Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Cast

Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, G.D. Spradlin, Jerry Ziesmer, Harrison Ford, Scott Glenn, Bill Graham, Cynthia Wood, Linda Carpenter, Colleen Camp, R. Lee Ermey, Francis Ford Coppola, Charlie Sheen

Plot

During the Vietnam war, U.S. Army Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent by Colonel Lucas (Harrison Ford) and Lt. General Corman (G.D. Spradlin) to carry out a dangerous mission that, officially, 'does not exist - nor will it ever exist': he has to kill the renegade and presumed insane U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando).

Opinion

Apocalypse Now, besides being a film about the Vietnam war, is a film about Vietnam itself. Francis Ford Coppola's film is complex, ambitious and philosophical, and reaches the human psyche. 
Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz is a man who has reached his breaking point, and has retired in the jungle to live like a demigod, venerated by thousands of indigenous.
The closing scene of the ritual slaughter of a sacrificial bull is the most powerful of symbols.
Martin Sheen is outstanding - this is the first time I have seen him -, Robert Duvall, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!", is great and fun to be watched as Colonel Kilgore, and Marlon Brando does a spectacular job as Kurtz. 

Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video: Original Version - Redux Version

Quotes

Colonel Walter E. Kurtz: I've seen horrors... horrors that you've seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that... but you have no right to judge me. It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror... Horror has a face... and you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are your friends. If they are not, then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies! I remember when I was with Special Forces... seems a thousand centuries ago. We went into a camp to inoculate some children. We left the camp after we had inoculated the children for polio, and this old man came running after us and he was crying. He couldn't see. We went back there, and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile. A pile of little arms. And I remember... I... I... I cried, I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out; I didn't know what I wanted to do! And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it... I never want to forget. And then I realized... like I was shot... like I was shot with a diamond... a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought, my God... the genius of that! The genius! The will to do that! Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized they were stronger than we, because they could stand that these were not monsters, these were men... trained cadres. These men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, who were filled with love... but they had the strength... the strength... to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men, our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral... and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling... without passion... without judgment... without judgment! Because it's judgment that defeats us.

Rating

9.0/10

The Iceman (2012)

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Cast

Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, James Franco, David Schwimmer, Stephen Dorff, Erin Cummings, Robert Davi, Weronika Rosati, John Ventimiglia, Christa Campbell, Jay Giannone, Vincent Fuentes, Ashlynn Ross

Plot

Appearing to be living the American dream as a devoted husband and father in reality Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) is a ruthless contract killer. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

Opinion

I had to wait almost 2 years - it was released last Thursday in Italy - to watch this film and was it worth it? Hard to say. Based on Philip Carlo's biography of Richard Kuklinski "The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer"The Iceman is an average mob film. It is dark and bold but there is not enough excitement or tension. Ariel Vromen wasted the potential of the book and gave birth to a shallow film.
Michael Shannon , who plays Kuklinski, does such a good job, delivering a performance filled with emotions, and uplifts the film a bit. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Mr. Freezy: I only feel alone around other people. Couldn't be truer.

Rating

7.5/10

Birdman (2014)

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Cast

Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Lindsay Duncan, Merritt Wever, Jeremy Shamos, Frank Ridley, Katherine O'Sullivan, Damian Young

Plot

Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), famous for portraying an iconic superhero, Birdman, struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Opinion

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a fucking genius. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is an ironic, intelligent and surreal film that certainly needs to be seen more than one time.
For a moment I thought this film would have had a Black Swan finale - Riggan just wanted to be perfect and does what he does - and I really liked the end. 
The cinematography is outstanding: it involves the viewers in such a manner that makes them feel like part of the crew.
The score, by Antonio Sánchez, is simply perfect: the rhythm of the drums perfectly blends with the story.
The cast is fantastic: Michael Keaton is mesmerizing; Zach Galifianakis proves to be a good actor; Edward Norton seems to be born to play this role; Emma Stone delivers a fantastic and intense performance. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Riggan's dressroom mirror: "A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing." - Susan Sontag

Mike Shiner: Popularity is the slutty little cousin of prestige.

Birdman: You were larger than life, man. You saved people from their boring, miserable lives. You make them jump, laugh, shit their pants. All you have to do it... That's what I'm talking about! Bones rattling! Big, loud, fast. Look at these people. Look at their eyes. They're all sparkling. They love this shit; they love blood. They love action, not this talky, depressing, philosophical bullshit.

Rating

9.0/10

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

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Cast

Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, Sebastian Shaw, Ian McDiarmid, Alec Guinness, Denis Lawson, Kenneth Colley, Warwick Davis, Jeremy Bulloch, Caroline Blakiston, David Barclay, Michael Carter, Femi Taylor, Claire Davenport, Peter Burroughs, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mike Edmonds, Jack Purvis, Jane Busby, Kiran Shah, Felix Silla, Vivienne Chandler, Larry Ward

Plot

After being rescued from the palace of Jabba the Hutt (Larry Ward), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), attempt to destroy the new Death Star.
Meanwhile Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) struggles to make Darth Vader (David Prowse, Ian McDiarmid) shake off the dark side of the force.

Opinion

Return of the Jedi or Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a fantastic ending to a fantastic trilogy. This movie has a bad reputation because of Ewoks, and although they are not the best thing happened to Star Wars, they are cute.
This episode is the most emotional and always leaves me in tears. The end is great, and the lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader is epic.
Mark Hamill does an excellent job in developing his character; Carrie Fisher's Leia is amazing - I mean she killed Jabba!


Quotes

Luke: Your thoughts betray you, Father. I feel the good in you, the conflict.
Darth Vader: There is no conflict.
Luke: You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before and I don't believe you'll destroy me now.
Darth Vader: You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.

Luke: I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you.
Darth Vader: You already have, Luke.

Rating

8.7/10