dmcd9999 Reviews

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)

A simple story with depth

[9/10 · 22 August 2014]

I read many bad reviews of this picture and wasn't expecting much, but The Angriest Man in Brooklyn surprised me. It's a well-acted story with substance - a bittersweet tale of life as it is and life as it can be. The very strong cast included cameos by a stuttering James Earl Jones and a piggish Louis C.K. Yes, it's sentimental, but it's not sloppy about it. It's humorous without big laughs. It's quiet and subtle and altogether outstanding. It reminds us that the only normal people are the ones we don't really know. It shows us how important it is to try to be happy. Not your typical Hollywood, thank goodness.

Portraying a man whose bad day has gone on for years, Robin Williams' performance is eerily grave. He is complemented by a strong cast and a simple story that makes its point. Well worth the price of the ticket, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn is a little gem.

The Fountain (2006)

What?

[2/10 · 18 February 2013]

Neither sci-fi or philosophy, this film disappointed from minute one until the closing titles. And I am usually too easy in my reviews, too accepting. Spent the whole film waiting for it to end so I could get on to something that made some sense. I sincerely hope Mr. Jackman and Ms. Weiss are sincerely embarrassed by participating in this confused pseudo- intellectual attempt at Meaningfulness. It failed on all fronts. The sci- fi was really weak fantasy. The "historic" fantasy was muddled and confused.. The love story was hardly that, since our tragic hero was never really there for his dying beloved. If there was a message, it was lost in loose allusions to some cosmic reality that never reached a conclusion. Help, I have lost almost two hours I can't get back.

1600 Penn (2012–2013)

Another stupid sit-com

[5/10 · 11 January 2013]

I really wanted to like this show because of Bill Pullman. As it turned out, he was the only light in an otherwise dull and murky program. Same old American sit-com with a few special moments (the Cabinet sharing family problems instead of deciding the future of the Nation.) Trivial jokes. Extremely irritating first son. Extremely annoying and ingratiating first lady. You can see the network hacks selecting jokes from a really old joke book then trying to modernize it with some misplaced hip language. It could have been much worse. As it is, 1600 Penn is an out-of-the-box network sit-com with little new to offer. Bottom line, occasionally amusing but over-whelmingly boring. Sorry, Bill. I really wanted to love this one just for you.