| The Tailor of Panama:
Pierce Brosnan is a ruthless British spy sent to modern Panama as punishment. He
uses the tailor to the country's elite who likes to spin stories in an elaborate plot to
scam the government. The poor proud tailor, Geoffrey Rush, lets his little lies run
away with him to a tragic effect, when he realizes that he has lost all he holds dear, at
the same time starting an international incident. Yes, the moral is, "Oh, what
a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." This is subtle,
haunting picture with terrific performances and nuances, but not, I must admit, for
everyone. But, its cynical view of governmental officials tied with a very human
heart scored with me. movie seen 5/12/01 RECOMMEND: Salvador has a great Oscar-nominated performance by James Wood. Director, Oliver Stone gives this tale of a journalist in the war torn El Salvador in the early 80's his usual hard edge. |
| THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY: Is
the tale of a man played by Matt Damon who is so jealous for the "good" things
in life that he obtains them anyway he can, including by murder, but who ends up with
little more than he started with. There are fine supporting performances by Gwyneth
Paltrow and Jude Law in this morality tale. There are some nice twists and turns in
the plot that keep you wondering just how it will all end. movie seen 12/30/99 RECOMMEND: A Place in the Sun is the classic Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor filming of Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" that is the story of the poor boy who works his way up, including a real romance with wealthy young lady, only to lose it all by his own actions with his sad little poor girlfriend. |
| TARZAN: Another
triumph for Disney. Strong storytelling and amazing artwork. We may not sing
the songs coming out of the theater, but they do form an effective background to the
storyline. The action and comedy kept everyone watching, however some parts may be a
little intense for small. sensitive children, judging by the crying I heard. (But, I
must confess - I missed Weissmuller's Tarzan call! Ah ah ah ah ah) movie seen
6/26/99 RECOMMEND: Tarzan and His Mate is wonderfully sexy and campy and is usually considered the best of the Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan series. It contains nude swimming scenes and lots of adventure scenes while Tarzan fights to keep Jane from going back to civilization and the hunters from the elephant ivory. NOTE: I must also give consideration to "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" made in 1984. They attempted to get back to the original story, as does Disney, and did a great job in the jungle scenes. But the movie overall wasn't that great. As an irony, Glenn Close who does the voice of the mother gorilla for Disney, also dubbed Andie MacDowell's voice ad Jane in "Greystoke". |
| TEA WITH MUSSOLINI: Is a lushly filmed
movie of a group of English and American women who help raise a young Italian boy,
loosely based on the autobiography of Franco Zeffirelli, the director. Cher looks
stunning, but should have learned to speak from her English counterparts. It is a
predictable storyline, but does has a charming air to it. However, you never truly
get the feeling that the characters are in danger, despite being aliens in a country at
war, so the story lacks the edge it could have it. (The women even manage to easily
defeat the Nazis!) But, as a romanticized look at the past, it was a pleasant way
to spend a couple hours. (And to Cher - record that album of standards - your tease
of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" needs fulfillment!!) movie seen 5/15/99 RECOMMEND: Three Came Home starring Claudette Colbert is the heart-wrenching tale of woman internees held by the Japanese in WWII. Sessue Hayakowa’s performance as the head of the camp is surprisingly human and in the end his story is as tragic as those he imprisons. I cannot recommend this film enough. I still cry at the end, no matter how many times I see it. |
| Tears of the Sun: Somewhere along his career, Bruce Willis went from a fun
comic actor to John Wayne. The movie begins with a special forces
mission to take a reluctant doctor out of warring Nigeria. After
tricking her to leave her people behind, the troop changes its mind and goes
against its orders to rescue the people in danger. Unfortunately,
instead of making a smart movie, like "Three Kings", this one becomes
preachy and unreal and in the end doesn't work emotionally or
intellectually.
movie
seen 3/8/03 RECOMMEND: Back to Bataan is a John Wayne WWII movie about U.S. troops left in the Philippines after it falls to form guerrilla fighting troops. It is one of the better action movies made during the war. |
| The
Terminal: Is a funny, but touching
minor film from Spielberg. Tom Hanks plays a man flying into New York
from a European country, who is denied access to the the U.S. when his
country goes into warfare. He is then told to stay in the terminal,
which he does for several months, making many friends and of course an
enemy. Although I doubt this film will be listed as their best, it is
a warm, pleasant way to spend a couple hours. movie seen 06/18/04 RECOMMEND: What the Deaf Man Heard is an interesting Hallmark TV movie that begins with a little boy who is abandoned in a small town, which adopts him. Not saying anything, everyone assumes he is deaf and he becomes the confessional of the town, much to his adult amusement. |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines:
Out of all the sequels
this summer, this is the one I most anticipated. Can't say I was
disappointed; the story is a solid continuation of the last two films and
there is action and special effects galore. Arnold Schwarzenegger is
in good form, but especially impressive is the newest cyborg, ably played by
Kristanna Loken (and she does kick his butt around!). Nick Stahl is a
good actor, but I think he lacks that certain edge and street smarts that
the John Conner character should have, and that's my only true downside
view. The first two movies had a mythical sense to them and this film
continues the legend. (And you can be assured based on the movie's
ending along with the money made, there will be fourth film!)
