Reviews

Wow, all this talk about a lack of character development, "Bible" quotes, fictional speeches. Come on, this is a Disney movie. It's a family movie. It's not "The Conformist" (which I love) or Kurosawa (whom I love). So if high art is your deal, then don't bother with "Seceretariat."

"Seceretariat" is a very nicely filmed, well acted family movie. It's inspiring and heartfelt. It does touch upon issues of the time, like the war in Vietnam. I will say the scene of the girls in Chile looked completely fake... get a Hispanic looking actor, give him a red beret and stick him in the frame. (The daughter was supposed to be in Chile when she talked to her mom over the phone, right?) I also thought the scene of the family watching the second race lacked energy and really didn't do anything useful, except to show that the family was watching back in Denver, but they really didn't seem to care all that much. I'd much rather of seen a another horse race.

And that's exactly where this movie shines. The horse racing footage is brilliant. BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT! Anyone who claims otherwise is off their rocker. There have never before been shots like this of horse racing. And those are real thoroughbreds ridden by real jockeys going around a real track. No actors on barrels bobbing up and down.

So this is a very good film. A great family film. And it's awesomely shot.

This movie has no point, no plot, no discernible script, no reason for existing except to disparage black people.

There may be redemption at some point, but 45 mins into it, I'm cutting my losses.

I gave it a 2 b/c it did give people in the South Central community an opportunity to work on a film.

But this "realistic" portrayal is in reality a pointless, disgusting parade of stereotypes and profanity.

If you like seeing black people fight like Komodo Dragons over whatever in the moment captivates them, then you'll love this movie.

If you actually believe in the concept of a human being, I suggest you steer clear of this travesty.

This movie was absolutely outstanding! The filming, music and narration were all superb.

As for the complaints about it being too anthropomorphic... well yes scientists can't prove penguins love each other, but can they prove people do? As for the complaints that it's too rugged for tiny tiny children. Yes life in Anarctica is tough, sorry but that fact can only be covered up so much.

Morgan Feeman's voice is perfect. And you are left wondering what the film crew went through to capture the images.

SEE THIS MOVIE. It deserves it's glowing reviews.

Read all the bad reviews and believe them. This movie is horrible. The sub-plots are irrelevant. The cutting/editing is annoying and poorly done. KST has almost no emotion. Did she not get the memo: Honey Your Husband is Dead, Please Cry at Least Once?

And it goes out of its way to show that Harrison Ford is a friend to impoverished black people.

Sydney Pollack is annoying and actually has the film cut to HIM when KST finds out her husband is dead and he steals the scene. And the daughter figures it all out by herself. How utterly ridiculous.

Don't waste your time unless you want to learn from others mistakes.

I think this movie suffers from the same fate of a lot of pre-method acting films: staid dialouge and wooden acting. By modern standards this movie just doesn't hold up well, IMHO.

At it's time it was ground-breaking b/c the subject matter was gruesome and the primary characters were mostly irredeemable. But today, planning a murder does not a movie make.

It's beautifully lit and there are some great shots. But even the lighting benefits from the time b/c it's B&W. It's much easier to light and to create a dramatic mood.

I like many classic films, but this one while important in its own right, hasn't traveled well into the 21st Century.

Just really excellent and very beautiful. It shows very artistically and w/ a somewhat European flair, the early life of Katia Bjorner. Beautifully shot. Beautifully dance. Beautiful music. Really, if you like dance, you should watch this movie.

It was very bad, but not the worst movie ever made. With a good editor, re-writes & tweaks this could have been a pretty good film.

I actually found some of the scenes pretty moving & didn't think the "Turkey time" line was THAT bad; stupid, yes.

I think a lot of the backlash this film is getting is b/c of the idea that a girl can find both women & (occasionally) men attractive. I didn't know this was such a vile concept. I've heard more than a few women say they "fall in love with the person not their sex."

So what gives?

That all being said, this was NOT A GOOD FILM. But not a COMPLELTELY horrible one either. I gave it a 3.

This was the first Rod Steiger movie I ever saw. It was fantastic. You really get to see immense talent of this amazing actor. He will be sorely missed, but lucky for us, some of his finest work will live on for us to watch.

This movie is a masterpiece that accomplishes the near impossible: faithfully recreating a Vonnegut novel on film. The non-linear approach just adds to jumbled mass that's become of Billy Pilgrim (the main character).

The acting is superb, the writing is cutting. This film may not be for everyone, but I thought it was art, entertainment and message brilliantly rolled into one.

This is a very good Hollywood movie that benefited from excellent actors and superb production design--the best money could buy. But was it brilliant, sublime.? No.

Like many Speilberg films, it ends about two scenes too late. These final syrupy scenes insult the audience and tie things up too neatly. It's as if he wants the audience to leave the theatre feeling "everything was beautiful and nothing hurt."

The premise of the movie is a good one, but the Minority Reports actually are less important than a murder that was covered up. The story and script have holes that are pretty big and cliches aplenty. The annoying Feds encroaching on local turf. The mentor turned opponent. The lovely wife who looks like she removed all worldly flaws in a 120 degree yoga studio--hey I'm not complaining. The black side-kick/friend who doesn't get very much screen time.

It's good. It's a fine movie. But it's not moving art. Should it be? Maybe not. Could it have been? I think so. But when you're buying Cracker Jack, you really shouldn't look for Coupe de Ville at the bottom (Meatloaf anyone?). Just a toy surprise. And this one is nice and leaves an impression about as long as those phony tattoos.

