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Imtrio Gives a Look at A BEAUTIFUL MIND and VANILLA SKY!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Well Imtrio has chimed in with reviews and opinions upon two of the films many feel could be competing for BEST OF THE YEAR awards. He is a huge fan of both, but felt that both films did not end on the perfect notes... With A BEAUTIFUL MIND, it seems the last thirty minutes Spielbergs out on us... ie... doesn't know where to end, and with VANILLA SKY, he felt there was too much exposition towards the end. I've inquired with Cameron Crowe about Friday's screening of VANILLA SKY and how it was 45 minutes shorter than the previous screening... He said that he was just trying some things out... to see what the audience could and could not live without, as well as himself. None of the cuts were permanent, but rather experiments to see how it plays. I have not yet talked with Ron Howard though. Take care and read on...
Hi Harry,
I saw you posted some reviews for "Vanilla Sky" this morning. I was at that screening on Friday, plus I saw "A Beautiful Mind" earlier in the week, so I thought I'd toss my two cents into the communal fountain.
First, "A Beautiful Mind." I saw this last Monday up in Woodland Hills. According the preview people, we were the first audience to see it. It was definitely a workprint -- all the dissolves and fades were dumped from the Avid.
This film is going to be HUGE. I'm predicting nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay, maybe even Best Supporting. It is directed by Ron Howard (practically SALIVATING for the Gold Guy), stars Russell Crowe, and was written Akiva Goldsman (he of "Lost in Space" and "Deep Blue Sea" fame -- the guy actually writes here!)
"A Beautiful Mind" is based on the life of John Nash, a mathematician in the Fifties who was eventually diagnosed as paranoid-schizophrenic. If it sounds boring, it's not. Howard, Crowe, and Goldsman all work together to create a fascinating portrait of a truly unique individual.
Russell Crowe is amazing. It's a shame he won the Oscar last year, because he deserves it more for this. His Nash is a socially awkward, uncomfortably frank, and tormented guy. The other performances are solid -- Ed Harris as a Government Official and Paul Bettany (Chaucer in "A Knight's Tale") as Nash's best friend. The only blah actor is Jennifer Connelly, a.k.a Acting Unit # 75 ("The Wife.")
My only drawbacks with the movie are in the last 30 minutes. Ron & Co.try too hard for the tears -- staging a ridiculous, totally unmotivated scene with some pens, and an all-too standard award ceremony monologue followed by heartfelt applause deal. It also depicts schizophrenia as a disease that can be cured by determination and love -- unfortunately not true.
But this is a quality mainstream film. A well-told story, grounded by solid directing and a great performance by Crowe.
Now for "Vanilla Sky." I saw this on Friday at the Beverly Connection. Here's my take:
"Vanilla Sky" is GREAT. It is daring, bizarre, genre-busting, and totally captivating. I had no idea where the story was going next. However, I don't know how audiences are going to react. It's just too WEIRD, man. There's stuff in there that you don't see in a Hollywood movie, especially one starring Senor Cruise. It will be interesting to see what they change.
Y'all know the story. This is a real departure for Cameron Crowe. I went expecting another romantic comedy, and this is ... a thriller? A romance? An artistic exploration of one man's psyche? I don't quite know. But whatever it is, it works. Crowe definitely knows how to creat suspense. It's nice to see him try out some new stuff here, and it works for the most part.
The actors are great -- Cruise has a lot going on, Cameron D is psycho in an unsettling way, and even Penelope (who I usually don't like state-side) is charming. All the supporters are cool -- Jason Lee, Tilda Swinton, the Spielberg cameo, the kid from "Shine" and "Tomb Raider" (forgot his name).
Music = fantastic. Trust Crowe to alway have the perfect musical complement to any emotion. The Radiohead/Times Square opening is stunning. The recurring Peter Gabriel theme is great.
But ... there's almost too much going on in this movie. Just one of these ideas would have been enough to deal with for two hours. We have the disfigurement/vanity thing, the is he insane or not thing, the possible takeover of his company, and then the out of left field third act reveal.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the movie. Probably because it had a lot going on. But it does feel a tad uneven. The ending is kind of a cop-out. I think any third act that has ten minutes of exposition is weak. ("A.I.", anyone?) There was also one too many climactic reveals at the end.
This whole thing reminds me of "Fight Club" -- a huge studio movie with huge stars and a huge director that dares to challenge the mainstream audience. I only hope the masses don't reject it the way they did Fincher's picture.
Call me "Imtrio."
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That means it has to be a winner! :)
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just wondering if vanila sky is similar to Fincher's Fight Club is it as good but as flawed as it too?
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hey what radiohead song is it thats used in the opening? im very excited about the usage of their music in this type of picture ...
