Movie review

  • 2006-01-04
Corpse Bride
The Constant Gardner
Lord of War

Corpse Bride
Stop-motion is an amazing craft, and when it's done as expertly as in "Corpse Bride," it's a real thrill. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was groundbreaking in a way that this movie isn't 's but that doesn't mean that "Corpse Bride" isn't breathtaking. Tim Burton and his crew have let their imagination run riot in creating this dark and uncanny, funny and whimsical world with a surprisingly sweet atmosphere. As dazzling as the visuals are, the story seems a little thin in comparison. Taking more advantage of the complex psychological layers of the narrative would have been a plus. Also, the songs aren't as good as the brilliant show stoppers of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" 's in fact, the movie could have done without them. However, this beautiful, Burton-esque world is all together no less than enchanting.
1/2 ( Julie Vinten )

Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is a shy, sensitive and clumsy young man whose nouveau riche parents desperately try to marry him off to chaste Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson). Her aristocratic but penniless parents only go along with the idea to get in on the Van Dort fortune. When Victor messes up the wedding rehearsal he runs off to the woods and inadvertently marries the corpse bride (Helena Bonham Carter) by planting a wedding ring on a crooked old branch sticking out of the ground. "Corpse Bride" is Tim Burton at his brilliant best: the animation is a joy to behold and the story is a cobwebbed gem. The maggot who lives in the corpse bride's vacant skull and tries to pass himself off as her conscience is just one of many delightful touches.
( Tim Ochser )

The Constant Gardner
"The Constant Gardener" is an intelligent and challenging drama with a hauntingly gritty story. The cast is great, and Ralph Fiennes gives yet another wonderful performance. The movie seeks to be a political statement 's a thriller and a love story all at once 's but doesn't entirely succeed in all areas. The theme of corporate greed and exploitation of the tremendously poor is delivered with precision and power. As a thriller, however, the movie could have done better. It's somewhat unfortunate that so much time is spent on a conspiracy-story, which is actually quite predictable. This time could have been used more fruitfully digging deeper into the intriguing and complicated characters and their relationships. "The Constant Gardener" is a flawed movie, but it's also entertaining and definitely thought-provoking.
( Julie Vinten )

When Tessa (Rachel Weisz) harasses minor diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) during a lecture in London about British foreign policy, they end up going back to her flat and making love. When he gets a posting in Kenya, she begs if she can come along. There she immerses herself in political activism, much to the annoyance of Justin's bosses. Tessa uncovers some shocking secrets about a giant pharmaceutical company performing tests for a new TB drug on the local populace but soon after she is found murdered, leaving Justin to pick up the fragmented narrative pieces. "The Constant Gardner" is a superb little film, even if it does have some serious flaws. Ralph Fiennes gives an outstanding performance as the gentle plant-loving diplomat who still believes in the useless idea of diplomacy.
1/2 ( Tim Ochser )

Lord of War
It says everything about a movie when it needs a voiceover to tell you what the acting, visuals and dialogue cannot. "Lord of War" is an unsophisticated attempt at political satire, which is too preachy and sentimental for the satire to actually work. The characters are incredibly badly drawn. Their actions don't seem to be guided by the nature of the characters - they mostly come out of the blue without reason or motive. The theme of global arms dealing could possibly have stirred a debate if this hadn't been such a weak and superficial movie, which never makes us want to get emotionally involved. "Lord of War" works quite well as a Hollywood entertainment-flick, but that is all this movie amounts to, even if it wishes to be more.
( Julie Vinten )

This intriguing and thoroughly depressing film is the apparently true story of a Ukrainian immigrant to the U.S. who became a huge arms dealer. Yuri Orlov (Nicholas Cage) is fed up with his impoverished life in New York and wants nothing to do with his parents' failing restaurant business. After witnessing a Russian mafia hit one day, he decides to go into the gun-running business. Orlov uses every political situation to his advantage, from the collapse of the Soviet Union to countless wars in Africa and the Middle East. Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) is the Interpol agent obsessively pursuing him. "Lord of War" is hardly a great film, but it glibly tries to tackle one of the ugliest subjects there is by showing that arms dealers are political pawns in the extreme.
( Tim Ochser )
 

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