Beth-Grant Movie Reviews
A Truly Heart Warming Story
My favorite movie!
Switched at Birth, a must see
Great!
Loved it...Very Powerful!
The Funniest Movie Of Dan Aykroyds Career.
LOVE FIELD
Excellent! A movie that will make the audience think.Moreover this movie, centred around the growing affection between two people from different cultural and racial background brings the racial isssue closer to the public then any other movie I have ever seen.
Excellent acting, a good script and the controversial subject treated with a sublety that in no way distracts from its importance make this the top movie in it's genre
Why Michelle Pfeiffer is the best.
LOVE FIELD
Excellent! A movie that will make the audience think.Moreover this movie, centred around the growing affection between two people from different cultural and racial background brings the racial isssue closer to the public then any other movie I have ever seen.
Excellent acting, a good script and the controversial subject treated with a sublety that in no way distracts from its importance make this the top movie in it's genre
Why Michelle Pfeiffer is the best.
"The dreams in which I'm dying Are the best I've ever had"First of all I salute the director for his trend in thinking of our nature of reality and existence which really deserves the shedding of our thoughts.
Although the Eighties were relatively near era with none very signifying features to be represented by, the atmosphere of the movie is amazingly indicative, you really feel that this movie was shot in the eighties.
This movie has a very original plot, especially amongst those pillars of remakes and sequels we are compelled to watch every year, here we have a unique case in demonstrating ideas, to cover the plot with a quilt of pseudoscience as a metaphor of our direct perceptions.
Mr. Kelly is hiding his original overall concept about our reality, existence, death and after all the after life. But I forgive him for he was aware that the audience will reject that all the solutions will be resolved by a dream, which is becoming a relic plot device.
At the first place let us not to forget it is the Eighties, so the world obviously did not come to an end. So the other interpretation for the rabbit's warning must have one of the following probabilities:
1) If Mr. Darko is still sane enough, so it is his own world which is going to end.
2) Or the whole dream is a part of his delusions.
I choose the first probability:
And now, Let us return to the opening scene when Darko is awaken and standing up from his sleep on the road (this place might be his after life residence), he awakes with a satisfactory smile filling his face that is due to his rewarding dream, the dream in which he was alternately showed what is the effect of his prolonged existence on his beloved ones would be if he had not died.
Yes you began to catch Mr.'s Kelly concept which says that "every dying individual is rewarded by a satisfactory dream before he die" a dream in which the deceased one know that his time on earth is up for considerable reasons.
If you do not consider my explanation, let's revise the following tips which may support my assertion:
1) Darko main terror is the fear of death
2) Watch carefully for center of the falling jet engine it has a mark of a painting of a swirl just like the type of paintings we can only see in amusement parks, it is a hint that what we are seeing is a dream sequence.
2) There elements of dream pseudo-reality:
1) Fear is not antonym to Love as it has been taught in the
Lessons of spirituality.
2) Graham Greene's graphic novel is impossible to be part of the curriculum in the USA high schools during the eighties.
3) All the pseudoscience of time travel and "The Philosophy of Time Travel" book are a dream resolutions (I personally had experienced those kind of dreams in which you can fix any problem with a very then convincing solutions and just after you wake up with the pride of victory you discover it was nonsense hokum, for example my testing days of I dreamt once while I was studying for math test of equations so naïve that I was awaken very convinced of my invention, and seconds later as they vanish, I recognize they were the daughters of my dreaming mind)
4) Watch out for Mrs.' sparrow whispering quote is a reminiscent of his personal terror (fear of death) "Every living creature on earth dies alone".
5) The song mad world reveals it all
6) All the declination of his mental state and its consequences (sabotaging the school, the death of his girl friend, killing (Frank) the rabbit and the death of his mother and sister) are better is interpreted as part of his dream.
I admit very much this movie for it is a character study about the titular young man who is losing it for a not very clarified although intricate reasons.
If you like that movie I strongly recommend.
David lynch's Mulholland drive, Lost highway Adrian Lyne's Jacob's ladder and of course Soderbergh's Solaris.
