jasarthur Reviews

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Best film in years in the "Enchanted April" genre

[10/10 · 15 January 2013]

I have recommended this to the parents of all my Indian piano students. When I say, I just saw a great movie set in India, they all ask, "Life of Pi"? My daughter saw Pi and thought it was a bizarre, godless, weird, gruesome, existential and pointless movie. But The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is completely the opposite. The scenes of India are stunning and a major part of the overall experience. One mom told me they were going to rent it but saw negative reviews. I couldn't believe it! How jaded and soured can people be to not enjoy this movie? I'm not even going to read any of the critical reviews. They'll just anger me. If you liked Enchanted April, see Exotic Marigold. The story is wonderful and uplifting, the acting (despite what some people have said) is top-notch, the cinematography and editing is excellent, and my whole family (3 adults) thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Terribly Underrated

[10/10 · 17 June 2012]

One of the finest films I've seen in a long, long time. Great story, directing, acting, production-- all around a refreshing movie in a sea of violent and unpleasant flicks. Someone said "sadish," a rather shallow review of a beautifully executed treatment on the subject of bereavement and renewal. It's a sweet story with comedy, romance, no trashy language, and likable characters. If you love animals, you should see this. If you've experienced loss--either human or animal--you will be touched. The only reason IMDb would average a 7.2 for this film is that people are jaded and hardened. Some people would rather view portrayals of murder and hear vulgar language than a watch a well-made story of redemption.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

Amazing, Enlightening, Thorough Journalism

[10/10 · 15 January 2011]

I was raised in an atheistic home by people who worshiped science. In school in upstate New York, I was indoctrinated in Evolutionary teachings. I was taught it was an undeniable fact--not a theory. After finding God as an adult, my mind was opened to a broader spectrum of thought, and it soon became obvious I'd been duped by fanatics whose world view lacked any spiritual aspect. I rejected evolution and came to firmly believe this infinitely complex Universe was created by an Ultimate Intelligence.

I have enjoyed Ben Stein's commentaries on CBS Sunday Morning, so when I happened upon his documentary at the public library, I had to see it. I wasn't sure what the format would be, and was encouraged to find Mr. Stein interviewing established, reputable scientists from large academic institutions who had been expelled by the Guardians of the Religion called Evolution. Even those who had merely mentioned the concept of Intelligent Design in passing were victimized by Darwinian supervisors, losing their jobs and being blacklisted in the scientific community. Ben Stein's main thrust in this film, asking "Where has freedom of thought gone?" was well developed and thoroughly explored from many angles. I was especially impressed (actually shocked) to hear for the first time how the Darwinian principle of natural selection laid the foundation for Nazism's philosophy of a Master Race. Hitler was an advocate of Darwin's ideas to the point where he felt his mission in life was to fulfill Natural Selection as it occurs in nature among the wild beasts. This led to the attempted extermination of all those considered weak or deformed, such as the elderly, handicapped and, of course, the Jew. The Nazis thought they were doing the human race a favor by implementing a process of elimination that society had defaulted on.

Persecution of ID advocates by hard-nosed scientists was present in the film (pompous, arrogant professors calling them "idiots") and religious people were ridiculed by the likes of Dr. Richard Dawkins (author of "The God Delusion"). In a brilliant confrontation, Ben Stein gets Dawkins to say life on earth could not have spontaneously occurred but perhaps was seeded by an alien civilization. What a twist! He is so blinded by his hatred of God, I think Dawkins wasn't even aware he subscribed to ID.

"Expelled" is a rare and under-appreciated work produced by many great minds. It is to be expected that God-haters and slaves to Darwin will criticize and condemn the film. What else can they do? It's really not their faults; they've been brainwashed. I know this from firsthand experience.

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Laughed one time -- almost twice.

