charley-8 Reviews

Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement (1996)

great performances, simplistic script

[7/10 · 10 November 2005]

What a shame the some of the best performances in the entire _Prime Suspect_ series are squandered, owing to a dopey, simplistic script.

Tennison makes about 20 stupid mistakes: releasing an endangered suspect without providing protection or surveillance, histrionically aggressive questioning that somehow neglects many basic points: for example, obvious tactics, such as threatening to spread the word that a detainee has spilled his/her guts and then telling the detainee he/she will be put on the street without any assistance. Made me wish for Kojak to magically appear. I could go on and on, but want to avoid spoilers.

Adaptation. (2002)

best I've seen in quite a while

[9/10 · 6 April 2005]

This film is outstanding. I'm wondering if it deserves a 10(which I have never given). Moving, sophisticated, profound are just a few of the words that come to mind. How did I miss this when it was first released? Streep is at her top level, which is very high indeed. Likewise Cage. The whole cast is excellent, for that matter. Reality passed through so many prisms! Internal conflicts, bumping up against that reality(or should I say, those realities) make for mind-stretching entertainment. Bravo!

This story remind me in some ways of Peter Matthiesen's, _The Snow Leopard_: quests for something rare in the natural world that reflect deep psychological conflicts in the searchers.

The Third Man (1949)

I forgot the greatness of this film

[10/10 · 2 January 2004]

My wife and I watched the DVD of _The Third Man_ last night. I hadn't seen it in @25 years and had forgotten its greatness. Rarely do you find a film in which you wouldn't want to change a thing. This is such a film. I wracking my brain to think of a film that uses black and white as dramatically -- maybe _The Night of the Hunter_

Where the Rivers Flow North (1993)

a fine, under-rated film

[8/10 · 8 June 2003]

This is a fine, under-rated film and Rip Torn, well-known as he is, is a seriously under-rated actor. I read Howard Frank Mosher's novel many years ago. How well Craven captures the book and the beauty of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom! I had the good fortune to grow up in VT in the 40s and 50s and was still living there when the "Irasburg Incident" took place. I've not seen _Stranger in the Kingdom_, the Craven/Mosher collaboration based on the incident(and another Mosher novel), but this film has inspired me to track it down.

Feeling Minnesota (1996)

weak, weak, weak

[4/10 · 5 June 2003]

What a waste of talent. A very poor, semi-coherent, script cripples this film. Rather unimaginative direction, too. Some VERY faint echoes of _Fargo_ here, but it just doesn't come off.

Tuvalu (1999)

empty, pretentious, a cinematic con job

[1/10 · 22 May 2003]

This is the worst film I've seen in a looooong time. It reminded me of a Cirque du Soleil show I saw in Vegas six years ago -- without the athleticisme. By that I mean a few striking, artsy, images appear randomly, without any sustaining framework. The fake sepia tinted film is really tacky. This device is almost never justified and certainly is not in _Tuvalu_. With apologies to Abe Lincoln: you can fool some of the people some of the time.

Babette's Feast (1987)

What a gem!

[9/10 · 22 May 2003]

I watched this film again tonight, 15 years after first viewing it. I had forgotten how good it is. The spiritual dimension of the sensual world has rarely been rendered better. This film is a must for anyone interested in film and food -- or life itself. A masterpiece!

Crush (I) (2001)

a chick flick that men will enjoy

[7/10 · 20 May 2003]

I think the weighted average for this film is too low. I give it a 7. Very entertaining, although over the top in a few places. My wife says it passes the Danielle Steele test. Superb performances throughout, particularly by Andie MacDowell.

The Shipping News (2001)

an excellent film, actually an 8.5

[8/10 · 18 May 2003]

I liked this film immensely. I'm a bit stingy with 9's, so I rated it 8 -- but 8.5 seems better. I wish IMDB allowed such votes. Hallstrom, et al. took Annie Proulx' novel and notched it up. Great performances by most of the cast!

