The Passion of the Christ (2004) - Gibson's breathtaking, fierce religious masterpiece

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An intense, gory profile picture of Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns in earthy tones makes up this poster for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ

Jesus' last 12 hours are presented with a relentless focus on his sufferings and the human crime in his torture and crucifixion, which He went through for our salvation.

 

The Passion of the Christ is written by Benedict Fitzgerald (Zelda (1993, TV movie)) and New-Yorker master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Mel Gibson (The Man Without a Face (1993)), whose 3rd film it is.

For the first time ever here is a feature film that gives the opportunity of following the painful and cleansing last hours of the Christ on Earth, with auspicious flashbacks to to His teachings. 

In extraordinary images (cinematography by Caleb Deschanel (Killer Joe (2012))) and with a grand score (by John Debney (I Still Believe (2020))), this is an uncompromising and incredible accomplishment. Gibson establishes himself as a master behind the camera here. Jim Caviezel (Transit (2012)) is outstanding as Jesus. The film is a triumph.

 

Related posts:

 

Mel Gibson: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Gibson's intense, humbling WWII epic 

The Expendables 3 (2014) - Unique, bizarre, largely entertaining third action fireball (co-star)

Get the Gringo/How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2012) - Mexico is just a little merrier with Mel Gibson (co-producer/co-writer/star)

The Beaver (2011) - Odd depression-dramedy with great stars - for the open-minded (co-star) 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Apocalypto (2006) - or, Journey to an Extinct World  

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - Pretty good last show for Donner's buddy-cop franchise (co-star) 

Hamlet (1990) - Stars shine in Zeffirelli's compelling adaptation (co-star)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 30 mil. 

Box office: 612 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 20.4 times its cost)

[The Passion of the Christ was released 25 February (North America, New Zealand, Australia) and runs 127 minutes. The script is based on the Old and the New Testament, with inspiration from Anne Catherine Emmerich's The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1833), which recounts Emmerich's mystical visions of the Passion of Christ. Gibson did not find support for the film at the big Hollywood studios and consequently decided to self-finance it. Shooting took place from November 2002 - January 2003 in Italy, including in Rome. Caviezel suffered a shoulder separation during filming (in a shot which is reportedly in the film) and was struck by lightning at another point; assistant director Jan Michelini was allegedly struck twice by lightning during shooting. The film is considered to be highly faithful to the facts as laid out in the New Testament. With the film finished, Gibson could also not entice traditional big studios to distribute it, as they feared backlash over its alleged antisemitism. Gibson reportedly spent another 15 mil. $ to market and release it himself, screening it for many Christian groups and leaders who embraced it. The film then opened #1 to an 83.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends at #1 (one a few weeks later at Easter), and another 3 in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5), grossing 370.2 mil. $ (60.5 % of the total gross), selling an estimated 59.6 mil. tickets in the US alone. It is the highest-grossing R-rated, Christian and independent film to date, and the 5th highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Italy with 23.9 mil. $ (3.9 %) and the UK with 20.4 mil. $ (3.3 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Cinematography to Robert Richardson for The Aviator, Score to Jan A.P. Kaczmarek for Finding Neverland and Makeup to A Series of Unfortunate Events. It won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The film was banned in some countries and heavily plagued by accusations of antisemitism, which became worse when Gibson in a 2006 DUI incident was videotaped saying to the responding California officer: "Fucking Jews... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Are you a Jew?". The film was never shown in Israel. Gibson and Caviezel are nearing production on a sequel centered on the resurrection of Christ with shooting reportedly set to begin in Autumn 2023. Gibson returned with Complete Savages (2004, TV-series) and theatrically with Apocalypto (2006). Caviezel returned in Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004). The Passion of the Christ is rotten at 49 % with a 6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Passion of the Christ?

Brotherhood of the Wolf/Le Pacte des Loups (2001) - Impressive elements in ludicrous French period monster actioner

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Some very curious, face-covering coats on this poster for Christophe Gans' Brotherhood of the Wolf may provoke involuntary smiles and laughs

In 18th century France a nobleman and a native American are sent by the king to a bleak countryside to investigate the mysterious killings of hundreds by a beast there...

 

Brotherhood of the Wolf is written by Stéphane Cabel (Le Concile de Pierre (2006)) and co-writer/director Christophe Gans (Crying Freeman (1995)). It is loosely based on a series of actual 18th century killings and the legend of the beast of Gévaudan. The original French title translates to 'the pact of the wolves'.

