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Name: Noel's Movie Reviews
Home: West Hills, CA, United States
About Me: My name is Noel Petok. I'm 27 years old. I've written 3 feature length film scripts and 3 short film scripts. I'm a caffeine nut and love to relax at my local Starbucks. If you love film, come chat with me. See my complete profile
A popcorn film is a summer action film, not monumental, that is a good waste of time, I repeat, a GOOD waste of time. “300” had elements of intrigue, amazement, beautiful cinematography, and despicable death scenes to boot. This version of the historical story of the 300 Spartans from Sparta is the most modern up to date film loaded with CGI (computer generated imagery) special effects. It contains buffed out men who fight for their country willing to die even when immensely outnumbered. The film that inspired a crew to make this film was in 1962 titled “The 300 Spartans.” “300” is a typical film made for the MTV generation, fans of graphic novels, and the vast amount of video game fanatics that enjoy cinematic violence.
“300” was made by Warner Brothers Pictures in association with Legendary Pictures and Virtual Studios. The MPAA kindly gave this movie an R rating for graphic battle sequences, some sexuality, and nudity. It is based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. He also wrote the famous “Sin City,” and put his own spin on the historical story of “300” that is loaded with a lot more violence and appeal for the generation from nowadays. Frank Miller got the drive to pursue this story from many viewings of the 1962 film “The 300 Spartans.” The music for “300” was beautifully orchestrated and perceived by Tyler Bates, who is fairly new but is on his way to bigger and better films. He has the drive and potential to be up with other big names on a high award level. The film’s screenplay, which didn’t take much work having a detailed graphic novel to base off of, was written by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon. The film had an incredibly huge cast some may not know by name but each actor gave his all with the parts they were so generously given. The cast includes; Gerard Butler (from the new “Phantom of The Opera” ), Lena Headey (from “Gossip”), David Wenham (as Faramir in “The Lord of the Rings” films), and Dominic West (from the new “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”). And, last but not least, the film was directed by newly found sensation Zack Snyder who directed a well received remake of “The Dawn Of the Dead”.
“300” takes place in 480 BC, when the Persian king Xerxes sends his enormous army to defeat Greece. The Greek city of Sparta raises supreme warriors, and 300 of them are chosen to fight for Sparta to overthrow the Persians at Thermopylae. They go to war knowingly they will be outnumbered, but are willing to die to keep Sparta amongst the Greek. The battle is basically a suicide mission, meant to give time to the rest of the Greek forces to prepare for the insurmountable invasion. This doesn’t phase the Spartans from giving the war their all, heavily determined to take as many Persians down with them as possible.
“300” isn’t a film that is likely to be noticed for awards other than maybe an MTV Movie Award or any caliber award for its use of special effects used to perfection. It was nominated in roughly 5 categories in the MTV Movie Awards and won for Best Fight for Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas battle with an Immortal creature. I felt, at times, mesmerized and in the moment with Tyler Bates’ use of music but believe this is not his best work. I sense his masterpiece in music is yet to come. This film is nothing more than a good time away from life and nothing more. The only other element this picture had, other than its great use of blue screen and green screen, was its gorgeous locations and cinematography. I believe that even the cinematographer and/or director went a bit overboard with themselves in creating a huge wall that is made up of dead bodies. It is award worthy for its amazing special effects but I can’t get myself to say anything worthy of this movie more than that.
“300” was loaded with extensive trivia and interesting facts in making this movie. First, this film, made visibly on a great scale, was shot in just 60 days. Next, Frank Miller wanted the male’s of the film to have the same look as in his graphic novel, so he demanded them to spend the majority of their screen time bare-chested. In order to efficiently present themselves as a well-trained fighting force of the time, the entire principal cast endured a rigorous training schedule for 6 weeks before shooting were to begin. Also, in the well shot and planned scene of the Oracle and its elegant flowing effect was oddly accomplished by filming the actress underwater. Lastly, with Zack Snyder being mostly in charge of this film he took it upon himself to cast his own flesh and blood son to play Young Leonidas as a child. In closing, I’d suggest this film to those that consider themselves a part of the MTV generation or are just fans of special effects used to create a very video game like blood splatter effect. It is all of the above, gratuitous violence, decapitations, lost limbs, and just all out brutality in its finest; if you’re a fan of that.
