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Judo Koala
Film Freak - 628 Films Ranked
Member Since: Aug 8, 2009
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Bio: Went to the University of Western Ontario to attain my Honors in Film Studies. Am now a first-year MA student attaining my degree in Film Studies at UWO.
Featured Reviews
60 Red Desert (1964) - Nov 23, 2010
90 Drive (2011) - Oct 31, 2011
Mini-Review: One of the most intense filmic experiences I have had in a long while. The anxious feeling of wondering "What's going to happen next?" followed by "Did that just happen!" constantly left me in a feared state of fight-or-flight, my legs often shaking because of it. Absolute tight pacing to create such suspense. Brutal, unrelentless, bleak, and one of the best soundtracks of the year. Gosling is an absolute chameleon, expressing his isolation with the shift of his eyes. Existentialist gold.
70 Russian Ark (2002) - Mar 20, 2012
Mini-Review: Technically stunning: asides from the ability to truly film it in one single take, the costume and sound design are wonderful, a film that is as beautiful to watch as it is to listen to. Unfortunately, I found myself becoming quite impatient, at times, due to my lack of historical knowledge of Russia centuries ago. This, ultimately, may be the largest barrier to truly 'enjoying' the film: a technical marvel to appreciate, but can become quite dry in its oft-obscure references to a Russian past
30 Psycho (1998) - Aug 09, 2009
Mini-Review: I'm amazed that most here seem to have had missed the point with what Van Sant was doing here...Yes, as a film, as a remake, it is awful. But it SHOULD be mentioned that this is precisely what Van Sant was probably going for, and it can be presumed that he acknowledges this isn't--and shouldn't--be a good film, or remake, by any means. As he has stated, he wanted to see what would happen IF one were to remake such a classic. In Layman's terms: it's an experiment. Interesting, but not 'good'.
75 Three Colors: White (1994) - Mar 29, 2012
Mini-Review: I think what I most enjoy about 'White' is how it reflects the French ideal of 'Equality'...for all the wrong reasons. A darkly humourous revenge tale, I found myself thoroughly entertained for the two hours it lasts. Of course, it's difficult to review the film as you inevitably compare it to the rest of Kieślowski's oeuvre, where it is a weaker effort (the ending, especially, feels 'off' to me), but really, it's still a great film. Nothing inherently wrong with it at all.
65 Within Our Gates (1920) - Nov 15, 2011
Mini-Review: It's fairly clear by watching this that Micheaux was always an authour first, filmmaker second. The amount of exposition lopped into the numerous intertitles adds to the film's messy, crammed narrative, attempting to do too much at once without properly establishing what, exactly, is occurring. It is quite interesting to see a film reverse the role of the "savage black man" at this time, however, and the final sequence--parallelling the rescue sequence in 'The Birth of a Nation'--is great.
75 In the Company of Men (1997) - Mar 30, 2012
Mini-Review: Black comedy set in the corporate dog-eat-dog world, where you may be as likely to cringe as you are to laugh. The most interesting part of it may well be the study of Eckhart's scummy, manipulative, and entirely sociopathic character. Great writing, with a memorable and unpredictable ending that may infuriate as much as it may please. I love it, but I can understand those who may not want to indulge in the cruel antics of the two pro/antagonists.
60 Martyrs (2008) - Sep 10, 2011
Mini-Review: I'm not sure how to go about this...On the one hand, it properly possesses a nihilistic tendency found in films of the recent New French Extremity movement. On the other hand, however, it seems to lack the emotional and critical capacities which films by such makers in the genre, such as Noe and Dumont, have. The concept is an interesting one, but the execution pushes it further into the realm of mindless torture porn than anything else. Could be worse, yet it ultimately could be better.
80 North by Northwest (1959) - Mar 26, 2012
Mini-Review: The film definitely offers some of my favourite Hitch moments: the airplane sequence is just superb, some of the dialogue hilarious and deviant (oft-reminding me of the quick and witty innuendos from films noir such as 'Double Indemnity'), and the cat-and-mouse game made for an immensely entertaining two hours. I just felt that some moments between Grant and Saint slowed down the pace a bit too much, interrupting the momentum the film does so well to develop and sustain. Still, such a fun movie!
80 Dancer in the Dark (2000) - Dec 13, 2011
Mini-Review: While at first I was, like others, frustrated at the contrived situations of Selma, I soon realized its purpose: Whenever a musical number came up, I forgot about her predicament, expecting something good to happen, before jumping back to her grey world of shit, where I was once again reminded that nothing good WOULD happen. The film is an experiment in audience expectations of the musical, and LVT completely subverts them as confrontational as possible. Bleak? Very. But I respect its daring.
 
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