gore?

Hannibal was a much anticipated sequel that was marginally a disappointment. The film is very entertaining but builds to a highly unsatisfying anti-climax that is both confusing and betraying. On the whole, the film feels very incomplete albeit entertaining and stylish. A strong sequel to Silence of the Lambs. The film isn't fantastic, although it isn't terrible either.

"What is it with this chick? She have beer-flavored nipples?"

First of all, I must state that I really detest watching bad sappy chick flicks that supply very limited laughs. But I'm a sucker for quality chick flicks. 10 Things I Hate About You comfortably sits in the 'quality chick flick' section.

The film is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew; changing the setting to a high school and changing the characters to typical teenage youths. It was always going to be a bold move to reinvent a Shakespeare play for contemporary audiences, but this film does an exceptional job and succeeds remarkably well.

Why do schools still study the works of Shakespeare many centuries after his death? It's simple - his stories are full of relevance but are wrapped in overly convoluted dialogue. Films like this allow modern audiences to understand Shakespeare's stories in language they can understand.

10 Things I Hate About You is about a young teen named Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) who is a newcomer to Padua High. Upon arrival he looks upon the girl of his dreams - Bianca Stratford (Oleynik). But he is told that she is off limits because her overprotective father forbids her to date. But Bianca will be allowed to date as soon as her sister Kat (Stiles) begins dating. The unfortunate fact is that Kat is a social mutant who doesn't get along with any human being.

But in a plan to get Kat dating and hence be able to date Bianca, Cameron and his friend Michael (Krumholtz) set up an elaborate plan. The plan is that they have someone pay bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Kat. From there, the film is actually really entertaining and quite hilarious at times.

Although there weren't a lot of laughs, I enjoyed the set we were presented with nonetheless. Like most chick flicks, the film can't seem to avoid all the typical clichés that surface in films of this genre.

The ending was predictable, albeit satisfying, but at least it's still a fun ride to take. Heath Ledger completely steals the show here. His character has a fascinating, thick accent (an Australian accent, that is) and it's obvious that Heath worked very hard to perfect his character. He's not very stereotypical, but instead something quite original.

As for Julia Stiles...well, I would be lying if I said I was a fan of her acting skills. Truth be told, I can't stand the woman. But here she ends up playing a character that's quite deep and a twist on your usual female teen.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was another memorable addition to the cast. Although a reasonably small role, I'm pleased to report that he pulled it off quite well.

The script wasn't too bad. It's a chick flick romantic comedy so we can't expect Shakespeare (obvious sentence stupidity absolutely intended). There are a number of notable lines, some interesting characters, and only a limited number of clichés. Oh, and not to mention the disconcerting fact that all the "teens" looked in their mid-to-late 20s.

10 Things I Hate About You is a film I had very little interest in seeing, and hence my expectations were shockingly low. Thankfully I picked this one up and gave it a chance. I found it to be really enjoyable, refreshing and a lot of fun. The great music used throughout, including a number of popular songs, was a skilful way to top it all off.

For those of you who've studied the play, this film is an absolute must.

"Population: 5!"

Being a home grown Aussie, I have always enjoyed these types of comedies being rolled out over the years. BoyTown is not close to matching such other Molloy productions as Crackerjack, or Tony Martin's fantastic Bad Eggs, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying this one.

First of all, the major stand out was the fantastic music that was included. Now, most of the music was essentially boy band 80s style...but it's really catchy and quite embarrassingly hilarious. I'd like to think the 5 main cast members are singing, but it's sometimes quite obvious that they're not.

BoyTown is a film about an 80s Aussie boy band who called themselves 'BoyTown'. The film opens 14 years after the band were cut down in their prime; now the band members are middle-aged men living mundane lives and holding onto normal jobs.

Former band member Benny (Robbins) hears that a new-era boy band has remade one of their old hits. This sparks Benny's sudden interest who feels that maybe it's time for the boys to get back together for a few more albums and a bit more money. After the remaining four boys reluctantly sign on for one final tour of duty, the fun really kicks in!

