Change Your Image
otl96
Reviews
Melinda and Melinda (2004)
vintage woody without his shadow
do you like woody allen as a writer? how about as a comedian? if you chose the former, you will love this movie. it has all of woody's neurotic shticks, only here they are spoken by his surrogates instead of the man himself.
there is the usual dilemma about life: comedy or tragedy. the snide comments about social class and false facades. what is missing is woody's timing.
if you chose the latter, you will be disappointed.
while melinda is played to perfection, the rest of the cast is slightly off the mark: too dull, (the stage actor husband,) too silly, (the movie actor who isn't a 'name',) too bland, the director whose face disappears from memory before the credits roll.
that said, the movie is pleasant, entertaining, and even gives you some pause for thought.
Jersey Girl (2004)
this movie gives stupidity a bad name
Jersey Girl, the Kevin Smith movie starring Ben Afleck, is about a successful New York City publicist whose wife dies in childbirth. Our hero, Ollie, is fired for a stupid and widely publicized blunder, then he moves back to New Jersey to live with his dear old dad and raise his daughter.
Now why couldn't he have hired a nanny before he was reduced to a diaper-genie? He could have kept his job, maybe even commuted from Jersey.
We like Ollie, he's cute and soulful. He has meaningful talks with his infant daughter and he keeps on being the best dad he can be even as he whiles away his days as a maintenance worker in a small Jersey town.
Will he and his daughter, Gertie, ever get their own apartment? Will Ollie ever have a life or will he just hang out with alcoholic dad and his dimwit buddies at the local bar until he gets old and grizzled? If you can answer these questions, give Kevin Smith a call and perhaps he'll invite you out for a beer.
In fact, the only scene in this mis-guided schmooze-a-thon than reeks of intelligence is the few second spot featuring Matt Damon and, I'm guessing, Kevin Smith.
After seeing this movie, rented, of course, I can only conclude that J.Lo is one lucky actress.
Troy (2004)
visually breathtaking epic short on brilliant dialogue
"Troy" is a visually breathtaking film. The sight of 1000 ships approaching Troy strikes fear into the heart and belly. The battle scenes and poignant burial scenes are quite strong. Brad Pitt is physically gorgeous and properly heroic as Achilles while Orlando Bloom leaves much to be desired in the pivotal role of Paris.
Where is the heat and passion between Paris and a beautiful but cool and totally unconvincing Helen? Who wrote the mostly stilted and silly dialogue?
However, throw these criticisms aside and revel in the majesty of the film. I literally felt as though I lived through the burning of Troy.
Something's Gotta Give (2003)
am i the only person in america not amused?
Before I saw this movie, I read the reviews and listened to the raves of friends. I expected a fast-paced,funny and romantic film. What I saw was Risky Business aimed at the over-fifty viewer.
How funny is Jack Nicholson's butt hanging our of an open hospital gown? How adorable is Diane Keaton crying or cringing at the thought of someone seeing her post-menopause self naked? Nowhere near as humorous as Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear.
How many times can you milk a joke about needing glasses to read the fine print or rehashing the stale email flirtations of Harry 37 before you start looking at your watch and wishing for the credits to roll.
Aside from my doubting the movie's premise, that an aging writer, Keaton, is infinitely fascinating to both an aging lech, Nicholson, and a dashing young doctor, Reeves, I was bored by the long drawn out scenes of romance.
Perhaps the movie was an autobiographical fantasy for the writer, director, producer of the film. If so, kudos to her for pulling off a hit movie. As for me, I wish I could get back the price of admission.
The Good Girl (2002)
a quirky comedy
Fans of Jennifer Aniston will be happy to discover that her convincing portrayal as Rachel on Friends is not a fluke: she really can act.
In The Good Girl, she plays Justine, a 30-year old woman in a small Texas town, drifting along in a nowhere marriage and a dead-end job. Out of boredom, she gets involved with a fellow employee, a young writer with his own set of unresolved issues.
The cast is great, even managing to maintain their Texas drawl with no slip-ups. The film takes you along with it from the first shot of the Rodeo Retail Outlet right down to the closing credits.
Lovely & Amazing (2001)
interesting view into a family of women
if you are expecting a light and airy feel-good movie, please do not go to see lovely and amazing. however, if you are in the mood to pull down the curtain on the lives of three sisters and a mother who seems more friend than parent, than go to see this film.
the acting is first-rate and you feel as though you are a fly on the wall going through the days with these women. all of the men, save the sweet seventeen-year old, are scoundrels or worse.
pay careful attention to the dialogue or you will miss some intriguing bits of information.
Hollywood Ending (2002)
a grown-up story by master funny-man allen
the press seems down on woody allen, more for his off-screen hijinks than his movie-making skills.
with that in mind, i would take the negative reviews of this movie with a grain of skepticism.
it is a really enjoyable movie. allen is hilarious, whipping out his standard schticks with a magician's ease: his neuroses, his hypochondria, and his view of himself as being attractive to beautiful women.
the movie tells a story that actually has a clear beginning, middle, and end. there is biting satire of the movie industry, professional acting by everyone in the cast, and gorgeous cinematography. as a bonus, the movie leaves you with a laugh. do yourself a favor, and go to see it.
Kate & Leopold (2001)
suspension of disbelief fantasy
i actually went to the theatre to see another film but was turned off by the crowds.
i was intrigued by the concept of kate and leopold but hesitated to see meg ryan reprising the roles she has played before, and with good reason. would advise her never again to utter the words, "yes, yes," in a film.
that said, the movie had its endearing moments: the 1860's settings were convincing, hugh jackman was thoroughly delightful, and new york never looked so romantic.
eliminate the dog from the movie, put your love of contrived happy endings in your pocket, and enjoy this bit of fluff.
3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
mixed bag
this movie is really a bargain: two for the price of one. it is a sweet almost love story and cute kid movie sandwiched between a blood and guts violent crime story.
all of the actors are believable and the pyrotechnics are first-rate. the only problem is trying to fill the holes in the story and deciding why you want to root for one of the bad guys.
the best that can be said is that the time doesn't drag, the movie flies by and if you wait for the credits to roll, you will receive a treat.
if a grade had to be assigned, i would give it a b-.
Unbreakable (2000)
for the most part, my comments about this film will be negative.
i approached this movie with high expectations, having enjoyed "the sixth sense" both for its style and originality. unfortunately, neither of these elements was visible in "unbreakable."
the story was disjointed, the dialogue was dull, and the characters were cardboard figures. it was difficult to care what happened to anyone in the film.
aesthetically, the film was difficult to watch: scenes were painfully dark and the slow movement of the camera made time stand still.
as to those viewers who pronounced this film edge of your seat exciting, the only time i felt on the edge of my seat, was my eagerness to be the first one out the door when the film ended.