Reviews (4)

Danzon
This movie is worth watching! It has fantastic acting and a great storyline. It about a woman, Julia, and the dance, Danzon. The dance is much like her life, very rigid and controlled. After Julia's partner of many years stopped showing up for their usual dance, she worries and leaves to go find him. Her journey takes her to Veracruz. There she meets many delightful people who try to help her find him. After she has a love affair with a younger man, she leaves to go back home. While she is on her journey, she discovers a lot about herself and who she is. She left not only to find her partner, but to find herself as well. This movie is great for anyone who is willing to take a risk to find themselves!

Great feel good movie with great music.
This movie is not an instructional video but it is possible to learn the basic step for the Danzon from this movie. If you are good at learning by video it is possible to learn more advanced steps by slow forwarding the movie. This movie has some good Danzon dancing & some of the greatest Danzon song's. This movie is not for the young. It is slow paced & romantic. For someone my age, it is excellent. I loved this movie. This movie left me feeling great & happy. It has a good story & Maria Rojo is great.

Enchanting!
This movie is one of my absolute favorites! A must see for anyone who has ever gone in search of a little spice and adventure in their lives! Terrific true to life story, terrific script, terrific acting! If only everyone could be brave enough to leave their droll boring existences long enough to REALLY follow their hearts -- this movie made me want to go hop the next plane to Veracruz and learn the hypnotic Danzon rhythm! The unforgettable characters and the experiences the main character has during her quest for her dance partner will stay in your memory long after you have turned off your vcr!

Veracruz, Maria Rojo, danzon, what else is there?
One of my all time favorites. If you don't have the time to visit the fabulous port of Veracruz, watch this video. It captures the essence of Mexico. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Luis Puenzo's shattering 1985 story about the collision of middle-class aspirations and government lies in Argentina packs a wallop a viewer never forgets. A happy couple (Norma Aleandro and Hector Alterio) enamored of their careers (she's a teacher proffering pro-government revisionist history, he's a successful entrepreneur) are made all the more joyous by the fulfilling presence of an adopted baby in their lives. In time, however, Aleandro's character begins to suspect that the child was taken from a woman who is among Argentina's "disappeared," i.e., a likely victim of violent political repression. With that genie out of the bottle, everything about the couple's life together begins to look doctored and glossed-over to her, including the marriage itself. Puenzo (Old Gringo) leads the mounting suspicion and conflict between husband and wife toward an astonishing eruption of suppressed feelings, a release of buried truths that is more than the story of one wobbly marital union. It is an allegory for a nation fearing its recent past. A powerful experience. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Just fabulous!
I am a Spanish teacher who talks about Argentina and the Dirty War and I use this film to perfectly illustrate how people were made to "disappear" and how power was abused, etc, and how the smallest of children became innocent victims. "The Official Story" does all of that and more. I also relate the film to the Holocaust, as these leaders may not have killed as many, but they used the same techniques. The movie is so well done.

A moving story, with subtlety, emotion, and truth.
The military juntas in Argentina had methods similar to those of Pinochet in Chile and Castro in Cuba. You will see in this movie how Argentine society wretched at the numerosity of the families suffering losses. You will see the "abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo," protesting in a way never seen before. But the uniqueness of this film lies in its portrayal of how an unlikely family finds that it, too, has fallen victim, in an unexpected way, in the wake of a secretly brutal regime.

The movie is poignant in another way: very subtlely, it portrays how an average man in the government, a husband who loves his wife and daughter dearly, is himself changed, profoundly, through his association with the government (a government willing to hurt its citizens in order to battle a threatening ideology). The slow, subtle build-up of a tension that must be resolved, and the crescendo in the final scenes, are moving. In the end, in its portrayal of a particular case (Argentina), this movie holds a mirror to human nature, showing us both the depths, as well as the heights, which men and women can reach.

This appears to be one of the best Argentine films made in the '80s. I think it shows that Argentine filmmaking is alive and well. If you like this movie, I would also recommend another Argentine film: Man Facing Southeast, a more reflective, philosophical movie, with a very subtle religious interrogative, probing the question of who we are as human beings.

Norma as Alicia
This actress is phenomenal in this role. She IS Alicia and her portrayal of coming to terms with Argentina's dirty war secrets is the most compelling acting I've seen in my life. She is simply remarkable and the film's power and emotion center on her flawless portrayal.
Some heart-wrenching moments:
When she gently unfolds her baby's cloth diaper, long saved in a box of momentos from her infancy, or when she snuggles up to little Gaby, holding tight to her child, the woman's agony becomes so real that you forget that you're watching a movie and your heart feels the pain of her situation.
I've seen this movie at least 10 times and I find myself still tearing up when Norma performs Alicia so masterfully.

An interesting symbol I've noticed in the film:
The opening and closing of doors.
----Alicia watching the doors swing back and forth while witnessing the birth of a child in the hospital
----Alicia seeing a door at Roberto's office suddenly close, to hide a criminal act in progress
----Roberto closing the door on her fingers, as if to keep her from passing through the door
----Alicia's departure, the silence leading up to the heavy close of the door, as we see her profile finally pass through.
(These are the examples that come to mind. I'm sure there are more)
In the context of Argentine history in the mid 1980's, the country itself was passing through a door to democracy.

(Un pasito para allí, que miedo que me da...) The music is a perfect thematic instrument in the film as well.

What a complex and aesthetic film this is!

The Story Of Us
As and argentinian citizen, I think this is the one of the most representative film about us, ever made. The screenplay shows in a very close way, the dark years of our history, when democracy was just a dream. Norma Aleandro and Hector Alteiro are simply perfect in their roles and the music of Atilio Stampone is oustanding. The first (and by the moment, the only) Oscar for Best Foreing Language Film, to Argentina. I'm really proud that people around the world could appreciate this magnificent film.

Shocking History
I have seen this movie at least 5 times and I love it. It's a great story based on true historical events that took place in Argentina into the 1980s. This movie is a great educational tool for older audiences, especially those interesting in Latin American history. Shocking and unbelievable. Definitely a good addition to anyone's historical-drama collection. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bitter Truths
This film exemplifies what Christian hypocrites did to decimate the African world-view. My favorite scenes involved storytelling, done in the traditional African manner, by different slaves. Christianity was a great tool of oppression and domination, and this film shows it.

A sobering flick
The demand for sugar brought the demand for labor and the demand for control over the labor. The Last Supper was an excellent movie in the way opening one's eyes to the use of Christianity as a means of control. Throughout the movie the Count, the owner of a Spanish plantation, is trying to use Christianity through the Padre and through guilt to cause the slaves to work better for him. He plays the neutral role as he allows Don Manuel, the overseer, to keep the slaves working and allows the father to teach them about reaching paradise if they follow their masters here on this earth. Eventually the slaves revolt after he lets 12 of them eat at his table in a recreation of the last supper. He realizes that he gave them too much. He does not want another revolt and graphically shows what will happen to those who go against his authority. Those who do not appreciate how much he has done for them. However, one of the twelve who sat at the table runs free, hope is still alive.

