lovethebeatles64

I'm not sure whether it was nausea, anticipation, or just plain dread, but this movie truly disturbed me. It was, to say the least, a thrilling experience. I have never seen special effects as real and fantastic as in this film, and it certainly gave me a lot to think about.

As a morbid and dark story of a futuristic world which we may dream about and fear at the same time; it skillfully weaves together much of what we have enjoyed in the films of both Spielberg and Kubrick. We see bits of "E.T.," "2001," and "Close Encounters." The streets of Rouge City may have been inspired by scenes from another futuristic movie that pits humans against robots: "Blade Runner." This movie is far from perfect, however, but it would have been much closer had the audience been spared its last 30 minutes, in which it metamorphosed from a story of lost hope and unfulfilled dreams to a sappy fairy tale (which it claims to be anyway). This was bound to happen, however, because Spielberg and Kubrick handle fantasy and science fiction in dynamically different ways. Needless to say, "A.I." very skillfully presents us with important questions that we continuously ask ourselves at this time of scientific discovery; questions about morality, humanity, and how far we can go without going too far (this reminds me of the archeologists' discussion in Jurassic Park, as well as the squirm-inducing length of "A.I" itself), though it does not balance its child and adults aspects with as much diligence.

"A.I." succeeds on several levels, however, and is aided by the tremendous talent of one of the most amazing child actors I have ever seen. I watched, awestruck, as Haley Joel Osment convinced me that he was a mecha (short for mechanism), walking as if controlled by gears and springs, talking with a flat metallic twinge, until he is "imprinted," or programmed to love, then conveying a range of emotions to the audience. I feel sure he will be nominated for an Oscar, just as he was for his other memorable performance in "The Sixth Sense." Especially noteworthy is the performance of Jude Law, who makes a lasting impression with a very small role, just as he has in other films. As a "lover mecha," programmed solely to give pleasure to lonely and needy young women, Law is truly too beautiful to be mistaken for a human. He adds charm and even humor to the his scenes, and supplies some of the more thought-provoking dialogue. ("They made us too smart, too quick, and too many. We're paying for their mistakes because when the end comes, all that will be left is us") The humans of "A.I." may have first created robots to work for them, but playing God quickly allowed them to realize that they were mortal. This film may claim to be about the machine that can love, but it is really about the human who will always fear death and loneliness.

I am a great fan of Shakespeare, and love reading and seeing all of his plays, yet I continue to believe that there is something in the text that can only be brought out (and made believable in this day and age) by the most talented actor. This actor is definitely Kenneth Branagh. Whenever he is reciting Shakepeare, he makes it come to life, he makes us understand it, and he also adds his special charm to it to make it truly something of his own (a sort of collaboration between himself and Shakespeare).

I sat down to watch this movie having been told by several people how good it was, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. I laughed all the way through this. Every character was perfect for his part, every scene was done exactly as it should be done to best capture the effect of the language, and Branagh, as the director, added in many of his own terrific special touches (e.g. the chair scene in the garden). Even Keanu Reeves, with his bad acting, somehow fit the angry, insular personality of Don Jon. I also loved Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington ( remarkably majestic as Don Pedro, even though he is not a Shakespearean actor), and Michael Keaton, in a cute, but sadly overdone role. I also liked the fact that the actors recited their lines with a charming normality; the Americans did not try to sound British. This is a terrific movie to see when you are happy, and if you need cheering up, I am sure it would work quite well too. If you are a Shakespeare fan, a Kenneth Branagh fan, or just enjoy witty movies, "Much Ado About Nothing" is one you cannot afford to miss!

I am really tired of people who claim that a movie is bad because it is "unbelievable." I mean, that is why it is a movie and not real life! It is pretty hard to make a time travel movie, let alone any kind of sci-fi movie, that is entirely believable, but the real goal of any movie is to be entertaining, and this one definitely is! As one of those people who has never stopped believing that time travel could be possible, I knew I had to see this movie as soon as I heard about it, and I was not disappointed! The idea that John (Jim Caviezel) can actually alter events in the past to affect his future is one that I am sure many people will enjoy. The idea that he can talk to his father (Dennis Quaid), who died thirty years ago, is enchanting. And the idea that...well, I'm not going to give away the terrific ending. If you want to know what happens, see it yourself!