carloi-1 Reviews

Dark Passion (1998)

Trite formula

[2 May 2004]

This movie follows a predictable formula of sex scenes loosely connected by a trivial story. It's a shame because some of the actresses are quite attractive and talented. For instance Michelle von Flotow is quite beautiful and shows emotion well although she could learn how to walk .

One scene will illustrate what I mean. Ms Flotow invites the "hero" to dinner and kisses him lightly when he leaves. She gazes wistfully at him from a balcony, he notices, turns around grabs a ladder from somewhere, climbs up to balcony and proceeds to kiss her passionately and carries her off to bed!

Shades of the three musketeers!

The many sex scenes are so similar they could have been made by computer.

Play Time (1995)

An entertaining movie, but

[14 September 2002]

While I found this movie entertaining, reasonably well-acted and more than the routine soft-porn flic, I also thought it had a major flaw. The female leads are not very attractive. This makes the movie somewhat pointless.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

A magnificent unappreciated film

[9 August 2002]

I recently watched this movie again on TV. The wonderful performances by Tom

Courtenay and Michael Redgrave have not diminished with time. The movie is

also full of technical innovations at the time. One of these is common today, a fast switching between the two time frames of the story. The life of the hero in a quasi-prison and the family life that led to his capture and conviction. The movie also predates the current of "Angry Young Men" that was to be so prolific in

British Cinema. Others have remarked on the wondrous scenes of Courtenay

running in open countryside as he trains for a long distance competition. The accompaniment of a jazz trumpet also fit well. But to me the core of the movie is the rage of the hero towards the "establishment" beautifully symbolized by

Michael Redgrave's Headmaster. Don't miss this movie if you have a chance.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

A great, great movie

[27 May 2002]

This is one of my very favorite pictures of all time. Courtenay was practically unknown at the time, but turns in a performance worthy of a Gielgud or an Olivier. I don't think anyone else could have conveyed the sense of alienation which is so typical of male youth at some point in their lives. The whole dramatic high point of the film is the contrast between an upper class school and the school to which Courtenay is relegated, just a shade above a reformatory, The concluding scenes, that could have been milked for bathos or easy tears, are stunning in dramatic effect and made totally believable by both Courtenay and Richardson. I'm not quite sure as how much the film will appeal to a female audience, but if you are male and remember what it was like to be in your teens and feeling that the world did not understand you, then don't miss this.

The Last Kiss (2001)

A great movie by a great director

[20 May 2002]

I fully agree with the comments by the previous writer "hedgehog". Although I'm quite a bit older than the characters in the movie, it was easy to relate to them. An impressive talent that the director of this movie shows, is the ability to narrate multiple story lines with multiple actors, some new others like Ms Sandrelli, not so much. The characters and the story lines are all kep distinct and moving. Bravo! Bravissimo!

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Good acting talents but...

[12 May 2002]

There are a number of positives about this movie. Sciorra and Mac von Sydow

are major talents and do use them here, although Mr von Sydow's part is less

than challenging. Robin Williams also does surprisingly well. Unfortunately the range of emotions that the director asked for ranged from intense happiness to abject misery with nothing in between. No subtlety or complexity is shown. The movie marches predictably towards a contrived and predictable happy ending.

When will Hollywood ask for more from itself and its audiences?

There are some very creative special effects involving color that almost make the whole thing worth seeing, especially on DVD.