DoubtfulHenry

I haven't played the video game Silent Hill franchise very much in depth, however i've always been a fan of its visuals. The tone, composition and lighting are breathtaking in all the games. The transition to film doesn't necessarily lose any shine but the stunted storytelling becomes more obvious.

The acting is fairly passable. It doesn't distract the viewer any more than the mediocre writing does. Radha Mitchell is head and shoulders above all other performers in the film. She conveys the fear and determination of a mother, searching for her lost and only daughter with poise and realism. Sean Bean is wasted with few lines and a pointless character that only serves to slow down the progression of the movie. Perhaps for the best, his character is poorly written and Sean Bean is directed for the role very well.

The sounds and music didn't quite pull me in. They fill their role but don't immerse the viewer into the films universe as well as they could have. The sounds are equally as important as the visuals, so in a film like this with strong visuals, the sound should amplify the experience. Sadly it didn't amplify at all.

Now as for those visuals, they were pretty astounding. The CG affects blended extremely well, i couldn't tell at times what was CG and what was a practical effect. The shot composition showed off the effects well and heightened the creepy factor. The monster design didn't meet par with the games but still impressed with deranged forms and creatures.

Silent Hill's story telling was weak in the film. All the interesting visuals in the world can't save a movie that gets as convoluted as this does. The climax doesn't make sense and cops out in the most unsatisfying way. Loose ends are not tied up and things just peter out in the end.

I would recommend Silent Hill only as an art gallery. Find clips of the movie to admire the visuals but don't sit down and watch the whole movie expecting it to form or complete any kind of story arc.

I'll do my best to review this as a work of its own rather than to the source material. It always irritates me when a decent movie is repeatedly bashed for straying from the book/comic/what-have-you it was inspired by.

As a film in its own right, Everything is Illuminated is slightly above average. The cinematography is passable. The seldom beautiful shot caught my attention.

The music conveys emotion and the theme of the film splendidly. It suits all moments accurately and was enough to move me during the climax. All the acting is top-notch. Elijah Wood captures the character of Jonathan. But every powerful moment feels a little watered down and robbed of its true potential. This is attributed to the absence of most of the backstory. The context of our characters journey is lightly hinted at throughout, but the viewers never fully connect to the reasons for our character's actions.

Everything is Illuminated, the movie, is only about an hour and a half long. Average for modern day films, but it would be twice as long if it had included segments told by Jonathan about his family's history. I would have preferred that. The most tearjerking parts of the book take place in these segments that were woefully excluded from the film.

For what it is, Everything is Illuminated is adequate. Sadly it doesn't exceed in any one area to make it stand out. For that i give it a 6 out of 10

Locked in a long time battle, two waring factions look to gain the upper hand on one another. Kildren, eternally young pilots put their lives on the line for a conflict they don't understand to begin with.

The Sky Crawlers is a deep film that draws you in with it's stunning aerial battles and complex characters. I immediately liked the main characters, if for no other reason than that they broke away from typical Japanese character clichés. They're layered and have back stories that propel them forward in the story and brings the viewer into their world.

The animation is amazing throughout. The art is gorgeous. The plane fights were amazing. Each time a dogfight began, my heart would be racing and i'd be concerned for the characters involved. The music is very Mamoru Oshii. It felt a little odd, but did seem to fit well enough that it didn't distract me from what i saw.

The pacing was skewed wrong. At times it felt subtle, slow and decisive with the characters, which is fine in it's own right, but when you open with an explosive dogfight, you leave the subtle approach coming off as sluggish. I would have preferred the character scenes to move a little faster and to be presented more aggressively.

The ending is left me disjointed, however it fits the mood of the film so i won't count that against it.

The Sky Crawlers is a beautiful and touching experience that's among the best of the year. My highest recommendation