ph: Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Village (2004)
A fascinating and debatable premise is competently staged as a Gothic tale.
Maltin *1/2: "Somer, straight-faced story...Evolves into a self-parody at some point before becomimg downright ridiculous. Impressive only as a showcase for newconer Howard (daughter of Ron)."
Unbreakable (2000)
A Philadelphia security guard slowly discovers that he is a superhero.
Unusual psychological thriller with great atmosphere and an obscure plot.
On second view the plot is indeed quite vague, although the premise is actually interesting.
Halliwell **: "Clever thriller which manages to comvince itsaudience to take seriously what is essentially hokum, its elegant and painstaking framing of every shot adds to its moody, comic book feel."
Maltin **: "Somber, pin-drop drama from the writer-director of THE SIXTH SENSE, inspired by comic-book-style fiction,is like a shaggy-dog joke that doesn't seem worth the effort once you hear the punchline."
The Experiment (2010)
26 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Although well staged and played this version distorts the actual message by directing the cause to a singular person's fault.
Maltin **: "At once fascinating and repellent film starts off strongly but degenerates into a melodramatic exercise in cruelty. Remake of the 2001 German film DAS EXPERIMENT is loosely based on the infamous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment."
The Pelican Brief (1993)
A law student uncovers a conspiracy, putting herself and others in danger.
Overlong and with an unnecessarily complicated plot, this thriller is nevertheless mildly suspenseful.
Halliwell (no star): "Mundane chase movie, a paranoid thriller that rarely rings true and mainly consists of Julia Roberts being chased but not caught. Her fans may enjoy it."
Maltin ***: "Entertaining thriller...Well cast (with Julia a perfect pick for the lead) and well crafted, though the suspense starts to peter out toward the finish."
Monday, April 1, 2013
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