[1/10 · 29 July 2010]

The least one ought to be able to expect of a comedy is that it should be funny. I have to report that I found the various attempts to provoke laughter either crass, embarrassing, crude, or in downright bad taste. Cadaver falls out of coffin. Yeah, hilarious. Man helping paraplegic to sit on toilet gets excrement on his hand and face. A real kneeslapper. Dwarf ends up in coffin with his dead lover's body. And so it continues… Of course, humor is highly subjective, and I still find hard to believe accounts of people roaring at this little dirty silly film. Subjective notions of humor aside, there is plenty wrong with this film. I am immediately suspicious of movies in which foul language is used as a substitute for funny lines. Uncle Alfie announces his arrival on screen with a spray of obscenities and his character never rises far above that level. Something else that sticks out a mile is that practically every actor is firmly in autopilot mode. Rupert Graves in particular looks as though he was wishing he was somewhere else; and what an actor of the stature of Jane Asher is doing in this little number is anyone's guess. That she is absolutely appalling can most likely be put down to a combination of a commensurately wretched script, and criminal miscasting. Shame on Frank Oz and the entire crew for producing this slime.

Henry Poole Is Here (2008)

A nearly perfect art film of hope and faith.

[10/10 · 13 March 2010]

Too bad some of the reviewers here and on Netflix couldn't get past the misnomer "comedy" enough to find the truly beautiful and uplifting aspects of this film. I did actually laugh in a few places, but at its core, this movie is an art film about hope, faith, the angst of human existence and the redeeming power of love. The editing, gorgeous photography and lush musical score were exquisite. I watched it for the second time with my wife, who said it's one of the best movies she's seen in a long time. Henry Poole is more inspirational than anything else. The comedy is not the main element. To anyone but a grumpy agnostic or die-hard atheist, it will bring a tear to your heart and soul. This is truly a movie for the family to see together. It does not have the sex and violence of much of today's Hollywood output. The cast was perfect in their roles. I rate this a 10/10.

The Cutting Edge (1992)

A beautiful film with Sweeney & Kelly's best work of their careers

[10/10 · 13 February 2010]

First off, for all those critics who claim this is a chick flick, I'm a guy and I love this movie. I watched the VHS with my kids when it was newly released, and just watched the DVD a couple days ago, getting a lot out of the special features. Especially enlightening are the commentaries by the main actors done in 2006. The overall rating of 6.5 on IMDb is sadly warped by the careless railings of a few hacks who gave it unfairly negative reviews. It deserves much better. Fighting Amish (not his real username) gave it a 1/10 but his comments lacked any substantial critique, focusing only on how much his girlfriend liked it...and then he wonders why he's no longer with her! A movie made with so much care and artistry should not be casually trashed by someone with emotional issues.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

Disappointing like the final episode of the series.

[1/10 · 27 November 2009]

My son and I enjoyed the quirkiness of the entire first and second seasons, up until the last episode, which was a total bummer. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Like that final episode of the series, this movie is really sad and confusing. One viewer says in his positive review, "It really puts you in to Laura Palmer's world, or what's left of it, briefly... Fire Walk With Me gives something to Laura Palmer that she had been denied on television." Well, it's quite possible that it will do the same for you. Laura was tormented and tortured, sexually abused by her father or Bob (we never truly know) and she was always in 'purgatory' if you will, always in the Red Room when we saw her, or seeing a flashback of her murder during the course of the TV show. I for one am not entertained or enriched by seeing someone's art film portrayal of psychotic, damaged people. The twisted characters like the dwarf (little person) in the Black Lodge never made any sense. It was like the end of 2001 where you had to insert your own meaning. The TV show at least had interesting characters and a plot you could half-way follow.

Kill Switch (2008 Video)

SS needs to learn when he's burned out.

[2/10 · 10 October 2008]

Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but close! And compared to Under Siege 1 & 2, this was a real bomb. How can someone with martial arts talents stoop so low as to fabricate scenes with micro-editing? I was truly bewildered by the poor quality of the fight scenes. His enemies were beaten way beyond death and yet came up time after time without any injuries begging for more! And what's with that horrible southern accent? He didn't sound anything like a Memphis native. It was as if he was imitating some black dialect that represents the South in his mind. Steer clear of this, and I dare say, any future products from this shell of an actor.