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Oct 01, 2001 12:26:09 PM CDT
Damn, now somebody is talking smack of Jennifer Connelly? I pro
by thehurricane
First, Crowe's mental illness is one of the few where help by family is of mad importances. No one around to help, and guess what? Most people get off the meds and severe issues arise. Determenation? yeah, it seems hokey as hell. Guess what silly man, it freaking works. It is not easy, it is not simple, but just hard. Determination isnt easy, but if you TRY shit can happen. His name is Lance Armstrong. Look at me and tell me, "determination doesnt work." Citizen geeks, The Hurricane has ranted and it is just my thing! Now on to Vanilla Sky. Now, once again, TOO MANY REFERENCES ARE A BAD THING?!?!? What's up wit dat? More references like this one that has to do with my associate Shane Helms: "he is a jobber!" I am a superhero and he is a jobber. One day, he might come after me supervillian style. I best get Molly Purebred to get my back. Where was I? More references to obscure bjork songs off of Ginglo Glo! AInt no one going to get that shit! Hurrisenses, tingling..... Matt Hardy is around, leaving Lita "exposed." (hurricane wind) ////Faster than it takes kronik to get fired from the WWF, Stronger than Harry Knowles "Wimber Van Double Trebble Van Flapjack move of inconsemate proportions!" It's a bird, it's a plane, IT'S THE HURRICANE!////
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Oct 01, 2001 12:37:04 PM CDT
The "little guy" from SHINE and TOMB RAIDER is Noah Taylor...
by lostoptimist
and he is a friggin' god--See FLIRTING and THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE and you'll know what I mean.
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am I the only one who thinks the Iron Monkey ad is less annoying than the regular pop ups?
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Oct 01, 2001 2:04:14 PM CDT
Beautiful mind sounds like the usual generic Oscar-friendly midd
by maxcalifornia.
Think I'll pass on that one. Schizophrenia can be cured by love? Expect disabled rights groups to be protesting about that. As for the test screening thing, yes they ALWAYS say "You're the first audience to see this movie!" even when test screening reviews have previously appeared on this site. I guess they just want to make you feel special :)
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...it was just that I usually click on a link way before the popup showed up and only heard the jungle-beat or whatever sounds.
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Just when I thought AICN couldn't fall any lower, someone bashes Jennifer Connelly, a truly superb actress who is a lot more than just a pretty face. Anyone who has seen Requiem for a Dream, Dark City, or Pollock (to name a few) knows better than to say anything negative about this woman. She doesn't choose celebrity roles. She's obviously more interested in putting on a performance than making a pile of cash. This particular critic needs to make educated judgements, if he's going to make any at all, and see a few more of Jennifer's movies before he typecasts her to the 'wife' role.
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Oct 01, 2001 5:30:13 PM CDT
Why would anyone pay to see the Iron Money when they can watch i
by bigtuna
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Harry, you're contacting Cameron Crowe and Ron Howard. Gimme a fucking break, I'm sure you just got some forward from their publicist because they've figured out that your fat ass helps them get the word out for their movies. These people don't like you and you are not friends with them so please stop acting like you're talking to them personally as we speak. They might give you the time of day though if you keep kissing their asses in your reviews (Crowe) and accepting their bribes to shill their films (Howard). HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY CONDITION???
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I hate to join the angry list of talkbackers, but i couldnt just sit and listen someone speak of willow in suck a bad way. WIllow is quite an entertaining film. It is one of the very best in the fantasy genre as far as I'm concerned. Along with all of the greats, like labyrinth etc. besides, you gotta love a midget with a magical stick!
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I too had fond, rose-tinted memories of Willow, until I watched it ALL GROWN UP and found it to be UTTERLY FUCKING BORING. Val Kilmer was its only saving grace. Oh, and Kevin Pollack as one of those spanish pixie thingies.
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What is the Clint Howard part in a beautiful Mind then?
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I have been a complete fan of this site since aprox. 1997, reading it allmost every day. It's my browser start-page for god's sake.
Anyway... I don't mind Harry recieving speciel treatment from movie companies and directors and what not. Hell, he deserves it for his fine devoted work if you ask me. But I do have a problem when I have to read around a stupid monkey, or close 3-4 pop-up add windows every time I read the site. It is getting extremely annoying.
Harry: Stay with the banners, and stop harrasing your devoted readers!!!!
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or maybe not at all. See ya once a week.___A Blatantly Bitchy Bee Just For The Hell Of It
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Let me all give you a little lesson in economics. Harry and AICN employs quite a few people. They fly about the globe gathering information for all you folks. These things cost money. For this site to stay free, remember, that's not a guarantee, there needs to be advertising income. When you think about the sorry state of affairs in most commercial (some people actually getting paid for their work) online communities and thier difficulties with staying afloat, you should thank your geeky asses that Harry has people paying him to show their little pop-up ads to begin with. THE SITE IS FREE. If it's that annoying, go somewhere else. Three-fourths of this talk-back has been devoted to bitching about the Iron Monkey pop-up ads and still nobody has answered what Radiohead song is in the intro to Vanilla Sky goddammit. I'm actually kind of surprised that they are supplying a song for this movie considering their feelings about Scientology.
