Schumacher is at his best when making somewhat daft and silly genre films. His more serious work tends to be rather dull, and he hasn't made any true stand-out films, but he has a solid oeuvre and stats that are well above average for a Hollywood suit.
Movies
A short, fun and visually accomplished ride through Schumacher's world of Nazis and horror. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
A fun paranoia thriller that starts well but fails to hold on to the unsettling mood it has built up. The second half of the film is too focused on revealing the mystery and explaining the narrative, which is not what made this film interesting to me. But that's a common pitfall for these types of films. Kudos to Carrey for aptly switching genres, the presentation of the film is nice too (but no doubt a bit too trickery-heavy for some) and the setup is moody and mysterious. If the second half could've held on to what it had built up during the first half this would've still been a personal favorite, now not so much.Read all
A tense, concise film by Schumacher. I often appreciate these single-location films and Phone Booth is no exception. It sounds crazy that 90% of the entire film is set in a single phone booth, but it's not the first time that limitations forced directors to be a bit more creative with their filmmaking. Farrell is perfect as the shifty guy stuck in the booth, Sutherland's voice work is equally tense as the guy on the other side of the phone. The cinematography and editing are pleasant, the build-up of tension is what it needs to be and the finale, while a little predictable, is gratifying. Good cinema, just not quite as special as it used to feel.Read all
Schumacher's Falling Down is a smart piece of entertainment. It's a film with a clear and loud message but presented in such a way that it enhances the entertainment value. Watching it back it didn't feel quite as special as the first time, even so, I still had a good time revisiting it. Douglas is great, Schumacher's direction is a little extra and there are some fun and quirky characters who get what's coming to them. Duvall's role is a bit underwhelming though and a slightly shorter runtime would've been preferential, but all in all Schumacher's film survived the test of time very well.Read all
I've always had a soft spot for this film, and I feel it's still one of the better commercial films of its era. It is a bit longwinded and some of the performances are a little iffy (I'm not a fan of Kiefer Sutherland here), but the film still oozes atmosphere and there are some great scenes (and quotes) scattered throughout. The setup is simple but fun, and Schumacher makes good use of it to add some darker elements to the plot. The cinematography is proper, the build-up of tension is adequate and I like the escalation of the plot. If it had been a little tighter and a bit more focused on the fantastical elements, this could've been a timeless classic.Read all
Often referred to as the spiritual successor to The Breakfast Club, which may explain why this one didn't do it for me. Many familiar names in the cast but they can't elevate the annoying, whiney characters they're supposed to portray. The drama is flat and Schumacher seems unable to create any kind of spark.
