gmalloy's stats
- Review count20
- Helpfulness votes9
- First reviewJanuary 25, 2008
- Last reviewDecember 29, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.7
Overall rating
1
/
5
Dying Swan?
PostedDecember 17, 2010
Black Swan has quietly worked its way up the backchannels of Hollywood fame and lavish critical praise. My job with this review is to save you money and steer you well away from this film, which is as disturbing in many ways as any film I have seen this year.
Nina played by Natalie Portman is a top rank ballerina in a New York dance company. She is tapped to replace a retired star in a production of Swan Lake. Problem is that while she is innocent and well able to play the White Swan, she seems far too innocent to play the Black Swan.
Nina’s mother is an over the top protective lady that seems to have a role in this movie, though I’m never sure, even by the end, what it is exactly , other than to act like wicked step mother.
Through the film it becomes clear that Nina suffers from incredible delusions and psychosis. The audience is somehow led to believe that with nothing other than a series of psychotic breaks, Nina will transform into an elite, perhaps one of a kind ballerina.
In one of these psychotic breaks Nina is involved in a passionate and very revealing lesbian scene with one of the members of the dance company. I have not the slightest idea how this has anything to do with the development of the film. In another scene, Nina is involved in a passionate scene, with herself. To say the least I’d have been at the height of embarrassment if I had seen this movie with my wife.
While the end of the movie guides us to the climactic opening night of Swan Lake, I am constantly asking myself why this woman is not being diagnosed and put into a mental ward. I don’t think a person could experience the kind of breaks she suffered and still be able to interact with friends and family on anything approaching a normal basis, let alone star successfully in an opening day show as lead role. In fact, it is so bad that at the end, one is left asking the question: Is this real?
What’s the critic hoopla all about? I’m honestly not sure. There was some interesting close up shot making that was riveting, to be sure.
Save your time and money and go see something else…anything else.
Rating: 1 ½ dying swans out of 5. Grade (D+)
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Solid Film...little downtime.
PostedOctober 9, 2010
As somebody that views Facebook as a valuable internet site as well as works with investments for a living, The Social Network naturally had appeal to me before it came out. With a built in fan base of similar users this movie had predictable box office success, so long as they didn’t totally flub it.
They did not flub it, thankfully. The movie is basically about the founder of Facebook and the initial start up of the business. What we have in the film is enough ego and brainpower in any given room to light a small city. Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook as we know it is played by Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg does a pretty believable job playing the character to the extent a guy making standard movie money is playing the role of a 12 billion dollar guy.
Of interest is that the movie revolves around lawsuits that arose after Facebook became a proven success. As the old saying goes, Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan. The Facebook success seems to have brought the fathers out of the closet looking for their share of the spoils.
It is intersecting to see how all this infighting works its way out. As part of the drama, the movie continually goes back in time to relive a number actual events in the past. Truth be told, this really is as much a documentary as it is a drama. I’ve always said truth is stranger than fiction and this movie once again proves it.
Two thoughts I was most impressed by. In the book Black Swan by Nassim Taleb, he makes the point among others that we have gone to a “winner take all” form of society. Simply speaking, you don’t often have many very good competitors splitting the pie. What you have are few very good, very highly paid individuals and the rest are stuck in average land. NBA players number less than about 300. If you are on an NBA team you might make a million or even more. If you are not, you make nothing.
This movie makes this point very well. If you are not first and you are not best, you are basically a has been. They note sites like My Space in the movie. Where are they now? You hardly hear of them. Once Google took off, the once beloved Yahoo took a nose dive in revenues and stock price.
This is not the story of an average American, it is a story about an individual blessed with incredible knowledge, being born at the right time and being very lucky in many ways that blew the roof off.
The second thought is that the movie is full of all the range of human nature and emotions. One of the reasons the movie comes off so well is that the emotional scenes come off as so believable. While Zuckerberg is an obvious jerk at times he is lucky enough and smart enough that I don’t see how you can help but to admire the guy by the time the film ends.
In the end this is a voyeuristic look into the success story of Mark Zuckerberg. It wouldn’t be nearly so interesting to a lot of people if they were not so drawn by the product itself. If my read on the story is correct, the original book more or less demonized Zuckerberg. If the movie is anywhere near correct, I got the idea that most everybody got about what they deserved, maybe more than they deserved. A lot of places like Rolling Stone are already calling it movie of the year. I like the film, but with three months yet to go, I can almost guarantee that the best are yet to come.