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Abre Los Ojos (Open your Eyes) the film that Vanilla Sky is based on, was originally written and directed by Spanish director, Alejandro Amenabar (The Others), and it's a great film! As a fan of Cameron Crowe, I am very anxious to see his take on the original work. If it's as good as Abre Los Ojos it will be a huge hit!
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I would just like to say that many a movie can be improved by the addition of Radiohead. They're gone (musically) crazy and they still rock. Which also makes me curious... which song from which album is used?
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I was also at the screening in Woodland Hills last week, and I must politely disagree with Imtrio on a couple of points. First and most important, my impression at the end of the movie was not that Nash had "cured" himself of schizophrenia, but that through time, hard work, and determination (and yes, the love and loyalty of his wife), Nash finally managed to gain enough control to be able to function and live a "normal," if somewhat eccentric, life. And with a disease like schizophrenia, that alone was a hardwon triumph. I felt that the ending was far more layered than Imtrio's comments lead one to believe. I especially liked that along the way Nash talks about some of the things he had to give up to achieve that balance.
I also disagree about the "pens" scene. Call me a sucker if you like, but I loved that scene. And I loved that for Nash, the pens probably meant more than the bigger, more public award. I most certainly did not find the scene "unmotivated," based on the entire first third of the movie (and not just the obvious setup).
I also thought Jennifer Connelly did a better job than she's being credited with. (And that's from someone who has not particularly been a fan of hers in the past.) I thought she did a fine job of getting across not only Alicia's love for Nash, but the fear and anxiety and the shear grind of living with a loved one who is mentally ill.
Russell Crowe gives a beautiful performance. He has an enormous talent (shown to great advantage here) for using every tool at his disposal (verbal and non-verbal) to bring the audience into a character with him. Both Russell and the filmmakers did a superb job with Nash as the character ages. I thought it was one of the most realistic jobs of aging on film I've ever seen. (And personally, I could give two hoots about what the man does in his personal life. I think most of what's written about him is just tabloid hogwash anyway. All I care about when I buy a ticket is does he deliver a performance that's worth my hard-earned money, and this one delivers in spades!)
Overall, I think this is going to be a terrific picture, and I can't wait to see the finished movie. (The version I saw was a *very* rough cut.) -
I must applaud Miramax for a clever way to advertise a film. As I student attending college in Athens Ohio considering to get into advertisement I think its a good way to get the message across. Though Miramax cleverly makes all their movies look good no matter how bad it is. And anyone who thinks the ad is annoying spends way too much time on this website.
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Here's a quick and free way to get rid of the ad.
1. Download and install a free ad blocker such as AdSubstract. http://www.adsubtract.com/se/features.html
FYI, installing an ad blocker is awesome, but may take some tweaking to get your favorite sites to work right (i.e. web mail)
2. Add a special filter for the site www.eyeblaster-bs.com.
Enjoy!
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I think the problem of most here is not the annoying ads, but the fact that they're popping up on your face and their volume. I think just about every page have them. I understand the economics of maintaining a site, but if the webmaster can lay them out somewhere around the corner of the pages, or use rotating banners, they'd be much more welcome. But then again, this isn't my site. I'm sure Harry and AICN gang will a decision best for them but would still allow us to enjoy the site.
Thanks! -
There are alot of good movies coming out in Dec. I'm seeing Gangs of New York, and Vanilla Sky for sure. I'd like to see A Beautiful Mind but I'm not sure I'll get around to it, especially if its a tearjerker. If that's the case, I'll wait for the video. As for the popups, quit bitchin already. Harry said he's gotta keep them in order to keep this site up. If they really bother you that much just get a firewall already. Deal with it guys. Without them we'd be left with nowhere to go.
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...the story's subject is a real person and it is based on his real life battle with this disease. The fact that he learns to "run with" the disease with out it controlling his life is achieved by the devotion of his wife, and his hard work and determination. It's fact, not made up to entice an Oscar victory.
As for Jennifer Connelly: She's a smart and sensitive woman and actress. I'm sure she'll knock this out of the ball park. She'll be perfect for the part. -
To the reviewer I say BLAH!
Jennifer Connelly is one of the very few Actresses with true crediblity in what she does. As mentioned before she hasn't been preoccupied with all the Glitz and Glam of the flakey Hollywood Sausage Factory. She has humbley gone about her business whilst taking on some truly challenging film roles. I'd like to have seen how many so called "Stars" who would have undertaken such a gruelling role of a drug addict in "Requiem for a Dream".
Jennifer is no overnite success she has spent many years in the acting profession to rise to the sound level of noteriety that she has achieved just recently.
She is a quiet achiever and therefore deserves respect. -
I find the Vanilla Sky trailer on a hungarian website I think in DivX format: http://www.cameron-diaz.hu
That may taped version from ET, but have good quality. In the trailer have some really amazing scene!
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