Very entertaining, and you'll enjoy the in jokes. movie seen
7/4/03 RECOMMEND: WarGames was a popular film in its day in which a Pentagon experimental computer has taken over and is leading the country to final war. Matthew Broderick has charm as the young computer whiz who accidentally starts the process and has to find a way now to end it before nuclear war is started. The story remains entertaining, but. twenty years later, the computers now look absolutely quaint. |
| There Will Be Blood: This is a one man movie, saved by Daniel Day-Lewis' mesmerizing performance. But, for me he was playing the same character he did in "Gangs of New York", though he was great to watch. But, I just couldn't stand the slow pace of the movie and the characters who had no logic in their actions. In the end I found it an annoying waste of my time. I know that others find it brilliant, but it left me cold, so no recommend. Seen 2/08/08 |
| THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY: Yes, I finally got
talked into seeing it by everyone saying how funny it was. Well, I am sorry to say, that
while everyone else laughed uproarously, I sat there trying to figure out what was so
funny about things like a dog on fire. But, underneath there was an adorable love story
between Cameron Diaz, at her most charming, and Ben Stiller, at his sweetest, that made
the movie tolerable for me. Sorry, the gross stuff was only gross, not funny for me. RECOMMEND: CAT BALLOU is a comedic Western starring Jane Fonda. The tie-in is that each movie uses a pair of strolling minstrels to high-light the stories , with Cat Ballou featuring Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye. I can remember being highly amused by this film, especially by Lee Marvin in his duel role that netted him his Oscar. |
| THIRTEEN DAYS: Is
a straight forward telling of the Cuban Missile Crisis with excellent, across-the-board
performances by Bruce Greenwood as John Kennedy, Steven Culp as Robert Kennedy,
Kevin Costner as presidential aide Kenneth P. O'Donnell, and the rest of the cast.
Although we know how it how turned out, there is still an air of tension, as we come to
realize that we were within 24 hours of annihilating the world. So, the movie is
more than a history lesson, it is a life lesson, and one we should never forget: war is
the ultimate last step, never the first. NOTE: I remember going to school during
those days and not feeling panic, but only a level of concern as to how it would all turn
out. Some of the film used in the movie was colorized newsreel footage, which adds
to the feeling of authenticity. I Highly recommend this movie. movie seen 1/13/01 RECOMMEND: The Missiles of October was a TV movie with William Devane as JFK that covers the same territory. I remember it being a strong and well-done, though it hasn't been on the air for quite a while, I imagine that some cable channels will dig it out now. |
| 13 Going on 30:
The comparisons to "Big" are inevitable, but the viewpoint
has enough differences and Jennifer Garner has a delightful warmth and charm
in the role that makes it a pleasurable movie. As a 13 year old she
wishes to be a glamorous 30 year old, but finds when her wish comes true
that she didn't turn out to the type of person she intended. Mark
Ruffalo adds nice support as her childhood friend she links back up with as
the new adult. And the Thriller dance number is a lot of fun. movie seen 04/23/04 RECOMMEND: The Major and the Minor is a hilarious Billy Wilder comedy with Ginger Rogers playing a child to get a cheaper rail ticket, but gets stuck playing a child. Ray Milland is her foil as an army major who teaches at a military school. It is a totally ridiculous premise, and that's what makes it fun. Not among Wilder's greatest comedies, but certainly set the basis for his later better films, especially "Some Like it Hot". |
| THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR: Is
a stylish romantic thriller that pits a wealthy man who steals art for the thrill of it
against the sexy insurance agent pursuing him. It starts off strong with a major
theft, but gets too caught up in trying to make a steamy love story to finally work.
