The Life of David Gale (2003)

Posted on February 15, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

“The Life of David Gale” is yet another Hollywood film preaching for a cause. I wouldn’t have much of a problem with such a concept if this film orchestrated it the right way without such a ridiculous turn of events in the last segment of the film. “The Life of David Gale” portrays capital punishment abolitionists not only as melodramatic, but as despicable, self-righteous, under-handed, hypocritical, smug, and sleazy. Not only is it an unfair and inaccurate portrayal of people who are anti-capital punishment but it contradicts the theme supposedly revealing that it’s for capitol punishment and supporting people who feel this way when it’s completely contradictory.

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Crush (2001)

Posted on February 5, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

Kate (Andie MacDowell) is a lonely respectable forty year old head mistress at a boarding school who gets together every week with her friends to tell horrible stories about their week and discover who is the saddest. Then Kate meets Jed an ex-pupil whom she begins to have an affair with. Soon the affair begins to turn into a relationship and she is no longer sad. Jed, her romance isn’t charismatic nor is he charming or likeable and is simply a one-dimensional character who we never get to know much of, so we never care when something happens to him.

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The Good Girl (2002)

Posted on January 14, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

I was rather intrigued by watching this movie, because it received a ton of critical acclaim and rave. Jennifer Aniston is the title character in this independent movie and this is possibly her best film out of her entire career. Jennifer manages to stray from her corky persona that made her career into a more complex and interesting individual. Throughout the entire movie, we feel her misery as her go-nowhere life is deteriorating her spirit so rapidly it’s painful. Jennifer is excellent in this movie expressing great sympathy from her audience and giving off much depth. I loved this character out of the entire movie and even in scenes that make her unlikable, you can’t help but feel for her.

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Antwone Fisher (2002)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

Based on the true story of Antwone Fisher who rose to fame as an acclaimed writer from a life of hardship and directed by legendry Oscar-Winning actor Denzel Washington (Training Day, Glory), new comer Derek Luke takes the title role of Antwone Fisher, a young Navy seaman with a short temper who gets into many fights with different men in his regimen. He’s assigned a therapist Dr. Jerome Davenport, a militant but eager psychiatrist who attempts to break through to Fisher. He’s only given three sessions to see the soldiers and give an evaluation and recommendation regarding their fate with the military, but when Fisher refuses to talk, Davenport persists and week after week they meet until Fisher decides to start talking. Little does he know that not only is Fisher receiving the therapy, but Davenport as well who is having marital troubles with his wife whom are often estranged with each other emotionally. Davenport sees something in Fisher, something special, and he inevitably breaks him.

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The Pianist (2002)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

The holocaust was the worst crime against humanity and a race ever committed; the concept as to the extermination of the Jewish race and it’s allies is simply ridiculous and thus a thought is shown in “The Pianist” a film that rivals every one of the greatest Holocaust films ever made, including the best “Schindler’s List”. Based upon the autobiography and chronicle of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman through his struggle for survival from the beginning of the holocaust, his family’s move from smaller place to smaller place to finally a concentration camp, his escape from the concentration camp and his survival in the Warsaw ghetto, we learn something about the people of that time, the Jewish people who were persecuted among the Nazi’s; these were survivors, these were true heroes who managed to stay alive along the course of the Holocaust.

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About Schimdt (2002)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

Based on the novel by Louis Begley, Warren Schmidt is your average workaday middle-aged man with the nameless face who has just retired from his Insurance company after years of service. With an uncertain future ahead of him, he’s managed to evaluate what he’s done with his life. When his wife Helen suddenly dies, he begins to realize that maybe he hasn’t achieved everything he wanted in his life and seeks out to look for his soul once and for all and hopes to convince his daughter not to marry her fiancé. This film is such a real and breathtakingly down to earth portrait of a middle-aged man who’s reached the end of his road regarding life and accomplishments to reach. Prolific actor Jack Nicholson (nominated for best actor) who is at his best when he’s not being Jack Nicholson gives a melancholy excellent performance as the pathetic Warren Schmidt who basically takes life and family for granted.

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Liam (2000)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

In the reality of “Liam” brought to screen by director Stephen Frears, the peasants of the Irish village owe debts whether they like it or not; they even owe debts to the local Catholic Church which rules over them like a mafia syndicate. In the time of the story told, the Catholic Church ruled over everyone with hypocrisy and cruelty where parishes came around the neighborhood to collect dues while the wives reluctantly gave simply out of guilt. The children are taken to Sunday school simply for shock tactics where they’re taught that if they sin, they would burn in hell. It is terrifying to youngest child, seven year old Liam, who has an odd fascination with the female body after accidentally walking in on his mother (Claire Hackett) in the bathroom.

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