Tag: johnny depp

You don’t like raisins? “Benny & Joon” (1993)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik
© 1993 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, I shared a post about “Materialists”, so a modern picture of the dating scene. Today, I’d like to continue the topic of quality relations, but this time from a different perspective. We get to know two adult siblings, Benny and Joon (Aidan Quinn & Mary Stuart Masterson), who lost their parents. Benny is a mechanic and works hard to provide for both of them, since Joon cannot really take up any job. She’s mentally ill and she can barely stay home alone, so working anyhow is impossible. One evening, Benny takes Joon to a poker night, because he couldn’t find any caretaker for her. At some point, Joon loses a game with another player and has to host the man’s weird cousin. Benny is angry, because he already has a lot to manage with Joon, but a bet is a bet. The cousin is named Sam (Johnny Depp) and he’s a quite eccentric person indeed. He doesn’t seem to bother what other people think of him, so he’s considered a weirdo, yet he has a big heart and an open-mind. He doesn’t treat Joon like others do, instead he focuses on her specific character and wishes to understand her better. Those two slowly create a strong bond between each other, which is a real surprise to Benny, who can finally focus more on himself. Perhaps you’ve seen parts of this film with Johnny Depp who’s performing gags in Buster Keaton style. I have to say that he did great in this role and I generally love when Johnny gets such extraordinary characters to play, like Sam, like Mad Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland”, or Willy Wonka in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. That’s his thing and he nails it. And when it comes to the story itself, I was truly moved because it showed how the world treats people with certain difficulties. They should stay at home, not cause any problems and that’ll be perfect. In the meantime, those people want to experience life like all of us. They want to go on trips, they want to learn new skills, they want to fall in love etc. And just because their behaviour might be considered strange to us, it doesn’t mean we should be judging them for that. Instead, we should help them find people who will appreciate them for who they are. The relation between Joon and Sam is adorable, because they aren’t the same – not at all – but they are curious about each other and they’re not afraid of being themselves. And isn’t it the recipe for a perfect relationship? Also, it’s not like only Sam is there to help Joon. In fact, Joon is able to give him a hand as well. And suddenly, this girl who has always been a problem becomes someone’s support. And in the meantime, Benny may finally stop being a caretaker 24/7 and do more for himself. This film is hilarious at some points, but it also teaches several lessons, so I truly recommend you to see it. And remember – avocado is a fruit.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Even young Depp couldn’t save it. “Private Resort” (1985)

SashLeave a comment
directed by George Bowers
© 1985 TriStar Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Recently I was talking with one of my family members and when I said that I’d need some goofy comedy for that night, they recommended “Private Resort”. But not like “hey, it’s an amazing film”. Rather like “if you wish to wash your brain, here you go”. They said that it was the most popular comedy among their friends when they were younger and that VHS (the grandpa of DVDs) was definitely overused. So I decided to give it a try, especially since you can see young Johnny Depp there. What is it about? Johnny plays Jack, a teenager who together with his friend Ben (Rob Morrow) are searching for wealthy and gorgeous girls at a Miami resort. There’s also one more guy there who, let’s say, wishes to “borrow” expensive belongings. He’s known as The Maestro (Hector Elizondo), a thief with a lot of experience. So basically we have two kids losing their minds seeing wonderful ladies, a guy who wants to steal jewellery and a lot of rich people enjoying their time. If you’re looking for something easy to follow, that’s definitely a good production to see. Still, I guess my brain wasn’t ready for such a wash and I’m not buying this comedy at all. I know we’re not supposed to take it seriously and I get it, but I have my limits and I just couldn’t find any pleasure in watching such ridiculous and often inappropriate jokes. I do like Johnny, I do like Hector Elizondo, but I just hoped to finish this comedy as fast as possible. I’m honestly surprised that my family member managed to see it several times… it sounds like a perfect idea for peaceful tortures, I swear. Still, if you’re curious and brave enough, feel free to check it out. From me it’s a “never again”.

My rating: 3/10
S.