I totally agree. I may have given it a bit higher grade, but the sentiment is the same. Basically, a whole movie summed up by saying, "Those guys want to invade us. We're going to block this path or die trying."
Please feel free to provide your input by clicking on the comments fields following each of the reviews to give me some feedback and support to encourage me to pursue my love of writing. If there are films on DVD that you've seen or haven't seen and would like me to review. Below is a clip of a memorable moment in Oscar award history. Please send me an email at NPetok@gmail.com.
GRADE: C+ The Secret Life of Words *REVIEW* Good acting; definitely. Well written; has its moments. Great film; far from Oscar material. After a long grueling viewing of The Secret Life of Words I couldn’t wait for it to end. Sure with a name such as Tim Robbins (who has a much better performance in Mystic River) you’re sure to get a fine performance. This film also stars Sarah Polley. Sarah has the ability of becoming a fine actress down the line. I would consider one of her best performances to be in the film, My Life without Me. This film, The Secret Life of Words, may reach few but I found it to be a little more on the agonizing side.
The Secret Life of Words has well known stars; (Academy Award Winner) Tim Robbins, Sarah Polley, and Julie Chrisite. It also stars a few foreign names such as; Javier Camara and Sverre Anker Ousdal, and was written and directed by Isabel Coixet. Other than it’s top stars, the only other familiar name is producer Pedro Almodovar, who’s done a number of highly rated foreign films such as; Y Tu Mama Tambien, Volver, and Talk to Her. Isabel Coixet has written a film that is sure to reach some but is likely to be missed. The directing of this film has strong and powerful moments but are overshadowed by a slow basic story. It was recognized in low end festivals that most audiences likely haven’t even heard of. For fans of strong acting that like solid performances should give it a chance, but those that want a good story I’d say to pass on this one.
The Secret Life of Words was made in 2007 and was produced by Universal and Focus Features. It was released with an unrated MPAA rating that includes a scene of nudity. It’s a moving story about finding love and hope in places least expected. An oil worker is badly burned on the job and needs to be helped, by a nurse, with everyday needs; feeding and tending to his wounds. While being treated he forms an unlikely and emotional relationship with his nurse. While treated he reveals his deepest secrets with her and tries to learn and dig into her past mysterious life about her own hidden identity.
This film has great moments but they are overshadowed by too much buildup with the wrong character. The core and strength of the film lies in the character that Tim Robbins plays. There are many little nuances of Sarah Polley’s character that we should care for, such as her being hearing impaired. Throughout the film we hear a narration voiced by a young girl. We wonder who this young girl is and why we hear it. It left me confused until I realized that the girl’s voice was supposed to be Sarah Polley as a child. From a technical aspect, this film does have its strengths. For example, Sarah Polley manages to keep her accent throughout the film and never loses it, which shows a strong actress from the rest. With the accident that Tim Robbins’ character suffers from, the make-up crew did a basic job without overdoing the look of a burn patient. With a film’s strong points comes its inevitable weakness. There were edits and moments where I felt it cut between locations almost in mid thought that baffled me. I’m not sure if this is a style of this director but I saw it as strange moments and it left me lost.
In closing, The Secret Life of Words is likely to be a film that is just too small to be noticed. Once we are finally introduced back to the Tim Robbins character, post accident, the film finally picks up from its dragging points. The heart of this film lies within the scenes that take place between Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins alone together. Tim Robbins gives a great performance that definitely builds his status as an actor. When we finally hear the background story of why Tim Robbins’ character calls Sarah Polley by the different name Cora we learn, understand, and feel extremely sorry for him that much more. When they cut away from Tim Robbins you almost don’t care about the movie until they come back to him. The movie lacks to be a solid complete film. With its dragging parts it brings its audience to a state of boredom. Tim Robbins performance is the only strength to this film and at times his character is sad to watch. Sarah Polley has her ups and downs also but has a very powerful scene where she talks about soldiers dying in war. She and Tim Robbins have great chemistry working off each other extremely well, but to make their roles as a couple never seemed right. Even with a big age and height difference they never seem to be the right fit to be a couple. It’s a decent film, at best, with some powerful acting being the film’s saving grace. For a sad story and heavy film the only light hearted moment comes from two elder ladies on a bus watching a TV screen that plays the film Bloodsport. They have a funny conversation about Vin Diesel being a better actor than Jean Claude Van Damme. I would not recommend this film unless someone is a big fan of Tim Robbins. If so, it is up there as one of his touching performances.
