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Reviews
Indecent Proposal (1993)
General Hospital is better than this
Demi Moore proves once again that she cannot act her way out of a pretty paper bag. It was painful to watch her try to be serious in this movie. Woody Harrelson does a bit more credible job of delivering sappy, unintentionally funny lines with a straight face, but there's not much he could have done with lines that seemed like rejects from a daytime soap opera.
The saddest thing about this movie, however, is that the once true film star in the group, Robert Redford, was reduced to accepting such a ridiculous role. It must have been strictly a money thing for him because, if he actually saw any artistic merit in playing this role, then he has truly been out in the sun way too long.
The most satisfying aspect of watching this movie was the fact that I didn't waste a dime to see it - just a little time.
Walk the Line (2005)
Johnny's the MAN (in black) and June's great, too
Johnny Cash released his first song the year I was born, my Dad always loved his music, so I grew up listening to him. I'm not a country western music fan for the most part, but Johnny was one of those performers who could not be so singularly classified.
This movie captured the man I knew all my life to be the young Johnny Cash. I have always been a Joaquin Phoenix fan, but he stepped it up a notch here with an Oscar-worthy performance. Reese Witherspoon, as well, captured the character of June Carter, which I did not believe possible when I first heard she had the role. She was wonderful.
The scene right at the beginning of the movie where Johnny is looking at that power saw in Folsom Prison prior to his concert is one I will never forget. The foreboding of what is to come is ominous and powerfully presented.
The scene where Johnny (as a 12 year old) is told by his father that the "wrong son died!" will help all of us understand the demons he ended up having to exorcise in his rocky road to fame and spiritual freedom.
If the only Johnny Cash you remember is the one who sang on stage with evangelist Billy Graham or who appeared on various gospel specials or shows, sang songs by Nine Inch Nails, or if you are too young to remember who Johnny Cash even was, then this is your opportunity to see where the journey of a great man of God, the man in black, began.
Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Stupid but Hilarious
I usually don't even watch teen flicks, but I've caught this one several times now on Comedy Central, and it is often just "off the wall" hilarious. If you can't laugh at yourself, don't bother with this movie because I think we can all recognize in this movie stupid things we did as teenagers.
Plus, none of the really "cool" kids come off as having it all together. Everyone in this movie is a total exaggeration of a stereotype, the movie is one mock scene after another of some teen movie that took itself too seriously, this movie in no way takes itself seriously, and that is why the movie works.
If your in the mood for a couple of hours of juvenile stupidity - this movie is not a waste of time.
Spanglish (2004)
Message - Adultery is okay if your spouse is a louse
I found this movie mildly entertaining and sometimes humorous, but the moral message it sent was vague.
At the end of the movie, I was actually pulling for John (Adam Sandler) and Flor (Paz Vega) to get together and live a happy life together (I hate it when I am manipulated by a movie this way). Unfortunately, John's marriage to Deborah (Tea Leoni) got in the way. Of course, John was so warm and fuzzy, Flor was so warm and fuzzy (not to mention beautiful, of course) and Deborah (also quite attractive) was so cold and selfish that I found myself wanting John and Flor to live happily ever after.
I have to give Tea Leoni credit. She was quite over the top as a self-consumed, spoiled, upper-middle class wife. I'm sure there are people this disgusting, but I don't think I've ever known one, thank God. Well, maybe one.
Anyway, sometimes its good to wait for the video or even cable. I'm glad I didn't pay full fare to see this.
The Polar Express (2004)
A Classic Among the Common
In today's mega-movie world, we are bombarded with movie after movie in the weeks before Christmas. Our culture is becoming so jaundiced and our entertainment expectations so exaggerated, that we often fail to see genius before our very eyes. This movie is genius - pure and simple.
Some critics have seen the genius in this movie, but many have not. Only in 20 or 30 years when we have forgotten The Incredibles, Sponge Bob, and The Kranks, will the Polar Express keep chugging and tugging at many of our hearts.
I'm certainly not a kid anymore but when I see a movie like this, I yearn to be one again and, for a short time, I am.
This is certainly not the most joyful movie ever made about St. Nick, but it is certainly one of the most memorable and meaningful. Even if you forget about the animation (which is spectacular) and focus only on the message, you should be moved to believe.
Nor am I surprised that the IMDb readers have not rated this movie much higher. "It's a Wonderful Life" was poorly received in 1946 when it was first released, and it is now one of the highest rated movies on this website. I wonder what its rating would be if it were released today?
