nathomsen Reviews

The Love Letter (1999)

This film refreshes and enlivens

[9/10 · 23 October 2006]

This film shows up on the premium cable channels quite often and, I find that I keep watching it over and over again. The performances are wonderful, and the material has so much happening that there is always something new to take away from the film.

Maybe I am too often distracted when watching films at home, you know the drill, the dogs bark, the phone rings, the popcorn finishes during the credits. But this film is about people and what motivates us, what enlivens us, what causes rifts between us, and what inspires us.

For me, it is films like The Love Letter that keep me taking a chance on new films. Frankly, I am surprised that the film is not better known. I would love to see Blythe Danner and Geraldine McEwan in many more roles. They are a delight to watch. Kate Capshaw is wonderful and I had no previous idea that she would be. Ellen DeGeneres plays a role that is much more complex than simply being the comic relief.

This film provides interesting visuals as a proper background to the characters and their interactions. I find it refreshing every time I take the time to watch it.

The Final Curtain (2002)

Good performances, probably not a repeater

[7/10 · 16 June 2003]

The performances and the production values are high quality. I watched the movie on cable TV. I found myself engaged in the story line, the dialogue and the plot. But, near the end, it was clear where the plot was going before it actually got there. This, plus the unredeemming qualities of the main character, lead me to place it on my personal not-worth-watching-again list.

Local Hero (1983)

My Number One Favorite Film

[10/10 · 18 June 2000]

I first saw this film in 1983 when I was living in Chicago. At every line of dialog, I expect the trite or cliché and, in every instance, I am subtly drawn into the filmmaker's viewpoint and away from my own cynical, sarcastic, pessimistic viewpoint. I laugh at myself and my expectations and I am charmed into experiencing the many dimensions of human character that I find in this film.

I am thrilled to find so many others who appreciate this film. It is one of the few videos that I own. I watch it every year and I have never been dissatisfied with it. And, for the record, I am female.

When I toured England, Wales and Scotland, I was completely unprepared for the beauty and magic of Scotland. This film has become more dear to me since then, because it reminds me of Scotland. The scenery is beautiful, but always secondary to the human landscape.

The underlying strength of the film is that all the human beings, in their unexpectedness and diversity, are equal players in the tapestry of the whole. Many of the value systems of humanity today are portrayed in one village. But the happiest person is the one who works for his living by harvesting the gifts washed up by the sea. (And, in his shadow persona, pockets all the fresh baked goods at the ceilidh :-) )

Now I live in Kansas City and view life from the heartland. I come away from Local Hero wanting to view humanity from the heart, not from the trite or the cliché or my prejudices. This is quite an accomplishment for a film.

Added in 2013: After 30 years, I still love this film. I finally know what the final scene means to me - but I will let you figure that out for yourself. I finally appreciate, consciously, the soundtrack - which was just part of the whole for the first 20 viewings of the film. I am still charmed by this beautiful, magical subtle work of art. I hope you like it too!