jaws-13
Lifetime Total
1+
Reviews
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Not overly impressed on the whole...
A number of reviewers and people I have spoken to have described this film as the greatest war film ever. It is far from this. Whilst I will concede that this film contains some of the most brutal and compelling war scenes I have witnessed in any film it is underpinned by a weak storyline and laughable script.
Spielberg's camera direction is stunning and once again proves that he is a master of white-knuckle, tense action sequences but as is all too often the case with his flawed genius he feels the need to drown us in corny, unbelievable sentiment.
The sheer, graphic horror of warfare is captured with thrilling camera work and editing and seemed to send many stomachs churning amongst fellow cinema goers. However inbetween the brutal and gory warfare we were expected to swallow sentiment of a level that upset my stomach far more.
The scene where Hanks 'opens up' to the troops had me retching uncontrollably.
Worse still was the nationalistic theme of the film. Spielberg had his "Isn't the USA great" hat on and he was wearing it proud.
In summary this film though touched by genius was too long, too sickly-sentimental, too USA glorifying and on the whole too poorly written to ever be a film worthy of the superlatives that so many have bestowed upon it.
Worth a look though.
Spielberg's camera direction is stunning and once again proves that he is a master of white-knuckle, tense action sequences but as is all too often the case with his flawed genius he feels the need to drown us in corny, unbelievable sentiment.
The sheer, graphic horror of warfare is captured with thrilling camera work and editing and seemed to send many stomachs churning amongst fellow cinema goers. However inbetween the brutal and gory warfare we were expected to swallow sentiment of a level that upset my stomach far more.
The scene where Hanks 'opens up' to the troops had me retching uncontrollably.
Worse still was the nationalistic theme of the film. Spielberg had his "Isn't the USA great" hat on and he was wearing it proud.
In summary this film though touched by genius was too long, too sickly-sentimental, too USA glorifying and on the whole too poorly written to ever be a film worthy of the superlatives that so many have bestowed upon it.
Worth a look though.
Field of Dreams (1989)
"...and the memories will be so thick they will have to brush them away from their faces."
It's American. It's corny (pun intended, I'm sorry). When I stop and think about it, it's laughable but the immutable truth is that this is naively beautiful on almost every frontier. I have watched this film so many times and though inside I know the ladled sentiment should be cringeworthy-especially for a cynic such as I...it somehow never fails to utterly absorb me.
Horner's musical score is haunting and mesmerising and adds so strongly to the whole ethereal feeling that this film exudes.
The acting is extraordinary in that they pull off corny lines without provoking me to laughter or cringing, with the possible exception of James Earl Jones speech "...the one constant is baseball...".
I even have to admit that Kostner is good (painful though it is).
You may not like or understand baseball...it doesn't matter. This is not a film about baseball. Its about relationships (particularly about father son relationships) and it tugs on every heart string.
There was a review of this film which first intrigued me enough to watch it several years ago. I cannot remember who said it but if memory serves me well his summation of Field of Dreams was this...
"Could you ever really love someone who didn't cry at this film, even just a little?"
Nuff said.
Horner's musical score is haunting and mesmerising and adds so strongly to the whole ethereal feeling that this film exudes.
The acting is extraordinary in that they pull off corny lines without provoking me to laughter or cringing, with the possible exception of James Earl Jones speech "...the one constant is baseball...".
I even have to admit that Kostner is good (painful though it is).
You may not like or understand baseball...it doesn't matter. This is not a film about baseball. Its about relationships (particularly about father son relationships) and it tugs on every heart string.
There was a review of this film which first intrigued me enough to watch it several years ago. I cannot remember who said it but if memory serves me well his summation of Field of Dreams was this...
"Could you ever really love someone who didn't cry at this film, even just a little?"
Nuff said.