Reviews

I read the book Game Change, which was a well written account of how both parties arrived at their nominations and in particular, how Obama overcame Clinton to gain the Democratic nomination (over 60% of the book). The election trail was about 30% of the book and the Republication nomination story - that this movie is about - was only about 10%.

Ms. Palin was a fascinating political oddity in the race and was not without her shortcomings as a VP candidate - but this documentary/dramatization (mockumentary is probably more appropriate) is largely a hatchet job on Ms. Palin by someone with an axe to grind. Though mildly entertaining, it fails in giving any credible rendering of the incredible and complex election race for the 2008 Presidency.

The only saving grace is the cast. Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris, Sarah Paulson and Peter MacNicol were all suited for the roles and played it out well. Their efforts were the only reason this did not rate even lower.

Watch it for entertainment - but don't substitute it for the book - or for reality.

First, to be extremely clear, this is not a documentary as described. This is nothing but a piece of propaganda from director/producer Alanis Obomsawin.

In 1905 agreement was reached for certain Indian tribes to permanently cede lands to the Crown. Now, the Indians don't like the deal they made and want something different - so propaganda like this abounds.

They now want to rely on oral history. If you remember the campfire gossip game where something is whispered in one ear and 20 ears later the story is different, you are on the right track. Or, try the family fish story. 80 years ago great grandpa caught a 6 pound pike; but later when he told the story, it was 8 pounds, then 10. Then grandpa talks of his dad catching a 12 pounder, then it's 14 pounds. Then my dad talks of his grandpa's 16 pounder - or was it 18? And when I tell the story, I remember it being over 20 pounds. Well, that is what this propaganda piece does - the culmination of story telling where the Indians remember something very different than what was written - so the government should honour this fantasy agreement created in their minds.

Various Indians are trotted on to the screen to tell how their ancestors heard something different than what was written and a white professor opines how misunderstanding may have arisen.

Aboriginals (and latte sipping liberals who support them because it is fashionable and never taking time to learn the facts) will likely love the movie as it pushes their positions. For the rest, it is a waste of time as it does not explore the issues fully or have any intellectual discussion of the issues.

Grossly over-rated ... but PR is PR. Certainly the gay and artsy communities are happy to see the film made for the groundbreaking it does - but groundbreaking does not equal good film-making.

The plot is relatively predictable - think back to Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn in "Same Time, Next Year". Two lovers meet on a regular basis for a number of years while living separate lives the rest of the time. Big deal, this time the two lovers are gay cowboys. Yes, it was a love story - but a poorly done love story that drags on and on and on - then abruptly falls off a cliff and ends too quickly.

The acting starts off mediocre and doesn't get much better. Randy Quaid was OK in "Category 6: Day of Destruction" (TV) but hasn't had a really decent part since "Hard Rain". This was a big step backwards. Jake Gyllenhaal is weak (though the ladies seem to drool a lot when he is around) and heartthrob Heath Ledger plays below his capabilities.

If you can ignore the less than stellar acting and look at the scenery, the location in the Canadian Rockies is absolutely spectacular and the cinematography is incredible. Also nice to see Linda Cardellini from ER with a minor part which she handled well - look forward to seeing more of her on the big screen. Look for good things in the future from Kate Mara.

I can only suggest the movie's reception was largely a product of all the hype - but as they say in Texas, this one is all hat and no cattle!

Catchy theme song ... lots of young angst but it should have been left on the stage where it is powerful. Unfortunately the weak acting, predictable plot lines (well, predictable to those more mature - maybe not to a twentysomethings) reduce a powerful stage production to a plodding draggy disjointed snoozefest. The five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes they sing about is what it felt like while I sat through it.

To be fair, I am late 40's and I know who I am - my years of finding myself and tilting at windmills have given way to earning a living and being a responsible. Watching the early scene about rent left me thinking about the landlord being defrauded. I would have enjoyed this far more 30 years ago when I was watching Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar so I will cut some slack to those that are still in that head space BUT, this one STILL should have remained on stage.

