RoxanneAndorfer Reviews

Home of the Brave (2006)

"Wars Begin Where You Will..."

[8/10 · 13 March 2008]

"...But They Do Not End Where You Please."

~Machiavelli

This is a profound film, although not a perfect film. As a psychologist and as a veteran of the Gulf War of 1991, I whole-heartedly recommend this movie for anyone who has - fortunately - never been to war but who knows and loves someone who has, and who has felt pain because of the disconnection between you and your loved one. Just as Coppola's "Apocalypse Now!" revealed to us some of the horrors and emotional torment of combat on the ground in Vietnam, so this movie shows us that the war doesn't end for the soldier, sailor or airman when he or she returns home. For many, the homecoming is the beginning of the worst part. After having seen your friends maimed or killed while you survived, or having survived but been maimed yourself in either body or spirit, how do you reconnect with those who haven't seen what you've seen? How do you even begin to disclose to your wife, your lover, your sibling or child, the depth of your pain and the vastness of your loss of innocence, and optimism, and your faith in the essential goodness of your fellow man? How do you begin to let them know how emotionally crippled and monstrous you feel in a way that won't lead them to see you as the crippled monster you unrealistically feel yourself to be?

This film, despite its weaknesses, admirably portrays some of that frightening and difficult process. It is not a film for those afraid of facing the truth.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

An Agreeable Bit of Fluff

[8/10 · 18 February 2008]

Although this movie is somewhat lacking in narrative substance, there is little in the way of subtext and back-story, and the cinematography is less than inspired, Renee Zellweger's performance as a charming, clumsy, slightly overweight guileless waif who strives vainly to be oh-so-sophisticated and sensible about love is genuinely emotionally engaging. She turns a basically two-dimensional character into one who really matters to us and with whom we can unashamedly identify. She brings to mind Audrey Hepburn's performance in Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's not a great film by any means, but it is a film that made me feel happy and hopeful. And these days, that's saying quite a bit.

But what do I know? I'm in love with Renee Zelweger.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

The horror, the horror...

[8/10 · 7 July 2003]

NOTE: CONTAINS UNQUESTIONABLE SPOILERS!

Oh, yeah! This movie is a perfect prequel to what can be an even more terrifying, intense, Orwellian and Fritz Langian T4 that can totally eclipse the first three. If I were writing the screenplay, this would be my opening:

The missiles are flying, the nuclear warheads detonating. Every single bit of the horror we baby-boomers tried so hard to prevent in reality and to capture in nightmare fiction and film during the Cold War in "Level Seven," "Fail-Safe," "On the Beach," and "Seven Days in May" finally comes home to roost. But it's not the Soviets or the Red Chinese or even terrorists with black-market nuclear weapons who are responsible: It's our own creation, born from our fear and hubris - SkyNet.

Scenes of people of every nation being vaporized in the middle of their day and night work and play activities around the globe are accompanied by the dark, apocalyptic chords and lyrics of "House at Pooneil Corners" by Jefferson Airplane (remember that one, fellow baby-boomers?)

Gracie Slick sings as a SkyNet craft...

"Circles...like a vulture."

After a few short minutes of mind-bending horror that make us wish we had never invented atomic bombs or computers or even been born - instantly making us all almost Luddites - we find ourselves in a creepily silent post-apocalyptic world as only Industrial Light and Magic can portray them. It is possible to even tie this vision of hell in with technology we "successfully" harvested, retroengineered, and exploited from Roswell in 1947, but which we - the true sorceror's apprentices - never, ever completely understood.

Scene upon scene of devastation assault us as the opening credits roll - we wish we had never started watching T4 but now we can't look away - and Marty Balin's angelic voice rises...

"From here to heaven is a scar, Dead center, deep as death..." ...and Gracie Slick's voice joins his...

"All the idiots have left..." ...followed by the whole band...

"...the idiots have left. Cows are almost cooing, Turtle doves are mooing, Which is why..."

The music starts to fade, and we are there.

"...a Pooh is poohing In the sun..."

Somehow, a stuffed Pooh Bear lies unharmed next to his dead child in a sunny yard (a "clean" neutron bomb might accomplish that trick).

John Connor and Kate Brewster will emerge as our leaders in the counter-revolution, though neither ever wanted or bargained for it. (But neither did Winston Churchill, in the years between WWI and WWII.)

