Pi, Moulin Rouge!, Eraser
Pi
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
The movie started off pretty strong but as the character’s madness started to set in, the movie got more random with each passing minute. I did like hearing about the math because most of the explanations about patterns did make sense, but when they tried to fuse the topic with religion, I just didn’t buy it because it’s too implausible (I actually caught my eyes rolling a couple of times). I feel like the director was trying too hard to fit everything together, but instead it all falls flat. The black and white, grainy look didn’t bother me at all. In fact, that’s what I like most about it because it’s stylish in its own way. It might, however, repel most casual viewers because there’s nothing much to look at. To me, the movie isn’t about the images anyway. It’s more about the idea and how the filmmakers play with that idea. Ultimately, the look of it elevated the creepiness factor. Thankfully, this movie is only about eighty-five minutes long because the ending was too random, if not a bit unforgivable. If this film had retained its focus, it would have been a good picture.
Moulin Rouge!
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
I thought this film was way overrated when it came out because everyone I knew seemed to have loved it. After five years, I rewatched it again and I still think it’s overrated although not as much as before. Sure, I commend this picture for having a great cinematography and wonderful clothing, but story-wise, it’s nothing ground-breaking. It’s pretty much your boy-falls-in-love-with-girl-but-they-can’t-be-together-because-another-boy-is-interested-in-the-girl story but set in a musical. But what makes this film above average is Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Nicole Kidman is elegant in every scene she’s in without sacrificing her signature ice queen personality. Ewan McGregor has this boyish charm that one cannot help but love. When you put them together in one scene, they summon a little bit of Leonardi DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in “Titanic.” I also really liked the way they fused songs from pop culture to its original material… and then having to fuse those into the storyline. Surprisingly, all of it worked for me. The weakness of this film is the beginning: there were too many cuts from one character to another to the point where it made me dizzy and want to look away from the screen. Otherwise, when it finally found its footing twenty minutes into the picture, it was pretty good… but it couldn’t quite attain greatness.
Eraser
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
I was expecting for this to be another typical action film but I was proven wrong. Instead of taking itself too seriously, this is actually quite funny due to its campy one-liners and colorful characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger is really likeable in this film because he is able to provide comfort for the characters who need protecting, but at the same time killing those who want to harm them. Vanessa Williams is a good leading lady for this role because she’s actually given things to do and she’s able to work with her plucky persona. James Caan is an effective villain because he actually goes wherever Schwarzenegger goes and tries to kill the protagonist whenever he could instead of waiting in a room for the final battle. Also, I thought this film was creative because it was able to feature incredible weapons, it’s not afraid to add animals into the action, and it has decent twists. Several highlights of the film include the plane showdown and the zoo. Also, the winks to the “Terminator” franchise somehow felt right. This movie surpassed my expectations and was able to surprise me in many ways.
