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Posts Tagged ‘Christoph Waltz’

Water for Elephants (2011)

, I’ll try to tell you a bit of what I thought about “Water for Elephants”, without spoiling anything. I have not read the novel (even though I plan to do it now) so I’m only offering my views on the movie.

First of all: It’s amazingly beautiful. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, the cinematography is exquisite, the animals are cute (especially Rosie the elephant) and the three leads are very easy on the eyes as well.

Robert Pattinson was actually quite good. This was a surprise to me, since I didn’t really think he was anything special in any of the Twilight movies or “Remember Me”. He looked very appropriate for the time the movie was set in, and even though I love Emile Hirsch (who auditioned for Jacob too) I’m confident that Robert was the best choice there was for this role, it was perfect for him. Hal Holbrook was also very fitting for the role of older Jacob. The two actors really made me believe that they were the same person in different stages of his life.

Reese Witherspoon was okay. She looked beautiful, was charming and cute but it felt like something was missing – however, I can’t think of any other actress I would have liked better in the role, so I came to the conclusion that it was probably the character Marlena that was a little bland, not Reese.

But the true star of this movie was Christoph Waltz. I may be a bit biased since I loved him in “Inglorious Basterds”, but he was even more perfect in this movie. His portrayal of August was amazing, he made him likable and interesting and I was always compelled by his scenes. The character reminded me a lot of Miles in “King Kong” (played by Jack Black), a character that also wanted fame and success more than anything and used questionable and even cruel methods to get it. He was terrifying in some scenes too, but always believable. Also, in the beginning of the movie i really felt the chemistry between August and Marlena, which made the character even more interesting; however, I did feel like Jacob and Marlena had chemistry too, and in my opinion this way it was more realistic (both men loved her and she also cared about both of them).

I loved the movie, and I really recommend it to everyone. I would sincerely give it 10/10 stars. Of course there was some parts of the movie I didn’t like (particularly towards the end of it), but overall it was a magical, spectacular and epic period movie, and I can’t wait to see it again!

robert durst

The Green Hornet (2011)

When I heard that Seth Rogan was going to play the Green Hornet, I had my doubts. He often portrays the same character, the loser/stoner/nice guy. I used to like the comic book and TV series, and I probably watched it because my dad played the trumpet, and he liked to play the “Flight Of The Bumble Bee” theme song, trying to emulate Al Hirt. “Not now Kato” was one of my early quotable phrases. “Green Hornet” was less popular than “Superman” and “Batman”, but had the better sidekick with Bruce Lee’s portrayal of Kato.

And with the spate of movies that have been based on comic books, the expectations were high. So many blockbusters have been superhero-based and I was wondering if this movie was made only because it was one of the few left that hadn’t already been made into a movie and the producers were hoping to jump on the bandwagon. So with that, I eagerly anticipated seeing this movie.

The movie opens with a gripping and yet goofy storyline. Christoph Waltz plays the criminal mastermind Chudnofsky, a man obsessed with being scary, and quickly establishes himself as the evil villain. Amid the violence is dialog that makes you laugh aloud. It won’t be the last time.

Rogan plays Britt Reid, the overindulged party animal son of a wealthy newspaper owner. He and his father have had a tough relationship, with Reid never living up to his father’s impossibly high standards. After his father dies, he discovers Kato (Jay Chou), who, while devoted to the elder Reid also was treated poorly. As Britt discovers that Kato is a genius with cars and gadgets, they unwittingly become a pair of crime fighters. It’s a nice back story that sets the stage well for the sometimes rivaled relationship. They also compete for the attention of the secretary Lenore (Cameron Diaz), a role that is way underdeveloped. I’m not sure about this choice for the role, and even though I enjoy Diaz, it probably was time for a younger and fresher face to have been cast.

Unlike the earlier incarnations, D.A. Scanlon (David Harbour) and the Green Hornet are not close allies. As the story unfolds, we get to see some of those great cars and gadgets. But it is the fight sequences that really sizzle. I saw the 2D version of this movie, and when it is released it will be a 3D version, and the fight sequences will no doubt benefit by being viewed in 3D, but even in 2D, they were awesome. The car chases and some other scenes will also likely be fun to watch in 3D, but I’m not sure that this movie really needed the extra special effects in order to become a classic.

Throughout the movie, I was surprised by how often there were laugh-out-loud moments, as well as some great one-liners, usually by Rogan. Of course, there is the climactic chase scene and shoot out, with some new and interesting ways in order to make it fresh. You won’t be saying “I’ve seen THAT before” – believe me. The only problem I had was that the premise for the final car chase is a bit flimsy, and breaks the movie magic for me. ***Spoiler Alert*** I mean really, a hidden tape recorder that records on a flash drive, but you have to go back to the office to upload it? Wouldn’t you build mobile communications into the car if you took the time to install a fax machine?

But I’m willing to suspend reality and forgive breaks from older story lines when it comes to the movies, and just let myself get wrapped up in the spectacle unfolding on the screen. “Green Hornet” is funny, action-packed, well-acted and gadget-filled to make this one of my favorite superhero movies. I’ll probably see it again in 3D just for fun. Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual references. Keep the 10 and under kids home. Opens Jan 14, 2011. 9 out of 5.

Review by notsale_ru from Detroit MI (IMDB)

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