The Prestige (2006) - Movie Review

The Prestige (2006)

movie review/analysis
written by Gavin Miller

The Prestige will always be one of my favorite movies. I think that it's a cinematic masterpiece and is definitely one of the most well constructed movies I've ever seen. The way it's put together is absolutely brilliant, if you've seen it you probably know what I'm talking about. While many praise Nolan for the way Memento is put together, I believe The Prestige's architecture is even more clever and it's just an overall superior film (that's not to say I don't like Memento though, it's great too). The movie itself is extremely entertaining, and it's very well acted and complex. It also features a wicked twist ending that will be sure to leave you thinking for many days after viewing. I love all of Christopher Nolan's films, and if I had to say which of his movies I like the best, it would be a for sure toss up between Prestige and The Dark Knight trilogy (with Inception just a tiny bit behind!). I absolutely adore this movie, it's really just perfect in my opinion. I believe that it's film making at it's finest.

My Movie Weekend - October 5-7th

Unfortunately due to school, my movie viewings are cut down to only about 4 times a week.

So, this makes my friday night and weekend all the more precious and awesome.
I always select which films to watch, and enjoy them to their fullest. I thought I would share with you my picks for this weekend; please comment if you have seen any of them, and if so, your opinions!

Friday - The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)

The title is an obvious reference to Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (one of my favorite movies), and this Korean western/action movie is one I greatly look forward to watching. It has been described as "non-stop action". Sometimes you need a break from serious dramas, and a fun action flick is just the cure. I can't wait to check this out tomorrow night!

The Rest of the Weekend Picks -  The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Sideways (2004), Borat (2006)

I really look forward to watching all these movies, each of them has been on my to-watch list for quite some time now. I will report on my opinions for each later next week. :)

Tim Burton movie reviews part 2: 1994-2012

written by: Gavin Miller

Ed Wood (1994) 

Ed Wood is commonly regarded as one of Burton's best films. And justly, it it. Johnny Depp delivers one of his best performances as the title character, as does Academy Award winner Martin Landau, as Bella Lugosi. Presented in this movie is a great story with fascinating and hilarious characters. Ed Wood has a little of everything, and it's very entertaining. It's a celebration of film making and one of my favorite bio-pics. 

my score: 95%

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow is quite a show. It's a dark, gothic, atmospheric horror/thriller that expertly did exactly what it set out to do. Johnny Depp tones it down a bit; and his performance is quite, but effective. Christina Ricci does a decent job along side Depp, and though her performance isn't exactly memorable, and she lacks chemistry with Depp, it dosent really take the film down for me. I like this film a lot, the visuals are so good that they pretty much compromise any other flaw the movie has, and for pure entertainment and escapism, this a great flick.
my score: 8.9/10

Big Fish (2003)
I find Big Fish to be one of Burton's more mature directing pieces. That's not to say he tones down the wacky visuals and quirkiness - by no means; but the story and characters are more fleshed out than previous Burton films. In essence, Big Fish is one man's life story, deep fried in Tim Burton. Also look out out for Danny Elfman's fantastic score.
my score: 95%

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
This is a movie that has a required a somewhat bad reputation over the years. And while I do understand the complaints, I think that it's a slightly underrated and even misunderstood film. Depp's performance doesn't quite fit, but that dosent mean it's a bad one. Charlie isn't bad, but I'd stick with 1971's Willy Wonka if I were you.
my score: 64%

Corpse Bride (2005)
Corpse Bride is a great stop-motion film. Yes, it will always live in the shadow of the superior Nightmare Before Christmas but by no means does that make it bad. The claymation is some of the best I've seen, and the voice acting (Bonham-Carter in particular) is superb. The music is great, and while the songs are less memorable than Nightmare Before Christmas', they still work just fine, and are a lot of fun. The visuals, the story, and Tim's direction all come together; and the result is a slightly imperfect, visually stunning, gothic animated musical with a heart.
my score: 84%

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2006)
If I had to say what's Johnny Depp's greatest performance is, I would go with Sweeney Todd. This is a film that Tim Burton was made for, and a role that Depp was born to play. This movie is so beautifully staged, Burton's direction is pitch-perfect and the tone he takes on works in every aspect. Considering that none of the actors really had any vocal training, the singing is fantastic. Depp, Bonham-Carter, Rickman, and Baren Cohen all do great jobs with the songs, all of which are very well written and staged. The cinematography is also a marvel. The film is perfectly shot and filled with countless memorable shots. Sweeney Todd is a period piece, a horror story, a musical, and a tragedy. It is my favorite musical and one of my favorite Burton movies.
my score: 100%