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

baaaaad!!

[4/10 · 15 April 2003]

I'm a fan of the TV episodes and was expecting that, with 90 minutes or so to work with, the SP folks would produce something better than the 25 minute episodes --- WRONG! I give it a 4 solely because of a few good lines, the kind we find by the dozens in the better TV episodes.

Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)

a near perfect gem

[10/10 · 4 February 2003]

I can't think of anything to add, change, improve, edit out, etc. about his film. I knew almost nothing about it when I saw it, so I was caught totally by surprise by its excellence. The best film I have seen for a loooong while.

Rare Birds (2001)

quirky, but very good -- far-fetched dénouement

[8/10 · 15 January 2003]

very enjoyable film, although one has to detach one's brain to enjoy the ending. Hurt and Parker are terrific, especially the latter. I can see why some have likened this film to _Waking Ned Devine_; however, the village as a whole plays a key role in _Waking Ned Devine_, while _Rare Birds_ is essentially individualistic. Still -- the tin whistles, desolate North Atlantic landscapes, funky characters and bizarre plot lines tie these films together. If you like one, you'll like the other. I rated _Waking Ned Devine_ a 9, I think; _Rare Birds_ gets an 8 from me.

Waking Ned Devine (1998)

somewhat underrated, IMHO

[8/10 · 26 December 2002]

charming, beguiling -- just what you want in a little Celtic folderol. The soundtrack is superb. German pub songs are great, but, let's face it, the Irish and the Scots rank #1 in that department. I'm referring, in particular, to the long pub scene near the end of the film.

Brassed Off (1996)

fine performances, simple-minded politics

[17 December 2002]

The acting in this lefty, anti-Thatcher screed is outstanding; the political framework, however, is abysmal. Maybe a pit or two were still profitable, but most mine closures were justified and the settlements to "redundant" miners fair. Should the rest of Britain have continued to literally pour money into a hole? Margaret Thatcher is a heroine, who helped Britain regain ground lost in the '60s and '70s. Redundancy is the flip side of progress. Healthy societies adapt; e.g., the closed textile mills in New England thrive occupied by other enterprises -- most paying higher wages than the mills ever dreamed of. Would you rather work for the old American Woolen Company or Raytheon? A more intelligent script might have focused more on the older miners, for whom redundancy may well have meant under-employment or permanent unemployment. Such workers deserve the sympathy and support of everyone.

5 Fingers (1952)

excellent, definitely underrated

[8/10 · 6 December 2002]

I remember reading the book on which this film is based more than fifty years ago, as well as seeing it when it was first released. I have just viewed it again and want to encourage others to see it. It is well crafted in every respect -- taut direction, superb performances, and a very fine screenplay. This film deserves more recognition.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

disappointing, to say the least

[4/10 · 23 September 2002]

I finally got around to viewing this film and am hard put to see how it acquired its popularity. Film students make better films than this every day of the week, WITHOUT getting any circulation at all, let alone tons of hype and a big theater run. The last thirty minutes seemed to be a contest as to whom could scream loudest.

The Ladykillers (1955)

one of the best comedies ever made

[9/10 · 18 August 2002]

I'm baffled that this film is not rated higher by IMDB members. It is, quite simply, one of the best comedies ever made. I'm voting and making this comment because I viewed it again last night for the 4th or 5th time. I plan to give the DVD version as a Christmas gift.

The Dakotas (1962–1963)

liked the series

[21 June 2002]

_The Dakotas_ was very good. Its ratings were not good, as I recall. Another of my recollections is that it faced stiff competition in its time slot. It was also launched as the "adult western" craze was receding. Some of the scripts were thought-provoking. Jack Elam was terrific. I suspect it could be run today in Fance and be a hit with intellectuals at least, owing to its penchant for ambiguity and ambivalence. Not your standard western, n'est-ce pas!