Meet Amélie, an imaginative young woman who will change your life. Her own as a waitress is a secluded one, in which love and happiness comes in the form of little things: skipping stones across water, looking at the faces of people watching movies at a theater, and sitting on top of rooftops at sunset. This way of life suddenly changes when she finds a tin box of a boy who once lived in the apartment she now occupies. Believing the former owner would want his property back, she sets off to find him. The result opens her eyes and she sets out to help others attain love and happiness, and hopefully gain some of her own in the process.
The movie Amélie (full title The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain) is quirky, to say the least. Like Amélie, we are thrust into a world filled with unknown wonders, to find there is much more to see if we actually look. We delve into the lives of countless people, all whom have their own quirks and all of which are shown. If that weren’t enough, every frame of film is filled with different colors, giving the feeling of looking at a nonstop art show. The large bulk of content overwhelms the watcher, making it an emotional experience.
If you have a rule to never watch foreign films, your life is empty because you would never see this film which hails from France. Get over the fact you would need to read subtitles. Amélie will beyond a doubt move you. Never in my life have I seen such a film which paints humanities hopes and dreams so well. It’s a roller coaster of emotion which will make you laugh and cry.
In a time close to the present, Professor Jack Hall urges the world to make efforts in slowing down the effects of global warming to avoid a new ice age. Of course, the world governments pay no attention, even though the last polar ice cap to fall into the ocean was the size of Rhode Island. What follows is the biggest world-wide cataclysm ever to hit the planet since the last ice age.
The Day After Tomorrow is a pleasure to watch. I’m fascinated whenever I see real life places demolished by natural disasters (or by any other means), and I don’t seem to be the only one. There are many movies of this type, such as Independence Day, Armageddon, Deep Impact, and The Core. People like to see stuff blow up, and when it includes a famous city, it makes it all the more exciting. A watchers suspension of disbelief must be tested, of course, especially if one doesn’t believe in the “myth” of global warming. Under no circumstances would the events depicted occur as fast as they have shown, but if you spent your time mentioning this, you wouldn’t have time to enjoy the movie.
As with all movies of this type, The Day After Tomorrow lacks reality and logic. There is some science used to back some of the claims, but when all the data is put together it delves into a “what if” scenario rather than fact. It’s still good to come out of a movie with some new information though, as it will lead you to researching the information yourself. The main draw of course will be the destruction of America, which is worth your time to watch if you are a fan of movies as this.
During a time of great sadness and depression during their college years, best friends Lucy and Joe decide to commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge when they turn thirty if they haven't found true love. Why bother living the rest of their days if they’re going to be alone, right? It's now one month before Lucy’s thirtieth birthday, and neither of them has found love. With newfound determination, Lucy doubles her efforts to find a steady boyfriend, while Joe tries to muster the courage to ask out the girl next door, whom he has been watching for the past five years.
I’ve seen many romantic comedies over the years, but If Lucy Fell is one I can really relate to. The story is very smart and engaging, containing colorful characters which span the large realm of diversity that is New York. Everyone can relate to at least one of the many characters in this film, such as Joe, who’s always backs down from asking out the woman of his dreams. Ben Stiller of There Is Something About Mary fame also has a role, which follows in the vein of his quirky characters, equaling comedy gold.
I laughed, I cried, I laughed more than I cried. If Lucy Fell is a clever comedy, and a movie ahead of its time. The fact not many people know about it makes me feel bad, because it’s a treat to watch.
During World War II, the United States was losing the offensive front in Africa to the Nazis. To fight back, they brought forth one of their best yet most controversial generals: George Patton. Using his not-so-acceptable tactics, he won back Africa, and continued to sweep across Europe, all the while stirring up resentment with his British allies.