Oh, poor director Joel Schumacher. He’s been on a downfall with bombs and misses for a number of years now. He’s had films that had potential but just never found the right audience or fan-base. The Number 23 is predictable, random, strange, dumb, and wrong on many levels. First, you have a psychological thriller with Virginia Madsen, which is fine and believable since she’s an actress who has her highs and her obvious lows. Then, you have Jim Carrey, who I understand has had his major hits outside of comedy such as; Man on The Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and The Truman Show, but this film is not a genre he should continue to pursue. The Number 23 builds dreadfully, full of predictable scenes, gratuitous sex scenes that make no sense, until the story’s revealing point that sheds some light on the film overall.
The Number 23 was made by New Line Cinema, Contra Film, and Firm Films. The MPAA handed an easy “R” rating to this film with an unrated DVD release. The film tells the story of Walter Sparrow, a friendly dog-catcher, who takes a call that leaves him bitten by a dog and late to pick up his wife. His wife has just browsed a bookstore, finding a blood-red-covered novel, a murder mystery that constantly loops around the number 23. The book mesmerizes Walter: he dreams about it, he notices aspects of his own life that can be rendered by the number "23." He investigates and searches for the author, and even at one point stays in a hotel (in room 23, of course) where events in the novel took place, and he begins to believe it was not just a novel. His wife and son try to help him, sometimes in sympathy, and sometimes to protect him. Slowly, he closes in on the truth and true meaning behind #23.
The Number 23 wasn’t recognized in festivals or any caliber of award worthy status. I saw strengths in the film even if it took a great deal to find them. The vast amount of weaknesses overpowered the unseen strengths. Though very meaningless to the overall film, the opening title sequence was fresh and different than the usual basic title openings in film. It had loads of special effects though film buffs will find them incredibly Unoriginal. The film used a rewind effect to a “T” yet the best use of the effect is seen in the film The Butterfly Effect. An interesting effect used in this film that brought some originality was a reflection shot of a mirror showing something that isn’t real. It is very basic, yet effective. The Number 23 has it’s thrills and surprises but is overshadowed by the great deal of predictability and scares that come off a bit comedic.
The Number 23 plotline comes from the background of the mythological fable around the so-called “23 Enigma.” It is a belief that events are in some form linked to the number 23, given enough skill and creativity on the part of the analyst. Some authors who’ve studied this background believe this as an outcome of the “Laws of Fives. In an interview one acknowledged the self-fulfilling nature of the 23 enigma, implying that the real value of the Laws of Fives and Twenty-threes lie in the mind's power to perceive "truth" in nearly anything.
The Number 23 has some intriguing points that some may find interesting, yet the overall status of this film will be viewed as more of a failure than even a profitable film. Those that enjoyed calculating all the 23 aspects in and or around the film may find of interest that this was director Joel Schumacher’s 23rd film, the character Jim Carrey plays has an obsession with the saxophone that has 23 keys, and so many other 23’s in the film that became more laughable than scary. Virginia Madsen became the unlucky supporting female character over the originally cast Elisabeth Shue who had to decline the role since she was pregnant at that time. Jim Carrey can pull off many different types of serious roles but this just wasn’t quite the right fit. He does it well, sort of, but there are many others that can do better. As for the writing; Fernley Phillips does a superb job and definitely should stay in the psychological thriller genre or something of that nature. He has the style to create a great freaky story if given full freedom and imagination to do his own thing. In closing, I’d tell ALL to skip this film, unless you have some freaky infatuation with the #23.
