Change Your Image
SquirePM
born 1946
2 grown daughters
retired professional
Vietnam veteran
world champion shooter
Reviews
Ava (2020)
Cheesy and pointless
Ava is easily the cheesiest movie in years. Half ridiculous, slow, boring family soap opera, half pointless action sequences. No attention to detail. Alcoholic Ava goes to a bar and orders a double scotch. (Sound of ice in glass) Bartender asks do you want it on the rocks? (More sound of ice in glass) Sure. Good, cause you got it on the rocks. He hands her the glass and there is no ice in it.
Jessica Chastain is on robotic mail-it-in mode. John Malkovich brings not an ounce of gravitas to his role. Some unknown 90 pound skin-and-bones actress is a vicious killer? Right.
Finally we reach the denouement, the fight to the death in Ava's hotel room. But the fire alarm goes off (for reasons unknown) and the combatants both get up and walk out of the hotel. Gripping.
Parker (2013)
A serious case of miscasting
Parker's permanent woman Claire (Claire Carroll) is described in the books as being of surpassing beauty, a true world class beauty with a gorgeous, statuesque build. She would have been way out of Parker's league, except that she was involved in an earlier heist with him and was falling for him anyway when she found herself in mortal peril and he gallantly saved her life. Not many actresses could have played the part fittingly, but it is impossible to believe skinny, plain-faced Emma Booth as Claire. Sometimes miscasting really damages a film, and this is just such a case.
Knives Out (2019)
Long. Long and dull.
Knives Out is an aggressively underlit movie throughout, from the first scene to the last. It doesn't take long for that to become annoying. Even the outdoor scenes are dark and dreary. It drags on for 2 hours 10 minutes, laborious and slow. The director may have been trying to add portent to the long pauses, but the result is just a lot of long pauses.
There are characters that are featured in many scenes without adding anything to the dialog or action. They're just there, getting face time for no discernible reason. I finally fell asleep sometime during the second hour. The people I was with told me there was one funny play on words late in the second hour, but I missed it.
I can't recommend this movie, and unless you're a diehard Daniel Craig fan, which I am not, there is little to to enjoy.
Late Night (2019)
Disappointment, heartbreak, no comedy
This movie is billed as a comedy, but it is actually an unfunny sophomoric attempt at an autobiography by its "star" Mindy Kaling, who wrote the screenplay. I was tricked into watching it by the words "comedy drama" and by the presence of a true star, the wonderful Emma Thompson.
The writing is awful, simplistic and dull without a single spark of imagination. Mindy Kaling may be able to bill herself as a "six-time Emmy nominee" but all six were ensemble nominations for the TV show "The Office." She rode on the coattails of some really talented people.
I was going to go into details, but it's too depressing. In fact, depressing is a key word for this whole movie. Heartbreak and betrayal, ego trips, failure, all these fill up the film's running time, and leave no room for comedy. What a waste!
Arthur Newman (2012)
Dreary and dull
It's slow, the dialog is often mumbled, there is simulated sex but no nudity and the talent of the two stars, Colin Firth and Emily Blunt is wasted. They say their lines well, but you or I could have written the lines. There's nothing to them. Even the moments (rare) of revelation about the characters are dreary and dull. The great character actor M. Emmet Walsh is listed prominently in the cast, but he appears for only 1 minute in a dark room at the very beginning of this boring movie.
The Whole Shebang (2001)
A poorly made movie.
This is a shockingly badly made movie! There are dozens of continuity errors, glaring ones, throughout. Could it be that nobody cared, not the director, not the editor, not even the continuity person (if there was one)?
Of the many instances here is just one example: Bridget Fonda goes out on a date. As she leaves with the man she is wearing a dress and her hair is styled a certain way. When they are eating in the restaurant she is wearing a radically different dress of a different style and color and her hair is completely redone.
Other such errors abound in profusion. I wonder how such a stellar cast of great actors, real stars, could be assembled and then such a careless effort put in by the filmmakers. It defeats the film. Great actors sound like they are just saying lines. Even Stanley Tucci looks like he is just making faces when he tries to put spirit or emotion into his dialogue. I expected this to be a good movie, and to like it a lot. Instead it took an effort to watch it to the oh-too-predictable end, which was itself very rushed and riddled with plot holes.
I soliti ignoti (1958)
Funny-funny in the old Italian way!
I like this movie a lot, and enjoyed watching it on VHS years ago. Now I have forgotten most of it except the part when they're on the job and actually committing the burglary. It takes a while and one of them goes into the kitchen to get a drink of water. What happens next knocked me right out of my seat! HILARIOUS!
