I ordered Gladiator online the other day and through the wonders of Amazon I was able to get a new copy for 5 bucks. So today I was out from school so I figured I'd sit down and watch it.
Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors, despite his propensity for being a hot head. I mean who wouldn't bash a hotel clerk with a telephone if he was taking his sweet time with less important things? When you're Russell Crowe you don't have to wait. Crowe has starred in such previous films as American Gangster and Cinderella Man, both great movies in my opinion. I think Russell Crowe is an amazing dramatic actor.
Gladiator is set in the times of the Roman Empire, with the current Emperor Marcus Aurelius(Richard Harris) is on his deathbed. Aurelius feels as if his life has been wasted and wants Crowe's character General Maximus Decimus Meridius to restore Rome to a Republic after his death. Doing so would slight Aurelius' son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), a cunning, merciless young man eager to be the next emperor. Commodus bears an intense hatred of Maximus since his father favors the General. In a sudden turn of events, Commodus becomes the next emperor of Rome, and Maximus' family is murdered and he is reduced to a slave, forced to fight for his freedom in a series of gladatorial battles.
This movie flows at an epic 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I feel like there wasn't a lot of development to the characters in the film. The character I felt like I knew the most was Phoenix's Commodus, who in several scenes speaks (screams rather) his mind to his sister. The main character Maximus' only distinct qualities are his heroism, and his love for his family. He is such a pure character that it is a bit of a stretch to believe. I realize that this is an epic, but I would like to feel the fear that Maximus should be experiencing before a gladiator battle, and the rush of emotions afterward. Maximus steps into the blood-filled ring by himself at one point into the deadly embrace of 7 or 8 adversaries. Boom, boom a minute later they are all dead and Maximus hasn't even broken a sweat. He is supposed to be an immensely respected veteran general of Rome, but he is human isn't he?
Other than the unwavering pureness and heroism of the main character, I had no issues with this film. The battle scenes were fantastic, and the coordination of the sword fighting is superb. I personally enjoy many other movies that are in the same vein as this one, and I would definitely recommend this film to any movie-goer that enjoys a good sword fighting epic. The ending is ultimately satisfying, and although it takes a long time to get there, you will end your movie experience with a pleasant feeling.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Review of Walk the Line (2005)
Walk The Line is a movie depicting the life and times of Johnny Cash, the famous American singer and songwriter. Cash was famous for his turbulent and vastly successful life, in which he set countless precedents followed many years after by members of the music industry. Johnny Cash was a multifaceted man, and beneath his charming exterior was a tortured soul with a dark past.
Director James Mangold (3:10 To Yuma) said that his biggest challenge was to find an actor with the ability to portray Cash's dark side, and he could not have done better than Joaquin Phoenix (We Own The Night, Gladiator). Phoenix was perfect for the role, offering similarities to Cash in his looks, singing voice, and in his darkness of character. Co-starring alongside Phoenix is Reese Witherspoon (Four Christmases, Legally Blonde), who plays the like able Country singer June Carter. The chemistry between these two characters is palpable, and it drives the movie forward. When the two characters are apart, Director Mangold focuses on the perspective of Johnny Cash, allowing you to see the passage of time from his point of view, which really helps the audience feel the void that is caused by Carter's (Witherspoon's) absence, and this allows for a much more fulfilling experience when the two are finally together.
Johnny Cash was subjected to a tragedy when his brother Jack died when the two boys were very young, and that terrible event coupled with his abusive and alcoholic father serve as the basis for Cash's troubled personality. Some unhelpful factors include Cash's life of being constantly on the road away from his family, close to the exposure of various kinds of drugs and as well as women.
The movie follows Cash's career from its beginning up to the famous record of the "Folsom Prison Blues" album. The movie covers the majority of Cash's life, so it is a tad long at 2 hours and 15 minutes. The enthralling character portrayal that Phoenix delivers will certainly be enough to keep audiences from squirming in their seats, however. He is nothing short of amazing in the film. I would certainly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys Johnny Cash and is interested in the story of his life as interpreted through Director James Mangold and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix.
Director James Mangold (3:10 To Yuma) said that his biggest challenge was to find an actor with the ability to portray Cash's dark side, and he could not have done better than Joaquin Phoenix (We Own The Night, Gladiator). Phoenix was perfect for the role, offering similarities to Cash in his looks, singing voice, and in his darkness of character. Co-starring alongside Phoenix is Reese Witherspoon (Four Christmases, Legally Blonde), who plays the like able Country singer June Carter. The chemistry between these two characters is palpable, and it drives the movie forward. When the two characters are apart, Director Mangold focuses on the perspective of Johnny Cash, allowing you to see the passage of time from his point of view, which really helps the audience feel the void that is caused by Carter's (Witherspoon's) absence, and this allows for a much more fulfilling experience when the two are finally together.
Johnny Cash was subjected to a tragedy when his brother Jack died when the two boys were very young, and that terrible event coupled with his abusive and alcoholic father serve as the basis for Cash's troubled personality. Some unhelpful factors include Cash's life of being constantly on the road away from his family, close to the exposure of various kinds of drugs and as well as women.
The movie follows Cash's career from its beginning up to the famous record of the "Folsom Prison Blues" album. The movie covers the majority of Cash's life, so it is a tad long at 2 hours and 15 minutes. The enthralling character portrayal that Phoenix delivers will certainly be enough to keep audiences from squirming in their seats, however. He is nothing short of amazing in the film. I would certainly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys Johnny Cash and is interested in the story of his life as interpreted through Director James Mangold and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