It’s MAGIC! This film, The Illusionist, is that and so much more. Magical, mystical, twists, romance, great story, engaging effects, and great acting from an impressive cast of a superb generation of phenomenal actors. I felt so engaged and in complete awe of such a brilliant film. This is a film that will get an audience on their feet in great praise and appreciation at the time of its closing credits. This film has something for everybody, even the occasional teenagers. It is a must-see film that ranks in my top 5 greatest films of 2006.
The Illusionist was made by 20th Century Fox and the Yari Film Group Home Entertainment. The MPAA generously gave this film a PG-13 rating for its use of violence and scenes of sexuality. It is based on a short story titled Eisenheim the Illusionist, by Steven Millhauser. The screenplay was written and directed by Neil Burger and stars Academy Award Nominee Edward Norton (from American History X, Fight Club, and Primal Fear), Academy Award Nominee Paul Giamatti (in Sideways and Cinderella Man), Jessica Biel (from Summer Catch), and Rufus Sewell (from Dark City). The Illusionist tells a story of a young boy, Eisenheim, who falls in love with a girl that is above his social standards. Although the parents forbid them of seeing each other, they can not be split apart. One day they are found together and the boy is sent away. He grows up and becomes a well-known magician. She grows up and falls for another man, the Crown Prince. The two get engaged but Eisenheim finally meets back up with the girl and uses his magical powers to free her from the royal house in Vienna. Everyone gave performances that rate up with some of the best of their generation. There are no words that I can say to tell you how great Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton are. These are two actors that give their all in every movie they do, regardless if it’s a blockbuster or an independent film. They make acting a joy to watch.
The Illusionist was noticed for honors and nominations in festivals and awards across the board. Composer Phillip Glass (???) had me enthralled and trapped in a trance right from the first note in the opening credits. He knows musically what grabs an audience and at times has them on pins and needles wanting to know what happens next. With his great composing along with Dick Pope’s cinematography and Petra Habova’s set decoration gives the film’s final touches a beautiful piece of film scenery. They used some extra help in the scenes containing the use of magic from James Freedman who gives his own input in sleight of hand to scenes using pick-pocket situations.
From The Illusionist’s great technical aspects to its great use of background story to explain to us where the love of Eisenheim and the girl started grabs our interest and has us on the edge of our seat fixated on the screen. With its great use of inter-cuts between scenes making it look like a very old, old film from early days of cinema to its impressive use of orange lens tinting to give scenes a grainy vintage look. It’s easy to notice, early in the film, that Edward Norton spent hours studying and mastering little nuances in the art of sleight of hand. He shows that in any art anyone can achieve their goals if they practice, practice, practice. The films use of special effects during scenes of magic may appear outrageous but believers will take it for what it is, MAGIC!
The Illusionist is full of strengths and very little weakness that are hard to find. Maybe that’s a magic trick of its own. Edward Norton is an actor that will amaze everyone in every performance thrown his way. He has such a presence on-screen that he can give an emotion and you will believe every second of it without a word of dialogue. Rufus Sewell spends a good majority of this film playing the role of the Crown Prince very upscale and calm but the role grows into a character of great anger and he makes his performance one to reckon with. A small piece of trivia, I feel the right decision was made in the end, was the role Jessica Biel played was originally supposed to be Liv Tyler, but she dropped out just before filming began. This film is quite a push above what Jessica Biel is used to doing but she did a fine job to a point where I couldn’t even see Liv Tyler in the role. This is a highly recommended film for everyone who loves great acting, a great story, and a magician wanting to be with the love of his life. Watch closely or you could miss a great twist in this millennium’s generation. In closing, there are 2 phrases we may hear from many magicians today that is also relevant to this film; “Certain secrets are NOT meant to be revealed,” and “WHAT IS REAL!?”
