Brook K
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
- Messages
- 9,467
Dave Chapelle's Block Party (2005, Michel Gondry)
Fun concert film with healthy doses of Chapelle's brand of comedy. While some of the supporting material is inexplicably repeated (like the double dose of the crazy old people in the crazy house), the music and performers are almost uniformly excellent. While the concert could have been filmed and edited better, Chapelle brings the funny and the Fugees bring the electricity that caps this enjoyable event. - B
The Illusionist (2006, Neil Burger)
Completely conventional Hollywood film, for better and worse. The technical aspects are well-executed, particularly the lighting, and it has a solid cast including Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti. Yet, I was slightly bored through the whole thing. The story may be different, but the by-the-numbers manner in which the plot unfolds is something we've seen a zillion times. I'll stick with the rating in my sig, even though 4 months removed from seeing the film, I barely remember a thing about it. - B-
The Black Dahlia (2006, Brian DePalma)
Not DePalma at the top of his game as in the Hitchcock films or even Femme Fatale, but close. His precision camera movements are still as good as one can find in Hollywood right now. The actors are of higher quality than he has worked with in many of his films. While the script and plot execution are certainly not without flaws, The Black Dahlia is a successful film because, unlike so many of its modern "neo-noir" brethern, Depalma captures the feeling of seediness and especially shame present in many of the classic noir films. - B+
Fun concert film with healthy doses of Chapelle's brand of comedy. While some of the supporting material is inexplicably repeated (like the double dose of the crazy old people in the crazy house), the music and performers are almost uniformly excellent. While the concert could have been filmed and edited better, Chapelle brings the funny and the Fugees bring the electricity that caps this enjoyable event. - B
The Illusionist (2006, Neil Burger)
Completely conventional Hollywood film, for better and worse. The technical aspects are well-executed, particularly the lighting, and it has a solid cast including Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti. Yet, I was slightly bored through the whole thing. The story may be different, but the by-the-numbers manner in which the plot unfolds is something we've seen a zillion times. I'll stick with the rating in my sig, even though 4 months removed from seeing the film, I barely remember a thing about it. - B-
The Black Dahlia (2006, Brian DePalma)
Not DePalma at the top of his game as in the Hitchcock films or even Femme Fatale, but close. His precision camera movements are still as good as one can find in Hollywood right now. The actors are of higher quality than he has worked with in many of his films. While the script and plot execution are certainly not without flaws, The Black Dahlia is a successful film because, unlike so many of its modern "neo-noir" brethern, Depalma captures the feeling of seediness and especially shame present in many of the classic noir films. - B+