Sound like a hyped hero movie to you? The problem is, this actually happened, or at least it did without the dramatized look at historical events. The biggest beef I have with this movie is it altered what really happened during parts of that era. Yes, the plot was formed by real events, but it’s a dramatized presentation, set to a very pro-war feel. It's similar to Will Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Luó Guànzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, containing events which actually happened, but liberties were taken to make them more exciting for the audience. Not a very moral thing to do in terms of history, but it does make for an interesting story all the same.
If you can ignore the fact Patton is historical fiction, it's an enjoyable movie. It's always interesting to see how people think and justify their decisions with a complicated issue such as war, especially from one of a very different mindset.
In a land far away (presumably China), the "Evil Council" is threatening the peace of the land. The only one who can stop them is "The Chosen One," a legendary warrior spoken in the prophecy. Seeking to destroy him before he becomes a threat to their plans, the Evil Council sends Master Pain, who murders The Chosen One's family but fails to kill the newborn warrior due to the babies inherited Kung Fu powers. Escaping into the wilderness, The Chosen One grows up, seeking vengeance against Master Pain and the Evil Council.
That is a great example of a classic intro given to almost all martial arts movies. Despite this, the movie turns into complete silliness from this point. The Chosen One goes on to train under the sick and twisted teacher Master Tang, ask his friends to beat him with sticks, and even fight a cow who is a Kung Fu master.
Kung Pow may be a silly Kung Fu comedy, but it also had some of the most up-to-date production technology at the time. Half of the movie is actual footage from another movie called Tiger and Crane Fist with new dubbed lines and Steve Oedekerk's head placed into the scene. The blend is seamless, and makes you think you are watching an entirely new movie. The fight scenes are very exciting as well, and are all the more enjoyable with the comedy thrown in.
One of the most perfect combinations of Martial Arts and comedy I've ever seen. A must see for all Kung Fu fans, who will be rolling on the floor at the many absurdities such films always brought forth. Or just watch it for the cow fight, and enjoying the rest of it will be a side effect.
The origin of Super Size Me follows a lawsuit filed by two teenage girls against McDonald's, claiming their food was unhealthy and made them obese. The judge said if lawyers could show McDonald’s intended for people to eat their food for every meal of every day and that doing so would be dangerous, their claim would be considered. Influenced by this, Morgan Spurlock decided to be the guinea pig for such a venture and filmed his journey as he ate and drank nothing but food from McDonald’s for one month.
We all of course know the unhealthy fast food is, or we at least think we do, so you would think a movie like this doesn’t need to exist. However, to actually be shown how unhealthy it is for a living, breathing human such as the very likeable Morgan Spurlock, it makes you double check if you want to eat a double burger. Forced into a lifestyle of McDonald’s and limited activity (which was actually the recommended exercise everyone should have each day), we see Morgan’s body slowly deteriorate, all the while traveling across the country taking interviews from many food and health individuals.
This is a top notch documentary. It gives you all the facts, and while it may look biased when coming from a pro-health viewpoint, isn’t that supposed to be the correct and proper view we are all supposed to have, especially when talking about the facts? Watching this will challenge you to rethink what you eat, and may even cause offense to your lifestyle. But again, you need to trust what you eat won't kill you, right?
Annie Wilson is a psychic who lost her husband in a mine explosion, leaving her to raise their three children by herself. To barely survive she has used her gift as a fortune-teller, gaining her recognition among the community. It has also brought trouble, first from a disgruntled husband furious with his wife asking for advice from a "devil worshipper," and then the police who ask her to help find a missing woman soon to be wed, only to have visions of the beaten girl haunt her during the night.
As another film my mother loves to re-watch, I've watched this a few times as well. There's something about this movie which makes you feel relaxed. The small town and connected community really makes you feel at home, and I would be lying if I didn’t say the southern drawl didn’t have some effect on my either. Watching Anne get by with what she can is very human, making her interactions with others all the deeper. My favorite is the subplot with her friend Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi), a car repairman, who while very caring also holds a lot of pain and anger.
