Reviews by SJMJ91

I think this has to be one of the greatest psychological thrillers out there. I wouldn't call this film a horror because it isn't scary. It is just a tense thrill ride with a lot of suspenseful moments where, when, who, how and what he kills people. Yes, Patrick Bateman is a very horrifying character indeed which is where I can't really describe what sort of character he is similar to let alone what type of character he actually is. This is revealed towards the end of the film (not saying what happens because I'm not a spoiler teller). Some would refer this as a horror film because it is a guy who treats killing people at night like a hobby and is like the present generation of film of Norman Bates. This is a film that a lot of people would be scared of because of the thrilling suspense that went on. I felt the suspense really hard but it didn't exactly terrify me. I could tell that this film was going to be a psychological thriller because you only have to notice the title of the film t o notice. Especially with the word "Psycho" in it. That shouldn't put you off it. It is definitely worth seeing.


Christian Bale delivers one of the most terrifying performances that I have ever laid my eyes on. I have always been used to seeing Christian as a man that is a hero or a manipulating villain but never a psycho. Bale has always been a heart-throb and probably always will be. That is one of the main reasons where I think he fits almost perfectly into Patrick Bateman's character. He is a guy who even prostitutes can fall for but can be fooled by aswell because sex is his intention with them but something more serious is his ambition aswell. He is two-faced!! He acts like those monsters on horror movies where you are nice on one part of the day but a complete cold-blooded killer on the evening. One thing that puzzled me a bit about the way Bateman was killing his victims was that his house was always white and very bright. I mean, how does he get away with it? That's the question and there are questions aswell about whether he killed those people or not at all. I think that Patrick Bateman is seriously one of the best and most powerful film villains of all time. He is a very destructive and impactful character who doesn't care who or how he kills as long as it is enjoyable for him which is what is so sick about his character.


I found the direction in American Psycho quite similar to the way Stanley Kubrick directed The Shining because of the eerie, very different and slow camera angles. In a slight way, it takes a lot of the direction from The Shining but in a good way. The script was really well adapted together because it wanted to focus on the character Patrick Bateman and wanted to show that he is really sick in the head and what he is capable of. Again, that is like The Shining. It was so gruesome and very psychotic because of how Bateman killed his victims. He killed two prostitutes with a chainsaw while he was naked and having sex with them. It shows that nobody can be trusted and nobody knows what is inside a person's true intentions are for someone. The reality of that was because it needed a bit of notification from the audience because it was obvious that he was going to kill someone but doesn't know how. Personally, I found that Patrick Bateman was in a fighting relationship with himself because it was like a split personality. He was really good at his work but then he was killing innocent people every night. One thing that confuses me is that he sometimes spares people but then kills someone else. It is just a bizarre film. I personally believe all of the kills are fantasies inside his head.


I have to say that this is one of the single most terrifying films of all time let alone one of the most terrifying characters and one of the best villains of all time too. I loved Christian Bale in this one! Prefer him in The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and The Prestige. I wouldn't call American Psycho a masterpiece but I would call it a film that does deserve to be watched and can thrill everybody in the same way.

American History X is one of the most heart racing and gut retching films that I have ever seen. It is a film tat a lot of people love because it is just so cool and also because people may just the general plot of the film. It is also one of those films that a lot of people hate aswel because it is an extremely disturbing film with a lot of violence, aggressive characters and extremely disturbing plot too. When I first saw American History X I didnt like it at all because I thought that it was way too violent and quite ridiculous characters at first so it just wasnt quite my type of film at that time until I saw it again and gave it another try. When I did watch it again, I thought to myself: why did I think that this film was crap? It is a film that is sort of appeared as a cult film. Other films like that are Fight Club, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption and The Usual Suspects.


Edward Norton delivers an absolutely awesome performance as Derek Vinyard. His performance is extremely powerful and a very cult character which sort of leads to his character in Fight Club. I do think that this is Nortons best performance by far but I do still really like him in Fight Club and The Incredible Hulk. I also thought that he was a sort of tortured soul because he regretted what he did, what he suffered in prison and also tat he wants to try his best to help his brother from going down the same bad way he did. He deserved an Oscar nomination but not to win though. I heard that Derek Vinyard was a real person but I dont really believe that. I really liked Edward Furlong too as Danny Vinyard. Both the performance and the character sort of reminds me of Shaun from This Is England even though I havent seen that yet. Mostly because they are both young, both bald and both are going through a hard time with crime. I thought that Edward Furlong made Danny Vinyard in a very slight way quite a fearful young character to come against because he hangs around with the wrong people and they cause trouble everywhere. I think that he should have been a close nominee for Best Supporting Actor. I also really liked Beverly D Angelo too as Doris Vinyard because she acts like a typical close relative who cares for her sons and what their fate could be. Also, because she makes a really good impression of a supporting character in a film like this.