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Alice in Wonderland is not a horrible movie. In fact, it's not even a bad movie. But unfortunately, Burton didn't use his full directorial potential, and instead of a grand vision, as he presented with Sweeney or Batman, the result is a somewhat middling, tired effort that doesn't leave you with much. Yes, the visual effects look good; but I would have preferred it not to have been shot all on a green-screen. Johnny Depp gives his usual wacky performance, and Bonham-Carter does a good job - but there's just something missing here. The first part of the film is actually pretty good, and until the final act I don't mind it at all. But the film ends with a somewhat pointless and anti-climactic battle scene that serves the story or characters no purpose what-so-ever. In the end, Alice in Wonderland could have been wonderful, but it turns out restrained, and surprisingly dull considering the source material.
my score: 66%

Dark Shadows (2012) 
While I understood the criticism for Alice and Charlie, I thought that Dark Shadows was a very underrated piece. It's no where near perfect, and some elements just don't work, but overall, it's funny, entertaining, and visually it's just awesome. I like the premise of this movie a lot, and for the most part, Burton used it too it's full potential. The cast is star-studded, and as imagined includes most all of the Burton regulars. After 2010's Let Me In (my favorite film of 2010) I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised to see Chloe Grace Moretz play another super-natural beastie.My only real issue was the film's lackluster "climax". It was conventional and didn't feel right along side the originality of the first hour and thirty minutes of the movie. But ignoring that, Dark Shadows was fun, unique, and imperfect entertainment, I enjoyed myself and found the film to be legions better than Alice in Wonderland.
my score: 7.7

Conclusion: Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors. I love his style, his commitment to being unconventional, and his dark visions. Although his films aren't always masterpieces, I always take away the good from them, and as a whole, his films are a wondrous sensation and experience. I look forward to Frankenweenie, and I hope he does more original projects in the future. For the most part, it seems more of his mediocre movies are re-imaginings (with an exception to Sweeney Todd).
Finally I have decided to rank his films, based on my humble opinion.

13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

12. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

11. Dark Shadows

10. Corpse Bride (2005)

9. Batman Returns (1992)

8. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

7. Beetlejuice (1988)

6. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

5. Big Fish (2003)

4. Ed Wood (1994)

3. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2006)

2. Batman (1989)

1. Edward Scissorhands (1991)

Tim Burton movie reviews Part 1 (1985-1992)

With Frankenweenie's release just around the corner, I though it would be appropriate to give a short review to each of the (feature) films of one of my all time favorite filmmakers, Tim Burton.
I have not seen Mars Attacks! or Planet of the Apes.

written by: Gavin Miller

Part One: 1985-1992

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Tim Burton's first feature film surprisingly still holds up, as one of his best. While some more cynical viewers may not appreciate it, if you can accept the film's sense of humor and silly, lightweight and weird attitude towards, well, everything - I think that this flick is extremely enjoyable, hilarious and as a cult classic it simply has to be appreciated for it's unconventional style and oddness. If you haven't seen Pee-wee's Big Adventure, do your self a favor and check it out.
my score: 85%

Beetlejuice (1988) 
I adore Beetlejuice. Its originality is enough to make to make it great; but add in a a great cast, a classic Danny Elfman score, and gleefully twisted, occasionally gruesome visuals to make a film go from good to great. Sure, there's not a whole lot of substance here, but who cares? This movie is a great time, a whole lot of fun, and often very funny. One of Tim Burton's most classic and iconic films, and we still want that sequel!
my score: 89%

Batman (1989)
Batman is a movie that I watched growing up, and simply because of nostalgia, my opinion is biased. But as biased as it is, my opinion is that Batman is a masterpiece. I think it holds up extremely well, and, I regard it almost as highly as Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. To me this is one of the most re-watchable movies ever made, and if you don't try to compare it to Nolan's films, its great entertainment that never gets old. I love this film it's one of my favorites.
my score: 100%

Edward Scissorhands (1991)
If I had to pick a favorite Tim Burton film, it would be Edward Scissorhands. Not only is this one of my all time favorite movies, but I respect it on so many other levels, I truly believe it to be a piece of art. It is a great director's personal piece and a masterfully made film, featuring one of Johnny Depp's greatest performances (same with Winona Ryder). Edward Scissorhands is extremely emotional, as well as funny and sad. I love this movie, and I find that it's gets better with each viewing.
my score: 100%

Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Returns is a movie I find very underrated. It's much darker and grotesque that Burton's original Batman, and depending on the viewer this can be viewed as either a good or bad thing. This is a movie that is somewhat depressing, also it's weird, disturbing and disgusting. This is mainly due to the main villains  The Penguin and Catwomen, played by the amazing Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer. Anyway, this is definitely Burton's vision of Batman, no one else's. His. And I appreciate the film for that, and it is very entertaining. There are many great moments in the film, and though I don't love it like I love Batman '89, it's still a good movie if you're not afraid to plunge into a twisted, weird, dark and violent film that could easily turn you off.
my score: 80%



Check back tomorrow for part 2 of my Burton reviews!
I'll be discussing Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows!