Monica Bellucci (Under Suspicion (2000)) looks enticing in black, and adds quality on her own here, and the film also has a good-looking monster and generally handsome production values. The rest is a round of very pompous nonsense and to me, more detrimentally, a hugely dull waste of resources. 

Brotherhood of the Wolf vacillates between historical melodrama and state-of-the-art, fast-edited action scenes. It is an overlong mess.

 

Related post:

 

Christophe Gans: Silent Hill (2006) - Gans' senseless, unfrightening adaptation

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 29 mil. $

Box office: 70.7 mil. $

= Minor flop (returned 2.43 times its cost)

[Brotherhood of the Wolf was released 31 January (Switzerland, France) and runs 142 minutes. Shooting took place in France around March 2000. The film opened #28 to a 100k $ first weekend in 37 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #16 and in 404 theaters (different weeks), grossing 11.2 mil. $ (15.8 % of the total gross), becoming the 6th highest-grossing French film there ever at the time. The marketing disguised the fact that it was not an English language film in order to attract bigger (young) crowds - with success. The film's biggest market was France with 24 mil. $ (33.9 %). It was also #1 for 2 weeks in Italy. The film won 1/4 César award nominations, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Gans returned with Silent Hill (2006). Samuel Le Bihan (La Place d'un Autre (1993)) returned in La Niut de Noces (2001, short), Pourquoi t'as Fait ça? (2001, short) and theatrically in He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not/À la Folie... Pas du Tout (2002); Mark Dacascos (Sanctuary (1998)) in Instinct to Kill (2001); and Bellucci in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra/Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002). Brotherhood of the Wolf is fresh at 73 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Brotherhood of the Wolf?

Malèna (2000) - Bellucci radiant in Tornatore's under-appreciated ode

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Monica Belucci's head-turning beauty adores the poster for Giuseppe Tornatore's Malèna

In a small Sicilian town in 1940, as Italy enters WWII, a teenage boy is seeing the locally famed beauty Maléna, who changes his life.

Malèna is written and directed by Italian master filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore (The Professor/Il Camorrista (1986)), based on a story by Luciano Vincenzoni (Little Funny Guy/L'Emigrante (1973)). It is Tornatore's 7th feature.
It is a wonderful little film of first love, the rampant horniness of the teenage boy, and the passing from boy into something else. It is also about a woman but mostly as an idolized, more or less mystical, older figure.
Monica Bellucci (She Hate Me (2004)) is incredibly beautiful and erotic as the title character, among the fairest and sexiest women in the history of cinema with Malèna one of the great bullets to prove this, and you can easily watch the film for her scenes alone and enjoy it immensely. But Malèna is also exceptionally shot (cinematographer Lajos Koltai (The Legend of 1900/La Leggenda del Pianista sull'Oceano (1998))), - and the score is pure Ennio Morricone (Porca Vacca (1982)) magic.

Related post:

Giuseppe Tornatore: Cinema Paradiso/Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988) - Tornatore's timeless masterpiece

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Reportedly "around" 10 mil. $
Box office: 14.4 mil. $
= Big flop (returned 1.44 times its cost)
[Malèna premiered 26 October (Italy) and runs 109 minutes/92 min. in the North-American watered down edition. Shooting took place in Morocco and in Sicily, Italy from September 1999 - March 2000. The film opened #37 to a 62k $ first weekend in 32 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #28 and in 117 theaters, grossing 3.4 mil. $ (23.6 % of the total gross). The international gross sheet at Box Office Mojo is not complete, missing among many other markets Italy itself, likely the film's biggest or at least 2nd biggest market, but the 14.4 mil. $ gross is likely accurate. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: It lost Best Cinematography to Pater Pau for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Score to Dun Tan for the same film. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes, a BAFTA, won 1/4 David di Donatello nominations, a National Board of Review award and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to 3 notches under this one. Tornatore returned with The Unknown Woman/La Sconosciuta (2006). Bellucci returned in Dear Father (2001, short) and theatrically in Brotherhood of the Wolf/Le Pacte des Loups (2001). Malèna is rotten at 54 % with a 5.58/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Malèna?

Spectre (2015) - Mendes' 2nd Bond is mostly good

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Daniel Craig looks snug and ready for action on the poster for Sam Mendes' Spectre

Spectre is the 24th Bond film. It is the second by British master filmmaker Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road (2008)), his 7th film overall. It is written by Neal Purvis (Johnny English (2003)), John Logan (Skyfall (2012)), Jez Butterworth (Black Mass (2015)) and Robert Wade (Die Another Day (2002)), based on Ian Fleming's (Diamonds Are Forever (1956)) characters.