If you see this movie, see it with an open and unassuming, childlike mind. You should not be disappointed.
High Noon (1952)
Great Villains
Even though I have seen this movie 4-5 times in the last 20 years, I was only recently compelled to comment on it because there are actually some negative reader reviews on this website! I can understand a person who just does not like the 'western' film genre not liking this film, but I just can't imagine a western film buff not thoroughly enjoying this movie.
This movie has it all for western fans! A courageous sheriff, beautiful women, the young stud (Lloyd Bridges), great music, mounting anticipation, and, most importantly, GREAT VILLAINS!
The scene where Frank Miller (Ian McDonald) arrives at the train station to meet his 3 bad boy buddies (Lee Van Cleef, Sheb Wooley, and Robert Wilke) is just one of the classic movie scenes of all time! While the train is pulling in to the station, the clock is ticking, the music methodically builds suspense, the camera flashes to the various townspeople who have rejected Will Kane, and the 3 bad boys look like they are ready to chew nails and spit them out! THESE ARE CLASSIC WESTERN BAD BOYS! Not the cream puff villains we get in most movies.
I could watch that scene 50 times and still be intimidated by those guys. So next time you watch this movie, be sure to pay attention to that scene. If you aren't just a little intimidated, then you may just be a bad boy, too.
9/10
Vanity Fair (2004)
Reese out of her element
Why do some directors try to make an actor or actress into someone they are not? Reese Witherspoon was perfect as the bubbly college student in "Legally Blond", but she is woefully miscast as an early 1800's social climber in this movie. In the scene in which she attempts a seductive, exotic dance in her efforts to climb the London social ladder, I, among others in the audience, laughed out loud. She just can't convey that persona. She's too CUTE! Catherine Zeta-Jones could have. Why didn't she get the role?
This is the worst case of mis-casting a fine actor in the wrong role since Will Smith was tabbed to play James West in the adaptation of "The Wild, Wild West".
And it could have been a great movie. As it was, it was only good.
The Ladykillers (2004)
Why all the filthy language?
Ladykillers is a mildly entertaining movie, but the consistent barrage of fowl and filthy language was a real turnoff. In fact, the language is so bad that I would not recommend this movie. The Coen brothers have proved they can make very entertaining movies (O' Brother, Where Art Thou; The Hudsucker Proxy) without an excess of filthy language, but, for whatever reason, they obviously thought this movie needed it. Unless you enjoy hearing the "f" word constantly and hearing God defamed, you will need to skip this movie. I only wish I had checked it out more thoroughly before I went.
Enough (2002)
An actress she is not!
Jennifer Lopez is so bad in this movie that I actually felt sorry for her. I don't blame her for taking the money she is offered for these roles, but her acting abilities are so limited that she struggles with conveying even the most basic emotional variances. The final, supposedly climatic scene is so funny and farcical that I would love to see the outtakes just to see how many times J Lo and Billy Campbell had to re-shoot the scenes because they were laughing so hard.
I can't imagine anyone other than a "Jennifer can do no wrong" fan or someone who just wants to see a bad guy get his tail kicked by a wronged woman wanting to watch this movie. Please Jennifer - stick to singing!
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003)
Is this supposed to be a comedy?
This movie contains some of the most unintentionally funny lovemaking scenes I have ever seen in a movie. Anne Bancroft's accent is hilarious. And it's a good thing Olivier Martinez is a hunk because his acting skills are pathetic. When compared to Warren Beatty's performance in the original movie, Olivier comes off as a high school novice actor. What is most funny, though, is that the imdb users who have rated this movie have given it a higher rating than the original movie. It's pretty obvious that most of the voters here have not seen the original. While it's not a great movie, it sure beats the Roman pants off of this one!
Big Fish (2003)
Tim Burton is the best!
This is just an incredible movie, and Tim Burton is just an incredible director. He just seems to be able to get the most out of his stories and the most out of his actors.
In Big Fish, he expertly crafts a warm story of family reconciliation with a surreal journey into the past of the family patriarch, Ed Bloom. Burton is able to get the most out of both the story and the actors. There are no weak performances in this movie. Everyone from Albert Finney as the older Ed to Billy Crudup as his estranged son to Ewan MacGregor as the young adventurer to Danny Devito as the carny ringmaster are ideally cast.
I had only moderate expectations when I went to see this movie, but I came out of it as one of Tim Burton's biggest fans. He just may be the biggest fish in the current generation movie making pond!
