carissaphillips Reviews

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

Beautifully Shot But Overrated

[19 March 2006]

I love history and actually one of those people that rent documentaries for fun (and not just the ones that are famous or win Oscars). Nevertheless, I was disappointed by "Good Night and Good Luck." Perhaps it is because I first heard about the movie when I listed to an NPR interview with Joe & Shirley Wershba (who are portrayed in this movie), and it sounded like it would be an intellectual discussion and investigation of the period, along with character development of those involved. While the cinematography was beautiful--I loved the black & white and the jazz--and there were some good scenes, I felt like the movie was stripped down to a bare-bones documentary with very little character development. It was decently clear who everyone was, but, beyond that, very little was done to explore why characters chose to do what they were doing. Sometimes words are enough, but I felt that this movie didn't seek to explain or put what was going on in any sort of context. The use of actual footage was great, but I thought the story of the movie was lacking. I know I should probably care about what's happening in the movie (and I do care in real life), but nothing is developed enough to really cause that. For a movie commenting on the fate of American television (and journalism), I thought Network was far more thought-provoking. All in all, a movie worth renting, but not outstanding.

Listen to Me (1989)

Personal Reaction

[21 October 2003]

Listen to Me is, quite frankly, spectacularly bad, which makes it hard to rate. It was, quite unintentionally, hysterical at moments, and I love such great debating advice as, "We're not going to win with facts, so let's go for drama!" and suggesting that a new plan should be run in the 2AR. As other reviewers have noted, it does NOT represent debate very accurately at all, and is highly melodramatic and overwrought. However, as a debater (policy for 2 years in high school, now into my 3rd year of parliamentary in college), I enjoyed watching it, at least once, because it was so unintentionally funny. My coach last spring had us watch it during a meeting and we all laughed nonstop because of its inherent stupidity. My advice: if you're a debater, you might think this hilarious. If you're not, you might not enjoy it. Additionally, don't for a moment think that's how REAL debate is done. Just to pick one example, I cannot even begin to imagine my coach advising me to make up stories in order to win rounds. Side note of interest to debaters: Tom Miller, who is a debate official in the film, is an actual college debate coach at UCLA.

13 Conversations About One Thing (2001)

thought-provoking and meaningful

[14 November 2002]

*MINOR SPOILERS*

What I see most meaningful in the way the film is done (i.e, the non-linear narrative) is that it concentrates not on the cause & effect per se, but on the connections that underlie everything. Although things may not all fit, in the end, into a sequence that actually works (I'm not entirely sure if they do--I'd have to see it a 2nd time), I think that reflects the narrative we see in life. Life, as we know it, is never so easy to understand as in most movies. What 13 Conversations does, and does very well, is help us to see those connections we miss in our everyday lives. It doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but certainly raises some important questions. I think woundedness is also an important thing to consider when watching the movie. That continual theme of woundedness in all of us, and how we need our 18 inches of personal space and we pretend that we're different from the strangers around us, and yet underneath it all, we're all searching for the same thing and we are the same people with the same struggles. It's the little things in this film that convey meaning--the chance smile on the street, the candles, the doll, the physics problem, the prism. It's the chance occurences which seem so random (which is why I see the movie as an example of chaos theory) that make the movie. The movie, in the end, isn't about plot, it's about connections and who we are. And in the end, that's the ultimate simplicity of the film. It's real life, it doesn't have all the answers, it doesn't pretend to be more than it is. (My rating: 9 out of 10)

The Musketeer (2001)

we laughed the whole way through

[7 October 2002]

I rented this with a bunch of friends, and we laughed the whole way through at how implausibly awful it was. Mena Suvari was wonderful in "American Beauty," but awful in "The Musketeer." Some of the stunt scenes were cool, and Catherine Deneuve is excellent (as is, unlike her counterparts, her French accent).

Bottom line: It's not worth it.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Heart-Warming and Thoughtful

[27 June 2002]

Jerry Maguire is one of my favorite movies, because it's a modern movie with a heart and soul. Not very many modern comedy/drama/romances actually have one, but that is what this movie is all about: relationships. Although there are some cliched moments where it seems like the typical comedy/romance, the romance part actually explores issues about true love, intimacy, marriage, and commitment that most movies are afraid to, even though these are very timely issues. The questions of why we marry, why we are we afraid of commitment and intimacy, and what true love is are all explored by the film, as well as deeper questions about what is important in our lives, through the lives of Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and his family, and various other characters throughout the film. In addition to the excellent script however, the acting is also great. Cruise, Gooding, and Zellweger are all wonderful, and Bonnie Hunt shines as Laurel, Dorothy's protective older sister.

It's not the best movie of all time, but is in my top 10, and I laugh and cry every time I see it. I recommend it highly. (9/10)

Here on Earth (2000)

Moving but Maddening

[4 March 2001]

Here on Earth was very emotional, and Josh Harnett and Leelee Sobieski both put in good performances. However, the plotline was maddening. I hated the romance between Kelley (Chris Klein) and Sam (Sobieski), because 1) Kelley was a jerk! 2) it was wrong of Sam to do what she did when she was still together with Jasper (Harnett) 3) Jasper was so sweet. In fact, my best friend & I decided that the saddest thing about the movie wasn't that Sam died--we didn't really feel that sorry for her. Rather, we felt very sorry for Jasper, because he loved her so much. I give it a 7--it's

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Atmospheric, But . . .

[17 July 2000]

The movie is daring, to say the least. It was definitely moody and atmospheric. It captured the mood of Shakespeare's play perfectly, forcing me to think of the play in a different way. DiCaprio & Danes also had good chemistry, and were very believable. However, the movie overall was anachronistic and unbelievable. And what was up with Montague in drag (that spoiled that whole scene for me)?! It could have been an excellent movie and Luhrmann had a good idea, but it wasn't executed right.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Cute Idea, But Crude

[17 July 2000]

I loved the initial idea of Sixteen Candles. I myself am sixteen, and I could relate to Samantha (Molly Ringwald) in many ways. However, was all the language necessary? The plotline involving Sam's dream boy's girlfriend & the geeky boy was also unbelievably awful (essentially condoning rape) and, for that matter, the whole plot with the geeky guy (Hall) was uneccessary and crude. It had real potential, but did not live up to what looked like a sweet movie.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Couldn't Be Better!

[17 July 2000]

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an excellent movie. Stewart is great, just as good as in It's a Wonderful Life, and so is Capra. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, as did my 10-year-old sister and my dad (proving that great movies can span generation gaps). Like the best Capra movies, it reaffirms that there is good in mankind--such a refreshing message in a cynical age.

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Excellent Teen & Adult Movie

[16 July 2000]

"Never Been Kissed" is an excellent movie for both adults and teens. It is very real and shows the ugly side of high school and yet the hope of better life beyond. I'm still in high school, and luckily, my high school isn't like that, but so many high schools are. I could relate in so many ways!