minniecactus Reviews

Hesher (2010)

Horrible Movie

[1/10 · 23 April 2012]

We rented this movie because we have loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman in several other films. This movie worked at being horrible and offensive on just about every level from an adult being "friends" with an 11 year old (and the father and grandmother just accepting it) to the sappy predictibility of the plot. At no time did this movie have any believable moments. Even the special effects were cheesy and unbelievable (does the technical adviser understand how gasoline works?). The dialogue was inane(how many times can you use the f word before it loses its shock value?) I feel certain that the actors probably cringe that they were ever in such a terrible movie. Certainly everyone in this movie can do better. There was no "feel good" moment at any time and the supposed resolution was just as unsatisfying. Save your money!!

The Florentine (1999)

Surprisingly good!

[8/10 · 12 April 2008]

We stumbled upon this movie on television (it has been out a while) and were very pleased with it. It has an engaging plot, excellent casting and the characters are very well formed. This must have been an "indie" because we had not heard of it previously. There are notable performances by Chris Penn, Virginia Madsen, Jim Belushi and Tom Sizemore. The story takes place in a small Pennsylvania town and revolves around the wedding of two of the characters.It has a very genuine feel and a some good comedic moments. If you liked "The Brothers McMullen" or "Diner", you will like this movie. The plot has just enough twists and turns to keep the movie interesting without overdoing it.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Too violent!!

[2/10 · 4 December 2007]

I am a big Coen Brothers fan, in fact I have seen all of their movies, even the violent ones like Miller's Crossing, more than once and in some cases, several times.

I wanted to like this movie but it was just too violent. I felt the violence was gratuitous and unnecessary. Other than Tommy Lee Jone's character, the rest of the characters were completely unlikeable. Everyone was awful! There was no relief, it was just unending suspense and terror. I was very, very disappointed to say the least. I could not wait to get out of the theater.

I would not recommend this movie to anyone and I PLEAD with the Coen Brothers to return to their usual excellence.

The Departed (2006)

Excellent in all respects

[10/10 · 8 October 2006]

It has been a long time since I have seen such an excellent movie. I would rate it up there with Godfather. The plot was definitely NOT formulaic. There was no way to predict the outcome. The acting was superb. It would be hard to pick a best actor from this all-star ensemble cast. Jack Nicholson was fabulous, Leonard DeCaprio gave the performance of his lifetime and Mark Wahlberg was incredible. The movie gripped you from the very beginning and would not let you go. Even the violence, which I usually abhor, was necessary to the story. The movie was so good that I do not want to give away one little bit about it because I want everyone to experience it as I did. This movie will definitely sweep the academy awards. Enjoy!

A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

One big, long non-sequitur

[5/10 · 11 June 2006]

I am a big fan of Garrison Keillor, Prairie Home Companion and Robert Altman (I loved "Nashville") but this movie just didn't work. It would have been better if they had just filmed an actual show in real time. Trying to give it a "plot line", if you could call it that, was a big mistake. Even in real life, things have to make sense. I saw no point to the "Angel", the "Axeman" (since his original purpose was fulfilled, what did it matter that he dies?) or the romance between the sandwich lady and "Chuck". I can hardly believe that Garrison Keillor wrote the screenplay because his radio show always seems to have a POINT, even if it is a slice of life. All of that being said, the music was wonderful, the acting was great and I liked the fact that they shot it on location. My advice, IF you are already a fan of the show, is to either see it at a cheap matinée or wait for the DVD.

Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

The Trailer is misleading

[5/10 · 14 May 2006]

I started reading this book about a year ago and had to return it before I finished therefore I was looking forward to the movie. The beginning of the book (and the Trailer) are very funny. I found the movie to be very dark. The pacing was very slow, the plot did not make sense. (If Jonathan's grandfather died in 1989, he obviously knew that either (a) he had a wife in Ukraine or (b) that he left a week before the massacre and she was dead. If Jonathan's family didn't want him to go there, why was he carrying a stack of bills to give to Augustine? Either they knew she was dead or his grandfather was a bigamist. I am a big fan of Leiv Schrieber as an actor but I was disappointed in his directorial debut.