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Added by Mustanaamio7 on 1 Jan 2011 01:37
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Mustanaamio7's Movie Diary - Year 2011

Sort by: Showing 1-50 of 713
Decade: Rating: List Type:
People who added this item 1096 Average listal rating (603 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 7.5
1.1. 2011

Todd Field's "Little Children" reminds me a lot of Todd Solondz's dark studies. Although this is Field's second full feature film, before this he was still best known for his small but memorable role in Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut". Just like Solondz's "Happiness", also "Little Children" tells about everyday reality of disturbed and depressed people struggling with their weaknesses. A good thing is that the director doesn't condemn his characters, not even the most repulsive ones, but realistically examines them.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 403 Average listal rating (245 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 7.7
Pickpocket (1959)
1.1. 2011

"Pickpocket" tells a sorrowful story of a lonely man who is blind to his own weaknesses. The plot is basically another variation of Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment", but the director Robert Bresson's extremely subtle style makes the film an unique masterpiece. It's also one of my all time favorites.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 257 Average listal rating (193 ratings) 5 IMDB Rating 5.6
Exit Wounds (2001)
2.1. 2011

Steven Seagal is a cop who keeps getting in troubles because of his rough ways of solving problematic situations. The aikido cop ends up fighting against crooked cops, drug dealers and some smaller troublemakers. This action film isn't actually one of Seagal's worst because at least it has a couple of nice comic moments. There's still too much over the top action and the wisecracking side characters are mostly just boring.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 830 Average listal rating (586 ratings) 7.9 IMDB Rating 7.8
The Searchers (1956)
3.1. 2011

In this John Ford's masterful western John Wayne plays a quite ambivalent character. He is a cynical war veteran who goes searching for his young niece captured by Comanche Indians. However, years go by and the dangerous journey slowly starts affecting the man who is finally forced to face his biggest challenge: himself. The film is especially known for its magnificent scenes shot in Monument Valley. Also, even the viewers who are not admirers of the famous leading actor have to admit that his performance is flawless and memorable.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 8 Average listal rating (6 ratings) 5.5 IMDB Rating 6.1
3.1. 2011

A father of a reporter dies in a mysterious circumstances at a remote power plant and the reporter decides to solve the case all by himself. The man disguises himself as a guard in order to find out who killed his father, and it appears that a woman working at the place is also suffering from a great loss. "Cold Trail" is a watchable Icelandic thriller but recommendable only for the fans of the genre. There's also a very small sideplot involving a chief executive officer who is accused of molesting his own daughter. However, the director doesn't develop this plot at all which is a shame because it would have made the media criticism more interesting.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 111 Average listal rating (60 ratings) 7.9 IMDB Rating 7.7
3.1. 2011

An almost forgotten British genius Carol Reed was in my opinion at his best in the late 1940s. In three years he directed three influential masterpieces, "Odd Man Out", "The Fallen Idol" and "The Third Man". "The Fallen Idol" is a suspense-loaded thriller with typical elements of film noir and its story is told through the eyes of a young boy who is a pathological liar. The boy witnesses a death of a woman and knowing that the main suspect is his butler friend he learns serious lessons about the adult world.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 230 Average listal rating (111 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 7.3
4.1. 2011

"Shanghai Express" is one of the most important movies by both Josef von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich. The plot tells about a motley group of passengers travelling by train to Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War. The most notorious passenger is Shanghai Lily, played by marvellous Marlene Dietrich, also known as The White Flower of China. The seductress meets her old lover on a train but many troubles and surprises makes it hard for them to restart their relationship.