"Time before democracy", so to speak.
I know the title of this comment may be questionable. The movie depicts the tension between the powerful, wishing to reach a narcisistic climax (be like Christ), and the abused wishing to reach freedom. The result, bizarre and painful, is presented as a fable for humankind. ... Read more

Reviews (401)

Fantastic Movie
An instant classic. The characters are strongly developed, every frame is a breathtaking masterpiece of art, and (thank goodness) NO SILLY SONGS. This movie will stand up to the test of time and across international borders because its themes are universally familiar to all people of all cultures. I have seen it three times in the movie theaters and look forward to seeing it again and again.

For those of you who like ANTZ, consider this: Pixar was already roughly two years into development on "Bug's Life" when Jeffrey Katzenberg left Disney for Dreamworks. Obviously he took many of the ideas with him to create ANTZ (wonder why Disney's "Armageddon" is similar to Dreamwork's "Deep Impact" -- and why both were released around the same time? Same reason.) So PIXAR gets an extra PLUS for originality.

Entertaining for kids and adults!
A Bug's Life is entertaining for kids and adults alike. This movie is a non-stop action fest that has been masterfully captured on DVD.

The picture quality if superb, if not the best I've seen, for an animated DVD due to the direct digital to DVD transfer. In full screen mode, you will be amazed how clean and delineated the picture is; the detail is incredible!

My big surprise was how amazing the sound is on this disc. You can use this to show off your Dolby Digital sound system to friends just as well as any action film. The surround effects are crisp and the bass is well defined.

My only complaint would probably be that the action and sound is so non-stop, that it can tire out adults, albeit mesmerizing children the whole time.

The extras are plenitiful and well done. The inclusion of the end-title outtakes is the highlight of a wonderful special edition disc you're sure to enjoy.

Gotta love them bugs
Those Pixar folk are amazing. Not only do they make an excellent movie, but they complement it with a first rate package of extras, especially the outtakes and the movie short "Geri's Game". The two-disc Collector's Editions are worth waiting for, and you will find yourself playing the second disc as often as the first.

This innovative take on the old fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper" teaches us a few important lessons:

1. There's a clumsy nerd who wants to be a hero in every colony
2. Phyllis Diller is an old queen
3. David Hyde Pierce is stiff
4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is neurotic and can't dance
5. Grasshoppers live it up in Mexican joints during the Summer
6. German caterpillars are funny, and so are pill-bugs.
7. Ladybirds may not be ladies
8. Birds can be flammable
9. An ant may look at a queen
10. Don't stir up an ants nest

To maintain good family relations, you should allow your kids to watch this movie too.

Amanda Richards July 13, 2004

A Fun New Classic From Disney
As always, Pixar delivered a breath taking experience when they brought us A Bug's Life. While not overly realistic, the animation is bright and rich and incredibly detailed. The colours and textures suck you into their world.
The movie features a nice mix of humor and excitement. Some moments are full of suspense and tension.
The voice actors do a great job, particularly Kevin Spacey as the villain Hopper. He's truly menacing! When the voice talents are combined with Pixar's fabulous job of giving natural movements and mannerisms to each different species of insect the mix creates very believable characters.
As per usual Disney style there is a great moral to be learned through the story, about the importance of standing up for yourself, and how one small person truly can change the world.
The only drawback of the movie is that the characters are relatively shallow and underdeveloped when compared to Disney's usual level of complexity. However, when you consider that this film is based off of the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper" it puts things into perspective and you appreciate how much imagination and creativity actually went into this project. The end result is highly entertaining and sure to be a classic in generations to come.

Just a Few Notches Below Finding Nemo
This film was originally released in 1998, but I didn't actually see it until a few months ago. Simply put, it's Pixar doing what they do best. A widely caried and excellent cast of characters, a simple but elaborately executed plot, and of course, the rendition of a half a dozen themes that run universal throughout our lives.

Essentially, a mild and nerdy ant known as Flic accidentally destroys the entire food supply of his ant colony. Of course, the food was not for them; it was their yearly offering to the grasshoppers. As a result, the grasshoppers decree that the ants can spend the remainder of summer gathering it all again. Hopper, the ingenius and menacing leader, notes that Flic stands up to him for one brief moment, and this becomes pivotal later. I won't say any more past there, only that there are plenty of intriguing twists to keep things interesting.

Overall, this movie bears an obvious resemblance to Finding Nemo. First of all, both movies involve the creation and manipulation of a natural environment and its inhabitants. Second, they both involve unlikely heroes (A bumbling ant and a fearful clownfish). Third, both are at a standard of quality that the animation world has never before seen.

Honestly, Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Hopper is reason enough to see A Bug's Life. (I could say the same thing about Albert Brooks' portrayal of Marlin in Finding Nemo.) However, the movie offers much more in the long run, and the special features are deep and surprisingly un-boring. The director's commentary of this movie and other Pixar films is much, much more entertaining than most movies. I credit a lot of that to Andrew Stanton, but the guys just have a creative knack to them that makes their ideas and comments brilliant.

Recommended to all fans of animation, all lovers of Pixar, and all those with good taste. ... Read more

Description

Robert Carlyle (THE FULL MONTY) stars as George, a Glasgow bus driver who risks his job by giving a free ride to a beautiful Nicaraguan woman with no money. From the moment that he sees her, George becomes infatuated. He soon finds her a place to live and learns the reason behind her sadness - her boyfriend has been killed by the Contras. George accompanies her to Nicaragua where he helps her come to terms with her past, and at the same time, discovers more about himself. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great film
In this film, Director Ken loach sucessfully crystalized his unshaken belief on humanity.
there's clear difference between his former film "land and freedom", both films descrive one indivisual goes through wartime in foreign country and the end of personal relationship they confront in the middle of chaotic situation. However, unlike "Land and freedom", the hero,Jorge,bus driver in Glassgow,never has been politically motivated character in the first place. He went to nicaragua together with his girlfriend, Carla, to help her to face her past by finding her ex-boyfriend and to overcome inner trauma and scar. Jorge eventully started being frustrated with his powerlessness against the inhuman crisis ongoing in her homeland.
Contrally to "land and freedom" The story moves on from personal reality to political reality. Yet more importantly, this film beautifully captures one's spiritual growth through relationship.

