In Honor of Those Who... Movie Review: United 93

Movie: United 93 (2006)
Starring: No one you know
Directed by: Paul Greengrass

United 93 grabbed a hold of my heart, and not even for one moment did the film think about letting it go. An hour after having left the theatre, I was still awestruck by what I had just seen.

Don't listen to your friends and family who tell you, "This movie shouldn't have come out....It's still too early". Don't let the horrible trailer that does absolutely no justice to this movie turn you away. Don't let false assumptions about United 93 get to your mind.

This is the film to see this year.

United 93 is shot after shot of cinematic beauty. It is the exceptional direction of this film that gives its emotion packed sequences so much intensity and feeling and what ultimately makes this movie succeed. The tactful use of many close up shots not only gives viewers a very detailed and clear look at the contrasted expressions of fear and courage of those on United 93, but more importantly connects the viewer to these victims on a very personal level. Director Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy) is a genius when it comes to handling the rhythmic pacing of shots. As the film progresses and the situation of 9/11 gets worse and worse the overall shot duration become shorter and shorter; this works out magnificently for the film. The pacing of United 93's shots directly parallels the increasingly tense feeling of the movie. The use of a handheld camera also works towards the film's advantage giving it an extremely disturbing yet almost perfect feeling of realism.

One cannot talk about United 93 without taking into account its beautiful score. Greengrass skillfully inserts music at exactly the right places influencing the way the audience feels towards the film at any given moment with monumental success. When Greengrass wants you to be tense, you will be tense. When he wants you to be sad (and at times on the verge of tears) you will be sad. Music is of great importance to United 93's fulfillment as an emotional rollercoaster.

There are no famous Hollywood stars in United 93. None. Nada. Unless you are a film critic you probably have not heard of any of the actors and actresses. And there is a good reason for that. It's a film about everyday people like you and me and the courageous actions they undertook. Hollywood's big names were intentionally left out of the film because it wanted to depict the events that happened aboard United 93 as realistically as possible. If Tom Hanks were to play one of the passengers aboard the plane, the realistic nature of the film would have been shot down and burned to ashes. Don't be fooled into thinking that the acting is bad in this movie though, because it certainly is not. In fact, it is completely the opposite.

United 93 is a beautiful film that captures the events of 9/11, and more specifically the situation on United 93, with such precision and realism that it makes me feel as if it were just yesterday when I saw the twin towers shattered to pieces. Greengrass has made something very special here and it honors the heroic victims of United 93 with unmeasurable dignity and grace.

Rating: A+

Late and Tired

I've seen a string of really good movies lately. I would write an extensive review on each of these movies (and maybe I will in the near future) but it's too late now and I really need some shut eye. Anyways, if you haven't seen any of the movies I'm about to list, then I highly recommend you do so because they are all great movies that deserve an A rating.

Three Spectacular Movies:

1. Thank You for Smoking [97%]

2. Finding Neverland[94%]

3. good night, and good luck. [94%]

One Pretty Good Foreign Movie: In the Mood for Love [83%]

This is One Funny Election Movie Review: Election

I've revamped the review section of my entries. I felt that the 1 paragraph format was not only lazy on my part, but was also not enough to cover everything about a movie to the extent I wanted to. Introducing the Three C's...

Movie: Election (1999)
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Klein and Jessica Campbell.
Directed By: Alexander Payne

The establishment known as student government has always struck me as being completely useless. Student government elections, on the other hand, are actually quite fun to watch. Election is just that---a lot of fun to watch.

Election's plot is pretty simple; it follows the lives of a teacher and three students, and the impact that the Carver High student government election has on their lives. Our central characters include Tracy Flick the perfect student, Paul Metzler the popular football jock, Paul's lesbian sister Tammy, and the role model teacher Jim McAllister.

