canuck-3 Reviews

Death to Smoochy (2002)

awful, just awful

[1/10 · 18 January 2003]

This is one of the most unfunny, boring, comedies I have sat through in a long time.

Any attempt at humour is so obvious as to be unimportant. This is one of those movies where the concept is so good that people forget you need to write a decent story to back it up.

Edward Norton is badly miscast as the lead character. As good an actor as he is, he just is never believable. He, along with everyone else, never really creates real characters.

I heard mixed things about this movie before renting it. I heard it was terrible. But then I heard people say they really liked it. I should have believed the box office on this one. The theatre going public smelled a turkey when they saw one.

Avoid this one at all costs.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Predictable but totally charming

[8/10 · 20 October 2002]

OK, the plot is routine and predictable. So are a great many of the jokes.

However, this movie is so charming that you look past its flaws. Its a well intentioned, lighthearted comedy filled with nicely observed characters.

It was very entertaining and I fell in love with the people in this movie. You can't ask for much more from a good romantic comedy.

Waking Life (2001)

Not for those who demand answers

[9/10 · 8 October 2002]

I left this movie slightly unsatisfied and unsettled (a bit like waking up from a dream I suppose). It took me a while to figure out the reason -- the movie does not supply answers. It does not have a plot that reaches a "conclusion".

If you are one of those who demands answers or conclusions from your movies, you will not enjoy this. If you like asking questions about the world and your place in it, you will. Most of us (those who have finished school) have had the "question asking" knocked out of us by the grind of day to day life. I think its OK to think about those questions once and a while. Its rare to converse about the really important things anymore.

This is a movie I think I will see again someday. Like it or hate it -- it is an original, which is a rare find and worth celebrating.

A lot has been said about the visual look of this movie. Let me join of the chorus of people saying how original and exciting it is. You've never seen a movie look like this. That alone makes it worth the price of admission, even if the content is not your style.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Run Away!

[1/10 · 15 April 2002]

Incompetently made on every level. A real horror movie all right -- horrible to watch. One of those videos that makes you swear at the screen with frustration. Run a mile if someone wants you to see it.

My Mother Frank (2000)

Dull

[11 December 2001]

Not particularly original or engaging. About half an hour in I'd written the ending in my head. The only surprise I got was that it was worse and more cliched than I'd imagined.

The lead actors are not particularly likeable either. That makes our journey through their world a hard slog.

Bamboozled (2000)

A Great Idea Gone Wrong

[3/10 · 25 November 2001]

When I first heard about this movie I was intrigued. A great premise for a satire. A great director. Some terrific actors.

Unfortunately the movie just does not work. Great satire needs to cut with both an axe and a scalpel, but this one only uses the axe. The points are labouriously made - and made over and over again. The audience finds itself moving forward a lot faster than this movie.

Some of the directing choices are a bit odd as well. The great, largely unheard of, Paul Mooney is wasted in a bit part that is designed to provide some cliche ridden motivation for the Damon Wayans character. Daman Wayans performs in what is supposed to be a "white" voice but it is so obviously false that we're constantly thinking "he's doing his white voice" instead of becoming involved with the character.

The story, as I said, is not particularly engaging -- even in the parts that are supposed to be shocking or funny. The movie does not work as drama, comedy or entertainment. It is a "message movie" that forgets to provide the "movie" part.

Lantana (2001)

The best Australian drama I've ever seen

[10/10 · 28 October 2001]

I'm no expert, but this is perhaps the best Australian drama I've ever seen.

Every single performance is superb and the movie has certainly given me new respect for Anthony LaPaglia.

It is quite obvious that this movie is based on a play. The plot is barely there, but the characters are so rich and the writing so intelligent that you just get caught up in these people.

Anyone who wants to see something intelligent and thought provoking will love this movie.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

Waste of Time

[3/10 · 2 August 2001]

The first five minutes of the movie starts out promisingly enough. We see the crowd chanting "We Will Rock You" before the joust. Obviously this isn't a film that's going to take itself too seriously.

WRONG. It takes itself far too seriously to be any good. What promises to be a fun lark turns into a complete hack job bringing out every cliche in the book. Although he handles it as if he expects us to -- was the director seriously expecting anyone to be moved by the ridiculous subplot of Ledger's long lost blind father? And that's just one ridiculous cliche we're supposed to swallow. I won't detail the rest because I'd spoil the movie.

The action scenes are also handled really badly. There is one shot of the jousting stick hitting the knight which was exciting the first time I saw it. It wasn't very exciting the 20th time I saw it. Couldn't he have found interesting ways to show the action? Each joust looked exactly like the last joust.

This is a movie teenage boys. Stupid teenage boys who haven't seen anything better in the genre.

Swordfish (2001)

Huh?

[8 July 2001]

There are a few things worth seeing in swordfish: The opening sequence, Halle Berry's breasts, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry's crotch shot (in her underwear).

The movie is absolutely ridiculous and actually kind of boring except for the things I've mentioned above. Definitely a wait for video film.

The Contender (2000)

Great movie, bad ending

[9 April 2001]

Superbly acted by everyone in the cast, this is a nice tight political thriller. The film could have been a masterpiece if had not been let down by some terrible writing at the end.

The whole thing starts to fall apart the moment the writer/director felt the need to have a Hollywood ending. The moment Joan Allen has her big "hollywood moment" is the moment everything comes apart. From that point on the script becomes almost entirely predictable and disappointing.

The film's final scene is a hackneyed piece of "USA Number One!" writing that does not do justice to the careful character studies that have gone before. We've invested all this time in the movie, and we want to see the heroine resolve her conflicts, not have someone step in and resolve them for her.

I do still recommend the movie for the first three quarters of it. It is a very good movie that could have been great.