While M and his spy service is under pressure in London from a new hotshot, who thinks traditional intelligence is antiquated, Bond chases leads to find and apprehend the leader of the evil SPECTRE organization.

Spectre opens with a high-octane chase that ends in a spectacular helicopter finale at the Day of the Dead in Mexico City, one of the film's highlights.
Besides the exciting action scenes that are a key part of the films, and which don't disappoint here, Spectre is a rich serving of lots of elements of story, characters and style. Thomas Newman's (Bridge of Spies (2015)) immersive score also works its charms professionally. Spectre is a highly entertaining cocktail, which brings the new Bond back to some of the roots of the story universe, links the former three films, and throws out some of the solemnity and grey seriousness of the same three previous films. It slices the Bond babe ingredient from the 007 recipe in favor of connecting Daniel Craig's (Munich (2005)) Bond with Léa Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Color/La Vie D'Adèle (2013)).

Craig has grown on me, and I think he has grown into a good Bond for me by now, although I still don't appreciate his diva-ish snide comments about his character and the Bond universe (which, besides being nearly universally beloved, is also making Craig a very wealthy man.) But boy can Craig wear the hell out of a tailored suit and some awesome shades!
Magnificent Monica Bellucci (Malèna (2000)) is in the film for precious few moments, regrettably. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)) is another newcomer that seems an obvious fit as a brutish henchman. He is great here and very exciting against Craig, who also has a fine fight scene with him on a train through North Africa, besides a fun car chase in Rome. Irish Andrew Scott (Pride (2014)) is an appropriately disgusting fellow as the surveillance-obsessed new London power-person; part of this side of the plot seems to have been directly inspired by the News of the World scandal and Britain's general surveillance obsession.
Naomie Harris (Ninja Assassin (2009)) is delightful as Miss Moneypenny; Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)) is good if barely noticeable as M; Jesper Christensen (The Bench/Bænken (2000)) returns for a frightening, strong scene as Mr. White; and Ben Whishaw (The Danish Girl (2015)) still brings personality and life to the character of Q. - Although I am disappointed that the Bond writers, who seem to here have created the first major character who is both gay and a good guy, (I can count at least 3 gay villains from past Bond movies in my memory right now), but who they don't allow a normal home life with a boyfriend or husband. Instead Whishaw's Q lives with his cats ... which sucks!
SPOILER Christoph Waltz (Carnage (2011)) brings the old heavy of Blofeld to life here again, and we are given new details about Bond and Blofeld's intricate backstory, which I had never heard before. Waltz makes sure not to overplay, but perhaps should have gone more for the jugular after all. Still it is exciting to have Blofeld back.
Spectre runs long, at 148 minutes, - a Bond movie shouldn't ever be longer than 130 minutes is my best calibration, and the pomposity of the length hurts the film.
SPOILER Waltz' Blofeld seems destined to be the cornerstone of the next Bond as well, as he probably breaks out of jail, which I am already looking forward to.

Related posts:

Sam Mendes:  Skyfall (2012) - Overly celebrated third pout from Daniel Craig as Bond in slick production
Away We Go (2009) or, Where Do We Start This Family?
American Beauty (1999) or, Escape by Death

Most of the cast with director Sam Mendes at the London premiere for Spectre

Watch the exciting trailer for the film here

Cost: 245-300 mil. $
Box office: 108.4 mil. $ and counting
= Too early to say
[Spectre is one spectacularly expensive film, ranking among the priciest of all to date: It will have to become a major, global hit to make back its budget and possibly emerge with profits. It was filmed in England, Rome, Austria, Mexico City and in Morocco. Spectre broke UK's opening day and opening week records, and it looks like it will get a warm reception in North America as well. Spectre is fresh at 62 % with a 6.4 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Spectre?

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Coppola goes for the jugular with unsubtle, overlong adaptation

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An alluring, highly detailed, gothic poster for Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula

QUICK REVIEW:

A count from Transylvania gets a young gentleman visitor in his castle, because he wants to purchase properties in London. He later arrives to the great city in a coffin and begins biting women there.

