|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Awful! May 25, 2008
I can't tell you why without revealing a crucial plot twist; however, I can say that everything leading up to the climax suddenly depends on things just happening to work out right. The success of a very intricate plan suddenly becomes dependent on numerous chances that the writer & director must have thought made the plot event more clever. Wrong.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
An Unintentionally Good Film about the "Far-Right" Mar 31, 2008
Everyone have seen "American History X", which "realistically" portrays what I imagine American screenwriters must think life is like for so-called "Extreme Right-wingers", but while that was a feast of Semitical Correctness gone wild, this particular film is actually quite good. The story centres around a college professor, Michael Faraday played by Jeff Bridges, teaching, among other things, a class on "domestic terrorism". Faraday has recently lost his FBI-wife in an incident involving one of the many "militia groups", but where the blame was squarely on the side of the FBI. Hence, he is a bitter man, bearing a grudge against the FBI, but trying to live his life as normal, for the sake of his lonely nine year old son.
After saving the life of the neighbours' son, (the Lang's) he befriends them, and within their family his isolated son finds a new friend in the Lang's son. Eventually, he grows suspicious of his neighbour (Oliver Lang played by Tim Robbins) and his past, and starts to suspect he is in fact a member of the "Far Right" and is plotting an attack on the Federal Government. But unlike most films from the hands of Hollywood, these "extremists" are actually portrayed as normal people with a just cause, not the drooling maniacs we're usually served in every second film, so to speak. As Faraday says himself in one of his classes, most people in American history of any note would today be labelled "terrorists", and would certainly have taken up arms a long time ago, if they were alive today.
Unlike the ending of American History X, which was completely defeatist and meaningless, this one actually ends well for the good people. Sometimes you wonder how a film such as this made it through censorship, but I guess they think we should feel all "horrified" at the idea of someone actually having faith in God, higher causes and wanting to change the future for something better. Well, they failed.
Recommended. 4 stars.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Intense But Disappointing Movie Mar 29, 2008
This movie keeps the tension fairly high throughout, but the final half-hour gets unrealistically wacky. Although the very surprising ending is dramatic and then.. well, you may find it terriboy unsatisfying. But, I think the whole movie was overdone. I think the actors acted like they were on steroids, especially Jeff Bridges. At the end, you see why they had him acting so hyper, but still, it wasn't realistic. Also, there was more than a whiff of political B.S. -- as you might expect from any movie Tim Robbins is in -- particularly when it comes to painting the FBI as bad guys and the fanatics as right-wingers. This is one of those movies you'll forget about ten minutes after it ends.
 Sugar Coated Punch Feb 23, 2008
Although I rented this movie a while back, I still rememeber most of
the "action". You see, there was once a song, and a line from that song
says, "paranoia strikes deep, into your life it will creep." Well, the
Jeff Bridges character (who teaches terrorism at the local college) starts
wondering about his neighbors. Tim Robbins just happens to be that neighbor. nuff said?
First half of movie drags, but it sets up the second half nicely.
Second half, keep an eye on your neighbor. But, the ending is what is
most dramatic of the whole effort. The ending is what keeps you thinking,
wondering, and instills in us a sense of paranoia that will keep
neighborhoods on their toes for a long time. If you trust your
neighbors, then it's a bad movie. But if there is the slightest doubt,
by all means, an excellent show.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
You never see it coming! Dec 29, 2007
this is a movie you never see coming. It is awesome and everyone should watch it!
|
| | |
