Change Your Image
slkulick
Reviews
Project Nim (2011)
Professor's loins, ego , and outated Skinnarian outllook prove the undoing of Nim
To me, as a linguist, the ill-conceived professional designs of Columbia University professor Herbert Terrace kept getting more and more diabolical as the film progressed...and no one stopped him!
As a humanist, I was appalled at Professor Terrace's misguided views of mankind; his on-going affairs with his female students; and his continuous disavowals of any responsibility of any part of anything at all ...except for publicity, of course.
And, as a resident of NYC, I am astonished at the fact that he still teaches his outmoded doctrine of animal-behavioral studies ideas (based on the long-refuted BF Skinner) at Columbia University--(and, BTW, is rated by his students in the same manner as I am writing about him here).
My helplessness to do anything about Nim has been echoed by other reviewers–so I won't cry any more literary tears for that poor animal--except to thank Bob Ingersoll for his dedication and caring spirit.
Anyone who has read Kune knows that scholars ought not to keep beating one scientific approach for their whole lives (e.g. Skinner), but to see their discipline through as many approaches as will move that discipline along. Alas, Terrance appears to be the worst kind of professor, who viewed his discipline though only one poor lens, and did so with no one monitoring him.
And, after viewing this film, I'm even more glad now that I chose to get my Linguistics Ph.D. at NYU and not Columbia, so many years ago.)
The film itself was nearly perfect. It operated with less fuss than most and just tried to allow the story to shine though.
The River Murders (2011)
Good premise; some cartoon acting
Ray Liotta was fine, as always, but his acting was counter-balanced by the wooden-acting of Ving Rhames, who wrenched me away from the scene every time his incessant intoning came on. He speaks as if he's on a pulpit and projecting to hundreds of people--no matter what he's saying--each and every time. I could never believe believe him at ll in his role.
Christian Slater, also, was completely unbelievable in his FBI role. He looked as if he were on a giant high--and was very hard to watch as he bounced up and down the screen.
When you watch a film such as this with known actors, you have to "suspend disbelief" and see known actors fade take on their roles completely.
Rhames and Slatern made that utterly impossible--no matter that it was balanced by Liotta and others.
The premise of the film was so promising..it was a pity that the majority of the casting was so poor.
Source Code (2011)
Jake Gyllenhaal is not a leading actor yet
I would have given this film a higher rating ...except for the acting of Jake Gyllenhaal.
Mr. Gyllenhaal is an exasperating actor to view on film. On one hand, he always overacts–those blue eyes widen, his mouth slightly opens and the camera pans in for a close-up of Jake Gyllenhaal reacting to something. On the other hand, however, he possesses an intensity that is almost (but not quite) there that keeps me hoping all the time that he will make that leap from moderately-good technician to good actor--a leap which he hasn't managed to make yet.
I've seen him in quite a few movies now, and I am of the opinion that he doesn't allow himself to be free when he acts. This often comes from fear of self-discovery. We all wish he would let go because there is a lot to yet discover underneath that bland exterior.
Smart People (2008)
Quaid, Haden-Church, & Page are just perfection in their roles
This is a comparatively slow-moving film which takes time to explore what teaching for a long time in a university can do to some professors, and what roles single parenting can sometimes mistakenly dissolve into for both parents and their children.
The role of the long-suffering, self-contained, in need of renewal/sabbatical/analysis professor was particularly well- written and acted: Dennis Quaid did a great job in this film and, as a viewer, I rarely remembered that he was acting: his demeanor, his stance, his wardrobe, his droning voice--even his eye contact--were just right.
As usual, Haden-Church was the actor who made the movie zing. His "just one step out of this dimension" attitude and usual attention to perfection in his acting was a delight. He's one of our great character actors.
Ellen Page compels the viewer to watch her delightful portrayal--though I am not yet willing to concede that she is one with her role yet. I continue to enjoy watching her thorough and she is going to be a great actress.
I recommend this film highly for thoughtful viewers who enjoy digging into time, place and characters. It's pace is not brisk, but its rewards are great.
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Morgan Freeman excellent in a just fair thriller
We've seen the plot many times before--can even sense what is coming next. Yet, the money spent in writing/screen-play; where film was set; costumes; level of directorial expertise--etc--carries this film along where many another would have faltered.
Others here have commented about the plot, so what follows focuses on the actors: Morgan Freeman shows us again how powerful an actor he is--and he carries the film. Ben Affleck is just starting out in major roles here, and shows it. He is engaging.. but not an actor yet. Ciarán Hinds as Nemerov was unbelievable, both physically and in terms of how he approached the role (to me, anyway); Ron Rifkin over-emoted-as usual; however, Bridget Moynahan was fine--stood out in what was just a stock role. Other oft-used character actors do their stuff. Philip Baker Hall was really bad here--over-acting and pulling the pace of the film out of whack.