I think that's what makes this film so real, powefull and thought provoking one.

ken loach comes to america
in carlla's song, ken loach explores love in the midst of hell when a reckless and irresponsible bus driver (robert carlyle) falls in love with a beautiful but suicidal nicaraguan refugee(oyanka cabezas). she is suffering from severe case of survivor's guilt and as the driver falls deeper and deeper in love with her, it becomes obvious that he is going to have to quelle her nigtmares and that means taking her back to a nicaraguan war zone to confront her demons. Ken loach's matter of fact ease with situational dialogue translates well into all of the necessary languages, and the result is a very special movie.

Excellent film
Possibly Ken Loach's finest work. If you only know Robert Carlyle from The Full Monty, then view this. Thee won't be a dry eye in the house. The DVD transfer is disappointing & the extras are minimal to say the least but the quality of the story & film making outshine any technical misgivingd ... Read more

Description

Set in rural Spain in 1940, Victor Erice's (El Sur, Dream of Light) extraordinary debut film is a haunting portrait of the isolation of an introverted child within her own family.Ana Torrent is absolutely unforgettable as the lonely little girl who sees Boris Karloff's Frankenstein, and is convinced that the monster actually exists.Encouraged by her sister, she sets off into the woods to find him and becomes immersed in a mysterious and poetic imaginary world.A poignant exploration of the fragile innocence of childhood, The Spirit of the Beehive is Spanish cinema at its very best. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

El Espiritu de la Lento
This movie is trying to convey something deep and I believe its hidden in there somewhere amongst the symbolism and seemingly unconnected dream-like sequences. But for the effort to delve to that meaning with a lack of a clear-cut story: much is required and little is gained. With that said this movie has its merits.

Shot in 1973, it has been garnered with a host of film festival awards the world over from Paris to Chicago to London. I suppose the Brits got it right in awarding "The Spirit of the Beehive," with Best Photography, for that's one thing Victor Erice nails...beautiful thought-provoking, mood enhancing cinematography. It has been called the best Spanish film ever made by the NYT and I think that's throwing away the honey with the beehive. Almodovar's "All About My Mother," Leon's "Monday in the Sun," or Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou," or "Land Without Bread," all come to mind topping "Spirit," for Espana's top celluloid honors.

The thin story-line here sounds compelling enough. Two young girls see the movie Frankenstein on the first day of WWII in an isolated Spanish village. Ana, a role wonderfully played by an enchanting young girl (actress Ana Torrent) becomes increasingly isolated and sets about to discover a real-life Frankenstein. Parallel's to Mary Shelley's story are threaded through the film ending in a non-conclusive dream sequence. Giving credit to the director, we are left with a compelling sense of isolation, a sense of the war's creeping into a remote Spanish village, and a sense that it matters what happens to the main character Ana. But what we don't get is storytelling. Pseudo-events are loosely connected together without any drama, suspense, or continuity. Think..."Thin Red Line," meets Ingmar Bergman in Spanish.

There are images that are left with you...the cruel and equally isolated sister Isabel putting a strangle hold on a black cat, Ana's father working the beehive while capturing compelling poetry about the bees work and how it relates to the human experience. I wouldn't dissuade you from watching this film if you are a fan of all cinema foreign or Spanish flicks, but for the average viewer out there...save the cinematography, this one's slow.

A haunting, heartbreaking film you will never, ever forget
In Castile on the eve of the Second World War a traveling show brings a movie to town. Ana Torrent plays a little girl (also named Ana) who sees Boris Karloff's "Frankenstein" and is convinced the monster is real. She ends up befriending a wounded fugitive, believing him to be the monster. Victor Erice's haunting film is obviously a political statement on life in Spain during Franco's reign, but it functions even better as testimony to the power of a child's imagination and the fatal loss of innocence that invariable comes to us all. Not a film for children, who will neither recognize nor appreciate the warning, but for those of us who will always cherish the children we once were, and the world in which we wanted to live. "The Spirit of the Beehive" is a film to treasure forever.

Somewhere in Castille about 1943.......
The opening scenes present each character in their private world. Laura, the mother, is writing a letter to a lover who may or not be merely imagined. This is her fiction.

Fernando attends his bees and in the privacy of his library meditates on the nature of existence using the beehive and the industrious workings of the bees within as a metaphor for civilization. The slightest change upsets the bees work...and being 1943 great changes have altered the fabric of life in Spain. We glimpse Fernando's state of mind by reading his accounts of the bees daily activity and for him lifes once rich rituals it is clear have now been reduced to pointlessness and sadness.

For Laura these changes Spain has gone through have forever altered the way she sees life. She feels life can no longer be embraced and lived to the fullest as it once could.

The structure of society which would have given the parents some sense of purpose and significance has collapsed. And the way they sleepwalk through their lives leaves the children feeling like orphans. The only example they have of what life is is learned at school and in the movie theatre. The girls are particularly moved by a showing of the classic Frankenstein. For them this large melancholy figure seems strangely familiar. What they cannot fathom is why the friendly beast kills the little girl in the movie. The youngest girls mind will not be put to rest until she finds her answer.

The movie's haunting scenes which veer between carefree innocence and haunting confrontation with stark reality are perfectly complimented by the Luis de Pablo soundtrack. One of the strangest most disturbing melodies is played by Laura herself. And throughout the film director Victor Erice's camera will on occasion come to rest on one of the mansion's paintings which depict man as a hopelessly lost creature among forces that are beyond his comprehension. The childrens imaginations are haunted by a world beyond their comprehension and so are the adult imaginations and so is the viewers. Victor Erice presents each life as a separate narrative and the narrative lines do not overlap. The films stark strategy emphasizes the lack of cohesion in Spanish life. Each character is lost within themselves. Poetic and stark and yet beautiful as the best Spanish poetry.

A silent scream against tyranny.
'Spirit Of The Beehive', which begins 'Once upon a time...', uses children's drawings in its opening credits, anticipating the film's key scenes, spaces and motifs. This alerts us to the child's-eye view the film will largely take, focusing on two young sisters in s small Spanish village, Segovia, in 1940. They live in a vast, decaying mansion with their parents (a solitary, obsessive beekeeper, and a mother dreaming of her exiled lover), and servants. When James Whale's 'Frankenstein' is shown in the village hall, the younger sister, Ana, is particularly haunted by the scene in which the monster plays with a little girl by the side of a lake, throwing floating daisies onto the water. Her sister tells her that the monster didn't die in the film, but that his spirit lurks around an nearby abandoned outhouse, beside a well in an arid plain. Spotting a large footstep in the area, Ana prepares herself to meet the spirit.