I wish master filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now (1979)) had made a really good Dracula, but I don't think he has. The film is written by James V. Hart (Muppet Treasure Island (1996)), adapting Bram Stoker's (The Mystery of the Sea (1902)) legendary 1897 novel.
With few exceptions, the film stays loyal to Stoker's novel. The greatest difference is that the film in no way pursues the art of suggestion, and that turns out to be a big shame in my mind. Coppola's Dracula is also too long, and I also surmise that it must be even harder to engage with for audiences who haven't read Stoker's novel.
More than one of the film's castings seem distinctive or odd, and some just don't work. Two do, however, stand out as well-integrated: Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight (2008)) as the count, and Keanu Reeves (John Wick (2014)) as the innocent Mr. Harker. Although the latter's performance in Dracula has been widely criticized and ridiculed, especially his attempt at a British accent in the part, I quite enjoy him in the film, which certainly doesn't fail because of him.

Related reviews:


Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Francis Ford Coppola: Apocalypse Now (1979) redux version - The horror of war  
Dementia 13/The Haunted and the Hunted (1963) - Coppola's gothic AIP castle horror 

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 40 mil. $
Box office: 215.8 mil. $
= Big hit
[Bram Stoker's Dracula became an impressively big hit both at home and abroad: It opened strong to a 30.5 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it grossed 82.5 mil. $ (38 % of the total gross) and won three Oscars: Best Costumes, Makeup and Sound Design. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction. It was the 15th highest grossing film in North America of the year and the 9th worldwide.]

What do you think of Bram Stoker's Dracula?

The Brothers Grimm (2005) - Gilliam's European fairytale misadventure sort-of entertains

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+ Most Expensive Flop of the Year: 45.88 mil. $ range)

The two sexy young male stars look piercingly at you with their female co-star reduced to pintsize between them on this dark and adventure-promising poster for Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm

The Grimm brothers are con artists in French-occupied Germany in the beginning of the 19th century, where they become involved in a fairy tale similar to the fantastical tales they wrote in actuality. 

 

The Brothers Grimm is written by Ehren Kruger (The Ring (2002)) and directed by Minnesotan master filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)), whose 9th feature it is. It is based very loosely on the actual German fairytale writers, the Grimm brothers.

The film comes off as an adventure action comedy packed with effects, gags and Monty Python-style crazy comedy. Regrettably, it is not very funny, but it has a high pace and fantastic sets, (with almost everything filmed in Prague), so by and by it still becomes a mostly entertaining movie. The film is wanting a John Williams-league composer, which it doesn't have, and Gilliam refrains from the really big shots that we enjoy in similar adventure films from Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg. Instead, what Gilliam goes for are the wacky, inventive and psychedelic elements, and these are certainly here. The man's very production-minded and visually striking style arguably gets out of hand here
The actors do what they can without being decidedly good or bad. Memorable nevertheless are Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski (1998)) in a theatrical, gaga torturer part and Monica Bellucci (Malèna (2000)), who is well-cast as the irresistible, evil witch.

 

Related posts:

Terry Gilliam: For No Good Reason (2012, documentary) or, Ralph Steadman, Artist (interview subject)

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best drug-themed movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - Depp's Thompson lives and breathes in Gilliam's outrageous, drug-fueled masterpiece

12 Monkeys (1995) or, What's the Time?

The Fisher King (1991) - Gilliam and Co. win with unpredictable story with major heart and amazing Williams 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 88 mil. $

Box office: 105.3 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.19 times its cost)

[The Brothers Grimm was released 26 August (North America) and runs 118 minutes. Matt Damon (The Martian (2015)) was paid 10 mil. $ for his performance. Shooting took place from June - November 2003 in the Czech Republic, including in Prague. Gilliam waged war with the Weinstein brothers, who as executive producers caused him endless trouble during shooting and post-production. Gilliam shut down the shoot for 2 weeks due to this conflict, and distanced himself from the finished film. The extended post production period also gave him enough time to make another movie (Tideland (2005), before the release of The Brothers Grimm. The film opened #2, behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin, to a 15 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#5), grossing 37.9 mil. $ (36 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 9.8 mil. $ (9.3 %) and Japan with 9 mil. $ (8.5 %). Miramax reportedly spent 30 mil. $ marketing the film. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Gilliam returned with Tideland (2005). Damon returned in Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (2005, short) and theatrically in Syriana (2005); Heath Ledger (Ned Kelly (2003)) in Brokeback Mountain (2005). The Brothers Grimm is rotten at 38 % with a 5.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Brothers Grimm?