boomerchinde Reviews

The Two Jakes (1990)

Too Late the Sequel

[6/10 · 24 August 2022]

As I was leaving the theater, I heard three young men talking about this film. One of them asked the others just what in the world this movie was about. Sequels cannot wait 16 years to be filmed or, like this one, they become incomprehensible. Chinatown, its predecessor, happens to be my choice as the best Hollywood film ever made. This one falls short of its greatness. Nicholson's direction is good, but he's no Polanski. At least Chinatown had a character of redeeming qualities, as this one doesn't. Everything seems so seedy and hopeless. Still, even with all its flaws, it's a watchable and interesting movie IF you have seen Chinatown first.

Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)

What Happened to the Last Season?

[8/10 · 22 August 2022]

If the final season hadn't fallen apart so badly, I would have readily offered this series a "ten". Instead, I will tell you I'm giving the first five seasons a ten and the final season a three. What follows applies only to the first five seasons: they are great! Atmosphere, acting, writing, directing, cinematography and editing are top drawer. Just when I thought this couldn't get any better, the character of Alfie Solomons is injected into the script and Tom Hardy steals all the acting portrayals. This is the kind of entertainment you don't want to see end, but should have ended without the dreadful season six, which was boring and devoid of everything the first five seasons offered.

Capone (2020)

Why Was This Film Produced?

[2/10 · 22 August 2022]

This is one of the most aggravatingly bad movies I've ever had the displeasure to endure. I didn't sign on for a muddled trip through Al Capone's syphilitic mind. This film is so disjointed and poorly edited as to reach new depths in how not to make a film. Tom Hardy is one of the finest actors to ever grace the silver screen. His talents are utterly wasted here. And I literally felt sorry for Matt Dillon as he tried bring comprehension into a totally incomprehensible movie. If you find this film in the $3 bin at WalMart, you'd be wasting $2.99. As for me, I'm still waiting for a definitive film about the life of Al Capone. Thus far, no one has hit the mark.

Titanic (1997)

The Script Should Have Been Sunk!

[5/10 · 22 August 2022]

I attended the showing of this film with a sense of great expectation, only to be vastly disappointed. In fact, halfway through the movie I heard another attendee say, quite loudly, "Just sink the damned ship". His words reflected my sentiments. What could have been an exciting, tense historical drama turned out to be a sappy and overly sentimental love story meant to tug at your heart strings -- the new-found lover and rescuer of a trapped-in-arranged-marriage- woman -- tragically lost at sea. Cameron, whose interest in the sinking of the actual ship is legendary, is a good film director, but he sacrificed his love of the ship on the altar of cliched Hollywood storytelling. Best Picture of the Year?! I guess the Academy allowed teeny boppers to vote in 1997.

Titanic (1953)

Soap Over Reality

[4/10 · 22 August 2022]

If you enjoy sappy soap stories over the grim realities of historical events, then this, as well as the1997 version, is the Titanic movie for you. Accuracy be damned, let's toss in a ludicrous love story and send reality adrift in the half-filled lifeboats. This sudsy offering even shows an underwater shot of the iceberg hitting the port side of the ship! If this were not based upon the Titanic, it would have made an acceptable, but syrupy, piece of entertainment. If you want something much more historically presented, I suggest "A Night to Remember" or the far superior "Saving the Titanic" told from the point of view of boiler room workers.

Peaky Blinders: Black Day (2022) Season 6, Episode 1

How could this show completely drop the Ball?

[3/10 · 21 June 2022]

I absolutely loved Peaky Blinders and watched the first 5 seasons over and over again. I couldn't wait for season 6 to begin. What a severe disappointment. Episodes 1-2-3 were simply boring. Production values plummeted, losing a sense of scope. Where scores of activity had taken place in all previous seasons, season 6 had a myopic feel to it, as though the only people existing in England were members of the Shelby family. The action was listless throughout each episode, and there was a strong feeling it was they were simply trying to rework the Godfather saga. The last episode was anti-climatic in the extreme. All the actors performed as though they were tired and ready to move on to better things. If they decide to do another season, count me out.