There are so many fantastic Aussie comedians who pop up here. Tony Martin gets a hilarious minor role, and I even saw Akmal Saleh in a tiny cameo role.

BoyTown is written by the same two Aussie blokes who wrote Crackerjack; Mick and Richard Molloy. The two have a real flare for portraying the true Aussie bloke in a film; as a beer-drinking, laid back, heart-felt old fella. And the film strikes a chord with the typical Australian audience because they can see all the stereotypes shining through. I personally love the traits of the Aussie men and had a great laugh at the deadpan expressions and playing the parts so realistically.

The 5 main cast members...were all superb. Each were an essential addition to any 80s boy band. The music videos and concert shows were filmed with a keen eye for an accurate parody. Because most of those involved are used to appearing in sketch programs it's hardly surprising.

Of course there are a number of fantastic laughs throughout the movie. Not as many as I was hoping, but there's a good amount to make this film simple light-hearted entertainment. I was certainly entertained quite thoroughly. I guess it's an acquired taste to understand the humour as most of it is hidden in the song lyrics. It's such a shame, though, that all the fun is compromised by the atrocious ending. Honestly, I wish the filmmakers never included those final 5 minutes because I felt betrayed rather than satisfied.

But aside from that, BoyTown is a highly entertaining, brightly told Australian comedy. It succeeds in entertaining, but it's nothing groundbreaking.

"The war is lost... But if you think that I'll leave Berlin for that, you are sadly mistaken. I'd prefer to put a bullet in my head."

It has been about half an hour since I finished watching Downfall and the effect of the movie is not remotely close to wearing off. The film is emotional, heart-wrenching, brilliant and engrossing! I don't think words can do proper justice to describing this amazing production.

Downfall follows the last days of Adolf Hitler (Ganz) who retreated underground into his bunker. The story is told through the eyes of Hitler's personal secretary (Lara). In April of 1945 the Russian forces were closing in on Berlin, and each day brings them even closer. As the Russians tighten their grip on the Nazis and continue their invasion, Hitler and his closest men retreat into a secret bunker. As he is urged by people around him to leave, Hitler refuses and instead spends his final days forming illusions and slowly going insane with power.

Hitler also descends into a deep depression, but still remains confident on the outside that his army will remain triumphant.

Downfall is the only movie that portrays Hitler as a human being, not a murderer and an animal. Now, look, the man was disgusting for his beliefs, but the filmmakers never want us to empathise with him. Instead we're shown a powerful string of events that could make a man made of steel cry like a baby.

Bruno Ganz...was brilliant. I don't think there's a single word strong enough to express the brilliance of his performance. His screen presence is utterly terrifying, and yet he can play him more humanely when the scene calls for it. As he goes insane, we feel it. Not many actors can achieve this emotional effect on an audience.

The whole movie is an exercise in patience; the experience is painfully long, yes, but compelling viewing for each minute that the film runs for. The end does seem rather dragged out, but the filmmakers tell the story undisputedly perfectly. Each performance is great, each scene has a purpose.

Downfall was beautifully made; set design, locations, cinematography...were all sublime. The music perfectly set the tone as well. It was a bold move on the part of the filmmakers to attempt such a project and show the audience a different perspective.

This alteration to your usual war movie is brilliant, engaging and just plain magnificent. The whole movie has been shot in grainy colour, with quality that makes it look like dated documentary footage. Especially the use of shaky cam that was not distracting, but rather placed us in the events happening on screen. And because there aren't many famous actors appearing in the film, we're never distracted and the whole film feels like authentic footage. All the characters come across as chillingly believable.

Beware the powerful themes of suicide, and even the murder of children that will have you in tears. It's no wonder that the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language movie of 2004. Highly recommended. Known in Germany as Der Untergang.

"What a glorious feeling..."

Singin' in the Rain is a bona fide guilty pleasure; this wonderful musical is a classic and has always been remembered as one of the greatest movie musicals in film history. For those of you unfamiliar with the title song I suggest you rent the film without hesitation. The image of Gene Kelly merrily dancing in the pouring rain while singing is one of the most memorable images in screen history.

