> the sun eclipses and he has the opportunity to escape. Chased by a horde of angry Aztecs, he eradicates them in grizzly and ingenious fashion.... the story builds the baddies as the meanest nastiest guys in South America, so PLENTY of entertainment value (and cheering) when they get it.
Jaguar Paw gets to save wife Seven (Dalia Hernández), son, unborn child and jungle culture in just over 2 hrs. ***** 5 STARS
Gibson also stated that Apocalypto would help dismiss the notion that "history only began with Europeans"
[...]
A GOOD HISTORICAL PIECE........2007-09-14
While it's not on par with his last two directorial efforts (the epic "Braveheart" and the soul-stirring "The Passion of the Christ"), Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" is a well-made historical film set during the final days of the Mayan empire. The cast and crew do a fine job of bringing the world of the Mayan to life. While the second act of the film gets long after a while, the final hour of the movie is rousing and exciting. And the unexpected ending will leave everyone wide-eyed. Fans of Gibson's previous work will enjoy "Apocalypto."
Movie/DVD Grade: B+
APOCALYPTO.......2007-09-12
As this movie begins to unfold you are aware you are watching a very unique film, first it's the fact it's told in ancient Mayan, second it's that it's shot on location in the jungles of central america. Let me be frank, the film is brutally violent and as is de rigure for Gibson films the is up close and personal, Gibson seems to love graphic and savagry, but it actually works in this film. The story is simple, but engrossing and you really find yourself rooting for the protagonist as he races against the clock. The acting is actually quite good and the direction and cinemaphotograpy first rate. I highly recommend it, its a very good piece of filmmaking, but it is hella violent.
Another Mel Gibson Great.......2007-09-09
Very focused on the main character, but amazing attention to detail on all the movie's periphery.
Average customer rating:
- Tale of a Resistance Heroine in Nazi-occupied Holland
- So Good I Saw It Twice in One Week
- Amazing film experience!
- The return of Paul Verhoven! Black Book is artsy and trashy at the same time. Entertaining all the way!
- Just beautiful movie
|
Black Book
Starring:
Carice van Houten ,
Sebastian Koch ,
Thom Hoffman ,
Halina Reijn , and
Waldemar Kobus
Director:
Paul Verhoeven
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:
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The Lives of Others
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Away from Her
ASIN: B000TGCR38
Release Date: 2007-09-25 |
Amazon.com
As in Basic Instinct, a lovely lady takes the lead in Black Book, but this time Paul Verhoeven has more than cheap thrills in mind. Towards the end of WWII, Rachel Stein (the vibrant Carice von Houten), a Jewish singer, is living with a gentile family in the countryside. When Allied forces bomb the area, she's forced to flee. On her perilous journey to The Hague (Verhoeven's hometown), brunette Rachel joins the Resistance and changes her identity to blonde Ellis de Vries. Her next order of business: infiltrate Gestapo headquarters. Like many Verhoeven heroines, Rachel aces her assignment--and then some. First, she seduces the handsome Captain Müntze (Sebastian Hoch, The Lives of Others), then she falls in love with him. Müntze, who returns her affection, isn't what he appears to be, but their relationship puts both at great risk. At this point, the filmmaker expertly kicks the proceedings into high gear, before concluding on a bittersweet note. Naturally, since this is a Verhoeven picture, there's plenty of wry humor and uninhibited sexuality along the way. Starting with 1985's Flesh + Blood, the Dutch director released an American movie every two to three years. After the poorly received Hollow Man, however, Verhoeven took a six-year break. Black Book, a return to his native Holland, was worth the wait. (He began work on the screenplay in the 1980s.) It works triple-time as a thriller, a tribute to Holland's Jewish population, and a poison pen letter to the Dutch opportunists who would attempt to sell them out. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Amazon.com
In the darkest days of World War II, Jewish fugitives attempt to escape occupied Holland - only to face a Nazi ambush. Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten) alone survives the attack and joins the Dutch Resistance to avenge her family. She soon confronts the ultimate test: she must infiltrate German headquarters by tempting Captain Ludwig Mÿntze (Sebastian Hoch). In the heat of passion, he uncovers her duplicity...but keeps her secret. Then Rachel's espionage reveals that a murderous traitor lurks within Resistance ranks. Unable to fully trust anyone, Rachel navigates a minefield of deception and becomes an enemy to both sides. Epic, passionate, breathtaking, Black Book relates an untold story of World War II where the distinctions between good and evil become blurred by the complexities of human nature.
Customer Reviews:
Tale of a Resistance Heroine in Nazi-occupied Holland.......2007-09-15
The Black Book" tells the story of a Dutch-Jewish girl, Rachel Stein, who works for the resistance in Nazi-occupied Holland during the final days of World War II.
