REVIEW: Doom (Andrzej Bartkowiak, 2005)

The phrase "roller coaster ride" has been slapped on movie previews left and right and often misused ever since it was brought about. Doom is the kind of movie that should be labeled as a roller coaster - its really a fun ride. When you're not in the middle of an exciting action sequence, you're either on the edge of your seat or you're laughing your ass off.

The art was something to see. There's some really insane set decoration on some really insane sets. Dr. Frankenst-- I mean Stan Winston's creations may not move as smoothly as they usually do here, but they look creepy enough. Weaponry was taken as no joke, either. When most of the character association you get from a video game is the look of the gun, its pretty important, and these ones don't mess around. Hell, The Rock has been toting the BFG around with him on interviews!

Music was a big factor in Doom - the entire score remeniscant of Resident Evil's now semi-infamous (is semi-infamy possible?) laser room theme.

There are plenty of expectations for this flick, as there are for all video-game flicks. And, for the hype Doom may have, it lives up to it. The source material doesn't have much storyline, but the little it did have is still present. The dark, dank, unpredictable surroundings are familiar to anyone who's played the game. And yes, the first-person shooter sequence does kick ass. The Pinky Demon (below) was extremely cool. Speaking of cheap thrills, seeing The Rock go all demonic was right up there with Pinky.

Sure, I enjoyed Doom. It was downright fun - but it is what it is, a dumb action money-maker with a built-in audience. You'll probably see it on TV in two years. It'll be interesting to see tomorrow how well it did in the box office and if anyone has written an article questioning why Rosamund Pike isn't more well known if not for her acting chops at least for her unique good looks! Yow-wow!

REVIEW: The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2004)

Set in the late 60's with a legendary soundtrack to match, Italian visual poet Bernardo Bertolucci's latest film follows the American Matthew (Michael Pitt) as he expands his horizons in a French college and through a mutual passion for film meets Isabelle (Eva Green) and her twin brother, Theo (Louis Garrel) who live in a very different, personal world. The graceful plunge into the 60's youth culture of France opens the mind to many fertile paths of thought.

Bertolucci shoots beautiful scenes with ease and re-imagines cinematic techniques at every turn. His outstanding approach to the commonly stale use of mirrors brings further uniqueness to the film.

The three lead talents come off with such realism they rarely seem to be acting at all. This is a highly memorable feature debut for both Green and Garrel.

I loved the insertions of scenes from older films such as Breathless and Freaks. Inspired by the characters' love and frequent immitation of film, these cut-aways also serve as a great offset to the movie's storyline, making it seem even more realistic when paralleled with the classic images.

The Dreamers is an enchanting piece that explores a rare route in life, and entertains the idea that an adoration of movies creates a voyeuristic audience that feels deprived of physical senses. Highly recommended.