Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Last House on the Left, Nim’s Island
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
I found this movie to be very strange because even though I didn’t completely like it, I have to admit that it’s well-made and daring. The reason why I didn’t buy the whole package is that there’s no reason for the film to run for two hours and thirty minutes. It took too much of its time setting everything up, to the point where I scratched my head and wondered where the story was going (or if it was planning on going anywhere at all). But once it gained its footing about an hour and fifteen minutes into the picture, it was very engaging because it was able to touch the macabre. A lot of the scenes are darkly amusing despite the murders perfomed by Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, brilliantly acted by Ben Wishaw. I’ve been curious about his acting abilities ever since I saw “I’m Not There” so it was nice to see him in this film as the lead and prove himself. The supporting actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman are great here because their characters are memorable and crucial to the picture. I feel like the two of them made the picture that much more serious and important. I also thought the idea of making a movie about the sense of smell is original; not to mention it has one of the most mysterious endings I’ve seen in a while. So, I must give kudos to the director, Tom Tykwer, who also directed some of the films I loved (“Paris, je t’aime” and “Run, Lola, Run”). However, I must say that some people oversell this flick. It’s a good movie but nothing extraordinary.
Last House on the Left (1972)
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
Even though this was released in 1972, it’s still really disturbing compared today’s standards (or lack thereof some might argue). This is Wes Craven’s first film and though it may seem really dated, it shows a lot of promise when it comes to its story. It’s a horror film and a revenge movie wrapped in one. There are three factors that holds this movie back: the comical scenes regarding the police, its low level of cinematography due to its low budget, and the amateur acting. The script is fine because I thought some of the dialogue was interesting to listen to; the direction and pacing are not that bad. I’ve had my share of violent pictures but when this movie’s teeth started to show, I couldn’t help but wince. After watching this film, it became apparent to me why this became a template for the slasher flicks that invaded the 1980′s. I’ve heard that this movie is going to have a remake and I can imagine that the upgrade will be just as violent or even more so. Hopefully, the remake will improve upon the flaws that this film had because despite its violence, its impact on the horror genre is undeniable.
Nim’s Island
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
I always like children’s movies because I’m a kid at heart but this one is one of those few exceptions. There’s not much story that can be found here unless one would like to see fake animals helping out the characters. Even though I did enjoy watching Jodie Foster as an agoraphobic writer (her trip to the island was pretty funny), I feel like she could’ve been on a different (and better) movie than waste her talents here. I didn’t care much for Gerard Butler because I’m not a fan, but I didn’t care for his character either. On the other hand, I thought Abigail Breslin is pretty good and I like her in pretty much every movie she’s in. It’s hard for me to give this movie a bad rating because everything seems to be trying too hard. I agree that they have something here, but only a quarter of it worked. Maybe with a little more focused writing to improve the story and completely remove those distracting fake animals, this movie could’ve been something else entirely. This is more a children’s movie than a family movie because the film pretty much doesn’t offer anything to the adults. Overall, it’s a good movie if you’re babysitting and you want the kids to be quiet in front of the television as you prepare their dinner. Otherwise, it’s nothing terribly special.