The English Patient (1996)

One of the most hyped-up and over-rated movies of all time.

[5/10 · 27 September 2008]

5 out of 10. That's what I give this really dull film about some very self-centered and self-serving characters. And why a 5? Because it was well filmed and well acted. But the story was totally out of some writer's imagination, loosely based on true events in pre-WWII Africa. When it got to the point that Count Almasy traded maps of northern Africa to the Germans for an airplane to recover his lover's corpse, I just sat there saying, "Sheesh...he was a () traitor!" over and over to myself in near disbelief. He didn't have much hero status to begin with, but that totally killed it for me. Then in the special features, we are told by a history professor that the real Count was actually on Rommel's staff. A bloody Nazi! This movie romanticizes an enemy of democracy and wins 9 Academy awards?? That's insane. Remind me never to trust anything that the Academy says or does ever again.

Alice Upside Down (2007)

Man are you guys critical. You remind me of Aunt Sally!

[10/10 · 13 September 2008]

I'm giving this a 10 not because it was Lawrence of Arabia or some earth-shattering, life-altering drama, but for two reasons: 1) to counterbalance the snobs who gave it a low rating, and 2) because for what it is, it was really good. Yes, it could be a Saturday morning Disney Channel show. Yes, it reminded me of Lizzie McGuire or That's So Raven and other programs of that genre. But folks, that's what it's supposed to be! Why are you trashing it when it is so obviously not trying to compete for an Oscar? I'm a middle-aged father and watched this with my son. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. Penny Marshall was a an unexpected delight.I've never seen the Stoner girl before, or most of the cast for that matter, but thought they were all very talented. No--I haven't read the book that people mention on the boards, so I don't know if was faithful or not. Does it really matter? It had well-defined characters, good interaction and lots of momentum. I'm a professional musician and I even liked the soundtrack. This movie presented a believable story about commonly shared family circumstances (okay...for middle-class white kids) treated with humor and respect. Funny, good acting, cute kids, no cursing or stupid sexual jokes, and valuable messages for teens. So, I guess I had more than two reasons for giving it a 10!

The Kingdom (2007)

Well done, entertaining film, but don't watch if you're a self-professed middle East expert.

[9/10 · 27 June 2008]

It seems most of the negative comments are from people who think this should be an historically accurate picture of culture and politics in the middle East. That's the wrong approach to take from the start! I know a little more than the average American, being Jewish and having an aunt who taught this subject at the college level, but I didn't sit there taking notes about what was unrealistic like some folks did. And I enjoyed it! Isn't that the point of a movie like this? The story was good, the dialog interesting, the action top-notch, and as an Alias fan, I even get a thrill seeing Jen Garner doing makeup commercials. Hang loose, fellas--this is an action-adventure, not a PBS news documentary.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Expected a whole lot more.

[2/10 · 25 June 2008]

Lackluster would be the best word I can think of to describe this film. The only thing that might have helped compensate for the endless morbidity, slow pace, depressing soundtrack and emotionally stunted characters would have been a bit of comic relief. Of course, that wouldn't fit the dark, morose and somber celebration of criminals in the American west. Besides feeling empty at the end of this long, long, long movie, I was absolutely bewildered by the apparently historical narration that painted the public as admiring Jesse. They paid to see the house where he was shot. They bought his portrait in death. They petitioned the governor to pardon the man who killed Jesse's assassin, and he did! What is wrong with this country? Oh, I forgot. This is the same nation that reelected Nixon and Bush.

Atonement (2007)

Tedious, monotonous, pointless, meaningless, absurd...have I covered it?

[1/10 · 3 May 2008]

The main thing I need to enjoy a movie is to like one or more of the characters. I disliked every single person portrayed in this useless and empty film. None of them had anything redeeming about their personalities or purpose in life. A good story helps too, which Atonement sadly lacked. My wife and I suffered through, hoping somehow a good ending would make up for a depressing bummer of a movie. We were sorely let down.

