The Green Mile (1999)
A prison guard (Tom Hanks) remembers his experiences with the death row inmates and a particular one (Michael Clarke Duncan) with special powers.
As surprising as it is to say, I like this film more than Frank Darabont’s other well-known film: none other than “The Shawshank Redemption.” Though the film is very long, I feel like it helps by giving more time to develop the characters. The story has a wider array of emotions, and a particularly interesting drama, with some mystery elements. The performances are strong, even from the minor characters, and the screenplay is one of the best I have read. I would say that’s it’s definitely worth the time, and it does belong on a list of great films.
9/10
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
A greeting card writer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with a new co-worker (Zooey Deschanel) but is confused about where their relationship is going.
So this is probably one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen, though it’s not as happy as would be expected. It’s actually pretty depressing. When I first watched it, I thought Summer was in the wrong, but it took me multiple viewings to realize that they were both pretty shitty at times. The writing is absolutely brilliant, especially how it tells the story in a non-linear format. JGL and Zooey are at their finest, and quirkiest. It’s a really fun watch, though it may prove to be a downer, depending on your current relationship situation. Luckily I never have to worry about that.
9/10
Sin City (2005)
Three separate stories set in the same city follow a cop (Bruce Willis), a killer (Mickey Rourke), and a group of prostitutes.
Based on several graphic novels, the film retains the overall feeling of a comic book. The backgrounds are very obvious green screen, and the film is almost exclusively in black and white. These things actually help make it feel like a comic, and the color gives it the neo-noir feeling, though there are a lot more things than just that that put it into the genre. The lack of realism really lets the film do whatever it wants, making the action over-the-top and the stories wild and cry. Most characters beside a select few don’t have much development, but the film is worth viewing for the visual style alone.
8/10
Outrage (2011)
A yakuza member (Takeshi Kitano) deals with two rival gangs who have now become allies and started a war with another gang.
While I was impressed with Kitano’s ability to write, direct, star in, and even edit the film, I have to say I wasn’t overly fond of the outcome. Where it didn’t impress me was the overall story, which felt like a generic yakuza film to the fullest extent. There were some interesting scenes, and some cringe-worthy violence, it felt like I sat through the whole thing waiting for the movie to actually start. The different mob bosses and their minions were hard to keep track of even from the beginning, and not because they look the same. All I really knew was that by the end there were only a few left alive. From what I’ve seen in the yakuza genre, there could have been a lot more done with this film.
5/10
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