Mumford (1999)
So well written, so many fine actors
Mumford is a 1999 movie, one of my favorites, which features a lead character named Mumford who has moved to a town named Mumford. The writing is superb with diverse, interesting story lines intertwined seamlessly and playing well off each other. There are action scenes of high drama, erotic scenes of high fantasy, many characters to love and empathize with and a couple to despise.
There's a big, frisky, happy dog. But the dog is not named Mumford, he's named Ainge (after a superb American athlete who was so good he was drafted by, and played in, both the National Basketball Association AND Major League Baseball, an almost unheard of feat. Even Michael Jordan failed at baseball when he switched from basketball.)
It's a great movie, very enjoyable, because it is so well written. Also it features more than 15, yes 15, actors who certainly qualify as "stars" in anybody's book. I think it must have been the intriguing story line and excellent writing which attracted so many fine actors. I recommend it most highly.
Happy New Year (1987)
Wonderful, enjoyable movie
This movie is a crime caper, an old-guys buddy picture and a romantic love story all wrapped up in one happy package. Peter Falk and Charles Durning play the crooks and Wendy Hughes, at the very peak of her astonishing beauty, plays the accidental love interest. What a trio!
The caper itself is a lot of fun. Tom Courtney as the upper-crust store manager, caught up by his own greed, is perfect, and so are all the supporting cast members. There are twists and turns, of course but in the end love wins out, all to the accompaniment of a score that I find myself humming long after I've watched Happy New Year. Which I do every couple of years. It's a jem.
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
Disappointing and boring
I really looked forward to seeing this movie, and when I did I couldn't wait for it to end so I could go home. There's an awful lot of wasted time, lots and lots of pointless (time filling?) scenes. For instance, there's a completely inexplicable segment with a young blonde woman played by Elisabeth Moss. She mumbles on about her childhood, but to no definable purpose.
Somewhere in the middle there is an editing explosion of some sort. Lightning rapid-fire cuts and high speed pans in non-action sequences. It was as if they turned loose a kid just out of editing school and told him to have fun. Very odd and, of course, unwatchable.
Danny Glover and Tom Waits suddenly appear as partners in crime although Robert Redford had been a solo bank robber before, and then he resumed pulling jobs alone again after their disappearance.
And since when were the '80s all dirty and crumby? I remember them as being normal, regular, full of sunshine and light. There are always dirty people around living in dirty houses, yes. But the pervasive atmosphere of this movie is just depressing.
I do not recommend seeing this movie in a theater. Watch it later when you can use your fast-forward button. You will, a lot.
The Man in the High Castle (2015)
I need a little help.
The Man In The High Castle, by Phillip K. Dick, is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. I literally found it difficult to stop reading in order to interact with my family and live my life. So I would dearly love to see the TV program, especially since it has received such good reviews here on IMDb.
But I can't actually review this show because I don't know how to view it!
What I'd like to know, please, fellow IMDbers, is this: can I buy some or all of "The Man In The High Castle" on DVD? I'm older than old school and I'm afraid that's the only way I'm ever going to see it.
A little help, please?
Pat Squire
Legend (2015)
1990's "The Krays" is a much better film
I finally watched "Legend" in the hope that it might equal "The Krays" (1990) which is a very fine film. Unfortunately it falls far short of that lofty goal. Tom Hardy is excellent in his dual role which is, of course, a marvel of modern film technology. Both Krays appearing in the same scene, both facing the camera, played by one actor in seamless perfection is technically impressive.
However, the story telling is a.) uneven, b.) incredibly slow and boring at times, and c.) not nearly as insightful as "the Krays" and lacking the visceral impact of that powerful movie. Just reciting a series of historical facts and asking your lead actor to put some emotion in them, doesn't add up to good movie making. A lot of talent was wasted in the process, especially Tara Fitzgerald and Taron Egerton who were reduced to wallpaper roles. Emily Browning's impressive efforts in portraying poor love struck Frances are above par but they pale in comparison with those of Kate Hardie who played that role in the 1990 version.
I would have rated this movie higher than the 4 I gave it, if it were not for the odd stretches of prolonged dull scenes of, well, nothing. The 1990 original is much better on many levels.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Hard driving fun movie
So here I am *70 YEARS OLD* and I'm going to a DRIVE-IN movie for the first time in 42 years for really only one reason: the star is from my old home town. Dane DeHaan of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, who is Emmaus's first movie star in its 200-plus year history!
So what happens? There I am sitting forward in the seat of my pickup, riveted by the action which is smooth and makes good sense, and I find that I'm having to tell myself to sit back and relax! Frankly, at my age and having no background about the story beforehand, I couldn't follow some of the plot twists and turns. But that didn't matter because the movie flows beautifully and I just went with the flow. A lot of the theme and mood music is unusually effective, too. I'm glad I saw it. I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Nurse 3-D (2013)
Camp humor, facetious and bloody
Nurse 3D revives the camp genre that is so often misunderstood, as evidenced by the negative reviews we see here. Some people just don't get it. They've written their reviews as if they expected to see a movie of high drama, pathos and some kind of serious message. That isn't this movie!
