Reviews
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Have seen better
Though this movie seems acceptable at the first time and has an passable ending. When compared Mephisto Waltz (1971) it pales in plot and impact. It takes too much time to resolve the mystery and some experience's viewers might guess whats going on. I admit that many Hollywood's productions or remakes suffer from the same defect and it may not be fair to compare every movie with its similar movies that has been made before. But it is reasonable to expect with so much more budget, so much more experience, and so match more talents to have better stories and performances than a movie that was made in 1971. The very strange thing is that the Mephisto Waltz has more twist in the plot than the Skeleton key Because it did not stop at the main idea and had the story going after that which was not the case of the skeleton key
No Good Deed (2002)
More than acceptable modern film noir
No good deed based on a short story by Dashiell Hammett is kind of movies that have many elements and themes of a classic film no-ire but it is not exactly one of them. The themes include a robbery plan that goes awry though here it is more of a con rather than robbery and it is executed without resorting to violence. Second theme is domed love
which in this movie is rather short, more of this later. The elements include mastermind and ruthless gangster, a femme fatal , and rude maniac hit-man. And add to these people a
couple that had a dream of living happily ever after. The strength of the movie is in building up of its characters. They all do what they are expected to do whether they act strongly or
weakly. Their strength and weakness comes from their personalities and not from the requirement of the plot. Erin character is the main difference of this movie from classic femme fatal. As a kept girl with ten percent rebate on pedicure expense, though she is cunning in some scenes , but she is also deadly frightened. Her motives are dark at worst and suspicious at best, but in her main thrust of manipulations (getting rid of Tyrone) she deserves our sympathy. Other characters do not show something unexpected ,but the story has enough power and twist that make the movie worthwhile and interesting. Movie scenes are limited, and most of it is in closed places which intensifies a sense of claustrophobia. This kind of story which has little physical action and is mainly based on suspenses needs good acting, that fortunately this movie does not lack it. This movie shows that good noir still can be made and their time has not passed yet
Irréversible (2002)
Confused movie with good actors and some good moments
I see this movie and could not relate to it. I could not find the basic point of the movie. First of all this is a movie that tries to show that only human can treat other humans like animal and in the process himself became an animal. The rape scene is designed to be repulsive and totally is. But the problem is that the rapist is an animal even before he begins his savage act. Another below to the movie and its message comes from unfolding of the story which is in reverse order. this is a major below because it puts the rape scene near the beginning of the movie . The revenge scene before the rape, so the viewer does not have any antipathy to the rapist and just watches a pointless act of violence(till that time in the movie) and the movie ends with a paradise like scene, which is contrary to the main point of the movie. But I think the rape scene is one of the most effective and hopeful of that kind and in this respect even surpass the similar scenes in Salo. Film has a good message but it is delivered by only one scene and not the whole movie, and because of this its effect has been diluted
Decoys (2004)
So so ingredients, intolerable mix
This attempt to mix two genres of American pie type and alien type does not mix well. And it seems this is due to lack of trying rather than difficulty of mixing. Such waste of time both for makers and viewers of the movie .The movie tries to follow clichés of both genres but the result is not convincing like the guy who stipends relieving of his virginity, and more unbelievable that is the caring and responsible alien type who think for a species that their survival is based on their distinction. Another unbelievable thing is the police that in camp with so much strange happenings does not suspect anything. These type of movies success is based on viewers suspension of disbelief. But unfortunately here this disbelief cannot be suspended. And this is because of lack of try on writers and director's side
Exotica (1994)
Memorandoms from shattered lives
First of all let's come clear. At the first time that I see Exotica it is very gripping. It even mislead you in a way that in about first ten minutes of movies about what the story is really about. But after thinking about it for a while one can discover why it is gripping. Exotica makes the viewer to identify with a man who have all the bad lucks. His daughter is kidnapped and murdered, his wife cheat on him but he is so nice that he accepts that, and then his wife dies in an accident but her lovers remains alive, he is satisfied with a memorandum of his shattered life by going to the Exotica and have a private dance of a young girl but by the way of a setup he loses that too, and when he tries to get a revenge he is not capable to do that. The final scene which is a flashback underlines this point and in a final revelation we find out that this setup has taken away from our hero something that he cannot find anywhere else and in this regard has damaged him beyond the want of the culprit of this setup. And as if that is not enough Exotica has some less favorable characters who have pure luck. Like the smuggler: the costume officer turns out to be a sex partner, his tax officer white washes his crime for a next to nothing small favor, and even when he commits the same offense that our good hapless protagonist is severely beaten and thrown out, his punishment is just a sweet smile and another touch by hand. Exotica has a good story and is told to maximum effect, but after thinking about it the final segment is that this movie does not further our knowledge of our world beyond what we already know. this fact is emphasized in the lyrics of the song that Christina dance with it in Exotica, and it says repeatedly that everybody knows.
Godsend (2004)
See this movie as a story being told and not as a platform about cloning
I saw this movie last night on TV. First of all this is modern refurbished version of Frankestein with DeNiro Swithing to the position of creator rather than monster. For me cloning is just a ruse,and writer/director has based the cloning part of story with a contaminated seed to avoid getting entangled in taking position on cloning Issue. This sort or genre of movies should be valued by two measures: First creating and maintaining suspense, and second creating and solving a mystery which on both accounts this movie comes above average. On the first account i praise this movie for not resorting to too much gore and providing suspense just with anticipation of violence and not much actual showing . On Second account which is unwinding the mystery it is OK . So I think 6 out of 10 is fairly suitable
Haute tension (2003)
Do not expect logic from this movie
I am one of those fanatic peoples who still expect logic and plot from a movie. All bloods, twists, romance,(and should I add special effects) should be logical, and have a reasonable reason in the movie which this one lacks. to be fair a large amount of today movies are in this category. Even forgetting this, the movie does not have any new thing to offer. How many movies anyone with five to ten year background of movie watching can count which are all the same without anything outstanding or remarkable even within context of the movie. This movie in particular tries to remedy this deficiency. But the result is worse than what can one imagine. I have heard that Steven Spielberg watched Close Encounter Of the Third kind some 200 or 300 times before releasing it. Anybody seeing this movie will doubt that the director even seen it once after finishing because the ending makes it necessary that one driver drive two cars at the same time ! Is this is anything other than awful.