The King's Man (2021)

A Travesty of History

[2/10 · 12 January 2022]

World War 1 was called at the time, "the war to end all wars". Tens of millions died. The intricacies of how this conflict came about are complex. This movie reduces it all to comic book claptrap. The assassination of King Ferdinand, the influence of Rasputin and the slaughter of the Romanov family each deserve, and have received in the past, in depth films. Here they are fodder for the fans of trite entertainment. The premise is ridiculous. The special effect are laughable out of place. What was Ralph Fiennes thinking when he signed on to this drivel?

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

A Remake That Shouldn't Have Been Made

[3/10 · 22 November 2021]

Why would anyone want to try to remake The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3? How could they expect to improve upon a film featuring Walter Matthau and Martin Balsam? The original had tense moments and realistic characters. This film, while only mildly entertaining, opted for cheap sensationalistic stereotypes.

Denzel is a great actor. Too good for this turkey.

The Poison Rose (2019)

Haven't We Seen All This Before?

[2/10 · 22 November 2021]

It's sad when a film featuring major stars begins by nearly plagiarizing famous work. The opening lines voiced by Travolta are right out of the old Philip Marlowe radio show episode, "Red Wind". Then we get dialogue desperately trying to capture the private eye genre of the 1940s. To top it off, just about every cliche of this genre is tossed at the viewer. Did Travolta and Freeman even read this script before signing on? Someone simply opened a can of Hollywood leftovers and proceeded to bake this turkey. The hard drinking private eye brought into an investigation by a beautiful but mysterious woman has seen the light of too many Hollywood sets.

Do not waste your time, vacuum the living room instead.

Hunters (2020–2023)

A Disappointing Mess

[3/10 · 2 March 2020]

After viewing the first episode, I was left with the question: Just what is this show supposed to be? Is it a parody of Nazi atrocities? If so, it's tasteless. Is it intended to be a comedy? If so, the humor is lost on me? Is it supposed to be a drama? If so, it's tossed upon a sea of unbelievable and utterly predictable storytelling. Are we truly to believe there is a specialty squad of comic book, super-hero types hiding out in a Bruce Wayne style secret mansion? All the characters are stereotypical clones we've already encountered in countless movies and television shows.

There are some big names in this series. Al Pacino is the biggest. Why he, and all the others, lowered their standards to appear in this offensive and demeaning telling of such an important topic is a mystery to me. Don't waste your time.

The Life of David Gale (2003)

A Great Director Takes a Dive

[2/10 · 8 November 2019]

Alan Parker has always been one of my favorite directors. Evita, Mississippi Burning, Angela's Ashes, Angel Heart and Midnight Express show a director at the top of his form. The Life of David Gale shows Parker at the bottom.

Take every cliché you've ever repeatedly seen from dozens of mystery movies throughout the decades, then toss them all into one film. That's the best way to describe "The Life of David Gale". And the clichés are so dominant I actually found myself alternating between groans and derisive laughter. If anyone tries their best to keep the movie afloat on a sea of dreariness, it's Laura Linney. But even she's not enough to keep this stinker from sinking. Kevin Spacey offers no depth to his characterization of Gale, and Kate Winslet's performance is pedestrian at best. Parker is unable to draw anything of value or substance from his actors, and in light of his other projects, it appears he phoned in his directional duties.

Don't waste your time, you've seen it all before. And try not to forget that Parker was once one of the top directors of his era. Sad.

Good Boys (2019)

Don't Waste Your Money or Your Time

[2/10 · 20 September 2019]

For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can rate this piece of cinematic tripe so highly. Tweens using the foulest of language, crude sex jokes and characters so stereotypically presented it boggles the mind. Only once have I ever walked out of a movie, and this trash nearly became the second one.

