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Rav's Seen FOUR FEATHERS!!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I can’t believe Rav is going to Venice.
God help the Italians.
Heya Moriarty,
Four Feathers Review
Going into this film I really did not have much expectations for it. I had seen the trailer once, months ago, and all I really got out of it is that
there's these two friends and one of them goes to war and the other doesn't then goes anyway's to find him/rescue him or something, oh and
Penny Lane is in it doing something. The only thing that really got me out of my ass early in the morning and over to the screening was a little bit
of endearing love for the Shekhar Kapur's previous film Elizabeth, one of the better films that year with the best female performance of the year by
Cate Blanchett (sorry but Gwyneth was mediocre at best in Shakespeare what the fuck were you smoking academy voters?).
Alfred Mason's book "The Four Feathers" has been made into a film six times before, honestly I haven't seen any of them previously to viewing
Shekhar Kapur's version. Although I must say it was no surprise to myself that a story this good was translated to film many times before. The film
is about Harry Faversham a young officer, son of a highly decorated officer, he has just became engaged to the very beautiful Ethnie Eustance
(Kate Hudson), one night the regiment is told they will be shipping out for war in the Sudan. This moves Harry to begin pondering a few things
specifically his new marriage and his placement in life as a soldier. Harry makes arrangements to resign his commission, shortly before his regiment is
to ship out for the war. Afterwards everyone shuns him, his father completely disown him, his bride is ashamed of him, and even his soldiers who
held him in such revere before now hold him in complete contempt. Three of the higher-ranking soldiers under him get together and send him 3
feather to commemorate his cowardly life. His wife shortly joins in and adds the fourth feather. Sparking him to go on a thoughtless journey to
prove all of them wrong, he sets out for the Sudan. Not exactly too sure of how he is going to prove this wrong, or if he can even help his men in
any way to prove himself. All he knows is that he is going to try somehow to do it.
Now Kate Hudson and Wes Bentley might be good in this film, but Heath Ledger is the real star of this movie. With this film he will establish himself
as a flat-out AMAZING leading actor (Quite honestly I did not like A Knights Tale that much at all). Heath transforms himself in this film, half the film
he is dawning a large Arabic beard quite eerily Brad Pitt in current Fountatin training, raggedy clothing, and a major tan. Honestly, you won't
recognize him for most of the film. Towards the end Wes Bentley's performance becomes much more interesting, but for the most of the film he
doesn't do much to write home about. Djimon Hounson best known for his roles as a slave in Amistad and a slave gladiator in gladiator, yet again
proves his range as an actor by choosing the role of a SLAVE who befriends harry in a slave camp and helps him along his journey. Honestly he
might think about choosing another role next time out as he is already known to me as "that kick-ass slave guy" in the back of my brain.
It is frankly wonderful to see the return of the historical epic to cinemas, the last film that tried to be one was Pearl Harbor and that failed
miserably where the four feathers succeeds. When Harry's soldier friends are in peril you actually like them, this isn't popcorn action just wasted.
This is one of those films that would have a person watching it at home yelling at a commander telling him to listen to that slave telling him of the
enemy plan. In the end I respect Harry's journey although quite a stupid thing to do, some people do stupid things to defend their honor and for
that the films characters feel real. Now this film is no action film, but it does have a couple of fucking amazing action sequences.
Robert Richardson has already secured his academy award nomination for Four Feathers cinematography (Yes, it's that fucking good!). God I wish I
could live in Robert Richardson's eye, desert wastelands never looked this great, before this film I never thought to myself and marveled at the
possible beauty at a approaching horde of Arab rebels. I can't fricken wait to see what this guy is doing with Kill Bill. James Horner has composed
yet another great score, but then again this guy has practically written the book on recent epic scores. The score is actually quite memorable I
found myself sitting in the theatre throughout the end credits score as the print played the blank temp credits screen out.
Shekhar Kapur has made another fantastic film. I cant wait to see what else this guy has in store for the world, all I hope is next time our it does
not take him four years to make the next film. It would be wonderful to see another Shekhar Kapur film in the Oscar's next year. Although that's
probably wishful thinking. I have a feeling we will be hearing his name repeated over and over again till the Oscar's in February this year. You guys
at Toronto have a hell of a premiere waiting for you.
Until next time guys, later this week I have coverage from the 59th Venice Film Festival coming along from all the way out in Italy.
If you have FOUR FEATHERS, and you might like to tickle my balls with them, maybe you should write me!!Rav, you dirty freak. Comments like that are the reason I’ve already faxed your photo to the Italian authorities and told them to watch out for you. Enjoy Venice, you lunatic, and watch out for Larry Clark. You look like you’re 13 years old. You might not make it out of that interview alive.
"Moriarty" out.
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Sooo... I'll probably see it because Kate's in it.. but hey, I'm a sucker for a pretty face.. but...
Beyond Re-Animator... It's gotta happen! IT WILL HAPPEN! -
Great news! The trailer was great. Heath Ledger *seems* to shine!
I know Jude Law was originally cast for Four Feathers, but went off to do A.I -yeah, nice one.
Always thought it might have been a better Jude movie, but maybe it's for the better.
