movie reviews by PvtCaboose91

"Waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought, useless and disappointing."

A chick flick with Hilary Duff? Did anyone expect this to end up being a good movie? A Cinderella Story is merely the classic tale of Cinderella that has been updated for the modern audience. Great, they do it with Shakespeare and now they're updating fairy-tales for the modern agenda? I really don't see the need.

A Cinderella Story is about a young girl named Sam Montgomery (Duff) who was orphaned as a child and is left to the mercy of her routinely oafish step-mother Fiona (Coolidge). Sam also lives with her hideous step sisters, and is basically treated like a slave by everyone in the house.

But Sam meets the man of her dreams in a chat room. For months they have exchanged pleasant messages from each other via internet chat rooms of mobile phone text messages. (Does anyone else think that if they had each other's mobile phone number they could just ring and chat voice-to-voice, and hence be done with the mystery?) The two then decide they should meet at the school Halloween dance. As it turns out, Sam's dream guy is the most popular bloke in school; Austin Ames (Murray).

From there on in it's a trip into familiar territory; no matter what happens we know how it is going to end. It's obvious how the film will end just by watching the first 10 minutes. But I found myself exhibiting an incredibly bleak, shallow tale that keeps going on and on with no ending in sight. But what is most frustrating is when Sam has ample opportunity to tell Austin face-to-face that she is his internet girl but always blows her chance. And at the Halloween ball...one simple little mask wouldn't be enough to cover her identity.

The whole movie is cheesy and predictable. And unlike most comedies like this, it ain't a fun ride to take. Hilary Duff is in dire need of acting lessons. With her character hoping to get into a certain university for the movie, I had a faint glimmer of hope that it would be some kind of acting school.

Chad Michael Murray isn't any better. He's robotic, wooden and always has the same expression on his face. And every time he tries to do something different he overdoes it. Jennifer Coolidge was the only one who actually supplied a few laughs because of how evil she is. Regina Hall and Dan Byrd were the stand-outs here though. Regina was really funny at times, and Dan actually tried to act. Qualities we never see in any of the main cast.

A Cinderella Story is very dull, corny and painfully predictable beyond all belief. It's nothing more than a retelling of the classic fairy-tale in a contemporary setting. Doing this with Shakespeare is a good idea to help the modern audience understand it more clearly, but this fairy-tale was already understandable. And hence the whole film is a complete and utter waste of time.

"You and I are such similar creatures Vivian. We both screw people for money."

Pretty Woman is one of those chick flicks that were bunched together with films I usually have no interest in seeing. Upon finally viewing it I realised that my expectations were mildly surpassed, although not severely.

I will admit having a fun time watching the movie as it had a few clever laughs and some fascinating characters.

Richard Gere is Edward Lewis; a wealthy, eccentric businessman who specialises in corporate raiding. One evening Edward is on a business trip and finds himself lost in Hollywood. Enter curious prostitute Vivian (Roberts) who agrees to give Edward directions to his destination.

Because Edward is lonely and is the king of impossible relationships, he decides that for the duration of this trip he does not want to be alone in his hotel room all the time. Thus he offers Vivian a considerable amount of money for her to spend the week with him. Vivian was once a filthy hooker who walked the streets, but as the week goes by Edward plans to make a real woman out of her.

This transformation from whore to lady is very amusing at times and takes an enticing look at the prejudice in our society towards hookers. Of course as predicted, this week together sparks romance between the two protagonists.

Pretty Woman is a romantic comedy that developed its roots from the classic story of Cinderella. Although not blatantly obvious at first, the film also contains recurring themes of fairy-tales and princes that further solidify this idea of an updated Cinderella tale.

Richard Gere is an actor I've never admired. Not to say that he's a bad actor, but his choice of roles appears to boil down to chick flicks and romantic comedies - i.e. films that I generally avoid. Gere brings a sense of charisma and charm to his character. Playing a handsome millionaire, this was a vital character trait to make the film work. Gere gave it everything he could.

Julia Roberts was the perfect partner for Gere. She nails the love-stricken, optimistic prostitute. Needless to say, the actors needed a decent script as well to ensure the success of the movie. I thought the screenplay was well written. It has some funny dialogue and develops a very unique set of characters. Unfortunately, the lack of laughs was a major downfall. Especially because the film was so predictable I would have expected the laughs to be in greater numbers. With these limited laughs, there is no overshadowing the clichéd and predictable nature of the film.

The directing was standard for the genre; nothing too great, nothing too shabby. One of the more positive stand-outs I discovered while watching the movie was its soundtrack. There's loads of classic music present here. You don't need to be a detective to figure out what the title song must be.

Overall, Pretty Woman was better than I anticipated. Films like these are simple entertainment to be shared with a few friends. Because of the adult themes and profanity this can't be considered a film for the family.

Pretty Woman is a film worth seeing because it's different and creative; boasting a number of great characters that are executed well. The film is light-hearted entertainment and should never be considered Oscar material. Worth a rental, at least.

"No one tells a lie after he's said he's going to tell one."

Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon is a film that I both liked and disliked.

On the one hand it was a visual arresting, superb study of human nature. But on the other hand the film is highly boring not to mention monotonous.

Rashomon opens as a group of men start discussing a heinous crime that unfolded on an isolated bush trail, and then the film looks in-depth at four different perspectives of what happened.

For me this was a fascinating plot synopsis and I wanted to see it because it sounded quite intriguing. The audience is presented with a set of differing eye-witness accounts and are given the opportunity to draw their own conclusions.

The first thing that stood out is the cinematography and the locations. The camera is used to great effect and with great visual flair. The game actors give it everything they have and the dialogue is occasionally quite effective. At first I thought that there's no way that this could go wrong. Unfortunately, my interest in the film flew out the window within the first five minutes. Everything just became so tedious and boring, with eye-witness accounts that are poorly distinguished. I was struggling to not only figure out who is giving their testimony, but also what the hell is so different about each story. There were a few things, but nothing overly obvious. I was paying full attention to it, but you have to be some kind of mind-reader to actually comprehend what on Earth is going on!

Another thing that struck me was the melodramatic fashion in which the film was played out in. The leading female spent the whole time crying, screaming or laughing in a creepy manner. Whenever she's crying or screaming I was covering my ears as it was giving me a headache. She was indescribably irritating!

The male members of the cast weren't much better. There was one crazy maniac who spent the whole time laughing. I usually appreciate this form of acting as it displays what they're capable of, but he was so damn annoying and it was far past being a brilliant way to display the character.

But on the other hand Rashomon is a visual feast for the eyes, with impressive stylised action and some effective grainy black & white photography. The bush trail in particular gave the impression of isolation in times of danger. The film's underlying messages are truly worthwhile about the reliability of the word of a man. Lies, deceit and callousness abound. Rashomon is a much loved classic from director Akira Kurosawa. I'm not fan of the director, and therefore watched the film with an open mind, but I met the film with mixed feelings. The concept is tremendously original and groundbreaking. I just wished the execution had improvements.

"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.