Review of Schultze Gets the Blues (2003) by Jeff L — 18 Apr 2005

[b]Shultze Gets the Blues[/b] - A slow, quirky, and sad little film about a man's attempts to break free from complacency. While many may see the slow pacing as a negative, I believe that it works, and could only work this way for the ending to deliver the effect that it does. By keeping it slow, we understand Shultze's decisions and feel his consequences. Worth the watch.

[b]The Seventh Seal[/b] - This being the second Bergman film I've seen, I'm going to have to say, I'm not feeling the Ingmar. He has his distinct style, and I respect that, but it seems as if, though he's claimed to be one of the most artistic directors of all time, he doesn't seem to be pushing the envelope as much as he should. But on the film itself, its got some memorable moments and shots with the entire premise which is utter genius. Other than that, this film failed to impress me as Bergman seems to do with so many others.

[b]Bad Education[/b] - The most visually beautiful film of 2004 by leaps and bounds. Almodovar crafts his (claimed) masterpiece with the eye of a rainbow. The clothing is flamboyant, the sets are gorgeous, and the cinematography is stunning. The music is as equally impressive as the visuals, for it gets the audience into every moment and feeling of every character. My one complaint is that the film seems to be building to some great climax, but never develops as much as it builds up to. A stunning achievement.

[b]Final Cut[/b] - What starts out as a cool premise ultimately becomes a mediocre future-thriller. The acting from Williams is delivered wonderfully, but I can't say the same for his cohorts. The cinematography doesn't quite fit the film and the direction seemed to start out passionately, but it divulged into a lets-see-how-far-we-can-go and then ultimately into a lets-get-this-over-with. An overall meh movie.

[b]Battle Royale[/b] ([i]Second Viewing[/i]) - What at first viewing seems like the most explosive film ever made fades drastically upon a second watching. The action, while still exhilerating, fails to shock the viewer as it once did. Then there's the story. There too many plot holes to dismiss and the acting seems far under par (except for Beat, who does excellent). I really wish I had still loved this movie as I once did, but here I am, disappointed again...