This week's Movie review......

[ben]

While I wanted the ending to be the other way around too, I still like how it was done. A fresh start for someone. A big realization. I especially loved it when they did a flashback of having a police officer referring to the expelled cadet, saying "Who want's to take his place." and the surviving spy said "I would."

[Nummie]

I've seen Infernal Affairs 1, 2 and 3.
They are all good but I liked the second one the most.. although the first one has higher ratings on IMDB. The last one has pretty low ratings but it's not that bad.

That Hollywood covers foreign movies is all they do.. Nikita, Taxi, Infernal Affairs, The Grudge, The Eye, The Ring, Vanilla Sky, City of Angels...
and even My Sassy Girl and Oldboy!! movies that should not ever be remade.
Subtitles aren't so bad, I know that literacy is lower in the states but when you get used to it it should not be a problem...

The Departed will be the name of the US version of Infernal Affairs, director: Martin Scorsese. Release: arround August 2006.

[ben]

Just finished the Internal Affairs trilogy. Probably one of the best trilogy I've watched. While I loved the 1st one best, I feel that it is just a wee bit better than the other 2.

@Nummie, you forgot to mention about the Korean "Il Mare". Hollywood got Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock for it.

[Ang Mo]

I finished watching Islands in the Stream starring George C. Scott. Outstanding film based on a Hemmingway Novel. Very sad, but very well done.

[Ang Mo]

Watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It was better then the third movie but not as good as the first two in my opinion. It is action packed and amusing at the same time.

[ben]

Just saw Jody Foster's Flightplan. It was quite exciting but wait... can you really bank on a mother's desperation as a plan for hijacking a plane? Shrugged. For what's it worth, I did enjoy the film.

[Jade]

That's interesting, Ang Mo. As a fan of the Harry Potter books I actually thought the 3rd movie was the best, followed by this latest one, then the other two. They always have to cut stuff out, but I didn't like the first two movies precisely because I felt they tried so hard to jam everything in directly from the books that it felt at once too predictably close to the books for the scenes they kept in and yet too disjointed for those they left out.

I breathed a hugh sigh of relief when they actually took liberties with the 3rd film. Even though it deviates from the book quite a bit, it's actually the one that felt like the most coherent film to me.

But it's all a matter of taste, of course.

[Tormented]

That's interesting, Ang Mo. As a fan of the Harry Potter books I actually thought the 3rd movie was the best, followed by this latest one, then the other two. They always have to cut stuff out, but I didn't like the first two movies precisely because I felt they tried so hard to jam everything in directly from the books that it felt at once too predictably close to the books for the scenes they kept in and yet too disjointed for those they left out.

I breathed a hugh sigh of relief when they actually took liberties with the 3rd film. Even though it deviates from the book quite a bit, it's actually the one that felt like the most coherent film to me.

But it's all a matter of taste, of course.

I actually agree with what you're saying. 3rd and 4th are my favorite (movies), but as far as the books go, I prefer the 1st and 2nd ones.

[Ang Mo]

I would still go with the first two as the best, then the fourth, and the third last. I thought Richard Harris played the lead wizard the best. After his death, the new guy that replaced him seemed kind of lame. They should have cast Peter O'Toole in that role.

[ben]

Question... did Gandalf the Grey went to the same school as Harry Potter?

[Scot]

After his death, the new guy that replaced him seemed kind of lame. They should have cast Peter O'Toole in that role.

Agreed - I much prefer the original Gandalf. And yes, Ben, AFAIK, he
did attend Hogwart's in his day.

s
edited: OOps- did I say Gandalf? Heehe. I meant Dumbledore. :>

[Jade]

To be honest, I didn't really care much for Richard Harris's portrayal of Dumbledore in the first two films because he felt too frail to me. I always envisioned Dumbledore as still being rather spry and feisty despite his old age. In retrospect, sadly, it is possible that the frailty I perceived in the portrayal might have been reflective of the fact that those were actually the last few years of Harris's life.

Michael Gambon I kind of liked in the 3rd film because he was a little more lively and wacky, which Dumbledore is as well. But in the 4th film I felt the interpretation was really off. Gambon made it seem like Dumbledore was cracking under pressure and brooding, which is not the sense I got from the books at all.

Trivia: Dumbledore did attend Hogwarts in his day. He was a Gryffindor like Harry. Prior to being Headmaster he was the Transfiguration teacher, the position which Professor McGonagall (played by Maggie Smith) now holds.

[ben]

LOL scot, looks like you did fall into my trap.
Gandalf was from Lord of the Rings, was just jesting about him being an alumnus of Hogwart.

[Ang Mo]

The new Dumbldore has the personality of a roof shingle I think. Richard Harris gave charisma to the role. I think Peter O'Toole would really liven the character up again.

[Scot]

LOL scot, looks like you did fall into my trap.

Drats! Foiled again!

s