JakeStevens Blog

As a kid, I was an amateur dinosaur aficionado. I knew all the different kinds that they knew of back in the late '70's and early '80's. So when Jurassic Park came out in 1993, I was stoked. I ended up seeing this film 8 times in the theater - I couldn't get enough. Never before had CG looked so convincing and even though I read the book, I was on the edge of my seat when the action got intense. It's the perfect mix of sci-fi and action-adventure. See it. Now.

I watched this film as I was taking a screenwriting course and I've gotta tell you, this is a perfectly written script (if you go by the numbers, of course). Every scene has a purpose in this film, and the acting isn't too bad either. You've got De Niro and Grodin doing their thing (with the always excellent Yaphet Kotto in a supporting role), so what more could you ask for? Oh yeah! An awesome funky score by none other than Danny Elfman! I've always loved the theme song to this film, and now I know why. Definitely give this one a watch.

I get the feeling that director Yann Samuell was attempting to make Amelie noir. Well, he succeeded. This film looks playful, colorful and carefree from a cinematic point of view, but the story belies this perception with two very cruel lead characters who, I believe, are certifiably insane. They are both selfish and not only do they hurt each other throughout their entire lives, but everyone around them, including Julien's father, his wife and children, Sophie's husband...and countless other people. There are moments in the film when you think the two characters have had enough of this mean-spirited teasing and are willing to finally admit to one another that they care deeply for each other, but this proves false. I wasn't sure what to think of the ending - did they really do it? But by that time, I didn't care. Neither of them had any redeeming qualities about their character to MAKE me care. A very grim tale, indeed.