STAR WARS: EPISODE III 's REVENGE OF THE SITH
A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG
9 SONGS
STAR WARS: EPISODE III 's REVENGE OF THE SITH
Director: George Lucas
Being an enormous fan of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, I could never quite accept the new movies as part of the ongoing epic. Nevertheless, this third installment is the closest we come to a real "Star Wars" movie since "Return of the Jedi." Somehow this final movie of the franchise has the humor and feeling of Episodes IV, V and VI. On top of this, some of the original magic and true force is included in this one, bringing back 1970s "Star Wars" nostalgia. It's nice how dark and character-driven "Revenge of the Sith" turned out in the end, and the CGI-created world looks remarkable. Lucas has a truly extraordinary imagination, but he never had very much feel for storytelling, suspense, flow, acting, dialogue and editing. It's great that he nearly got it right this time.
(Julie Vintent)
The final installment in the "Star Wars" saga has finally arrived. And despite everything, this flick's not as infantile, boring or irrelevant as the last two episodes in this series. Beginning in 1977, George Lucas became a worldwide legend with his innovative and exciting futuristic trilogy. Spanning a period of nearly 30 years, the over-hyped director has made a sizable mountain of cash using computer-generated tricks, colossal gimmicks and mind-numbing action. "Star Wars Episode III 's Revenge of the Sith" tells the intriguing story of how Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) becomes that menacing embodiment of evil, Darth Vader. Unfortunately, the always-sumptuous Natalie Portman is totally wasted in her throwaway role. Beware: if you haven't seen any of the previous five films, you'll be completely lost in this pantheon maze of Lucas icons.
(Laimons Juris G)
A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG
Director: Shainee Gabel
The team of Scarlett Johansson, John Travolta and Gabriel Macht work very well together in this movie. There is a good chemistry between the actors. The movie takes place in New Orleans and deals with how the death of one woman brings together three people that she loved very much and who, each in their own way, loved her. "A Love Song for Bobby Long" is earnest and enjoyable at times. However, the feature is fiercely sentimental and melodramatic and at times struggles with an uninspired narrative. The feelings and actions of the characters aren't entirely believable and it all ends up seeming forced. I would guess that this story and the characters in it would seem a lot more plausible in writing than they do on screen.
(Julie Vintent)
The preview trailer for "A Love Song for Bobby Long" made the film look completely dry, dull and dreary. The film's main protagonists are the most depressing individuals imaginable: two alcoholic ex-university English majors (John Travolta and Gabriel Macht), forever spouting meaningful literature quotes, team up with an 18-year-old budding nymphet (Scarlett Johansson) who really wants to go to college and make something of her life. In the end, a sympathetic Travolta delivers a laid-back performance that delicately skirts the border between genius and madness and, no matter how ridiculous her character's situation becomes, Johansson displays enough skill to keep you sufficiently interested. Come to think of it, seeing this film isn't such a bad way to spend some free time munching popcorn in a darkened movie theater.
(Laimons Juris G)
9 SONGS
Director: Michael Winterbottom
This movie is about a man and a woman having frenzied sex and going to great concerts. But believe me, it sounds a lot better than it is. Michael Winterbottom is a resourceful director who likes to experiment, but this experiment turned out to be a pretentious waste of time. With "9 Songs" Winterbottom wants to bare it all, emotionally and physically, but the whole thing comes across as skin-deep and superficial. While the music is good, the movie is boring and repetitious. The emotional complications of the pair's relationship are somewhat interesting, but they are only dealt with superficially, leaving room for little more than tiresome, explicit sex, and boring dialogue. It's Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll, but without the excitement. "9 Songs" might be daring, it might be unique, but it doesn't work.
(Julie Vintent)
In his desperate search for sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, Brit director Michael Winterbottom really scrapes the bottom of the barrel with this litany of explicit uninspired sex. This cheaply made skin flick features two unattractive, unappealing unknowns fornicating without passion. Their comatose attempts at lovemaking are interspersed with poor-quality footage of various bands (shame on you, Franz Ferdinand) in concert at London's Brixton Academy. Never has sex been depicted as so routine and meaningless. "9 Songs" greatest problem is that absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. Even Hollywood's symbolic ocean waves' crashing against the rocks looks romantically erotic compared to the random acts of lewdness performed here. French director and novelist Virginie Despentes did it a thousand times better with her "Baise-moi" five years ago.
It's a disaster! (Laimons Juris G)