Gladiator

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."

One of the many awesome quotes from Ridley Scott's 2000 best-picture-winning epic film Gladiator. 

And what an epic it is. Gladiator virtually re-defines the genre, with amazing sets, costumes, cinematography, drama, performances, score etc. 
I think that Scott is a fantastic director. Blade Runner is one of my personal favorites, as is Gladiator. 
I think that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the best film of 2000, but I believe that Gladiator completely deserved it's win - I understand why the Academy choose it. 2000 was a good year for movies in my opinion, giving us greats such as Memento, Almost Famous, Cast Away; and of course Crouching Tiger and Gladiator. 
Russel Crowe's performance in this film is fantastic. His portrayal of Maximus is both dramatic and bad-ass; he completely owns the film. The lighting and sets really draw you in to the atmosphere, which is dark, gritty and realistic. The music also really adds a great punch to the film, at times subtle, at other times exciting. Also the main theme of the film, "Now We Are Free" is truly amazing and really adds emotion to the finale of the movie. Another thing I love about this master-piece is how complex the plot really is. The characters have lots of depth, which results in the climax being much more visceral and poignant. Also the story itself is just so well constructed and every frame is well done and progresses the movie. 
In the end, Gladiator is a very exciting, entertaining movie that combines great characters, an involving and epic story, amazing special effects and production design, and lots of action, drama, and emotion. It's a masterpiece and a must watch. An experience that you will never forget.


Score: 100%

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

film review/analysis
written by: gavin miller

Acting: 8
Direction: 8
Score: 9
Visuals: 8
Cinematography: 8
Script: 7
Story/plot: 8
Action/Dialog: 8
Characters: 8
Overall (how well it comes together): 7


final percent: 79%

Review: Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors, his films are beautifully shot and great fun. "Life Aquatic" is certainly no exception to the Anderson style, though I do believe, at the moment it's his most flawed work. That being said, it's definitely still worth watching for the exciting originality of the whole thing and the production design. As far as the visual aspect of the movie, it's zanny and coloful. The decision to use claymation effects (done by Henry Selick!) for the underwater scenes and creatures is certainly interesting, and though some good real-life underwater scenes would have been fantastic, I think the claymation adds an extra punch of uniqueness to the movie. As always with Anderson movies, the score is something to marvel, it's definitely a major ingredient of this deliciously odd and quirky flick. As I mentioned earlier, the movie is quite flawed. For one, there's too many characters. It's not that they're bad characters, but with so many A-list actors, it would have been nice for some of them to just have cameos instead of a full role, then the movie could have spent more time on important things instead of running itself into the ground with more characters and subplots than unnecessary. Also, at times I felt that the movie wasn't sure what it wanted to be; comedy, action, adventure, father-son story, revenge story, etc - some of these elements work nicely together, but at times some themes presented here just seem out of place. There are many things to praise this movie for too though. I liked the main character, Steve Zissou. Bill Murray did an amazing job, and I was actually surprised how much depth the character had. Also, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Houston, Jeff Goldblum and William Dafoe (just to name a few) all gave memorable and funny performances. My favorite thing about this movie is the end scene. It was sweet, and tied the film together really nicely with the characters, music,  and slow-motion (Wes Anderson is the only director who can use slow-motion expertly in his movies!). Anyway, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a mess, but it's a beautiful mess, and a great ride. It's not Anderson's best movie, but I would recommend it nonetheless. I say check it out.

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)

film review/analysis
written by: gavin miller

Acting: 8
Direction: 8
Score: 9
Visuals: 9
Cinematography: 8
Script: 9
Story/plot: 8
Dialog: 9
Characters: 8
Overall (how well it comes together): 8


final percent: 84%





review: Woody Allen's A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy is a beautiful movie, it's light, funny and fun to watch. As usual, Allen's script is quirky and filled with energy, charm and bursts of humor. The movie takes you on a whimsical romantic adventure, and with endless shots of amazing scenery, it will surely please your eyes. The acting is quite good as well, besides Mia Farrow's unmemorable contribution, everyone does a fine job, Allen himself particularly stands out as an off-beat, somewhat hopeless inventor. It's a very pleasant film to watch, and among the hugely chaotic-romance story-line, it puts a smile on your face and leaves you with a bit of a sense of wonder. The soundtrack also is superb and adds an extra spring to the movie. A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy may lack some of the depth of Allen's other work's, but if you're looking for a loopy, pleasant movie, this is fantastical, romantic fun. Definitely worth a watch.