RETRO REVIEW OF: Amadeus

-


The PLOT: The story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told through the recounted ramblings of his nemesis, Antonio Salieri.

The CAST: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce

The GOOD: Some stories can easily be told through simple narrative; an author conveying his own thoughts and feelings directly to you, in a simple and linear fashion, that conveys an exact idea.  Amadeus doesn't do that, and the way in which it avoids doing that, is expertly executed.  While the film does a wonderful job of conveying the life and times of Mozart, it also puts the viewer in the shoes of someone who hates the man.  It's almost as though Peter Shaffer (the writer) grew weary of hearing people say, "I LOVE MOZART!", and so decided to portray him, not as a villain, but a gifted idiot in the eyes of a "more dignified musician", as Salieri believes himself to be.  From the disturbing opening sequence to the films frantic climax, you never quite feel right about any of the films major characters, and just when you think you can't take it anymore, the movie ends and you're left with a profound sense of loss. Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham knock it out of the park. The set design and costume designs are flawless. The camera work is superb. A masterpiece, in and of itself.

The BAD:  It can be perceived as long and boring, if you're not in the mood.

The UNFORTUNATE:  It's unfortunate that more movies like this don't exist, in this day and age.  Often, I feel like I'm only going to see a sequel or a remake, and even original works today pale in comparison to films like Amadeus.

The GRADE: A

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW OF: Warrior

-
The PLOT:   Two brothers that survived an alcoholic father, both in their own way, seek to win a world championship MMA tournament; one to take care of his family's outstanding debts, the other to take care of a fallen military comrade's family. The CAST: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton The GOOD: Well, for starters, it's quite easy for me to say that this is the best film I've ever seen involving the UFC... Primarily because this is the ONLY film I've ever seen about the UFC, but also because it was in all actuality, quite a good film.  The photography was outstanding.  Towards the beginning of the film, different lens filters were used to clearly differentiate between Brendan's happy family and Tommy's dysfunctional lifestyle.  The direction was done more artistically than one would expect in a fighting film.  Yes, it had over-the-top elements of "underdog-wins-all" reminiscent to that of Rocky.  And Rocky 2.  And 3. And pretty much ever...
Read more

REVIEW OF: "The Raven"

-
PLOT: A reimagining of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life in which a serial killer/stalker is reenacting various elements from several of his grisly tales in an attempt to challenge the poet to a battle of wits. Starring: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans THE GOOD: ...is simply that it "wasn't bad".  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't good either, but it just has too many elements that were done with such mediocrity that it actually blended into a bowl of believable and somewhat satisfying intellectual distractions. And, to be fair, how would YOU have done a reimagining of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life?? Actually, if you had any sense, you wouldn't, because... THE BAD: Sadly, there were quite a few bad things about this film.  The acting is done in such a way as to make me believe the director was tight on time and took too many "good enough" takes.  The plot as a whole is hardly believable and the villain is too drama...
Read more

REVIEW OF: Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil

-
The PLOT: Two hillbillies find themselves amidst a group of stereotypical college kids seeking fun in the woods, when a hilarious series of misunderstandings causes the perception of murderous inbred psychopaths and suicidal death cults.  The CAST: Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine The GOOD: Mostly? Alan Tudyk... but I'm biased (Firefly rules). The comedy in this film played out in a style I haven't seen since a Mel Brooks film.  The humor is dark, but it's hard not to laugh when everything happens in these wonderfully written sequences.  I went into TnDvE thinking that it would be both predictable and juvenile, but I was pleasantly surprised by the slapstick comedy that was presented in a "non-Jim Carey" fashion.   The BAD: The primary antagonist should've been played by Chris Hemsworth. Small gripe, but there you have it.  The guy they got ruined that role and really took the fear out of the film.  Bigger guys are scarier than scrappy doo.  The UNFORT...
Read more