Dysfunctional Scary-Bunny FetishThe story revolves around the charismatic, wayward teenager, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). This troubled teen is the black sheep of his middle-class family, already having trouble with law for stealing a car and attending psycho-therapy sessions to handle his sleepwalking. Only after a brief introduction into his life, does the movie immediately dive into the action - in a dream, Donnie is beckoned out of his house by an evil (almost satanic) looking man-sized bunny, Frank. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days - the 28th day being Halloween. Back in reality, a jet-plane engine has fallen from the sky and crashed in Donnie's bedroom - Donnie survives because he had been sleepwalking. Frank becomes a regular figure in Donnie's dreams and delusions - coercing him to commit random acts of vandalism and arson. In the meantime, the world around Donnie Darko seems embedded with strange characters, mind-bending encounters and philosphical if not humorously poignant conversations. Among these are are Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze), the self-help guru, his highschool teachers: (Noah Wyle) - who is obsessed with the ideas of time travel - and (Drew Barrymore) who is disillusioned with the education system feeding into Jim Cunnigham , Grandma Death -a prophet of some sorts and Gretchen (Jena Malone), Donnie's new girlfriend and another troubled teen, who's mother is hiding out from an abusive ex-husband. As doomsday approaches, Donnie's visits from Frank the evil bunny become more frequent, as he points out the relivance of time travel in his visits into Donnie's psyche. Soon, Donnie realizes that many of his encounters with Frank, leave very real impacts on those around him. (Spoiler: For instance, Frank tells Donnie to burn down Jim Cunningham's house, that reveals a child pornography ring in his basement).
All events and characters lead Donnie down to his final day, where he realizes that certain events have to take place and some people must suffer in order for others to survive.
"Donnie Darko" is magnificant in keeping one's interest, keeping its audience in suspense and sometimes in laughter. Jake Gyllenhaal does a superb job of playing Donnie as a dark confused teenager in search of understanding and conscious, with the sexiness of Tobey Maguire but with a personality. The dynamics of family make this story seem very real and close to home, as we are not only drawn to the supernatural, but to the plight of Donnie's mother, who is desperate to guide and understand her son.
The basic story, visual effects and music are simple and play well off each other. However, the much greater story and concept is certainly hard to understand and up for interpretation. With time travel being a major theme, one might need to watch through the movie two or three times to finally have an idea of what actually happened in what order. The ending (no spoiler, sorry!) can leave one with the questions: what just happened?... What did he accomplish? But the movie has enough of an impact and plain entertainment value, that I doubt anyone will complain about watching it over again.
This movie is superb for a drinking games, Halloween parties or just sitting back and watching one stormy evening. If you haven't seen it yet - you're missing out. One day, film makers will try to imitate the magical properties that "Donnie Darko" has captured in about two hours.
what i got from itim not so sure about the end of the world thing but i stand by the fact that the whole thing is him seeing into the future and being presented with a choice of living that out or dying for the good of everyone
"The dreams in which I'm dying Are the best I've ever had"First of all I salute the director for his trend in thinking of our nature of reality and existence which really deserves the shedding of our thoughts.
Although the Eighties were relatively near era with none very signifying features to be represented by, the atmosphere of the movie is amazingly indicative, you really feel that this movie was shot in the eighties.
This movie has a very original plot, especially amongst those pillars of remakes and sequels we are compelled to watch every year, here we have a unique case in demonstrating ideas, to cover the plot with a quilt of pseudoscience as a metaphor of our direct perceptions.
Mr. Kelly is hiding his original overall concept about our reality, existence, death and after all the after life. But I forgive him for he was aware that the audience will reject that all the solutions will be resolved by a dream, which is becoming a relic plot device.
At the first place let us not to forget it is the Eighties, so the world obviously did not come to an end. So the other interpretation for the rabbit's warning must have one of the following probabilities:
1) If Mr. Darko is still sane enough, so it is his own world which is going to end.
2) Or the whole dream is a part of his delusions.
I choose the first probability:
And now, Let us return to the opening scene when Darko is awaken and standing up from his sleep on the road (this place might be his after life residence), he awakes with a satisfactory smile filling his face that is due to his rewarding dream, the dream in which he was alternately showed what is the effect of his prolonged existence on his beloved ones would be if he had not died.
Yes you began to catch Mr.'s Kelly concept which says that "every dying individual is rewarded by a satisfactory dream before he die" a dream in which the deceased one know that his time on earth is up for considerable reasons.
If you do not consider my explanation, let's revise the following tips which may support my assertion:
1) Darko main terror is the fear of death
2) Watch carefully for center of the falling jet engine it has a mark of a painting of a swirl just like the type of paintings we can only see in amusement parks, it is a hint that what we are seeing is a dream sequence.
