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mlombardi
Reviews
Prospero's Books (1991)
A crime against Shakespeare
I saw this movie when it was released, and my distaste for it has stuck with me all these years.
Here's why:
Greenaway's goal seems to be to take every literary image in the Tempest and make it literal. If a character were to say, "my heart takes flight," we'd be shown an actual human heart, with pigeon wings attached, flapping across the screen.
This process makes for some lush tableaux, but ultimately it's a facile exercise. And it becomes deadly boring.
I don't begrudge the pleasure other viewers found in this movie, but it's worth knowing that not everyone in the audience was enraptured.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
A 90-minute kick in the groin
The only feasible explanation for the rave comments found here is that DodgeBall is being supported by a large staff of eager publicists.
I like dumb comedies -- I laughed through "Something about Mary"; I consider "Caddyshack" a classic. But DodgeBall is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It isn't just stupid, it's insulting and offensive. And, worse than that, it's lazy and dull-witted. Ben Stiller and co. seem to think that silly voices, old people cursing, and kicks to the groin are the building blocks of comedy. Over and over, in places where you expect a punchline, Stiller uses his Zoolander voice to repeat what another character has just said. He does this again and again and again. If we're lucky, we then get to see the love interest smash Stiller's head into the wall. Vince Vaughn looks sedated throughout the movie, and the screenwriters must have been visiting the same medicine cabinet.