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aidanbrack
Member since 7/15/2008, last signed in 11 hours ago.
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Movies
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Kiki's Delivery Service
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The Man Who Knew Too Much
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The Snows of Kilimanjaro
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
By
aidanbrack
in
The Bigger Picture
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"Whilst I like to think myself generally well read, I have to confess to there being some very sizeable gaps in my knowledge of literature. I am in my element talking about Dickens, Austen, Chaucer or Hardy but F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway are a different matter. To my shame I have never got around to familiarising myself with the works of “The Lost Generation” - the works of the great American writers based in Paris in the aftermath of the first world war. The Snows of Kilimanjaro is based on a short story by Hemingway and tells the story of an American writer, who falls into a fever after being wounded and reflects on his failures both at love and in his writing. His neglected wife takes care for him as he slips into delirium, trying to keep him alive long enough for a plane to arrive to rescue them. In doing so she must listen to him talking of lost loves and prevent him from destroying himself or giving in to his sickness. The film opens with writer Harry ... "
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Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (2001)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"As in the original 1968 film, Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes tells the story of an American astronaut in the future who finds himself stranded far in the future on a strange and inhospitable world ruled by apes. Aside from a shared concept however, this ‘reimagining’ is a very different picture from its inspiration. Where the original film attempted to debate philosophical and moral issues and was, at points, a little pompous and melodramatic in tone, Tim Burton’s film is much pacier, more conventional action picture. Gone are the debates and court hearings and in its place is a focus on the politics of the ape society and more running around. The film’s opening is promising as we are introduced to a reckless astronaut, Leo, played by Mark Wahlberg, and see him crash and escape from his burning spacecraft. Emerging into a jungle, he finds himself in the middle of a hunt where humans are the prey, getting captured and sold to an orangutan slave trader. ... "
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Impromptu
Impromptu (1991)
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The Bigger Picture
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"Apparently a musical impromptu should create a facade of perfect spontaneity, intended to hide the careful, almost mathematical constructions that make them work. It should feel almost improvised, as if it is being created at that very moment. The title of this film by James Lapine refers explicitly to composer Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu but could just as well describe the style of the piece. Here we are introduced to a cast of brilliant, extravagant artistic personalities and we watch them interact and attempt to hide their machinations and true purposes from one another. Impromptu tells the story of noted author George Sand (real name Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin) who became noted for taking a man’s name, smoking cigars and dressing in male attire. She shocked the establishment at the time by refusing to dress or act like a conventional woman and lived a scandalous lifestyle, marrying a baron and then leaving him aged 27 to go to Paris where she led a number of high ... "
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Get Shorty
Be Cool (2005)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"John Travolta returns as former loanshark Chili Palmer in Be Cool, a sequel to Get Shorty - a film made a decade earlier. As with that earlier movie, this is an adaptation of a novel by Elmore Leonard but this is much less successful. Time has passed and Chili has grown tired of the movie business and is wanting to work in the music industry. He has discovered a talented young female singer, Linda Moon, who he would like to work with but her contract is owned by a record label boss with a mobster background. The film pits Chili against the label boss (played by Harvey Keitel) and against an array of other gangsters but never really engaged me. It never establishes a clear sense of threat and, more importantly, I do not buy Chili or Uma Thurman’s record producer as being huge music fans. The film certainly serves up plenty of references to musicians but the characters lack the passion of music lovers when talking about the business. The film’s plot is also very slight, p ... "
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No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men (2007)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"No Country for Old Men is set in the Texas of the 1980s - a world that still believes in its cowboy past that is startled by the rise of drugs trafficking across its border. Whilst persuading us that this will be the story of Josh Brolin’s hunter who discovers a drugs deal gone wrong and a suitcase full of cash, this film is equally about the realisation of Tommy Lee Jones’ local sheriff that the world has changed and he no longer has a place in it. These are powerful and lasting themes that stayed with me after the credits rolled, but more immediate is the strength of Javier Bardem’s performance as assassin Anton Chigurh. Cold, dry and terrifying, Bardem is the definition of screen presence here. Just the sight of him sat in a chair can chill, but it is in his relentless movement and relentless pursuit that he comes to life. He seems unstoppable. Chigurh is searching for the suitcase and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake as he tries to track it down, each kill ... "
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Citizen Kane
Lady Frankenstein (1971)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"Mel Welles’ reimagining of the Frankenstein story is a ludicrous and exploitative film that rejects art for lurid sex scenes and unconvincing violence. Whereas Mary Shelley’s novel was a masterpiece of the gothic literary movement, examining the hubris of a scientist who wishes to create life unnaturally, this story pays only lip service to those themes. Sure, the characters have debates about whether they are doing the right thing and the risks inherent in their choices but the film never convinces when talking about morality. Perhaps it’s the score of topless women that somewhat distracts from any pretence at a greater meaning to this tale. Joseph Cotten plays the older Dr Frankenstein, the scientist experimenting with cadavers in the hope of creating new life. After three years of work he finally succeeds in but the brain he uses in his experiment is severely damaged and the creature wakes up a mentally unbalanced monster. Killing his creator, this monster then ... "
