Movies Seen in July 2004
Submitted by xfanatic50 on Mon, 07/12/2004 - 02:03
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- 07/02/04- Citizen Kane- A film classic which I finally decided to sit down and watch. And I'm very glad I did. This film is absolutely brilliant. I just really really enjoyed it. Despite the period in which it was made, it still feels surprisingly modern. There's not much more that I can say that hasn't been said by somebody before... brilliant direction, excellent acting, really well-written, just a very powerful, intelligent film that everybody should see. 10/10
- 07/03/04- Casablanca- This is another film which is a classic that I had not seen yet. However, unlike Citizen Kane, I was somewhat disappointed by this film. It may have been because of the cliche that the film has now become, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Also, it really keeps you from getting into the movie when you know the ending ahead of time. Intelligent, with great performances and really well-made, but the hype was just far too great for me to really get into this film. 8/10
- 07/05/04- Fahrenheit 9/11- Really brilliant. Yes, some of the arguments are flawed, and people can talk about the politics of the film all they want, and label it cheap propaganda, but that is really taking the emphasis off of the fact that Michael Moore has made a moving, heartfelt, intelligent film that has opened up a new dialogue about the war and which years from now when nobody cares about Bush anymore will still stand as a very powerful anti-war testament. 10/10
- 07/07/04- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story- Much funnier than I thought it would be. Vince Vaughn is wonderful, but it's the supporting cast that make the film. Stephen Root is hysterical as an oppressed husband who takes his rage out on the dodgeball court, as is Justin Long as a lovestruck teenager and Alan Tudyk as Steve, the guy who thinks he's a pirate. Rip Torn steals every scene he's in. Very well-cast, and incredibly hysterical at times. 7/10
- 07/09/04- Spiderman 2- Finally, the superhero film that all comic book geeks have been waiting for! Sam Raimi, who was under a lot of pressure to deliver a blockbuster with the first film, clearly had more freedom to do what he wanted with this one. His cheesy, campy Evil Dead sensibility can be seen far more in this film than in the last, in the cartoonish transitions, and the film's odd sense of humour. Funnier, more heartfelt, with better action sequences and a better villain than the first, this film is a summer blockbuster which actually deserves the hype! Tobey Maguire gives a great performance, as does Alfred Molina. Many times watching this film I was struck by how many scenes played like a low-budget character study instead of a Hollywood action film. Not only that, but the film establishes a mythology that connects the first film and the eventual third film instead of trying to make a series of stand-alone adventures. Very, very well-made superhero movie, and the best in it's genre since the original Batman. Can't wait for Spiderman 3! 9/10
- 07/13/04- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy- This is quickly becoming the summer of no disappointments! This film is absolutely great... intelligent, well-directed and extremely well cast. The jokes that are set up to be stupid surprise you with how smart they are. Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy so well that you laugh with him more than at him, and you really sympathize with him... and I was surprised to find myself enjoying the supporting performances more than Will Ferrell. Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner are hysterical, and they have a real chemistry with Ferrell on screen. I was expecting this film to be funny, but I wasn't expecting it to also be so smart and so light-hearted. Sure to become a comedy classic. 10/10Spoiler: Highlight to viewI especially loved the bit about the news gangs having a street fight, where all the cliches of battle scenes are played out as jokes. The cameos all genuinely surprised me.
- 07/29/04- Orwell Rolls in His Grave- A documentary on media abuse and conglomeration, mostly as it relates to politics. Very fascinating, and also unexpectedly creepy. It uses Orwell's 1984 as a jumping off point, and it's eerie how many of Orwell's predictions have become reality. However, while I do think that everybody should see this film once, it was very dry at times and I did have to fight against falling asleep towards the end. 7/10
Author Comments:
Wow... all the movies I've been looking forward to (Fahrenheit 9/11, Spiderman 2 and Anchorman) have actually not only met my high expectations but exceeded them... and even the films I was expecting to be decent have been better than I thought. This is turning into a great summer for films.
Cloned From:
I'm very happy your keeping up this running commentary on the movies you see!
Citizen Kane and Casablanca on back-to-back nights - impressive. My reaction was somewhat opposite to yours - loved Casablanca, merely liked Citizen Kane, but I really owe the latter a rewatch now that I have more movies under my belt.
Glad to see Spider-man 2 get a good review, as well as kudos for the original Batman. Did you see X-Men 2, which is probably my candidate for best superhero movie to date (haven't seen Spidey 2 yet though).
I continue to be surprised at how well Dodgeball has fared. The trailers looked bad, but now I find it's on my to-see list 'cause of all the good press and happy Listologists.
I actually didn't see any "Dodgeball" trailers, but according to Roger Ebert's review: "in a miraculous gift to the audience, 20th Century-Fox does not reveal all of the best gags in its trailer."
So there ya go. I'm still not sure if it'll strike your funnybone, Jim, but I hope you do like it.
You know, I did like X2... I just didn't think it was quite up to the level that Batman and Spiderman 2 are at. Good, but not spectacularly great.