dogfreak13
Lifetime Total
5+
Lifetime Filmo
5+
IMDb Member
20 years
Reviews
The Profit (2001)
More's the Pity About the Lawsuit, Good Movie
This film could have been a triumph of art and satire. As it stands, it's definitely worth seeing (if you can get your hands on it).
Filming was shut down by Scientologist protesters a week before shooting was scheduled to end and the film has been tied up in litigation in the US ever since. The pity of the situation is that the A-list crewmembers couldn't cross the protest line because it was made up of striking union members. This meant that the production values dropped considerably and in the shots that made it into the film from that period of shooting it is obvious that it is not the same crew.
However, the movie is still a fun journey through one man's life of deceit. The acting is commendable but the standout aspect is definitely the cinematography. It's shot like a comic book, using colors to parallel the characters' journeys and accentuate the contrasts between the on-screen personalities. I could almost watch the movie with the sound off just enjoy the overall look. I strongly encourage anybody who enjoys visual style to see this film. It's also nice that this film isn't liked by scientologists and by seeing it one can thumb one's nose at their attempts to shut down free speech. :)
Filming was shut down by Scientologist protesters a week before shooting was scheduled to end and the film has been tied up in litigation in the US ever since. The pity of the situation is that the A-list crewmembers couldn't cross the protest line because it was made up of striking union members. This meant that the production values dropped considerably and in the shots that made it into the film from that period of shooting it is obvious that it is not the same crew.
However, the movie is still a fun journey through one man's life of deceit. The acting is commendable but the standout aspect is definitely the cinematography. It's shot like a comic book, using colors to parallel the characters' journeys and accentuate the contrasts between the on-screen personalities. I could almost watch the movie with the sound off just enjoy the overall look. I strongly encourage anybody who enjoys visual style to see this film. It's also nice that this film isn't liked by scientologists and by seeing it one can thumb one's nose at their attempts to shut down free speech. :)
Focus (2001)
Answering Questions.. among other things
The camera used on this film was a 35mm MovieCam Compact. The transfer to DVD was probably not so hot and that's what you're seeing. Speaking as someone who saw it for the first time in an actual theatre, the picture quality on the print is amazing.
Anyway, I liked this movie a great deal. It didn't seem as stereotypical as it could have been and I actually cared when negative things began to happen to the characters. I didn't like the acting of the photographer, but the child actor saved the interactions from being somewhat trite situations. I loved the cinematography. The use of color, light and shadows was amazing. I've watched certain scenes over and over again just to see the red light reflected in puddles in the alley or the graffiti in the LA River scene at the end.
I strongly encourage people to go out and rent this film. It's not a big famous production, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.
On a side note: Lloyd Avery II, who plays "G-Ride" is currently serving hard time for a double homicide.. It's amazing how close this film is to the reality he lives.
Anyway, I liked this movie a great deal. It didn't seem as stereotypical as it could have been and I actually cared when negative things began to happen to the characters. I didn't like the acting of the photographer, but the child actor saved the interactions from being somewhat trite situations. I loved the cinematography. The use of color, light and shadows was amazing. I've watched certain scenes over and over again just to see the red light reflected in puddles in the alley or the graffiti in the LA River scene at the end.
I strongly encourage people to go out and rent this film. It's not a big famous production, but it is thoroughly enjoyable.
On a side note: Lloyd Avery II, who plays "G-Ride" is currently serving hard time for a double homicide.. It's amazing how close this film is to the reality he lives.