Change Your Image
Rob/SMCA
Reviews
This Is It (2009)
From a hit-and-miss MJ fan
"This Is It" is terrific (I'm a white male over 50). Setting aside MJ's personal life and psyche, his artistic achievement puts him in the pantheon of modern culture. Looking at just what is presented -- preparing for a live concert comeback, drawing from all of his previous catalog -- he was a genius and invented a new language of movement and music (as much as Picasso, Fred Astaire, and Judy Garland set new standards in painting, dance, and dramatic interpretation, respectively, and then there's Elvis ...). People need to see "This Is It" as the slice of life it is and avoid getting drawn into discussions of MJ's (1) self image & plastic surgery, (2) personal indulgence, (3) high class drug addiction, and (4) family denial, all of which unnecessarily muddy the waters of his creativity and humanity. I wish a deceased MJ could trade places on this earth with the unfortunately still living former vice president Dick Cheney.
Hairspray (2007)
Wow!
What an amazing journey for this property. From the original low budget film, to a glitzy stage musical, to this phenomenal motion picture. At each stage creativity and pizazz was added to a solid story. I've seen it twice, and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Wanted to applaud several times, and threw my lot 100% into the plot. Life's too short to not enjoy such perfection. I was never a big fan of Travolta, but that he would even attempt such a role -- and pull it off with aplomb -- moves him way up on my list. Other veterans and newcomers shine. Can't wait to buy this one on DVD, but please pack it with extras and interviews!
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Too Close To Reality
Funniest, and most "they can't go there" film I've seen since American Beauty. Realistic drug references and profanity unfortunately mean I can't recommend it to as many friends as I'd like, but that's also part of what makes this a standout story. It's easy to skewer little girl beauty pageants -- done here perfectly -- but who would think an old VW bus could be the object of both affection and derision? Trapped in a dysfunctional family? So is half of America. A washed-up Proust scholar? Okay, that's a stretch but also a wicked jab at pretentious scholarship. A old geezer who lets it all hang out? Just visit the nearest senior citizen center. A middle-age man hung up on possibility thinking? Actually, that's a perennial theme going back to Sinclair Lewis' Babbitt. A sullen teen who doesn't talk? Look at the house next door. A vulnerable little girl who just might survive the madness? One hopes so. And the most delicious off-handed comment is at the end. "These people are fu*ked up!" referring not to the characters at hand -- but EVERYONE ELSE!!!
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
High Expectations Were Met
What to add to such a torrent of comments? I saw it at a neighborhood theater last night and think it's the best movie since 1999's American Beauty. I'm probably a natural audience, being gay and living on the coast, but I'm also open to learning about and appreciating the totally alien cowboy/C&W "lifestyle" and at 50 hardly a sentimental teenager (in fact, I've grown resistant to sentimentality). This film and story is rich for those willing to see it without prejudice. No special effects, nothing was predictable, shocking only because it tells the truth: Love is never easy and often destructive; following your own path in opposition to social norms is dangerous; knowing another person is always difficult and drawn out; and in the end the only thing that matters is that we loved (not "how") and cared. Poverty is uncomfortable and degrading, but survivable by a nourished soul. Talking too much, and too little, puts up a barrier that others can't cross. The only slight negative for me was that some of the editing made me think of Dances With Wolves and Bridges of Madison County -- both wonderful films but to be a "10" something must be totally original. Have I ever known (and loved) an Ennis? You bet. Some guys grow up hardscrabble, fearful, not listened to and unable to trust. Mix in being socially condemned by a shallow culture and the road to redemption is rocky indeed. In a microwave world, Brokeback Mountain is a fully realized emotional feast.
Big Fish (2003)
Finally saw it, and couldn't get enough
I remember seeing a trailer, or a commercial, for this film in 2003, which turned me off and I saw it only after a recent recommendation from a trusted friend (with similar tastes). Score one for recommendations. Yes, some of the images are bizarre and look goofy taken out of context (as in a trailer). But on DVD, within one week I had watched the film, again with the director's commentary, again with intermittent trivia, and any other way possible. Probably one of my top 15 films of all time. Many scenes and dialog resonated like a handbell choir. Come to think of it, Tim Burton's films are always at least good, and I've liked them before (including Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands). As I get older it seems like I'm more and more jaded and am moved by less and less. But, I connected the dots in this film/story, and wept at the end (while more overtly sentimental movies leave me cold).
Mean Creek (2004)
Shades of ... but very good
Shades of A River Runs Through It, The Breakfast Club, and Stand By Me. A beautiful river, rural Oregon, and kids with problems that are gradually revealed -- significantly explaining their behavior. I didn't know what would happen, forgot it was a movie, and even began talking to the characters who I didn't see as just actors mouthing dialog. Only complaint about storytelling is almost total lack of parental involvement (one appeared for maybe 10 seconds). In a typical summer of a dozen or more $100 million overstuffed blockbusters, a film like this is a gem. Sensitive intelligent, in U.S. foreign policy AND filmmaking. Too bad something like this is labeled "art house" and dismissed by most of the moviegoing public.
Same Time, Next Year (1978)
A personal golden oldie
Finally released on DVD this month (April 2004), and plays really well 26 years after its initial release. Unfortunately, no added extras in the DVD re-release (would love follow-up interviews with the principals, but alas...). Sure, it's not a Henry Miller or Harold Pinter play, or teleplay, but there should be room for lighthearted drama in the world. I watched it again after maybe 20 years, and still laughed and cried. Stories about the passage of time, and how people change, are irresistible. There's a reason Same Time, Next Year remains a staple of community theatre. Solid laughs and painful drama if you accept the characters. And now you can add the patina of even more time having passed, from 1951 to 1977, to 2004. Poignant. (Too bad the REAL Sea Shadows Inn -- the Highlands Inn at Carmel, CA -- is $500+/night!).
