buttercupjacob
Joined Feb 2010
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Reviews9
buttercupjacob's rating
August Rush is not a horrible movie, but it is not a very good one either. The script is downright embarrassing at times and the acting leaves something to be desired.
The Good:
-Cinematography is often gorgeous.
-The Father's band sounds like a real Irish/Scottish rock group
-Pretty Good Performance by Robin Williams
The Bad:
-Acting from the three lead roles verges on cringe worthy at points.
-INCREDIBLY UNREALISTIC
-Script with awkward phrases
-Bullying scene at the orphanage is horribly acted and very cliché
-Emotional intensity is drawn away completely by bad acting and lackluster script.
-Too polished for the feel I think it was going for.
The Good:
-Cinematography is often gorgeous.
-The Father's band sounds like a real Irish/Scottish rock group
-Pretty Good Performance by Robin Williams
The Bad:
-Acting from the three lead roles verges on cringe worthy at points.
-INCREDIBLY UNREALISTIC
-Script with awkward phrases
-Bullying scene at the orphanage is horribly acted and very cliché
-Emotional intensity is drawn away completely by bad acting and lackluster script.
-Too polished for the feel I think it was going for.
The Wackness does not have a particularly inventive plot. It does not feature any exciting special effect, but what this movie does have is a whole lot of heart, and two stellar performances to illuminate that.
A lonely dope dealer is not the first person you would expect to sympathize with. Nor is a drug addicted psychologist, completely ignorant to his own advice, but through the portrayals of these characters by a couple of talented actors, and a brilliant script, I found myself feeling deeply for each of these men.
Luke Shapiro was one of the most well crafted characters to grace the screen in ages. He is lonely, and very well meaning but also very rough around the edges. I am a HUGE fan of Josh peck, I thought he played comedy very well in the children's sketch comedy series The Amanda Show. I thought he was very charismatic as the geeky chubby kid in Drake and Josh. Also, his performance as George the bully in the incredible movie Mean Creek is one of my favorites. The way he brings Luke to life is great and shows his acting versatility. I felt with Luke as he had his heart ripped into. I felt his anger as he watched his household falling apart.
Dr. Squires is a bit harder to feel for, as he is ignorant, unfaithful, and immature, but through his deep friendship with Luke, you begin to love him as well.
Now for the big one, the soundtrack. The story could have taken place at any point in time, for it is a fairly basic and universal tale, but he chose the mid eighties, highlighting the uprising of rap and hip hop music through Luke's mixed tapes, perfectly complimenting the setting and situations.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of cinema. While not bringing anything new to the table, so to speak, it is executed with great heart and emotion. I loved The Wackness!
A lonely dope dealer is not the first person you would expect to sympathize with. Nor is a drug addicted psychologist, completely ignorant to his own advice, but through the portrayals of these characters by a couple of talented actors, and a brilliant script, I found myself feeling deeply for each of these men.
Luke Shapiro was one of the most well crafted characters to grace the screen in ages. He is lonely, and very well meaning but also very rough around the edges. I am a HUGE fan of Josh peck, I thought he played comedy very well in the children's sketch comedy series The Amanda Show. I thought he was very charismatic as the geeky chubby kid in Drake and Josh. Also, his performance as George the bully in the incredible movie Mean Creek is one of my favorites. The way he brings Luke to life is great and shows his acting versatility. I felt with Luke as he had his heart ripped into. I felt his anger as he watched his household falling apart.
Dr. Squires is a bit harder to feel for, as he is ignorant, unfaithful, and immature, but through his deep friendship with Luke, you begin to love him as well.
Now for the big one, the soundtrack. The story could have taken place at any point in time, for it is a fairly basic and universal tale, but he chose the mid eighties, highlighting the uprising of rap and hip hop music through Luke's mixed tapes, perfectly complimenting the setting and situations.
Overall, I think this is a great piece of cinema. While not bringing anything new to the table, so to speak, it is executed with great heart and emotion. I loved The Wackness!
Before you read this, don't misunderstand me, Inception was a solid movie. Far above average. The only thing I believe made it a disappointment was the fact that it was a Christopher Nolan film, and definitely NOT his best. It doesn't hold a candle to the intensity, complexity and intelligence of Memento. It didn't achieve the strong style and shocking brilliance of either Batman Begins or The Dark Knight. It didn't establish the sense of wonder that the Prestige left the viewer feeling.
Inception had an incredible concept. One that I believe could have set the base for Christopher Nolan's most impressive film to date, but he took this concept and threw 180 million dollars into special effects rather than a solid story and really Grade A acting. Now DiCaprio's performance in Inception was excellent but most of the accompanying actors were average action flick performances. Which was a disappointment because in Nolan's greater films, he usually puts the acting of the side characters before the lead (Memento: Teddy. TDK: The Joker).
I feel like Chris Nolan got wrapped in by Hollywood and decided to make an action film with a psychological plot, than a psychological thriller with some action sequences. Not his most intelligent, or captivating film to date, but still worth the price of admission.
Inception had an incredible concept. One that I believe could have set the base for Christopher Nolan's most impressive film to date, but he took this concept and threw 180 million dollars into special effects rather than a solid story and really Grade A acting. Now DiCaprio's performance in Inception was excellent but most of the accompanying actors were average action flick performances. Which was a disappointment because in Nolan's greater films, he usually puts the acting of the side characters before the lead (Memento: Teddy. TDK: The Joker).
I feel like Chris Nolan got wrapped in by Hollywood and decided to make an action film with a psychological plot, than a psychological thriller with some action sequences. Not his most intelligent, or captivating film to date, but still worth the price of admission.