Victor Erice's film, often conidered the greatest ever made in Spain, is at once ascetic and sensual. It is ascetic in its evocation of a depleted Spain, one year after the bloody trauma of the Civil War, a place heavy with silences and suppressed emotions, parched, peeling buildings surrounded by dusty streets and outlying areas as dully stagnant as this new way of life, former granduer a dessicated memory. The film is sensual in the way this world is seen, coloured and re-imagined by the two young heroines, especially intense, dark, bow-legged Ana. The house they live in, like the beehive their father tends (grilled like a honeycomb, glowing with an amber light), is a silent, claustrophobic, ill-lit mansion, stripped of its personal decor, the kind of haunted house pregnant with silent screasm we find in late Bergman (e.g. 'Cries and Whispers'). But while their exhausted, experience-reeling parents give up, the girls explore its mysteries like the innocent heroines of Gothic fiction or fairy tales. There is very little dialogue in the film, limited to the remnants of civilisation (school) or the elegiac confessions of letters and diaries - much of 'Spirit' is choreographed around brooding, pregnant, enigmatic rituals.

In a film haunted by ghosts and the charred traces of a vanished way of life, even the characters, in their movements and silences, move around familiar spaces like phantoms. The two great unspoken voids of the film - the Civil War and Franco - are only indirectly alluded to, and yet they shape this world, they are the spirit of this beehive. A necessarily symbolic and allusive work (made under the Fascists, its strategies, allegories and even style recall Eastern European films made under similar totalitarian regimes), metaphors work in complex, shifting patterns, in once sense, connecting characters in unexpected ways (trains, watches, monsters etc.), they are a further grid constricting these dead characters. On another, they magic another reality, of spirits, ghosts, memories, shadows beyond the reach of a spirit-destroying regime that would burn all records of alternative possibilities and realities. Even if it achieved nothing else - and 'Spirit' is one of the most potent, quietly stunning and moving films in all cinema - then Erice's movie would be precious for rescuing 'Frankenstein' from camp, and restoring its austere beauty.

Unforgettable
There is so much to recommend in "Spirit of the Beehive" that it is hard for a reviewer to know where to begin. As other reviewers have pointed out, the cinematography and the performance delivered by the lead actress are among the best ever filmed. I also enjoyed the musical score, which was largely delivered with a single woodwind, but its simplicity only enhanced its impact. Some viewers may find it difficult to watch in part because of its almost oppressive atmosphere and in part because little is overtly explained about the characters or their situation. The latter is because it is a portrayal of life under the rule of Franco, filmed in 1973 while Franco was still alive. The vaugeness helped keep the censors from blacklisting the film, but it looses none of its power despite its caution. In watching this film, one is drawn into the lonely plight of the main character, and its only through great effort that a viewer can keep from reaching out to hold her. Descriptions cannot do it justice, however. I can only recommned that you see it, and then only when you are in a mood where your mind can be open and your heart needs touching. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A big disappointment
This video was not animated like the classic Chuck Jones features such as "The Cat In The Hat" and "The Grinch". My daughter was rather disappointed to see the camera scanning over pages of the books she already owns along with paper cutouts of the characters floating around as a cheap replacement for animation. We give this video a thumbs down.

Not impressed
Though my son watches this atleast once a day since we received it, I am not impressed by the way it is put together. The voices and some of the light american accents make it hard for me to be fully satisfied. Also some of the rhymes are barely grasping it.

Perfect for Spanish classes!!!
I have used this video in beginning spanish classes, it is perfect!!

not received
I still have not received this product after more than a month. If I do get it, then I might change the rating. It's still annoying to not receive the product and still be charged for it.

Book in action
This is not an animated video. It is the book "alive". Some people hate the primitiveness of this type of format, but little ones don't need high-tech animation or special effects. I must admit that it took me some time to get used to it, though. I like it because I can read the book to my son at bedtime or pop in the video while he eats lunch, and it it the SAME. It is consistent with the original book. This is important because it helps children learn patterns and cause-and-effect. Sometimes if you have a book-inspired video, the video alters the original story. This does not. My son loves it. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Jorge Zanada's documentary on the Argentinian Tango
"Tango: Our Dance" refers to the people of Buenos Aires for whom the Tango is much more than a dance. It is a ritual imbued with great sensuality and style. Director Jorge Zanada is not offering up an extended music video, because this documentary looks at how the Tango fits uniquely into the culture of Argentina focusing on the elements of passion and machismo contained within the dance. Robert Duvall makes a "special appearance" in this film which is in English with Spanish subtitles. "Tango Bayle nuestro" won the Golden Precolumbian Circle Best Documentary Award at the 1989 Bogota Film Festival. Ultimately, this film is more about culture than it is about dance per se.

docu with real tango
Finaly a documentry with real danced Argentine tango with normal people, realy improvising on the music. Not everything I like in this video, there is a part with Ballroom tango and a choreographed dance (orgenised by an american program for latino's) that misses the point, but I like realy the end, a ballet , but it is beatifully danced in real Tango stile, that means heavy, down to the ground.

Real Tango
Somewhat overwrought in its politics, but this film does put tango in its cultural context. This film shows ordinary people dancing the tango and talking about the dance they love. It contrast the real tango in Buenos Aires and the acrobatic tango you see in shows. This film is insightful and passionate and beautiful and sad, much like the tango itself.

Marvelous Docu-commentary on "real" Milonga style Tango.
I was bemused by another review of this film which asserted "an inebriated Robert Duvall portrays an aging gigelo, pandering to old ladies."

Duvall's portion, a very small portion, merely relates his reasons for visiting Argentina, to learn Tango at it's cradle of inception. The interview is obviously in a hotel room, where he speaks compactly about his love and interest in Tango. He "plays" no part. He does not dance.

This video is no more than an amazing documentary and cultural commentary on the "Milonga" style of Tango; it's past, it's future and simply dazzling performances of now aging non-professional stars of Tango, who are passing the torch of this cultural heritage of Buenos Aires on to another generation. There is an inate sadness in the interviews of the older "Asfalto" Milongueros, the dancers, who see this dance form slipping into disuse, in favor of the European and American style; something that the, the old timers, cannot relate to. Backed by excellent music and stunning exhibitions by "Portenos", this film is a "keeper", to be played over and over again, for it's dance, it's music, it's form and the shear enjoyment of Tango.