The best kind of prize is ‘sur’prize. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Tim Burton
© 2005 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Since I told you about “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971) yesterday, I guess it’s time to discuss the remake. There’s no point in telling you what the story is about, because you either know it or if not, you can read yesterday’s post, because it’s exactly the same. Today, I’d like to focus more on the fact that Burton’s version is really underrated, in my opinion. So the original film, as I said yesterday, was way too nice for me. Oh and be careful, because there will be many SPOILERS. So Willy Wonka is this strange guy living on his own in a big factory, which looks like a real heaven for children. He makes delicious sweets and children love him for that. However, when children visit him, he acts as if he didn’t care about them, then gets furious at the end (even though he seemed like a peaceful person for the whole tour) and finally he gives the factory to Charlie. A child. Do you see what I mean? For me the character of Wonka in the old film doesn’t make sense. Of course, it’s fantasy, but comparing to Wonka from Burton’s version, he’s horribly irrational. However, Burton’s Wonka is perfectly written, in my opinion. He’s lonely, living without his family, he hates people because everybody has let him down and he’s consistent as a character. Besides, at the end he proposes Charlie to live with him in the factory, but the boy chooses his family over this huge eatable playground. And that’s the moment when it hits Wonka and he grows as a character. I have to admit that I saw Burton’s version first, so don’t judge me. Yet, when I was watching Stuart’s version, I was so disappointed with the character of Wonka (not acting to be clear) and the ending. I think that Burton showed the real potential of this story, while Stuart made a cute adaptation for children. And I absolutely admire both filmmakers for working with this book, because I think it’s awesome and I’m sure a lot of viewers grew up watching Willy Wonka in the 70s. Still, I’m definitely more team Burton and I wished more people appreciated his version, despite the fact it’s a remake of an absolute classic. Besides, Johnny Depp is marvellous in this role. It’s probably one of his best. And let’s all clap our hands for David Kelly, who played Grandpa Joe. What an adorable man, I swear!

My rating: 9/10
S.

England doesn’t have whores, just a great mass of very unlucky women. “From Hell” (2001)

SashLeave a comment
directed by The Hughes Brothers
© 2001 20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, we’ve lost Sir Ian Holm, a wonderful English actor. Most of you may remember him from “The Lord of the Rings” where he played Bilbo Baggins. However, I’m not going to write about LOTR because of two reasons. First, I guess almost everyone reading this know exactly what LOTR is about and most of you associate Sir Ian Holm with this particular film. Second, (please, don’t be mad) I’m not really a fan of LOTR. I know, I know, you might be having an imaginary heart attack right now. Let put it this way… I don’t really like fantasy that much, but I still have huge respect towards the whole crew that worked on LOTR. End of story. Anyway, this post is my small tribute to Sir Ian Holm and I’d like to recommend you “From Hell”, where he played a very good and significant role. The film takes place in 1888 and focuses on a group of London prostitutes. One by one, they are being kidnapped and murdered by some mysterious person. The interesting part is the fact that they all die in a very specific way, which proves that the murderer is both a psychopath and a perfectionist. The case seems fascinating to Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp), who’s a police officer with some supernatural visions. He wishes to find out who’s the murderer and make sure no other woman will be hurt. He starts working with Sir William Gull (Sir Ian Holm), the Royal Family physician and absolute expect in medicine. Besides that, Abberline meets Mary (Heather Graham), a prostitute, who’s also very much concerned about this whole situation. Those two start spending more and more time together, which makes them both fall in love. However, in the meantime, the murderer keeps playing his hide and seek game and no woman may feel safe. I think that everyone did a great job in this production and so did Sir Ian Holm. That is why, if you’re looking for a quite thrilling film and wish to see this marvellous actor on the screen, then I’d definitely recommend you to check it out. Thank you Mr. Holm, it was pleasure to have you with us.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Whatever you see, I see. Whatever you know, I know. “The Astronaut’s Wife” (1999)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Rand Ravich
© 1999 New Line Cinema. All Rights Reserved.

I’m sure none of us believes that Johnny Depp is a human being. He’s simply too handsome and talented to be from this planet. Okay, cheesy beginning. But today I have a film in which Depp is actually quite out-of-space, if I may call it this way. It’s a story about two NASA astronauts, Spencer (Johnny Depp) and Alex (Nick Cassavetes), who go to space on a mission. During it there’s an explosion and NASA loses contact with them for a few minutes. Luckily, both astronauts survive and return home. They don’t really talk much about the emergency situation that happened up there. Both men get back to their lives. Soon, Alex begins to behave differently and even more aggressively, according to Jillian (Charlize Theron), Spencer’s wife. One day he dies from a stroke and his wife kills herself right after. Spencer doesn’t seem to be much bothered by his friend’s death, but Jillian starts to worry. However, the couple is expecting twins, so that’s what they’re mostly focused on. But one day Jillian gets approached by Sherman Reese (Joe Morton) who got fired from NASA for stating that Spencer and Alex didn’t return from space as themselves. The situation gets more complicated when Jillian learns that Alex and his wife were also expecting twins before they both died. The woman starts questioning whether her husband is still her husband. I must tell you that if this film was a drug, it would be LSD and cocaine mixed with rum. I haven’t tried such an interesting cocktail, but that’s how I would imagine it. What’s happening on the screen is relaxing, sexual, aggressive, creepy, comforting and awkward at the same time. You switch from an emotion to an emotion every 10 seconds. I believe it’s a good sci-fi production, despite its rather predictable script. This time we have a good example how the form can really make up for an average story. Plus, I cannot imagine a better actor than Depp for the role of Spencer. Oh well… I can, but he still did a great job.

