A heathen hedonistic ode to love, life, and the sun god!

This movie is an enchanting adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most radiant comedies. With a gallery of characters both sybaritic in their virtuousness and romantic in...
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A heathen hedonistic ode to love, life, and the sun god!

This movie is an enchanting adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most radiant comedies. With a gallery of characters both sybaritic in their virtuousness and romantic in their cynicism, Kenneth Branagh indulges in Epicureanism and lyricism, much to our viewing pleasure. The only grief is how unfortunate it is that this celebration of life is somewhat mushed by Kate Beckinsale’s oafish performance. Then again, which female character would not be outwitted by Lady Disdain, aka Emma Thompson! So, in the words of the great William: Sigh not so, but let them go, and be you blithe and bonny, converting all your sounds of woe into hey nonny, nonny!

A guilty pleasure. In terms of romantic comedies, this is one of my favorites – and one of the most hilarious! It’s totally unpretentious fun, with an irresistible comeuppance in store for gruff male chauvinist Mel Gibson. Helen...
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A guilty pleasure. In terms of romantic comedies, this is one of my favorites – and one of the most hilarious! It’s totally unpretentious fun, with an irresistible comeuppance in store for gruff male chauvinist Mel Gibson. Helen Hunt is perfect as always, and overall the gallery of female characters is uproariously delightful. Once the comedy starts taking a backseat to romance, things do become a little too fluffy for my tastes, but the movie still makes for a very enjoyable laugh which will put a smile on your face throughout.

Definitely the cleverest horror film in which director, screenwriter and actors, all indulge in self-parody. By deconstructing the genre, Scream revives it, always managing to put a surprising spin on even the most predictable event. Throw in a...
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Definitely the cleverest horror film in which director, screenwriter and actors, all indulge in self-parody. By deconstructing the genre, Scream revives it, always managing to put a surprising spin on even the most predictable event. Throw in a side of black humor for good measure too, and you get a chillingly shrewd scary movie which, to me, is the best of the trilogy.

Who ever said Shakespeare was boring? A suspenseful, breathless epic with never a dull moment in over 4 hours! You could be forgiven for thinking this is a one-man Kenneth Branagh show, although all of the supporting actors are equally superb. The...
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Who ever said Shakespeare was boring? A suspenseful, breathless epic with never a dull moment in over 4 hours! You could be forgiven for thinking this is a one-man Kenneth Branagh show, although all of the supporting actors are equally superb. The classic tale of Hamlet is infused here with a brand-new flamboyancy that has the wide-eyed spectator sitting on the edge of his seat. When a master playwright meets a master director, the result is undoubtedly a chef d`oeuvre!

Spectacular spectacular! When visually dazzling bohemian chic meets compelling storytelling. A flamboyant musical that revived the genre and in which Baz Lurhman reached the apex of his art.

It would be shallow to think there is no...
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Spectacular spectacular! When visually dazzling bohemian chic meets compelling storytelling. A flamboyant musical that revived the genre and in which Baz Lurhman reached the apex of his art.

It would be shallow to think there is no depth to the glitter. On the contrary this film is as richly emotional as it is vibrant. Combining stunning performances with superb choreographies and daringly rocking song covers, it will make you laugh through the tears.

My favorite Miyazaki film… To me this is his most accomplished movie so far in terms of storytelling and character work. While it contains a lot of the elements which have always been dear to him (magic, coming of age, pacifism,...
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My favorite Miyazaki film… To me this is his most accomplished movie so far in terms of storytelling and character work. While it contains a lot of the elements which have always been dear to him (magic, coming of age, pacifism, etc), they are developed and mastered here with more skill, emotion, and truthfulness than ever. The entire film is peppered with winks at his audience, establishing a complicity which makes the experience all the more enjoyable for the viewer. Overall, an enchanting oneiric tale that never fails to move me to tears.

I literally recall having an epiphany as I was seeing this movie in the theater and hearing this quote from Natalie Portman for the first time: That is life. If nothing else, it is life. It is real, and sometimes it ******* hurts, but it is sort...
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I literally recall having an epiphany as I was seeing this movie in the theater and hearing this quote from Natalie Portman for the first time: That is life. If nothing else, it is life. It is real, and sometimes it ******* hurts, but it is sort of all we have.

The truth of this had me reeling with realization and a strange sense of comfort with this fact of life stripped to its barest verity. Garden State is a unique insight into the human mind, psyche, and heart. With unpretentious genuineness, it takes us on an eye-opening ride down memory lane, and most importantly into the future and the reality of blooming adulthood.

Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back. And this is exactly what The Corpse Bride does. I am not a goth and have no fascination for morbidity; yet I couldn’t possibly remain indifferent to the film’s dark aesthetics...
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Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back. And this is exactly what The Corpse Bride does. I am not a goth and have no fascination for morbidity; yet I couldn’t possibly remain indifferent to the film’s dark aesthetics and black humor. As always Tim Burton excels at the poetry of the baroque, and his partnership with Johnny Depp literally does wonders. The character work is so superb that it’s touching in and of itself, and the film is peppered with adult references, from Gone with the Wind to Hamlet, as was already the case in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My favorite scene, which moved me to tears, is of a wordless conversation during which both characters converse by playing the piano and communicate through music only. The film is an ode to existence, both in the realm of the living and the dead, and a profound celebration of love and optimism.

I am a huge fan of Charlie Kaufman, who is without a doubt one of the most talented writers of his generation and whom I have admired ever since I saw his work in “Being John Malkovitch�. But “Eternal Sunshine� is...
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I am a huge fan of Charlie Kaufman, who is without a doubt one of the most talented writers of his generation and whom I have admired ever since I saw his work in “Being John Malkovitch�. But “Eternal Sunshine� is not only supported by brilliant writing and clever deconstruction of the narrative. It also benefits from a wonderful cast and outstanding emotional content. Who as a human being in pain has never contemplated the idea of erasing the memories as the only way of erasing the grief? This film shows us that we need to be careful what we wish for and achieves its resilient demonstration in a most heartfelt and heart-warming way.

Although I found it hard to believe that Nicole Kidman would star in a bad film, I had read so many criticisms about "Bewitched" that I half expected a disappointment, but was instead treated to a good surprise. My memories from the TV...
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Although I found it hard to believe that Nicole Kidman would star in a bad film, I had read so many criticisms about "Bewitched" that I half expected a disappointment, but was instead treated to a good surprise. My memories from the TV show dating back to a good ten/fifteen years ago, I was glad to relive the uplifting enjoyment of it. I found the movie charmingly entertaining, the “mise-en-abime� providing some hilarious moments of Hollywood satire. Nicole Kidman was positively delightful, and the only thing I didn’t quite get was the choice of Will Ferrell for the part of Jack Wyatt, aka Darrin. Granted, Darrin in the original series was never an inspirational character, but he was never as bland and lackluster (in my humble opinion). At one point he actually tells Isabel Bigelow, aka Samantha, that she could have any man in the world. So why did she choose him? I definitely asked myself the same question. To put it in a nutshell, as is often the case in romantic comedies (but usually not in Nora Ephron's), the comedy part in "Bewitched" turned out just a little bit better than the romance part...