As background, in 1942, the Federal government appropriated lands from a native band in Ontario for military purposes and gave them $50,000. In 1981 they gave them an additional $2.5 million and are negotiating to return the lands.

In 1995 a group of native protesters cut the fence at a nearby Provincial Park (here they are called protesters - if anyone else did this they would be trespassers or terrorists)and proceeded to occupy the park. When the Ontario Provincial Police attempted to regain the lands, a mêlée ensued and a young native man was shot.

The movie tells the story of the events with the objectivity of Michael Moore in Fahrenheit 9/11. The natives and left wingers will love the spin while conservatives will hate it.

The acting is weak throughout, though not surprising given the lacklustre cast. Dakota House plays an angry young man (ooo - what a HUGE stretch for Dakota), Gordon Tootoosis is there (he is always there when they film a native movie in Canada) and Gary Farmer is his generally enjoyable self (some may remember him from the first season of Forever Knight).

All in all a pretty mediocre production released as the Ipperwash hearings are resumed (coincidence I'm sure) - with the Premier (when the incident occurred) slated as an upcoming witness.

'Tis the season for magical Christmas shows where we are whisked away from our dreary lives for a couple of hours of love and joy and hope.

The movie is actually 5 mini-stories woven together by a freak snow storm on Christmas eve - an aspiring writer (Eric Szmanda) looks for encouragement from an off beat aunt (Mary Tyler Moore); a woman's philandering husband (Jason Priestley) is "stranded" away from home; a would-be maid of honor (Poppy Montgomery) watches her friend's wedding self destruct; a divorced mom (Jennifer Esposito) agonizes over her young son going to his father's home for Christmas Day and a widow (Camryn Manheim) tries to block out last Christmas when her husband died. In each story, the snowstorm leads to some interesting changes to the character's lives.

The cast won't have to book time off for award shows but they all played their parts adequately and let us walk away feeling that all is right with the world. Two hours of non-demanding escapism to a happier place, ideal to relax with on a lazy holiday evening.

The only thing about it worth watching is to see if it could possibly get any worse! In the original language, it is plagued with poor writing and worse acting - add to that very poor English voice-overs and you have an eyesore.

The plot revolves around two low-life friends who become involved with a white slave trader.

Voyeurs may want to watch for the occasional glimpses of skin provided, but other than that don't even waste the videotape to record it - you obviously won't want to stay up to 3 or 4 a.m. to watch it - and that is the only time it may ever air.

The reincarnations are still easy to look at - jiggle is still jiggle - but the acting is even more underwhelming than the original. Sorry gals, but you are mere cardboard caricatures of the originals. Aaron Spelling's visionary understanding of the TV viewing public is lost in the buffoon created by the script.

Then, of course, I am old school and this DOES give a whole new generation of teenage boys the opportunity to debate over the finest angel - Farrah's blatant sexiness, Jaclyn's prom queen sweetheart next door or Kate's smarts and tomboyish good looks.

It was a nice trip down memory lane, remembering the ground Spelling broke, but don't miss any sleep waiting up for this one. Good soundtrack though!

(PS Trekkies, was that Michael Dorn in a brief fur-clad cameo?)

Cheech and Chong had some good lines and were social commentary of the day. This is a fourth rate take-off with no redeeming value. The gags, such as they are, are old and tired; the acting is poor; the premise is ridiculous. Try watching that old Indian movie - oh yah - that was the test pattern.

Chintzy effects, lousy dubbing, I can't begin to itemize all the ways this movie was horrid. It looks like it was produced by Grade 3 boys with their parent's video camera. Your time is better spent watching your neighbor's vacation video.

How did it only rank #38 on the worst 100 list? Terrible script, no acting, no plot .... it is difficult to believe it was made at all. Hopefully nobody counted on getting anything for their points. Dana Carvey is a one-trick pony ...and the trick isn't all that good!!!!!

Bigger, bolder, better! Episode 1 was ok, but not up to the original standards. Take all of the original action, the character interplay, the creative genius - add superb settings and the superior film techniques now available and all you can say is WOW!