The Foutain (Trailer) GRADE: B What if you could live forever? A question few really think about. Many people have heard several different forms of the story behind the Tree of Life. This film, The Fountain, gives us an incredible visual look into a story that revolves around the Tree of Life. Drink the sap from the tree and YOU WILL live forever. One way to think of it though, is, do you truly want to live forever and watch those around you die? Hugh Jackman (as seen in the X-Men series) gives us a performance so touching that you forget this is the same guy that gave us the beast that was Wolverine. This film is something to see at least for its visual effects that are simply beautiful eye candy. The Fountain was noticed by several film festivals yet it wasn’t given that extra boost for critical acclaim. The screenplay was written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, who has built some status with films such as Pi and Requiem For A Dream. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz (from The Constant Gardner), Ethan Suplee (from American History X), and Ellen Burstyn (from Requiem For A Dream). Darren Aronofsky has built a reputation with his great eye for film-making. He knows what grabs an audience and knows a great deal about storytelling. I give Mr. Aronofsky great praise for his dedication and drive to get this film out there. He went out of his way, after the film was shut down after a $75 million dollar budget, to push years later with a much smaller budget ($35 million dollars) and still got his movie made. The Fountain was made in 2006 and was produced by Warner Brothers and Regency Enterprises. The MPAA rated this film PG-13 due to some intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality, and Language. This film covers all periods of time; yesterday, today, tomorrow, past, present, and future. Through time and space, a man embarks on a courageous 1,000-year odyssey to conquer the strongest foe: Death. Hugh Jackman plays that man, committed to one woman and determined to protect her from forces that threaten her life. His quest leads him to “the” Tree of Life…and into a journey where time has no end. Aronofsky continues to give us creative filmmaking. with a story packed with astounding scenery. “Not many films can blow your mind and break your heart at the same time, but this one will” (Drew McWeeny, Ain’t It Cool News). The first thing that many will praise this film for is its beautiful visuals and incredible special effects. Renee April’s costume designing was brilliant and got each individual time period look down flawlessly. The special effects of the Tree of Life inside a bubble looked amazing and really put its own spin on a story around the influential tree. The entire cinematography look I can’t give enough praise to. Even though, the editing between stories and time periods tends to get confusing, you do quickly begin to connect to the great tale of these two lovers. I found this to be quite an accomplishment for actor Hugh Jackman. This is an actor that’s been type cast in romantic comedies and has been given the staple as being known as “the” Wolverine character, in the X-Men series. Hugh truly gave 110% and put his heart and soul into this film. I believe he gave us a performance that will build him to bigger and better things, hopefully sooner than later. Just for insight into how much he put into this film, he shaved all of his hair on his head and chest for the last third of the movie. And, to show how much love and dedication the leads had in this film, Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz both signed on for a reduced rate. That’s what I like to hear, actors doing movies for the love of doing it, and not for the extremely high and outrages rates actors nowadays receive. The Fountain’s story, they’ve created about the Tree of Life, is so well told and even ties in the lives of Adam and Eve. I was pleasantly surprised, in some scenes, to see Hugh Jackman show some acting talent along a legend like Ellen Burstyn. There are scenes that feel like a knife to your heart. When you first hear Rachel Weisz telling Hugh Jackman to complete her book it just touches you and is one of those moments that you want to smile and shed a tear. It’s chilling and yet so sad. There is so much to like within this complex yet common story. In some cases, when miraculous things happen, like finding a cure for disease can still happen mere seconds too late. Painful, but it is still a miracle! Don’t forget that. Even the ink tattoo work Hugh Jackman’s character does on himself has so much meaning and when you realize his reason for it, it is heartbreaking and painful to watch. Other interesting facts, I found interesting, about The Fountain, was that the character name that Rachel Weisz plays, Izzy Creo, is a close translation in Spanish “And yes, I do believe” (Y si, creo). In closing, there are few phrases in this film I want you to remember before, during, and after this film; “BELIEVE!” “FINISH IT!” And, “My conquistador, always conquering.” ----Written by: NOEL PETOK
This movie was terribly overlooked. I feel like the spirituality that permeates the story is more important than the story itself, though. It's almost as if watching the movie helps you see more into yourself.
