Rating: 
Summary: Superb!
Review: Amores Perros is arguably the finest film ever made. Gonzalez Inarritu will be hard pressed to direct anything that comes close to it again. The great thing about this film is that any Joe without knowledge of Mexico or the Spanish language can enjoy the film for its engrossing dynamic, powerful images, great acting and uniqueness....and even the most careful student of Mexico's socio-econo-political history will have hour upon hour of coffee shop debate ammunition. For example, there is the executive who leaves his wife to hook up with a super model. He buys a condo to live with his new partner (the wife & daughter remain in their chic home) but doesn't have the money to repair a hole in the hardwood floor. The seemingly insignificant hole is a catalyst for a surprising future tragedy. I interpreted this scene as commentary on the government's economic mismanagement of the 70's where they spent too much money on beautiful landmarks, universities & museums - banking on high oil prices - and after oil prices crashed where not able to renovate aging infrastructure or provide simple social services in the 80's. Whether my interpretation is accurate or not...the film gives plenty of opportunities for discourse.
Rating:
Summary: Bleak film about the Mexican mentality
Review: I highly recommend this film. It is well made and has a strong message: oppression in Mexico does not come from above now - it comes from within!
Having lived in Mexico for three years I could clearly see the message in this film. The working classes are stuck in traditional beliefs, and in the dream of a quick fix. The so called popular idols are living in a rosy illusion. The wake up is cruel. They are idols because their perfection gives ordinary people a contrast tp their own sqaulor. When you are not perfect any more you are worthless. The only ones that are not given up as hopeless are the 1968 revolutionaries. Even if they also get some kicks.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant and Ingenious Feat of Moviemaking!
Review: I rented this movie on the recommendation of a friend, and it couldn't have been more captivating, emotional, powerful, intense, or thought-provoking, even within the first few minutes. It is one of the fastest, non-stop, and deepest motion pictures (especially foreign) that I have ever seen and the title suits it perfectly. What elevates this movie above the usual straight-forward, unnecessarily violent movies we see out there today is just that: it's not straight forward (we do not know the causes of the accident until about an hour in, or even who all in all was injured) and although the dog-fighting and slashing (you'll know what i mean when you see it) violence is a little bit uncessary (ok, over the top) its there for a good reason. About the straight-forwardness: if you found ( or find ) this movie confusing, you were asleep because the director is so genius at weaving these three simple, yet almost unfamothable stories together (including the characters), you understand everything thats going on to each of them, no matter how back and forth the movie may be at times. By the time this movie is over, you'll reconsider your views about your own life, look at everything you "own" differently, and be thankful your alive because with this movie, and world, sometimes life, not just love, is a *****.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a date movie but well worth seeing....
Review: This is a movie where the dogs deserve more sympathy than the people. Each of the characters is wallowing in their own troubles so much that they don't see the troubles they cause for themselves. That being said, did I enjoy it? Yes absolutely. While the images are extremely graphic, the stories make it worthwhile. Also as a side note, this DVD has several extras (featurettes, music videos, etc.)
Rating:
Summary: Better than Y Tu Mama Tambien
Review: I taped this one day, hearing the rave reviews and didn't see it until a month later. I am so glad I saw. This had to be one of the best movies and best foreign movie I've seen in a long time. It is a bit long, but you get so involved in the three stories that it doesn't seem that long. The sexual tension and the violent dog fights help the intense stories come to life. It was so terribly real and the acting is superb especially by gael...I also saw Y Tu Mama right after I saw this having gotten the DVD a while back and I loved that movie too with all of its' liveliness. If you want to see a great movie...it could be better than Pulp Fiction...see this - the dog scenes are hard to watch but in the end, you'll wish you did.
Rating:
Summary: One of the strongest movies ever made bar none!
