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Reviews
The Ladykillers (2004)
Started off Strong; Lost a Lot of Steam at the End
Can we now put this argument to rest? Tom Hanks IS the most versatile actor most of us will ever see. There is simply no role this man cannot take (and perfect). It is no shocker that he carried a movie, all but single-handedly, yet again.
The beginning of the movie really pulled me in. A humorous introduction to all of the principles was a classic Coen brothers improvement to a classic in its own right. My favorite performance other than Hanks' was the traditionally underrated Marlon Wayans. I mean, this family has been in comedy for so long for a reason. Sure, his anger was a bit annoying at times, but that was the character. I do not think there was a funnier line (and delivery) than "You brought your bitch to the Waffle Hut?" The end of the movie, however, soured me a bit. I do not not know how many people root for the "bad guys" in movies (obviously, these guys were not inherently bad, just committing an anti-social act), but I do. I wanted them to get off more or less scot-free. It seemed like the offing of each individual at the end was a little too rushed and forced. However, Pancake's death in front of Mountain Girl was hilarious.
The "good guy/girl gets the money" theme has obviously been done to death, and the manner by which it occurred in this movie was not satisfying. Mrs. Munson refused Professor Dorr's offer of money to contribute to Bob Jones University prior to the climax. Why would she all of a sudden think it was a great idea because a sheriff told her so? She held to her Christian morals throughout the whole movie, then dropped them like a bad habit.
All in all, this was a solid movie. Not great, but it certainly had its moments. The plot was strong, Hanks was amazing, and there were many moments of comic relief.
Bar Girls (1994)
I Gotta Admit, I Really Liked It
I am 23 years old and just hitting my movie-watching prime (if one exists). What I mean is that I am finally able to watch movies and appreciate them for what they are. I have only been able to do this for a year or two. So, I flip around Showtime at 1:30 AM and see a movie called "Bar Girls"; could be soft-core porn! Hit the info; lesbian soft-core porn! Neither, but before I realized it, I was hooked in. If I looked at the entire work as a satire (which I did), it was phenomenal.
After reading on this site that the playwright is pretty philosophical, I was a little disappointed that she probably wanted this movie to be taken seriously, but not so much so that it detracted from the movie for me. I could have done without Loretta's diatribes and the frustrating displays of anger, but all in all, this was not poorly acted. In addition, the comedy level was pretty high. I mean, as a heterosexual male, it is great to know that lesbians have hate sex too (I hope that doesn't qualify as a spoiler. This is my first time posting here, and I figure 11 years is long enough for an obscure movie). Corny ending, but the bar scene prior to the ending was hilarious.
Sam