Reviews
¿Quién diablos es Yuliet? (1997)
Growl.
For anyone who has even a passing interest in comely young Latin women, check this movie out. This doc features two of them, both reasonably intelligent and interesting, discussing their lives and doing an admirable job of appearing natural in front of the camera. Fabiola is shown to be a successful model from Michoacan, while Juliette is a wild young street urchin in Havana, partying and trying to stay sane despite what appears to be a very difficult life. Oh, and if you had any doubts, this movie will settle the issue for you: All guys are pigs, evidently.
Analyze This (1999)
Litmus test:
Does this exchange tickle you?
Crystal: You tried to wack me!
DeNiro: Yeah, but I was very conflicted about it.
If it does, see Analyze This, 'cause there are about a hundred other ones just like that.
Playing by Heart (1998)
TV-movie sentimentality
Although this movie has its witty moments, and is an excellent showcase for the dazzling Angelina Jolie, who displays a dead-on comic timing equal to her bombshell beauty (think Janeane Garofolo but a shade less dark, perhaps due to her super-model looks and miraculous cleavage), Playing By Heart is handicapped by the following weaknesses: a) Tendency to easy sentiment, featuring two (!) characters with AIDS as cheap ploys to draw audience sympathy (it worked, too, at the showing I went to, judging by the sniffles I heard throughout the theatre (b) An absolutely horrible "performance" by "actor" Jon Stewart, ruining poor Gillian Anderson's chances at really shining (c) Mind-numbingly boring post-coital conversations between Anthony Edwards and the beautiful Madeliene Stowe in the single least effective plot thread in the movie, whose only interesting facet is not revealed until movie's end (d) Increasingly grating drunken histrionics from Dennis Quaid, and, of course, (e) A desultorily tidy ending that reassures the audience that love has conquered all for each of the 10 or so main characters.
Mitigating factor: Gena Rowlands was her usual excellent self. Also, did I mention Angelina Jolie's cleavage?