So will Sarah Connor. Nope, she ain't really dead, folks. She faked her death (why do you suppose her coffin was filled with guns and ammo that her son could easily procure anyhere instead of either her body or sandbags except as a message to her son if he's clever enough to figure it out after the dust settles - maybe Arnie knew about the ruse - we now know he can lie - and maybe not). Those two are humanity's only hope, there in the depths of Crystal Mountain (except possibly for Sarah, who I'd have underground in Mexico), with obsolete computers that have never been linked to SkyNet because they were created in the days before the DARPANet and the Internet were even thought of. They're slow, and they are programmed in almost archaic languages such as Fortran. But they work, and they are uninfected.

This is a screenwriter's dream.

Bring it on!

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

The more I think about this movie, the more it grows on me.

[8/10 · 6 July 2003]

I didn't go to see this movie with very high expectations, because it has gotten such varied and sometimes disparaging reviews this forum. However, since I am an aspiring screenwriter and true cinema fan rather than simply a moviegoer, I decided to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, I could end up writing a scathing attack on it.

Instead, I have found that I enjoyed the movie as I watched it, saw some flaws, but have discovered that the more I think about it, the more I want to give it a higher rating than I initially did (7). The film's two major dramatic flaws, in my opinion, are: (1) An over-the-top chase scene that comes way too early in the script without sufficient build-up in suspense leading up to it; (2) A little too much campy humor recycled from the first two Terminator movies.

The good outweighs the bad by a large margin. (1) The screenplay has some intriguing plot subtleties that grow on me after awhile, the most notable of which is the actual nature of the safe place. It could be the way it is for several possible reasons, some strategically favoring SkyNet, some the humans. Any of them could be spun into a major plot element for a sequel. The rest you'll just have to find yourself. (2) The character development of both John Connor and Kate Brewster is elegant, believable and moving, and also opens possibilities for future character development. (3) The plot is an interesting variation of the "Reluctant Hero" theme, which is a classic in literature and drama and always will be. John Connor is a hero who is almost an anti-hero. True, they could have sharpened his ambivalence a little (sacrificing some chase footage for it would have been an excellent trade, in my opinion). (4) The Terminatrix is a very good villain: She's young, she's sexy, and she's chillingly soulless. She is actually too smoothly sexy and physically perfect, but that makes sense when you consider that she has been created and programmed by other machines who, lacking the real-world experience of humans, can only base her appearance and humanoid behavior on their knowledge of human stereotypes.

That last leads me to some thoughts about Arnie's character. He is clearly getting a little too old for a reprise of his customary youthful, physically perfect role in any sequel. If he is brought back in a sequel - and I hope he is - a good, imaginative screenwriter could really work with his advancing age and loss of physical perfection. Since he is programmed by humans with real human experience, he could be brought back as a deceptively older and less physically powerful character, but more psychologically sophisticated (more like a true human with a soul), and his deceptive physical appearance combined with his greater psychological sophistication could be his aces in the hole when his strength and nonhuman cyborg qualities are insufficient. In other words, he could be shaped into an amazing supporting hero in any sequel. Maybe I could write his role!

The Hours (2002)

An amazingly intense, focussed film

[10/10 · 2 June 2003]

Rarely have I seen a movie that is as emotionally intense and focussed as "The Hours," since the era of Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ingmar Bergman.

Nicole Kidman gives an absolutely perfect, crystalline performance in the role of Virginia Woolf. In this role, for the first time, she has succeeded in submerging her own off-screen personality into that of her character, a rare accomplishment for an actor who has become recognized as "a star." She didn't even look like Nicole Kidman playing a role; she looked like "the" Virginia Woolf, though not quite as homely. Julian Moore and Ed Harris are not far behind, either.

This movie has been described by some other reviewers as "too long and too boring." But the whole point of the movie is the portrayal of three lives in which the empty, oppressive monotony of time - "The hours, Clarissa, the hours" - gradually bears down upon and drives to extreme actions three of the characters: Virginia Woolf herself (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Richard Brown, her son, who is played as an adult dying of AIDS by Ed Harris and as a child by Jack Rovello. This is in ironic contrast to Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep), who is able to find escape from the existential angst by focussing her life on other people.

This is not a movie for the faint of heart who are uncomfortable with intense emotion; nor for those who fly from self-examination; nor for those of limited intellect. It is very much a film for adults.

