rebelprince89

Member since 4/22/2009, last signed in awhile ago.

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Interested in:Avant-garde / Experimental, Comedy, Comedy Drama, Dance, Drama, Education, Family & Personal Relationships, Film, TV & Radio, Language & Literature, Music, Musical, Romance, Theater, Thriller

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Casino Royale

The ultimate Bond!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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""Casino Royale" blew me away. It is a fantastic movie in every way, and also the best Bond so far! I have always liked Pierce Brosnan (for some reason, other people didn't) in this prestigious role, and now that he has retired as a 00 agent, it is great to see someone even better replace him. "Casino Royale" revisits the beginnings of the well-known British secret agent, and it does so in a very stylish manner. Every second of the movie is carefully thought out, and it really is perfect. James Bond is now played by Daniel Craig ("Elizabeth", "Sylvia", "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"), who adds an interesting twist to this well-known character. Apparently, in the beginning, Bond couldn't care less if his martini was shaken or stirred, his first kill was pretty rough and not at all elegant, and he was also a little kinky. Of course, he has always been very cool, with the latest gadgets, fast cars and beautiful women. Speaking of women, "Casino Royale" doesn't disappoint. The latest Bond gi ... " [More]

L'Auberge Espagnole

A wonderful European treat!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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""L'Auberge Espagnole" is a fascinating movie. Its title is very adequate - in literal translation, it means "Spanish Inn", but in colloquial French, L'Auberge Espagnole describes a crash of different cultures. Both of these meanings link to the movie very well. The movie follows a post-graduate exchange student, Xavier (Romain Duris) , on his trip to Barcelona, and the extraordinary moments he there witnesses. The title refers to the apartment he is staying, packed with students from all over Europe, and the chaos in which these weird, but lovable people live. All these people are very different and well played by the multinational cast. Throw in the equation Xavier's jealous ex-girlfriend Martine (foolishly first-billed, but lovely Audrey Tautou), his new crush, the beautiful lesbian Soledad (Cristina Brondo) and his third love interest, the painfully shy Anne-Sophie (Judith Godrèche), and you've got an amazingly entertaining, at times depressing, but always very meditative ... " [More]

Marie Antoinette

Rich and shallow.
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Marie Antoinette is one of history's most (in)famous monarchs. It's not like she did anything special for her people, considering that after her reign, France was faced with many debts to settle. However, she certainly had that je-ne-sais-quoi about her, and so does Sofia Coppola's movie. It is not a perfect movie in any way (it's not even a well-done movie), but it will surely amuse for its two hour length. Every single shot of "Marie Antoinette" is a pleasure to look at, beautiful and full of rich colors. However, this cannot be due to wonderful filmmaking - we're talking about Kirsten Dunst and Versailles. Dunst is gorgeous, and the role suits her perfectly. No matter how many myths have been told about the queen's vanity, and no matter how many shoes Copolla fits into a shot (there is even a pair of blue Converse All-Stars), she rises above these shallow approaches to acting, and makes Marie a vulnerable, observant woman. As for Versailles, the castle is a character of its own, ... " [More]

Bobby

Amazing!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Despite a Golden Globe nomination in the "Best Movie" category and a stellar cast, the movie "Bobby" hasn't been talked about much, its theatrical and DVD releases failing to attract many audiences. It's a pity, though, as "Bobby" is one of the year's best, blending emotional, historical and artistic value in its 120 minutes without any problems. The movie follows a (big) number of characters and their problems during the day Robert Kennedy was assassined. The stories of these characters are all equally engaging, each reflecting either an issue of the era, or a universal problem, which ultimately leads to the profound, yet non-preachy conclusion that the key to a better world is human kindness and honesty. Paul (William H. Macy), the owner of the AmbassadorHotel where the bloodshed will take place is trying love both his wife (Sharon Stone) and his affair (Angela). A fading singer (Demi Moore) finds comfort in alcohol instead of in her loving, significant other (Emilio Estevez). A ... " [More]

Rent

Viva la vie boheme!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"It was obvious after "Chicago" and "Moulin Rouge" that the genre of movie musical was experiencing a renaissance of some kind. This paved the way for many projects to arrive from Broadway to the big screen, but there is always one significant problem - who is the target audience? More so, are the consumer generations of the 21st century ready to buy in to singing and dancing when telling a story? God forbid a movie doesn't have a plot or a point; it is automatically labeled with the words "tedious", "boring" and the pejorative "artistic". So, here comes "RENT". It is exactly a kind of movie musical studios would be frightened to invest in. The very slim plot is simply an excuse to present a generation of artists, some of them gay, lesbian or transgendered, and their bohemian lifestyle. As they fight AIDS, hold protests and revolutionize against selling out, you are expected to believe that they simply often burst into song when you least expect it and don't give a damn that the thi ... " [More]

Transamerica

A must-see!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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""Transamerica" is worth watching solely because of Felicity Huffman's performance. The terrific actress plays Bree, a not-quite-yet woman waiting for the final sex-reassignment operation. However, a couple of days before the operation, Bree gets a phone call from NYPD, informing her she has a son and that she needs to get there and bail him out. Bree reluctantly does that, but instead of telling her hustler son she is his mother, she tells him she is a missionary and offers to drive him to California, where he wants to become a porn actor. This is a movie with real people and real problems. On the way to the East Coast, there are many twists and turns awaiting Bree and her son, and it adds to the humanity of these two, well, unique people. A very admirable aspect of this movie is that it never treats transsexuals as jokes - and Felicity Huffman always plays her character with respect. It is truly an Oscar-worthy performance. Another outstanding performance here is by Kevin Zegers, ... " [More]