The classic is more based on an atmosphere rather than plot and also the dialogue is full of memorable lines. Sternberg was clearly ahead of his time, for example, it was extremely rare at the time to see any other than white Western actors in important roles.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
5.1. 2011

An eccentric boy who goes to a Catholic school is bullied because his mother is fat, but when the boy befriends a rebellious schoolgirl he is encouraged to be whatever he wants. Shirley MacLaine who directed this very predictable comedy is also one of the actors and it is clear that directing isn't her strongest area. Criticism against prejudice is way too mild and kind and hardly anything worth mentioning even happens in the movie.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 827 Average listal rating (545 ratings) 5.5 IMDB Rating 5.8
5.1. 2011

A genetic scientist couple manage to mix human and animal genes and the end result is an unpredictable creature that has a lot of human features. The director draws attention especially to the female character: what are her real motivations behind the experiment? A viewer learns that the male character isn't innocent either. Although the film is a little bit too straightforward, I still would say that it is the finest achievement by Vincenzo Natali since "Cube". Even as dangerous as the creature is, it is still way more sympathetic than these irresponsible and even more dangerous scientists.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 365 Average listal rating (275 ratings) 5.3 IMDB Rating 5.5
5.1. 2011

Very much like the first film, but this time a bunch of maniacs capture a train and try to hijack US satellite. Steven Seagal is also aboard so everyone knows what's going to happen. The fast-paced sequel suffers from weak special effects and even more unbelievable plot than the previous movie, but it is still enjoyable action entertainment. It's a pity that incredibly hot Brenda Bakke dies in the movie.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 141 Average listal rating (79 ratings) 6.4 IMDB Rating 6.4
A Good Woman (2004)
6.1. 2011

A pretty shallow and standard movie about love and infidelity. In the story an American woman travels to Italy to escape her bad reputation in narrow-minded societies. The director doesn't analyze the time period at all but resorts to tired cliches. At least the sceneries are pretty.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
6.1. 2011

31.1. 2011
Watched again

Originally Fassbinder wanted Romy Schneider to play the main role in this film, but choosing Hanna Schygulla was obviously the right choice since the film became one of the biggest successes for her and the director. This is also the last time the director worked with famous cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.

The film revolves around the character of Maria Braun, a German woman, who got married but lost her husband to war very soon after the wedding. After losing hope of seeing her new husband again, Maria decides to survive and prosper in Germany's "economic miracle" all by herself. She have beauty, ambition and talent, but how her success will affect her?

The beginning is one of the most memorable ones in the director's career: We see Maria and her husband getting married while the bombs are exploding outside and the house is almost falling apart.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 64 Average listal rating (41 ratings) 6.7 IMDB Rating 6.9
7.1. 2011

It's of course very hard to say what movie exactly meant the beginning of film noir, but "Stranger on the Third Floor" by Russian-American director Boris Ingster is presumably one of the very first. The main subjects of this simple film, justice, injustice and insanity, has of course been explored in countless better films afterwards, but it still feels surprisingly fresh even today. Peter Lorre manages to capture attention with his small but convincing performance.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
8.1. 2011

"Deutschland im Herbst" is confusing but still a thought-provoking mix of documentary material and acted scenes. Everything in the film is somehow related to the political unrest caused by the terrorist activities of Red Army Faction. The best and the most interesting segment is directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who plays himself beside with his real-life lover Armin Mier and mother.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 397 Average listal rating (197 ratings) 8.3 IMDB Rating 8.1
Nostalghia (1955)
8.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 124 Average listal rating (72 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 7.7
9.1. 2011

One of Fassbinder's several masterpieces which along with all the other things is also homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood. A film is entirely shot in black and white and it tells a tragic story of an aging, washed-up actress Veronika Voss. The main character still tries to get out of her miserable situation by taking smaller roles in movies, but abuse by a corrupt neurologist has significantly weakened her personality. The film is loosely based on the life of a German actress Sybille Schmitz. Rosel Zech's performance in the main role is glamorous and realistic, and also worth mentioning is her great version of a classic song "Memories Are Made of This", which perfectly fits the mood of the film.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1393 Average listal rating (876 ratings) 6.9 IMDB Rating 7
A Serious Man (2009)
9.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 82 Average listal rating (51 ratings) 7 IMDB Rating 6.5
9.1. 2011

Arthur Penn's debut film about one of the most famous outlaws in U.S. history is a quite disappointing experience because it doesn't tell much about the background of the fascinating main character. One mistake was choosing Paul Newman for the main role because although he was a great actor, he was clearly too old for the role. "The Left Handed Gun" isn't one of Penn's best achievements but it's still a solid basic western.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1786 Average listal rating (1122 ratings) 6.4 IMDB Rating 6.6
Robin Hood (2010)
10.1. 2011

Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe's new take on the legend isn't convincing because in my opinion the film is way too similar compared to Scott's previous medieval epic "Kingdom of Heaven". Both of them are too long and cliched and nothing that intriguing happens in them. Kevin Reynold's "Robin Hood - Prince of the Thieves" is still my favorite film about the subject.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 381 Average listal rating (238 ratings) 7.4 IMDB Rating 7.5
10.1. 2011

A 121 year old war veteran who is the only survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn starts telling his colorful life story to an interviewer. His life seems to include a lot of moments that sound too absurd to be true, but in the other hand, does it really matter that much if the story is entertaining? "Little Big Man" is full of memorable comical situations, great dialogue and intense action.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 896 Average listal rating (543 ratings) 5.3 IMDB Rating 5.6
12.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 425 Average listal rating (271 ratings) 7.6 IMDB Rating 7.3
13.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1444 Average listal rating (947 ratings) 6 IMDB Rating 6.4
14.1. 2011

I'm getting a bit tired of complaining about lack of originality in modern horror films but sometimes there's just no choice. After quite promising and atmospheric beginning this remake turns into ordinary slasher film that also lacks the authenticity and important little details of Wes Craven's original version. The ending includes one of the most tired cliches ever: first it is implied that now the main characters are finally safe, but then there's this very last scene that suggests otherwise.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 3617 Average listal rating (2272 ratings) 7 IMDB Rating 7.5
14.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
15.1. 2011

Jan Harlan's documentary about one of the greatest legends of cinema is a must-see. The documentary is narrated by Tom Cruise, and it is composed of interviews and rare video clips including especially fascinating footage of young Kubrick with his family.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1355 Average listal rating (816 ratings) 6.9 IMDB Rating 7.3
Precious (2009)
18.1. 2011

A depressing movie about an almost illiterate, overweight girl who is expecting her second child. The girl lives with her mother who abuses her and only sign of hope seems to be a friendly and compassionate social worker. The movie starts off promisingly and the cinematography is magnificent, but the director Lee Daniels, a producer of "Monster's Ball", avoids making really powerful statements.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 773 Average listal rating (464 ratings) 6.2 IMDB Rating 6.5
Hereafter (2010)
18.1. 2011

Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" is one of the few new films that actually surprised me a little bit. Exploring tragic human fates in different episodes is nothing new nowadays but Eastwood's style is very honest and the way how the director depicts afterlife is very impressive. Political issues, like corruption in multinational companies and poverty, are also integral part of the film.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 245 Average listal rating (141 ratings) 6.9 IMDB Rating 7
High Heels (1991)
19.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 272 Average listal rating (167 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 7.4
Queen Margot (1994)
20.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 928 Average listal rating (562 ratings) 7.9 IMDB Rating 8
The Killing (1956)
20.1. 2011

"The Killing" is usually considered to be the first important and notable work by Stanley Kubrick. It's a very fast-paced film where a couple of minor offenders plan a difficult hippodrome robbery in order to solve their personal financial problems. Kubrick's editing is very sharp. He intensively builds up tension by using flashbacks and shows how the different characters have done their own parts of the job.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
21.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 3506 Average listal rating (2431 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 7.6
Kick-Ass (2010)
21.1. 2011

A teenage boy imagines what it would be like to be a superhero and tries to fulfill his unrealistic dream. He becomes famous but ends up fighting against seriously dangerous criminals. "Kick-Ass" doesn't work as a satire at all simply because it is way too similar compared to actual superhero movies. The film tries to make fun of cliches but in my opinion it does nothing but just repeats them.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 119 Average listal rating (67 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 7.2
21.1. 2011

A disabled, mischievous girl invites her estranged parents at the family's manor. The parents, who are unaware that both of them have been invited, bring their lovers with them, and finally everyone including a couple of other people at the house start playing a game of truth known as Chinese Roulette. Depressing and exciting last scenes of Fassbinder's study show how difficult it is for cynical individuals to handle the truth.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1073 Average listal rating (704 ratings) 4.9 IMDB Rating 5.7
22.1. 2011