The movie will almost certainly keep you interested throughout. Where I will take issue is with the language. There was not a ton of bad language, but there was some and it was not at all necessary, in my view. The part of the Napster founder played by Justin Timberlake was interesting and unusual. If it’s true it’s a really wicked twist of fate and irony combined by the time the film ends. Throughout the movie, the acting is better than average. The one unfortunate thing about the movie is that if you don’t understand Facebook before you go in, this movie is no tutorial. I think they assume many movie goers will have a basic understanding of the film. It’s the human story behind Facebook, plain and simple.
I don’t think this film is going to draw well from the 60 and older crowd unless those folks are really computer savvy and know something about Facebook. That leaves a big audience that I think will want to see one of the better movies of mass appeal so far this year. One thing this film may lack is people that want to see it over again. I think once you see it, you are done. There are no special effects to speak of.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
5
/
5
The first can't miss movie of the year
PostedOctober 9, 2010
Finally, a movie comes along with hopes raised high, hits the silver screen and knocks it out of the ballpark. These types of movies don’t often get included in best picture selection, but this one probably should.
The potential audience for this is vast. I was 14 years old when Secretariat took the last Triple Crown won in this country. I think everybody in the country watched that last race. Yet it is long enough ago, 36 years that the memory has faded for most people, like me at least. I don’t suppose the timing could have been better to revive the memory of this great feat. On the other hand, as Disney is famous for, they made this a movie that kids will love and want to see over again. At the afternoon showing today with my entire family I saw numerous older couples. While there were a few kids, I’m not sure this movie has even been recognized as top material for kids and families. When parents recognize what a great family film this is, they will flock to it. ANYBODY, 6 and up is likely to enjoy the film.
Like Blind Side, most of the best movies are factual depictions. This movie is really nothing more than a movie about the American dream. It’s about how anybody can be a success if they try hard enough. It also goes into just enough ancillary information and background that everything makes complete sense. Looking back, I don’t think a line in the final production script was wasted. Every line and scene had a purpose.
I realize it may be hard to imagine a story about a horse as being a great movie to watch. Yet from the first frame to the last, this movie had my complete attention. Nobody loves a hero more than Americans. Like most stories about heroes, there is a lot more in the background than meets the eye. I’m sure there were dozens of failures in similar situations as this past and present. While those stories may be interesting there is nothing like the story of those that come out on top.
John Malkovich does an excellent job playing the trainer in the film. I suppose it’s possible, he could be nominated for best supporting actor. He really did a great job keeping this alive and believable. Diane Lane plays the lead role and like most in the film is a relatively unknown face. While certainly not rookies, there was no need to pay tens of millions for the movie stars of today that seem to be in such high demand for what passes as contemporary “art”. Please, just give me a good script, a good story and reasonable actors. The rest will take care of itself. Every actor/actress in this film was more than adequate to their role.
I can tell you that tears were being shed all around me throughout the movie. It’s not an obvious tearjerker, but if this movie doesn’t move you on occasion, no movie will. There is drama, humor, suspense and heroism. Even though we all know how it ends, it feels like you are reliving it, one incredible race after another.
Whether you see this by yourself, with a date, your spouse or family…anyway whichever, you will enjoy it. Don’t miss one of the best films this year-
Rating: 5 Triple Crowns out of 5 Grade: (A+)
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Surprisingly good film
PostedSeptember 25, 2010
Elevators are interesting. They are the one place that you are closely confined with many people at times. Yet nobody in an elevator is expected to say a word. Why? Because nobody knows anyone, generally, and there is just no time for small talk.
Almost the entire movie takes place in a stuck elevator with 5 people very closely confined. While it all seems totally random, nothing is as it seems.
All five of these people seem to have something to hide. There is no coincidence in the world, or so this film would have you believe. So what’s going on? The Devil is in the elevator. Try and guess who the devil is and you will almost certainly be surprised in the end.
The film has all sorts of interweaving threads going through it. Not all make sense, but by the time the movie is over you are left saying to yourself: Oh, now I get it!