One of Duvall's greatest films.
As a tango instructor at an Arthur Murray studio in East Islip, New Jersey, Duvall commands the viewer's attention with his cynical, jaded, bored, and slightly inebriated portrayal. Ripping off infatuated elderly ladies who only want to be young again so they can dance with him, Duvall's conscience never begins to get the better of him. Then a new instructor is hired - a younger, more attractive Mason Williams. Watch the fireworks and fancy footwork as these two gigolos compete ruthlessly for the attentions of their elderly clientele. You must see this one! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Pedro Alomodóvar made this misfired, rambling comedy about a romance novelist (Marisa Paredes) whose crumbling marriage has left her depressed and unable to work. At a low point, she writes a scathing indictment of her own books (which are penned under another name), with no one realizing critic and author are one and the same. Almodóvar (Law of Desire) has the start of a great idea here, and for once, he's direct about his sympathy for a character. But nothing else about The Flower of My Secret is so clear. Despite its unusual allegiance to the straightforward "women's films" of the 1950s, this movie blows it by becoming needlessly complicated over extraneous junk, forcing one to grope in the dark for Almodóvar's point. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Quiet restrained Almodovar with love to Spanish Culture
A quiet restrained Almodovar movie, rich with symbols and style (artistic shots made through different patterns - mirrors, straw chair patterns, etc.). This movie is also a tribute to the Spanish culture - dance, food and various elements of the folklore which appear in lace making, landscape and portrayal of "country people".
This is the story of Leo (Marisa Paredes) who is a writer. Leo writes her stories under a pseudonym as she is not proud of the sugary love stories she writes. This "real/unreal love" is one of the main themes and conflicts of the movie. Leo, under again another pseudonym attacks her own love stories while Angel, her new boss and friend writes in favor of the sugary author. Should we believe the dramatic love story which always comes with a happy ending but is somewhat untrue or should we write / or dream about everyday truthful life where love, like other achievements comes after hard work?
In the opening scene Leo has trouble getting her boots off - the boots are a present from her husband and she wears them although they are so tight she cannot breath. In what is later understood as a very symbolic act she tries to take the boots off in various ways but succeeds only after her friend Betty manages to help her. Betty works in the transplant section of the hospital (transplants and the detailed process of explaining the death of a dear one to his relatives also appear in Almodovar "all about my mother" and Almodovar is definitely doing a great service to this matter). Leo drinks a lot. She is very miserable and misses her husband who is in the army. Leo knows they are having problems but it seems that the viewer is in a better position to understand the nature of their relationship. Leo is both aware of problems yet blind to several facts that are presented to her face (blindness is another motive - as Leo's mother who was brought from the country to live with Leo's sister in the city is half blind, yet there are several things she can "see" very well). When Leo finally understands the truth - she falls apart and is aided back to life by her family and new friend.
This is first of all a love story, but more then that this is a story of loyalty vs. infidelity (on the one hand we have Blanka, Leo's faithful maid and on the other side her close friend), city vs. country, and once and again the question of truth - in relationships, in writing, and maybe in art in general (through the story of Blanka and her son dance group).
Marisa Parades is convincing and is aided by a lovely group of actors of which I would like to mention Leo's sister, Rossy de Palma whose face is so memorable you cannot forget. This actress has also participated in Almodovar movie "Kika" and makes a strong impression.

Hooray for Hollywood
You either love or hate Aldomovar films. This one may win over a new legion of fans but is very unlike most of his movies. So which is the real Aldomovar, the straight romanticist or the outrageous dierctor? Probably both but more bizarre than stright considering his style leans more to wacky characters verses isn't she sweet characters. This movie is different from any of his previous works in that it is, well for lack of a better word, mundane. This is not one of my favorite Aldomovar movies. The plot is simple, a woman is in crisis in her life, unhappy in her marriage, writing (romance) novels that are about everything she is missing in her life, and her denial of what she needs, real romance. Marisa Paredes, who has beeen hilarious in other Aldomovar films is just ok as the novelist in the story, Amanda Gris. Her full talents are not utilized though as she is not as funny in her depiction of Amanda, it's just not in the character I guess. Check out some of her other roles and you'll see what I mean, she's better in the other movies. Her husband is consumed with his career and other "projects". It is a bit of a sad story and maybe too close to real life, that is why some will love it and others not. More women will like this than men, translation dare I say, chick flick. This is more of a mainstream movie that departs from Aldomovar's usual flair for the unusual usual suspects. For me this movie and the performances were just to ordinary. That said many will love it.

My favorite Almodóvar
I agree with what the second reviewer says about this sensitive, passionate, lyrical portrayal of a courageous, strong, disciplined woman whose nemesis, as always, results from the heart. The betrayals she suffers are as profound as her love is and Marisa Paredes comes through as one of the half a dozen or so most important film actresses of the decade. One particular scene, the mother returning to her native village, provides one of the most exquisite moments in film: the background text and the sight and the voice becoming a separate moment of intense recollection and joy. Nothing misfired about this genuine masterpiece. ''Mamadoc'' s.marie

Perfect story about people's search for love and comfort...
This film is perhaps especially telling to people in their 40's and 50's, because character's search for love and comfort can only be fully appreciated by people of this age, who are more or less in the same situation as this woman-novelist with numerous emotional problems and no solution to them.

She does find a solution eventually, but you have to wait until the end of the film to see that. It will not dissapoint you at all; in fact, it might surprise you a great deal...

Wonderful supporting characters (e.g. novelist's mother and sister) make this film an outstanding thinking piece about human life. Very deep!

Lovely and Touching . . .
. . . and maybe those aren't words fans normally associate with Almodovar, at least when not linked to words like "junky," "transvestite," or "porn star." I disagree with the reviewer who termed this a misfire--it's simply a more thoughtful film by this usually over-the-top director. Visually, one of his most arresting films, Almodovar chooses to focus this time on the distance between true love and idealized love as seen in romance novels and how they sometimes intersect in surprising ways. Marissa Paredes shows stunning range as the main character--at times both critically stung and deeply needy and yet passionate and cocky . . . boy, do you root for her. And the scene in which she is literally pushed by a mob of protesters into the arms of the man she could be truly happy with is one of the best in movies. NOT a disappointment at all. ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Five stars despite the fact that the DVD is Fullscreen only
I have no idea what corporate dolt made the decision not to release this film in a letterbox edition, but it utterly mars the DVD version of one of my favorite films from the last ten years. The reason I buy DVDs is because of the superior picture, but one of the reasons DVD is superior is the fact that you can see the full--i.e., letterboxed--picture. This DVD chops off each side of one of the most visually beautiful films made in recent cinema. This decision was just a dreadful mistake. This is a film I would purchase on DVD if only it were available in letterboxed format.

Still, I give BABE five stars because the film itself is just so delightful. I think most viewers focus on the story, and I am enough of a kid that I enjoyed it thoroughly. But other things seem to get overlooked. The human performances are just as charming as the animals, and if Magda Szubanski and James Cromwell (who received a well deserved Oscar nomination for his role as Farmer Hoggett) hadn't been so superb, the movie would have been nothing but a technical display. The art direction for this movie doesn't get the praise it deserves, probably because people perceive it to be a kid's film. But very, very few films look this good; the art directors created a unique, beautiful, and magical looking world.

