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bhamaker-1
Reviews
The Real Place (2009)
Wonderful visual story of an imaginal life
I stumbled on this tiny short when it appeared on Sundance Channel between features, so my knowledge of John Murrell is limited. I was immediately captivated, however, by the narrative and imagery which combined in such a unique way to depict a road less taken by an incredibly creative individual. In these few brief minutes we see and hear in his own words, a man who gave his creative genius full reign and lived the life he was meant to live--full of inner stories brought to life through music, song and performance. Bravo to Mr. Murrell and the National Film Board of Canada for producing this unique bit of magic for the world to glimpse.
The January Man (1989)
A delight to watch the characters; unfortunately plot is pretty flawed
I'm not sure this contains a spoiler, but I certainly to de-construct some of the plot that I considered bad, so please don't read if you intent to see the film.
loved watching Kevin Kline and Alan Rickman (excellent!) -- but the movie could have been so much more if they had spent a little time on the story. With a first-rate cast there is absolutely no reason why this movie shouldn't have been a fantastic thriller/character study with classy dialog and humor. But thriller it is not, although it contains elements of one. If they had only put some dramatic elements in it instead of having a lot of stupid yelling scenes. Oy. What a waste of talent.
Problem one: Where is the police department's special task force on these murders??? How can they possibly expect us to believe that they bring in one man to solve a crime, in a precinct with dust in every corner and no one doing anything but standing around?
Problem two: The relationship between Kline and Keitel could have been so much more than it was--some deep conversations about unresolved "brother" issues; but no, all very surface dialog and anger in place of exploring feelings.
Problem three: What is the genesis of Kline's cooking scenes? Why the odd delicacies? It doesn't make any sense and seems not to be connected to anything--and actually not funny and not even interesting. I guess it is supposed to add to the quirkiness of Kline--but he can do that much better with a good script.
Problem four: Solving the crime took about as much time as shopping for dinner at the local store. All the questions and mysteries that no one else thought of just mysteriously occur to Kline. Too easy; too pat.
So I'm now wondering why I rated this an 8. I think honestly it is because of the character Alan Rickman crafted--and his relationship to Kline. A joy to watch, however brief. So I will condition my rating by saying the 8 is for Rickman, and Kline; the rest of the movie gets a 5 minus.
Independence Day (1996)
Relationships, special effects, humor, action, and no gratuitous violence--a perfect 10!
This is the kind of movie I never expected to even like, much less rate a 10!! However, a ten it is for me!! I must have originally stumbled on it on cable (never saw it in the theaters), and have been hooked on watching it many times.
Of major import is the fact there is absolutely no gratuitous violence at all. Of second major import is the humor; third are the special effects...all of which make it highly entertaining without worrying about having to leave the room because of some awful something "coming up" I just can't stand to see. (Even the dissection scene is quite fascinating to watch.)
The relationships between the characters are what keep me coming back and back again to watch. Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith are so terrific in that space ship--great chatter/dialog, delivered perfectly. Judd Hirsch and Goldblum in that car ride to Washington DC are just absolutely perfect. The continual positive forward motion of the story line embedded within a series of scenes focusing on emotional relationships engaged me deeply, in reflecting on my own life's relationships, resolved and unresolved.
I also had a good laugh watching the stereotypes of "the American hero" vis a vis the other assembled military groups around the world--so perfectly portrayed how we see ourselves as the "saviors" of humanity. One wonders if/when that would/will ever be the case...but for now, we are talking movies and not reality.
David Quaid is as always remarkable; absolutely believable in a character role that has been portrayed a million different ways. Vivica Fox is just fantastic--a great performance, and she is truly a role model and heroine for many young women. Adam Baldwin is excellent as that "unbelievably cute guy" in uniform, perfectly groomed, in completely control, doing and saying all the right things. The relationships between everyone are a pleasure to watch unfold. All of these roles may be considered cliché by many, but I enjoyed seeing them nonetheless.
Science Fiction gives us the luxury of going beyond our normal circumstance into new territory in order to work out emotional "stuff" within a completely new and interesting framework. This movie does that in a spectacularly entertaining way, and I thank the writers/producers/director for creating this very special "world" that I enjoy returning to on DVD again and again when I need a really "feel good" experience.
Lost in Translation (2003)
An existential moment...
I ran across Lost In Translation on cable in March of 2007. Not much of a movie-goer, but this one was worth the wait. Murray is at his best. We see him being human in a way that we rarely allow ourselves to be--real.
As the movie unfolded, I became more and more incredulous-- I was experiencing exactly what the characters were experiencing in real time (albeit scenes created for the movie--but then life is a movie, isn't it?) and experiencing it the same way they were. Absolutely wonderful, wonderful existential moment on film. Felliini would have loved it. If you are at all connected to your soul, or wanting to connect to your soul, you will want to watch this movie. Thanks to Ms. Coppola for writing it, and pushing Murray to do it.