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Superstars galore
When this movie was released, Steve McQueen was still on TV making "Wanted - Dead or Alive". He was an emerging star but Yul Brenner was the primary draw. Looking back, the majority of the Magnificent Seven plus Eli Wallach as the villain went on to become successful actors. McQueen, as well as James Colburn and Charles Bronson became headliners, and Robert Vaughan had a very successful run as "The Man from Uncle" on TV. When you think about it, there have probably not been too many other movies that have a cast that includes so many future stars early in their careers. While the plot of this movie is predictable, the real treat here is the interaction between the seven gunfighters, as well as their confrontation with the evil villain as portrayed by Eli Wallach. (Of course, I will never understand why he decided to give their guns back to them.) And, finally, Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack is truly "Magnificent".
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Is it real or is it Memorex?
Movies, as other art forms, can manipulate us in ways that we would not be manipulated in real life. Such is the intent of 'The Usual Suspects', and it is a real disappointment in the final analysis. Basically, the last few minutes of the movie are saying to us: "we tried to dupe you into believing all of this is true, but now you have to go back, watch the whole thing again, and differentiate between realty and a fantasy story as told by a twisted, compulsive-lying, self-perceived genius".
But when you watch the whole thing again, you (at least if you are remotely analytical) realize that the vast majority of the movie up to the last few minutes is the fantasy story as told by the twisted self-perceived genius, and only a small portion is realty. So you come to understand that only the small portion that is reality can be believed and that the entire rest of the movie that is the recollection of the twisted self-perceived genius is most likely a big LIE. But then so many people love this movie that I suppose the vast majority of us enjoy getting duped.
But ask yourself this: what would you think if, at the end of The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne woke up next to his wife and said to her "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had. It was a dream, wasn't it?" And she just lay there motionless not saying anything. And you wonder - was it real or was it Memorex?
Well, do you get it now? Probably not.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
My favorite movie
This is my favorite movie ever. I think we are all often greatly impacted by movies we see at a certain age. I was about 10 the first time I saw To Kill a Mockingbird (I had already read the book twice), and I have probably watched it 15 or so times since then. It is really 2 movies in 1. First, it is the story of Jem, Scout, Dill and their childhood in a small depression era southern town. Second, it the story of Atticus and Tom Robinson, and the relationship they developed during Tom's trial.
The musical score by Elmer Bernstein is one of the most effective scores in developing the mood of the movie. If the scene near the end of the movie where Jem and Scout are walking home after a Halloween play at their school doesn't send chills up and down your spine, then you must have been de-sensitized by the packaged horror techniques of the modern horror flicks.
Unfortunately, in this day of special effects and movie gimmicks, a movie like this will probably not have the same impact on an impressionable child like it did on me. And that is very sad.
Hook (1991)
Vastly under-rated flick!
I am truly astonished that this movie is not rated in the 8 to 8 1/2 range. I'm not sure what people were expecting when this movie came out, but it is basically a children's fantasy geared up to appeal to the lost child in all of us. I guess it missed it's mark on most, but for me, it was a great, nostalgic ride. Steven Spielberg still counts it as one of his favorite and also as one of his biggest disappointments. He has said so on numerous occasions. Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, and Bob Hoskins all give excellent comedic performances and the supporting cast is likewise appealing.
If this movie doesn't make you yearn for the good things of your childhood, then you may be beyond the point of being able to reach back and capture it.
Barbershop (2002)
Best comedy of 2002!
This was the best comedy I have seen in several years. The characters are real, the story is real, and the movie contains some of the funniest lines I have ever heard in a movie.
Ice Cube was excellent in a different kind of role for him and Cedric the Entertainer was hilarious at times. The entire supporting cast was very entertaining.
I am already looking forward to the sequel.
Two Rode Together (1961)
A Fun Ride!
I love John Ford, but anyone expecting a classic western here will probably be disappointed. However, if you would like a fun "buddy" type movie, then this is a great treat. The chemistry between Jimmy Stewart and Richard Widmark creates one of the best screen matchings of any western ever. They both seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
As in most John Ford westerns, there are some beautiful scenes in some breathtaking landscapes, but the real joy in this movie is the interaction between the two stars.
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Steve McQueen Under-rated!
While this may not have been Steve McQueen's best role, it was the one for which he was nominated for the academy award. He is truly wonderful in this film as is Richard Crennas and the entire supporting cast. Steve never received the critical acclaim many of his fans thought he deserved during his lifetime, and I think his anti-establishment persona may have had a lot to do with that.
I would highly recommend this film for anyone who has seen Steve McQueen in other films and would like to see him in a very different role.
Gigotu