The film starts and finishes on a Kibbutz in Israel in 1956. A tourist, Ronnie (Halina Reijn) wis visiting Israel with her Canadian husband who she met during the liberation of Holland, when she is delighted and surprised to recognise the heroine (Carice van Houten) who had been a friend during the war, teaching at the Kibbutz school.
After Ronnie and her husband have gone, van Houten's character begins to reminisce to the circumstances leading up to her first meeting with Ronnie, and the viewer follows her thoughts back to September 1944 when she was hiding from the Nazis under her real name of Rachel Stein.
Rachel was a former famous singer from a wealthy Jewish family, who went into hiding when the Germans over-ran Holland. A stray bomb wrecks Rachel's hiding place, but someone who claimss to be working for the Resistance gives her the opportunity to flee. However, the group Rachel is travelling with are betrayed. Surviving by chance, she meets up with a different group of the resistance and begins to work for them, dying her hair blonde and taking the false name Ellis de Vries. After several of her friends in the resistance are captured, Resistance cell leader Gerben Kuipers (Derek de Lint) asks Ellis what she would do to help them: he asks if she will seduce SS leader Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch). At his HQ she meets Ronnie, who is working there as a genuine collaborator - or is she ?
From quite early in the film, the viewer begins to suspect that one or more characters who appears to be in the resistance or trying to help the Jews are actually traitors working for the Germans. You also begin to wonder if the people in the Nazi HQ include more Allied agents who Kuipers' resistance cell don't know about. However, the twists and turns in the complex plot of the film keep you constantly wondering who is betraying whom.
Some of the nastiest scenes in the film come after the liberation, because the final revenge of one of the Nazis is to trick the resistance into thinking that Rachel/Ellis has betrayed them. The "Black Book" of the title contains the evidence which eventually shows who the real traitors were.
Most of the spoken words in the film are in Dutch or German, with subtitles, except for a few lines towards the end of the film where the mostly Canadian liberation forces finally arrive. I hardly noticed that I was picking up the meaning from the subtitles, nor rapid fire switch of the dialogue between English and Dutch with subtitles towards the end (though I did notice that one or two people who were supposed to be Canadians had distinctly British accents.)
I can't make up my mind whether it was a good idea to bookend the film with the scenes on the Kibbutz in 1956. This tells you right at the beginning that Rachel/Ellis and Ronnie will survive and removes an element of suspense, though I was still wondering "How on earth does she get out of this one" for most of the film.
There is also a shock ending to the final 1956 segment. This does not relate well to the main story of the book, and appears to have been added to remind the viewer, regardless of your view of the Arab-Israel disputes, that for those who were born Jewish, facing prejudice and conflict did not end with the defeat of the nazis.
There is an enormous amount of nudity in the film: both Carice van Houten and Halina Reijn have magnificent bodies and both display them quite a lot. However, the nudity is always in context, and that context is usually painful or humiliating - e.g. when Rachel has to pretend to enjoy showing her breasts to a nazi pig who organised the murder of people she loved - so the nudity appears to be mainly intended to make a point rather than to titillate.
There is also some excellent music, including four contemporary songs sung by Carice van Houten, as she also performed them as Rachel Stein in the film. Three of them are in German, one in English
There is very little humour in the film: there are a couple of light-hearted exchanges at the beginning before tragedy strikes, and later there are two variants on the ancient "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you pleased to see me?" joke. Generally it's a very serious and rather sad film.
Compared with the low standard of plausibility of war thrillers in general much of this film scored quite highly for credibility and realism, though there were inevitably a few things I found it hard to believe could happen. Most of the time it is not difficult to suspend disbelief in the story.
Some excellent acting, especially from Carise va Houton as the central figure. De Lint as the resistance leader, Kock as a very complex Nazi figure, and Dolf de Vries as a notary who appears to be helping Jews escape give particularly powerful performances. Waldemar Kobus plays the horrible Günther Franken, a Nazi captain who clearly takes a delight in murdering Jews and robbing them, and Thom Hoffman plays Hans Akkermans, a doctor working for the resistance.
Director and screenplay author Paul Verhoeven has said that
"In this movie, everything has a shade of grey. There are no people who are completely good and no people who are completely bad. It's like life."
I agree that this describes the vast majority of characters in the film, though there are one or two who do come over as pure evil, notably Gunther Franken, and SS general Käutner, played by Christian Berkel.
Unless you like watching very sad films, this is probably one to rent rather than buy: I cannot imagine that I will want to watch it all that often. Most of the apparently sympathetic characters get killed, some of the rest turn out to be traitors, and overall the story is quite depressing. However, it is powerful, sexy, sophisticated, well made, and memorable.