To me, this film was fine for a rainy afternoon. Nothing great--but good enough to put the popcorn in the microwave.
Like Dandelion Dust (2009)
Skillfully -acted film; excellently cast thriller
To me, the film was well-written; well-cast; marvelously acted (especially Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser, and Abby Brammell--though all the leads were good); and believable. And, it allowed viewers to learn a little something when they were watching--which is always a good thing. Note 1. As an educator I would not recommend it for children under 12. The premise, of parents being able to be taken away from them and exchanged for new ones is too scary for those under their teenage years, I believe. Note 2. I was surprised to learn that this was labeled a "Christian" film, because I was never aware of it (and as a non-Christian, I would have been).
Catfish (2010)
I fear this film is a hype on a hype
If you suspend disbelief and just go along with the story, then, as many of the reviewers before me have detailed, the film is enjoyable--rather like a well-set up mystery film.
For me, it's just too well-plotted to be true--for a documentary. Every element that such a documentary would need to be effective was there--and more. I had to keep reminding myself that the camera somehow just "happened" to "be" there--and the difference between reality and fiction was so severely blurred at times that I watched the film twice to try to see what was really going on there--for me as a viewer, anyway.
Some actor reactions seemed incredibly real; others obviously not so.
This is what I think about this film, (alas): Either the filmmakers discovered a lot of what was going on before they went on their field trip... and so knew that they had a reason to make the film before they started out; or they fully scripted out most of it before they got there. Yes, they had a few surprises once they got there--but for me, anyway, we, the viewers, were played with in the same way that the young man might have been.
Three young filmmakers take a field-trip and what they discover "accidentally" makes a film such as this...the odds boggle the mind!
Einstein and Eddington (2008)
Some poor casting; air of mystery pulls it through
Andy Serkis was the biggest problem for me in this film. Because he spoke nothing like Einstein (whom I've often heard in clips)--and projected nothing of the personality I've read about--that portion of the film really threw me off. Other actors have decided to neither take coaching to speak like or change themselves to look like the famous characters they portrayed; but Serkis took that one step further by changing his character's basic personality too--and often portrayed Einstein as a canny clownish elf! I felt the casting was a mistake, and the acting was a throw-away. What a shame.
David Tennant was fine, though. And discovering the laws of physics and development of what went on in the early years of the last century was thrilling--if over-dramatic in some places.
Sweet Land (2005)
Lovely film, sweet & true--prologue needs re-cutting though
Because so much of the film was lovely beyond belief, I wanted to rate it a "ten", but an unintelligible prologue and the personal shock of seeing Paul Sands cast as an aged Norwegian kept me from doing that.
Aside from Sands, I must admit,the casting was impeccable. I also admired the period interiors (looked as if they had come straight from some catalogs of the time).
Elizabeth Reaser did an excellent job, however, her German was not up to snuff, alas (I can't comment on her other language), and that did keep me from believing in her characterization completely.
Tim Guinee did just as well, his stolidness melding just in time . And Lois Smith, whom I hadn't seen on film in years, was just as good as you could get; she was the fabric that cemented the film.
All in all, I recommend the film highly for its sweetness and honesty; the prologue needs to be re-cut, I think. It was undecipherable to me.
Whatever Works (2009)
Unwieldy melding of 1940's and current day; Larry David badly cast
We are either supposed to suspend disbelief; or stand back from good cinema and laugh/cry/whatever. This movie was so awkwardly updated (sort of like Pollyanna meets the 20th century), and Larry David was so unbelievable in the lead (he was just Larry David being Larry David), that, as a viewer, I couldn't either believe the story (even a little bit); or stand back and laugh at it--because I could see how, with a better lead, and better updating, it could have been so much better.
On the other hand, other actors were excellent: Patricia Clarkson's performance was so delicious, that I'd recommend seeing the movie just for her. Also good were Evan Rachel Wood, Conleth Hill, and, in a small part, Ed Begley Jr.
Parts of this movie were earnestly nestled in the 1930s, and 40s, and others, sort of an "Airplane"-like look at modern-day love-a-la mashed potatoes meets Pollyanna. For me, Larry David tried hard; but he didn't act--he was just himself; and I've seen him being himself (or that character) so often that I simply saw Larry David again--not the character he was supposed to portray. He needed direction and didn't get it here. However, Patricia Clarkson's performance in the last third of the movie is worth the price of the rental.
