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Reviews7
madeba's rating
A delight once it gets going, High Falls is a glimpse into a day and a half in the life of a couple. Jackson (Moss-Bachrach) is driving Pedro (Sarsgaard) home after his business trip in Japan. Meanwhile, Pedro's pregnant wife April (Gyllenhaal) is preparing for his arrival. All pretty mundane, until Pedro confesses something to Jackson. Something he plans keeping from his wife. When they arrive, April secretly tells Jackson that she has news she can't possibly tell her husband.
As the evening wears on, with the wine flowing, secret keeper Bud can barely contain himself. We watch the couple duck and dive as he tries to prod each of them towards a confession. Inevitably, something has to give and the climax is both funny and moving.
Director Zuckerman knows when to let the camera roll and let his actors play the moment. And once we're invested, it's a treat to watch. It's a simple story simply acted and shot. And therein lies its magic.
As the evening wears on, with the wine flowing, secret keeper Bud can barely contain himself. We watch the couple duck and dive as he tries to prod each of them towards a confession. Inevitably, something has to give and the climax is both funny and moving.
Director Zuckerman knows when to let the camera roll and let his actors play the moment. And once we're invested, it's a treat to watch. It's a simple story simply acted and shot. And therein lies its magic.
Having caught this at a screening, I can say that No Man's Land is kind of a prequel to Reeker. It gives some insight into the birth of the Reeker. As you might imagine, it's pretty twisted. Once again, Dave Payne serves up a killer opening sequence (pun intended) and the effects are pretty cool and creative, especially considering this is an indie.
If you enjoyed the first Reeker, you should like this one, too. Yeah, we have a group of people who will get picked off one by one, but that's to be expected in the genre. And hey - by now we know one thing the Reeker definitely does not do - and that's babysit. The trick in horror is to keep us guessing, which No Man's Land does and also manages some original kills in the process.
Reeker is back with his tool kit and the prequel retains the same tongue-in-cheek humor as the first, with some choice dialog and gory silliness. (Watch out for further cranial exploitation and the best bird fly-by on screen to date!) Desmond Askew (Turistas) stands out as the inept Binky and it's good to see veteran Robert Pine as the local Sheriff. All in all a fun, schlocky addition to the franchise.
If you enjoyed the first Reeker, you should like this one, too. Yeah, we have a group of people who will get picked off one by one, but that's to be expected in the genre. And hey - by now we know one thing the Reeker definitely does not do - and that's babysit. The trick in horror is to keep us guessing, which No Man's Land does and also manages some original kills in the process.
Reeker is back with his tool kit and the prequel retains the same tongue-in-cheek humor as the first, with some choice dialog and gory silliness. (Watch out for further cranial exploitation and the best bird fly-by on screen to date!) Desmond Askew (Turistas) stands out as the inept Binky and it's good to see veteran Robert Pine as the local Sheriff. All in all a fun, schlocky addition to the franchise.
I have to admit that I enjoy a good action flick. Sometimes I simply don't want to be challenged. I want schlocky, escapist fun. Action movies are like pornos - the story and dialogue don't pretend to be great. We know they are there merely to advance you to the next action/sex sequence. I mean, that's why we bought the ticket, right? We can't expect anything better, or can we? Well, Mr & Mrs Smith proves that we should expect more. The opening title sequence alone had the audience cracking up. And in that moment, the filmmakers made us a promise: that this film would be slick, sexy and funny. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. The well crafted dialogue transcends the genre and, with a great cast and fine direction, helps to create a product that's all class.
Both Pitt and Jolie show that they're fine comedic actors. We've had a taste of Pitt's looniness in 12 Monkeys and charm in Oceans 11/12, but not this. Here the comedy is subtle, the characters are truly engaging and the rhythm is perfect. (It got me thinking just how much better the Italian Job remake could have been with Pitt as Charlie Croker, instead of Wahlberg) The chemistry between the 2 leads is undeniable and delicious, heightened only by what the tabloids tell us we should read into it. We buy them as a couple, we buy them getting counselling, we buy them squeezing triggers. Vince Vaughn also delivers a wonderful (if unusually restrained) performance as Pitt's partner/booking agent. The rest of the cast are kept at arm's length. Even the multitude of agents our heroes encounter remain hooded and faceless, leaving us no option but to soak up Brad and Angelina.
Oh yeah - and the action's pretty great, too, especially in an inspired minivan sequence. Sure, we have to suspend our disbelief, but that gets checked when we enter the theater, right? This had all the goodness of an old Brit actioner, with Hollywood production values. I'd put it up there with Ronin and Renny Harlin's underrated, yet equally fulfilling The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Both Pitt and Jolie show that they're fine comedic actors. We've had a taste of Pitt's looniness in 12 Monkeys and charm in Oceans 11/12, but not this. Here the comedy is subtle, the characters are truly engaging and the rhythm is perfect. (It got me thinking just how much better the Italian Job remake could have been with Pitt as Charlie Croker, instead of Wahlberg) The chemistry between the 2 leads is undeniable and delicious, heightened only by what the tabloids tell us we should read into it. We buy them as a couple, we buy them getting counselling, we buy them squeezing triggers. Vince Vaughn also delivers a wonderful (if unusually restrained) performance as Pitt's partner/booking agent. The rest of the cast are kept at arm's length. Even the multitude of agents our heroes encounter remain hooded and faceless, leaving us no option but to soak up Brad and Angelina.
Oh yeah - and the action's pretty great, too, especially in an inspired minivan sequence. Sure, we have to suspend our disbelief, but that gets checked when we enter the theater, right? This had all the goodness of an old Brit actioner, with Hollywood production values. I'd put it up there with Ronin and Renny Harlin's underrated, yet equally fulfilling The Long Kiss Goodnight.