This is formulaic to the extreme. Crude and offensive, the director uses underage children to perform vulgar material. It totally fails as a comedy, offering nothing new in the way of presenting humor, and when it tries to be a Stand By Me ripoff about "coming of age" themes it fails miserably.

Sorry, folks, I can't "fall out of my chair laughing" as one reviewer put it by listening to tweens spew the worst sort of obscenities, seeing all adults presented as out of touch idiots and watching sixth graders go on a drug hunt.

Beneath the Leaves (2019)

Great potential -- Great Failure

[3/10 · 13 June 2019]

Let me begin by saying that both Paul and Mira Sorvino are on my list of favorite actors. They are genuine pros, yet even their efforts cannot raise this stinker above mediocrity. There is really nothing new here, and what they do present is cliched so badly as to be embarrassing, i.e., the hip, sloppily dressed detective, the female detective maligned by sexist co-workers, the escaped prisoner looking for revenge, etc. Every turn of the plot is so choreographed that any suspense has been thrown to the wind. I've heard it said that winning an Academy Award can actually cause harm to a performer's career. This film may be direct evidence of that, as it's so very sad to see Mira Sorvino attached to such an anemic film effort as this.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Well acted, but ultimately empty.

[3/10 · 4 April 2014]

Yes, Martin Scorsese is a great director. He can keep things flowing along, grab top notch performances from his cast, and offer sumptuous settings that can make your mouth water. But he has also become the master of cinematic overkill, and this film is a prime example. There's nary a character you can give a tinker's damn about, and we've seen this topic of criminal excess better done before -- by Scorsese himself.

This film felt graphic for the sake of being graphic, a sort of Caligula for the classier crowd of narcissists in our midst. DiCaprio's performance is, for the first time in his career, a bit over the top as the "Wolf". By the time the film ends, you feel as though you've sat through a seedy snake oil commercial, the pitchman being Scorsese himself.

Come back to the five and dime, Martin, and give us something you haven't done before.

Prisoners (2013)

Kudos to a stunning piece of work.

[9/10 · 4 April 2014]

I almost passed on this film, suspecting it to be yet another cliché ridden tale filled with predicable twists and turns. I was dead wrong. This is a movie unlike any other in this genre. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal inhabit the skins of a father who will stop at nothing to find his kidnapped daughter and the detective pulled in many directions while trying to solve the case. But it is Paul Dano who nearly steals the show while barely uttering a word, and Terence Howard who tosses in the ethical questions along the way. Are there twists and turns? Yes, several of them, but nothing like you've seen before. Taut direction, and realistic characterizations bereft of the nonsense you normally expect in such a film. Do not miss this film.

Noah (2014)

This film smells as bad as the ark must have smelled.

[1/10 · 4 April 2014]

What can a person say about this film? I knew it wouldn't be a holier than thou take on the scant biblical narrative, but I had hoped it would deal with a mythological approach to the ontological question. It could have been a marvelous expression of the dual nature of what it means to be human. Instead, we get a brooding film full of unintentional comedy and ridiculous special effects that would be much more at home in a transformers movie. It left me wondering what a good cast like this was doing in such a weak attempt to . . . to do what exactly? The animals boarding the ark sequences made me feel embarrassed to be in the theater.

Read the original story. It's shorter but a whole lot better.

Flipped (I) (2010)

Far better than I had expected.

[10/10 · 5 November 2013]

A very enjoyable movie, effectively embracing the coming of age sensitivities which come to us all. Although it is clear there are many nuances of other characters which never get dealt with, it's meant to be that way. This is about the kids, the effect they have on one another, their ability and inability to express their feelings, and what can happen when we finally face our fears about the other sex and dare to take a step toward resolving them. The only issue I have is that the film simply has too many anachronisms -- songs not of the period and figures of speech clearly from the present and not the fifties and sixties, but hey, I'm too darn picky about that stuff. Reiner has done it again, offering us a film in the style and tone of Capra. He has crafted a film of sensitivity and grace, and taught us something about life that most of us lose upon becoming adults. Madeline Carroll is simply wonderful as the independent teen taking life head on, and is a true pleasure to watch. She absolutely carries this film.

