Leben der Anderen, Das (The Lives of Others)

Genre: Drama
Year of release: 2006
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

This movie is a text book example of a drama, just like silence of the lambs is thriller and die hard is action. I found it very easy to fall asleep with out my proper food and drink, so in the middle of this movie I quickly bought some. After having my trusty bottle of coke at my side I was no longer tired and could stay awake quite easily. Even when I was falling asleep I was still enjoying the movie quite a lot and it was even better when I was fully awake. Great movie.

Lives of others is about the secret police of East Germany back when the Berlin wall was up in 1984 and the surveillance of a certain writer. The man (Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler played nicely by Ulrich Mühe) listening in on all their conversations gets interested in their lives and eventually tries even helping the writer under surveillance.

The Lives of others is much deeper than it appears, at first I did not fully understand why Wiesler would be so interested in their lives why he would go against his sworn duty, but the reason as I soon found out after was quite good and for me boosts the movie up a few points. Sometimes its good for a movie not to fully explain things, makes people think for themselves and even if somebody tells you it gives more meaning to each simple scene that I first thought nothing of.

This movie does not have any action it is merely a talking movie, just to let you know if you have not seen it, it neither has great climaxes either it simply cruises easily. If you do not like dramas then you will not like this movie.

I also enjoyed the ending of this movie. The last scenes made his efforts feel worth it. The director did a good job of this movie, the movie only lacks on it lack of climax however I do not think they could have pulled it off anyway. It a wonderful movie with some some good acting, decent story, and a good amount of depth, the characters were pretty good and the way Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has made each scene is great.

8.5/10

Once were Warriors

Genre: Drama
Year released:1995
Director: Lee Tamahori

"Cook the man some fucking eggs!"

I live in New Zealand and strangely enough this was the first time I had watched this movie. I heard lots of people talk and recommend this movie, I don't really know why I had not seen this movie earlier. I liked it. GJ New Zealand that what number 4 good movies you have made.

Once were Warriors is about a Maori family living in a Maori neighborhood, this family goes through many hardships, the father has a bad temper to say the least, they live in a dump, have too many parties thrown by the parents while the young children sleep/try to sleep. This movie does have rather good acting, in my opinion, sure it was not any Taxi Driver or On the Waterfront performances but I was really surprised at how well Temuera Morrison acted. The story is also very sad as well as being very violent. I like how the story is very real and relates to real life situations there are people who live like this.

The acting never once bothered me, sorry New Zealand. Temuera Morrison plays Jake the father of this family in trouble, Jake is an alcoholic and is a violent person who seems to communicate with his fists. His blasts of rage were acted out well acted. The other characters although not as worked on except maybe the mother, who I felt sorry for, were not bad either. They all had their problems except Grace who was quite normal in very non normal situations, I believe and anyone who watches this will believe she had a very hard time dealing with this. The two older boys are trying to be strong, though are both troubled they have their anger stored up inside them and are bad at communicating and looking for some thing, their lives are empty. The mother is a good character, she too is addicted drinking and parting. The mother Beth is also acted well Reno Owen did an alright job of her character. Beth is on the verge of leaving Jake, although struggles as she loves the non violent Jake. The kid that lives in the car too was cool.

The violence is quite graphic and intense, I don't really notice the violence in a lot of films, but in this it really stands out. The way these scenes are done is great in a sick way. Jake who is big beating really badly his helpless wife Beth is extreme it might be the way of something so powerful beating up such an innocent women incredibly badly makes me feel every punch. It makes you quite sad and feel so bad for Beth.

In conclusion a very good New Zealand film, that is quite deep through human values of what is right and acceptable and how some times these values slip through who you are around and the things you hold inside you. The acting and overall movie is much better than I expected. This is a movie about a family not a family movie.

7.5/10

On the Waterfront

Genre: Drama
Year of release: 1954
Director: Elia Kazan

This is the first time I have watched On the Waterfront and it was less than 5 minutes ago that it finished I did not enjoy this movies as the hard core critics and probably because it was not what I was expecting, if I watched it again I am sure I would enjoy it more.

On the Waterfront is about an ex boxer Terry Malloy doing jobs for his corrupt union bosses on the waterfront. He finds love in the sister of his union bosses last victim who was about to testify against him Edie Doyle. . Marlon Brando was without a doubt awesome, thinking back on this movie some of the lines that Brando says he has done so well for instance "I could a been somebody!" Brando's performances would be a definite contender for the best acting of all time. The story of this is really quite good as well.

Even though Brando was defiantly the best in this movie Lee J. Cobb was also very very good, this is the 2cnd Lee J. Cobb movie i have seen this and 12 angry men like this movie he was very very good but still only 2cnd best, Henry Fonda was a hard act to beat. The simplicity of this movie is quite good and it is quite short at only one hour forty.