So Good I Saw It Twice in One Week.......2007-09-05
Sauntering over to the Music Box in Chicago to see a Robert Altman film one Saturday morning, traffic delayed me so much that I got there well into the Altman film, but in time to see "Black Book" which I really hadn't planned to see having been burned out on Holocaust films. But am I glad I did see it. It is unlike any Holocaust film I'd ever seen before. I loved it so much that I dragged my wife to see it the next Friday night -- and she loved it too!
I hadn't planned on ever seeing this amazing film, but it blew me away. I am going to try very hard to avoid revealing any spoilers because one of the great things about this adventurous, fast-moving tale of survival is all the twists and turns it takes. Our heroine can never really be sure who is one which side. Some good guys turn out to be bad guys; some bad guys turn out to be good guys; and some just stay the same. This is the sort of film that doesn't waste a scene. Pay attention ... because things that are said early on may come back later in the film.
Beyond that, I don't want to reveal anything else. While I still think this is the best film I've seen all year (it's now early Sept 2007), I realize it may not be everybody's cup of tea. But if you like a film that totally engages you, goes places you don't expect it to go, never has a dull moment, is incredibly well-acted especially by Carice van Houten, very well directed, and offers great inspiration and insight into the lengths ordinary people will go to survive against all odds (that's not a spoiler because not everybody survives against all odds in this film), then "Black Book" is for you.
Amazing film experience!.......2007-09-03
This is an amazing WWII movie! A Jewish woman joins the Dutch resistance, and the combination of action/thriller with the human drama of complex characters in this war-time situation is, in my opinion, mind-blowing. This is not to be missed!
The return of Paul Verhoven! Black Book is artsy and trashy at the same time. Entertaining all the way!.......2007-09-02
Finally taking on World War II and it's effects on the nation of Holland, Paul Verhoeven is back. He hasn't really dealt with this type of material since "Soldier of Orange" decades ago. His last film was the abysmal Hollywood sci-fi movie "Hollow Man". So now Verhoeven returns to the arthouse cinema, first time in many years. His ballsy style is in full evidence once again, filled with action, violence and sex but not gratuitously used like he sometimes does. The story is filled with twists, turns and many surprises, never disappointing in the area of entertainment. Some may claim that this is a Hollywood film masquerading as an arthouse flick but don't be so quick to judge. Hollywood would quickly sanitize an audacious film like this if they had a chance to produce it, that's why Verhoeven went back to Europe to make this film.
As most reviewers have already summarized the necessary plot points, I won't dwell on them. Just wanted to write this review and say that Verhoeven is back as a director to watch! Hopefully his next film will be more ambitious and contain the same type of great storytelling but brought to different subject matter. So, go out and rent or buy Black Book if you care about this filmmaker or if you just like World War II movies in general. Although this film contains it's many cliches, at least it shows that not all Germans were evil. Sebastian Koch is the male lead alongside the lead character played by Carice van Houten.
The title of this film is a bit random as this so called Black Book has little to do with most of the movie and acts as a sort of problem solving plot point near the end. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a deus ex machina. In conclusion, a very entertaining film indeed and a return to form for this director. For the record, my favorite Paul Verhoeven film is and probably always will be... ROBOCOP.
Just beautiful movie.......2007-08-21
It's a relief to see such well-made movies and such great performances without the stereotype American approach. I was absorbed into the movie from start to finish.
Amazon.com
In these eight PBS Kids Television episodes, Curious George's curiosity focuses on the animal world and takes him and the man with the yellow hat from the balcony of their city apartment to a house in the countryside. As George observes and interacts with everything from dogs, bunnies, bears, and bees to tadpoles, cats, squirrels, penguins, and pigeons, he learns about different animals and their distinct characteristics, preferred habitats, and growth and maturation while developing important skills like map reading, tracking, measuring, and sorting. Preschoolers love seeing their favorite H.A. and Margret Rey little monkey spring to life with the help of animation and are sure to be thoroughly entertained by George's cute antics and boundless curiosity. Best of all, they'll absorb some math, science, and engineering concepts while they watch. (Ages 2 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
Not Worth Keeping.......2007-07-20
It was a waste but a "pain" to return. My 3 yr. old grandson was bored.
very enjoyable.......2007-07-19
Lots of really good lessons for little ones. Keeps my 1 yr. old grandson's total attention.
TV show trumps movie -- again.......2007-07-02
Don't confuse tbis DVD with the movie "Curious George," which comes in a similar DVD case. These are episodes from the far superior TV show. Not that the movie isn't worth your time and money. This is just so much more so.
