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Bruce Almighty (2003)
Juvenile comedy, made for low brow audiences
Why did I hate this movie? Because it insults intelligence. Had Bruce Almighty been content to follow the well-trodden path of mindless comedies, it might have worked. After all, the scene in which Bruce embarrasses a TV anchor is genuinely funny. But director Tom Shadyac can't resist slipping into Patch Adams mode. The result is a painful final act in which Bruce learns the hard lesson that the greatest power of all is to help others. Also considering what Bruce does with God's powers, he must have an I.Q. of about 10. About a hundred good plots could have been written with this backstory - anything from a straight comedy to a tragedy, with various stops in between - but Bruce Almighty misses them all. What does Bruce do with his great powers? Use a gust of wind to flip up a woman's skirt, pull the moon closer to Earth, and move aside traffic. No stopping time. No visiting other planets. The gag of Bruce doing silly little things with his powers is amusing for about 60 seconds, then it loses its appeal.
The China Syndrome (1979)
A fascinating film on a fascinating subject
The China Syndrome is reminiscent of a time when Hollywood excelled in the making of the conspiracy political film. The China syndrome starts with a bang- Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas are at a nuclear power plant when something goes wrong and they manage to capture it on camera. What follows is an investigation into the cover ups that ensues to make sure there is no panic. All the actors are very good here- Douglas and Fonda as the determined young reporters, Jack lemmon as the shift supervisor who unfortunately gets the blame. The pacing is great and the opening scene with the meltdown are genuinely terrifying.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Rather underrated Josh Hartnett film
Lucky Number Slevin is a great surprise- It takes from the best, namely Hitchcock and Tarantino in its approach to writing and directing and boy is it a ride. Keeping things unpredictable and breezy Lucky Number Slevin is a riot of a movie. The acting from everyone from Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Lui to old veterans like Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley is great- you know they're all having fun. You should too- go see it.
Enter the Void (2009)
Uneasy content but mesmerizing visuals
Enter the Void is a deadly movie and you clearly need to be in the right frame to even enjoy it- not that there is anything to enjoy in this metaphysical output by Gasper Noe. The cinematography and lighting is stunning and Tokyo looks, well just like Tokyo. It's a bit overlong but quite provocative. I am still undecided as the film left me visibly shaken because of its extreme content. You should see this film and make your own judgement. Visually stunning and effortlessly flowing Enter the Void is more of an experience than just a movie.
Sliver (1993)
average Sharon Stone sex thriller
Sliver is billed as an erotic thriller. It is erotic all right but there isn't much thrill in here. A young, good looking female moves into a tall building in NYC but it turns out there are a lot of skeletons hiding among the residents. Billy Baldwin is the male lead although this is Stone's film. Although the sex scenes are good there is no story to go with it. Upon looking at the wiki article I saw that the film was a financial disaster and I can see why. One needs a good foundation- a script of worth on which all the other features can stand. Sliver gets the erotic bits alright but fails to deliver a story. Still, worth a watch.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Dino mania began with Jurassic Park- see it NOW
One of the greatest ever films and the movie that truly ushered in the CGI revolution Jurassic Park is a milestone of not just storytelling but also special effects and sound engineering. Directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton this was a monster hit way back in 1993 and continues to be seen around the world. I refuse to believe anyone who has not seen Jurassic park but if you happen to be in that minority I suggest you see this film on a rainy night with a great sound system. You will be blessed by the movie gods.
Alive (1993)
Unmissable plane crash is worth the admission ticket
Alive is a good film based on a true event when a football team crashes on the Andes and survive the crash. The then resort to cannibalism until they are rescued. What I remember most about this movie is the uber realistic plane crash- it literally makes you feel like you are on the doomed flight. Featuring a John Malkovich narration and young upcoming stars such as Ethan Hawke Alive is a great take on the tragedy. You should see this one of you like real life-based survival films.