Deadfall (2012)

Interesting, but nothing special

[5/10 · 20 July 2013]

While it's always great to watch Kristofferson and Spacek, they are actually relegated to minor roles in a rather predictable flick. The cinematography is moody, and captures the feel of a Michigan winter, but as I am from Michigan I was bothered by the logistics of the film. The baddies say they're headed north on US131 to the border. Heading north on US-131 you'll never hit the border of anything, you'll just run into more Michigan. They say they're headed north to Canada, but they would have to cross the Mackinaw Bridge and then the International Bridge way up in the Upper Peninsula, and that's one helluva long haul. And for the sheriff to instruct his men to "move east toward I-75" is laughable, as the distance between the 131 and I75 is absurdly large for such instruction. Then toss in Spacek leaving her front door open while she walks a cop to her car is so out of place as to defy logic -- they're in a blizzard and closing roads. Why do I ramble on about these things? Because these sort of miscues suck the life out of any movie. However, if you view Michigan as a place of misogynistic cops, wife abusing husbands, murderers and manipulative women, this is the film for you.

Fay Grim (2006)

Well worth your time.

[7/10 · 9 August 2009]

A wonderfully quirky film with enough twists for a sack of pretzels. Parker Posey plays Fay Grim as a sexy, vulnerable, loving mother who may or may not be what she seems. The story is very tongue in cheek, and the dialog skillfully understated. Hints of humor and intrigue, neither of which overpower the characterization Posey pulls off so well. The supporting cast is stellar. The downside? This film needs your full attention, almost to the point of stopping the film and taking notes. Posey has more sex appeal in her lifting of an eyebrow than most actresses have in their entire body. She's worth your time, even if you don't understand the denouement.

Public Enemies (2009)

A Huge Disappointment

[2/10 · 1 July 2009]

Michael Mann is capable of directing good films, i.e., HEAT. However, Public Enemies isn't one of them. This film is overlong, and even borders on boring in several unnecessary scenes. While Depp is, as always, fine in his role, all the characters are one dimensional, and Christian Bale is so wooden even his facial expressions seem to be carved in pine. Mann's hand held camera technique, annoying enough on the small TV screen, is nauseatingly bad on the large screen. The historical inaccuracies drain the film of any believability, and the action sequences generate next to no suspense. Visually, the cinematography and art direction are quite good, but nowhere near good enough to carry the film. The finale is anti-climatic in the extreme. Ironically, the scenes of Manhattan Melodrama toward the end of the film remind the viewer how gangster movies ought to be made.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Sorcerer grows well into teens and faces the dark side of self and enemies

[3/10 · 14 July 2007]

Let's face it, the first two Potter films were great fun. Then, as Harry grows, he moves into a nasty pre-adulthood, and the fun really tapers off fast. At the rate his life spirals into the doom of becoming an adult, he'll end up on a psyco-sorcerer's couch for intense analysis. This film is dark and moody, with next to nothing to redeem it. The visuals, as usual, are stunning. But that's where the kudo's ended for me. The characters we've grown to love in the first couple films -- Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon et al -- receive far too little screen time. Even Gary Oldman, who is perhaps one of the finest actors in the business, doesn't get the screen time he deserves either. The kids look awkward nearly grown up, and the humor, what there is of it, is somewhat strained. In this edition, the baddie is back, and Ralph Fiennes, another fabulously gifted performer, does a fair job in his role, or what little there is of it. Even when he does appear, the makeup is so intense it smothers any hint of emotive effort. Harry tries to get everyone to believe Voldemort has returned, but few take his side as politics interferes -- a veiled pot shot at US involvement in their present war? Soon Harry starts to train his own recruits for a cataclysmic battle, which never really comes in its implied fullness. In fact, this film offers nothing conclusive whatsoever, except that there will be another one coming soon. To this I say, "turn up the lights, toss in some sparkle, add a little more humor, and let this kid grow group up without so many neurotic episodes to deal with.

