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Reviews
About Schmidt (2002)
"About Schmidt"
*****WARNING! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***** I was unsure about "About Schmidt." The spiritual journey of a retiree struggling to find solace and meaning in his life was not a premise I thought would be particularly compelling. But seeing as the film had had good reviews and had Jack Nicholson in the lead role, I thought I'd give it a try. I am extremely glad that I did not pass on the opportunity to see this movie.
There are many so-called comedy-dramas out there that will get it completely wrong. Either they overload on the drama, so that the comedy gets smothered, or they overload on the comedy and thusly make the drama seem forced and farcical, making it difficult for the viewer to take the action seriously.
"About Schmidt" gets the balance about right. I laughed and cried in equal measure. It tickled your funny bone and tugged at your heartstrings. I believe that screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor are to thank for this. Their works very often blend comedy and drama, 99% of the time with satisfying results. "About Schmidt" is no exception.
But putting Payne and Taylor aside, the film does owe a lot of its humour and pathos to Jack Nicholson, who delivers one of the finest performances of the modern era of filmmaking in the role of Warren R. Schmidt.
Nicholson carries the film and it wouldn't have been half as good without him headlining the cast. His evocation of Warren Schmidt is a nuanced portrayal that is undoubtedly powerful. Every line that Nicholson delivers he delivers in his usual sharp-witted style, but with an undercurrent of sadness that you feel in every bone of your body. You weep for Warren Schmidt.
The supporting cast are not as strong as Nicholson. I found most of the characters to be one-dimensional, though I will concede that Kathy Bates stands out as Roberta, mother of the man Nicholson's daughter is about to marry.
Other than that, the supporting cast are good but slightly bland. Nicholson and Bates, however, rise above.
A genuinely funny, genuinely touching film.
Scrubs: My Lunch (2006)
Episode 05.20 - "My Lunch"
***Warning: This review contains spoilers. If you wish to view this episode with no preconceptions, I would advise you cease reading here. Otherwise, you are welcome to read on.*** Well, I hope the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Screen Actors Guild are proud of themselves. Somewhere in the world, John C. McGinley holds aloft his statuettes from each of these organisations and...oh wait a minute. He doesn't. Why? Because for Scrubs' nine-season, 182-episode, almost nine-year duration, Mr. McGinley - a fine actor to say the least - was neglected and overlooked in every major television awards ceremony. He was not even shortlisted for the Emmy, the Golden Globe, the SAG.
With regards to entertainment award ceremonies, this is an atrocity of epic proportions. A testament to the scope of this atrocity is McGinley's powerhouse performance in "My Lunch" - an episode that, also, showcases "Scrubs" at its pinnacle and proves once and for all what great towering feats it can accomplish in a mere twenty to thirty minutes.
"My Lunch" begins as a standard "Scrubs" instalment, where we expect very little of significance to occur. Of course, it is entertaining - the exchanges between protagonists J.D. (played by the ever endearing Zach Braff) and Doctor Cox (McGinley) are extremely well-played and the Todd (Robert Maschio) is involved in an ingenious subplot and one of the greatest B-stories "Scrubs" has ever included. The return of Nicole Sullivan as Jill Tracy - an exceptionally annoying patient of seasons past - is rather comical, with J.D.'s efforts to avoid her in a supermarket being done with farcial flair. Then we're dealt a curve ball when Miss Tracy is admitted to hospital in a comatose state. Cocaine is found in her system and due to her history of depression, J.D. presumes it to be suicide and blames himself because he had not taken the time to properly listen to her.
Established at the beginning of the episode were three patients who required organ transplants. The late Jill Tracy was a prime candidate and consent was given for her organs to be transplanted into the patients. Dr. Cox is overjoyed at his success but notices J.D. not sharing in the joy of the other doctors. When asked, J.D. admits to feeling responsible for Jill Tracy's death, which prompts Dr. Cox to take J.D. to lunch and assure him that he cannot blame himself for deaths that were not his fault. He succeeds in lifting J.D.'s spirits - but upon their return to the hospital, they are dealt another curve ball when they are told that Jill Tracy died of rabies, not a cocaine overdose, and that all of the transplant patients are infected. What follows is a beautifully played sequence of events in which the transplant patients die off, one by one. The death of the third and final transplant patient is what tips Dr. Cox over the edge and sees him break down, his grief and frustration flooding from him in a beautifully played few moments of drama that ends in him simply walking away, his spirit broken, his bravado and swagger washed away in a torrent of anguish and pain. He is wearied and tired and not sure if he can go on - and the destroying events that have preceded this leave us not sure if he can go on either, knowing that the spark within him has died and not knowing if it can be revived.
John McGinley's performance, particularly in those final moments, was powerhouse. He was electrifying. The anguish is etched into his face; the grief pronounced in his words. McGinley shows us that the boundaries he has set himself as a comedy actor he can exceed in show-stopping fashion as a dramatic actor. The other cast are also exceptional. Zach Braff plays J.D. brilliantly as he attempts to assure Dr. Cox that he made the right decisions in spite of the consequences, by reiterating the very words Dr. Cox had spoke to him earlier. But he failed miserably. Even Judy Reyes' Carla cannot bring herself to bring Dr. Cox back from the brink, stunned into silence by his outpour of grief (beautifully played by Judy Reyes, who conveys her character's sadness in mere seconds using no dialogue, only subtle facial expressions).
Tad Quill's script was structured so brilliantly, in that he manipulates us into believing we are viewing a standard instalment, before interweaving the plot lines in a way that tears us from our comfort zone and thrusts us headfirst into this whirlpool of agony and despair, the sort that can dominate a doctor's every waking moment.
