Just some movie stuff this week...
The Last Samurai
What a picture. Three words to describe it - fan-fucking-tastic. It has all the great elements of an epic picture - strong hero who must overcome great odds, a sweeping story of war, love and triumph, and honest-to-god heartfelt emotion woven throughout the tale. Acting is fantastic all around - Tom Cruise is so good you actually forget you're watching Tom Cruise, while Ken Wantanabe (the general, whose character's name escapes me at the moment) and Taka (the slain samurai's wife, whose actress's name escapes me at the moment) are superb in giving their characters a depth that truly lies beyond what words could relay. Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall) was a perfect choice to direct this tale of a jaded alcoholic Civil/Indian Wars veteran paid to train the Imperial Army in modern warfare turned into cross-cultural Samurai warrior. His suburb handling of exceptionally savage fight scenes (and some of the best - if not THE best - swordfights committed to film) is balanced by a sublime delicacy of the story of Algren's relationship with the family of the Samurai who he has slain, and the intense emotion just behind the restrained exteriors of Taka and the great Samurai general. The result is a samurai film that rivals the greatest films of Akira Kurasowa in their depiction not only of the warriors and battles of Japan, but of the culture of restraint and discipline challenged by emotion that is so rarely understood or depicted in Western cinema. Go see it. Now.
The Two Towers Extended Edition
I got this the week it came out, but forgot to write something up about it so...It's good. The extended scenes add quite a bit to the film, particularly in bringing the movie back in line with the book (or at least, more directly in line with the book). Faramir gets the treatment he deserves; Merry and Pippin visit Treebeard's house; we see a little more of the happenings in Rohan before Aragon and crew arrive; and we see Gollum's dark side a bit earlier in the film. There's only a single new scene I wouldn't have added, as I really liked where the theatrical version left us in our perception of Gollum, but it's a minor quibble.
My friends are pretty chatty when watching flicks, but this one hits my quote of the month meter:
"Dude, Treebeard having a pipe would be like one of us smoking a monkey."
Classic.
The Last Samurai
What a picture. Three words to describe it - fan-fucking-tastic. It has all the great elements of an epic picture - strong hero who must overcome great odds, a sweeping story of war, love and triumph, and honest-to-god heartfelt emotion woven throughout the tale. Acting is fantastic all around - Tom Cruise is so good you actually forget you're watching Tom Cruise, while Ken Wantanabe (the general, whose character's name escapes me at the moment) and Taka (the slain samurai's wife, whose actress's name escapes me at the moment) are superb in giving their characters a depth that truly lies beyond what words could relay. Edward Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall) was a perfect choice to direct this tale of a jaded alcoholic Civil/Indian Wars veteran paid to train the Imperial Army in modern warfare turned into cross-cultural Samurai warrior. His suburb handling of exceptionally savage fight scenes (and some of the best - if not THE best - swordfights committed to film) is balanced by a sublime delicacy of the story of Algren's relationship with the family of the Samurai who he has slain, and the intense emotion just behind the restrained exteriors of Taka and the great Samurai general. The result is a samurai film that rivals the greatest films of Akira Kurasowa in their depiction not only of the warriors and battles of Japan, but of the culture of restraint and discipline challenged by emotion that is so rarely understood or depicted in Western cinema. Go see it. Now.
The Two Towers Extended Edition
I got this the week it came out, but forgot to write something up about it so...It's good. The extended scenes add quite a bit to the film, particularly in bringing the movie back in line with the book (or at least, more directly in line with the book). Faramir gets the treatment he deserves; Merry and Pippin visit Treebeard's house; we see a little more of the happenings in Rohan before Aragon and crew arrive; and we see Gollum's dark side a bit earlier in the film. There's only a single new scene I wouldn't have added, as I really liked where the theatrical version left us in our perception of Gollum, but it's a minor quibble.
My friends are pretty chatty when watching flicks, but this one hits my quote of the month meter:
"Dude, Treebeard having a pipe would be like one of us smoking a monkey."
Classic.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home