Collard's stats
- Review count18
- Helpfulness votes4
- First reviewJuly 14, 2008
- Last reviewJanuary 28, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.1
Overall rating
4
/
5
Excellent Direction
PostedJanuary 28, 2012
The best thing about "Haywire" was Steven Soderbergh's direction. The film reminded me of his earlier work, "Traffic." But where "Traffic" cut from one aspect of the illegal drug and law enforcement interactions to another, "Haywire" cuts to different moments in time in one agent's battle with a traitorous superior.
Soderbergh carefully crafts the story so that the audience never understands what is going on until the very last few minutes of the film. From the beginning it is obvious that someone wants the agent eliminated, but the question that drives the plot is, why?
"Haywire" is a terrific action film with a great cast and very little studio support of which I am aware. Perhaps the executives believed that with A-List names like Steven Soderbergh and Michael Douglas they could save money on diligent marketing. With the right treatment this gem of an action movie, I believe, could have made the studio a lot more money than it seems it will now make.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
A Shakespearean Plot
PostedOctober 29, 2011
Knowing nothing about the arguments for and against the authorship of the plays and poems credited to William Shakespeare, I can only say that the plot of "Anonymous" is very entertaining and believable.
"One sees how external factors go into the creative process, much like the dialogue in "Shakespeare In Love," where the spoken word becomes the written poetry for "Romeo and Juliet." But in "Anonymous" character is secondary to the plot, which isn't to say that the characters are not fully developed. They are.
"The plot, however, is the best reason to see this fine film. It is intricate and tightly woven. You don't really care about the facts because "Anonymous" is such a great entertainment. Let the academics argue about facts and possibilities. The audience is in the theater to enjoy itself.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
A Touch of The Video Game
PostedOctober 22, 2011
Although this version of "The Three Musketeers" does not stray very far from the original Dumas' storyline, there are some excellent additions to the plot. Keys unlocking an elaborate hidden chamber, a Leonardo di Vinci blueprint for a war weapon, and the actual battle between two such weapons are reminiscent of recent video games such as the "Uncharted," "Tomb Raider" and "Assassin's Creed" franchises.
Given that most of us have seen one or another of the earlier film versions of "The Three Musketeers" these new flourishes are not altogether unwelcome and do provide an additional level of entertainment to the original story.
The 'Gene Kelly/Lana Turner' version, with its brilliant technicolor and strict adherence to the plot, it might be argued, is better. The same might be said of 'Richard Lester's' interpretation (my personal favorite) which added much needed humor. But this "Three Musketeers" was not afraid to toy with a classic story, and so deserves to be regarded in the same league as the two previous films.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
Don't Expect "Fast & Furious 6"
PostedOctober 15, 2011
If you expect to see something along the lines of the "Fast & Furious" franchise it will disappoint you. "Drive" is not a car chase film. It reminded me of Michael Mann's "Thief," in which the protagonist is drawn into a bad situation against his better judgement. Like the earlier James Caan film, "Drive" is more about character than plot
Violence, when it comes, is so fast it surprises you. After one such sequence there is a long scene of a character staring, and you begin to wonder what they are thinking in the midst of the recent carnage. Many such moments are interspersed within "Drive," as characters take the time to absorb what has just happened and come to decisions about what they will next do.
The performances are all very good, especially that from Albert Brooks who, coming from a comedic background, creates an atypical character of purely sadistic evil.
I nearly missed "Drive" because I assumed it to be a mindless exercise in car chases, but after hearing the critics on "Ebert At The Movies" last week I decided to give it a try. I am very happy that I did. It is a little gem of a movie.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Where's The Motive?
PostedOctober 1, 2011
The problem with "Dream House" is that there is absolutely no character development of the villain(s). No attempt is made to explain why the initial crime occurs. And later in the time line when a second crime takes place the explanation is that it is because of greed (the insurance). Well, why did the first family become involved in these crimes when the target is a member of another family? And why does the villain wait five years between the two crimes when he is supposedly motived by the need for money, which presumes some kind of debt? It's unfortunate that very good performances by all the lead characters, including the children, were squandered on this weak material.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
A Weak Interpretation
PostedMarch 5, 2011
First of all, I harken from a totally wrong demographic for this film. If you are a teenager or 20-something you may very well enjoy it more than I did. With not only the Disney Studio version but the stylistic poetry of the Cocteau film as cinematic context, this interpretation is abysmal.
Beast wins Beauty's love with poetry and flowers? Really? Beast needs to win Beauty's love by offering up his own life to save her's. That is the core of the story. And the filmmakers knew this. They knew it! Early on a man threatens Beauty's life. His brother was killed and so she must die. But the necessary climax never comes. The antagonist is never again seen. Apparently he committed another crime and was sent to jail, so Beauty is safe. The real crime here is that a terrific story has been emotionally deprived of its life's blood.
As for Beast (and this is merely a quibble as the plot is the vital element), I found his makeup to be distracting. There was some kind of metal jewelry (?) piercing the bridge of his nose that was completely beyond comprehension. I kept wondering how such a thing was possible. Why, is easily explained. Once upon a time I was a 20-something, too.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Don't Blame Plame
PostedNovember 20, 2010
Until this movie I had always assumed Valerie Plame was a CIA analyst not unlike Robert Redford's character in "Three Days of the Condor." In actuality, Plame was a high-level operative who was critical to the extraction of Iraqi scientists from their country at the onset of the war. When she was exposed as a CIA agent by bureaucrats seeking to discredit her husband, not only was her career destroyed but a great many good people loyal to the United States lost their lives.
"Fair Game" excellently conveys the chain of events without preaching. Of course there are politics, but the focus is mainly on how the events affect Plame and Ambassador Wilson. And that is to the film's credit.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
Do I Have To Give It A Star?
PostedAugust 21, 2010
If there might be any reason to see "Piranha 3D," it would be for the nudity. Having said that, I recently re-saw "The Lover," which contained about the same amount of nudity, but which was both erotic and beautiful, a testament to the female form. "Piranha 3D" lacks any kind of originality or suspense, the dialogue is dreadful, and the special effects are terrible. To have 50-some extras thrashing around in a pool of red water, over and over again, reflects the lack of creativity these film makers brought to the film. And a note about the 3D, which may be a problem with the film or possibly with the projection, but there were visible 'ghosts' behind characters in several scenes
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
A Weak Script
PostedMay 31, 2010
First of all, the Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland version of this story is the benchmark all the other versions should seek to surpass, and not a single one has even come close. Ridley Scott even stole from his own previous film, when Russell Crowe does with grain what Orlando Bloom did with water in the much better "Kingdom of Heaven." And with the appearance of Cate Blanchett during the film's final climactic battle, the story descends from light entertainment to being laughably ridiculous. With such very good films like "Kingdom of Heaven," and "Body of Lies," having come from Ridley Scott in recent years it is hard to understand such a poor effort as, "Robin Hood," from so talented a director.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
"They Died With Their Boots On"
PostedJanuary 2, 2010
James Cameron has a deep and obvious love for nature which he translated to this film, and this love is what makes "Avatar" worth seeing. The plot, wherein a technologically superior culture is willing to destroy that of the indigenous peoples who happen to be in the way reminded me of "They Died With Their Boots On," the ending of which is much more poignant than "Avatar's." On the other hand, that the entire planet's inhabitants are wiling to come together to defend their home is a profound observation. It brings to mind the Gaia Principle that a planet is a living thing, and so the planet's survival is the responsibility and a necessity for every living thing on the planet.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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