Trust me, I never wanted to even touch this movie because of the woefully childish poster as well as the corny title (a song that I still hum on rainy days, and now will continue to do so until the day I die) but this is a prime example of a movie only hurt by its marketing campaign. Where I expected an infinite amount of overworked, childish musical numbers I instead found myself exhibiting a movie with a magnificent plot and some bright music as the ribbon on top.

I loved the singing and dancing; it's always so well thought out and choreographed. It looks enchanting on the screen and a true crowd pleaser.

Singin' in the Rain is a film about a movie company in the age of silent films. Its principal stars are Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Hagen) who put on a show for the cameras as a couple for the publicity. But when the age of talkies is upon them, the audience demands sound features. Needless to say, this becomes a difficult transition as Lina's voice is more annoying than the sound of whipping a group of cats.

The story is incredibly original, the musical numbers are colourful and the characters are a mixed bag of delightful performances. What I was surprised with the most was the actual lack of songs during the film. Not that it was a downfall, but the horrendous marketing campaign and the images hammered into my head as a youngster made the film out to be filled with music. I found the small amount of music (when compared to the rest of the picture) to be a positive, as some of the musical numbers are marred by gross over-length. I refer mainly to the 'Broadway Melody' scene that really runs off the trail and sits awkwardly with the rest of the movie. It's spectacular, but far too overproduced and a little dissimilar to the mood of the rest of the movie.

The plot was something I never expected. It takes a fascinating look at life for the Hollywood movie studios when forced to covert to talkies to save their reputation. I never expected such a true-to-life plot to appear in such a musical.

Gene Kelly is lively, flamboyant and charming. He breathes life into every song he sings. Singin' in the Rain is a film that one should not judge by its cover. On the outside it may look like some childish pile of rubbish, but instead it's an appealing musical that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. You can call me gay or weird, but I had a tremendously enjoyable time viewing the movie. Highly recommended.

"Do not speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!"

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a film that has been widely acclaimed and immensely praised in the decades following its release. I don't think there is anyone on this planet who isn't familiar with the famous theme tune which is played instrumentally, and whistled by the cast in a few scenes.

The memorable theme music is just one in the string of memorable moments this film has to offer. A classic cast and a classic story are also thrown in here for maximum effect.

David Lean (probably best known for his work on Lawrence of Arabia) has crafted the entire film to perfection; utilising gorgeous locations in Sri Lanka, beautiful set design and lush cinematography.

The film is about a group of British Prisoners of War who are sent to a Japanese prison camp. The Japanese wish to build a bridge across the River Kwai to assist in transporting supplies - and hence force the British PoWs to build the bridge for them. Colonel Nicholson (Guinness) oversees the construction of the bridge and is oblivious that his allies are formulating plans to destroy it.

The locations that are showcased here look absolutely stunning. And the result of the bridge...remarkable. And it did have an epic feel on top of this as well. While watching the movie I got the sense that a lot of effort had gone into the overall production.

Naturally, the filming was plagued with troubles and the conditions weren't first-rate. This just makes the film seem a whole lot more realistic and gritty, in my opinion.

The Bridge on the River Kwai was never meant to be a history lesson, and consequently it's widely regarded as being historically inaccurate. Despite this, the film is a classic tale and a very good movie overall.

However the film's entertainment value is not without flaws. The film is dreadfully overlong and bogs horribly during the middle section. While they build the bridge, despite the great filmmaking, I was incredibly bored and couldn't get through it in one sitting. In my opinion they could have massacred at least half an hour off the running time, if not more.

But despite all the aforementioned flaws to do with length and historical inaccuracy, it's extraordinarily good filmmaking and is still regarded as one of the classic war movies. It has stellar direction that earned an Oscar, and a great performance by Alec Guinness that earned an Oscar.

The film walked away with a myriad of Oscars, including some for Best Cinematography and Best Writing...and of course Best Picture. All in all, The Bridge on the River Kwai is a classic war film that is flawed but not overly. It's a great experience, and cinema lovers simply owe it to themselves to see this one.

