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Hallenbeck reviews THE MIGHTY
Now I know you expect a certain... 'thing' from Hallenbeck, but well, this film touched the human being in Hallenbeck and he's speaking here... And I must second Joe's nomination for THE MIGHTY being moved into late November/December. Know I'd like to believe that no matter when this film would be released the Academy would recognize it, but often time they can't remember anything. I'm sure MIRAMAX thinks they have something later in the season that they are thinking in terms of pitching to the Academy. Well, this is better than whatever that is. If not... wow. But I don't think so. Anyway, listen up to Hallenbeck here....
Do you believe in magic? I know I do. Once in a while a movie comes
along that is so good it becomes difficult for a person to articulate
why, infact, they liked it so much. Everything in the production comes
together masterfully -- the writing, directing, acting, music, settings,
etc...Everything is just pure perfection according to the boundries of
the film(ie They gave it 110% and it shows). However, there is something
else about the movie that is indescribable...something in which you
can't explain as to why you enjoyed the film so much. It's this certain
"Something" that I refer to as "magic." The great (and occasionally, the
very good) films all have this one bond in common. The last movie to
possess this "Magic" quality was Forrest Gump(A Hearty
Hallenbeck Fuck You to all you pompous schmucks out there who hate this
film because it's sentimental mush. You're the same people who hate It's
a Wonderful Life for that very same reason. If you had one iota of
intelligence you'd realize that both movies are very satirical and
highly depressing. However, they both chose to cover that dark side up
with Sentimentality and Gobbly-gook so it can apppeal to the masses. If
you look under the icing you'll see what the movies are really about).
I'm proud to announce we have one movie this year that accomplishes this
rare feat. Now, before I go on priasing the hell out of this Year's Best
Film (Keep in mind I still haven't seen POE, Pleasantville, Life is
Beautiful, or A Thin Red Line) let me just say that this film, while
"magical," is no Gump. It's a lesser kind of magic(one of those "very
good" films I referred to above).
I saw this film in May at Cannes. I've waited this long to review it
because, simply put, I wanted to see if it has stayed with me (that's
the sign of a good film...the time limit test. Most films you forget the
minute they are over. Others, an hour, a day, a week later, maybe. The
good ones last months and the great ones last for years!). It's been
nearly 5 months since this movie entered my life. Does it still possess
that magic quality? You bet your sweet bippy it does! By now, you must
be wondering what Goddamn movie am I referring to? I'll give you a hint:
My name is in the Title and no...it's not the one starring Kong
Jr.(although, that's a movie I've also seen and have yet to review).
THE MIGHTY (aka FREAK THE MIGHTY) is this "magical" film in which I'm
writing about. Forget what you have seen in that lame ass HOLLYWOOD
ON-LINE MOVIE THEATER PROMO. I cringe whenever that comes up on screen.
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for "Coming of Age" movies. I idolize STAND BY
ME. I really dug the underrated RADIO FLYER. Hell, I actually enjoyed
NOW AND THEN. Oh, and let us not forget about the granddaddy of them
all,the immortal Masterpiece, TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD. These movies get
me everytime. I love growing up with these kids. You always see yourself
and your friends in these characters. You always place yourself in the
situations and try to figure out what you would do if you were in
them(this also works very well in The Wonder Years and Facts of
Life...man, I love Tootie!). Where does The Mighty fall, you ask? Well,
it ain't no Mocking Bird, but it's right up there with Stand By Me.
The Plot - Two different kinds of "Freaks" (one is slow and "emotionally
disturbed" and the other is Quasimoto's son) become friends. What
follows is a friendship and a bond you soon won't forget. We've been
here and done that. The basics are very familiar, but the characters are
more complex and involving then those found in a Dicken's Tale. You may
find this story to be somewhat predictable, but that won't matter
because you'll be so caught up(mentally and emotionally) with the
proceedings on screen.
