Elite Squad (Day 94)
My Opinion: 6.7 || Gritty crime drama that’s more realistic than revealing. The film strives to deliver real meaning and has the right ingredients, but the crowded, overbearing production never gives the story room to breathe.
Tag Archive: crime
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Rusty Knife (Day 39)
My Opinion: 4.2 || And I chose this because? I can’t remember. It kicks off well, but the story becomes increasingly hokey and reliant on cantilevered coincidences. By the last third, it’s very difficult… Continue reading
Run Lola Run (Day 37)
My Opinion: 6.5 || A fun, quick adrenaline-rush of a movie. There’s nothing brilliant about the folding-back-on-itself storyline, but the uninhibited energy and brazen strangeness is delightful. On the downside, though, it’s a little… Continue reading
Yojimbo (Day 33)
My Opinion: 6.3 || A Japanese “western” directed with all the skill you’d expect from Kurosawa. Toshirô Mifune carries the movie as the samurai Sanjuro, and he needs to because several of the other… Continue reading
Mother (Day 30)
My Opinion: 5.6 || Do the strengths outweigh the flaws? I can’t decide. It’s slow to develop, many of the characters lack real depth, and the director sometimes seems more intent on tormenting his… Continue reading
The Sicilian Girl (Day 22)
My Opinion: 6.1 || A good story that’s solidly told. Nothing extraordinary from a filmmaking standpoint, but the movie is entertaining and effective. Although the director does nothing to defy filmmaking convention, he also… Continue reading
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (Day 14)
My Opinion: 3.6 || Really un-good. The martial arts are well choreographed, and Tony Jaa is a joy to watch when he’s in motion. And putting him in motion is pretty much the only… Continue reading
Grave of Fireflies (Day 12)
MY OPINION: 7.3 || Not sure I’ve ever seen a sadder film. Sad, not depressing — big difference — because the story is so profoundly tender. This is delicate aesthetic ground to tread, with… Continue reading
Nine Queens (Day 10)
My Opinion: 6.4 || An entertaining, intellectually engaging movie about con men who are as busy trying to swindle each other as their mark. All the pleasures of a good fast-talking, fast-moving crime movie… Continue reading
Rififi (Day 4)
My Opinion: 5.3 || I’m a sucker for heist movies. One of the few (maybe only) genres where I can be satisfied with mediocre. And Rififi is not mediocre. In fact, the heist… Continue reading
