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Ed-108
Reviews
Outing Riley (2004)
Unbelievably bad
If you ingested the entire Edward Burns film canon and then regurgitated, "Outing Riley" would be the result. I couldn't believe how bad this movie was. The first and most fatal mistake it made was having the protagonist break the fourth wall. I have to admit that for me this is almost always the kiss of death to a movie. The only time I can recall it working was in "High Fidelity" with John Cusack. But, Pete Jones (Bobby) possesses nothing like Cusack's talent or likability.
The script was awful, and the story chock-full of insipid situations and plot points. For instance ***SPOILER ALERT*** Bobby, at his sister's suggestion, comes out to his brothers by showing them a slide show of pictures of him and his lover. When his brothers finally accept him, they throw him a surprise "You're Gay" party. ***END SPOILER ALERT*** Only Michael McDonald gives a performance that could be called professional, but sadly he has no chemistry with Jones. In fact he kind of seems like he's acting in a different movie.
I hope that after this and "Stolen Summer" Pete Jones can't get financing to make anymore movies. But, if he absolutely has to write and direct films, at least let him not cast himself.
Food of Love (2002)
Left me hungry
Like so many movies, the trailer made this look much better than it was. It's a real dud, starting with a weak and unfocused script. Someone should have decided up front whether they were making a soap opera, a French farce or soft-core porn.
The acting is largely amateurish. Kevin Bishop is relentlessly bland and evokes no sympathy. Even his butt gets boring before long. Paul Rhys has a few good moments, but his make-up distracted me from them. Even the usually sublime Juliet Stevenson can't pull this off.
I'll see pretty much any gay-themed movie that comes out. If you do too, go ahead and see it. But don't expect much.
Road to Perdition (2002)
Great technique, but nothing else
I found this movie very cold and unmoving. Every shot and every line spoken seemed so deliberate and self-conscious. It just had no soul. All of the performances are so tight and restrained, that I just couldn't feel anything for anybody. The cinematography is beautiful, but you are so aware of it, that it overpowers the story. I also thought that a major flaw was having the kid narrate it. The narration sounded like it was supposed to be the kid looking back from years later, in which case they should have used an adult voice. I loved "American Beauty", and was looking forward to seeing Sam Mendes' next film. I think he kind of blew it with this.
Buying the Cow (2002)
Almost a good movie
This started off as a pretty intelligent and funny movie. It actually had some insightful things to say about romance, relationships and the reality of them versus our fantasies. Then it veered off into a stupid farce and never really recovered. I'd still recommend it if you want to watch something light for 90 minutes. The cast is game, and very likeable. And any movie that opens with Andy Williams covering The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" certainly has its heart in the right place.
The Mexican (2001)
The gun wasn't the only thing that misfired
This movie could have been much shorter, and consequently much better, if anyone involved had known that a passport is not required to travel between the United States and Mexico.
That was really all I wanted to say, but there's a four line minimum.
A Simple Plan (1998)
I enjoyed this movie very much
It's kind of a hybrid of The Treasure of Sierra Madre and Fargo. Some of the events seem a bit far-fetched, and you have to take a leap of faith to believe that the characters would think of some the things they do, and behave in some of the ways they do. But, it was a good story, very involving and well told. It's also quite atmospheric, which I love. The snow is almost like a character in the film. And the performances by Bill Paxton and especially Billy Bob Thornton were superb.
Playing by Heart (1998)
I'm glad I saw it, but I wouldn't recommend it too strongly.
This was a pretty good movie, mostly as a showcase for the actors. I don't think it had anything fresh or particularly insightful to say about love or the human condition. Willard Carroll is no Robert Altman, although the movie begs comparison to Altman films, like Short Cuts, which follow the stories of various people in one city. But, I thought there was at least one too many story lines. The one with Jay Mohr and Ellen Burstyn was certainly moving and they were both excellent, but it really doesn't belong in this particular piece. I would have liked to have seen Mr. Carroll leave their story out, and beef up a couple of the story lines that didn't play out very well. The acting was very good, though, particularly by Angelina Jolie. I'm glad I saw it, but I wouldn't recommend it too strongly.