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Reviews
Arlen Faber (2009)
One of the worst movies I have ever seen
Many people have written and continue to write profound things about human quests to know God. This movie should not be mistaken for one of them. As Sarahrck observes, "religious themes are pretty minimal." The superficial telling of Arlen Faber's disconnect from the religious truths he is supposed to have discovered and shared with the world (of which we also get only a superficial glimpse) overwhelm what sweetness might otherwise be manifested in Arlen's falling in love with the utterly charming Elizabeth, and the stories of real people dealing with real problems, which Arlen so far has managed to avoid doing.
The movie tries to tell us something about human quests to know God by showing the discovery by someone who wrote a wildly popular book about human quests to know God that he had claimed to know more than he knew. It is pop religion once removed, sprinkled with romance to try to make it palatable.
Julie & Julia (2009)
A delightful if not excellent film
How do you tell a 2009 film audience how Julia Child changed the world forever? How can a 2009 film audience understand (or recall) the world Julia Child changed forever? Perhaps in a few years the story of Julie Powell's blog will seem as quaint as the ubiquitous answering machine messages became in Rent, but today, it seems utterly authentic in showing how an humble home cook connects to the great Julia Child, the world she changed, and the changes she wrought.
Maybe it is because my own daughter lives a few blocks from the location shown for Julie's apartment, but everything shown about Julie's life screams the truth, and makes the perfect vantage point from which to observe the story being shown about how Julia Child became who she still is.
I love Meryl Streep, but in my opinion this was not on a par with most of her performances; it seemed almost a caricature, and perhaps it could only be that, precisely because Julia Child is bigger than life. This is not to fault Streep, I think she did all she could with the role, the purpose of which was not to show us Julia Child's soul, but to show us how she changed the world.
Amy Adams' role was similarly limited, but she played the part believably, and with utter charm.
Above all, the movie is about food, and it comes at a time when a passion for cooking great food at home connects well.
I would dissent only from those who say do not go see this when you are hungry. If you eat a big meal before watching this film, you will leave hungry anyway.
Leatherheads (2008)
The End
Did I miss something? On the last play Duluth huddles, Dodge slyly switches sides, Carter, the Chicago QB, throws a pass, the call at first is that the pass was intercepted (i.e., caught by a Duluth player), but then Dodge, a Duluth player, emerges with the ball from the end zone to which it was thrown (where it also had been intercepted), and the result is a touchdown for Duluth.
Someone please tell me that in my boredom I just saw it wrong. Has George Clooney ever even watched a football game? I like Clooney, I like Zellweger, I wanted to see this movie because it was filmed at least in part in my area, but I left scratching my head over the end.
Masked and Anonymous (2003)
A Treat for Dylan fans (only)
One must "get" Dylan to appreciate "Masked and Anonymous." As a lifelong diehard Dylan fan, I loved it. Make no mistake: Dylan wrote every word. Every word is a delight to those of us who love the stories Dylan tells in his songs.
Dylan's earliest songs were apocalyptic visions steeped in the prophetic traditions of the Bible and shaped by the leftist politics of his idol, Woody Guthrie and the indigenous folk traditions he wove into his music and lyrics. His more recent songs -- triumphs of a great American artist -- tell stories from a cultural core defiantly ignoring the deadening effects of tv and the consumer economy. The script is a Dylan song - and a joy to those of us who love his music.
The movie also shows Dylan the performer as he performs today.
The cast is rather remarkable, and to see great actors in such minor roles shows that these folks respect Dylan the artist.
But even this Dylan fan must admit, the man cannot act. It was interesting in the DVD bonus material to see Dylan in the background laughing and being congenial. In the movie Jack Fate is aloof and enigmatic, the very persona which has been Dylan's trademark.
But surely there are actors who could have portrayed this Dylan better than Dylan does himself. This could have been a more credible movie with a real actor playing Jack Fate.