I thought the direction was quite good especially when there were the flashbacks of the film when it went black and white and there were slow-motion visual effects too. The screenplay was descent too because of the type of film. It is mostly a typical cult script which makes it quite similar compared to Fight Club and Eastern Promises. The chemistry between Derek Vinyard and Danny Vinyard is very tense indeed because the audience dont know who either character are going to react when they reveal about what they might have done before. It is also very emotional because Derek really tries to persuade Danny that it really is bad but Danny probably thinks it isnt that bad because Derek did it. It is like a complete clash but emotionally more than anything else. This film had one of the most effective and shocking twists at the end of a film that I have ever seen. It is a twist that will make you keep your mouth open until the very end of the film because of the complete shock and unexpected event that occurs.


As I said, I was told that Derek Vinyard was apparantly real-life person but I dont think he is because it would be stated as a biography film and it would also be a film that would have ending credits with what happened to Derek afterwards. I personally think that this is one of those films that the director didnt earn very much credit for his work on this absolutely awesome film. As I have already said, this is my favourite Edward Norton acting performance but I enjoyed Fight Club more. This film truly had one of the most powerful endings in the history of cinema and at the same time, it tries to send a message. It had a very powerful beginning too. The only think that disappointed me was that this film was quite slow and it didnt adapt together quick enough only until it was on for about 30 minutes. Apart from that tiny flaw, this is an absolutely awesome film that needs a lot of credit for its awesome qualities.

When I first heard about this film, I was unsure what I would make of this film because I had mixed opinions that this film is a real music film but I don't think it is at all really. It does feature about a music rock band but really I don't think there was much music involved. It was more drama which is what I really liked about this film. It does seem a bit like a teenfilm when you see a clip of the film or the poster but it isn't at all. The adventure and characters may seem that way but the story and how well it is filmed doesn't make it like that at all. It is a story about quite a lot of different things in life. Things like moving from home and starting to live your own life and doing whatever you like, meeting new people in and from different areas and also how much a mother loves their child and how it can affect them if they are nsure or don't know whether their child i safe or not. I find this film underrated because I find it not to be as common as it should be.


Billy Crudup is really good as Russell Hammond. He acts like a friend who just goes ahead and does his own thing. He acts a tiny bit like Tyler Durden from Fight Club because he is a person who forced his "friend" to do something he is unsure of and he acts really cool to be able to do that. Frances McDormand still hasn't disappointed me yet. Her performance as Elaine Miller revolutionises about what a caring and loving mother is really like. Also, it shows the over-protective side to a parent. Kate Hudson's performance was awesome as Penny Lane. Penny is the leader of a group called "Band Aidies" who hang around with rock stars. She is a very mysterious character to me because she acts like a prostitute and a thief. She sort of messes with William's mind let alone her own head with the drugs. I sort of liked Patrick Fugit as William Miller. He has that cute touch for the character. I could easily tell that Patrick was a rookie actor. So gonna let him off with this film.


Cameron Crowe's directing was very adventurous and experiencing to different aspects of cinema and of life. The script was really clever because it seems a bit like a hard-thinking adapted story but it is a very original script like Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. They are original in their own ways.


I liked Frances McDormand in this film but can't beat her performance in Fargo. Kate Hudson hasn't been in many films at all but this is my favourite from her so far. One of the best films of 2000. A film that does deserve to be watched on a regular basis. Really good film that truly is worth seeing.

Adaptation is another unusual and deep story that is hilarious and dramatic when it comes to twists and effective consequences. Adaptation is a film that is rather bright and funny regarding flowers and other plants but is very weird because of the way this film is filmed and produced. The story attracted my attention the most as well as the unbelievable ensemble cast. I loved this film a lot because of its original story and it's really beautiful sets of characters. Adaptation is a film that some people might not appreciate because of its very unusual story but some people may love because it is beautiful, creative and clever just like Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich. Adaptation is a film that is absolutely brilliant for comedy, drama and romance. This film does have an unexpected twist that I was rather gobsmacked at so to speak. The cast is really good that features some extremely talented actors.