Due to The Gift being a thriller, you can expect plenty of cheap scares, which seem more distracting than scary in the plot driven story. The validity of police going to a psychic doesn’t seem very factual either, even though there have been cases of this in the past. They just haven’t given good leads in cases, due to the lack of evidence to back the psychic claims, giving a sense of unreality in this movie. However, the reality of the human interactions makes up for this movie. Should one not believe in psychics, it’s still enjoyable to watch, and worth checking out for another opinion on the psychic craze.
Michael Moore is considered many things: A filmmaker, revolutionary, and even a fat ranting mad man who should get a life. My family respects Moore and his work, but my friends think he is a complete hypocrite devoid of logic or reason. To me, he's a man who poses questions to prompt discussion on the facts of personal, social, and world matters. Bowling for Columbine is a movie which prompts such discussions.
Bowling for Columbine borrows its name from Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, supposed student bowlers and the shooters responsible for the death of students and teachers in Columbine High School. The movie follows Moore as he explores the nature of violence in the United States in hopes to find a reason behind the shooting and violence in general. Many details of our society are explored, from social ethics to the diplomacy of the United States, which appears to have used fear and foreign meddling at a grand scale back to the 1950s.
Perhaps the most moving part of the film comes from its examination on guns, and how easy it is to get a killing machine in your hands. It’s surprising to know you could receive a free gun as a reward just for opening a bank account, and all the more to hear the United States has more gun deaths than almost all other countries. Combined. All of this should be common knowledge, but to the uninitiated it works as a slap to the face, and a wake up to the reality of the situation.
There are people who hate Moore with a passion, and refuse to watch this or any of his films just because he created them. All I ask of you is to take what Michael presents and research it. In the process of trying to understand something you may not know enough about, you will learn. That was the purpose of this film and any other documentary: to give you the initiative to start looking into the facts yourself. So give it a shot, and I’m sure you will get at least one smile from it, along with many questions.
My mother fell in love with The Cutting Edge at first sight. And ever since she fell in love with it, she watches it whenever she has free time to watch anything. And being the one who hardly does anything in or out of the house, guess who always watches the movie with her? Me. So needless to say, I’ve got a pretty good handle on the movie’s plot. It goes like this: Douglas Dorsey and Kate Moseley are both Olympic athletes. He plays hockey and she is a paired figure skater, and both have a very good chance of winning a gold medal. However, they lose their chance when Doug losses part of his vision and Kate tumbles from a lift during her routine’s finale. Having to start over, Doug is approached by Kate’s coach who offers the chance to win a gold medal in paired figure skating, due to Kate driving off all possible partners due to her spoiled attitude. Despite being a hockey player, Doug decides to learn figure skating for his one chance at receiving a gold medal. And through their bickering and training, an unlikely love begins to grow between the pair.
The Cutting Edge was released during a time when figure skating wasn't viewed with excitement, made apparent by the jokes at the flashy costumes, classical music and moves the skaters used in the movie. With that mentality in the background, a new heavy metal and upbeat style utilized by Doug and Kate was presented, giving the feeling you are watching something revolutionary. Mind you, the style brought forth in the movie is used by everyone today, but it's still good to watch a sports montage. Doug coming to enjoy figure skating is perhaps the biggest draw, whose tough hockey roots always put a funny spin on things which are second nature to the sport. The interactions between Doug and Kate are wonderful to watch as well, who clash in everything they do, and their eventual acceptance of one another only makes their romance shine all the more.
If you watched enough love stories, don't expect many surprises from this movie. This is a 1992 movie, and it follows a basic formula of love created during that time. It is, however, still a good watch, and should amuse people with its pop culture. If such a thing could be used as a gauge, I’ve watched it several times and still don't become sick to my stomach. And thanks to my mother, I'm going to be watching it many more times, which I'm alright with. If you’ve never seen The Cutting Edge and need something to pass the time, I recommend it. It's a blast from the past and still has something to offer.
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