Monster’s Ball, Ali, Training Day, are films with superb performances, yet the films themselves never reach that level of strength. Ryan Gosling has power and on-screen presence to carry a film to any emotional conclusion a script has to offer. Half Nelson is a well directed film that comes from newcomer Ryan Fleck, who also co-wrote the script with Anna Boden. This film is the dark horse that shocked audiences with their array of film awards and nominations in festivals across the board. Ryan Gosling has built a reputation with such appreciation and honor with his fine craft in the world of acting. Half Nelson, which did earn Ryan Gosling his first Academy Award nomination, is just another step closer to receiving an Oscar.
Half Nelson was made by Sony Pictures and Think Film Entertainment. The MPAA gave this film an R rating for its use of drug content throughout the film, language, and some sexuality. It stars Ryan Gosling (from The Notebook, Fracture, and Stay), Anthony Mackie (from Million Dollar Baby), and introducing Shareeka Epps. Half Nelson tells the story of Mr. Dunne, an 8th grade History teacher in a school of black kids in Brooklyn who shuns the provided curriculum style in favor of his own unprepared and impromptu teaching style. He has profound heartfelt lectures about the importance of History, but usually speaks primarily of dialectics, the tensions between two opposing forces. Mr. Dunne is torn between his desire to change the world and his increasingly hopeless recognition that he just can't, at least not in the grand ways that he envisioned as a college student. He starts to use drugs as a way to escape the pain of life, and it turns into an addiction that carries psychological weight. In class, Dan (Ryan Gosling) demonstrates how the world is structured into opposing forces by arm-wrestling one of his students. This personal approach of his inspires students in class, but we don't see the effects outside of the class. The film focuses on Dan (Mr. Dunne) and the relationship that builds between himself and Drey (Shareeka Epps), a 13-year-old student of his who catches him in the school bathroom smoking crack after school.
Half Nelson was recognized for Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of teacher Mr. Dunne. The film received high admiration in the Independent Spirit Awards, New York Film Critics Circle, Sundance, and many others. It was most noticed for the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film (equal to the Oscar’s best picture in a film festival) and, in addition to it’s Academy Award nomination. Other than its film nominations and Ryan Gosling’s well deserved nomination, in festivals the performances by Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie received much praise. Ryan Fleck’s writing and direction added a very raw, edgy tone to this somber story. This film has depth and a strong story told in a subtle way that has impacted audiences, which is shocking for a film that was shot in 23 days.
Half Nelson relies on Ryan Gosling and his powerful portrayal of the character, Dan Dunne, to carry its story. The film was shot very basic and without special effects or anything that would run a high budget. I thoroughly enjoyed its use of distortion in shots to give the audience the feeling of being disorientated as if we were seeing through the eyes of the character Mr. Dunne. It also included interesting segments of archived historical footage to show what he was teaching his students. It gave the film a different spin in telling the story. This is an important film that digs deep into the racial problems of a white teacher living in an all black neighborhood.
Half Nelson is a very strong story and was highly honored in many festivals and the Academy Awards. It is a well done and well told film. Hopefully reviews and the praise bring this film out to more audiences so it is not overlooked. Ryan Gosling has built a reputation and status as an actor. He started in movies very young with films that were independent or small, yet he still built his resume with great performances. Not to say his stint in the Mickey Mouse Club went unnoticed. He is just an amazing actor and ranks up the tops of his generation. In Half Nelson, for instance, he studied little nuances of drug addicts. It’s very subtle but slight little flicks to wiping his nose on his coat collar never went unnoticed. What many probably don’t know is that this film started out as a short film called Gowanus, Brooklyn, which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. Shareeka Epps and Karen Chilton reprised their roles as Drey and Drey's mother. Matt Kerr, who plays the substitute teacher Mr. Light in this film, played Mr. Dunne in the original short. Another fun fact while the filming of Half Nelson, is that Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Red Eye, The Family Stone, Red Eye) came to the set during the filming of the bar scene. While they were running low on bar extras, to help the producers out, Rachel hopped in to help make the scene look busy. Her scene never made the final cut. I found the most moving part of my viewing experience occurred during Ryan Gosling’s heart-wrenching powerful scene where he’s snorting coke and talking about how teaching kids keeps him focused. Gosling’s very sad line, which I will censor for language sake; “I used to be so, F’ed up. I used to be so F’ed up, I was just out there, you know. But I f’in’ cleaned up. (Giggle) I cleaned up… (Sniffs a line of coke) for the most part. I do it now to get by. But I can handle it, you know what I mean. I tried the rehab thing. I tried it, didn’t work. Didn’t work. You know, works for some people.” Wow, just breaks your heart doesn’t it?