The Haunting (1999)

Absurd ghost story remake that falls flat

[2/10 · 11 July 2007]

How would anyone ever believe they could make a remake of that fine 1963 film of the same name is beyond me. The original was creepy in the extreme with top notch performances and a truly believable script deftly directed by Robert Wise. This film is ridiculous in is setting and concept, and I have no idea what Liam Neeson was thinking when he signed on to do this stinker. Way over the top with special effects (why do so many filmmakers today think special effects are of paramount value? The are to be a part of the storytelling, not the story itself). A so called sleep study goes awry when the participants discover their host, good ol Liam, has held back the fact that the place is haunted. He should have held back the entire production. Don't waste your time on this, check out the still effective Wise production instead.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Pirates Plot is Plodding

[3/10 · 10 July 2007]

This series started out with a bang and has nosedived considerably in its sequels, with part three a convoluted and boring mess of a movie. Johnny Depp offers nothing new in his portrayal of Jack Sparrow, and even appears to be a bit tired of it. As for the writing, it's taken the characters and plot line way over the top, offering the viewer form over substance, and the form is way overblown. The director of this failing series seems to believe if he inserts enough special effects and strange characters he will have a good movie, and he's wrong. At least the first edition had a believable storyline, even if it did move from adventure into horror. Geoffrey Rush appears to simply be fulfilling his contract agreement instead of acting, and that is unusual for him in the extreme. I actually fell asleep during several minutes of the first half of this boring tale, which is overlong and too full of itself. Just as you think it's reaching its denouement, it picks up again, teasing us into further boredom. I must admit, my interest picked up considerably with the arrival of Kieth Richards, but as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone. If you are aware of the plot of the first episode, it's really not important to go into detail about the next two. Nasty and slimy creatures are once again defeated by Sparrow and his co stars. Ho hum. At the World's End indeed. With any luck, the viewer will be at the series end.

Double Indemnity (1944)

Top notch insurance fraud and murder noir

[10/10 · 10 July 2007]

A Billy Wilder masterpiece. Film noir at its finest. Insurance agent Fred MacMurray portrays a poor sap soaked into Barbara Stanwyck's desire for her hubby's demise. Together they plan the perfect murder, but alas, they have crafty old Edward G. Robinson to contend with. How can a film with this director and these stars miss? Simple, it can't and it doesn't. The casting of MacMurray as a murderer is a stroke of genius -- take a star who staked his career on good guy roles and show his vulnerability. Terrific performance by Stanwyck, who always holds her own up against any other actor in the business, but even so, it's a 3 way tie for kudos on this one. Beautifully paced, this story of lust and greed practically mirrors "The Postman Always Rings Twice", but stands tall all by itself. John Seitz makes great use of his camera, blending shadow and light to perfectly examine the motives of the characters and the movie's mood. Based on a James Cain novel, this film was forced to change its ending as it was deemed too graphic for 1940's viewers. MacMurray's narration throughout sparkles, and this movie works because it has a conscience in the form of Robinson. Simply great.

Soylent Green (1973)

Futuristic drama depicts a grave future

[5/10 · 10 July 2007]

A bleak depiction of the future, with overpopulation, starvation, a dying planet, and all the other goodies to make you feel warm inside. Heston plays a cop at a time when cops are so important to order that simply striking one gets you a life sentence. A brooding and dark film meant to inspire change in modern society, this simply looks dreary to the eyes. Chuck Connors is the baddie, and a foodstuff called Soylent Green makes everybody's Tuesday something to look forward to. This things are enough to make you want to run from the TV room screaming. Edward G. Robinson makes his final screen appearance as Heston's friend who still remembers and longs for the good old days, when Bambi roamed the wild and tomatoes were something to cherish. A said finale for a wonderful star of his proportions. Still, he is the only bright spot in the film. The only eye candy is the "furniture". A soap opera love story saps even more life from this stinker. Heston needed to be more selective with the roles offered him.