The Directing - Peter Chelsom, a director whom I've never heard of, does
a masterful job of keeping this film emotionally wrought, but he never
allows it to go overboard. Unlike Simon Birch(a movie, as you may know,
I enjoyed), this tale of two unpopular kids isn't full of sentimental
baggage. It doesn't try to insult the audience by trying to manipulate
their emotions. The facts are presented right up front. If you wish to
cry(like most will), then, by all means, do so. If you want to restrain
those tears for a more manipulative piece of Hollywood Fluff(I won't
mention a certain War Movie) then that is your choice. Mr. Chelsom
walked a very fine line and managed to keep his balance. That's the sign
of a talented director...to manipulate your emotions, but to have enough
restraint not to hit you over the head with it.
The Writing - From the opening line I knew I was going to love this
movie. I was instantly sucked in. I knew this was a journey I wanted to
participate in, and by God, I'll relive this journey 'til the end of my
pathetic exsistence. My favorite movies are those that have characters
that have trouble differentiating between reality and fantasy. Let's
face it, like the title of the movie says, REALITY BITES. We all like to
get lost in our own Fantasy Worlds...sometimes we get TOO lost. That's
what this film is about...the Real World versus the Fantasy World. These
two kids deal with their handicaps by living in a world where Knights
roam the streets and participate in good deeds. It's like Fisher King
Jr. The thing that separates this film from others that deal with
Reality vs Fantasy is that our lead has no concept what his mind is
capable of. This "aspect" is what I loved about this movie. It's about
self-discovery. It's about discovering your mind and unlocking that
incredible thing we humans possess -- IMAGINATION. Right now you're
think, this sounds like THE PAGEMASTER. It ain't even in the same
Universe, let alone the same ballpark. This movie has Terry Gilliam
written all over it. However, it's not nearly as wacky or surreal as
that Insane Man's Movies. Before this oaf met Quasi, he was a mindless
baboon that led a pitiful, lonely existence. He ate, went to school, and
slept. He had no idea what he was capable of...what wonderous things he
had hidden away up in his attic. When he finally unlocks this magical
thing it is as if he's been reborn...thus, we, the audience, are reborn
with him. It's not preachy or self-indulgent. It's a magical moment that
will put tears in people's eyes. The movie may seem like it's about two
mifits finding each other and becoming friends, but what it's really
about is a boy, not becoming a man, but becoming a Human Being.
The screenplay, while based upon a best selling children's book(and I'm
not talking Dr. Seuss here) is an absolutely mesmerising adaptaion. I
haven't read the book myself, but I can't imagine it being better then
the film. This will be one of those rare films that will be superior to
the book. It will be a hideous crime if this is not nominated for Best
Adapted Screenplay...let alone win.
The acting - Top Notch all around.
Kieran Culkin - finally a Culkin with talent! Kieran's charming, heart
breaking performance as a boy with a hunched back and a dibilitating
disease makes up for all his brother's dreadful performances' of
yesteryear and his Father's dispicable behind the scenes antics. I don't
know if it was his performance or the writing, but this dude's wisdom
almost puts Yoda's to shame. It will be very interesting to see where
this young man's career goes after this incredible performance.
Elden Henson - And Best Actor goes to....that's what I want to hear come
end of March, next year. I know this kid won't win, but DAMN IT, AT
LEAST NOMINATE HIM!!!! Between Elden's performance in this flick and
Billy Bob's in A Simple Plan, I haven't decided who gave the best
performance this year. Both were truly incredible in their roles. Both
brought these facinating characters to life vividly on screen. And both
managed to break your heart. I'm saying Best Actor for Elden and Best
Supporting Actor for Billy Bob.
Sharon Stone - she proves once again that she just ain't no sexy blonde
actress. Sharon is slowly becoming one of the best actresses working in
Hollywood today. She's gone from leg-spreading sex kitten, to
strong-willed Hot Mama! She's gauranteed a nom here for her work as
Kieran's Mom. It's one of those Meryl Streep kinda roles that has Oscar
written all over it. I can think of only two other actresses that so far
qualify for a Sup. Actress nom -- Bridgette Fonda in A Simple Plan and
(amazingly enough) Lisa Kudrow in The Opposite of Sex (that "It's a
Lonely Life" Speech of hers is a classic). Ms. Stone has those two
ladies beat by a mile.