Lumière and Company (1995)

Actually quite an impressive project

[9/10 · 19 December 2001]

This video was given to me by a friend who knows that I look at film not merely as entertainment, but art as well. This project with its 40-odd 50 second vignettes done by a mix of directors of varying talents and celebrity, using an antiquated camera, gives an opportunity to see snapshots of their work as pure art. All of them are at least passable, with over half being very, very good. A few of them are truly outstanding, the most notable being Andre Konchalovsky's gem on life, death, temporality and nature. David Lynch's segment is a close second. I highly recommend this to any serious student of film as art.

Lost Souls (2000)

This film clearly shows Kaminski's influence by Roman Polanski

[8/10 · 14 July 2001]

Having seen this movie four times, I finally feel I am in a position to comment intelligently on it. The reason for delaying my opinion was that I wasn't sure how the ending fit in with the rest of the movie. This film clearly shows Kaminski's influence by Roman Polanski, who has been noted for abrupt endings, particularly in the case of The Ninth Gate. However, in this movie, unlike The Ninth Gate, the abruptness of the ending is clearly the only logical conclusion given the premise established by the screenplay. John Hurt is perfectly cast as the battle-tried and wounded priest exhausted beyond comprehension by combat with Satan. He seems to me as believable as Max von Sydow in the title role of The Exorcist, although we know less about the character in this movie. Wynona Ryder gives a competent performance in the lead role, though it might have been better-handled by a more seasoned actress, and the character deserved fuller development in the screenplay. The black-and-white opening titles are quite compelling, as are the black-and-white, stroboscopic exorcism sequences. All in all, the cinematography is outstanding, with the film quality ranging from finely-detailed color to grainy, flickering black-and-white. The screenplay, with the exception noted above, is also generally quite good, although the story line is fairly predictable. There are a few logical implausibilities, the most notable one being that although Peter Kelson's uncle had been priest of the same congregation for many years, and his brother a member of that same congregation, Peter Kelson yet had no clue as to what they were really all about. This of course could be explained by some kind of deception on the part of the congregation, but that is not indicated in the screenplay. Overall, I give this movie a rating of 8 and recommend it to those interested in the genre.

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Roman, Roman, Roman! What were you thinking?

[5/10 · 23 October 2000]

I expect more from Roman Polanski. This movie was outstanding all the way through until the last 30 seconds when it stumbled over the edge of the cliff. The ending has to be one of the weakest endings I have ever seen in a movie of this genre, rivalling that of Lost Souls. If you can force yourself to stop watching right when you see the last engraving in the book, you will miss nothing.

Let It Ride (1989)

A most amazing day at the races

[9/10 · 23 October 2000]

If you are a fan of thoroughbred racing, you will probably love this film. The opening number from Guys and Dolls alone is a real treat. Richard Dreyfuss turns in a sterling performance as a down-at-the-heels racing enthusiast with a slight gambling problem and a few errors in judgment. It's a winning ticket.

Lost Souls (2000)

A finely-crafted film

[8/10 · 22 October 2000]

This finely-crafted film features excellent cinematography, dark, lush scenes freighted with portent, a complex, highly spiritual and precariously-balanced main character portrayed well by Winona Ryder and - unfortunately - a weak screenplay and unsatisfying ending. This could have been a much better film.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The absolute feel-good movie of all time!

[9/10 · 20 October 2000]

What more can I say? Christmas without seeing this movie would be diminished. Natalie Wood as the little girl is at her most adorable. The message is timeless. If you're ever depressed, and feeling hopeless about your life and the state of the world, then see this movie.

Bless the Child (2000)

A must-see spiritual thriller

[8/10 · 7 October 2000]

This is one of those rare cases where the screenplay is vastly superior to the novel. In fact, there is little in common between the screenplay and the novel other than the title, and that is a good thing. The screenplay brings the battle between Good and Evil into much sharper focus than does the book, and dispenses with the book's muddy theology and theosophy. The portrayals of the child's developing miraculous gifts and visions are little cinematic gems in themselves, and the vision of the weeping statue of St. Mary in the side chapel of the Roman Catholic church is particularly moving. The parallels between the temptations of the child and the three temptations of Christ in the wilderness are elegant theological touches. The portrayal of the gentle and fierce goodness of the child's aunt/foster mother by Kim Basinger are believable and engaging. This is a movie that most will probably either love or hate. Viewers who believe in the actual existence of God and Satan and the reality of the ongoing war between Good and Evil will probably love it. In my opinion, this movie is on a par with the original Exorcist.