Vader vs. Scarface

May 26, 2002

I’m super duper late with my Star Wars: Attack of the Clones review, so I’m not going to go in too deep with it. Love it or hate it, chances are you’ve seen it and have paid tribute to Lucas already, so you know everything I’m going to say. Basic rundown: Better than Episode 1, good action, not-so-good acting, Vader has NO GAME. The only thing that I’m probably running contrary to popular opinion with is the fact that I didn’t like Yoda’s big fight scene. I may or may not go again to check out a digital projection, so you might get an entry on the more technical aspects of the film another time.

If you want a breather from the summer spectacles, I’d highly recommend Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia. I’ve been fairly suspicious of both Al Pacino and Robin Williams as performers lately, but the overwhelmingly favorable reviews lured me. Set in the endless midnight sun of Nightmute, Alaska, Insomnia, at its heart, is a basic cop thriller, with procedural elements and a bit of the cat and mouse games that have been so common since Silence of the Lambs. There are just enough new bits to make the film seem fresh, and its the most technically proficient film I’ve seen this year. Nolan does a great job telling the story, and more importantly, reigns in Pacino and Williams. Showing the slow fraying of a man wrought by guilt, pressure and constant insomnia, Pacino hasn’t been this good since Donnie Brasco. As the For Williams, this is his finest non-bearded role ever, letting his villain be menacing while still being fiercely normal. Williams really does seem like the killer next door, and his performance keeps Insomnia grounded in reality. This film is the only choice right now if you don’t feel like turning your brain off at the multiplex.

Posted in Moving Pictures