Why oh why didn't Reese win an Oscar for her performance as the narcissistic Tracy Flick in Election? It's not only better than her depiction of June Carter in Walk the Line, it's sheer brilliance. With that being said, Election is a character driven movie with a cast so fitting, it is to die for. So convincing are the performances in Election I can easily relate each one of the main characters to real people in my high school. I remember clearly the Tracy Flick of my class; the girl that didn't stop working until perfection was achieved. Rich characters and the great performances behind them are key to this film's success as a comedy.

Election will keep you chuckling from start to finish . One element of the film that helps bring emphasis to its satire is the great editing throughout. Use of still frames and overlapping shots where the humor is at its best adds a great deal to the film's overall comedic effect.

Not since American Beauty have I been so impressed by a movie's ability to capture the human psyche. I cannot recommend Election enough. This is a gem right here folks.

Rating: A+---98%

I'm literally torturing myself by not buying a copy of Kingdom Hearts II. I'm waiting for Blockbuster to have it available for rental. My plan is to beat a rental copy of the game in five days so that I can save 45 dollars (its about a 50 hour game so I basically have to play it for 10 hours a day, which is no problem for me really).

Big On Bowling.

Daily 1 Paragraph Reviews: Movie: The Big Lebowski (1998)

Synopsis: The movie starts out with Jeff Lebowski aka The Dude getting beat up by two men who tell him that he owes Jackie Treehorn money. After beating The Dude up they pee on his rug. Turns out they got the wrong Jeff Lebowski. The Dude set out to find the other Jeff Lebowski and get a new rug from him... and so begins the journey of The Dude.

Review: Weird is a good thing. First of all, The Big Lebowski is anything but ordinary. If you are looking for a traditional comedy, be prepared to be shocked. Fortunately, the oddball humor works to the movies advantage making this comedy highly original and quite entertaining. Another plus is that the funny lines catches you by surprise creating a much welcomed unpredictability. I have many good things to say about this movie, but there is definitely something missing from it. The movie drag at times because it doesn't seem to know exactly how to make a smooth transition from one scene into the next. Although this problem is very minor, it is still noticable, disengaging the audience from the movie every now and then. Overall, The Big Lebowski is a lot of fun. If you like weird humor, definitely check The Dude & Crew out.

Pros:
+Creative Humor

Cons:
-Feels disjointed at times

Rating: [B]-----86%[Tasty!]

Boondock Saints ...mmmhmm!

Daily 1 Paragraph Reviews: Movies: The Boondock Saints (1999)

Synopsis: The Boondock Saints follows Connor and Murphy Mcmanus as they set out to kill the gangsters of Boston. An FBI agent (William Dafoe) investigates their crimes hoping to track them down.

The Boondock Saints is a great movie for those who love action with substance. There are plenty of sequences in this movie for those who just want to watch bullets fly but what makes this movie stand out from the typical "crime and investigation" plot are its themes deeply rooted in religion and morality. Great characterizations, especially by William Dafoe and Billy Connolly, bring a lot of depth to each of the characters as they carry out what they deem is the right thing to do. Good use of cinematography and special effects adds a great deal to the quick pace of the movie making it a lot of fun to watch. For those who enjoyed Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill this is just for you.

Pros:
+Action Scenes
+Setting and Props
+Characterizations

Cons:
-Out of place music at times

Rating: [A-] -----91%

The Inside Man I hear is really really good. The previews looked pretty bad and cliche but all the reviews I've read so far have been pretty positive. Now I've gotta see it. I heart Clive Owen.

Kingdom Hearts 2 is coming out in three days. Can you believe that? Three DAYS!

Run Forrest...Run!

Daily 1 Paragraph Reviews: Movie: Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump is honest, real and heartwarming---and that goes for both the movie and the character. This is my first time seeing Forrest Gump. There I've said it. Why have I ignored this movie for the last 12 years? I have no friggen idea. And I regret not having seen it at an earlier time in my life because it is really quite an amazng experience. The film tells the life story of a man named Forrest. Although the premise of the story may seem banal, don't let that fool you because Forrest's life surely is not. What really drives this movie is Hank's amazing portrayal of Gump. Without it there would be no Forrest Gump and no one would care who Forrest Gump is. The movie blends the right amount of comedy with just enough drama to propel the plot foward. Life is certainly like a box of chocolates...I love Forrest, and you should too.

