Men in Black

A great popcorn movie, and just right at ninety minutes or so.

Oscar winner Barry Sonnenfeld directs this comic book adaptation, and it's actually so effective because the film itself also runs like a comic book. The lighting and the effects are perfect for the mood the film is trying to go for, which is The X-Files meets Star Wars.

Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as the no-nonsense Agent K, a perfect match to the comic relief and occassional coolness of Mr. Will Smith. My only problem was Will Smith's wardrobe in the beginning. Orange half-jumpsuits are so...nineties.

Anyway, the sexy Linda Fiorentino is quite entertaining as the only female lead in this movie, but it makes me wonder what happened to her career. Where are you now, Linda Fiorentino?

But the best performances in the movie come from Tony Shalhoub and Vincent D'Onofrio. Tony Shalhoub's Jeebs is delightful, and I suppose a lot of Hollywood actors would die for roles like this, playing against type, and getting a huge kick out of it. And Tony Shalhoub is almost unrecognizable here, what with the buck teeth and the crossed eyes. And Vincent D'Onofrio's performance as Edgar the Bug─classic. This should be viewed by any aspiring method actor, as every move done by D'Onofrio, every twitch of his face, and every faltering step he takes, everything he does can only be done by an alien in someone else's skin. Vincent D'Onofrio is a genius. And it also helps that both Jeebs and Edgar have excellent makeup, since this film, by the way, took home the Oscar for Best Makeup. How cool is that?

Men in Black was done with the early versions of computer-generated special effects, and now, more than ten years after its theatrical release, still remains as one of the most genuinely entertaining science-fiction comedies ever produced. And for that, we thank Steven Spielberg for producing this. We love you, Mr. Spielberg.


*some info from IMDb
pic from aceshowbiz.com


Men in Black. USA. 1997.


Rating: Eight and a half out of ten.
Tony Shalhoub: Nine out of ten.
Vincent D'Onofrio: Nine out of ten.

A Life Less Ordinary

This was one of Danny Boyle's earlier films. Of course this was way, way before Danny Boyle's Oscar.

A Life Less Ordinary is not your average, standard Hollywood rom-com. It's a romantic comedy with a twist. Delroy Lindo and the beautiful Holly Hunter play angels (literal, heavenly, cosmic angels) who are tasked by God to make sure that the odd couple of Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz fall in love.

This is the film where, in my opinion, Danny Boyle sold out. Danny Boyle's films have that unmistakable indie/art film quality about them, which seems to be missing in this particular film. We have less of the fantastic, magical, avante-garde shots characteristic of a Danny Boyle picture; instead, we have a safer approach to the overall visual feel, with less treading on experimental ground. Blame it all on the budget, and a cast of big-name stars.

But still, despite being described as a sell-out, Danny Boyle is still one of the best visual storytellers in the world right now. This film was released way back in 1997, and even then Boyle's visual style was already cemented.

Although Cameron Diaz and Ewan McGregor's onscreen chemistry passes the believability test, it's Delroy Lindo's and Holly Hunter's performances that the viewers will most likely remember. Well, that is of course aside from the brilliant supporting actors Stanley Tucci, Ian Holm, and Tony Shalhoub, whose mere presence in the film is a testament to its sell-out status.


*some info from imdb
photo from geekshow.us


A Life Less Ordinary. UK. 1997.


Rating: Seven over ten.