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farleygrainer
Reviews
Joshua Then and Now (1985)
A movie deserving of more attention
This is a wonderful movie that never sinks into sentimentality or farce. It would have been easy to overplay both of the Alan Arkin and the James Woods roles, and this movie could have become sappy or too slapstick. This is a gem of a movie that, unfortunately, probably has limited appeal. I think that it was finely written and wonderfully acted and deserves more attention that it has received.
The Last Castle (2001)
Poor idea and even poorer execution.
The Last Castle tries to show that there is good in everyone. Many of these prisoners apparently committed serious crimes. Yet, here they are as "good guys". Robert Redford, as the defrocked general doesn't seem to believe the plot either. I didn't think that James Gandolfini as the prison warden was as bad or evil as the writers tried to make him out to be. He had to contend with some very bad people in prison, and yes, he might have been a little brutal. However, how else does one act toward buildings full of psychopaths?
Warning: Spoiler coming up......
How did the prisoners build the trebuchet in the prison without anyone noticing? It was a fairly large machine. We are not told how and where this weapon and all of the other weapons were constructed. I found this to be the most unbelievable part of the movie.
All in all, I thought that this movie was a waste of good talent due to the poor script.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Hated the movie
This movie was so bad that I felt that I just wasted two hours of my life. Some movies are bad in a funny way, but not this one. I can't believe that John Travolta and Barry Pepper could lend themselves to a project like this. Others have discussed the plot, so I don't need to. A root canal would have been more fun.
Lone Star (1996)
A modern American frontier classic
This masterfully done film shows some of the social tensions on the southern border of the U.S. Chris Cooper's performance was masterful. I was happy to see him in a sympathetic role, as he usually plays a rather sneering villain - and is quite good at it! This is the type of movie that demands one's complete attention, with all of its finely crafted plot lines. The final denouement was a surprise to me, as it will be to all first-time viewers. Every actor outdid himself - or herself in this fine film. One of the best I've ever seen!