Gillian Anderson - you can barely recognize sexy Scully under all that
make-up and hairspray. She proves once again that she'll have a career
after the "X" no longer marks the spot (Now David's career is another
story).
Harry Dean Stanton and Gena Rowlands - Gram and Grim. I love these
Grandparents. Hell, I'd love to see these two spun off in their own
movie.
As you can tell by now, I really loved this flick. I know I'll be the
first in line the day it comes out. Say, that reminds me...WHY, IN
STEVEN'S NAME, IS THIS MOVIE COMING OUT IN OCTOBER?!!! Are you guys out
of your minds?!!! This is the best film of the year and you're burying
it in October! It's coming out the same day as another(I pray) great
film, PLEASANTVILLE! Why are you doing this? This is MIRAMAX'S OSCAR
BABY and you're going to ignore it! Fuck that piece of shit Shakespeare
in Love! Just because it stars a Fiennes doesn't mean it's Best Picture
Material. Release The Mighty in Mid-December. Platform it, then go wide
in January. This movie is 5 times better than Good Will Hunting and a
million times better than past Miramax flicks like The English Patient,
The Crying Game, and The Piano! Don't screw this movie over!!! It'll get
lost in October and forgotten by the time the Academy Members mark their
ballots. This is a little flick with a alot of heart. Please, for ALL
THAT IS RIGHT WITH MOVIES TODAY...PUT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON THIS FILM
AND LET IT RIDE!!!
All right. I'm pulling out the big guns here. Last year, around this
time, I went up to Mr. Cameron after I saw an advanced screening of
TITANIC and congratulated him on the flick. I told him he better clear
off a space on his mantle because he's just won the Academy Award. He
told me it won't happen. The flick is too "Popcorn" for the Academy's
pallate. As you know by now, I owe Mr. Cameron a Big, Fat "I told you
so." Bob, Harvey, Peter...Listen to me carefully, "Clear off a space on
your mantle." This is the Mighty One telling you this. I hope I'm right.
T.T.F.N.,
Joe Hallenbeck
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For some reason, I seriously doubt it. What am I referring to? EVERYTHING IN THAT REVIEW! I'm glad Hallenbeck let us know that he has spoken to Cameron. I guess we should all kiss his butt now and respect his opinions. I'm a bit sceptical about this movie, at any rate. Later.
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I saw a preview of The Mighty a couple of weeks ago. I went in with no expectations (I had only barely heard of it). But I was also transfixed from the first line. It was a great movie and a nice surprise.
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The most godawful, overrated piece of trash produced in the last 30 years. Mindless, pointless sentimentality and sfx masturbation passed off as High Art -- and the public lapped it up like flies on fresh dog shit. The equally embarrassing CONTACT slid out of the same director's asshole.
And I like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, too. To put IAWL and FfuckingG in the same sentence is absurd.
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It's really becoming clear that Hallenback is in fact, Harry Knowles. I think that the man is trying to pull one over on us. As if we wouldn't respect his review, yet we'll respect two reviews. They always like the same things, only Hallenback swears a lot and gets all riled up over nothing and thus most of the easily led atomatons just laugh and love the guy for it. When, in fact, you should be just saying, "Well, here goes Harry's second review of a new movie." You can't tell me different, because i'm stubborn and stupid and won't listen. Harry, if you read this (which i don't know if you even do), would you tell these fine people the truth.
stubborn -
As someone who read both the novel and the script before seeing "The Mighty" two weeks ago, I must say that the Mighty Joe has finally hit the nail right on the head. Not only is the movie better than the book, but it's even better than the script, which must have been reworked before they went into production. Though I've had some serious disagreements with Joe and Harry in the past ("Armageddon"?!?! Ewww..., "Radio Flyer"? What a piece of crap... and, oh yeah, screw "Simon Birch"), I have to agree, "The Mighty" is pure magic. And if Elden Henson isn't nominated, then his alter-ego Max Kane should go out and snap some Academy members' necks. (And what geniuses at Miramax decided to attach the trailer for this movie to the front of "Rounders"? Yeah, that's the demographic you're going for.)
