Friday, September 08, 2006

Brian De Palma makes a good film again?

Independent Online Edition > Features

I have remarked before that Brian de Palma has had one of the most wildly uneven careers of any famous director. For the record, I think very highly of Blow Out, The Untouchables (which he is never likely to better) and Mission Impossible (silly, but so much fun.)

The Untouchables in particular was a stunningly good film, and even though I do not have a high tolerance for graphic violence, this was one of those few genuine cases where seeing it was "necessary for the story."

On the other hand, some of the scripts he has worked with have been very bad. I saw Snake Eyes in the cinema and had trouble staying awake. Mission to Mars had a bit of a hokey script, and spent quite a bit on special effects, except when it came to the alien at the end. (Although the title for "most unconvincing recent movie alien" was soon taken over by the man in a rubber suit in "Signs". I would actually like to write at length one day about how bad I thought "Signs" was.)

Anyway, let's hope this new movie is one of his better ones.

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