For those that wonder, this is not a horror film, nor is it a film with heavy religious overtones, ala The Exorcist. It’s really more of a: “who dunnit”?
I had the lowest expectations for this film of any I have seen in awhile. Yet, it turned out to be one of the most satisfying. It certainly beat The Town and Wall Street. Do yourself a favor and check out the trailer.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
/
5
Money never sleeps….but the audience might.
PostedSeptember 25, 2010
Money never sleeps….but the audience might.
I’ll never forget the original Wall Street with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. It was the year after I got into the investment business. The movie was released in the middle of the biggest bull market in the history of the country. The stock market in 1986 or 1987 (Until October that is) was the national pastime, it seemed. Seemed like all people talked about was how well their stocks were doing. Back then, people were making money hand over fist in the stock market without having the foggiest idea what they were doing. It’s all people could talk about on golf courses, cocktail parties…you name it.
The original Wall Street could not possibly have come out at a better time. It actually reinforced ideas people had about stock operators and insider trading. I have no doubt the movie had some influence on laws and legislation. Who knows for sure?
Anyway, with that backdrop I anxiously awaited the release of the follow up: Wall Street-Money Never Sleeps. This movie was disappointing from the start. I never contemplated leaving, but after about 15 minutes I knew there was no good way for this movie to continue.
To start with the primary character is a young Wall Street kid named Jacob. Jacob is played by Shia LaBeouf. For those of you unfamiliar with Disney shows, he played a character on the Disney show “Even Stevens” from 2001-2003. He is now 24 years old. I don’t mean to typecast anybody, but this guy is way out of his depth in a role like this. You cannot take him seriously, right from the start. His mentor gives him a check for 1.4 million near the beginning of the movie. I’m left scratching my head. Even in 1987, very few 24 year old kids were making this kind of money. He’s not even a trader, he’s an analyst. Today, even fewer people make that kind of money. I could never get over this character. All I could think about was a 24 Disney character. I saw Eagle Eye a couple of years ago. He was playing the main role of hero in that movie as well. The movie was done from the very first frame. He must have friends in high places because they keep casting this 22-24 year old as a lead role in big films.
Coincidentally, Jacob is engaged to the daughter of Gordon Gecko, of the original Wall Street, of course. Gecko seems to be trying to make a comeback as a Wall Street advisor writing a book. Seems like sales are sluggish. He tries to reconcile with his daughter who has tossed him out of her life.
Unlike the original Wall Street there is no credible storyline with respect to any actual stock trades or transaction of any sort. The two or three stock trading stories seem forced and unrealistic. Everything about this movie seems dry and uninteresting. From my perspective there was no storyline that tied anything together during the entire movie.
This is one of the most disappointing films I have seen in years. It’s not because it is so outright horrible, it is because mu expectations were so high. The country is in the middle of an economic funk. I guess it’s hard to come up with a story about Wall Street that is believable and interesting. Michael Douglas cannot possibly save the film and it is never close to being saved.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
great start, mediocre finish
PostedSeptember 19, 2010
This movie gets off to a great start and then starts going down the wrong paths at the end. This movie had the potential to be a blockbuster with a variety of possible great endings. I thought the ending was just mediocre and hard to believe, frankly.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
1
/
5
INCEPTION
PostedJuly 18, 2010
Inception has been the summers most talked about movie, in a summer where there has been precious little to get excited about. I’ll get right to the point: This movie started out confusing to me and never straightened itself out. I was confused from start to finish. I defy any movie goer to explain what happened in this movie to a friend.
It’s hard to even discuss what the movie was about. Dom Cobb (played by DiCaprio) has developed an ability to get into other peoples subconscious via their dreams. That’s a bit simplistic, but will suffice for this review. Anyway, along with a crew of help, Cobb works professionally to try and use his skills to obtain information from unsuspecting victims for people with money.
Cobb crosses paths with Saito (Ken Watanabe) and agrees to try and pull of a mind caper in exchange for the ability to return to the US where he faces charges of murdering his own wife.