2) There elements of dream pseudo-reality:
1) Fear is not antonym to Love as it has been taught in the
Lessons of spirituality.
2) Graham Greene's graphic novel is impossible to be part of the curriculum in the USA high schools during the eighties.
3) All the pseudoscience of time travel and "The Philosophy of Time Travel" book are a dream resolutions (I personally had experienced those kind of dreams in which you can fix any problem with a very then convincing solutions and just after you wake up with the pride of victory you discover it was nonsense hokum, for example my testing days of I dreamt once while I was studying for math test of equations so naïve that I was awaken very convinced of my invention, and seconds later as they vanish, I recognize they were the daughters of my dreaming mind)
4) Watch out for Mrs.' sparrow whispering quote is a reminiscent of his personal terror (fear of death) "Every living creature on earth dies alone".
5) The song mad world reveals it all
6) All the declination of his mental state and its consequences (sabotaging the school, the death of his girl friend, killing (Frank) the rabbit and the death of his mother and sister) are better is interpreted as part of his dream.
I admit very much this movie for it is a character study about the titular young man who is losing it for a not very clarified although intricate reasons.
If you like that movie I strongly recommend.
David lynch's Mulholland drive, Lost highway Adrian Lyne's Jacob's ladder and of course Soderbergh's Solaris.
Dysfunctional Scary-Bunny FetishThe story revolves around the charismatic, wayward teenager, Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal). This troubled teen is the black sheep of his middle-class family, already having trouble with law for stealing a car and attending psycho-therapy sessions to handle his sleepwalking. Only after a brief introduction into his life, does the movie immediately dive into the action - in a dream, Donnie is beckoned out of his house by an evil (almost satanic) looking man-sized bunny, Frank. Frank tells Donnie that the world will end in 28 days - the 28th day being Halloween. Back in reality, a jet-plane engine has fallen from the sky and crashed in Donnie's bedroom - Donnie survives because he had been sleepwalking. Frank becomes a regular figure in Donnie's dreams and delusions - coercing him to commit random acts of vandalism and arson. In the meantime, the world around Donnie Darko seems embedded with strange characters, mind-bending encounters and philosphical if not humorously poignant conversations. Among these are are Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze), the self-help guru, his highschool teachers: (Noah Wyle) - who is obsessed with the ideas of time travel - and (Drew Barrymore) who is disillusioned with the education system feeding into Jim Cunnigham , Grandma Death -a prophet of some sorts and Gretchen (Jena Malone), Donnie's new girlfriend and another troubled teen, who's mother is hiding out from an abusive ex-husband. As doomsday approaches, Donnie's visits from Frank the evil bunny become more frequent, as he points out the relivance of time travel in his visits into Donnie's psyche. Soon, Donnie realizes that many of his encounters with Frank, leave very real impacts on those around him. (Spoiler: For instance, Frank tells Donnie to burn down Jim Cunningham's house, that reveals a child pornography ring in his basement).
All events and characters lead Donnie down to his final day, where he realizes that certain events have to take place and some people must suffer in order for others to survive.
"Donnie Darko" is magnificant in keeping one's interest, keeping its audience in suspense and sometimes in laughter. Jake Gyllenhaal does a superb job of playing Donnie as a dark confused teenager in search of understanding and conscious, with the sexiness of Tobey Maguire but with a personality. The dynamics of family make this story seem very real and close to home, as we are not only drawn to the supernatural, but to the plight of Donnie's mother, who is desperate to guide and understand her son.
The basic story, visual effects and music are simple and play well off each other. However, the much greater story and concept is certainly hard to understand and up for interpretation. With time travel being a major theme, one might need to watch through the movie two or three times to finally have an idea of what actually happened in what order. The ending (no spoiler, sorry!) can leave one with the questions: what just happened?... What did he accomplish? But the movie has enough of an impact and plain entertainment value, that I doubt anyone will complain about watching it over again.
This movie is superb for a drinking games, Halloween parties or just sitting back and watching one stormy evening. If you haven't seen it yet - you're missing out. One day, film makers will try to imitate the magical properties that "Donnie Darko" has captured in about two hours.
what i got from itim not so sure about the end of the world thing but i stand by the fact that the whole thing is him seeing into the future and being presented with a choice of living that out or dying for the good of everyone
A family movie for adults.