The product lives up to the credits: Dr. John on the swinging theme song; Ron Howard and Brian Glazer executive producing; and William H. Macy, who makes the most of any role he assumes, as narrator.
There's an urban, downtown quality to these episodes, from being drawn in the manner of classic New Yorker cartoons to the jazzy soundtrack, extending even to the live action suffixes in which a group of young kids further delving into some element in the episode. Even when they're in a rural setting, you get the feeling these kids aren't suburban spawn.
George comes off as a monkey-fied human preschooler, one of the many elements with which the writers have fun (one character calls George "a city kid"). The Man in The Yellow Hat, though often in the stereotypical Long-Suffering Parent supporting role, manages to be more than a two-dimensional character. Watch these episodes and the ones that still air on PBS and you'll learn of a full cast of characters, only a couple of which could be called "cardboard."
It's always a good morning when my daughter wants to watch, "Monkey George."
Happy 3-year-old, happy parents!.......2007-06-08
I bought this for a long car trip with my 3-year-old son, and it did not disappoint. The stories are appropriate for younger children, and I was pleasantly surprised that my son even enjoys the segments with real children after each episode. (I have tried to forward past them, and he stops me!) As a parent, I like the gentle, loving approach that the adult characters take in dealing with George's mischievous behavior, as well as the emphasis given to George's creativity in solving problems. If your child loves George and his antics, s/he will likely enjoy this video.
So Cute!.......2007-05-15
This is a great DVD! However, it is the same cartoon that you can watch daily on PBS Kids. It is great for the car though because it is VERY long - 8 total episodes with the classroom shorts inbetween. Highly recommended!
Amazon.com
Equal parts weepy drama and soap opera, After the Wedding is a beautifully filmed story centering on Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen, Casino Royale), a Danish man working at a orphanage in Bombay. Just when funds have run desperately low, Jorgen (Rolf Lassgård)--a wealthy benefactor--promises to donate millions of dollars to the orphanage. But there's a catch. Jacob must collect the funds himself in Copenhagen... and attend the wedding of the eccentric millionaire's daughter. But once Jacob meets the benefactor's wife Helene (played by a radiant Sidse Babett Knudsen), it's obvious to the viewer that the two have a complicated history. It's also likely that her daughter Anna (Stine Fischer Christensen) most probably is theirs. So why did Jorgen invite Jacob to Anna's wedding? Does he know Jacob is Anna's father? Is something nefarious in the works? The thought-provoking film was Denmark's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2007 Academy Awards. Subtitled in English, the Danish picture is well helmed by director Susanne Bier (Brothers), who manages to keep the film from delving into over the top histrionics. Mikkelsen is particularly good, whether he's channeling his anger at having been shut out of his maybe-daughter's life for the past 20 years, or having to grovel a bit to get Jorgen to donate the funds as promised to his orphanage. The relationships here are messy and often uncomfortable. But they also ring true to life. --Jae-Ha Kim
Description
Far from home, Jacob (Casino Royale villain, Mads Mikkelsen), runs a struggling orphanage in one India's poorest regions. Desperate to save the orphanage from closure, he returns to Denmark to meet Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard) a wealthy businessman and potential benefactor. What appears to be nothing more than a friendly gesture to attend a wedding sets in motion an increasingly devastating series of surprises, revelations, and confessions that will forever change their lives.
Customer Reviews:
review.......2007-08-31
don't let the bad cover art fool you. I saw this in the theaters and bought it immediately when it came out on DVD. A powerful film. To say any more to be to give it away.
Beautiful story.......2007-08-21
This film was rightfully nominated for the Academy Award. It is a story of a Danish man living in self exposed exile in India. One is wondering if his charity work in orphanage is his life's calling, or a character's way of punishing oneself for life choices made long ago. As money for the orphanage is dwindling, the benefactor appears offering financial help. But like every charity, this one has a catch too. Scenes from having main character Jacob return from Indian subcontinent to Europe show his displacement in the world he originated from. It is obvious that he has been away for too long and everything, from his beautiful, tanned face to the suit he is wearing looks awkward in his new surrounding. It feels as if he almost wishes to leap back to India and his familiar surroundings in orphanage. And from this point on, story starts developing with surprises on every step along the way. Emotional intensity keeps building and building. I have not seen a movie so powerful like this one since "Barbarian Invasions". This is a story of redemption, love, forgiveness and new beginings. And like most of those things, it comes wih a high price...
Beautiful 4.5 stars really...........2007-08-21
Very human, very well made, very touching without being overdramatic. GREAT performances. A wonderful surprise for everyone who is not only into the big hollywood productions
A Rom-Com Name For A Movie That Isn't - But Worthy Of Every Bit Of Your Love Interest!.......2007-08-14
I'm being spoiled. First I see the beautiful, mature and delightful Mira Nair film "The Namesake" (in my top twenty with a bullet) - and now this peach! What's going on!!