Nicolas Cage delivers the best performance of the decade at the moment and in my opinion the best performance of his career as both Donald and Charlie Kaufman. Charlie Kaufman is a screenwriter going through melancholic depression and writer's block who is hired to write a script for The Orchid Thief. He is afraid to kiss his girlfriend Amelia. Charlie has failed romances with Susan, Valerie and Alice the Waitress. Donald Kaufman is Charlie's obnoxious yet optimistic brother. Donald has failed at various get-rich-quick-schemes in the past and decides to become a screenwriter like Charlie, whom he looks up to and helps when asked. Donald visits the seminars of Robert McKee and writes a cliché psychological thriller spec script titled The 3. Marty sells the script to a studio and Donald is set to be a millionaire before he's killed in the climax. Both of their characters are based on the director of this film and his brother. Nicolas Cage portrayed both men perfectly because we obviously knew Nicolas Cage was both but it was rather clever how he created two different personalities. It is like Nicolas Cage has now got a split personality in this film like Norman Bates but not in a psychological way. Cage actually surprised me because be made both twin brothers very realistic characters even though they were both him. Chris Cooper was awesome which surprised me even more because Cooper is an actor who isn't really one of the best actors of all time. He's more like one of those actors who just fills a space in the cast of a film. His performance as John Laroche was absolutely incredible. Laroche is an eccentric orchid poacher working for the local Seminole Indian tribe. Laroche considers himself "the smartest man I know" and has a unique knowledge of Charles Darwin, fossils and flowers. He lost his front teeth after a car accident wherein his mother and uncle were killed. His ex-wife divorced him after waking up from a coma. Laroche also ran a successful porn website before being killed by an alligator. Meryl Streep's performance was incredible as well as Susan Orlean. Personally I believe Adaptation to be one of Meryl Streep's best films. Susan is a journalist and author from The New Yorker. She is fascinated by Laroche's trial in Florida and intends to write a piece about it. She becomes romantically involved with Laroche. Other actors such as Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Judy Greer add more quality to this masterpiece.


Spike Jonze has created another masterpiece after Being John Malkovich. It is another film that people wouldn't appreciate because of its weirdness but would love because of its originality and beautiful design and creativity of the film. Jonze and Kaufman are my favourite director-screenwriter collaborators.


Charlie Kaufman is my favourite screenwriter and the way he writes his films are the main reason why I love his work a lot. Adaptation is an absolutely outstanding masterpiece that I absolutely love. It is the best performance from Chris Cooper and Nicolas Cage. It isn't my favourite Meryl Streep film nor Spike Jonze. My favourite Spike Jonze film is still Being John Malkovich. Adaptation is definitely a close favourite on one of the best films of 2002 and one of my favourite films of all time too. Overall, Adaptation is a really bizarre story but it flows in a clever, exciting, shocking and creative way.

A Room For Romeo Brass is a good yet flawed film. It is a very firm and interesting story but there were some things in it that were a bit off about it. First the good things were that it was a very personal, affectionate and depressing story that would get you focused on it throughout the whole film. There was a lot of swearing involved but that was a big thing in this film. If there was hardly any it would be a lame film. It would fit with the story. I will give this film credit for being an extremely underrated film that should be watched but on the other hand there were some things that slightly disappointed me. It was mostly because the ending was very flat and I thought there would be more severe consequences but there wasn't all really which left me very slightly disappointed much to a friend of mine's dismay!


Andrew Shim was absolutely fantastic as Romeo Brass. He is a very troubled young man who hasn't had a very good childhood because of his parents seperation and how his father treated the family. Because of this, Romeo turned out to be a very rude and arrogant boy. Paddy Considine delivers a very powerful performance as Morell that was very threatening and dangerous to be around. Considine is an actor who has received praise in only a few of the films he's done. This and Hot Fuzz are his most famous works in my opinion. I did like Considine in The Bourne Ultimatum despite he wasn't in it for a great amount of time. Morell is a man who becomes close friends with young boys Romeo and Gavin after he rescues Romeo from a couple of boys who were beating him up. Morell then starts to turn to Romeo's older sister Ladine who he has "feelings" for. He becomes very obsessed with her and her brother Romeo and his best friend Gavin. I could tell by this because he was around them all the time and wouldn't leave them a moment's peace.


Shane Meadows is a brilliant director. I loved his work on This Is England and I liked his work in this one too. A Room For Romeo Brass is a film that is deeply personal and can be quite hard to watch on occasions. It is more of a drama than a crime film whereas This Is England is more of a crime film than a drama even though that had drama within it.