Driving Lessons

A wonderful film for a lazy aft ...
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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""Driving Lessons", Rupert Grint's first important movie since "Harry Potter" is a throughly enjoyable effort. It tells a story of Ben, a 17-year old Jesus-obsessed high schooler, hired to take care of a second-rate ex-actress Evie (Julie Walters). Evie is very free-spirited, and after the initial shock (and a life-altering road trip), Ben starts questioning his values, upbringing and desires, much to the dislike of his controlling mother (Laura Liney). The themes and the plot are masterfully thought-out, and although this movie could easily be tagged as "coming-of-age" or "disrespectful-of-Christianity ", it never really falls into cliches of these categories. The very subtle execution and fantastic performances promise to make it watchable and easy to relate to. Grint is amazing as Ben, boldly venturing into much more mature material than his previous efforts, and Julie Walters is hilarious as Ben's confidante and roll model. Although there are plenty of laughs, the movie is essen ... " [More]

Sleuth

A delightfully twisted, if unev ...
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Two terrific actors try to out-smart each other in "Sleuth", a re-make of a 70's movie starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. This version also features Caine, but now he plays the "other" role, with Jude Law filling his shoes quite successfully. Andrew Wyke (Caine) is a wealthy novelist living in a high-tech mansion, and he doesn't seem to mind horribly that his wife is cheating on him with Milo Tindle (Law). Milo comes to the mansion in order to discuss this arrangement, and also to persuade Andrew to sign the divorce papers. However, their very polite and sophisticated argument slowly evolves into something much more dangerous. It is in a movie like this, that it is evident what terrific actors Caine and Law are. They are able to be interesting and versatile, so that when the score of their cat-and-mouse game turns, you actually believe it is the other man who suffers. His Royal Majesty, Kenneth Branagh, directs the movie with a firm hand, and it is very cathartic to watch ... " [More]

The Virgin Suicides

Almost unwatchable.
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Having seen "Marie Antoinette" and the first half of "Lost In Translation" (I wasn't able to get through the entire thing), I admit I am no fan of Sofia Coppola. I believe she is an over-rated director whose films are looked upon as deep and meaningful, while they are in fact quite shallow and pointless. Such was the case with "The Virgin Suicides". The film revolves around four (or was it five?) good-looking sisters, who live in a very religious household and see suicide as their only escape from the shelter they've been put into. The story is told through the eyes of the neighborhood boys, who lust after these girls, but feel as if they don't know anything about these mysterious creatures. The problem is, neither do we. The fact that I can't even remember how many of the sisters there were tells something - except for Lux, played by Kirsten Dunst, these girls are just there to fill the frame, and they have no characteristics or background stories. The first half hour of the film ... " [More]

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

A treat for Burton fans!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Being a huge fan of musical theatre, and not so much of a fan of Tim Burton, I was very interested in Sweeney Todd. It looked like something that would be original, interesting and groundbreaking, and for the most part, it is. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a story of Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp), who is living a happy life with his beautiful wife and baby daughter until a corrupt London aristocrat Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) sets an eye on her. The outcome is tragic, resulting in Barker being in exile for many years, and fueled with angst once he is back in London. He there encounters Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who makes the worst pies in London, with whom he starts on a terrifying journey of revenge, under a new name - Sweeney Todd. The plot, atmosphere and the very dark humor of this musical is well-suited for a director like Tim Burton. Although I disagree about him being a great visionary, mostly because all his films are set in the same dark, gl ... " [More]

Atonement

Epic!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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""Atonement" is an epic, wildly romantic period drama. It is a project with fantastic actors, a great screenplay, an innovative director and pitch-perfect photography. The story starts in an English country house one hot summer. Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), an imaginative 12 year-old is busy finishing her first play and trying desperately to get someone to act it out or even listen to her. Her older sister Cecilia is walking through the house not noticing anyone, especially not Briony, busy thinking about the housekeeper's son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), who is obviously in love with her. A series of unfortunate events leads Briony to jealously tell a lie - a lie that will bring utter unhappiness to all three characters. Once separated, we follow these three through World War II, and watch as the story unfolds into unexpected directions. There is no real star of "Atonement" - everyone, absolutely everyone involved in the project is pitch-perfect. Be it young Briony, played with ... " [More]

Pride & Prejudice

A cinematic tour-de-force!
By rebelprince89 in rebelprince89 Blog
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"Being a huge fan of period dramas, literary adaptations and Keira Knightley, I was delighted by the latest adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It is everything a movie should be, and then some. Great storytelling, an amazing soundtrack, an innovative director and a splendid soundtrack, it is definitely a movie you should own. It tells a classic story of Elizabeth Bennet, a smart, boyish heroine who meets the handsome Mr. Darcy, and judging solely on first impressions, believes he is "the last man on Earth she could ever possibly be prevailed upon to marry". Of course, it wouldn't be a Jane Austen adaptation if it wasn't for numerous plot twists, complicated character connections and humorous plays on words. Keira Knightley is perfect as Elizabeth, the role which not only propelled her to stardom, but also earned her an Oscar nomination in 2005. She is everything a classic heroine should be - sensual, expressive and beautiful, maybe even a little more than she should ha ... " [More]