Good Film with A Good Story...Just a Bit Too LongBased on the true story, "The Rookie" tells the tale of Jim Morris. A high school teacher who also coaches the school's baseball team in Big Lake, Texas, Jim has long ago abandoned his dream of playing in the big leagues after a shoulder injury diminished his chances and family became the priority in his life. Now in his forties, Jim watches helplessly as his high school team faces a losing streak with no end in sight. His offer? If the team comes together and wins the district championship, he will try out for a major league team again. The team, sensing an opportunity to witness the dormant greatness in Jim, gets their act together and soon takes the top spot in their league. Thrilled with their accomplishment, Jim is now forced to confront his promise. A promise that might realize his lifelong dream to play pro baseball, much to the disapproval of all the adults around him.
What makes a good baseball movie is simple reverence for the game. The director needs to soak in all the details. He needs to allow space for the sport to breathe. "The Rookie" is this type of picture, taking ample time to inhale the fresh outfield grass, to peel the clay out of the cleats and to feels the rigid red stitches on a baseball. "The Rookie" is a baseball film on the same plane as "Bull Durham" or "For Love Of The Game" in terms of sitting back and feeling every inch of the sport. "The Rookie" lacks the screenwriting prowess of the other two pictures, but its simplicity is agreeable, and its allegiance to baseball purity engaging. You just don't see that enough.
The screenplay, credited to Mike Rich ("Finding Forrester"), is less respectful to all the other aspects besides the game. "The Rookie" is basically a true story with layer upon layer of sport movie clichés heaped upon it. The film leaves no motivational speech unturned, and for a 120 minute film, it does get old very quickly. However, "The Rookie" is an admirable, inspiring story. It's told with love and has a goal of maintaining a family friendly feel to it (the film is charmingly G rated), without resorting to crude family-film mainstays. I really appreciate that. I also admire how the film does nothing with the subplot featuring Jim's damaged arm. The injury, which happened to Jim as a young man and ended up cutting short his career as a ballplayer, was a great source of concern to his wife, Lorrie (nicely played by Rachel Griffiths). The film could've easily taken the route in which Jim's arm is reinjured in the second act of the film, only to have him reemerge in the last act beaten, but now willing to fight for his dreams. Many successful films have taken that route, so I couldn't blame "The Rookie" for following suit. But once the injury is discussed, it is quickly let go, never to be mentioned again. In a film that is shrouded in formula, I am shocked that the filmmakers never choose to mine this plot thread for maximum drama. After all the ways "The Rookie" reminds you of other films, it makes a decision with this restraint that is vital to its overall success. It's smart screenwriting where it counts the most.
The other thing that keeps this screenplay from crumbling like a house of cards is Dennis Quaid's commanding performance as Jim Morris. Even though the film is a Disney production, Quaid still manages to find the essence of his role as a frustrated man who, after years of defeat, finally finds the path to his dreams. I just adored how Quaid plays up Jim's disbelief in how this opportunity has taken him so far. I also loved the subtle scenes between Jim and Lorrie. The couple love each other dearly, but Lorrie has very honest reservations about Jim's baseball chances. Quaid's reaction to his wife's honesty mixes with equal parts offense, disbelief and respect. A very nice choice. Whenever the script takes the off ramp into well-known territory, Quaid's acting steers it away from becoming truly unbearable.
"The Rookie" is an enjoyable enough film, even though it might try your patience now and again. If you're a fan of baseball thought, it's a film not to miss, as any picture that loves the game as much as this film is truly a sports movie to see. --------- 7/10
A great family filmHowever, when he starts pitching batting practice for his team, he somehow has the ability to throw in the mid to upper 90 mile per hour range. He has no idea, of course that the pitches are so fast. He tells the kids that they are not really that fast and that it just seems faster. The players on the team get used to batting practice against major league fastballs and as a result are able to hit high school pitching easily.
Success has not come easily to this bunch, and after a particularly tough loss, he rallies the team to tell them they can do whatever they want if they only dare to dream. They respond that he should do the same--that he should try out for a major league team. He makes a deal with them. If they win the district championship, he will find an open tryout with some team and show what he can do. They win, of course, and he goes for the tryout. This starts a chain of events which eventually leads him to a pitcher's mound in Arlington, Tx and a major league game against the Rangers.