The Dead Girl! Where to begin? If one wants to see fine performances all around from an ensemble this is definitely one to see. There isn’t a standout star or performance that surpasses this well developed cast. Some may call this a hit-or-miss film, but I see it as a homerun hit sailing at the wall that has yet to land.
The cast includes a long list from stars such as Toni Collette, James Franco, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Laurie, Brittany Murphy, Giovanni Ribisi, Mary Steenburgen, Josh Brolin, Bruce Davison, and Mary Beth Hurt. This film was written and directed by a fairly unknown newcomer named Karen Moncrieff. Karen has directed a fine film with great cinematography and camera work for aspiring film-makers to watch for movie making homework. This is her second film and yet she’s already gotten some acclaim with the Independent Spirit awards in a couple categories. For the general audience this film is sadly likely to be missed, but for movie lovers that love fine acting should definitely take notice of this one.
The Dead Girl was made in 2006 and was produced by First Look Pictures, Lakeshore Entertainment, and in association with Pitbull Pictures. The MPAA once again dishes out the “R” rating with ease on this one saying it had broken the language barrier and had some grisly images with a few nude scenes to seal the “R” deal. It is edited together from several stories that are all connected based on the death of THE DEAD GIRL. The story starts with Arden (Toni Collete from The Sixth Sense), whose life is turned upside down when she finds the body of a murdered girl. This may give closure to a forensics graduate student whose sister has gone missing for several years. A housewife finds strange connections between her husband and the body of the dead girl, which forces her to take actions into her own hands. A mother is intently searching for answers about her runaway daughter only to pry answers from her daughter’s troubled friend. A young woman looks for a way to deliver a birthday present to her little girl. With all these women’s lives linked by an act of violence they all share a great desire to make a change, which leads to a shocking conclusion.
This film has impact with such little running time. For roughly six different storylines, that are all connected, each one runs roughly 15 minutes long. So, with very little time they are forced to throw us the main meaty part of the story. I truly believe if they had less storylines they could’ve built a stronger piece of work, but Karen Moncrieff is a fine writer and has a very good eye for directing. The film has little flaws that can be picked on but is still nonetheless a fine piece of work. Toni Collete, who plays a lady named Arden, begins the film as a caretaker caring for her mother. Her performance truly builds to a character that we learn has had a rough life and we begin to care for her well-being. Giovanni Ribisi (from The Gift and Boiler Room) is such a method actor. This is a guy, like many other fine actors, who truly becomes his characters. With this character, who has tattoos including a large one on the side of his neck, comes off right away as a sick creepy fellow who catches eyes with (Toni Collete’s) Arden. Even though we’re not given much background we begin to wonder why Giovanni’s character (Rudy) is such a creepy guy. Rudy has a line in particular that is very sick yet in the back of our minds some may find it interesting. In a calm tone he utters about being able to peel a piece off a corpses’ eyeball and develop it like film so you can get the last thing they saw before they died. Very sick and twisted but who can help but actually think about that from a detective’s perspective.
