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Reviews
Mambo Café (2000)
After you've seen it, you'll know why you'd never heard of it
About the only good thing about this film is that it has apparently put an end to Thalia acting career. You might think that anything Paul Rodriguez and Danny Aiello are in on can't be all bad, but this one comes close. I fast forwarded through over half the movie, and I still didn't miss anything (except maybe the chance to see a good film). An intriguing premise falls apart under the weight of a witless script and wooden performances. Just say no.
Rushmore (1998)
I didn't have to pay, and I still want my money back
This is a plodding movie about a guy who really doesn't deserve our sympathy. I gave up after 20 minutes. It's one thing to have a crush on your first grade teacher when you're actually in the first grade, but in this case Max just seems like a whacko stalker.
The film makers try to make us believe that Max is some sort of gifted genius by running us through a massive but brief montage of his activities, but when we actually see the guy in action, it's impossible to believe he has the brains for any one of those activities. He supposed be directing plays and editing the newspaper, but his social skills are so lacking, he'd never be able to carry it off.
In Harold and Maude and The Graduate we get the May-December element combined with the social satire in much more effective way. Of course Ben and Harold are, unlike Max, rich kids so the outsider element is missing. Unlike Max though Ben and Harold know how ridiculous their parents' world is. They're insiders who have become outsiders. Even the more recent Loser (which while enjoyable isn't in a class with The Graduate and H&M), gives us an outsider who for all his geekiness comes to understand what's going on around him, and throughout the film we see his sincerity. Rushmore just doesn't deliver the goods.
Rushmore tries to hard to be clever, but never really takes a knife to its target. It tries to be sweet, but it does so without any real heart. Don't waste your time with this one.
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Disappointing - Blank is a good word for it...
They say a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Well, with four screenwriters, this is a camel of a film. John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd don't make it as hit men for me to begin with. Cusack was great playing against type as Nelson Rockefeller in Cradle Will Rock, but he keeps just enough of his lovesick blues to make himself look miscast here. Aykroyd is just too much of a goofball to pull of this role.
The buildup to any sort of satisfying payoff just isn't enough to sustain you through the film. And the payoff isn't much anyway.
Even though this predates Analyze This and The Sopranos, the psychiatrist scenes seem a little derivative, but Alan Arkin does a great job, and the scenes with Arkin and Cusack are wonderful. As usual Cusack and sister Joan have some great scenes together, but they don't compensate for what is otherwise a rather tiring story.
Living Out Loud (1998)
The mother of all chick flicks
Well, kick me out of the Sensitive Guys Who Will Watch Anything With Their Dates Club cause I just couldn't stomach this one. I loved Holly in Broadcast News, and Danny has shown himself to be more than capable in numerous other dramatic roles (such as The Big Kahuna), but this one left me cold. There are some movies that leave you sympathetic with characters who wonder what might have been, and others (like this one) where you just want to shake them and say "get over it." Heck, I even liked An Affair to Remember and The Bridges of Madison County, but this one was simply too much (or too little) for me.
Spy Kids (2001)
Delightful
With charming stars and a strong supporting cast , Spy Kids
delivers the goods. It's very hard to find a film appropriate for
pre-teens that parents can sit through, and this one achieves both
goals. The story and main characters are interesting. Cumming
and Shaloub are well cast as the bad guys and do a good job.
Antonio can't resist mugging for the camera once in a while, but
hey, he's Antonio. There's enough action to keep adventure fans
interested, but as a PG movie it strives to allow everyone to escape
serious injury during crash and fight scenes. There are even a few
sly references to movies only the grown-ups have seen. A
splendid time is guaranteed for all.
Swimming with Sharks (1994)
And you thought your job was rough...
Just be glad you don't work for Buddy. No lighthearted, Office Space fun here, but excellent performances. Kevin Spacey can do more acting sitting still than 99% of the rest of Hollywood can do under any circumstances. His performance is masterful and well worth seeing.
Bring It On (2000)
If you want Citizen Kane, watch Citizen Kane. If you want to have fun, this'll do.
This movie somehow has hit a nerve, both positive and negatively,
with some people (probably because people take it too seriously).
If you feel compelled to examine every movie you see with some
deep film school sensibilities, this is not the movie for you.
But if you realize that there is a time gourmet meals and also a
time for cheese burgers, stop by at the drive in and the video store
on your way home some night and pick up dinner and this movie
(assuming you have t(w)eenage girls in the house).
This one's not quite up to the satire of Election (which is really a
movie for adults) or the wittiness of Clueless, but it's good fun.
Sure there are no award winning efforts here, but the cast and
crew had a good time with this, and you probably will too.
Life with Father (1947)
Wonderful cast, disappointing movie
Our 11-year old daughter loved Liz in National Velvet, so this one sounded like a natural. Too bad neither the DVD transfer (which is dreadful) nor the performances have the timeless quality of Velvet. Why is it that period pieces so often fall into the trap of overblown histrionics to remind us that we're watching a period piece? Aren't the costumes and set adequate? The stilted dialogue is enough to make us all grateful we didn't live back then. The cast and director of this film are otherwise first rate and worth viewing elsewhere, but the film itself is disappointing.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Proof that you should always seek out a negative review of films everyone raves about.
All I can say is thank goodness I didn't pay full price for the big screen. If you want a gangster movie, watch a gangster movie. Likewise for samurai and hip hop films. Forest Whitaker (Battlefield Earth notwithstanding) can do almost no wrong, but this one borders on a waste of his talent. Demerits too for the friendship with the schoolgirl which added a tasteless and unbelievable element to the film. This film tries to do too much with too many genres and ends up looking as if it doesn't know what it's talking about.
The Sopranos (1999)
Married to the Mob...With Children
Since I don't get HBO, I had to wait for the video, and it was definitely worth the wait. This is a great crime show and a great family story. With subtle (and not so subtle) humor and drama, we get a richly layered story that will leave you hungry for more after each episode. Believe every good word you've heard about this show, go out and rent it, and tell the nay sayers to lighten up. Struggles in The Family were never like this. It's a shame that Nancy Marchand passed away leaving us without one the show's greatest characters, and if you thought Vito had a hard time dealing with Sonny and Michael, just wait till you see what Meadow and Anthony, Jr. have in store for Tony.
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
Remarkable
Huston's direction and the sensitive performances by all involved make this one of the best films I've seen for quite some time. Jena Malone is one of the finest young performers to come along for some time. Perhaps better known for her work in Step Mom and For Love of the Game she brings a maturity and depth to her character in this earlier work that is simply tremendous.
The Search for One-eye Jimmy (1994)
How can you not like a movie with Boom Boom Mancini?
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The whole cast is having a great time, and so will you. It won't make any top ten lists, but you'll get your money's worth. John Turturro as Disco Bean is practically worth the price of admission all by himself. With several other Turturros thrown in for good measure, how can you miss?