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I was interested in what Prankster had to say about Gump. I also think that the underlying philosophy of Gump is a major flaw in the movie - it seems to say that being an idiot is a perfect way to go throught life as long as you're "innocent" , and then the script cheats like crazy be having all kinds of ridiculously great things happen to Gump. However, I have to admit that I enjoyed Gump despite this - go figure.
Regarding Contact, I have to strongly disagree with the idea that Contact is in any way a thoughtful or meaningful film. It had unbelievable potential and the entire arc of the story seems to be building up to the point of view that science and rational skepticism should ultimately triumph over blind faith and then the film completely caves in and subverts that genuinely courageous message in the last few scenes. It is NOT courageous to say that science and religion can coexist, movies (and all the media) have been saying that for years despite the fact that even a child can see there is obvious conflict. Take a stand! I for one, would rather be on the side of science. I suspect that the makers of Contact concur, but in the end they just didn't have the balls to say so. So Contact died the death it deserved - it will forever be remembered as a mediocre film that could (and should) have been great.
Oh yeah, we're supposed to be talking about the Mighty. Saw it at the Toronto Film Festival a few weeks ago - it's very good but maybe not as good as Hallenbeck makes it out to be. The fantasy stuff seemed too derivative of Terry Gilliam without any of the dramatic punch.
I completely agree with the big kid deserving an Oscar nomination - his role requires a lot of subtlety and restraint which he delivers flawlessly. -
I'm just relieved to see that someone else out there has realized that the underlying message is Gump is not uplifting. It's not about someone overcoming adversity to succeed. It's not about the triumph of the human spirit. It's about living life without examination. It's about blind obedience to authority. The one person in the movie who had independent thought and will; he one person who questions authority and follows her own heart dies. Nice message.
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First of all, my opinion is that inane crackheads should not be allowed to post reviews like this. It was hard enough wading through this piece-of-crap article to even begin to understand what this guy was talking about. If anything, this was a definite strike against this movie. Secondly, I never saw Forrest Gump. But, from what I have seen and read (including the *book*, mind you!), it does deserve a place of respect, even if it is merely sponging off of this overblown American sense of nostalgia. Faith and innocence and even just an objective outlook have been completely missing from this society, and looking at the history of the past few decades through a different person's eyes, even for the sake of humor, can be sorta constructive.
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I never understood the people who seem to be bashing Forrest Gump for the wrong reason. It seems that anytime a movie gets at least something right (or becomes... can we dare say the word: *POPULAR*), some nitpickers jump in and start dissecting it, over-analysing it, etc... Of course, Gump doesn't stand up to such a close examinations, but very few good movies do. Those that do stand up to the most critical scrutinity are knowed as masterpieces and yes, there are very few of them, maybe 5 or 6 a decade (Try to find anything wrong with Casablanca, or Citizen Kane... good luck!).
Gump isn't a masterpiece, not even a great one. But I'll be damned if it wasn't one of the most entertaining flicks of 1996 (or was it 95? my memory falters) up there with Pulp Fiction (no masterpiece either). Any attempt to look for a 'message' and its worth in Gump is just hypocrisy on the part of the viewer. I watched it with the occasional Beavis laugh/grunt, recognizing it as a good, though maybe shallow satire. But it didn't try to be anything more, nor did it need to. It just look like those people are doing everything to convince themselves that it wasn't good, because they are afraid of liking it (me, enjoying a mushy-sentimental movie? Never!)
Movies should be judged as a whole. Do you judge the taste of a meal by analysis each of its ingredients separetely?
The same is happening with Saving Private Ryan. A lot of people are saying the movie is overrated because the story wasn't as deep or meaningful as previous war movies. With the story taken out of its movie shell, they might be right.
(But it was part of a complete movie experience where (IMHO) the story was secondary to the horror of war and the adrenaline rush it generated. I saw Private Ryan a lot more like a painting where all is in the imaginative execution. Its depiction of war was much more powerful AND realistic than any other movie ever got close to achieving (Be it 'All Quiet on the Western Front', 'Platoon' or 'Full Metal Jacket'). It's all about a completely engulfing experience. I have never walked out of a movie so exhausted by the raw energy of it.
