Hurr78

There were times in this film where I cringed, because Lucas and Spielberg ask the audience to suspend their disbelief one big step beyond anything that was asked of them in the previous three films. But on the other hand, those films were a collective homage to a different kind of adventure serial. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an homage to B grade Sci-fi movies of the 1950s. When you keep that in mind, the cringing goes away a bit... and when you REALLY think about it, you wonder why they didn't take it a step even further in that direction than they already have.

But I digress. On the whole, this is a very entertaining film, and contains one extended action sequence that is truly on a par with the best of the first three movies. Cate Blanchett is an effective enough villain, although perhaps not as memorable as Belloq and his henchmen from Raiders. The supporting players (Winstone, Broadbent, and John Hurt) all do a fine job of the roles they've been assigned. And it's nice to see Karen Allen back again, even though she's a bit rusty in terms of the acting skills.

Still, Marian and Indy do give the film some of its best dialogue. I understand that Lawrence Kasdan was consulted on some of the more "romantic" scenes in the film, and I think it shows. There is one scene in particular, that I won't get more specific about here, that really brings back the magic of the Marian-Indy banter from Raiders, if only for a few short moments.

And then there's Shia and his character Mutt. I was ready to hate this character, but really, he didn't bother me.

Anyhow, enough said. If you're looking for a good movie to have a enjoyable summer night at the movies, this one will do the trick. I think most of you will be glad you did.

I don't rate very many films ten out of ten, but this one makes the cut. I felt clobbered coming out of the theatre at the Toronto Film Festival. For anyone who has ever experienced a love that cannot be, you will understand the language of this film. It's all in the glances, the smiles, the unspoken words between the lines of conversation. The actors bring their characters to life to the point that you feel as though you know these people.

Suffice it to say, Ficcion did it for me. And from the warm round of applause it received at the screening I attended, I suspect many others felt the same way. Hopefully it will find some success in a broader North American release.

Well, I saw this film fairly soon after seeing David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Both films deal intimately with issues of sex and power, and Egoyan's film does provoke thought... just not nearly as much as Cronenberg's.

There has been a lot of talk about whether or not Alison Lohman was right for the central role she plays in this film. In my opinion, she's not quite believable. She comes across as a bit too naive, while I believe that her character is intended to be quite wily. There's no such problems with Rachel Blanchard, who does a terrific job with a much smaller, but also key role. Still, Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon really rescue this one with their portrayal of a comedy duo gone wrong. Bacon is especially effective at capturing the swagger and confidence of a showman, with all of the benefits it brings.

Let me also say a quick word or two about the sex in this film, since there has been a ratings controversy. I found the sex to be quite mild in comparison to some of the sex in Cronenberg's History of Violence. That said, I'm not sure that the NC-17 rating in the US will really hurt the film all that much, since I don't think anybody would ever pretend that this is a film for minors anyhow.

On the whole, has some obvious flaws, but it's definitely worth the price of admission.