Seabiscuit (2003)
Very good (but not great)
Compared to the usual summer dreck in movies, Seabiscuit is most welcome. But, if you like storytelling to impart something fresh, new or unexpected, this movie is only so-so. I found it way too telescoped and foreshadowed, albeit well set up and performed. It's basically calibrated to tell you what you want to hear, with almost no complexity or nuance. People will like it as much as they want to root for the underdog -- and believe the underdog sometimes wins (weighted to your being over or under 40 years old...)
Far from Heaven (2002)
Everything Moonlight Mile wasn't
At the end of the movie everyone was buzzing, like I've never seen before. It's not merely set in the 1950s, it's drenched in the period with incredible scenes and settings. It's magical, no matter the agonizing story (which is totally believable, the opposite of Moonlight Mile). I loved it; the best movie since American Beauty ...
The Good Girl (2002)
Rare authentic storytelling
Movies, as all stories, resonate for personal reasons. Nonetheless, this is the best movie I've seen since American Beauty. A little edgy, dangerous, sad, heartfelt, unpredictable, totally believable, totally rememberable. And oh yes, very, very funny. Superior dialog, acting, everything. If only -- IF ONLY -- fifteen such movies were made for $10 million each instead of one at $150 million for overpaid stars in overstuffed special effects dreck. The Good Girl is a gem.
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
New "Director's cut" is tedious
The 2002 "director's cut" is being shown in L.A. in June 2002. Having fond memories of the original I wanted to see this new version. Unfortunately, it was tedious and challenging to stay until the end (lopes in at over 2-1/2 hours). The original version only hinted at the future, and it was more enjoyable to let your own imagination fill in the details. The elongated director's cut spins it all out, tying everything together unbelievably. It also becomes a self-homage to an Italian FILM DIRECTOR. In short, the charm has been diluted and even the lovely soundtrack becomes repetitive. As with most things, stick with the original.
Hit and Runway (1999)
For the Top Ten junk, movies like this are worth your time
Hit and Runway has the same spirit of Good Will Hunting, and is done equally as well. Geez, movies where you come to know the characters, like them and care what happens to them -- individually and their relationship. What a concept! Sure, the urban setting of NYC is an easy mark for a story like this, but at least the main characters aren't yuppies and this movie shows real people living like real people. I thought this was going to be an indie film shot on a miniscule budget, but I never saw a shot that looked it. Everything seemed as well done as with a big budget throwaway (of which there are so many these days). I thought I might like this movie but didn't expect to love it. I loved it. Everyone involved should feel proud.
Billy Elliot (2000)
Only one or two criticisms
What this movie does well it does extremely well. The scene of Billy's acceptance or non-acceptance into the ballet academy is exquisitely drawn out, just like the biggest events of our lives often are. The few times the kid smiles are totally natural and come from the scene, so when he does it's bright and warm. My main objection is that there's an overload of anger in this film: Angry father, angry older brother, angry kid. That could and should have been cut back about 25%. Then, as far as the dancing, I didn't quite believe the mix of ballet, tap, swing and stomp, which was quite a hodgepodge. But to get back to what works and is much appreciated, when the bus pulls away and the (still angry) older brother is unable to look directly at Billy, I ached for the connection that wasn't happening. Those are the moments on screen, far more than ANY special effects or pyrotechnics, that honor the possibilities of film-making. On my scale of 1-10, overall an 8.5.
The Fantasticks (2000)
For the exquisitely wounded
I've known for a long time that the wonderful song "Try To Remember" came from this long-running show, but otherwise didn't know anything about the plot or other songs. I read one review of this movie version which was positive, but somehow my expectations were limited. After sitting through the usual bombastic trailers I was utterly charmed from the first scene on. The setting, sets, carnival lighting, characters and actors, I loved it all. It's very simple, but with a few twists. You have to buy into it in the way only exquisitely wounded souls can, and I did. Not as grand as the Sound of Music, but in the same mold. Not as dark as Francis Ford Coppola's "One From The Heart," but there is a sheathed knife here. The boy-girl story may be fairly shallow, but the surreal imagery of this film is haunting. If it's been moderately cut from the original non-released version, I would say some more could and should have been left in. Not for everyone, but almost. It's too bad that only a few people will see this film in very limited release. This is cinema that adds something to your life.
One from the Heart (1981)
One of my favorites
I still remember seeing this film in its initial run in L.A. and caught an anniversary booking at the Cinerama Dome -- and would like to see it again in a theatre someday. Highly evocative visually, a great, great score that I'm thrilled was issued on CD, and a troubling story that I nonetheless found believable and interesting -- which leads up the the very best reconciliation film scene in history! Palpable despair morphing into the most heartbreaking reconciliation fantasy. -- I cry every time I even think of that last several minute long embrace. If you don't get that, then you're not human.
Joe the King (1999)
Truly loved this film. Would even put American Beauty 2nd.
I would say that "Joe The King" is 95-97% a story about the absence of love -- but the 3-5% of this very strong script and beautifully photographed story where some degree and form of love between these family members in a bad-to-horrible situation is evident, is a revelation. You don't have to have lived in a family dominated by alcoholism to believe and understand these wonderfully acted characters, but knowing someone who has is certainly a key. For that very personal reason I would put "Joe The King" in my personal top 10 list (out of 100s of films seen). That few others would do so doesn't bother me. In any event, this is superior filmmaking.