On the other hand despite lots of nudity, some of it *very* graphic, Nurse 3D is hardly a sexy movie. It's a camp thriller and gore-fest that runs at a fast pace, unabashedly, self-consciously and with glee to a frantically gory ending with an intelligent twist in the closing scene. I'd say it lives up to its creators' aims admirably.
Kontroll (2003)
If you CAN find it DO watch it.
I've always remembered this movie since seeing it on late night American TV many years ago. It's so good that it has stuck with me (unlike the vast majority of movies I've seen). Details escape me now because it's been so long, but the enjoyment I got from it, the intensity of the story, the characters and direction were all of highest quality. Also, it's a good look at a style of film making we don't see much in the U.S.A. It ought to be required viewing in the curriculum of American film students.
I recommend it, and I have just rated it 9 out of 10. I have a personal collection of almost 1500 movies and I regret that Kontroll is not included in it. During the years that the big VHS/DVD rental stores were winding down I scoured the sale shelves looking for classics (I found the uncut original Killer Elite and Hopscotch among other treasures) but I never came across Kontroll. I wish I had.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
PARENTS BEWARE: slow, dark, scary
I expected a nice, magical, brightly lit movie about special kids and a special teacher. I expected a story with some drama, lots of laughs, and probably a beneficial lesson or two. You know, "it's OK to be different" and that kind of thing.
WRONG! This is a *very slow-paced* dark, creepy movie that barely moves along and never seems to get very far. It's sure to frighten little kids, so parents be careful. Eventually it lulled me to sleep! Some very loud booming noises woke me up and I left without the slightest concern for how it might come out in the end.
This is not a happy-go-lucky children's movie at all.
The Intern (2015)
Humorless drama
In its television advertising The Intern is made out to be a comedy of some sort, perhaps a rom-com, maybe a dram-com, but anyway a light-hearted movie full of laughs.
It is not.
The Intern is just a lukewarm drama with a very few laughs. What a shame. It has a story line which is rich with possibilities for humor. It could have been filled with moments of laughter and enjoyment. Instead it marches (at a v-e-r-y slow pace) right past many, many chances for delightful byplay between and among its characters. Wasted chances and wasted time. DeNiro was repressed and restrained by the director, so much so that this powerful, spectacular actor adds little to the movie by his presence. Again, what a shame.
It's hard to sum up my disappointment with this movie. 3 out of 10.
Trainwreck (2015)
I walked out after 1 1/2 hours!
This is *not at all* the movie they're advertising.
I expected a hilarious, raunchy romp. What I got started off gross, although not very funny, but then it slowed down. Before long it became tedious, with some touching scenes with the father, which carried it along for a while.
By the 1-hour mark I was willing to stay but waiting for it to end. Then it really started to drag. It's like somebody said, "Let's make a really, really bad imitation Woody Allen movie without the comedy or the genius."
When I finally just couldn't stand another minute I got up and got out. I knew it must be near the end, but it didn't matter. I did not care what happened to the two protagonists *in the least.* UGH! LEMME OUTTA HERE!
***SPOILER*** I don't actually have a spoiler, my whole review is a spoiler. The movie makers seemed to get desperate after the 1/2-way point. They threw in random scenes, apparently trying to spice it up, but oh, my, are they dumb.
Lebron James is a big surprise. He is good, and funny, and fresh. Tilda Swinton's prodigious talents are curiously wasted. Marv Albert, Chris Evert and Matthew Broderick must cringe at the very thought of what they had to put on the screen to get their paychecks.
Trainwreck is a very surprising huge disappointment.
St. Vincent (2014)
5-stars only
I've never done this before, but I'm rating this movie at 5 stars exactly. It is perfectly mediocre. The bad, boring, dull, predictable parts perfectly balance the good, nice, mildly heartwarming parts. Nothing more can be said of it than that.
I wish Bill Murray would stop proving how great an actor he is, and start having fun again. He's a lot of fun when he's fun. He's a genius at comedy, and a good actor. Give us the comedy, PLEASE! Just as I am not the 68 years of age my birthdate indicates (I'm actually about 22) so Bill Murray is not the 64 his birthdate says he is. To me he's about 25, but I'll bet he thinks more along the 22 line also.
So please, Mr. Bill Murray, stop acting your age! Give us some more funny! Please!
My First Mister (2001)
A great film, wonderfully written and acted
I never understood the appeal of Albert Brooks as an actor, until now! He and Leelee Sobieski are marvelous in this movie, and their chemistry and interaction make the movie a joy.
