i could be brave

Friday, August 13, 2004

3 Quick Movie Reviews

Categories: Life • Movies

I just came back from watching Borne Supremacy and I felt led to comment on the last three movies I watched on the big screen.

iRobot
I was pleasantly surprised with this movie.  It definitely wasn’t what Asimov would have made.  However, it was a good science fiction flick.  It was more intelligent than the previews gave it credit for and the robots weren’t all bad (Asimov would have been pretty sickened if they had been). 

The plot twist in the movie is actually a plot twist that Asimov himself used in the Foundations books which exist in the same universe as his robot books do.  Though in Asimov’s story the twist on the interpretation of the 3 laws leads the robots to create a Zeroeth law.  And they are much more benign in how they carry out that law than the robots in the movie. 

All in all a fun movie to watch.  Not great, but solidly good.

Bourne Supremacy
The story line is great.  The acting above average.  The plot twists were maybe not surprising but they were certainly enjoyable. 

The only thing that kept this movie from being a truly great intelligent action film was the over usage of handheld camera work.  I think this technique can add authenticity to a scene.  It can bring the viewer into the action.  However, when it is used constantly and in as sloppy a manner as in this movie I think it really detracts from the experience.  I was actually regularly distracted from enjoying the scenes because the camera would shake so badly I couldn’t even tell what was happening.  If a lot more steady cam had been used in this, it would have been a better movie.  Technique and style shouldn’t get in the way of story (Though I’m sure there are those who would disagree).

As it is, the movie is still an above average action movie, especially in terms of the intelligence of the plot.

The Village
Of the movies I have seen recently this is my favorite.  Every scene was crafted so perfectly that the artist in me was instantly enthralled.  The human in me enjoyed the fact that the director used style and technique to truly add to the story and emotion of the film rather than for the style itself. 

Some of the acting in The Village was a little wooden.  However, the two main characters as well as the witless monster more than made up for the others.  Firefly fans will recognize Ivy Walker as Our Mrs. Reynolds.  Indeed I had a little trouble not seeing her in that character at first.  She does a very good job though and very soon I was believing every second of her blindness and innocence.  Joaquin Phoenix did a better job than he did in Signs and his calm demeanor was a perfect fit for the character.  Obviously M. Night had him in mind for the part as he wrote it.  Adrien Brody was very convincing in his part as well. 

I enjoyed pretty much every second of the film.  If I had to come up with some weaknesses it would be the transparency of the plot twists.  I figured both of them out well before they were revealed.  And in a M. Night movie part of the fun is knowing that you are going to be surprised somewhere in the film.

Interestingly enough of the three movies I’ve watched recently this one reviewed the worst before the critics (Though I’m not surprised its my favorite in light of that knoweldge).  I’m not sure why the movie was reviewed so badly.  But I do have some theories.  I think M. Night is a little cocky in how he presents himself.  In interviews he does seem a little full of himself.  This probably annoys many of those in the industry.  He is also, incidentally, incredibly talented and successful for his age.  I think this probably threatens those who have possibly worked harder to get where they are (Or worked hard and never got anywhere) because they are not as talented.  People also keep expecting him to make another Sixth Sense which he doesn’t seem interested in doing.  Since people don’t get what they are expecting they think it must be bad.  Or maybe I’m completely wrong about all of this? 

I just know I’ve enjoyed every one of his movies both as stories and as visual works of art.

Posted by Jamie at 09:57 PM