Pros
+Tom Hanks Shines.
+Funny and sad when it should be.
+Memorable Quotes
+Beautiful Score

Cons
-Maybe just a little too long.

Rating: A----95%

Oh! Oh! Sandra Oh! Oh...I almost forgot, Chocolat is mighty tasty...

Daily 1 Paragraph Reviews: Movie: Chocolat (2000)
Chocolat is really a movie about defying conformity and accepting the good things that life has to offer. What's great about Chocolat is that the film has a hell of a lot of charm. As the story progresses you continually fall more and more in love with each of the characters as they discover the little joys in life(with a little help from our tasty little friend, chocolate). I cannot help but think if you are in a bad mood, that this film would be just the right medicine to brighten up your day. Chocolat, the movie, is just as sweet as the real thing.

Pros:
+A Feel Good Movie
+Chemistry between characters
+Score, oh god yes, the score!
Cons:
-missing that "extra" something that would make it a superb movie

Rating: B+---89%

I'm in love with Sandra Oh and the television show Grey's Anatomy. Although House is still my favorite primetime hospital programming, Grey's Anatomy's personality and premise are enough to keep me interested. I must admit, the acting is a little shaky at times, especially from the main character Ellen Pompeo in the pilot, but it's getting better with every episode as the actors become more comfortable with their roles (except for Sandra, who has been absolutely amazing from the get go). ABC is finally getting it together. With Lost, The Desperate Housewives and now Grey's anatomy on the network, things are looking much brighter for ABC.

As I watched The English Patient , I continued to lose patience

Daily 1 paragraph reviews: Movie: The English Patient (1996)
Ralph Fiennes recently grabbed my attention with his amazing performance in the movie The Constant Gardener. His acting in The English Patient, on the other hand didn't do much for me at all. Quite frankly, I wasn't impressed by any of the actors and with an hour left in the movie was anxiously waiting for this dull love story to be over. I honestly couldn't care less about what happened to any of the main characters and that's never a good sign. Winner of nine academy awards, I had high expectations for this movie and only one of those expecations were met: excellent cinematography. Breathtaking extreme long shots of the desert make this a beautiful movie to watch---too bad that alone can't save a movie from being a complete bore.

Rating: D+ --- 68%

On a better note I finished watching Schindler's List which was quite marvelous, and deserving of the best picture oscar.

I currently have disc 1 of Grey's Anatomy coming in the mail via my buddy netflix. I've heard only good things about this relatively new doctor show and couldn't be more excited.

Kingdom Hearts II is coming out in 10 days. Hoorah---hoorah! I can't wait to kick some more heartless ass.

Fullmetal Alchemist: the Movie concluded this epic Anime quite nicely. It wasn't the ending that I wanted, but it was good nevertheless.

I'm now a Kiera Knightley Fan

Daily 1 Paragraph Reviews: Pride and Prejudice
Two days ago I was unexpectedly pulled into a classic love story. Pride and Prejudice is one of those films that gets the formula for a romantic comedy down perfectly. The film succeeds because of two essential factors: the beautifully written screenplay and great performances by the entire cast, especially those of the main characters Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfayden. Moreover, bright colors, great costume design and beautiful set architecture set up the tone and mise-en-scene of this story quite nicely, giving it a sense of realism. If you are a sucker for films centered around the theme of love or just want to see a good film in general, I highly recommend Pride and Prejudice.

Rating: A---93%

If you want to see a weird film, see The Secretary. It's a different kind of love story...

I'm convinced that Dr. House is the greatest character on television. He's my favorite smartass.

Currently I am watching Spielberg's Schindler's List. Yes, currently. It's damn long---over three hours long to be exact. But it's good...unlike that movie that wasted three hours of my time, Pearl Harbor.

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I now have a place where I can ramble on and on about movies. Yay.