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MovieMan7122
Reviews
Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean (2012)
Exploitative
Well, 2 minutes into this film and you become aware that this is stylized gay porn. Not meaning to be demeaning, because such knowledge should help some to go straight to net-flicks for 93 minutes, and others might look for something else, particularly for a straight-date flick. Whereas there have been a few testimonials that Dean was Bi; much of the evidence suggests Dean was more of a career opportunist than lustful, as regards gay activity. This film illustrates a level of gay activity that could only have been extracted from an autobiography that doesn't exist. Way too much emphasis is placed on Dean's dubious gay connections for career success. We're supposed to take Mishory's word for it. If you really appreciate the level of Dean's work, then avoid this stylized junk.
Cloud Atlas (2012)
after an hour of watching this self promo celluloid; What the $%&?
After 45 minutes of a series of numbing, disjointed events, it occurred to me that this spectacle wasn't so much a movie, but a cultural infomercial. The developers were intent on teaching us something and that "something" was going to take three whole hours to deliver to us. The movie delivers a series of separate events across centuries, in which previous events would provide deliverance for people in the future. Not a very novel idea. I learned in high school that the present time is a dwarf riding on the back of a giant (previous history). However; real events throughout history are far more compelling and interesting than this fictional hodgepodge.
The most laughable part of this bloated time waster, was when the Asian Cyborg (anticipated to become humankind's deliverer) was standing projected hugely larger than life, voicing her philosophical directives above a battle in which her collective fought the evil enforcers. Her persona had all the visual character of Orwell's Big Brother, or rather Big Sister. I'm surprised the film makers didn't sense that comparison. That part was a hoot to watch.
Be prepared to pay the baby sitter overtime and swill down plenty of coffee before you take that trip to the cinema.
Flashbacks of a Fool (2008)
Visual "effects" create loss of focus
First, consider an illustration that is not in the movie, but has its place in the context of this review: The hapless NY Jets' Tebow-Sanchez team has found it's footing in a glorious fashion, just in time to earn a place in the playoffs. They're opponents in the big matchup are the Patriots who the Jets miraculously beat in last of regular season. The Super Bowl is both a Cinderella story and dramatic rivalry and you're watching it on a 72" wide screen at your best friend's home theater. Just at kickoff, your host's curvaceous wife enters and begins serving snacks and drinks while wearing only a shear teddy. So much for the poor timing of a support event if your seriously interested in the big game. Now hold that thought....
The "flashbacks of a Fool" story was intended to illustrate how a series of misjudgments created a cascade of unforeseen events with a life changing result. The central character is Joe, who in his teen years is seduced by Evelyn, a bored, licentious housewife. During the episodes in which he is in a tryst with Evelyn, the story illustrates a developing drama concerning how Joe is neglecting his relations and stepping into a precipice. Regret and anxiety about the consequences of his teenage mistakes affect Joe's peace of mind and personal relations for decades until he returns to his hometown and begins making amends.
At any level this is a little movie, probably requiring only in-between-movies time commitment for its main actors. The aforementioned doesn't suggest that the story couldn't create a lasting impression on viewers and here is where the director (Walsh) loses the story.
We all suspected that Jodhi May had a firecracker hidden in her corset in those period movies she's been frequently seen in. For some reason, Walsh decided to liberate all that pretense in this film in grand style. Some external background drama referenced while Joe and Evelyn are locked in sex is very significant to the developing story. The background drama is flashed to during the sex scenes to help build foreboding while Joe is diverted. The problem is that the sex scenes are so graphic. Now, refer back to my illustration at the beginning with respect to story balance and timing. May is performing her part in the sex scenes hell-for-leather, such that when the director pans over to tragic consequences occurring simultaneous with the sex, most men viewers (and more than a few women viewers) reaction will be, "Forget that part! Back to the Jodhi May scene !" That is not the effect that need have resulted and its here that Walsh lost focus on the development of the story he was tasked with illustrating. This needn't have been a "small" movie from the standpoint of the story...but the thing most will remember about the film is the standout Jodhi May sex scene, rather than any story developments. Too bad. Walsh should have taken lessons from Michael Mann in how he balanced intense human conflict, developing simultaneously with the tragic suicide of Jodhi May's character Alice in "Last of the Mohicans" to crescendo a remarkable, memorable story.
The Twilight Zone: Jess-Belle (1963)
Serling Original
I saw this for the first time when I was 10 years old and it stuck with me. Back in the day, with TV censorship alive and well, this was original stuff. Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were only shown or mentioned sleeping in separate beds. The Smothers Brothers and trend setting TV variety programs were not even a concept at that time. In this little play we had a lead character who was a very sexual, animalistic (albeit sympathetic) creature. There were references to powers of lust, a dark theme involving mysticism and a young, naive victim caught in a maelstrom right out of a Greek tragedy. Serling likely had to fight censors to keep content in this play, just like many others. The plot was steeped in irony: what Jess-Belle had done had made the object of her desire lost to her reach even though he now pursued her. The special effects worked then, particularly for TV. You now just have to allow imagination to work; difficult for us today. It was certainly best appreciated in its own time of production. The spoken language wasn't "hokey". Ever been off road into deep Appalachia? Serling elected not to have the typical closing statement. He had remarkable control over twilight zone. I'm sure that for once, he felt the story said it all.