The story fits well with Episode 1 and provides terrific, if sometimes a bit heavy handed, hints about things to come to get us through Episode 3 to the original Star Wars. But, since it is JUST opening, I won't gush further and destroy the experience - GO, sit back (well, maybe sit on the edge of your seat) and ENJOY!

Pretty standard adventure fare. Religious fanatic terrorists plant nuclear device in American city. Chuck Norris and Judson Mills, as super secret special operatives reporting directly to the President, have to save the day. Lots of bad guys get beat up with Kung Fu moves; there is a bomb with a big red digital timer to defuse; bad guys get to fire thousands and thousands of rounds and continually miss the heroes. Hokey scene of Judson Mills training by dodging red balls blindfolded (remember Fred Ward as Remo Williams? Much better - if for no other reason than Joel Grey's crusty commentary). Still, if you like action movies where the good guy saves the day (hey, that is no spoiler, the good guy ALWAYS saves the day in this kind of movie) it is an OK way to spend a couple of mindless hours. Robert Uhrich, sporting a LOT more pounds than Spenser days, looks reasonably presidential. One other interesting point - I would presume this was filmed prior to 9/11 and the release was delayed - listen for comment on damage to the WTC, suggesting a small explosion, not the devastation that actually occurred.

Big city girl (Dale) returns to her small Nova Scotia hometown after the death of her estranged father and brings her rebellious teenage daughter in tow. An unimaginative coming home story complete with the prerequisite love interest, mother-daughter tension and a few semi-colorful local characters. Not must see film-making, though Jennifer Dale is her usual sensuous self, including a brief semi-nude scene.

Tanya Roberts in skimpy outfits and one brief long distance nude scene - and STILL a male with high testosterone will only give it a 4! Some gorgeous Kenyan scenery also added to the rating - which tells you how truly awful the movie was! If you really like Tanya, save the two hours, and buy a poster!

A very believable telling of one woman's descent into hell on earth. The frightening thought - is it happening next door to you too? The film does not skim over the gory details - be prepared. Low budget, not glossy, but definitely makes it's point. The one thing marginally lacking, given the enlightened 90's, is an acknowledgment that spousal violence, as wrong as it is, is an offense committed by both genders.

Submarine down ... men trapped .. dramatic rescue ... very promising elements .. but fails to deliver. The best ingredients are a waste on a poor chef, and that is what happened here. A pretty marketable story, by a good author, but too many corners cut in this made for TV snoozer. The story line was poorly paced to build any tension, the young lovers subplot was underdeveloped and all of the acting was generally weak. If you need to kill some time - fine; if you are a real naval fanatic - fine; but if there are other choices, they will probably be better.

A glimpse of our possible future - a thriller, exploring some of the less than desirable possibilities of human cloning. The casting has a comfortable feel ... Kelly McGillis as the attractive intelligent researcher, similar to her Top Gun character Charlie; Larry Hagman, in JR form, as bad guy and Jason Gedrick as the clones - not a big stretch from his bad boy Neal Avedon in Murder One. All were well played, though the screenplay was somewhat lacklustre compared to Follett's superb writing. Not must see cinema - but a pleasant diversion for a couple of evenings. 7/10

Very minor variations on the age old lovers triangle. There was a bit of hope, but uninspired writing provided cardboard, two-dimensional characters. Even Sam Elliott, who I usually enjoy, comes off flat. To me, the movie was in large part a waste of time UNTIL the last few minutes when a bit of an interesting twist on the ending was somewhat redemptive, moving my 2/10 to 4/10.

Spell Draggy with a capital D. Keitel, as strong as he is, couldn't salvage this disaster, neither could pretty Fairuza Balk. A trite unimaginative story of a loser conman father (Keitel) as he blunders his way through life providing little fathering for his two daughters. Boring, predictable, draggy (oh, that was twice? it deserves it!) News of his ultimate death puts him out of his misery - it's a shame we couldn't have enjoyed the same fate about a hundred minutes earlier. An insult to Willie Loman and Death of a Salesman which this obviously borrowed heavily from. Skip renting it - and if it on TV and you only have one channel, watch the commercials, they have a much higher entertainment value. 2/10