PedS's stats
- Review count386
- Helpfulness votes92
- First reviewMay 31, 2008
- Last reviewApril 27, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.4
Overall rating
5
/
5
Epic Greek-like Tragedy
PostedApril 24, 2011
This movie tells the story of a wronged Christian mother and her three children in Lebanon during that country's Civil War and beyond. The story is split between the past and present. In the present, the mother has died and left instructions in her will for her twin children to find their brother and father in the Middle East. In the sequences involving the past, we witness the mother's struggle to be reunited with her first-born child who was taken from her and placed in an orphanage when her family found out that it was illegitimate. She also joins a rebel group and spends 15 years in prison, where she is tortured and hardened. In the present, her twins are searching for their brother and father in the village where she was born. The story is terrifically crafted and shocking to watch unfold; the ending is downright tragic in the tradition of Oedipus the King.
I went to see this movie because it was nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and I had it on my must-see list. I must say, that nomination was well-deserved and it is a film I highly recommend for the story, the acting, and the special attention to all of the different cultural nuances. The turmoil in the Middle East has traumatized many, and this movie does an outstanding job of telling a slice of the story. It is set in the Middle East (mostly Lebanon) and French Canada and is primarily in French and Arabic with English subtitles.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Circus love story, tragedy to spare
PostedApril 22, 2011
Robert Pattinson makes a valiant effort to keep pace with Christoph Waltz and Reese Witherspoon in this moving love story of a travelling circus during the 1930's. Pattinson's character says early on, "I don't know if I found this circus, or if it found me." His characters just went through a terrible ordeal and needed to get away. Luckily for him, the circus provides all manner of distractions, including a platinum blonde (Witherspoon) who needs rescuing from a psychotic circus owner/husband played to a tee by Oscar winner Christoph Waltz. In fact, Watz's performance is so intense and spectacular that he elevates the movie to a higher plane than would otherwise have been justified.
If you're wondering whether this movie is for you or not, you should lean towards seeing it. The visuals are outstanding and there are elements in the film for just about anyone to enjoy. I did not read the book and I'm not much for love stories, but this movie kept me interested and excited throughout.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Inspirational!
PostedApril 10, 2011
Strength, convictions, and above all faith propel this true story of a girl surfer who loses an arm during a shark attack. Her family is full of faith and provide her with enough support to continue to pursue her dreams. Caution: you may cry during this film.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Adrenaline-charged nonsense
PostedApril 8, 2011
There's something very creepy about a nearly albino teenager whose hands are a lethal weapon. This movie is entertaining to watch at time and the action is non-stop. Unfortunately, the story is weak and the dialog is a disaster. It is also nowhere near as good as Little Nikita, but it may just be the movie for you if you're looking for a rush.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Multicultural story of love, hate, and revenge
PostedApril 3, 2011
This is a riveting movie about love and hate. It uses a multilayer plot involving several cultures (European & African) to highlight the different approaches to violence, tragedy, love, and humanity. One of the principal characters is a Swedish doctor who lives in Denmark and occassionally works in a small African village camp providing medical care to, among others, victims of a warlord who frequently stabs pregnant women. He is tolerant and passive to a fault. Back in Denmark, his son is also highly passive until he teams up with a school boy named Christian who doesn't take anything lying down. Christian's impulse to react violently to anyone who threatens him provides an intense juxtaposition to the passive doctor's approach to violence.
There's also the questions of love. Can love survive acts of cruelty, betrayal, and tragedy? Can a shattered heart be mended? These questions are explored exhaustively and with innovation. This movie is truly heart-wrenching and riveting to watch. A small part of this film is in English, but you get subtitles for the parts in Danish and African. You'll leave the theater full of thoughts about your own life and style of coping.
There's also the questions of love. Can love survive acts of cruelty, betrayal, and tragedy? Can a shattered heart be mended? These questions are explored exhaustively and with innovation. This movie is truly heart-wrenching and riveting to watch. A small part of this film is in English, but you get subtitles for the parts in Danish and African. You'll leave the theater full of thoughts about your own life and style of coping.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
1
/
5
20 bad movies in 1
PostedApril 2, 2011
There's a little bit of every bad horror movie in the last 20 years woven into this horrible film. The child is in a coma (or is he?); the house is haunted (or is it?); the mother is seeing things and is really crazy (or is she?). Do yourself a favor and skip this mess.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
3
/
5
Matrix-like love story
PostedApril 2, 2011
There's a bit of life left in us (8 minutes) after we die..., apparently. This movie explores that imprint to see if anything can be done to stop bad things from happening in the future. It's a lot to swallow, but there's genuine action and suspense throughout as a war hero tries to stop a domestic terrorist.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Pretend couple fall in love
PostedMarch 16, 2011
This movie is about two new acquaintances pretending to be a pretend married couple of 15 years while visiting a beautiful small town in Tuscany that specializes in weddings and honeymoons. They bicker at each other incessantly like a couple about to break up and suddenly the sparks begin to fly. It's an odd premise for a love story, but it ends up working. The movie is in French, Italian and English with subtitles.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Bitchin'
PostedMarch 12, 2011
Great alien action movie with plenty of shooting, explosions, and end-of-the-human-race theorizing. See it for the action, not the story. Los Angeles is not the best city to have a battle of this magnitude. DC or NYC still feel more like scene for such a movie.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Beautiful People Beware!
PostedMarch 6, 2011
There's a witch going around putting spells on beautiful people in this movie so that they become humbler and worth on their feelings as much as they have on their looks. Yeah, it's ridiculous, but it's the time-tested story of Beauty and Beast and it still works even disguised as a pop teen flick.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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