How can I begin to tell you all about the great performances all around by this great ensemble cast? Mary Steenburgen (in films such as Parenthood and Back To The Future 3) has a surprising performance as a mother staying positive about finding her missing daughter after several years has passed. Her performance is strong-willed as a positive mother. James Franco (as seen in the Spiderman films playing the son of Willem Dafoe) plays a small role yet gives it his all incredibly. He plays a very common, basic role with ease, yet it still comes off as a good pleasant performance. I’d say it’s a step up from his character in the Spiderman films. Marcia Gay Harden (seen in the Oscar nominated film Mystic River) gives a flawless performance as expected, playing the mother of The Dead Girl. She plays the character in a very strong-hearted way without breaking into a meltdown of tears. Then there’s Brittany Murphy (from Clueless and Uptown Girl) who plays Krista, the title role of the dead girl. Some may view her performance as typical, common, and expected, but I saw it as above what most would expect from her. Lastly, with a very small, almost cameo appearance, is Josh Brolin, from Grindhouse, plays the boyfriend of Brittany Murphy’s (Krista). Also with tattoos on his body, we are pleasantly surprised to see Josh play a mean character since we haven’t been given the opportunity to see him in this kind of role.
There is much to like about this film, even with its few unexpected gratuitous situations. When we are shown the body of the murdered girl, writer/director Karen Moncrieff doesn’t hold anything back in showing a corpse to its full extent with insects circulating and swarming the body. With gratuitous content comes more gratuitous content with nudity that is not needed. With many storylines, all connected, there are great stories to enjoy, but the story of “The Wife,” played by Mary Beth Hurt (from Affliction), is likely to be the one that audiences will view as the dragging one. “The Wife,” story is thrown at us kind of in the middle, and we, as the audience, have to get into a storyline that we have no idea how it began. The story of “The Sister” comes off slow but builds to a better story when given the time and energy to get into it. Overall, this is a film with great direction, great cinematography, and a well thought out story with impeccable dialogue. People, more than likely, haven’t heard of this film, but I highly recommend it.
This movie has it all; Controversy, powerful acting, nudity, and deaths that will have you wincing in pain. After a viewing of American History X, other than the powerhouse of a story, all you will be thinking is “What a performance,” by actor Edward Norton. To say this film is good would be an immense understatement. True it is heart-wrenching and disturbing, but it will leave you in awe with one word in mind; WOW! This ranks up with those must-see-films that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
American History X was directed by Tony Kaye, written by David McKenna, produced by New Line Cinema, and stars Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk, and Ethan Suplee. This film was made in 1998 and was rated by the MPAA with a solid “R” rating. The story follows a skinhead who is sent to prison for murdering two black men who attempt to steal his truck. Once released, he is completely reformed into a new human being, but returns home to find his younger brother in the process of being a Neo Nazi himself. He must now focus his life on making sure his brother doesn’t follow a similar fate.
This film has so much depth focusing on Edward Norton as the star skinhead and Edward Furlong playing his younger brother who looks up to him for guidance. Fairuza Balk (who got her breakthrough in the film The Craft) plays a dark and at times terrifying girl who’s the girlfriend of Edward Norton’s Derek Vinyard. And finally, Ethan Suplee (from the hit series My Name Is Earl) plays the overweight best friend of Derek Vinyard who is also a tough skinhead. I extremely liked the use of black & white to tell its flashbacks and color for the present time. The ensemble cast and chemistry everyone has works to a “T” and never ceased to amaze.
Edward Norton’s portrayal of Derek Vinyard is the focus, power, and heart of this film. He transformed himself in this role and packed on an extra 30 pounds of muscle for the character’s intimidation, even though he does bare a huge swastika tattoo on his chest. In the first part of the film he is toned, fit, muscular, and fully shows us what he is capable of, but by the second half he hides his strength beneath his clothes. Norton spends a good majority of the film looking mean and harms others around him to hide how he truly feels on the inside. This is not for the faint of heart and really digs deep and pulls our heart-strings as if it’s a tug-of-war.
Would I recommend American History X? It is definitely not for kids. I wouldn’t even say it’s viewable to anyone under 21. Everyone over that age should definitely see it (don’t forget not for the faint of heart). The only thing I can compare it to is the controversy and power of Dead Man Walking and the performance Sean Penn gave in that film. A strong powerful film many should also see.
I totally agree. I may have given it a bit higher grade, but the sentiment is the same. Basically, a whole movie summed up by saying, "Those guys want to invade us. We're going to block this path or die trying."
Well-written review.