Simon's Movie Reviews

Historical movies are often controversial because they tend to play fast and loose with the facts in order to prioritize spectacle for the sake of reaching mass audiences. I should know a lot more about the history behind Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans (1992) since it features the historical figure General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, a key figure in the history of Quebec City which I consider to be my home town. I don’t know if he is accurately portrayed, but the movie itself is an old-fashioned historical epic with romance, action and drama. Maybe I’ll read up on the history later. The movie itself is based on a novel that was published in 1826 by American author James Fennimore Cooper. I read the book a few years ago, but mostly because there was a free version online and I was curious to read a novel that dealt with that period of history. It was definitely not a page-turner, which is something Mann and co-writer Christopher Crowe must have had in mind when they were ...

There is a lot of drama to be pumped out of the oil rush, pardon the pun, but add in the direction of P.T Anderson and the usual method performance of Daniel Day-Lewis and you’ve got yourself a winner. There Will Be Blood (2007) is somewhat of an odd beast, with razor sharp music by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead, scenery chewing performances, and themes about greed and religion. On paper the story and historical setting might seem a tad dull for some people, but the end result is surprisingly entertaining in large part thanks to Anderson’s screenplay that provides one of the best quotes of the last ten years: “I drink your milkshake!” This was actually one of my first Daniel Day-Lewis movies, despite the fact he has delivered plenty of award-winning performances throughout his career. Upon hearing one of his many great monologues in the trailer I was immediately hooked. Who was this guy and how was he speaking like that? He came off part psychopath, part businessman. How odd ho...