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Reviews
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
'Girl Who Got Rattled' Steals the Show
I liked the whole series, but I have been "forced" to watch "The Girl Who Got Rattled" several times. The cinematography is gorgeous, the wagon train totally authentic, the story superb, and the cast outstanding. The scenes between Heck and Kazan are touching and incredibly real. Ethan and Joel, if you're reading this, PLEASE make a feature length wagon train film. This was so beautiful it deserves a longer treatment.
Ascension (2014)
Heavy on Fi, Low on Sci
I realize how difficult and expensive it is to provide realistic effects for film or TV program about space, but they barely tried in this one. Space 1999 was more realistic.
To me this was really just a sexy soap opera set in space. The focus was almost all about the murder mystery and sexual intrigues and hardly anything to do with the real problems that would face such a mission.
The initial hook was good and I agree with the review ratings of the first episode. But then we were cheated in the end. The plot has more loose ends than a floor mop. I don't know the whole story behind the original plans for the series. Maybe it was intended to go longer, but it certainly wasn't advertised as anything but a complete, three-episode mini-series (yes, I did see that each episode actually consisted of two separate episodes directed by different directors.) If you like your movies with all or at least most of the loose ends tied up, Ascension is definitely not for you.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Amazing Performance
For anyone who has seen Stephen Hawking live or on TV, Eddie Redmayne's performance has to be seen as nothing short of amazing and alone would justify the cost of ticket to see this film. But on top of that, the story from Jane Hawking's perspective is worthy of comparison with the works of Jane Austen, and Felicity Jones is commendable in the role of Jane Hawking.
The way Redmayne holds his hands, the expressions on his face, the angle of his neck, everything is so perfectly Hawking that at one point late in the movie during a crowd scene I actually thought it was the real Hawking. Like Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot, I feel and hope that Eddie is in line for some awards.
Gone Girl (2014)
Loose Ends & Lousy Ending
I hate loose ends in a movie. The lawyer tells Affleck's character that he is putting two ex-Secret Service agents on the case to track down his wife. We never hear what they did or didn't find. It's amazing that they apparently found nothing considering that the lawyer was aware of ex-boyfriend #2 who had a possible motive. If they had set a stakeout on him they would have found her.
And the two low-lifes that stole her money? The Secret Service guys couldn't find them either? And what happened to them?
The first ex-boyfriend, who had much the same experience with the wife as Affleck's character tells his story and is written off. We must assume that his life remains forever in the toilet
And that is part of what makes for a lousy ending. Not one, but at least three people are condemned to lead lives of living hell because the writer could not find away to end the story with any kind of justice. Some may say, "Yeah, but that's reality." No it's not, it's a movie, it's entertainment, and I paid good money to see it.
It's a scary sign of the times when a movie like this gets good ratings. The acting, filming, directing, and editing were all great, it's just the message that was bad.
Battleship (2012)
Not Worth Your Time
This is a really bad movie. It's not so bad if you know nothing about the military, the Navy in particular. For example you don't go from a 26-year-old wastoid to a Navy Lieutenant with 3 rows of ribbons in charge of CIC (Combat Information Center) overnight. Even if you ignore the total disregard for realism in the military arena, the direction, the script and a lot of the acting is just plain bad. It starts off really slow taking an agonizingly long time to set up the relation between the guy, the girl and her father. I found myself thinking, "PLease get on with it!" The character motivations are extremely thin and sometimes undetectable. I wish I had not paid to see this film. In retrospect, the only way one should acquire it is for free from your local library.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Great acting, sub par plot
Given the cast, the reviews and the hype, I was expecting more, lot more. There is no arc to the story. The main character is at the mercy of his "controllers" all the way to the end. The plot is one-dimensional (they're apart, they're together, they're apart, etc. etc.) with no hooks or twists. It tries to be cute: Who are these guys? Angels? Devils? None of the above? Not interested. Damon, Blunt, Slattery and Stamp are excellent and essentially carried this film as far as it has gone. I'm disturbed that reviewers that I respect found this to be a better than average film. I hate to think that this caliber of plot meets or even exceeds our current standards. I gave it two extra stars simply for the quality of the acting.
True Grit (2010)
Why Did They Make this Movie?