"After The Wedding" has a central performance from Mars Mikkelsen (the facially scared card-playing Le Chiffre in the superb "Casino Royale") that is both riveting and Oscar worthy. He's the kind of actor who can just stand there and whole worlds are expressed in his strangely compelling face - an instrument I'm sure the director knew would have us hooked right from the get go. When Mars smiles, you smile, when he hurts - you hurt. When he's on screen, he's riveting, like say Gary Oldman is. And I can imagine, many women wouldn't mind looking at him either - long after the two hours of this is up!
It's foreign language (dubbed) and opens with Mars (Jakob) in an Indian orphanage where he is distributing food from a truck, lessons in English in a shed of a building and generally holding it all together. But as always - lack of funds threathen imminent closure and the destitute children will be evicted out onto the harsh streets. He gets a phonecall from Denmark from Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard playing a millionaire businessman) with an offer of untold millions that will keep his orphanage open and indeed even help others. He seems reluctant to go and get this gift horse, but he has to. Jakob promises the adoring children that he'll be back within a week and he won't let them down. But things change when he gets there.
Attending the wedding of Anna (Jorgen's daughter), to his astonishment, Jakob recognises Jorgen's wife - and she him - there's been history. Without giving too much plot away - Jakob makes a staggering and life-changing discovery and also, slowly but surely, begins to understand Jorgen's interest in wanting him back in Denmark.
This is about family, loved ones, the preciousness of our kids, betrayal, bad mistakes made in the past, another chance given to redeem them now - all the best stuff - and although some of the performances are at times slightly 'over-the-top' - the movie has heart - and you root for these people all the way to the end.
The cast is uniformly excellent - especially Mikkelson and Lassgard - who's rivalry and shared loves are beautifully and realistically handled. There were many scenes where tears willingly plopped out of my weary goggleboxes. And there's superb complimentary music too.
I loved this film - I really did. And I hope it will get the vast audience it deserves. Put it high on your rental lists.
"After the Wedding" -- a masterpiece.......2007-08-04
AFTER THE WEDDING (EFTER BRYLLUPPET) (A+)
I was just coming off my euphoric high from "The Lives of Others," a Cold War era story of self-discovery and redemption in the desperately paranoiac last years of the East German Stasi, when along comes an exquisite Danish film about reconnecting lives, second chances, and noble deeds called "After the Wedding," written and directed by Susanne Bier, that all but left me hyperventilating. Both films are as freehanded and frank as they are forgiving while penetrating with astute precision the flawed, enigmatic, but accessible souls that populate their narratives. Both explore the murky issues of power, trust, self-interest, honor, morality, and spirituality. Without sentimentality or the manipulation of our responses, both end on an upbeat, if uncertain note of hopefulness.
"After the Wedding" is often extraordinary for what is left unsaid -- Bier, with 20-20 vision of her story and its implications, believes in an economy of words and the generous use of camera close-ups to capture nuances in expression, gesture, mannerism, and body language, as her characters have stirring encounters with one another. Of course, that approach takes for granted the keen insights and instincts of her actors and how fully invested they are in their roles. Those assumptions are never in doubt with the cast of "After the Wedding," which is headed by Mads Mikkelsen as Jacob Petersen, a rugged, hands-on humanitarian and, in some cases, surrogate father, who administers a food-aid program for orphaned children in India.
The promise of a windfall gift from a wealthy Copenhagen industrialist named Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard) that will underwrite construction of an orphanage takes Jacob back to his native soil for somewhat delicate negotiations. There are terms and conditions to iron out before the transfer of funds can be implemented, so Jacob is obliged to be obliging to his benefactor for a few days. As it happens, the wedding of Jorgen's only daughter Anna coincides with Jacob's stay, and the affable billionaire is graciously adamant that Jacob attend, though our hero is clearly more at home with grit than glitz.
Just after the ceremony itself, Jacob encounters a coincidental and shocking link with his past and, later, a stunning revelation about the present, that saddles him with a potentially life-altering dilemma. What follows is an urgent and deeply affecting melodrama, in its most distinguished form, that explores with brilliant clarity and aching humanity the yin and yang of allegiances, moral ambiguities, and, in the end, a decision that tests the mettle of a man torn between two callings.
Mikkelsen, seen for the first time by most American moviegoers as the villain Le Chiffre in last year's James Bond prequel, "Casino Royale," is a magnetic actor, in the mold of Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe, who commands the screen with his ideally constructed frame, chiseled cheekbones, and wide eyes that peer icily and inscrutably, probe menacingly, and well up tenderheartedly as befits a complex character haunted by a less-than-impeccable past and confronted with having to make intelligent judgments and agonizing choices that will change the entire landscape of his future.