Brando in On the Waterfront is defiantly one of the best performances in all time. In my opinion the only other performances that challenge this one is DeNiro in Taxi Driver, Brando's Godfather, Heath Ledger's Joker, Nicholson's R.P. McMurphy. If you haven't seen this movie then you should watch it simply because of the acting. Brando is simply amazing even if he did have to read from cue cards. Some of the final scenes epically are extremely good. I am looking forward "A street car named desire".

This movie is well paced, not fast and not slow. This movie really improved after the famous taxi scene, after this the story starts to get really good. This movie does not have as much action as I expected and I think that is why I did not enjoy it as much as I should have. I am not saying that if I had made it I would have put more action in, I would not change a thing.

In conclusion a great movie with probably the best performance that I have seen, Taxi Driver and this are about even. Great story and RIP Mr Pigeon. RIP Marlon Brando.

9/10

All about Eve

Genre: Drama

Year of release: 1950

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz



"Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" I just watched this movie a second ago for the first time, I loved it. I had my doubts at first as it looked and sounded like a boring, well acted but dull sort of romance, comedy. All about Eve is not dull, it may not be super fast paced but it is a true classic, it has inspired me to watch more of the older more classic movies that I had first glanced over at the video store because they looked dull or boring. All about Eve can be easily enjoyed by both genders however i wonder if I would enjoy it more if I was a women.

This classic tale tells the story of Eve and her trip from rags to riches, from a theater fanatic who worships a specific actress, Margo (Bette Davis), into an award winning actress winning one of the greatest theater awards for acting that they give out. The acting in this is pretty damn good the thing i love about classics the acting was damn good ... from everyone. Bette Davis was great as Margo, Anne Baxter was great as Eve everyone in this movie was fabulous. This movie was boosted up a lot because of its ending for me at least that is. Also the start was quite good starting from the award ceremony for Eve then taking a still shot as George Sanders and Celeste Holm narrate then working its working its way backwards to explain "All about Eve".

The acting was great, i think people were better at acting back a few years, now days people are so obsessed with making money that they forget to act properly. Bette Davis was very convincing of her character, a childish, loud,mood swinging, tantra throwing actress. I personally liked Bette's character quite a lot, she was hard to figure out and she knew it. Eve Anne Baxter's character was also quite good she is quite and shy however as the story goes evolves to be more like her idol Bette, more confident, speaks louder.

This is the first movie I have seen that has Marilyn Monroe in it I quite enjoy her as she was funny through slightly dim witted attitude "Well, I can't yell "Oh butler!" can I? Maybe somebody's name is Butler". George Sanders was a very good theater critic I liked him right from the start however by the end I liked him a lot more.

I really enjoy narration, well good narration, like in Apocalypse now, Goodfellas, Fight club as it seems to make me more in the mood for the movie, it draws me into the story and makes me forget I am watching a movie. So the narration at the start of this movie I also enjoyed. In the beginning (lol that seems kinda cliche) of All about Eve we begin at the Ceremony for Eve as an actress and the thing I liked was the technique used, in the midst of the narration the film stops still and we a left with just a picture of Eve reaching for her award and we go back to where it all began until we come back to the same picture and we continue from there, once of course we know "All about Eve".

In conclusion a great movie its well acted, good story, great end and beginning, a little bit of humor and deserving of being remembered for another 50 years and another and another untill the end of time.

9.5/10

Bubba Ho-Tep

Genre: Comedy
Year of release:
Director: 2002

Quite good at the start then dies slowly. It took two attempts to watch this movie the first time I watched all the good parts and then fell asleep. In all its not a bad movie but meh. If your a Campbell fan you'll probably enjoy it.

Bubba Ho-tep is a story of two men in a nursing home and the journey they take to defeat the soul eating mummy that has been killing their old friends. One Character (Bruce Campbell) thinks that he is Elvis (or maybe he is, you decide) as an old man with a wart on his pecker and the other main character believes he is or is JFK and has been died black to be saved from assassination, JFK is constantly worried he is about to be killed. Bruce Campbell is quite good in it and makes you wonder if he is actually Elvis or just an impersonator, as well as being quite funny. I enjoyed the first half of this film quite a lot but then like most of the newer movies these days, epically American ones, it goes over the top and stops being funny.

I love both JFK and Elvis their characters were building nicely but then this movie got a bit to carried away into trying to kill this mummy rather than on being funny. Elvis and JFK's were quite humerous epically how JFK is black and a little bit crazy/weird. The old cowboy who had completely lost it was bad ass, however was only in a very small part of the movie. I like it how in a way they have left you the audience to decide if JFK and Elvis's characters are actually who they say they are or if they are just a bit crazy.

In conclusion overall this movie is quite good if you can be bothered, it is worth a watch however it is not the greatest movie of all time. If you are a Campbell fan you should like it.

7/10

Blade Runner

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action

Year of release: 1982

Director: Ridley Scott

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe."