It's stupid to rate a movie the way you do a complete check-up on a car (point by point). It's all about guts and feelings. That's why I like Harry's review a lot (though I don't always agree). He talks about how the movie made him feel, and that's how he judges them. Any other way to do so seems irrelevant. I'm not saying no one should talk about the quality of the acting, scripting, or score... but if you do keep it in its original movie context. -
I don't agree with Admiral Pain that movies should be judged only on how they make you feel. With music I'd say that's more or less true, but not movies. Movies are a total sensory experience with complex messages. Most movies should be judged with thought and feeling equally.
I'm really looking forward to The Mighty. Mostly because Gillian's in it, but also because of all the great reviews. -
In my opinion, CONTACT was the best studio film of the last year. It was a wonderful distilling of a fairly decent book filled with lofty ideas into a coherent and powerful film. I know there are a lot of naysayers who like to cut this film down -- that's cool..... IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE was a bomb during its initial release.
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Well I was filled with anticipation while reading this review. Firstly because I am also a sucker for coming-of-age flicks, and then even more so when Hallenbeck described the Gilliamesque fantasy vs reality component. But then I got to the cast appraisels...... Its very hard to swallow someone who says that sharon stone is one of the best actresses today, and its impossible to accept her being compared to the criminaly talented Meryl Streep. Thats a straight out joke. I consider stone to be down there with the likes of demi moore. I hope she is terrific in this flick but I seriously doubt it. I have yet to be impressed by her, and if she had special talent, well she would have showen it before now (what is she 40?). The pinacle of her career seems to have been Casino, where her hissy-fit filled performance was acceptable but reminded me of Talia Shires attempts to sabotage The Godfather (though not nearly as bad I must admit). I guess I shouldn't mention her dire so-called performance in The Quick and the Dead, where she overshawdowed a very talented supporting cast with her dreadfullness. Oh sorry, I just did. Having read the review I am quite confident that Stone will in fact win an academy award. The academy likes to celebrate its mediocre with oscars, and say that was better than your usual efforts my dear (Kim Bassinger anyone?!?). Well I'll be at this movie and I hope and prey that stone delivers a good performance and doesn't spoil the film for me. I'll now prepare myself to be ripped to shreds by a barrage of sharon stone fans (if there are any). ;~)
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Sorry, Admiral, there is one thing wrong with Citizen Kane: If the man died all alone, as it was stated in the movie, who the hell was around to hear him say his last words "Rosebud"? Besides that, it's perfect, however.
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During the scant time that I've made this site one of my regular stops, I've found Joe to be extremely hit or miss. All of his
exclamatory nonsense aside, there have been occasions when he simply hits the cinematic nail on the head. (his review of Vampires comes to mind, most recently) At other times, however, he seems to be all pomp & circumstance. Forrest Gump? C'mon Joe... Manipulative fluff at it's best. I've said this many times, FG is really nothing more than 'Being There' Light. (which in itself is a pretty light film) If you really want to see Tom Hanks 'do' multi-facetted, rewatch 'Joe Vs. The Volcano' (easily the man's best film) This film works on so many levels, it's simply amazing to watch. (yeah yeah, I know "What?!" watch it again, it'll come to you) But, my digression has little or nothing to do with The Mighty.(which seems to be the current state of most of these 'Talk Back' forums) So, I'll attempt to bow out gracefully without doing too much sophomoric mudslinging... P.S. Anyone else catch the 'The Thing' DVD commentary with John & Kurt? Can we only hope for similar treatment with Big Trouble? Let's cross our pointy little fingers. -
Hey, WP, calm your horses. Don't jump to conclusions. Just because I believe a movie HAS a message, doesn't mean I necessary FOLLOW the message. I don't dislike Gump because of good or bad technical merits. I dislike Gump because all I ever heard was how upliftiing the movie message was. All I ever heard were these inane "Gumpisms" sprouting from the mouths of people who thought this film's message was life affirming. I disagreed with that. I didn't think that was the case. So, there you have it. I never realized that knocking Gump would be like taking potshots at sacred cows. I apologize. It's hard for me to understand the sentiment some people have for this film because it never affected me that way.
And I guess, that's all I have to say about that.
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