But "After the Wedding" is almost as much Lassgard's film, as he transitions from impregnable corporate mogul with appearances of ulterior magnanimity to gentle giant in the ultimate state of vulnerability. He has a scene near the end of "After the Wedding" that's as exhaustively heart-rending as any I've seen on film.
Like "The Lives of Others," "After the Wedding" was an entry in last year's Oscar sweepstakes for Best Foreign Language Film, but wasn't placed in general U.S. release until the first quarter of 2007. They'll be tough competition for the wave of late year entries that usually dominate my "Dazzling Dozen."
Average customer rating:
- Important film that didn't age well...
- A good introduction to the "Heroic Gun Play" genre
- Not the "Ultimate" but Awesome Nonetheless
- One of the greatest action films of all time
- Nice enough release of this Hong Kong classic.
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Hard Boiled (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)
Starring:
Chow Yun-Fat ,
Kwan Hoi-Shan ,
Cheung Jue-lin ,
Tsang Kong , and
Philip Kwok
Director:
John Woo
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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
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The Host (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B000N4SHNK
Release Date: 2007-07-24 |
Amazon.com essential video
Masterful Hong Kong action director John Woo (The Killer, Face/Off) turns in this exciting and pyrotechnic tale of warring gangsters and shifting loyalties. Chow Yun-fat (The Replacement Killers) plays a take-no-prisoners cop on the trail of the triad, the Hong Kong Mafia, when his partner is killed during a gun battle. His guilt propels him into an all-out war against the gang, including an up-and-coming soldier in the mob (Tony Leung) who turns out to be an undercover cop. The two men must come to terms with their allegiance to the force and their loyalty to each other as they try to take down the gangsters. A stunning feast of hyperbolic action sequences (including a climactic sequence in an entire hospital taken hostage), Hard-Boiled is a rare treat for fans of the action genre, with sequences as thrilling and intense as any ever committed to film. --Robert Lane
Description
A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to bring down a gun smuggling ring. Features some of the most amazing and influential action set pieces in cinematic history.
Customer Reviews:
Important film that didn't age well..........2007-08-12
When Hard Boiled came out as a theatrical release I was blown away. It was utterly unlike any other film I had seen up to that point. Now though it's been imitated so many times, both by Hollywood and by Woo himself, it just doesn't hold up. It plays almost as a parody of itself.
It's worth seeing because it is such an important milestone, but don't be surprised if your memory of the film is stronger than the film itself.
A good introduction to the "Heroic Gun Play" genre.......2007-08-12
This was my first experience with a movie from the "Heroic Gun Play" genre. I'm not a fan of American action pictures, so I had always shied away from John Woo's Hong Kong action flicks. I now see that I have definitely missed some great movies (I'm female, so a bunch of guys shooting guns at one another was never something I thought I would get into). I decided to give the movie a look because Tony Leung is my favorite actor at the moment and I knew that he co-starred in the film. Actually, Leung and Philip Kwok Choy (the killer Mad Dog in the film AND the action director) steal every scene they share with Chow Yun-Fat. Now I want to check out some of the Shaw Bros. films Kwok Choy was in to see more of this martial arts actor.
Maybe it is the surprising emotional complexity Leung brings to the film and the exhilerating action sequences (and that the killing looks so fake), but I thoroughly enjoyed the film. As a neophyte, the commentary and 3 interviews added to my understanding and enjoyment of the film. Since this is a cult film, I understand that die-hard fans of Woo and this particular film might be disappointed in various aspects of the presentation (this isn't a Criterion 2-disc premium treatment, afterall). But, as an introduction to this film, to Woo 's heroic gun play pictures and to the world of Hong Kong action films, it is as good a place to start as any. I am definitely looking forward to viewing other John Woo HK films.
Not the "Ultimate" but Awesome Nonetheless.......2007-07-31
For those of you lucky enough to own the Criterion Collection edition of this movie, you might want to hold onto your copy as none of the extras from that edition are included on this one. That being said, the video and audio on this version easily surpass any previous Region 1 incarnations making this edition a must-have for fans of the movie.
The first disc features an audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. He shows off his impressive knowledge of HK geography by pointing out which locations in the film don't exist anymore and their significance in the country's culture. Logan also dishes out interesting factoids, like the teahouse in the opening sequence was going to be demolished and this happened right after they filmed the last scene in the place! As with other commentary tracks that he has done his encyclopedic knowledge about the film and HK cinema in general is quite impressive, making for an informative track.