Interestingly, the person who did the voice for Babe is Christine Cavanaugh, who does the voice of Chuckie on Rugrats. The voice for Babe in BABE: PIG IN THE CITY was done by Elizabeth Daily, who does the voice of Tommy Pickles on Rugrats. Keeping it in the family. The voice of Rex, the Sheepdog, was by Hugo Weaving, who played the main Agent in THE MATRIX and Elrond in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING.

Great Movie For Those Who Don't Like Kids Movies
If you loathe children's movies, you'll like Babe. Its hard to explain how smart, funny & charming this movie is. Part of the charm is the fact that almost all of the characters have distinctive personalities. The humans act like normal humans and the animals have normal human emotions. Endlessly inventive and with a heart of gold. Tremendous fun for everyone.

GREAT movie - TERRIBLE DVD
This is by far one of my all time favorite movies. My wife always loved it, so has my 3-year old boy. So we went ahead and purchased this movie on DVD. However, how annoying is it when the DVD doesn't allow you to skip the previews of other insignificant movies before you actually get to see the feature film. This thing locks up your DVD player control completely (disables functions of menu / stop / fast forward) and forces you to sit through previews of five movies before ever getting to the Babe feature. It is simply the most offensive and intruding thing my family has ever experienced in DVD's and VHS.

I have a lot of words to describe those folks at Universal Studio, I will try to be gentle. Let's just put it this way - your limited creativity in marketing really must be the ultimate lowest of all.

One of the best ever
This is the movie which I have guided my young children too, so that we can both enjoy it on the 50th viewing.

It is visually terrific, the script and delivery have great little twists. The message of respect and communication is well delivered (and not saccharine).

I think Entetainment Weekly magazine was right when it included Babe as one of the timeless classics produced in the 1990's.

Fantastic Movie, Terrible DVD
What were the JERKS at Universal thinking? One of the great thing about DVDs in the ability to skip the previews at the beginning of most VHS tapes. The first thing this DVD does is disable all controls so it FORCES the viewer to watch ALL of the previews, including one for that horrible 'Cat in the Hat' flick. The only button that works is EJECT. That's right, you can't even select STOP! ... Read more

Description

In Dream of Light, the celebrated director of The Spirit of the Beehive, Victor Erice, achieves the miraculous: a direct look into how an artist creates. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

slow down poetry see deep soul (or how to lose your marble)
if the artist this film follows wasn't my favorite living artist i am not sure i would be as enamored by it

perhaps not, but then i loved Erice's "spirit of the beehive" as well

and the way this thing floats into poetic revery is completely compelling

my friends fell asleep, but

i've seen it numerous times and it keeps growing

Charming and Haunting Portrait of the Artist
It is very difficult to capture on film what a painting is about. You cannot really show what goes through a painters mind while he paints all you can really show is the physical act itself and so movies about painters at work are largely unsatisfying. What makes this film watchable is a couple of very simple things: the painter Antonio Lopez Garcia's personality, and Victor Erice's camera which finds poetry in every thing it looks at. Antonio Garcia Lopez comes across as a master craftsman, an utter perfectionist who would like to paint a Quince tree in his backyard but its not just the tree itself that fascinates him but rather the way the light hits it at a certain time of early afternoon. He begins painting in October and the weather quickly turns foul and the light that he so desires to capture vanishes with the seasons before he can finish so after weeks of work he abandons the idea of capturing that elusive light. He then begins again this time concentrating not on the light which is too unreliable but the tree which he draws with a pencil in painstaking detail going so far as to have a painter friend hold single leaves in place while he draws them. It is interesting to see Antonio Lopez Garcia work but what really gives the film a charm is the various people who stop by and the casual chat we hear between painter and friend, between painter and admirers, between painter and family. Also as he works on the painting a group of remodelers are doing some work on the interior of the house and Erice follows their progress as well. The films charms are modest really but there is something magical that builds and by films end you cannot take your eyes away from it. One particularly striking scene calls attention to the fact that this film is a work of art about a work of art: at night we see the shadow of a movie camera on its tripod against a wall as it films some Quinces that have fallen to the earth and begun rotting. The painter has attempted to capture the tree at its most beautiful and failed and yet Erice finds his beauty and poetry in the solitary and perhaps futile attempt to capture or preserve anything from the inevitable decay of time. I think the painter and the film maker have very different kinds of sensibilities and yet that is what gives the film its interest. It is not a mere documentary recording of a painter at work but a film maker commenting in his own signature way about artistic and natural processes(and all of his signature touches are here, Spirit of the Beehive fans will recognize this as the same haunting sensibilty that made that great film). So there is charm and there is depth here. One of the most memorable scenes has the painter lying down and holding a favorite object, a crystal, which he turns and marvels at as it catches the light, that most elusive and magical of all things to a painter, in different ways. He is lying down so that his wife, also a painter, can paint him. Antonio Lopez Garcia comments that perhaps after so much time working on this painting she should start again even though the painting looks nearly finished. His own frustrations and feelings of futility perhaps surfacing. After a while he falls asleep and the crystal drops from his hand and rolls over to his wife at her easel. He seems to exist in his own world, so too his wife in hers. They are each equally meticulous and equally immersed in their own work. Each life Erice seems to silently say with his camera is a separate entity and narrative immersed in its own mystery.

masterful portrait of a master artist
To put this simply, this is the best video portrait of an artist either contemporary or past. The film follows the great contempoary Spanish painter Antonio Lopez-Garcia as he paints a Quince tree in his studio backyard. No frills, no acting. This film is absolutely absorbing. The director has wisely done away with background music and other distracting frills - only the distant city sounds of Madrid in the background. The film explores Lopez-Garcia's legendary intricate working methods as well as his conversations with family, friends and admirers. Required viewing for any painter, especially. Very highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Class A
I had the opportunity to see this movie about 10 years ago, and ever since I've been trying to find a copy to purchase it, I have been unsuccessful though, A great film, class A acting and unforgettable story, based on the book of Garcia marquez. A masterpiece!

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Historia de amor de García Márquez
Esta película recrea una secuencia de la novela "El amor en los tiempos del cólera" de Gabriel García Márquez. Corresponde a una serie denominada "Los amores difíciles" y es un homenaje al género literario: Cartas de amor. La historia alude a un amor construido a través de un tercero, quien representa al amanuense de la misma manera que el famoso Cyrano de Bergerac respecto de Rossana. La calidad fotográfica del cine cubano ennoblece la historia, al igual que la calidad actoral de los intérpretes. Tres elementos para seguir en cualquier orden: 1o) Ver las películas de Tomás Guriérrez Alea 2o) Leer "El amor en los tiempos del cólera". 3o) Recuperar en la vida cotidiana, la belleza de las cartas de amor. ... Read more

Reviews (817)

I Found A GREAT Film in "Finding Nemo"!
Disney's PIXAR studios have re-defined the world of animation time and again with their many film efforts. Such movies as "Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters Inc." have introduced audiences around the world to the potential of computer animations as a medium for creating the "next generation" cartoon.