This movie goes into hyper drive with all sorts of action in scenes that I had no clue as to what all was going on. Cobb and his crew are into a third level of dream invasion and the film is simultaneously showing action from all three scenes. There were a few cool looking special effects, but they were irrelevant to the movie at large, I felt. Every scene where Cobb and crew ends up there is practically the equivalent of a paramilitary organization waiting to gun them down. Incredibly, with firepower that would blow your mind, the dream crew never seems to suffer any casualties. It’s simply way too much to believe.
This is a movie that tries to do way too much with far too little. Given the complex nature of the film, I think they would have been better off to run a more simple set of sequences, saving something like this for a sequel when viewers might have a better idea what is happening.
Save your money. This can easily wait for DVD if you think you have to see it. I think longer term box office will really disappoint.
Rating: 1 1/2 Crazy elevators out of 5 Grade: (D+)
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
2
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5
Oscar?
PostedFebruary 6, 2008
I have now seen all but one of the pictures up for best movie. I continue to be dissapointed.
This story has been told a thousand times. This was not nearly the best.
It is the typical, I have done wrong movie To call this movie "atonement" is to cheapen every movie like it where atonement is the moral of the story.
At least a story like this should be based on a true story. This would at least get the viewer to buy into the characters.
If you want real; atonement movies, I would HIGHLY recommend "Heaven Falls" . I also recommend Black Snake Moan, though it is not entirely along the lines of full atonement.
Both are on DVD now.
If you are intent on seeing all the best picture nominees, then by all means see it. It will certainly convince you that standards for best picture are probably different than what you would use.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Social Activism at Work
PostedFebruary 2, 2008
To be fair, I dislike George Clooney and I dislike his political activism. A few good years on ER to start things off and suddenly he is a world affairs expert...I don't think so.
With that baggage offloaded, the movie was better than most "thrillers" in the context of actual scripting and acting. The entire beginning could have been scrapped, however. It did add to anticipation, but that was poorly fullfilled, I thought.
Many things were added to this movie that ended up being entirely senseless. What was the "red book" talked about by his son so interesting. Auther got the message, too bad the audience was never enlightened.
Clayton is not a litigator for his law firm, but rather a specialist, a "janitor". He is considered a "miracle worker". Yet he is left "begging" for $80,000. It is never really explained how he came to owe it (precisely) or , worst< how a "specialist" of his caliber could be paid so poorly that he has to beg for $80,000.
So far as the plot, it is unthinkable that Aurther could have billed 30,000 hours on this case and quite suddenly have learned morality.
The unfortunate part of this goes to the social activism of Clooney and gang. They work around this class action lawsuit and the underlying message is that this is business as usual in America and corporate executives are just naturally evil.
A similar plot line could have been run around any number of criminal trespasses and delivered the same effect,, but no, they had to attack American Business.
George Clooney is less of an actor than an activist and this movie demonstrates that, much as was the case with Syriana.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
4
/
5
Some blood will flow
PostedJanuary 25, 2008
Totally aside from the movie, I was still waiting for the blood to flow when the movie ended.
Anyway, like all movies not everybody will like it. It's a tale of the war for oil in the day when oil was just getting started and the type of situations one might find themselves in.
The preacher and the son provided interesting sidelights, which are the elements of the movie that tied it back to real life today or 100 years ago. We all have conflicts with our children and others. This is the same thing 100 years ago.
Anyway, like all movies not everybody will like it. It's a tale of the war for oil in the day when oil was just getting started and the type of situations one might find themselves in.
The preacher and the son provided interesting sidelights, which are the elements of the movie that tied it back to real life today or 100 years ago. We all have conflicts with our children and others. This is the same thing 100 years ago.
DDL was the epitomy of the ageless war of selfishness versus trying to get along in the pursuit of his selfish goals. I;m not saying selfish is bad. In the end, we all are. This movie just goes to great lengths to show the extremes that some people will go to to acheive their personal selfish ends.
A Denver talk show that I very much enjoy, ranted about the "horrible soundtrack". I thought it was quite appropriatte for the movie and , in fact enjoyed it.
The music very much reminded me of the music in "Sling Blade". I thought the music in that movie was awsome and this movie made me wonder if it might have been the same group (It's not).
I thought the final scene with the son was unneccassary and was a bit sad to see it play out the way it did. But as he proves over and over, DDL says what's on his mind and means every bit of it.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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