Reviews
Le huitième jour (1996)
With acting this good, who needs subtitles.
A good picture is worth all the words. This film has the most poetic scene ever dreamed of about people with Down's syndrome. And I won't spoil it by telling you. You'll want to see it yourself.
Pasqual Duquenne is an amazing actor. I did not need to understand a single word he said to understand his meaning.
The film has a magic of it's own. After watching it I understood better that we put too much value on achievement and not enough on the people we love. Passion and simplicity is all we need.
Down in the Delta (1998)
Sometimes you have to go home to see where you've been
With the forgivable exception of sometimes seeing the microphone (mainly because the projectionist was having problems), this was a very impressive directorial debut. You could see Maya Angelou's hand in the story line order and in the emotional impact of Loretta's rite of passage into a world that made sense and gave her a reason for her life. Of course Jesse was justified in taking Nathan. Once you find out why, it makes all kind of sense that he talked to Nathan when he needed advice. No matter what you've done in your life, you can use that experience to make your life, and maybe someone else's, better.
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Shakespeare would have loved it.
I liked the way this script turned the historian's scandal upside down. Maybe the sonnets really were written to a woman who had to pose as a man to hide from the rules of society. And since when did authors from the 19th and 20th century have a corner on writer's block - or on unfounded guilt? The chemistry of the players cast was wonderful. Kudos for Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth - mindful of Betty Davis with her sharp tongue. And best of all, Gwyneth Paltrow as Juliet/Viola in love with Romeo/William without the possibility of crossing the social barriers. Maybe Shakespeare really did retire to Stratford to be alone... with his Juliet.
Elizabeth (1998)
Her father's daughter.
Yes, this is historical DRAMA. Mr. Hirst has shown us how a young girl, in a world where women were considered the property of their husbands (and not existing in a legal sense otherwise), came into her own and changed the world.
Important point to remember: England was broke when Elizabeth came to power, and was the richest nation in the world at her death.
The story of Elizabeth surviving an overwhelming sense of powerlessness to become absolute in her power was brilliantly portrayed. Most of the time people remember great opening lines. This movie has one of the greatest closing lines. Was Elizabeth the first type-A personality to set on the throne? Ms. Blanchett's portrayal was certainly among the best, maybe the best since Bette Davies.
Amistad (1997)
Must prejudice and politics rule the Academy?
Either the members of the Academy just failed to see this movie, or they had an axe to grind. Djimon Hounsou did as great a job of acting in "Amistad" as Dustin Hoffman did in "Rain Man" or as Jack Nicholson did in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". And how could they nominate "The Full Monty" and not nominate "Amistad"?
The marketing people missed a great poster shot in the movie with Djimon Hounsou at the wheel of the ship in a night-time shot against the stars.
If you haven't seen this movie, buy it, rent it, steal it, do what ever you have to, but see it. You will never forget it.