Change Your Image
susanjmaki
Reviews
O Pioneers! (1992)
American Classic
I was looking at some other reviews of this and felt pressed to say, it rally was pretty good. Criticisms that it was predictable are a bit unfounded when you remember that this was based on Willa Cather's novel.She wrote it first. I enjoyed the production. It talked about how people make decisions that have consequences beyond their expectations. The affair between Marie and Emil is more about Marie's decision to marry who and when she did. These things could happen today. Still, the slice of life in for American settlers is what has always drawn me to Willa Cather's works. I think Hallmark's depiction is quite solid. Jessica Lange was a good choice for the lead. Her story could have been that of so many others. Nowadays we forget that this country was settled by people faced with different choices and harder lives than we face today.
Screen Two: Persuasion (1995)
More in the video than the version on television
I love movies of the works of Jane Austen, the Brontes and Agatha Christie murder mysteries on cold winter afternoons. Having seen "Persusasion" on tv, I decided to add it to my collection. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the video offered more than simply the ability to view the film at any time. For instance, I'd never realized that Charles Musgrave had also proposed to Anne. That and other information help shed light on some of the comments that seemed a little awkward before.
Le pacte des loups (2001)
An interesting study in what is true evil, true danger
This film had an unexpected look and feel. In the search for the beast, the fact that it was not a high tech, big budget film made the quest that much more frightening. The viewer begins to feel that it will truly come down to man against beast, bare handed drenched in blood. This is not a clean antiseptic battle, but surprisingly not "gore for gore's sake". I was glad this was full of actors I was not familiar with or ILM special effects. The story and mood came center stage for me The fact that it is a historical piece makes even those doing well, seem primitive and ill equipped to handle the problem of the beast. The threat of shadows seems reasonable in this candlelit world. The fact that this mystery, what is the true nature of the beast, who rules the beast ... seems to take exceptional focus in a world ready to stone any strange looking vagrant.The intrigues and political alliances fog the landscape as much as the heavy mists do. I was pleasantly surprised by the content and rythm of this film. Just when you think it's winding down, it takes off in an entirely new direction. I enjoyed that twist, instead of seeming drawn out, it made it more realistic and frightening in my mind. It's worth reading the subtitles.
Mumford (1999)
Nice style, worth the time.
I've watched this movie a few times (traveling gives me lots of time with cable tv) and when I looked up the name of the actress who plays Althea noticed some other info and comments about the film. Some comments focused on the idea that Mumford betrayed confidences. I never thought of this as a flick about shrinks. It seemed more like it was commenting on that feel that we all get, that feeling that we're faking it. Having been to therapy when my younger brother died, I felt like an imposter there. Everyone else had such big issues. My situational depression seemed silly, almost like I hadn't earned my way into group. The fact Mumford leaks his secret and encourages his patients to be honest is the key. It's your secrets that hold you prisoner. Nothing is as bad as your fear of it. You don't get all the way free at once. The ensemble, slice of life, was great. I prefer dry humor and telling a story of everyday people to manufactured extremes. It would be nice to see Loren Dean in something that called for a bit more passion, just to see how he handled it, but his style has been on target for the roles he's played so far. It's hard to switch gears too quickly without losing your audience (does anyone remember Bill Murray's performance in "The Razor's Edge"? Our expectations made even serious dialogue seem like punchlines). Let's admit it, our favorite stars became an archtype of the roles they played. And the stoic, everyman type is one,