Frankly, I agree with the written reviews of the 1-star crowd, but I can't in good conscience give it that rating because if it were not a remake it would be a 5-star, OK western. What has everyone so ticked off about this movie is that there is so little that is new about this version that it makes you wonder why the Coen brothers made it. I swore after "A Serious Man" that I would not let the Coen brothers reputation make me mindlessly go see another of their movies without first doing more research. Darn, I did it again. I am still in the thrall of "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski." There is nothing in this remake that I would consider significantly different or better than the original: cast, script, locations, cinematography, etc. I love Jeff Bridges but his mumbling, drab interpretation of Rooster Cogburn is two-dimensional compared to Wayne's. And to the people that scream "Stop The Comparisons!" I say if you don't want to be compared don't do a remake that practically mirrors the original. The locations and cinematography were as much more colorful than the original as was Wayne's performance over Bridges'. In the horse trading scene I felt like Strother Martin was getting his pocket picked. All the hype that preceded the release of this film lead me to believe that the Coen brothers had done something completely different with True Grit. Unfortunately that is not the case. What we get is a "made-for-TV" quality copy of the original. Sad.
Unstoppable (2010)
Gripping From Start to Finish
I had sweaty palms and never took a full breath all the way to the end once the action started, which was pretty near the beginning. From my perspective this is the best "train" movie since Runaway Train with Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca DeMornay. Denzel Washington was excellent as was Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson. The special effects were incredible. Usually, these days, you can say, "Oh, that was just CG." But if it was, in this case they did one heck of a job. It is definitely worth seeing this movie on the big screen in a theater to really appreciate everything that is going on between the trains, trucks and choppers. The fact that it based on real events makes it all the more incredible.
Runaway Train (1985)
Great Performances
Sometimes you like a movie for the plot, or the cinematography, or the theme. I like this movie for the performances by all the principals: Voight, Roberts, DeMornay and Ryan. They were all good. This might have been Eric Roberts best performance. Voight does not disappoint. He lives up to his reputation. Ryan is eminently detestable. And DeMornay finds herself in a unique role where she is cast for her vulnerability (and acting ability) instead of her looks. This film works just as well now as it did as when it was made. The final scene between Voight and Ryan, when they demonstrate that there is little difference between them is classic.
A Serious Man (2009)
This Has to Be a Joke
I've enjoyed so many well-crafted Coen brothers movies that I was all set for another treat when I settled down to watch this one. What an utter disappointment. I can only imagine that it was intended as a spoof or that it has tons of inside humor and meaning for the Jewish audience. If you watch the Coens snickering in the background during filming as caught in the "making of" special included on the DVD it only lends credence to the practical joke theory. One positive thing that it did accomplish was a vivid demonstration of the lack of benefits to be derived from organized religion when one is truly in an emotional crisis. If that was the Coen's intent; i.e., to discredit and denigrate their religion, they succeeded. Henceforth, I will be doing more research before spending money to see new Coen brothers movies. As the saying goes, "Fool me once...."
Dinoshark (2010)
Much better than I expected.
I just saw it at the 6th Annual Puerto Vallarta Film Festival. I went basically because I live in PV and a few friends were possibly going to appear as extras. Given that it was a low-budget made-for-TV movie I was prepared to be disappointed. Instead I was entertained. It's a bit of an homage to "Jaws" in both the shark scenes and the musical score. Even with the bar set that high it still managed to achieve some of the same types of shocked reactions from the audience, while at other times they laughed. I'm not a connoisseur of B-movies but those that are should really get a kick out this film. And it was great to see producer Roger Corman in a cameo role as the marine biologist expert. I had the honor of shaking his hand as we left the theater. The cast was well anchored by Eric Balfour in the lead role. Perhaps this role will lead to bigger and better things for him. And finally it was nice to see a film in a theater, for a change, that had no foul language or gratuitous nudity. Taken in the context of its budget and its intended distribution, this is a pretty darn nice little movie.
Failure to Launch (2006)
Much better than "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"
I was ready to be disappointed thinking it was going to be another "How to Lose a Guy" type movie, and it is to an extent. It's about two people who are not supposed to fall in love.
It has a better, funnier script than HTLAGITD with some great, quirky characters. Even Terry Bradshaw does a commendable job. Zooey Deschanel steals every single scene she's in--a pure delight.
I went in wondering why Matthew McConaughey would make two movies that sounded so similar on the surface. It turns out they are quite different and McConaughey was smart to do it--it's a much better film than HTLAGITD.
Hey, I'm a guy and I liked it! Enough said.