I do still think Paddy's best performance is Hot Fuzz. Shane Meadows best film is still This Is England. I did love that one a lot! A Room For Romeo Brass is a good film that I enjoyed watching but didn't love. There were some things that I thought were a bit off about this film but apart from that it was a good film that I am glad I watched.

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't really see what was so good about this film because I thought that there were some scenes in this film that were sort of inappropriate and was really slow and really boring. I didn't really like the story because it was just a story that was obviously emotional but was a story that I didn't even have a clue what was going on. The only thing I actually knew was that Hominy lived with Bobby and Lawson and they both were good friends with Hominy's mother. I thought the story was quite boring and was pretty much a dull story to watch. I couldn't really feel anything personal in this film but there were some scenes in this film that I actually lived.


Scarlett Johansson delivers a good performance as Purslane Hominy Will because she really looked like a gorgeous young woman who is troubled by her past. It is a character that makes Scarlett Johansson look like a young school student because that is what her character is and also because Scarlett was only 19 or 20 when this film came out. I dont think she was quite good enough for a Golden Globe nomination in which she actually got. I didn't really like John Travolta in this film because he made Bobby Long like a bizarrely nice looking old man even though Bobby Long is supposed to be a complete greaser and a complete grumpy old man. But I did think that John Travolta did look funny with white hair.


I wasn't really impressed with the direction from Shainee Gabel because I felt like he/she didn't even try and make something out of this film. However, this film was well written. The script was like almost flawless but there were some lines that were said in the wrong scenes but sounded quite good. Scarlett Johansson has always been good at portraying young troubled characters. She was a sort of troubled and stressed out character in Lost In Translation and the same with Woody Allen's Match Point. John Travolta's character was really greasy sort of character but I feel that it was very similar to the older version of Danny Zuko in Grease who is also portrayed by John Travolta but is obviously a lot older because John Travolta was Danny almost 30 years before he portrayed Bobby Long. This film was just really disappointing for me because of the extremely slow and confusing dialogue and also I didnt really like the characters within the film. But it was well written and the acting was descent.


This is my least favourite Scarlett Johansson film but isnt my least favourite John Travolta film. He is worst in Face Off, Ladder 49 and Hairspray. Wasnt really impressed with it but I have seen a lot worst films though.

A Life Less Ordinary is an absolutely brilliant film to watch. It is a very psychological story because of the kidnappings and of the very difficult and complex relationships between the characters. It is a very tense thriller that has a few scenes of action involved especially in the scenes with the cars and the chases.


It is really odd that there is a kidnapping going on and the kidnapper and victim fall in love. I have heard that is something called Stockholm Syndrome from a James Bond movie. Ewan McGregor is one fantastic actor and he has proven it once again especially in his third collaboration with Danny Boyle. I find his collaboration with Boyle extremely underrated. He plays a cleaning man called Robert Lewis. He becomes a bit twisted after he was fired by his boss and replaced by a robot. He becomes twisted into kidnapping his boss's daughter hostage. It is a very heart racing story because of what his fate is going to be. Cameron Diaz was absolutely brilliant as Celine Naville. She was a really irresistable, hot and sexy young woman who seems to be a very dominate character to start with but then becomes soft and quite nice. Holly Hunter was a really good psychopath in this film. I think this is the first time I've seen her play a normal character who talks in a live-action film.


Danny Boyle makes this a bit like a psychological thriller like Trainspotting but wasn't as good as that one. Boyle has directed a very suspensful story that is a real thrill ride. The script was really good. What I loved the most about this film was that it was very original and was filmed in that sort of way.


I have now seen all of Danny Boyle's films and I am pleased to say that he hasn't failed me once. I enjoyed this more than Millions and The Beach but not as much as Sunshine, Shallow Grave, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later and especially Trainspotting. A Life Less Ordinary is a very exciting, intense and adventurous romantic-thriller that I could recommend to everyone.

This film was a great start to Cint Eastwoods spaghetti western trilogy. I thought that this film was a really deadly one. This is the first film in my opinion that made Clint Eastwood famous. It was the absolutely fantastic setting and the amazing costume design that made me feel really good about this film. It was the scenes and it was the reality of the characters too.


The acting was absolutely fantastic from Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name. I find that the Man With Not Name character isnt just really deadly and cool but he is a character that I find a really amusing character. Most of the characters in this film appear in The Good, The Bad And The Ugly which is the third and final of the trilogy.


The direction from Sergio Leone was an awesome start to a great trilogy. I find that Leone tries to adapt these three westerns into a film that Akira Kurosawa would do. His direction made the Man With No Name a true badass. I was impressed with the written screenplay too. It really makes it like a real kick ass and bad ass film. The thing that sort of disappointed me was that I dont think it was as action packed as I was hoping it would be.