The Out-of-Towners (1999)

They don't make em like this any more

[5 November 2000]

When someone complains that they don't make comedies like this anymore, pull out "The Out Of Towners" and show them why they don't. There were a couple scenes that were amusing, but otherwise watching this movie was a very dull experience.

Moscow on the Hudson (1984)

Dull

[3/10 · 6 September 2000]

Robin Williams is excellent in this movie and it is a pity the material is not enough of a match for him. This may work if you buy into the "U-S-A! Number One!" mentality but story wise nothing much happens. Quite a shame really since the movie is really trying to say something, and says it sincerely. It just doesn't pack enough emotional punch.

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

Predictable

[3/10 · 31 August 2000]

Maybe it is because I was never a teenage girl, but I found this movie completely predictable and unengaging. I will say that it is extremely well acted by everyone involved, but the pacing and writing let it down. Things happen just as you expect they would and in the end the final message is something you know all along and figured out in the first reel. This is a movie that barely managed to hold my interest and did not surprise or move me in any way.

8MM (1999)

Has been better

[24 August 2000]

A better movie on this same subject was made with George C. Scott and was called "Hardcore". If you liked 8mm (or even if you didn't), check that movie out.

This is an OK thriller, but the director should stop pretending he's above the pornography he's depicting and admit that he made this movie simply to show shocking images of depravity. This movie wallows in the more graphic segments and it becomes obvious that was the director's main interest in making this movie.

The Patriot (2000)

Why won't it stop?

[2/10 · 18 July 2000]

Forget the historical inaccuracies, this movie fails on the most basic level -- it fails to entertain. The script is the most cliche-ridden thing I've seen in a long time. Not one implausible situation was left unexplored! The acting is cartoon style, which is to be expected in action movies but this movie takes itself way to seriously for us to forgive that. The movie also drags on and on and on. It is 2 hours and 40 minutes in length and not interesting enough to sustain that length. None of the subplots work, even the romantic ones. They should have cut them all out, saved us an hour, and moved things along. The only thing good I can say is that the movie is very well shot. That's it and its not enough to make this movie worth your time.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A triumph of style

[30 January 2000]

If you like this movie, you like it because of the style. The battle scenes are amazing and some of the best ever put on film. This movie could have been great had someone paid attention to the script. There are so many problems with it (apart from being quite an average plot) I don't even know where to start. Let's point out the obvious one: the movie is told from the Matt Damon character's point of view -- and he wasn't even in most of the movie! There's no way he can know the story of how Hanks found Private Ryan, because he wasn't there! If you want to know why this movie lost the Best Picture Oscar, that's it. The underlying structure of the script is so flawed, it undermines everything Spielberg did with the movie. Still, this is a good movie. A very good movie even and it is certainly worth your while. I'm just sorry most people will rent it on video because it really benefits from a cinema experience.

American Beauty (1999)

Excellent

[10/10 · 23 January 2000]

This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long long time. To really appreciate it, stop reading reviews and go see it. The less you know going in the more you'll get out of it. People who hated this movie are people I'll never want to know because I suspect they lack a soul -- or at least a soul that searches for life's truth and beauty.

Three Kings (1999)

Great Drama let down by bad marketing

[16 January 2000]

This is one of the greatest war dramas ever made. Its a pity the marketing of this movie tries to play it as a low-brow action/comedy. There is comedy, but it is all black. This is an incredibly well made movie and for a Hollywood blockbuster, I was amazed at how critical it was of current American foreign policy.

My Dinner with Andre (1981)

Can you listen?

[12 January 2000]

The reviewer "Morlock" could not have been more wrong. I disagree emphatically with everything he's said. I guess that's a sign of good art -- two people see two completely different things.

Watching this movie does test your listening skills. And by "listening" I mean actually digesting and understanding what is said. The movie is a conversation, and yes, sometimes conversations go off in tangents or shift gears in mid-idea. After listening to these men's conversation I certainly came away ready to start a few of my own.

Hardcore (1979)

Well made Drama

[9/10 · 12 December 1999]

An extremely well made drama from Paul Schrader, although not nearly as powerful as his brilliant "Blue Collar". Suffers from an ending that lets down the investment you've put into the rest of the movie, but still a good movie. George C. Scott is excellent as the religious man caught in a world of sin. Has a good sense of humour as well, even if some of it is over the top.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Movie Acting and Writing don't get any better than this

[10/10 · 12 December 1999]

One of the few classic movies that actually deserves the accolade. Each of the 4 main actors was nominated for an Oscar and they all deserved it. Taylor and Burton give their greatest performances and will define these characters for generations to come. The writing is nice and dense, so that the movie stands up to multiple viewings. The cinematography is wonderful and the direction flawless. You simple can not call yourself a fan of the movies until you've seen this.

Save the Tiger (1973)

thought provoking

[12 September 1999]

This movie is a forgotten gem, and definitely not everyone's taste. I must say that I found it quite interesting and thought provoking. Lemmon is at his best here.

The Castle (1997)

funny and heartwarming

[10/10 · 25 May 1999]

This movie is wonderful -- in the spirit of "The Full Monty". A nice light comedy that stands up for the ordinary man. No, its not a great work of art, but I guarantee that if you like idiosyncratic characters and gentle humour then you will come out of the theatre smiling. Do go and see it.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

highly over-rated

[3/10 · 9 March 1999]

I went to see this after everyone raved about it and came out very disappointed. It's not a bad movie, just not a very good one. Another Pulp Fiction wannabe, only this one has cockney accents (and flat acting). I've seen this movie in one hundred incarnations before and there's nothing new here.

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll (1991)

good stuff

[10/10 · 9 March 1999]

A very well directed version of Eric Bogosian's stage play. Well worth checking out for Bogosian's great characters and for anyone who wants to see how to bring a play to the movies correctly.