I watch it every couple of years, and I make sure to give myself a solid block of quiet time in which to enjoy it. It's that good. The dialog is witty and insightful. Once you get to know Leelee's character you pick up on her delightfully wry humor. She misses nothing about the world around her, but she keeps her rapier-like analysis of it all mostly to herself. Fortunately she comes to know some characters to whom she can reveal herself. It's all about intelligence and acuity, and she's lucky (anybody is) to make some good, smart friends.
I rate My First Mister a 10 out of 10, and I do not hesitate to recommend it to my friends, and to you readers.
American Gun (2005)
A political diatribe
Whenever Hollywood decides to "teach America what it should think" the result is a lousy movie. And this waste of time is really a lousy movie. Why sacrifice an hour and a half of your life being lectured to by a film, when you could just read a Handgun Control, Inc. leaflet and get just as much misinformation? But at least you can see this one coming a mile away. Sometimes Hollywood's elite moralizers sneak the message in without letting on that it's a "message movie." I really hate it when that happens. "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011), I think it was, ended with an endless lecture about personal choice and personal responsibility, taking a merely goofy movie right down the drain.
I can't recommend this one AT ALL. I'd give it a "0" but IMDb will only let me rate it a 1.
The Blacklist (2013)
Yes, off to a great start
James Spader is the most interesting actor in America, bar none. So casting him as the lead in this tense new drama was genius. Instead of the terrific Mary Elizabeth Winstead we get Megan Boone, a relative newcomer who has that same indomitable look and so far is up to the task.
Right now it's hard to figure if Spader's character is just out for himself or Doing Good For The World.
The action is bang-bang and first rate. The plot is slightly formulaic, but the evolution of the mysteries (and the glimpses we got in the pilot) seems to be high-caliber, high-concept and well executed. Lots of promise. I intend to keep watching! If you missed the pilot catch it sometime before Episode 2.
The only slip in the writing was a measure of unnecessary cuteness when the voice-over called Spader "the concierge of crime." Since the rest of the writing is excellent, let us hope this is the only gaffe.
Oh, and as usual they goofed the firearms action. An agent fires two shots from his automatic pistol and then it's empty with the slide locked open and the barrel exposed. Hollywood hires expert professional gun handlers, so why don't they take their advice?
Ray Donovan (2013)
Hoped it would be good - WRONG
OK, so it's a jumbled mess, far too convoluted and confusing to even try to take it seriously. But worse, it's mean-spirited. Nastiness in about every-other scene. No, make that two out of three scenes.
I'd hoped it would show us the talents of Liev Schreiber to advantage, and that he would carry the show along in an entertaining way. Instead he's a closed-mouth, terse, laconic character who is about as frozen as a Popsicle. He's a great actor, but in this show the director reins him in so tightly that his prodigious talents are wasted.
They surround him with a huge ensemble cast, the result being that we get about one total minute of this guy, two total minutes of that guy (chopped up in pieces throughout), and Elliott Gould mumbling Yiddish and stumbling around fully clothed in the surf. OY!
Wanting a good new series to watch, I pinned my hopes on Ray Donovan. I might better have pinned a tail on a donkey. It would have been more fun.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Yuck (spoilers)
I went to see an Oscar nominated comedy. I got a grown man punching his mother in the face with a vicious sweeping elbow and knocking her flat. I got the man's father pushing him down, landing on top of him and beating him with his fists, slapping him and screaming at him. Oh yeah, people in the audience were rolling in the aisles laughing. In every scene there was nothing but tension and conflict. I kept waiting for it to turn around, for the "good parts" to show up, but they never did. OK, here's a pleasant break, let's see what happens now. Oh no, this is worse than before. On and on like that.
You want to make a movie about mental illness, fine. You want to bill it as a heartwarming comedy, NOT fine.
The Debt (2010)
Too bad........
Sorry folks, but not much joy in this brief review. Ciaran Hinds is great, as usual, but there's little inspiration in the rest of the cast. Kudos to Jessica Chastain, who plays the young version of Helen Mirren. She's all that saved her half of the movie.
Shaky-cam, ultra-closeups and jagged, quick cuts are the sign of a director who says, "I don't know to create tension in a scene, I know I'm a buffoon when it comes to staging an action sequence, but maybe if I make it unwatchable, if they have to divert their eyes, nobody will notice." It's all in here and it works, you can't watch what should be the exciting parts.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop with the slowness of the movie. It's excruciatingly slow for long periods. I almost left two or three times but finally, after what seemed like forever, there was a twist which led eventually to a rather mundane ending.
The good parts, and there are a few including a slam-bang beginning, are too few and far between. The old Nazi, alas, is mostly squandered, with only brief hints of what could have been high drama.
I can't recommend this movie; I wish I had my two hours back.