What makes the movie so great is the warmth of the characters and the story. The story is wonderful, especially because it's basically 100% true. But Dennis Quaid is great as Jim Morris. He is believable as a small town teacher who realizes just how lucky he is. Rachel Griffiths does very well as his wife who has to support him through the low times on the way up the ladder. The DVD is a nice package. There are some very good deleted scenes which really round out the story nicely and a 20 minute documentary piece featuring the real Jim Morris who shows exactly what happened when he made his debut on that September night.
Finally, because this is a G rated movie, it will be a favorite among all members of the family. It is just one of those stories which comes around every few decades. You don't have to be a sports fan to love the story of the underdog coming out on top. Jim Morris is the ultimate underdog. Great movie!
What a ride!I love the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Both their characters were so heroic and caring - what a great example!
The movie was just plain on-the-edge-of-your-seat action. It was fast, it was exciting, it was fun.
There wasn't a lot of cussing, but there were several bloody scenes. It wasn't nearly as gory as most similar kinds of movies are, however, which I appreciated.
This isn't going to change your life, but it's certainly a fun few hours.
This movie is the best i have ever seen!!!
you take a bus and put Neo on it and you got a good movie
Pop Quiz Hotshot!Starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels, Speed is one of those rare films that comes along every now and then that proves to be better than standard fare. Essentially one big extended action scene, the film's frenetic pace makes up for the frequent plot holes. The action never lets up, creating suspense- filled set-pieces and audience excitement. The premise of a bomb on a bus that wil explode if the speed goes below 50 makes for one far-fetched but fun thrill ride.
Keanu is the quintessential gum-chewing cool guy action hero Jack Traven who, along with Annie Porter (Bullock) tries not to get blown up by a bomb that retired cop Howard Payne (Hopper) has set on the bus to get money. The entire principal cast are great, especially Hopper, whose character is reminiscent of his crazy bad guy in Red Rock West (1992). With lines like "Poor people are crazy Jack, I'm eccentric", Hopper manages to give a good performance during his rather short screen time. Plus the added quality of the always-good Daniels is first-rate. And Keanu, now best known for The Matrix, is equally cool here.
Jan DeBont's direction makes the film a taut, entertaining action ride, and surprisingly, Bullock manages to change from nervy bus passenger to a strong character by the film's conclusion. And the pulse-driven score creates even more tension and excitement. But the film is not perfect, it's predictable at times and things get rather tedious at the end, with yet another gasping of "The track's not finished!" Minor quibbles aside, the action is impressive, and Jan DeBont's visual stylishness gives a really eye-catching look. This action-fest is one of the best.
The DVD extras are amazing, with commentaries from De Bont and the crew, extended scenes, Easter Eggs (DVD Credits, Airline Version of Bus Crash), "Inside Speed Featurettes on the location, stunts and visual effects", production Design, the original Screenplay, action Sequence Featurettes on the "Bus Jump" and "Metro Rail Crash", Multi-Angle Shots with Audio, Multi-Stream Storyboards, an interview Archive with Keanu Reeves and the cast, trailers, 11 TV Spots and production notes. Impressive stuff!
Get ready for rush hour!!!this blockbuster hit that insn't the ordinary run of the mill
action film thank god.L.A. Police detective Jack Travin has
been called out to stop a mad extortionist bomber played by
Dennis Hopper who demands millons of dollars. When this happens Speed shift's into overdrive with a race
against time and through the street's in scenes that easily
rival Bullit or the French Connection , because all of the
driving stunts are done with real busses 10 to be exact even
a stunt where a bus jumps over an incompleted 50 foot gap and
by then i'd say that the filmakers have easily overrivaled
other car chase movies because simply this movie has made a
new statement for them , but that's not all, the bomber takes a
hostage the bus driver played by Sandra
Bullock by taking her aboard a subway train and a fight sequence
and an out of control subway train climaxes the film.
When Speed is all said an done Jean De Bont carries his film well giving us a memorable action film with unexpected romance
crowd pleasing thrills and a ride that you wan't to take much
more than once.This new two disk set has anything you ever want
to know about Speed and then some and with a Dts soundtrack now
Speed will sound more like your on the bus rather then just watching it if you like action movies or car chase movies then
Speed is a classic you should definately add to your collection.
This movie is the best i have ever seen!!!