My rating: 7/10
S.

If “Grease” was made by Tim Burton… “Cry-Baby” (1990)

SashLeave a comment
directed by John Waters
© 1990 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

1990 was an interesting year for Johnny Depp. He played Edward Scissorhands in… “Edward Scissorhands” and Cry-Baby in… “Cry-Baby”. Basically two main roles. However, those two are more than completely different. Personally, I liked him more as Edward, but I’m sure his bad-boy look has made millions of women fall in love with him. Still, if I didn’t know and you asked me which of those two productions was made by Tim Burton, I would say “Both”. Because “Cry-Baby”, even though it’s a musical set in the 50s, it’s still so creepy, ridiculous, sarcastic and weird that I wouldn’t be surprised if Burton was responsible for this whole mess. Surprisingly, the responsible one is John Waters whose films aren’t that… successful. And honestly speaking, “Cry-Baby” is a total crap, in my opinion. I’ll explain, but let me tell you what it’s about. So as you know we have Cry-Baby (Johnny Depp) who is a real bad boy. He has his own gang, wears a black jacket, has too much gel on his hair. Classic. One day this cute girl Allison (Amy Locane) spots our handsome Cry-Baby and tries to get to know him better. The problem is very original. She’s a lady from a good house. Wow, I know. And also her boyfriend isn’t overly thrilled about Allison’s new object of interest. Generally, it’s a cliché story with a lot of cringy moments. So why am I recommending it? Because it’s one of those awkward films that you should know. Plus we have Willem Dafoe there. Plus we have Iggy Pop there. And plus we have the most unattractive-but-still-loved-by-everyone actress Kim McGuire. In case you were curious, she really didn’t look much different in real life. Unfortunately, she’s not with us anymore, but she will always be remembered as Hatchet, the scariest face in a musical. For balance we have young Johnny Depp there. So don’t worry.

My rating: 6/10
S.

How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. “Blow” (2001)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Ted Demme
© 2001 New Line Cinema. All Rights Reserved.

I hope you like the title. It’s actually the official title of the book that this film was based on. Thankfully, the film producers thought about the amount of words that they would have to print on the posters, so they limited it to one. Impressive. This is the last film directed by Ted Demme (there’s one made in 2003, after his death, but it was finished by another person) and I think it’s… quite a decent production for the ending. The film tells the story of George Jung who is also known as “El Americano”. He was a town boy, as the title says, who started selling marijuana at some point of his young life. But as you may be guessing, marijuana is for boys. Our big boy George needed to upgrade and he became one of the biggest cocaine smugglers in the US. I’m sure it will be tempting for you to know that the main role was given to Johnny Depp and at some point he starts dating Mirtha (Penélope Cruz). That’s a lovely couple, isn’t it? Anyway, at the beginning I thought this film had a lot of potential, but in the middle I started yawing a lot. Unfortunately, there are several unnecessary scenes and boring moment. Still, in the end, the story was told, the message was given, so I guess it’s done pretty okay. Personally, I liked Depp in this role. He was very convincing, but it wasn’t his best role. He’s still a better when he can play some mysterious psycho. It’s a compliment, by the way. Generally, this film is rather average for me, but I’m giving +1 for editing and story. Oh, and one interesting fact: the director, Ted Demme, had a heart attack. According to the autopsy, he had cocaine in his system. Wondering what was first, the film or cocaine? Egg or chicken?

My rating: 6/10
S.

I hope your parents all told you that you die at the end. “The Professor” (2018)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Wayne Roberts
© 2018 Saban Films. All Rights Reserved.

I’m really sorry about this. I’ve just noticed that recently I’ve recommended way too many films about terminal diseases… Please, forgive me, but this film is also good so I cannot just omit it. I promise that we will have a break from this topic. At least for a few days. Anyway, let me tell you how Jack Sparrow became a professor. Richard (Johnny Depp) is a teacher of English who finds out that his days are counted. And, shortly speaking, he loses his minds. He wants to actually start living his life and try things he hasn’t had a chance to try yet. I’m sure we can all name at least 3 films with the same scenario. However, I’m recommending it because of Johnny Depp. I really missed him as an actor. His recent roles weren’t of the best quality… So I really hoped that “The Professor” would make me believe in Depp again. And thank you very much, my favourite kind of Johnny is back. Richard isn’t a complicated character so playing him may be a challenge. You just need to be normal, which is probably the worst task for an actor. Still, the film is very universal. You don’t have to be diagnosed with cancer to relate to the whole story. It’s actually quite disturbing how people re-evaluate their life when they are told the amount of time left. We may realise that we’re missing basic emotions and experiences, not necessarily “oh no, I will never walk on the moon” kind of experiences. It’s done in a simple way, but I bet you may read it very differently and that’s why I’m recommending it today.

My rating: 6/10
S.