Disc two starts off with "A Baptism of Fire: A Featurette with Iconic Director John Woo." He was a big fan of Steve McQueen in Bullitt and Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and with Hard Boiled; he wanted to create his own Dirty Harry. Woo wanted to make Chow Yun-Fat like Eastwood's iconic character but with the Asian actor's warm charisma.
"Partner in Crime: An Interview with Producer Terence Chang." He talks about how he met Woo in the late 1970s but that they didn't start working together until ten years later. Chang also talks about the genesis of the film which was originally a psycho who kills baby (?!). Fortunately, after they filmed the teahouse shoot-out, Chang convinced Woo to discard this idea.
"Art Imitates Life: An Interview with co-star Philip Chan," the actor who played Tequila's boss in the film. He was real policeman before getting into film and brought that authenticity to his role. He actually ran a team of undercover cops and speaks admiringly of working with Woo.
"Mad Dog Bites Again: An Interview with Leading Villain Kwok Choi." He talks about working with Woo on the film. Originally, he was hired to only design the action sequences but Chow Yun-Fat recommended him to play the villain's right-hand man.
"Hard Boiled Location Guide": takes us on a fun, fascinating tour of many of the locations from the movie. Some places, like the teahouse (which is now a mall), don't exist anymore and a little historical background is given to some of the places.
Also included are two trailers, the U.S. and Hong Kong versions.
Finally, there is "Stranglehold Video Game Mini-Making Of." This is the John Woo-approved sequel to Hard Boiled that allows you to play Tequila. This extra shows how deeply involved he was in the game's production with Chow Yun-Fat returning to provide the voice for his character!
One of the greatest action films of all time.......2007-07-29
Undoubtedly one of the finest action films ever made, Hard Boiled tops every single slam bang, big budget, mainstream action film you have ever seen. Chow Yun-Fat stars as a super tough cop on the trail of the murderous triad, only to learn that an up and coming triad soldier (Tony Leung) he has his sights set on is an undercover cop who gives the term deep cover new meaning. As loyalties shift and the bullet and body count rise, the two team up and help provide some of the most dynamic and exciting action scenes ever put to film, including a standoff at a hospital that concludes in a barrage of blood, bullets, glass, and incredible carnage. Before he came over to America and helmed watered down mainstream action films like Broken Arrow, Mission: Impossible 2, and Paycheck (personally, the only film of his I've liked that he's made over here is Face/Off), John Woo crafted the amazing action scenes that you've heard so much about with this film. This double disc Ultimate Edition released under the Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty label features a nice selection of extras (yet no commentary from Woo or Chow Yun-Fat) including an examination of how much Hard Boiled has influenced the action genre over the years. To this day Hard Boiled remains a masterpiece, and if you're an action junkie who has never seen the film before, you need to pick this up immediately.
Nice enough release of this Hong Kong classic........2007-07-25
Forget the reviewer claiming that they cropped the picture and then stretched it back out. He probably doesn't know how to work his wide screen TV or hasn't set his DVD player to enhance anamorphic DVD's. Cropped and stretched? What a silly notion. And as for the subtitles, they seem to be pretty much the same as the Criterion version which wasn't bad, but not anamorphic. Unless you speak fluent Cantonese, how in the hell could you ever know which version was the most accurate? This release has the best transfer of the film to date, and I've owned four copies of it including this Dragon Dynasty edition. The colors are rich and the the images are sharp. This is the best version for your money, unless you want to wait for the Blu-Ray edition. I hate it!!!
Average customer rating:
- Surprisingly good
- WONDERFUL FILM ON SO MANY LEVELS
- In the Slums
|
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
Starring:
Soliman Cruz ,
JR Valentin ,
Neil Ryan Sese ,
Ping Medina , and
Bodjie Pascua
Director:
Auraeus Solito
Manufacturer: TLA
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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ASIN: B000Q677HC
Release Date: 2007-08-28 |
Product Description
THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS tells the story of Maxi (Nathan Lopez) a gay, pre-teen growing up in the slums of Manila, who is deeply loyal to his family of petty thieves. His world revolves around his father and two brothers, who love and protect him in return for Maxi s devotion to completing domestic chores and covering their tracks when they commit crimes. When Maxi meets Victor (JR Valentin) a well-meaning, handsome policeman, the two become fast friends and Maxi begins to learn that he can have a better life, which soon incurs the ire and disapproval of Maxi s family. The digitally-shot feature made its U.S. debut at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was the official Philippine entry of the 2007 Academy Awards® for Best Foreign Language film. The film has also garnered several film festival awards including the Teddy Award at the 2006 Berlinale Film Festival and Best Asian Film at the 2006 Rotterdam Film Festival.