"It's better to help people than garden gnomes."

Amélie is an appealing little gem of a movie that is full of imagination and charming performances.

Audrey Tautou plays a young French woman named Amélie. She has always avoided true love and such things, instead enjoying life's little treats; skimming stones over water, plunging her hand into a sack of grain, and cracking the top of her Crème Brulee' with a spoon. But after she does a good deed for someone, she enjoys the pleasure of knowing she's made a difference in someone's life. She decides that she will continue doing good deeds; interfering with people's lives, etc.

But somewhere along the way she finds true love in the form of a young man named Nino (Kassovitz).

The film is very well made; the cinematography does justice to the beautiful locations, and the art direction is simply gorgeous. From costume design to production design, each shot is beautiful in all aspects.

Audrey Tautou was a perfect choice for the main character. Her wonderful appearance makes her look great on screen; she's sincere, delightful and charming. Apart from Tautou, the supporting cast is just fantastic. Each performance is heart-felt and truly stunning...despite having to read subtitles for each word they say.

The direction is very good. Each scene is done extremely well, and is thoroughly entertaining. Accompanied by a pleasant, charming score.

Overall the whole film is an intriguing experience. Well made, gorgeous to look at...all in all it's unmissable. Marred by overlength and its tendency to make the audience frustrated at Amélie's slightly weird strategies that grow old towards the end.

Look, describing the film doesn't do it justice. Just take a chance and go rent the movie for a pleasant evening of laughs and sincerity. I guarantee that you'll be enthralled.

"You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas."

There is a rather unsavoury, chaotic part of Rio de Janeiro that not many tourists get to see. City of God is a Portuguese film that exposes this part of the country; showing us scenes of relentless murders, crimes, wars and other things in that vein.

From start to finish, City of God is an extremely powerful, enthralling, compelling experience. The beginning of the film establishes clearly what we about to experience, and quite plainly states 'welcome to hell'. We are thrown into a part of Rio de Janeiro that encompasses all the gangs and crime lords.

The film chronicles many decades in this region where murder and crime are commonplace. We follow our protagonist Rocket (Rodrigues) who is also the central narrator of the piece. The film opens at the climax of the movie, but from there Rocket tells his story through flashbacks of the decades of crime that have governed his existence since he was a boy. Growing up in such a chaotic neighbourhood, Rocket had come to terms with the fact that all boys will usually grow up to become members of a gang and will become mixed up in the world of crime and murder.

Rocket has no desire to be a hood, and is determined to avoid the gangster life. Instead he aims to escape his brutal surroundings by becoming a professional photographer.

City of God is an uncompromising look at life in the parts of Rio de Janeiro that actually exist. The film never holds back on authenticity; displaying graphic killings as well as explicit images of drugs, sex and murder. Because of such a gritty look that the film establishes, it firmly feels like documentary footage that has been filmed by someone caught in the crossfire.

The film proves that you don't need flashy special effects and big name stars to tell your story, but rather gritty realism and ruthless images.

The performances felt quite real, and at some point in the film you will probably be in tears because of its authenticity. But on this point, the film's biggest flaw was the style it was filmed in. I can appreciate the shaky cam as it firmly positions the audience in the action, but the fast shots and the unnecessary close-ups are what ultimately spoilt the cinematography. And aside from all the relentless images and its great style, the film has nothing else going for it; no solid plot, no overly memorable characters, as well as plenty of scenes that felt out of place and marred its pacing.

City of God has been compared to American films such as Scorsese classics. Scorsese's films are generally superior, but City of God is still a mighty impressive effort. Brutal, realistic, authentic, disturbing, provocative, gritty - everything is present here. Well worth seeing for those who can stomach it.

"Once you do something, you never forget. Even if you can't remember."

Spirited Away is a breathtaking, incredible anime experience. The whole movie is a highly imaginative, wonderful, fantastical children's anime feature that could be the greatest piece of animation to come out of Japan.