Deadfall (1993)
It takes a lousy director to ruin such a good batch of talent
The script and the direction are just terrible. Take the scene where James Coburn is explaining the con to his gang as they sit around a card table. The camera is in the middle of the table and rotates around, panning across the faces of the crew. I think it goes around twice. Any film that makes you overtly aware of its technique is amateurish at best.
Was Nicolas Cage trying to ruin the film? Did he have it in for his director cousin? What else can explain this performance from the same guy that had previously starred in Moonstruck? He's ridiculous in this.
As others have said, watch it only if you want to see just how wretched a movie can be despite a superior cast. Charlie Sheen's brief appearance was the one bright spot in this turkey.
The Jacket (2005)
If you liked Memento and Identity.....
If you liked Memento and Identity, movies that messed with your head and made you think, you'll probably like The Jacket. As in Memento, you'll sometimes wonder if now is now. And as in Identity, you may wonder if one or more of the characters is "Live or Memorex." The only problem I had with the film was the pairing of Adrien Brody with Kiera Knightley. They were both fine in their individual roles, but for whatever reason the romantic connection between them seemed a bit off key. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kris Kristofferson were well-cast in their supporting roles.
If you check your skepticism at the door before you enter the theater, you should be in for a good ride.
One Hour Photo (2002)
A promising directorial debut combined with yet another surprising performance by Robin Williams
When the movie ended I was momentarily upset because I felt the climax was too vague. But the more I thought about it, the more things fell into place. If you like your movies, crystal clear and are expecting Hanibal Lecter, this picture is not for you. On the other hand, if you occasionally like something a little more cerebral, that perhaps makes you uncomfortable, and forces you to ponder optional realities, you're about to take a ride on a moral roller coaster. At the end, ask yourself, who is the bad guy and who is the hero?
SPOILER I felt that Sy took the pictures of his manager's daughter, not primarily to get back at him, but rather to purposely attract attention. He knew from his job that the pictures would result in the authorities being called. He wanted them on his trail because he wanted to lead them to the adulterous William Yorkin. When Nina Yorkin failed to react to the real photos of her philandering husband the way he'd hoped, Sy decides to give her some graphic `booster' shots, and give her husband a wake-up call at the same time. Only when Sy is sure that the police have arrived at the hotel does he attempt to make his escape, thereby insuring the police will also encounter Yorkin and Maya in their hotel. Thus, Sy makes it impossible for the Yorkins to go on living a lie. I feel Sy believed he was saving them for their sake and for their son. It's left open to you whether or not you think he succeeded.
As to theories about the snapshots at the end, I seem to recall the police said there were TWO rolls of film, one in Sy's bag and one still in the camera that he left in the hotel. At the beginning, the detective says `We processed the roll of film in your bag. They are not very pretty pictures' and `What did William Yorkin do to provoke you?' implying they are prints from the first roll that we see Sy take of Yorkin and Maya--but we never see those prints. Instead, at the end of the film, we see the prints from the roll that was still in the camera. But, anticipating the former, we are confused, stunned or surprised when we instead see the bizarre shots he took after he returned to his room. The director leaves it to the viewer to interpret the meaning of those.
As to the family photo that preceeds the credits, Robin Williams said (on the DVD) he felt it was Sy's dream of the way things might have been or could still be. The director said it was up to the viewer.
One Hour Photo did contain some flaws as noted her in other reviews. However, given that it was Mark Romanek's first screenplay I think we should cut him some slack, and look for something even better from him next time. My rating, 3.5 out of 5.
Volunteers (1985)
A consistently underrated movie.
Volunteers is a consistently underrated movie. I usually agree with the typical video guide reviews, but I fall out of bed on this one. Volunteers is a very funny, well written, well acted film. It is so packed with humour it reminds me of the old Mad Magazines with the jokes written in the margins. Some of the humour is rather subtle and the dialogue rolls right over it. If you're not paying attention, you might miss it.
Tom Hanks is perfect as Lawrence Bourne III, the Ivy League cad. John Candy is at the top of his form as the brainwashed Tom Tuttle from Tacoma. Geddy Watanabe as the "street smart" Thai gives a performance on par with his Long Duc Dong of Sixteen Candles. And Rita Wilson is totally convincing as the idealistic Peace Corps volunteer out to teach the masses the advantages of Self-Styling Adorn.
If you don't think the ratings are off on this one, I suggest this test. Watch Splash and Volunteers back to back and see which one you think is funnier. Both star Hanks and were made at about the same time. Splash was highly rated by the guides while Volunteers was given mediocre ratings. I think the ratings should be reversed.