Customer Reviews:
Surprisingly good.......2007-09-06
I have wanted to see this for a while but reviews across the web were varied. I finally broke down and bought the DVD; I am glad I did. I was honestly surprised how good this movie was. I wasn't expecting the level of class that Max's character was allowed to have nor was I expecting the drama surrounding Max's family and the law. Few movies keep me entertained and captivated to the end, The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros did just that and more.
WONDERFUL FILM ON SO MANY LEVELS.......2007-08-29
THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS is masterful on so many levels. One, it's a coming-of-age story expertly structured. Its dramatic momentum, its turning of the screw, is gripping. Motivations are complicated, outcomes surprising. Two, its rendering of Manila is honest, raw, personal, and illuminating. It captures both the hope and the desperation of life in a third world slum. It shows the beauty co-existing with the sludge. It does so without varnish, and without sentimentality. Three, it explores sexual identity in a fresh way. It's been on the festival circuit for a couple of years, selling out everywhere it plays. I'm thrilled to see it's finally released on dvd.
In the Slums.......2007-05-29
"The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros"
In the Slums
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
Soon to be seen at the Arkansas LGBT Film Festival is "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros", a new film from the Philippines. Deep in drama and with plenty of laughs, it is a beautiful film. It is frank and honest and will probably change the way you look at poverty, at gay people, at the nature of families and love and at the love
of parent and child, sibling and sibling.
Is Maximo Oliveros gay? He dresses like a girl and has a crush on a good looking policeman. As we get deeper into the film, we question whether he is gay or just troubled.
When Maxi's mother dies due to an unknown illness, he takes over seeing to his two brothers ad his father--all of the petty thieves. Everything seems to be working just fine until a young cop appears. Maxi becomes enamored of him and must choose between his feelings for the cop and his family. As can be expected, things get both ugly and violent.
Director Aureus Solito and screenplay writer Michiko Yamamoto give us a beautiful coming of age story. Nathan Lopez as Maximo Oliveros is a wonderful young actor and the treatment of him is unique and interesting. Whether or not he is gay is not an issue in the movie. There are elements of camp but in fair amounts and everything in the movie works because it is so well done. The filmmakers know when to pull back ad never let anything get too sensitive or emotional. Melodrama is avoided.
What the film shows us is that an effeminate boy can exist in the slums and have a peaceful existence. Even with the tremendous influence of the Roman Catholic church, the general mood of the Philippines lies somewhere between tolerance, amusement and acceptance.
The homoeroticism of the film is handled with great sensitivity. There is more a sense of hero worship between Maxi and the cop than sexuality. The people exhibit true caring rather than homophobia and there is a sense of ambiguity in the sexuality of the film and in JR Valentin's portrayal of the cop. There are scenes between the two that are highly charged and one especially that could be interpreted as pedophilia were it not so beautifully handled. The ending satisfies in every way.
Are puppy love, unrequited love, familial obligations and economic pressures necessarily gay? I don't think they are.
The streets of Manila are intriguing as photographed here as are the tensions among the principal characters. Here is a marginal family that exhibits loving and tender feelings.
Again I must cite Nathan Lopez for his performance. He has created a memorable character that will break your heart. His sensitivity, warmth and humor are astounding.
The subtlety of the film does not have the usual histrionics found in most films like this. It is the rawness and harshness of the film that stays with you.
Amazon.com
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Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this is a first-rate thriller that, like Bertolucci's The Conformist and Coppola's The Conversation, opts for character development over car chases. The place is East Berlin, the year is 1984, and it all begins with a simple surveillance assignment: Capt. Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe in a restrained, yet deeply felt performance), a Stasi officer and a specialist in this kind of thing, has been assigned to keep an eye on Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch, Black Book), a respected playwright, and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck, Mostly Martha). Though Dreyman is known to associate with the occasional dissident, like blacklisted director Albert Jerska (Volkmar Kleinert), his record is spotless. Everything changes when Wiesler discovers that Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) has an ulterior motive in spying on this seemingly upright citizen. In other words, it's personal, and Wiesler's sympathies shift from the government to its people--or at least to this one particular person. That would be risky enough, but then Wiesler uses his privileged position to affect a change in Dreyman's life. The God-like move he makes may be minor and untraceable, but it will have major consequences for all concerned, including Wiesler himself. Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck starts with a simple premise that becomes more complicated and emotionally involving as his assured debut unfolds. Though three epilogues is, arguably, two too many, The Lives of Others is always elegant, never confusing. It's class with feeling. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Beyond The Lives of Others
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Prison Break - Season Two
Lost - The Complete Second Season
Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Third Season
Desperate Housewives - The Complete Third Season
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