Medicine can be a platform for both comedy and drama and has been so in the past. But not since "MASH" has a medical series blended the two genres seamlessly, with skill and nuance. At turns, "Scrubs" will command the viewer to laugh at the misfortunes of its characters when their own foibles and idiosyncrasies have orchestrated them. But when grave errors are made that bring a character down this low, it is poignant and heartbreaking.
No comedy-drama could match "Scrubs" when it was on. Very few had matched it before and none have matched it since.
*****
Forrest Gump (1994)
The feel-good film of the decade
*****WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**** Adapted from the novel of the same name by Winston Groom, "Forrest Gump" is unlike any movie I've ever seen. For the duration of its two-hour run, it enchants and moves, amazes and inspires, seamlessly blending comedy and drama, history and fantasy, threading its spellbinding yarn against the backdrop of some of the defining events in modern American history.
"Forrest Gump" is about Forrest Gump, an everyman from Alabama. While Forrest is none too bright, he can run like the wind, which secures him a scholarship to the University of Alabama. As the film continues, he becomes a footballer, a soldier, a ping-pong champion, a folk hero and a multi-millionaire. He meets Elvis Presley and JFK; exposes the Watergate Scandal; saves lives in the Vietnam War; runs across the United States; becomes a household name as a highly successful shrimping boat captain; makes the cover of Forbes magazine; and inspires John Lennon's iconic record "Imagine." And yet, in spite of all these events, the defining moments in Forrest's life are those he shares with Jenny, his childhood sweetheart, who flits in and out of his life as she goes on a downward spiral trying to come to terms with being a survival of physical and sexual abuse by her father when she was a child.
It is from these tender and real moments between Forrest and Jenny that the film finds it emotional core. Their relationship develops over the years and ultimately leads to them marrying and having a son together. But even then, Jenny's traumatic past comes back to haunt her, as the years of self-destructive behaviour that it triggered led to her becoming ill with an unknown virus (possibly HIV/AIDS) that tragically claims her life towards the end of the movie.
"Forrest Gump" is very much a take it or leave it film. It could be viewed as one-dimensional, optimist bilge, about an idiot meandering aimlessly through life, merely getting lucky. Reading between the lines, though, you find a masterpiece, careening between sadness and joy, pain and triumph. Robert Zemeckis' direction is almost flawless; he renders "Forrest Gump" with aesthetic quality and flair. It includes soundtrack with contributions from various American artists and, of course, Alan Silvestri, who composes a beautiful piano suite that is magical in itself.
Recognising technical and writing merit, the standard of acting in "Forrest Gump" is high as to be almost off the scale. Tom Hanks's performance as Forrest Gump accrued Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG awards that he wholly deserved; he plays Forrest's naivety and vulnerability well and his monologue at Jenny's grave was a tearjerker. Robin Wright's portrayal of Jenny - a woman crying out for help - was tender and real and Gary Sinise, playing Forrest's commanding officer in the Army, Lt. Dan Taylor, who loses his legs after being wounded in combat, is superb, flawlessly capturing Lt. Dan's wrath, melancholy and despair and later his redemption and joy.
There is no way to define "Forrest Gump" as a movie. It can only be defined as art.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Masterful.
***WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*** In 2007, the American Film Institute released the 10th anniversary edition of their 100 Years...100 Movies list. On this, "The Shawshank Redemption" was listed at #72. I find it insulting it was ranked so low.
"The Shawshank Redemption" is adapted by Frank Darabont from the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King. There have been many adaptations of King's works (e.g., Stand By Me, Misery, The Green Mile, etc.) but "The Shawshank Redemption" outshines them all. Why? Because it is nothing short of outstanding.
For those of you who don't know what Shawshank is about, it concerns a banker named Andy Dufresne - played by Tim Robbins - who is wrongfully convicted of murdering his philandering wife and her lover and sentenced to life imprisonment at Shawshank State Penitentiary. He becomes close friends with Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), the film's narrator who has a reputation for being able to "get things" from the outside world for the other prisoners. He and Andy become the best of friends as the years go by, during which time Andy's financial knowhow becomes an asset to the prison guards, particularly the corrupt Warden, who uses Andy as an accomplice in his money-laundering operation.
Shawshank explores themes of redemption and hope. Throughout his time in prison, Andy refuses to accept the hopelessness of his situation and maintains his integrity and self-worth, which ultimately pays off at the conclusion of the film. Likewise, Red finds redemption and solace through his friendship with Andy, by performing acts of common decency that, in turn, build his own sense of integrity, self-worth and hope.
It is these themes that do not make Shawshank a great film but an excellent one. The visual style should be applauded, particularly Frank Darabont's direction and Roger Deakins' cinematography. While the characters communicate and interact freely, they are nonetheless trapped within the confines of the prison, accurately captured by the dark tone of the atmosphere that Deakins and Darabont create so well.
The performances in this film are masterful. Tim Robbins' lead performance as Andy Dufresne is skillful and nuanced. Each line is delivered flawlessly, his body language and subtle facial expressions are perfect in capturing the character's calm, laconic yet hopeful demeanour. His performance surely merited an Oscar nomination and deserved more recognition than it had from major award ceremonies.
The performance of Morgan Freeman is also one to be noted. His narration is superb, and he never fails to connect with the audience. Particularly in the last quarter of the film, Freeman gives solid proof of why he is one of the finest actors alive.
The Shawshank Redemption is arguably the best movie of all time and deserved more recognition than it had. Held in high regards by critics and viewers everywhere, it serves as a testament to Frank Darabont's skill as a director and Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman's skills as actors. It is surely to go down as one of the modern classics of filmmaking and is up there with "The Godfather", "Citizen Kane", "Casablanca" and "Gone with the Wind." One of the greatest achievements in cinema in recent times.