Established Hollywood director who is responsible for a fair amount of modern classics, but has made just as much throw-away junk. Scott can get a little too caught up in his own work, leading to overly long films, but overall an oeuvre worth exploring.
The good stuff
Nice piece of war insanity. The first half hour is a little slow, but once the action starts it just doesn't let down anymore. The film feels claustrophobic and tense, doing well in translating the threatening situation on screen. One of Ridley Scott's best and one of the best war films overall.
Solid pieces
A surprisingly charming film by Ridley Scott. Extremely kitsch at times, but Scott's direction is so confdient it doesn't even matter. The art direction is great, the effects don't look too cheap and the fantasy foundation feels unique enough. Would've loved this as a child, but it's still holds up today.
Alien used to be a top personal favorite of mine when I was younger, but with every consecutive viewing, the film has gotten worse. Not the Giger/industrial design part, that's still pretty great. Everything around it though is really starting to show its age, and it has come to a point where I just can't call it a personal favorite anymore. When the crew of a spaceship wakes up, it becomes clear that they haven't arrived at their destination just yet. The central computer woke them up after receiving a distress call and their contract forces them to inspect the situation. The call comes from an alien planet, so they have no choice but to go out and explore the source of the signal. The xenomorph is still one of my all-time favorite creatures, but Scott's film doesn't do Giger's designs justice. The performances and characters are rather tepid, the music is a little silly, the editing is rough, and the tech designs are often nonsensical. And then there's the ending, which is a total disgrace. There are still moments of genius, the lighting and interior design are pretty rad, but it's not enough anymore to ignore the film's faults.Read all
The inoffensive
Worthy but flawed
Ridley Scott's attempt to shine some light on the kidnapping of Paul Getty, the grandson of the richest man in the world. I wasn't really familiar with the case and based on the framing by the film ("based on ..." etc) it's probably best to not see this as a very factual report of the events, then again who'd expect that from a Hollywood film. That said, the actual plot still isn't all that exciting. The kidnapping ploy is pretty basic, the squabbles between the boy's mother and grandpa Getty feel a tad stale and the thriller elements never really succeed in raising the tension. While Scott goes for grandeur, the film fails to sell it. Performances are decent but nothing special, the color palette's a bit grim and the soundtrack is too pompous. The film is also way too long, then again that's probably an attempt to give the project some extra weight. Can't say it worked, on the other hand it's not a terrible film either.Read all
Dubious filler
One of the few remaining Scott films I'd still had to see. Or revisit, as I'd already watched this one as a kid. The ending is by far the most memorable part of Thelma & Louise, not in the least because it's been referenced so often since the film was released. It's probably also the single reason why it's considered a classic, as the rest isn't all that special. Louise is in a loose relationship, Thelma is stuck in an unhappy marriage. The two friends plan a weekend out of town, but after their first stop in a bar, things take a turn for the worse. The rest of the film sees the two women on the road, trying to remain out of the clutches of the police. The Sarandon/David tandem isn't that great, the soundtrack is terrible and the film's a bit long-winded. Certain scenes stand out and showcase Scott's skill as a director, sadly it's not enough to actually save the film. The ending still stands though, I just don't think it's enough to sit through the rest of the film.Read all
Plain forgettable
Ridley Scott tries to score with another Medieval drama. There's not a lot of interest in this particular niche these days, the 150-minute runtime is more than a bit off-putting and a UK/USA cast for a France-based story isn't exactly a smart choice either. It's no surprise this film bombed, though Scott clearly found other excuses. Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris go way back, but their relationship deteriorates. When de Carrouges returns from a battle in Scotland, his wife tells him Le Gris entered their home and raped her. Jean is furious and challenges Le Gris to a duel (supposedly the last ever official duel in history). Scott clearly things he's making great cinema, but the bland plot, the horrible casting choices and the old-fashioned cinematic language make this is a film of the past. It's pretty obvious why this film got such a lukewarm response at the box office. Looking at The Last Duel and House of Gucci, I think it's time for Scott to consider retirement.Read all
All the Invisible Children
Big nopes
If you're truly interested in the story behind the Gucci brand and people, you're no doubt better off looking somewhere else. When a British expat and a bunch of American actors with fake-Italian accents decide to adapt a true story for Hollywood, the result is bound to be more than a little iffy. Maurizio is the son of Rodolfo, one of the two Gucci brothers. He doesn't have a big interest in the company, but when he marries Patrizia she convinces him to get in on the business. Through some underhanded tactics Maurizio tries to gather the required shares to run the company alone. No matter how impressive Jared Leto's make-up is, I find little pleasure in Americans playing Italians. The mix of drama and comedy doesn't really work, the budget was there, but Scott didn't know what to do with it and the 2.5-hour runtime is completely unnecessary. A film that screams for Scott's retirement.Read all
Irritation overload