Director's cut/final cut rules. I haven't sceen the original blade runner but i have heard that essential things are not in it. See the director's cut or final cut they are really good and I just love the ending. I waited to watch this movie for a long time it was on my list of movies to watch for ages every time i would go to the video store it would be out of something, when I watched this movie for the first time it did not make to huge of an affect on me, I still decided to buy it and the second viewing for me was out of this world.

Blade runner is set in the future and is about replicants who come back to earth, replicants are man made people who look and act like humans they are ileagal in earth and are to be executed/retired the people with the job of retiring these replicants are called blade runners. Harrison Fords character Rick Deckard who is a great character, has the job of retireing 4 replicants that have come back to earth to get a longer life span, longer that their usual of 4 years. This movie contains my 4th faviorite bad guy Roy Batty(1st Joker, Hanibal, Darth Vader and Norman Bates is pretty close) pretty much just because of one scene right at the end if you have sceen this movie you will know which one. I love Harrison Ford his characters are always so awesome, I love the way ridley scott thinks the future will be like, I love the hidden things that you do not pick up on the first time.

Harrison Ford has always been one of my personal favorites he always seems to pull off the awesome bad ass dude that gets into lots of action and adventure but blade runner is more deep then Star Wars or Indiana Jones, its a very perfectly made film that harrison ford was born to play in. Harrison is not super out-going seeking adventure like he is in Indiana Jones or Star Wars, he is more or less an ordaniary guy...

Ridley Scott is a great director he has made every scene in Blade Runner perfect and necessary each scene adds to the greatness of this film, and the way Ridley Scot sees the future seems very realist things are not going to be fine and dandy I believe the world is going to become more of a shit hole as the future progresses. The world has always been getting progressively worse in my opinion and that trend will probably continue like that and turn in to what Ridley Scott has shown in Blade Runner.

This movie is a must see, however i didnt really like it the first time compared to how much i like it now. 103 on imdb is pathetic, Blade Runner should be a lot higher. In conclusion kick ass. Watch it ... more that once.

10/10

Apocalypse now

Genre: War, Drama, Action

Year of release: 1979

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

War movie fans are in for a damn treat. This movie rules it kicks ass, its the best war movie in the world, beats saving private Ryan by a long shot. Showing the horrors of war. The way people went a little funny in Vietnam. Although this is a long movie it is defiantly worth it and should rank high in your favorite movies.

Wonderful movie about a secret mission in which one man must terminate a crazed commander in the middle of the Vietnam forests, only he is an American ... "It shouldn't have made a difference to me, but it did." The first scene is unbelievably awesome showing a explosion of a forest with the song "this is the end" by the doors. It makes a perfect effect and is a very powerful opener. The narration by main character Captain Benjamin L. Willard played by Martin Sheen improves this movie. The story is great and the work put into the characters is pretty awesome as well. Francis Ford Coppola did a great job of this movie spending many years making it, it was well worth his effort. Martin Sheen was really great in this he acted his part like a true legend.

If will start from the start this films opening scene is at least one of my favorite scenes. The calm music starts as you look at a forest and helicopters smoothly flying past the camera. When the lyrics begin the forest silently explodes and the only sounds left is the doors and the sound of helicopters. The lyrics match this perfectly sing "This is the end" right as the forest explodes. We then start to see Martin sheen face slightly faded into the background upside down lying on a bed thinking of Vietnam we are slowly lead into Willard's apartment were the helicopter noise turns into the sound of the rotating fan blades where Martin narrates his brilliant speech. This scene is true brilliance and make me feel warm inside, it sends a shiver down my spine as I type this. This scene clearly shows there is a god and showed the world through Francis Ford Coppola how to begin a movie.

The acting and characters of this movie is some of the best I have ever seen, even the little characters like Clean and Chief, the Photojournalist, Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, Chef. I found Laurence Fishburne hard to recognize as he is very young, found it quite funny. Marlon Brando is a great actor, his job in the Godfather was unbelievable any one that tries to reenact Marlon Brando is an idiot. Marlon's acting in Apocalypse was very good however he is much better in the Godfather (looking forward to seeing his earlier stuff) Robert Duvall is also quite awesome and very funny. His character Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore is a crazy colonel who likes surfing. His character does kill many Vietnam innocents which is quite extreme , they were commies tho lol.

The whole movie almost leads up to meeting colonel Kurts and practically the whole movie Willard is deciding should i kill this American Colonel who before this incident of going crazy in the jungle with an army tribes people has a perfect record, always top of his class. The way we the audience are lead through Willards thoughts is so beyond awesome its is simply perfect. Every time in this movie where Colonel Willard talks it is amazing.

In conclusion the greatest war movie in the world,Greatly acted by many different characters, best narration in a movie, great plot, great score. Francis Ford Coppola deserves a medal for this movie.

10/10