Lacombe Lucien (1974)
Strongly evocative of violent & compelling times: hold on to your seats
This film invites us into its various fascinating plots--in the spirit of almost what is happening doesn't matter: a young French/Gesapo boy, Lucian, is crafted a suit by an celebrated, escaped Jewish tailor from Paris who is now living in Toulouse. The man has a nice apartment in Toulouse and he stays there with his mother and daughter.
The boy falls in love with the daughter right away and ultimately demands her as his right. Things happen, The father's foolish action separates him from the family. Then, one day, the family is due to be picked up to go to the camps. The camera zooms in on the daughter and grandmother packing only one small bag each
Lucien manages to kill the other man who has come to pick them up(the only barrier)--and he now escapes with the young Jewish girl and her grandmother-towards what? With what aim? Did they do the right thing? Did they take the right path? And those people in Toulouse mouthing those horrible things about the Jews--I understand that they weren't actors.
What I can't put to rest here is the ending--everything here was on too grand a scale for me, alas. Let's see: If the father was sent to Toulouse by truck, then he most probably entered the transport system headed for the Belzec death camps. When the boy and girl and grandmother escape for a brief while (we are not told how long), they probably did enjoy a brief respite from life--but the movie ends there and they tell us that the boy was captured and killed. It tells us nothing of what happened to the girl and her grandmother, so we can imagine what we will.
This film itself was sewn of a dream of a town and its people. But Toulouse, the town,--and its people and their attitudes--those have gone on. That I am sure of. I wonder how much they have actually changed?
Sueño (2005)
Sweet, but needed better script ; Leguizamos tops/music great
The movie was very sweet, but the script was out of the 1930s: Boy comes up from Mexico with music in his soul to make it here in the music world--meets up with obstacles--gets help along he way--falls in love--we get to hear some great music in the process--and, uh oh--he has to decide between fame on his own and what TRULY matters:his love for own music and sticking with his original band. Guess what? He makes the right choice..the band stays together..they win a big contest..he wins the hand of his sweetheart...guitars play in the background/the lead sings..and the movie gently ends.
Unfortunately, all this happens as we've seen it happen hundreds of times before. So, even though the actors were good (and oh so earnest), and the music was great--it wasn't new enough for an adult audience to stick with. I think young adults would like it a lot, though--they haven't seen the plot before so the actors and their music would certainly entice them.
John Leguizamo deserves a special mention. He stole the movie and was the reason that I watched it until the end--even though the plot was so banal.
Hustle & Flow (2005)
Terrance Howard's performance spectacular/script sinks in the creek
Terrence Howard's performance wrenched this script from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Other members of the cast tried hard and shone well--but the script was so leaden that it was difficult for them to do as well as they should have (DJ Qualls, Taryn Manning, Taraji Henson were among those who were wonderful but who were pulled down by the script).
For me, this movie was a collection of wonderful instruments (the actors) who were desperately striving to do better than the trivial tune they were given to play. With this cast and a script that was not the cliqued, run-of-the mill job that this was, this film easily would have been a 9/10 instead of a 6/7. What a loss!
Red Without Blue (2007)
Honest often wrenching film about how differing sexualities affect a family
This film introduces us to twin brothers--and, through photos; extremely honest interviews with parents, grandparents and friends; and filmed life interactions--follows the lives of these boys from the time they were toddlers, through the horror of their JHS years when one of them came out as gay and the other tried to avoid that label (and both were persecuted, they say, anyway); through high school and through--then past their college years. Through skillful camera work and interview technique (and the closeness that was built with the family), we are able to find out how-as what happens when a pebble is dropped into a pond-the family changes and waves and molds around the twins as their sexualities change--one to feel at ease with the fact that he is gay and the other to feel at ease with the fact that he wants to physically change to become a woman.
This was my introduction to many of the topics presented here and it was a gift at the end of the documentary to realize that--what survived, through all the pain and reinvention--was family and love. I want to add that I really enjoyed listening to the soundtrack.
Happy Endings (2005)
A quick-paced, interesting and well-acted drama.
I almost passed on viewing this one because it has been hard for me to listen to the nasal-voiced Ms. Kudrow for long periods of time, but the excellence of the other actors drew me in–and I am very glad that I decided to view it.
The uniform fine acting; the superior script; and the jagged ins and outs of the plot lines along with their satisfactory resolutions made this great viewing. The film presents us with complex characters--many of whom represent types of persons most of us will never meet in real life. Personally, though I disliked many aspects of the personalities of the characters in the film, I watched with fascination as some of these were resolved within the confines of the space of the movie to make the characters memorable and--even remarkable.
A fine script, some extraordinary acting, and especially-skilled cutting makes this film one to watch more than once or twice. NB: For adults.