It's taken me a while to watch this film. I have to say that it's got it's problems. Mainly, the beginning is way too long and looks like it was shot for a different movie. And there are other nits.

However, Denzel Washington shines. He gets better and better and better as the film goes on. Wade through the first 30 mins, because the rest is well worth it.

I agree that Russell Crowe got gypped during the Academy Awards for "A Beautiful Mind." But Denzel clearly deserved the Oscar for "Malcom X" (Pacino won it that year for "Scent of a Woman"). Does this make it all fair? Not really, but maybe a little.

I have a stomach for tough, realistic movies. I didn't flinch while watching the "Bad Lieutenant." But I had to turn this one off for a little while.

It's too real. It's painfully unromantic but often poignant. It's an absolutely amazing piece of filming.

Great? No. Acceptable, yes. C+/B-. Go see it for what it is, not for what it's not (a religious experience).

Portman and Christensen were better than reviewed. But there were some moments that just kind of made me want to gag. The effects weren't really any more impressive than Phantom Menace's--except of Yoda's duel at the the end.

I've watched the first two movies many times. Will watch this one again? I doubt it.

This movie is grimy, beautiful, funny, poignant and always perfect.

Filmed with a remarkable eye and executed by performances that don't miss a note. Characters wind up on a journey that's physical, emotional and spiritual. And where they finally end up is very different (and better) than from where they started. An absolute 10.

This is my favourite Woody Allen movie. It asks the biggest question, "Is God watching us?" It also critiques how professionalism usually changes people for the worst. And shows how as we get older our relationships become more Machiavellian and less innocent.

Finally, it starkly posits that even those precious few whom seem to have found "The Answer," might just be the more profoundly troubled than the rest of us and therefore most familiar with our most difficult questions, but still not closer to the truth.

What a gem of a movie. Woody is at his finest and Diane Keaton is adorable. It also perfectly captures/satirizes the 70's, NY, LA and gentile and Jewish mindsets. This movie really shows how great Woody Allen can be.

Is Kurosawa the David Lean of Japan or what? This is a brilliant film about man (and woman's) desire for territory, flesh, revenge and respect. That which most powerfully motivates leads to demise. Never predictable, this film has as many ebbs and eddies as the human soul.

This movie was a disgusting orgy of violence with no point. My friend and I left wondering "Why would anyone want to make this movie?"

The social commentary part is less than half baked and does little to redeem this waste of silver oxide. The one aspect I found meaningful were interviews with people who saw the killers as celebrities.

This viewed like a very competent workman's like effort with almost no passion. I found myself truly bored while watching the planning and execution of the biggest heist in history.

There were few surprises and little suspense. And I really didn't like the mental flashbacks, ala Spike Jones' "Three Kings."

Yes, it's making tons of money at the box-office, but nobody claims the restaurant that's served billions has the best cuisine.

So many people have complained about the length of this movie. What were all these people going to do with the `offending' 45 minutes? Save the world? Find a cure for cancer--or even bunions?

This movie doesn't have the pacing of Moesha (whom I admire) but why should it? To use a sports analogy, it's more like a baseball than football or basketball. It unravels at its own pace. It provides respite, not competition, to our chaotic environs.

I have had the opportunity to observe a few of the Robert Parishes of the world. They are much more complicated men than how they are portrayed in Hollywood projects. This movie daringly casts a wealthy man as a deeply moral rather than corrupt.

Anthony Hopkins trumpets why life is to be treasured and death despised. Why the person for you might NOT be the one right under your nose, but rather the person you have yet to really meet. That it's worth it to wait for the special somebody who makes your life more vibrant and you a better person to boot. In a world fascinated with the macabre and marketed to the ordinary, such messages are sorely needed.

Being a member of the `Y' chromosome sex, I cannot truly be a Brad Pitt fan. But I must say he did a fine job and had great chemistry with the rest of the cast, all of whom were first-rate. And that death chose to experience life through the body of a morally conscious businessman (instead of a rock star) shows where this movie's values reside.

Meet Joe Black was a brave and inspired movie. I hope at least some give it another shot.

In light of 9-11, this movie is even more timely than when it first came out. The clashing of consumerism and religious fanaticism is on all our minds. This movie's even handed approach and willingness to show both sides places the viewer on an swerving ideological journey. And Om Puri and Rachel Griffiths give remarkable performances. A must see.

I understand that Paul Newman encouraged Tom Cruise to do this film to counter balance jingoistic flicks like Top Gun. When I first saw it, I was not all that impressed. How the times have changed.

While we hug our bravest firemen and hang flags from our car windows, we forget the dirty side of war. This film reminds us. But today, times are if anything, only more complicated. Unlike Vietnam, our country was attacked and innocent civilians were the casualties.

Ben Laden and his associates told 60 Minutes months ago that the United States' weakened military resolve has emboldened them. So what do we do? I don't know. Except I pray to God every day for a miracle. What else is there to do?

This movie was absolutely excellent. Gary Cooper shows the sweetness and subtlety necessary to play Lou Gehrig. He shows us how good we can be as people. Ms. Wright does an amazing job at playing Mrs. Gehrig, and strugling with her husband's demise. This may be seen as 1940's shtick, but even if it is, it's some of the finest ever made.

What is up the malevolence voiced about this film? It was very good. I grew up in NYC, went to both public and private schools and spent a lot of time in the Bronx visiting my grandmother and going to Yankee Stadium. As for the posts who say this movie wasn't accurate, I beg to differ.

As for the story being told before, guess what--every story has been told before. This was a positive, well done, moving film. If you feel compelled to pan this movie, I suggest you first check chest and search for a soul.