Ben's+film+response's

__//The Shawshank Redemption//__


 * //This movie was a great film all the way down the board, from the great acting to the great editing. Tim Robbins leads a strong cast containing the likes of Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown, and others who all put on a great act. The film is paced so well, year after year passes with almost every scene change. You go from early thirties's Andy Dufresne to his late forties in a well paced span of two hours. The movie thrives off of voice overs by Morgan Freeman who bridges the time gap. The movie is just overall a great piece of film. It leaves you wishing it would never end and wanting to watch it again. All though Shawnshank can make prison seem like an easy enjoyable experience, which it is not, the movie still has a prison flick feel. There are a few more flaws in the film, like the aforementioned and how some of the supporting characters do not appear to age in the twenty years Andy was at Shawshank. And some of the scenes are farfetched. But in my opinion, The Shawshank Redemption is a classic. It shows everything a classic needs: Great acting, plot, story, editing, it has stood the test of time, and no matter how many times you watch it, it is still as enjoyable as the first.//**

__//Casablanca//__ //**Casablanca is everything it is cracked up to be. It is a timeless tale of love, war, and deciet. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, a smooth talkin cafe owner who's got a secret past. He is doing well in Casablanca, he has his life all in order, but after the shooting of Ugarte, a man in Casablanca who has special exit papers which everyone is after, his world turns upside down. Soon after this, Victor Laslow, a writer for the uprising, comes into Casablanca and the government there is bent on keeping him from getting to America. We soon learn that Rick's old love interest in Laslow's wife, and a slew of flashbacks occur filling you in on the story. You learn of their love affair in Paris and how Ilsa left Rick, breaking his heart. Rick realizes that he has too let Ilsa out of his life, and gives the exit visas to her and Laslow. The government agents try to stop them, but it does not work, Rick stays in Casablanca while he watches his love leave for America. Overall, this film was the classic I expected and was also different from what I thought, it was truly great.**

__On The Waterfront__
 * On The Waterfront** **is a classic movie about former boxer Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) and his accidental involvement in the Mob's murder of his friend. This movie gives you an in depth look at what life was like on the waterfront back in the 1950's. Based on a number of true stories, this film accurately depicts the mindset workers had when it came to naming names in police investigation. The acting in this film was very well done, Brando shines, as is usually the case, but his supporting cast also does a great job. Overall, just very believable roles. The set was absolutely amazing to me considering the time period. Everything was shot in a real city, in real time, in real weather which really makes this movie so much better. I was just overall mystified by how great a job the cast and crew did at displaying the time period in such a vivid, detailed way.**

__The Graduate__//
 * Oh, how I loved The Graduate. I had always heard about this movie, but in all honesty I really had no idea what it was about. As soon as I was informed we would we watching it in class, I was very excited. Dustin Hoffman shines in his role as college graduate Benjamin Braddock. His supporting cast which is headed by Katherine Ross and Anne Bancroft, as Elaine and Mrs. Robinson respectively, added a lot to this movie and did a great job. I thought that a lot of the shots were very powerful, such as the ones where Ben stares directly into the camera when he is in the pool. I think that the director did a great job of getting everything he wanted from his cast and his crew. Dustin Hoffman shows why he considered one of the greatest actors of all time in this movie, in which he seemed to be subjected to a challenging role. It's pretty difficult for me to put into words why I loved this movie, so I'll leave it with the word: Classic.**

__//The Maltese Falcon//__
 * The Maltese Falcon was an excellent film. Featuring the likes of lead man Humphrey Bogart, the story seemed to flow very well from start to finish. Sam Spade's partner has been murdered, and he is being accused of doing it, on top of being accused of another murder. The police continuously harass Sam while he is seeking out the actual truth to these events to clear his name in a way. Too make matters worse he has Sydney Greenstreet's Fat man character bargaining with him to obtain The Maltese Falcon. See**, **it may just seem like a regular statue, but it holds some mysterious power that Fat man must have. Movie features the Femme Fatale in Mary Astor who Sam seems to fall in love with, but later learns is infact the killer of his partner. This movie is very good**, **and is definitly as close to a classic as you can get. From start to finish this film was a perfect example of film Noir, which I learned is a genre that I thourougly enjoy. I recommend this movie too anyone who is a fan of the genre and to fans of crime dramas and especially to fans of Bogart, who does a great job as always.**

__//Chinatown//__
 * First off, I had never heard of this movie until we began watching it, and I cannot believe it. Jack Nicholson, who is easily one of the greatest actors of all time, plays Jake Gittes, who is a detective specializing in digging up dirt on signifacant others. The plot of this movie is one I really do not want to spoil at all in this review. This movie has its fair share of twists and turns and really keeps the viewer guessing. I was guessing at almost every outcome, and I was pretty much wrong every single time. Every single thing adds up in this movie, no loose ends to speak of. It's one of those films where things you think are unimportant really are later on in the film. Every piece fits into the puzzle. This film is everything you ask for in film Noir. It has its bends in the road and its shocking moments, but if you hold on for the ride, you will be greatly rewarded.**

//__Do The Right Thing__//
 * I really do not think I have ever seen a film quite like this one. It was definately shot in a way I had never seen before. The angles added a great deal of depth to each shot, and I think that more movies need to do this. I think that the message is not clear enough, but at the same time Spike Lee leaves it up to the viewer to figure out what the right thing to do is. I was upset at how the police killed Radio Raheem, but I also believe that this event shaped the movie. It all ties into his "Love and Hate" philosophy. I can't even describe it, I liked and hated this movie all at once. It left me confused and moved all at once. The actors did a great job, it really seemed like we were just viewing everyday life in that neighborhood. 20 years later and this movie still applies to life today**

__//One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest//__
 * Okay so I've never seen this movie but I know it's always on AMC and a bunch of other channels. It's another Jack Nicholson film, where he plays R.P. McMurphy. Is he nuts or is he just playing the part? Well it helps that Jack Nicholson is absolutely insane in real life, so he adds a little mental instability in all of his roles. I liked this movie so much that I plan on reading the book whenever I get a copy of it. I can see how critics compared McMurphy to Christ but I'm just not big on comparing movies to religion. When I heard they originally weren't going to have Chief in the film I couldn't picture how they would have made the movie. And I totally called that Chief would be able to talk, I knew it! The movie had a great balance of comedy and drama. Most the film is comedy but definitly has some seriously dramatic moments. This is a movie I'd definitly watch again.**