There--that's my 10 lines for IMDb. This movie doesn't deserve any more description than this. Wish I'd read the other comments, many of which are scholarly in their depiction of inaccuracies about the historical era. Oh yeah, did I remember to say NEVER TRUST THE ACADEMY?

Spellbound (2002)

Torturous to listen to!

[1/10 · 31 March 2008]

There was nothing spellbinding about this documentary. The obsessive and aggressively fanatical drive of these kids and their stage-parents to win or place made for a tedious yet tense watching experience. The worst aspect of this project--which earns it a negative star--was the monotonous Orff instrument soundtrack. Who wants to hear repetitive patterns of toy xylophones for 90 minutes? Someone was out of his mind when he scored this thing. My wife and I had to mute and fast-forward entire segments just to survive! I'm a professional musician, piano teacher and children's music specialist, so perhaps I was more attuned to the soundtrack than others, but it seems a total lack of creativity to think an entire movie should have Orff with harmonica in the background. It was as painful as Harry's facial contortions. Since when is Asperger's Syndrome comical?

The Grey Fox (1982)

So Slow

[3/10 · 10 January 2008]

More of an art film than a western. I bought this partly for the soundtrack, which the Ebay seller claimed was by the Chieftains, my favorite Celtic music group. It had one song by the Chieftains, which I already owned on compact disc, and it was repeated three or four times throughout the movie. Of course I was very disappointed. And the terribly slow pace of the action, made even less bearable by Alvin Straight, I mean Richard Farnsworth's John-Deere-at-top-speed acting, nearly put me to sleep. Good film for a rainy day. If you nod off, you won't miss much. Apart from that, it's a dark, sepia-toned movie sure to depress. This was billed online as a rare treat and hard to find. Well, you can find the copy I donated to the Brentwood Public Library.

Romancing the Bride (2005 TV Movie)

90 minutes of suffering for the whole family

[1/10 · 10 January 2008]

We all trudged through this B movie hell-bent on getting some benefit from our rental fee. Lame plot, stiff acting, bad direction, amateur camera-work... Have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah, Carrie Fisher is nothing short of sad. Very pathetic what's become of Princess Leia. My wife and I figured she had a stroke or perhaps did too many drugs. She was absolutely monolithic, that is, one face, one emotion, one tone of voice. And the girl! Leave her in some half-baked sitcom, please! And since when is a guy being a hunk criteria for granting a movie a positive review? Has everyone's brain turned to tapioca? Go watch some porn and quit providing an audience for film school dropouts.

K-PAX (2001)

Only one detraction

[10/10 · 11 October 2006]

I found this to be a nearly perfect sci-fi drama. In that genre, it's #2 on my list after Independence Day. Spacey is terrific in this role--very believable. "How many doctors does this planet have?" is one of the choice bits of comedic satire I loved. And after he consumes a banana, peel and all with relish (gusto...not the condiment!), K-Pax's comment about the produce alone being worth the trip still makes me smile years later. The only detraction was the brutality of the murders and resultant catatonic state of the character whose body K-Pax inhabited. But that's only me--I don't like violence. It really is essential for the plot, and certainly not an unrealistic twist. It's a great movie and story.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Depressing

[4/10 · 16 May 2006]

My wife and I watch movies to escape into a happier reality. Some will call this simplistic. We call it entertainment. Romantic comedies are our staple, although a redeeming action-adventure flick does the trick.

I heard this was a love story with a happy ending, so rented it. Half way through, we realized we were missing a lot of dialog, so we returned to the top with subtitles on, and what a difference! Still, the themes of abandonment, child abuse, male dominance and sexual slavery overshadowed whatever merit the film had as art. I enjoy a good drama, but the characters must draw me in to their worlds. I wanted nothing to do with the world of a geisha. Life's hard enough.