But nothing yet compares to the unparalleled quality of animation, storytelling and pure magic that was produced in their most recent effort "Finding Nemo".

The story centers around a clown fish whose son is taken by divers somewhere off the coast of Sydney, Australia. Marlin, father to Nemo, is an overly protective dad who will do anything to keep his son from danger. You see, his mate and all their other offspring were lost when they were attacked by another fish. So in a desperate act to save his one remaining child, Marlin sets out across the ocean to rescue his son.

The movie brings the ocean to life with rich, vibrant colors that are serene and immensely beautiful. The close attention to detail in this film gives the settings, characters, indeed the entire film, a level of depth and quality not commonly seen in a "cartoon". The animation is so completely convincing that viewers often lose sight of the fact that they are watching a cartoon and instead they become immersed in the beautifully detailed world created by this team of animators from Pixar.

The movie has many wonderful characters created by a cast of all star talent. Marlin is played by Albert Brooks, whose voice has so much inflection in it that he gives a vitality to the character that equals or surpasses the animation of his character. Ellen Degeneres plays "Dory", an absent-minded lady fish who serves as Marlin's companion on his adventure and serves much of the comic relief of the film. Other celebrites making an appearance in this film include: William Defoe as Gill, and Geoffery Rush as Nigel, an empathetic pelican who helps save the day.

The movie mixes humor with human emotion, giving "Nemo" a vitality most animated films lack in this current medium. The film is at once touching and compassionate, clever, witty and funy, combining tongue-in-cheek humor with a tender honesty that will make all audiences young and old a fan of this film.

The DVD set contains enough extras to keep families entertained for hours, even after the film itself has ended. Provided in this collection are both wide screen and full screen editions of the film, along with several shorts from Pixar studios, and a particularly memorable and entertaining short documentary "Exploring the Reef", which stars Jean-Michael Costeau (son of famed undersater explorer Jacque Costeau), as well as some of "Finding Nemo" favorites.

So, for those of you who have reservations about watching a "kids" movie, set them aside and give this one a chance. It is really a film for all ages, with enough humor, action, adventure and entertainment to provide entire families with an experience not soon to be forgotten.

Scott Kolecki

Pleasing, funny family film
Finding Nemo was one of last summer's big box office smashes and, given the success of past Pixar movies, and the cool image portrayed by this movie, it's easy to see why. The story has Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) trying to find his only son Nemo after he is scooped up by a scuba diver and forced to live in a dentist's aquarium. Along the way Marlin meets with mild-mannered Dory (Ellen Degeneres), who can't remember things for more than a few minutes, but has a heart of gold.

And there we have it, a simple journey plot through the ocean, meeting weird and wonderful creations courtesy of the wonderful special effects at Pixar. They really are incredible - the water effects especially are brilliant. Remember when Monster's Inc came out and the big development was the minute details of Sulley's fur. Well, this is even better technically. However, there's a certain breed of familiarity here that makes you think that the people at Pixar are capitalising on their previous films' success, because Finding Nemo is probably the least distinguishable of the lot. Of course, the Toy Story movies have already deservedly achieved classic status, but the key different between the previous Pixar movies and Finding Nemo is that they focus a lot less on the adult audience and more on the children. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because as a kid's film Nemo is fantastic, and much more endearing than something like Shrek which, although good, was never really as layered as Toy Story. For instance, all of the characters are endlessly endearing; from the cute little Nemo, to the lost Dory to Squirt, the baby turtle. This isn't to say Nemo doesn't have its flairs. There are a few more adult jokes along the way, not least a group of sharks professing that fish are friends and not food, desperately trying to rid themselves of their stereotypes. The turtles using 'surfer' talk are also very well observed. Add to the mix a great turn by Willem Defoe as Gill, a hard-bitten aquarium fish who helps Nemo escape, Geoffrey Rush as a pelican, manic seagulls screeching 'Mine, Mine!' and you've got an effective engaging movie. Still, it's a shame that every Pixar film will live with the shadow of its predecessor hanging over it, especially when this is a brilliant family movie, but the nagging resonance of the brilliant Toy Story is always in your head.

It should be called EATING NEMO.
If I sit through Finding Nemo ever again, I swear I will shoot myself.
It is probably the worst movie I've ever seen, with jokes that lead nowhere.
Althought the animation was pretty good, a cutsie aspect was terrible and pretty unbelievable.
Monsters Inc was better for the kids and adluts.
Im sick and tired of people saying that Finding Nemo is the best Disney....ARE THEY FORGETTING THE LION KING and other classic such as Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty.

This movie so totally rocks!
From the very begining, as every Disney Pixar movie does, Finding Nemo touches your heart. This is a very heart warming wonderful tale of a clown fish boy and his father, who go through two quite magnificent journeys. Along the way they run into some wonderful fun loving characters, who you can really relate to in your own life. This movie is great for the whole family and has something for everyone adventure, action, and plenty of comedy. It has a great all star cast. Finding Nemo will keep you glued to the screen unto the very end. Thank you to Disney and Pixar for another well put together masterpiece!

PIXARS BEST!
THIS MOVIE WAS WONDERFUL!ME AND MY BROTHER WATCH IT ALL THE TIME!A GREAT MOVIE FOR AGES 2 AND UP! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Men and women in Cuba
Director Tomas Gutierrez Alea, of "Guantanamera" and "Strawberry and Choclate" fame, made this movie before the aforementioned better known movies. Short and sweet at 70 minutes you might think other directors might take a cue from this one to get their point across. How many movies have you seen that should have ended but drag on for another 30 minutes? Call it cinema penance I guess. Anyway, this movie is a movie within a movie. The story takes place around the docks of Havana and surrounding area. It seems a filmaker is making a movie about machismo and feels the docks are the perfect place to get his material. The first few frames are grainy, documentary style footage of a rally and immediately one thinks , "oh, oh, it's a bang 'em over the head with propaganda movie." Then you'll be pleasantly surprised to see that the filmmakers are getting footage for their project, it's time to relax. Oscar is a filmaker who is at odds with one of the film honchos over how to make their movie, it seems the script is being worked on as they shoot, a fly by your pants opertion which makes for lively film dialogue. In the process of exposing machismo Oscar meets a very pretty, liberated woman dock worker named Lina, as played by the pretty Mirta Ibarra, that he takes a liking to. There are some complications to be resolved which basically make the movie. The actress who will be playing Lina, Oscar's love interest, is his wife who he introduces as "the actress who will be playing you", not introducing her as his wife. Remember the story is about machismo in Cuban society and Oscar is trying to illustrate that point, so there is alot of talk of what is fair for the goose is fair for the gander, que si, que no. Also Oscar does not have a complete script so the movie becomes the script for the film he is making. Conflicts and some solutions result, well, he gets his script finished but not has he envisioned it. The acting is pretty good, the music is very nice, but there is not enough of it for those of us that love musica Cubana. There is a lovely Basque song in one part that is exquiste, I wish there were more. The movie examines the roles of men and women in Cuba which is not unlike other Latin American countries. Men want to hold on to yesteryear in these times of equality for the sexes and there is where the conflict lies. The best part of the movie is that it was short and sweet, a pseudo-documentary within a film that makes you laugh at it's contradictions. ... Read more