Rob Schneider is here again! This time he plays a gigolo and makes fun of people with disabilities. Even the title of the film doesn't make any sense: gigolo means a male prostitute so in this case using the word "male" is pointless.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
22.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 285 Average listal rating (175 ratings) 5.1 IMDB Rating 5.1
23.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 58 Average listal rating (26 ratings) 7.7 IMDB Rating 7.6
23.1. 2011

Three kids save kittens from drowning and while trying to hide them they meet a mysterious man also hiding inside a barn. After thinking about their surprising situation for a while the kids become convinced that the man is not just an ordinary man, but Jesus Christ himself. Bryan Forbes's "Whistle Down the Wind" is a thought-provoking moral tale and charming study of childhood innocence. I have rarely seen so subtle and skillful use of religious symbolism in a film.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 46 Average listal rating (19 ratings) 6.2 IMDB Rating 0
24.1. 2011

Adventures of a young woman who travels to New York in order to become a successull actress one day as she promised to her beloved mother. She ends up a cleaner living in the streets and meets several special people while trying to achieve her dream. The story isn't believable enough but Audrey Tautou is lovely in the main role and Jennifer Tilly is sexy as always.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1703 Average listal rating (1043 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 6
24.1. 2011

An american tourist meets a fascinating but dubious woman on a train while travelling to Venice. They share an expensive room in a luxury hotel but are soon threatened by alarmingly dangerous and aggressive criminals. A couple of good action sequences, beautiful locations and big film stars are nice to watch, but they are not enough to compensate mediocrity of the plot.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 231 Average listal rating (152 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 6.4
25.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1395 Average listal rating (879 ratings) 7.4 IMDB Rating 7.9
Spartacus (1960)
25.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 104 Average listal rating (52 ratings) 7.1 IMDB Rating 7
Wise Blood (1979)
27.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 2550 Average listal rating (1718 ratings) 7.1 IMDB Rating 7.7
28.1. 2011

Ridley Scott doesn't even try to develop the characters and make viewers actually care about the things happening on the screen. It's simply impossible to accept complete lack of new ideas. The whole film is just one big shooting scene and nothing else. After WTC strikes Hollywood has been producing several same kind of shallow flag-waving war films that try to justify and glorify military expeditions of the only superpower in the world.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 2059 Average listal rating (1053 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 7.5
Lolita (1962)
28.1. 2011

Kubrick once said that if he had been aware about how hard the censorship limitations were going to be, he probably never would have made "Lolita" in the first place. Fortunately Kubrick still directed the film, which he co-wrote with Vladimir Nabokov, the author of the original novel. The end result is an entertaining, thoughtful, and also tragic black comedy about unhealthy obsession and forbidden passion. This definitely is not any kind of puritan love story with predictable characters and sentimental cliches, but one of the very few real modern love stories.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 853 Average listal rating (599 ratings) 3.9 IMDB Rating 4.7
28.1. 2011

When Hollywood is going to learn that farting isn't funny? One unpleasant scene of this tired superhero parody lasts so long that it seemed it was never going to end.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 719 Average listal rating (475 ratings) 4.5 IMDB Rating 4.7
29.1. 2011

Especially nowadays many comedians are bashed because they are annoying, boring and repetitive, but Rob Schneider is one of the few completely untalented ones who have never made anything worth watching. This sequel is truly one of the worst and most offensive comedies I've ever seen, and I'm really surprised that it managed to be so awful, despite the fact that the first film was bad as well.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 34 Average listal rating (24 ratings) 6.6 IMDB Rating 6.7
29.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 42 Average listal rating (26 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 7.3
30.1. 2011
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1087 Average listal rating (658 ratings) 6.9 IMDB Rating 6.9
Whip It (2009)
31.1. 2011

Drew Barrymore's directorial debut tells about a teenage girl who becomes enthralled by dangerous roller derby sport, but is afraid to tell her parents about the new hobby. Ellen Page fits the main role but the story represents too conventional Hollywood formula.
Mustanaamio7's rating:
People who added this item 1714 Average listal rating (1130 ratings) 4.9 IMDB Rating 5.1
31.1. 2011
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