A young girl named Chihiro (voiced by Hîragi in the Japanese dub, and Chase in the English dub) is travelling to her new home with her parents. Before arriving at their new house, Chihiro's father takes a wrong turn and ends up stopping in front of a mysterious building. Soon Chihiro finds herself venturing into a secret world where her parents undergo a mysterious transformation.

Chihiro is left disorientated, and is now trapped in a world where she must face strange spirits, groups of creatures and a pissed off sorceress who seeks to prevent her from saving her parents from the spell and returning to their rightful place in the human world.

The animation looks gorgeous. Each character - each location - has been beautifully detailed for best effect. Without limited itself to one audience, the movie extends beyond the regular anime lovers. I, myself, am not the biggest fan of anime - and I never will be - but Spirited Away was an amazing experience unlike any anime I've ever viewed before. The story is unique and innovative, with characters who are both strange and creative. It's not often that one would find giant frogs in a feature such as this, but this only heightens the creativity of the filmmaking team.

The director, Hayao Miyazaki, is a name that towers above most other names in the anime world. Many would recognise his work, and this could be his best yet. The whole experience is uniquely strange and interesting, and in a sense groundbreaking. Because of the miraculous voice cast, the audience can easily get into the story. The whole voice cast is amazing, be it English or Japanese. It's obvious that the English dub was of high priority, and is outstanding despite a very limited number of lip-synching issues.

The captivating animation sucks you in - keeping you fascinated, wondering what will happen next. At the end of the day, the experience is engaging and incredibly creative. It's no wonder that Spirited Away walked away with an Oscar for Best Animated Feature of 2002.

Admittedly, the film does tend to drag on extensively - but the animation and techniques keep us sucked in despite this tendency. Spirited Away is a breathtaking production, and one of the greatest anime films that has come to fruition in recent years. It's not for all tastes, but I would recommend the film highly.

"Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."

Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally is a film that defined the romantic comedy genre. In this day and age we overlook romantic comedies as they populate 50% of the year's scheduled releases. Many have tried to replicate the charm, intelligence and wit of When Harry Met Sally but there are only a limited number that get anywhere close. The film contains some of the most memorable moments and lines that are instantly recognisable. Even if you've only seen parts of the movie you'd be familiar with at least one unforgettable scene because there's far too many to count.

When Harry Met Sally opens as Harry Burns (Crystal) is hitching a ride to New York with Sally Albright (Ryan). The two spend 18 hours in the car so there is plenty of time for chatting and getting acquainted. Unfortunately, Harry is quite the pessimist and is unable to see the good side of anything. This is particularly true when he discusses the topic of men and women being friends.

When Harry and Sally part ways neither of them have a high opinion of each other. Over the next eleven years the two occasionally bump into one another. But eventually the dust settles and they decide to just be good friends. As this close friendship blooms it becomes more and more obvious that they are made for each other. But they are afraid that bringing sex into the equation could jeopardise the great relationship they have already struck up (that took such a long time).

The great script was nominated for an Oscar and there is little wonder. Nora Ephron's screenplay contains dialogue that is witty, funny, memorable and smart. Harry's philosophies particularly stuck out for me. When he discusses the impossible friendship between an attractive woman and a man, I laughed because I realised how accurate he was. I'm sure any guy can remember being good friends with a girl, but occasionally contemplating sex.

The two main stars are in their youth, and hence still in their prime. Billy Crystal's engaging voice breathes life into the Oscar-worthy screenplay. Crystalisms are frequent occurrences throughout the film. Meg Ryan is an actress that I've never thought highly of. I guess her typecast role is in films I have no interest in seeing. But because Meg is so young here she is talented and a delight to see on the screen.

The film is highly predictable at times, granted, but there's a great story filled with moments of romance and lovability.

When Harry Met Sally is the pinnacle of quality romantic comedy. Without this first class comedy romp there would be no romantic comedy genre. Trivia fact: that's director Rob Reiner's mother delivering the famous line "I'll have what she's having" after Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in the middle of a restaurant. Guys, tip for a date: have this one in your DVD library and watch it with your girlfriend without delay.