Why is Jude doing Cold Mountain? Matt Damon isn't doing much this yeah, apparently there's no quailty scripts about, so his ex-partner Dickie has to scramble at the few crumbs Kidman and Cruise leave behind!? Grrrr.
DICKIE
Without the glasses you're not even ugly.
(takes them, tries them on)
I don't need them because I never read.
How do I look.
RIPLEY
Like Clark Kent.
(takes them back, puts them on
beaming at Dickie)
Now Superman.
I hope the trailer music is part of the current trend a'la Signs-Newton Howard, StarWars-John Williams, and it's Goldsmith's music in the background to the trailer and *this* is how the film sounds. -
..."even his soldiers who held him in such revere..." That's "...in such REGARD..." doofus! And "...dawning a large Arabic beard..." Jeezus! It's "donning!" Don't you kids FUCKING READ BOOKS ANYMORE???
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Only plays a slave!? Have you not seen the new GAP Jeans commercial!!? What range.
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This sucked. It was the suckiest suck that ever sucked. How did it manage to suck so much? Oh, I gotta go, my damn weiner kids are looking at me....
Seriously though, I found its itelluectual void not replaced by even a shred of entertainment value. Tongue-in-cheek quickly and noisily moved to tongue-in-ass. This Four Feathers seems to be the typical return-my-honor kind of picture, similar in theme to the Knight's Tale, but I will reserve judgement until I get a little better look at it. Heath has to learn that a nice smile and charisma works in the little pictures, but you have to show some chops to run with the great leading men. -
Aug 26, 2002 4:41:40 PM CDT
Hmmmm..... Could be better than the usual crap Heath has been i
by caine
Personally - I cannot think of a single thing I have seen Heath Ledger in that I liked. "10 Things I Hate About You" was funny for all of about three microseconds - until I realized I was not, like, a teenager in uh... like, this uh... totally bogus high school. The Patriot was "BraveHeart: American Style" and A knight's Tale was just - wrong. *** I saw one of the previous versions of this movie, with the late Sir John Clements and the late Sir Ralph Richardson. An extremely good movie, to say the least. From the trailer and some of the descriptions it made it appear that Ledger's Faversham character had all along planned to go on this secret mission, when in fact he was desperate to prove himself to his friends, his wife fiance, and ultimately to himself. Hopefully this version will be all that Rav said it was.
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Aug 26, 2002 6:03:04 PM CDT
Blanchett - robbed; Richardson - God; Horner - recycling hack.
by cash bailey
The trailer looked pretty damn good. Especially the money shot at the end. You know what I'm talking about.
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Aug 26, 2002 7:06:35 PM CDT
I have been waiting for this movie to come out for awhile..I thi
by drewrocka
I think they finished this movie a long time ago.
I like Heath Ledger as a actor, and Wes is good too.
Hudson gets good weed I bet, from the Crowes, and Moracco is a great place for filming the desert and those sunsets.
I can't wait to this this damn movie, and the rest of you who thought that The Patriot wasn't good, then you might get hit by a Semi-Truck hauling chickens -
The fact that you never saw the Zoltan Korda 1939 version questions your prowess as a film buff! This is one of the all-time greats in that famous year of all-time greats. Get thee to your VCR!!! (as I don't think it's on DVD yet)
I'm not surprised they're remaking this and I'm glad they are and really hope it's as good as you say. It's a great story. -
I thought Richardson did amazing work in "Bringing Out The Dead".
Anyone agree/disagree? -
I'm glad the cinematography is great, because it might just match the quality of Mason's writing. Seriously, this is one of the best adventure stories ever told or filmed, and Weedy McS, it's nothing like a typical return-my-honoUr kind of picture. There's a depth and humanity to the characters that you don't get in other Boy's Own yarns. The Korda version is damn good, though, so this version has a lot to beat.
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...in "Monster's Ball." A very good performance - one I felt was much better than Halle Berry's in that film. Oh yeah, why is Jude Law in "Cold Mountain"? Possibly because his last trip out with Minguela got him an Oscar nod - and the Oscars love those historical dramas. Law is probably looking for a little verification that he is a great actor - at least some from an authoritative group considering that most of audiences are sheep when it comes to film. He really doesn't have that much draw with the public despite his amazing abilities. Anyway, even if the script is as cliched as I heard it was, the eye candy and performances will still be worth the ticket price.
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Actually, the best one I can think of is Two Hands. He absolutely owns it. Interesting portrayal of Sydney life too.All the more scarier too because it is moderately accurate.
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I was paid $1 to watch this trailer at a flea market. I about puked when I really ended up sitting through something that was more like a Creed video than a movie trailer. This looks like it's aimed right at the MTV audience. If that's your thing then you'll probably love it.
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Yessss.... Two Hands was one helluva crime flick. Don't know if you yanks have received that one but Heath plays a thick headed wannabe to perfection. The highlight of the movie is of course Brian Brown as Pando... and Powderfinger's contribution to the soundtrack... and a more realistic view of Sydney than you get in most movies...
I think some of the american studio's should look at Australia's recent crime flicks (Two Hands, The Hard Word, Dirty Deeds) to see how these fims should be made, now they've found themselves in Post Tarantino rut.
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