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V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (2006)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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"V for Vendetta is that rare thing amongst big budget Hollywood films – a surprise. I came to it expecting a run of the mill action film with a little bit of politics thrown in, but found something more complex and thought-provoking. The film is set in a futuristic Britain under the control of a fascist, manipulative government. The media are puppets of that government, blaming Britain’s problems on homosexuals, immigrants and Muslims and spreading misinformation. The people seem powerless and subdued and isolated from the rest of the world. Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is walking the streets one night when she is attacked by government thugs for being out after curfew. She is saved in true swashbuckling fashion by a masked figure, styling himself after Guy Fawkes (Hugo Weaving) who stuns her and the government by blowing up the Old Bailey whilst he stands on a rooftop “conducting” the explosions. “V” is an interesting figure with mixed motivati ... "
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Pan's Labyrinth
Hellboy (2004)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"With the second Hellboy film currently in theatres it seems appropriate to take a look back at the first of Big Red’s big screen appearances, also directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film opens towards the end of the Second World War on an island off the coast of Scotland. The Nazis are working with Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin to open a transdimensional portal to awaken the Seven Gods of Chaos to destroy their enemies and turn the course of the war which, by this stage, is going badly. A small troop of American soldiers, accompanied by occult specialist Professor Thomas Bruttenholm, are sent to destroy this portal. Rasputin succeeds in opening the portal, but only for a moment, being sucked through the portal when it is destroyed. The crisis has temporarily been averted but whilst the Seven Gods of Chaos did not make it through the portal in time a tiny, bright red demon child did. This child, with a right hand made of stone, is coaxed into Bruttenholm’s arms with a ... "
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Howl's Moving Castle
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"Kiki’s Delivery Service is an adorable, good-natured movie that tells the story of a thirteen year old girl who leaves home for a year to live in the city where she will train to become a witch. When she arrives in the city with her cat Jiji she discovers that the city is less welcoming than she expected and struggles to find somewhere to stay. A chance encounter with the owner of a bakery leads not only to Kiki being offered her spare room but also the discovery that she has a talent for delivering items. Starting her own business, Kiki makes new friends and gets herself into a number of scrapes. These scenes gently amuse, demonstrating Kiki’s sweet personality and determination as she tries to ensure that her customers receive their goods in time. We also see her gain confidence as she begins to feel comfortable in her new home and she finds herself attracting the attention of a young boy obsessed with flying, Tombo. The film’s animation shows the imagination an ... "
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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights (2006)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"Being British I have to admit that NASCAR is not a sport I am particularly familiar with beyond knowing of its existence. If it is televised here I have never watched it and am unlikely to. Racing is just not my thing. Talladega Nights is set in the loud, overblown world of NASCAR Racing but it targets its humour not at the peculiarities of racing but of sports and sports movies imparticular. You need not be a fan of racing to enjoy it, the humour works on its own merits. Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, the sport’s hottest and most obnoxious driver. Racking up win after win, Bobby lives by the creed that “if you’re not first, you’re last” and is enjoying the fruits of his success. Living in a massive and overstated mansion with a supermodel wife, he is your stereotypical nouveau riche sports star. Think David Beckham in a baseball cap. For Ricky Bobby, success is a way of life so when his team’s owner hires a talented, flamboyantly gay French rac ... "
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Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
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aidanbrack
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The Bigger Picture
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"Charlie Wilson’s War tells the story of a Texas congressman and the impact he made on the Cold War and in the politics of Afghanistan. Tom Hanks portrays the Democrat congressman who guided money to Afghanistan that armed the mujahedeen and enabled them to win a war against the might of the Soviet Empire. The movie portrays his actions as decisive in the collapse of the Soviet system at the end of the 1980s and touches upon politicians’ short-sightedness in abandoning Afghanistan at the end of the conflict which allowed the radicals to take charge. Wilson is a six term congressman whose greatest achievement is that he has been re-elected five times. We quickly learn of his chaotic personal life. He is a drinker, spending most of the film with a glass in his hand, and is indiscreet in his sexual and social connections. He is enjoying some indiscreet connections when he spots Dan Rather on the news and hears the newscaster report on the Soviet force’s aggression aga ... "
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The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
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aidanbrack
in
The Bigger Picture
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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"Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day star as Ben and Jo MacKenna, an American couple on vacation traveling in Morocco in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of his own 1934 hit thriller. When a murder takes place in a marketplace the victim whispers a cryptic message to Ben MacKenna. The message he receives makes the family a target for the murderers who attempt to ensure his silence by kidnapping his young son. Unable to trust the authorities to help them and with their boy in jeopardy, the MacKennas try to follow the trail of the kidnappers and rescue him on their own. The opening of the picture, which takes place in Marrakech, is intriguing as we see Ben and Jo out of their depth, both in terms of their understanding of the customs in Morocco and also in dealing with the people they encounter. In one particularly amusing scene, Ben struggles first with the low seating in a restaurant and then with learning how to eat a local delicacy. These early moments amuse and entertain as we take i ... "
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