Heat, Jaws, Breakfast on Pluto
Heat
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
It’s so exciting to watch Al Pacino and Robert De Niro being in the same movie let alone the same scenes. Even though this film is almost three hours long, there are more moments of brilliance that made me not want to blink in fear of missing a crucial piece of information. There are three stand out scenes in this picture: Pacino and De Niro’s diner scene, the bank robbery showdown, and the silent but epic final duel between the two leads. Those scenes made my heart beat so fast, I thought I was watching “The Departed” for the first time. I also admired the cinematography: the use of color and images to convey or highlight the unsaid is spot-on. The use of the film’s score is never distracting because it is used at the right time. Michael Mann’s direction is impressive in every level because he keeps us guessing by telling a familiar story in a different approach. The supporting actors such as Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Amy Brenneman are very strong and crucial to the bigger picture. But the downside that I can’t ignore is the fact that there were more than ten scenes that I thought could’ve been edited out. This could’ve been a two-hour film and still be a great movie. If it didn’t take too much of its time setting things up, I think this movie could’ve been leaner, meaner, and more exciting. Still, it is a very good movie and definitely one of the best directed crime-thrillers I’ve seen.
Jaws
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
This is one of the finest examples of suspense and horror. From the very first scene to the very last, there’s a certain menace that’s present so the audiences never really let their guards down. The idea of sharks eating people whenever they go in the water is such a simple idea but Steven Spielberg’s execution made it unimaginably terrifying. When the film is not scaring the audiences, it’s making them laugh by using the characters’ dialogue, but those hints of sunshine don’t last long because the danger is never dispelled until the very end. Spielberg’s technique of not actually showing the shark until the first hour is brilliant because he keeps us guessing on how big the fish actually is. When we finally get to see what’s eating the people, it’s that much more exciting. The second part of the movie is nothing but relentless scares: what the audiences see (when the shark attacks) and what they don’t see (the characters’ stories right after they talk about their scars). I was surprised by how much this movie affected me because it was made in 1975; most horror films are dated but this one of the few that is timeless. It relies on genuine scares and situations that can actually happen so the film becomes universal. Lastly, I must commend John Williams for the score. The already scary scenes are elevated to the next level because of the music. This is not a typical summer blockbuster film because it doesn’t rely on visual effects; it is character-driven, extremely suspenseful, occassionally funny, and the timing when it comes to horror is impeccable.
Breakfast on Pluto
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
Cillian Murphy is a chameleon. Instead of playing a man on the run from zombies (“28 Days Later”), a psychiatrist who wants to drive Gotham City into madness (“Batman Begins, “The Dark Knight”), an assassin who terrorizes Rachel McAdams (“Red Eye”), and one of the chosen few whose goal is to ignite the sun (“Sunshine”), this time around he plays a sympathetic transvestite whose mission is to find his mother in London. Even though the approach of the film is slanted toward the comedic side, there’s a certain sadness and tragedy that lingers throughout the picture. The only main flaw that I could point out is the middle portion is a bit saggy. The little adventures that Murphy’s character (Patrick “Kitten” Braden) went through are interesting but some of them didn’t add up to anything in the end (Maybe that’s the point regarding how life really is sometimes?). The film regains its focus when the idea of family is again introduced during the last thirty minutes. It’s heartbreaking, touching and hopeful at the same time. I also liked the fact that we got to know the friends of Braden. Even though Braden travels to all these places, the audiences get this feeling that his friends have always got his back. Overall, this is a solid film that could’ve been extremely sentimental and cliched but ultimately did not because the writing is smart and the direction is focused.
I love Breakfast on Pluto so much…too bad you only give it 3 stars :(
3 stars means I liked it. :)
I know :) that’s how I rate my movie too…It’s one all time fav movies
I really wanna wacth peacock…such a great actor but less well-known than other not-so-great actors :(
ups…I mean it’s one of my all time fav movies