Description

Set in the 22nd century,"Matrix"tells of a computer hacker (Reeves) who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.The computers are powered by human beings... ... Read more

Reviews (2882)

What is the Matrix?
The Matrix will go down in film history books as "The film that changed cinema forever". True, films have done that before: (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction et al) but the Matrix is different in that not only did it change audience's expectations of action cinema but also impacted on countless movies to date.

The film itself is the epitome of cool that stands out from the slew of unimaginative science fiction that Hollywood reels out, and with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss making an unlikely duo in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by artificially intelligent machines, the film finds itself worlds away from admittedly second-rate sci fi cinema.

You could argue, as some critics did, that the film's plot is simply an excuse to hang cool effects on, but the premise slowly shapes into such an intricate plot, where machines have taken over the world (a popular idea for sci fi films, with this having similarities to Terminator 2) and then the small amount of snotty critics are silenced. What the Wachowski brothers have done is so imaginative that no film has ever come close to its intricacies and futuristic ideas. Add hints and nudges from Vertigo, classic Western films and Kung-fu karate films into the story and the amazing journey is made even more fascinating and involving.

The visuals incorporated throughout the story are absolutely amazing; with the "flow-mo" being the coolest visual effect those effects boffins have done since that water tentacle flowed through air in The Abyss. Imitated to death, the scene where Keanu's character Neo dodges bullets is nonetheless the pinnacle of uber-coolness. With thought provoking, mind-bending lines like: "It's the smell, if there is such a thing"; the film's script is peppered with fascinating lines concerning the very nature of "what is real?" Hence the clever advertising campaign for the movie's release: "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself".

The Matrix has indeed changed cinema. Regardless, it's a great film, loaded to the retinas with out- of- this-world effects, great villians (Agent Smith!), great action set-pieces and awesome stunts from martial arts expert Wu Ping. And with the DVD (awesome stuff, everyone has to own this disc) and upcoming sequel in progress- The Matrix Reloaded, the Matrix is a film that not only has affected filmgoers everywhere, but has also leaked into the fan boy culture of the movie world. To quote Neo: "Whoa".

A dynamic and intelligent triumph
A stunning blend of action and science fiction, "The Matrix" tells the tale of a computer programmer who stumbles into an alternate world that forever changes his perception of reality. There's a reason why "The Matrix" won a pile of awards (and made a pile of money at the box office). A masterpiece of technical wizardry and storytelling skill, this is one of those memorable films that succeeds on every one of its many ambitious levels.

Fans and critics have raved about the film's mind-blowing special effects and fight scenes, but they are only part of the film's excellence. The superb performances of the actors are equally important. Particularly noteworthy is Laurence Fishburne's as Morpheus--his is a performance of controlled but passionate intensity. And Carrie-Anne Moss' performance as Trinity brings to the film a tenderness and humanity which greatly complement the high-tech milieu.

"The Matrix" is a wonderfully literate film whose dialogue includes references from Greek mythology, the Bible, Christian theology, and English literature. And one of the central themes of the film--the defiant resistance to an enslaving force--is one that can be found in many of the world's great works of literature. Watch "The Matrix," and then read the 1845 classic "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"--you'll appreciate the film even more.

very good
very good action, acting, plot, and dvd. much better than the dissapointing reloaded. haven't seen revolutions.

"Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?"
After hearing so many good things about this film, I was actually underwhelmed the first time I saw it. I already new the basic premise so it wasn't a surprise to me. It wasn't until the SECOND time I saw it that it really hit me. Very well written, with some philosophical underpinnings hidden throughout, the Matrix is a smart sci-fi action film -- but not TOO smart: that would have to wait until The Matrix Reloaded (which is so dense it's hard to understand what's going on with just one viewing).

mind-blowing special effects
LOVE ALL 3 MOVIES SO DAMM MUCH. ALL HATES GO AWAY AND YOU'RE SO STUPID AND UGLY CAN'T WATCH THESE MOVIES. BYE BYEEEE!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Latin dances have always been popular in ballrooms, and now with thepopularity of Latin pop-music artists, they're favorites in nightclub dancing.Nancy Hays and Greg Gale introduce you to three Latin dances--rumba, cha cha,and salsa. Hays is an accomplished dancer who exudes the excitement of thedance. Her partner Gale, who does the step-by-step instruction, is more amatter-of-fact, no-frills instructor, teaching the footwork simply,systematically, and from different angles, though without much warmth orpersonality during instruction. With each dance, Gale teaches a few basic stepsclearly, then puts them together and leads a practice session with music (wherehe loosens up and conveys the enjoyment of the dance). You'll learn enough inthis 60-minute tape to enjoy yourself on the dance floor performing the basicsteps of all three dances, though you won't get the technique andcharacteristic, flamboyant style. --Joan Price ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Interesting...but not for the reasons I expected
I purchased this DVD because I liked Antonio Banderas in "The Mask of Zorro" and because I heard that his co-star, Francesca Neri, was the "Italian Michelle Pfiffer." As far as I could tell, they both are obviously very talented actors. However, the film story was terrible. It is a very graphic rape story with a very unsatisfying ending. I was glad I purchased the DVD though because Francesca Neri is truly an incredibly gorgeous actress - and she has one of the most gigantic Adam's apples I've ever seen on a woman!

Outrage with Banderas
This movie is horrible and brutal with no interesting hooks and really bad dubbing. Antonio Banderas can not even save this movie with all his talent.

Banderas & Neri are the 2 STARS in this rating.
Francesca Neri and Antonio Banderas are a great match in a lousy movie. Neri (new to me) is beautiful and charismatic and did ever notice how the always dependable Banderas can make the worst movie tolerable? Here again he does some excellent emoting. Just like one of the other reviewers, the first 25 minutes are quite entertaining, but then it really becomes a violent, disgusting bore. While I was happy that Neri as