rachdeveraux Reviews

One True Thing (1998)

Hip is overrated

[10/10 · 14 June 2001]

If you are among the IMDB audience that put High Fidelity in the all-time top 200, then this movie probably is NOT for you. This film is as unhip as Steve Frears is self-consciously hip. Renee Zellweger is excellent as a hip urbane magazine writer who returns to her suburban Bucks County nest in order to care for mother Streep (who delivers yet another hall-of-fame performance). William Hurt is ideally cast and the feckless, faithless, and egotistical husband. If this movie doesn't move you to cry and laugh, then you are much too hip to enjoy it.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Even better than the book

[10/10 · 14 June 2001]

I loved this movie even more than I loved the book, and I loved the book. The acting throughout is magnificent. What a true ensemble cast in the best of Asian traditions! One thing the movie added a dimension to is the visual nature of the food itself and what is important. When Waverly takes the best crab for herself, I cried and laughed so much at the same time I nearly lost it.

Unforgiven (1992)

Boring exercise in graphic violence

[2/10 · 14 June 2001]

This may be the worst-directed movie to ever win the Best Director award. It meanders positively all over the place. Excessive violence is everywhere, and every character seems to share Clint's own brooding and laconic nature. The world may be a hard place but this movie is just that much harder to watch. Far from being a seminal western, this mishmash makes Heaven's Gate seem like a classic.

Just Like a Woman (1992)

Marvellous Julie Waters

[10/10 · 14 June 2001]

Since Educating Rita, Julie Walters has been one of my role models, and her performance in this as a woman who helps the man she loves get in synch with his feminine side is magnificent. I would never have believed her character in the hands of a lesser actress, but Walters pulls it off with gusto and panache. Adrian Pasdar gives his best performance to-date in the male lead.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Inspirational through and through

[10/10 · 14 June 2001]

The score by Vangelis is awe-inspiring. It sets the stage well for a magnificent blend of athletic achievement and spirituality. This movie transcends sports and competitions and allows the actors to truly explore its athletes' souls. I think this is one of the five best movies I have ever seen.

Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968)

Disappointing sequel to The Trouble With Angels

[5/10 · 14 June 2001]

Mary Wickes has the film's best bits as the bus driver, but this has none of the heart or balance of the original. A few of the gags are satisfactory, but the chemistry is not there, the plot is useless, and there is no poignancy at all. This is a sequel that should never have been made, as it had absolutely nothing to say in the wake of a masterpiece that said so much to so many.

Doctor in the House (1954)

A Classic Comedy

[10/10 · 14 June 2001]

Dirk Bogarde is a marvellous innocent in the lead as Dr. Simon Sparrow enduring a four-year trial in Saint Swithens Medical School. But Kenneth More and James Robertson Justice each steal every scene they are in. The dialogue is hilarious and the sight gags even better, but the movie also works for me on a "truth and beauty" level as well. Marvellous, fast-paced entertainment that holds up well to this day!

Bobby Deerfield (1977)

One of the worst films ever

[17 May 2000]

Boredom, ennui, and ridiculous method acting (yes, even from Al Pacino) combine to make THE worst movie experience I have ever had. I found absolutely nothing to relate to with any of the characters. The cinematography was among the least imaginative ever. And, the nonsensical script and sophomoric dialogue are even worse than the acting and direction -- and that's not easy to achieve. What a total mess!!!!

All About My Mother (1999)

Enchanting black comedy from Spain's underbelly

[10/10 · 21 April 2000]

Acting, directing and script combine to examine profoundly the truth, beauty, and dignity present in even the lowest strata of Spain's underbelly. It underscores an eternal truth of the universe -- that the only thing in the whole world constant is change. Cecilia Roth should have won the Oscar for this. And Antonia San Juan is simply sensational.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

Unconventional satire stays on course while delivering major laughs

[21 April 2000]

A lot of my friends said they hated this, but after i saw it and loved what I saw, it became apparent that many of these people hadn't seen it, they just KNEW they would hate it from the degradingly mysoginistic slapstick it supposedly represented. Sorry, wrong movie. This is a classic satire, replete with balladeer narrator. The gags flow fast and funny and expertly walk the tightrope between politically incorrect and unkind. This is surprisingly a movie that is very true to itself and its characters with a lot of plotlines that tie up nicely in unusual ways. And, it's a feel-good movie too. Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller are marvelous together in the leads.

Loss of Innocence (1961)

Magical Coming-of-Age Tale

[10/10 · 21 April 2000]

Marvelously directed and acted, this tale tugs on my heartstrings as much today as thirty years ago. I last saw it on a PA PBS affiliate five years ago, but it still remains vivid in my mind. Kenneth More is utterly enchanting, and Daniel Darrieux is sadder-but-wiser personified. Susannah York is outstanding in her first role, and the young actors playing her younger siblings also sparkle. Lewis Gilbert is one of my favorite English directors and this film is a good reason why. If anyone had found its availability on tape or DVD, please let me know.