Review: I unfortunately missed this gem when it played in theatres, but in a way I am glad that I did as the DVD comes with an amazing production commentary track, deleted scenes, and allowed me to take out the subtitles which can be very distracting when you speak the language as you find yourself checking back and forth to check for translation "appropriateness". Back to the film itself, which was directed by a FIRST TIME director, which left me thinking that this man will be a force to reckon with. I won't go into the plots as I don't like it when reviewers give too much away, but I can safely say that this movie captures the imagination in such a way that it's making me think that Mexico is the new center of true film makers. I had not felt such a rush after seeing a movie since "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (which also is also a Mexican production and stars the appealing and expressive Gael Garcia Bernal). I don't wan't to compare the two movies as they are both magical in their own manners, but point here is that Mexico appears to be as fertile as Spain was/is when it comes to getting right. Every single peformance is masterful, the script is unique and quite rich in its scope, and the directing, ah the directing, is one of the BEST (if not the best) first efforts that I've ever seen and I would extend that perception to put this movie next to ANY the best efforts by directors in Hollywood (Spielberg, Scorcese, Oliver Stone (at one time, but I am always hoping for him to come back with a good movie) et al) and my feeling is that this movie is as "good" as any other. I hate to compare movies and choosing the "best" is a disservice to art in general, but this movie is so spectacular that it made me think of movies that I have enjoyed more or had impacted me more, and there were few I could compare it to. The title "Amores Perros" is perfect as although the movie involves love at all levels and dogs in every tale, these elements serve to bring to life three linked stories that are so different yet indicative of universal emotions. Some had called this the Mexican "Pulp Fiction" and I think that this is a disservice to two great movies. Although the narrative in "Amores Perros" is not linear and the mvies did have that in common, the three stories here could not have been told with the same visceral and emotional scope had they been shown in more conventional form. I can't wait to see this movie again, and if you speak Spanish, you are truly in for a treat, as many nuances (both in terms of dialogue and social commentary) are missed even if you not Mexican, which I am not. Watching it on DVD allows you to go back to something that you may have not heard/understood (lots of slang) or want to see again, and the joint commentary by the writer and director is truly a "bonus" and not just filler. They tell you what they had in mind and some of the challenges that they encountered in making this virtuoso film, including clarifying an extremely important plot development that was probably missunderstood due to a casting oversight which had very similar looking actors who could have been confused for one another and that was not at all the intention of the director. Ultimately the film is enriched by the commentary and the deleted scenes portion is great for any storyteller or movie fan to see in that final cut is 153 minutes (which fly by) and the deleted scenes show some of what constitutes what was initially a movie that started out being 193 minutes. To me what was extracted actually helped the movie and seeing some scenes made me see how sometimes there is such a thing as overkill or elements that are not essential to the story. This is certainly a movie for adults so keep that in mind when the buy, rent, or find some way to see it. It is a must and carries my highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Oh yeah...!!
Review: This movie kicks some serious ...!! The acting, the photography, the pace...everything about it is perfect! Yes, it is a very brutal movie, but not unneccesarily so, unlike so many other movies these days...especially, dare I say, from oh-so-perfect Hollywood - which also puts violence over the top, e.g. a person can be stabbed 86 times, and stil be standing on his feet, fighting. This movie goes a long way to describe how love - and the loss of it - can turn otherwise loving people into cynical, desperate beings that don't care about others, let alone themselves.
Watch this movie. Yes, rent it first, if you must, but just watch it. It doesn't tell you anything you don't know, but it tells it in a new and refreshingly honest way.
Rating:
Summary: "If you want to make God laugh...."
Review:
"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." This line from "Amores Perros" is one of the great movie lines of all time and it epitomizes the theme of this film. The setting is a Mexican "inner city" environment. The characters are people who, though they don't know each other, live lives that are inextricably intertwined. And the theme of the movie is the futility of making plans. Keep your eye on that ball as you watch this extremely well made, two and a half hour long film.
Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: gael gael gael
Review: after I seen y tu mama tambien I fell inlove with Gael Garcia. I seen many of his movies and he never disappoints. In this movie he is a darker character going for revenge against his brother. The other stories in this movie are good but not as good as Gael Garcia's !
Rating:
Summary: A "Deep" Movie
Review: An excellent movie! A "must have" for your collection especially if you like foreign movies like me.
|
