My Review: Ben Hur (10/10)

¨Where there is greatness, great government or power, even great feeling or compassion, error also is great. We progress and mature by fault. But Rome has said she is ready to join your life to hers in a great future. ¨

I finally got around watching this classic film and I can say with absolute certainty that it doesn`t age at all. It has been over 50 years since William Wyler directed this award winning epic and the movie is still stunning. Ben Hur is the film with most Oscars (tied with Titanic and The Lord of the Rings with 11 a piece). It was Wyler`s third Oscar for best direction, he won for The Best Years of our Lives and Mrs. Miniver, but everyone remembers him for his masterpiece: Ben Hur. Wyler`s film was actually a remake of a 1925 film of the same name and was also based on General Lew Wallace`s novel. It is hard to envision how Wyler was able to make such a masterpiece without the help of computer generated effects. These scenes were brilliantly shot and the effects were great, for example the chariot race was breathtaking and very well choreographed. Ben Hur won all the technical awards along with best actor for Charlton Heston and supporting actor for Hugh Griffith. The only award it didn`t win that it was nominated for was for best adapted screenplay which was written by Karl Tunberg, although several other people were involved and didn`t get the credit for it. This epic movie is three and a half hours long, but time goes by so fast that it never drags. The story is so rich and powerful and the visuals were so amazing that Ben Hur became an instant success and a classic, and it is a movie we can still enjoy now fifty years later.

The story takes place during the first century in Judea, during the time of the Christ. Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy prince of his land, but Judea is under the Roman Empire. It is an unstable time because there are many talks of rebelion and the jews don`t want to pay taxes to Caesar who has to send more Roman soldiers in order to bring order to the chaotic area. Caesar sends a new tribune named Messala (Stephen Boyd) to Judea, who once lived there when he was a boy and was good friends with Judah and his family. The two men are very glad to see each other at first, but later Judah realizes that Messala is a changed man who wants Judah to betray his people and tell him who the rebels are. Judah doesn`t help Messala and the two men go their seperate ways. A few days later the Romans are parading over the city and as they pass Judah`s house, his sister leans over the roof and one of the tiles accidently falls over injuring a Roman Governor. Judah, his mother, and sister are taken prisoners by Messala who sends him to the galleys as a slave and locks Miriam (Martha Scott) and Tirzah (Cathy O`Donnell) in the cell. Judah keeps alive hoping to some day return and avenge his cause. In the galleys he meets centurion Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) and in battle saves his life. During Judah`s epic journey he runs into interesting characters such as Jesus of Nazareth, an Arab Sheik (Hugh Griffith), and one of the wise men Balthasar (Finlay Currie). The story is very engaging and develops nicely.

I can see how many directors and american movies have been inspired by this film which was ahead of its time with so many breathtaking effects. The chariot race is amazing and remains as one of the most memorabe scenes in the movie. The message of the film is also very uplifting and positive, and the performances were great. Charlton Heston shines in his role as Ben Hur and he became one of the first true action stars. This is a movie I am glad I finally got around watching and I really enjoyed it. Hugh Griffith also gave a good performance as the Sheik and was probably the funniest character in the movie and he really deserved his Oscar. He was a good addition and probably the reason why so many action films now always introduce the funny character. Ben Hur is a must see film, it won`t disapoint.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

My Review: The Last Song (5/10)

“Love is fragile, and we’re not always the best caretakers!”

(5/10) That is one of the many lines you will find in this movie and which you will probably find romantic or cliché. If you enjoyed this line, then you will like the movie, but if you didn´t then stay away from The Last Song because it is a very predictable romantic film. This movie is adapted from Nicholas Spark`s bestselling novel of the same name, and it is also the first film he adapted for the screen as well. Other of his novels have been adapted into films (Message in a Bottle, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember), but this is the first time he actually adapted one for the big screen. Julie Ann Robinson directed this movie, which to be honest I would have enjoyed more if the two main actors could actually act. The biggest failure of The Last Song was the casting, because the story was actually enjoyable if you get passed all the clichés. I can`t say I had a terrible time at the movies, but Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth really couldn`t carry their dramatic roles, and they were the leads. I really enjoyed Nicholas Spark`s The Notebook, but that film had two great lead actors with great chemistry and that is what The Last Song was missing. The story was decent and it has all the typical Spark elements (including the manipulative melodrama), but the casting didn`t work this time.

The story takes place in Tybee Island, Georgia. Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) is a seventeen year old who is going through a rebellious phase due to her parent`s divorce. Her mother, Kim (Kelly Preston) decides to send her and her little brother, Jonah (Bobby Coleman) to their father`s home in Tybee Island for the summer. Ronnie isn`t too excited about leaving New York City for the small beach town in Georgia, and she isn`t thrilled to see her dad, Steve (Greg Kinnear) either. Steve and Jonah get along really well and begin working on a project together, but his relationship with Ronnie isn´t good at all. Ronnie is a very talented musician and she has been accepted to Julliard, but she refuses to go and has stopped playing music since evidently she is upset at her parents for getting divorced. Her father was the one who had taught her to play the piano and this is her way of showing her discontent. Things will take an unexpected turn when Ronnie falls for a local teen named Will (Liam Hemsworth) who happens to come from a wealthy family, but has issues of his own to deal with.

The Last Song might be a much more entertaining experience if you read the novel, because the movie fails to deliver due to the two main characters, Miley and Liam, who don`t give credible performances. The roles I did enjoy, however, were Greg Kinnear as the father and Bobby Coleman as Jonah. Greg is a great actor and he delivered in every scene, while Bobby had some funny scenes and was very believable as well in his role. The setting of The Last Song was also ideal, the scenery was just beautiful and the atmosphere for the romance was set. If you enjoyed Nicholas Spark`s previous films then you will probably like this movie, although you will have to get past the fact that the two main characters are not very good actors. If you didn´t like his previous movies then you will want to stay away from this one, although I probably don`t have to tell you this. I actually enjoyed his previous films, but this one just didn`t deliver for me. I didn´t think it was a terrible film either, but it could have been much better.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

Best Movies of the 90`s (Mejores Peliculas de los 90)

1. The Sixth Sense (1999)
2. Good Will Hunting (1997)
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
5. Seven (1995)
6. Léon the Professional (1994)
7. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
8. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
9. Life Is Beautiful (1998)
10. Schindler's List (1993)
11. Goodfellas (1990)
12. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
13. The Matrix (1999)
14. Braveheart (1995)
15. Face Off (1997)
16. American History X (1998)
17. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
18. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
19. Fight Club (1999)
20. There's Something About Mary (1998)
21. The Fugitive (1993)
22. Unforgiven (1992)
23. The Green Mile (1999)
24. The Lion King (1994)
25. Fargo (1996)
26. Scent of a Woman (1992)
27. Heat (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. The Big Lebowski (1998)
31. Con Air (1997)
32. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
33. Any Given Sunday (1999)