This is not the best of the Spaghetti trilogy and is not the best of Clint Eastwood (as an actor). I liked this film but I do think that The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is a better film. That is the best western film ever made. I havent seen For A Few Dollars More yet which is the second in the trilogy so will find out whether it is better than A Fistful Of Dollars. This film is a good start to a great trilogy of epic western films and for one of the coolest film characters of all time.

Wow!! This is an absolutely fantastic masterpiece from such a legendary director. 8 ½ is one of the weirdest films ever but I have seen weirder ones though. 8 ½ is a beautifully filmed story with very mixed feelings. It is a very dark story that is even psychological on occasions especially of what Guido goes into with the visions and fantasies he has. It is like a dark film-noir film but it isn't one though. I really enjoyed this film mostly because of its filming and the way it was written and produced. I got a bit confused at times but I did really enjoy it.


Marcello Mastrianni's performance as Guido was really good. Guido is suffering from "director's block". I thought to myself when I was watching it: "what the hell?" I read on another site that it is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity. Guido is a pretty psychological character who can be quite dangerous. The way Guido wants to make his films are like how Fellini directs this own.


I loved Fellini's approach to this film because it is a film that is inside his imagination. He uses a different director's name instead of his own name. Fellini's 8 ½ is Burton's Edward Scissorhands. Federico Fellini is a genius of creating films of art. I think this is the one Fellini film that shows this in the best way. The dialogue regarding filmmaking and the way Guido wants to make the films and also of the dark cinematography reminds me a lot of Tim Burton's Ed Wood.


This is the second Federico Fellini film that I have watched. It is an absolute masterpiece that I did underestimate at the start because of its complex dialogue. I will be watching more Fellini films in the future and it will be a tough challenge for any other to beat 8 ½. La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and Le Notti Di Cabiria are ones that could be. This is probably one of the best films that I've seen with the best art within. 8 ½ is one of the best films of the 1960s and is one of the finest cinematic achievements in the history of cinema.

28 Days Later is one of the rare horror films that are absolute masterpieces that are really clever and really well filmed. 28 Days Later is a film that left me freaked out but blown away by it at the same time which is something Saw did as well. 28 Days Later was a very tense post-apocalyptic film of the future in the science fiction world that almost went beyond amazing. It is a very silly story but it is a story that is so gripping and exciting that makes it so good and a great success. This film probably introduced films like Shaun Of The Dead and especially I Am Legend. They both seemed like spoofs to 28 Days Later even though Shaun Of The Dead is a spoof anyway. It is a very gory film but it isn't the most gory film that I've ever watched. I personally believe that 28 Days Later, Shaun Of The Dead and Saw are the only brilliant and smart horror films. The gore involved looked animated at the beginning which what I thought was a bit daft. It was such clever filmmaking from such an absolutely fantastic director with a taste at creating brilliant films in all genres. Danny Boyle's work in 28 Days Later probably became an inspiration to Edgar Wright for Shaun Of The Dead. 28 Days Later is a very dark story obviously but is beautifully filmed because it was all so realistic even though we all know it isn't. This is one of the most films along with the first Saw that is probably loved by all horror fans.


Cillian Murphy is starting to make a good collaboration with Danny Boyle. His collaboration with him in 28 Days Later is better than in Sunshine even though that is still a brilliant film as well. Murphy is starting to look good in science fiction films which includes Batman Begins and cameo appearance in The Dark Knight as well as 28 Days Later and Sunshine. It makes him a brilliant choice for the science fiction genre. Naomie Harris was good as Selena as well. I didn't realise that she was in this film especially after portraying Tia Dalma in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and At World's End. It is a very tense thrill ride that you need to be in the mood to watch. It is probably a Saturday evening sort of film. I don't think it's a film that can give you nightmares but I think it will freak people out and blow people away at the same time. 28 Days Later has pretty much everything a horror film must have to succeed. It is a masterpiece of its genre and I am glad to say that. Every second of this film was very enjoyable even though there were some silent moments in the film where nobody could speak or where you couldn't hear a sound. I loved this film from start to finish! It is a very hard-hitting, scary, tense and with action-packed violence within which is something that I love in a lot of films.


28 Days Later is another great work from Danny Boyle but 28 Days Later doesn't beat Trainspotting. 28 Days Later is without a doubt one of my favourite horror films. The Shining, Saw and 28 Days Later are my ultimate horror films even though horror is my least favourite genre.