It's one of those not so bad, but not so good movies we seem to have a lot of
lately. movie seen 8/14/99 RECOMMEND: Topkapi is the clever, well-done 1964 caper movie that has often been imitated for its style and story. It stars Melina Mecouri, Maximilian Schell, and Peter Ustinov, in his supporting Oscar-winning performance. |
| THREE KINGS: Is
a stylish war movie that mixes an intelligent script and performances with humor and
well-done action sequences. George Clooney heads a quartet of Gulf War soldiers who
decide to go for the Kuwaiti gold that Saddam took and end up getting involved with war
refugees. They took the premise of Clint Eastwood's WWII farce, "Kelly's
Heroes" and ended up with a solid movie that may establish a new benchmark of
movie photography. At the same time, I suspect that this will not be a movie for everyone,
as it goes beyond the action-adventure mode they expect. movie seen 10/9/99 RECOMMEND: I had thought that "Kelly's Heroes" would be the natural match picture, but then I watched The Savior just before I saw "Three Kings" and knew that I had to recommend it. Dennis Quaid gives an excellent performance as a man whose wife and child are killed by terrorists, who then retaliates by killing Muslims in a Mosque. He escapes to the French Foreign Legion and becomes involved with the war in Bosnia. His reformation comes when he becomes a protector for a refugee and her newborn. Both pictures see war with new eyes - it isn't the holy quest or John Wayne gung ho adventure, anymore. |
| 3000 MILES FROM GRACELAND: Is
one of those frustrating movies where there are a lot of entertaining elements, but there
is too much crap thrown in to make it work. The idea of a gang of Elvis
impersonators robbing a Vegas casino was highly amusing, but there was so much gratuitous
gun violence, I felt the picture was an ad for the NRA. The exciting camera work
gets so overwhelming, that the story gets lost in the technique. And finally,
the characters are so scummy that I couldn't work up any sympathy for any of them. A
lot of the audience seems to be into the movie, but as you can tell, I found it a
disappointment. movie seen 2/23/01 RECOMMEND: The Asphalt Jungle is the classic caper movie, often modeled after, but never improved. It is gritty, realistic style still works with a solid cast led by Sterling Hayden. Features Marilyn Monroe in a memorable small scene. |
| The Time Machine: Is
a remake that reminds me of the remake of The Planet of the Apes.
There are all the bells and whistles with special effects, but they forgot to write
a memorable storyline. It begins with some really lovely scenes in Victorian Age New
York with Guy Pierce as an absent-mided professor who's madly in love with a lovely women.
But a tragic event make him want to change the past, so he creates a time machine
that eventually sends him far into the future. That's where the story falls apart
and begins to look like a dopey arcade game. I would label it a near miss. movie seen 3/9/02 RECOMMEND: The Final Countdown has Kirk Douglas is the captain of a modern day carrier who lands in the Pacific as the Japanese are ready to attack Pearl Harbor. There is a twist ending that will put a smile on your face. I've always found this one an entertaining fantasy. |
| TRAFFIC: I
suspect that this will be the Oscar winner this year. It is a hard edge look at the
failing drug war that follows three main stories that end up inter-twining. The
director, Steven Soderbergh, uses various forms of photography with gritty film effects
and there are uniformly excellent performances from the large cast. The storylines
follow Michael Douglas as the new U.S. drug zsar, who learns his own daughter is addicted;
Catherine Zeta-Jones who has to deal with her husband being arrested as a major drug
dealer; and Benicio Del Toro, as the poor, but honest Mexican policeman, who gets caught
up in a battle for control of the drug trade. It is not a warm moving picture, but
it is an honest, tough look at an important subject. (NOTE: James Brolin gets
the best line of the movie - real classic.) movie seen 1/6/01 RECOMMEND: The Days of Wine and Roses has amazing, gutsy performances by Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick as a married couple who fall into the depths of alcoholism. |
| TOY STORY 2: Yippee,
a sequel that is as fun as the first! Woody and Buzz are back with lots of fun and
adventures and new characters, including Barbie. The kids in the audience,
including me, were enjoying the heck out of it. I was especially tickled by the
amusing references to "Star Wars" and even "Close Encounters"and the
characters' scary street-crossing is a classic. Another winner from
Disney/Pixar. movie seen 11/24/99 RECOMMEND: Bingo is one of my favorite tongue-in-cheek kid's movies. It tells the story of a boy and his dog. Bingo has lots of adventures as he follows the boy who has moved across the country. It is very silly, but I have always found it a hoot. |
| Troy: Is a huge
epic that tells the ancient story of Helen of Troy and the battle fought
because of her between Troy and Greece. Woofgang Petersen has lifted
it above spectacle by his direction, an intelligent script, and the
excellent performances of the cast. In particular, I must single out
Eric Bana, who brings a depth of character to Hector, a prince of Troy who
in defense of his brother's actions, wisely understands the ramifications of
everyone's actions. Peter O'Toole adds dignity as his father. My
only complaint is with Brad Pitt; I kept feeling that the role was really
written for Russell Crowe. Brad wasn't awful, just didn't seem to be
the perfect fit for him. But, I give the picture a strong recommend. movie seen 05/15/04 RECOMMEND: Ben Hur is the epic against which all others must be judged. It has a very human side combined with the astonishing famous chariot race. William Wyler did an amazing job of filming and it has become ingrained in our cultural memory. The movie doesn't lose its impact no matter how many times I see it. |
TRUE CRIME: Is the story of
a washed up newspaperman played by Clint Eastwood, |
| THE TRUMAN SHOW: Frankly, this was an
uncomfortable movie to watch. I got the story and thought the performances were great,
but.... I truly believe that it will take me seeing it again to give it a yeah or nay.
But, for now I can say that it is worth it to watch Jim Carrey give a solid performance in
a curious film. (As a later thought - anyone watching "The Real World" on MTV
knows that this situation could be possible. Or could Truman Burbank really be JFK, Jr. or
Prince William? Some people are cursed by an accident of birth to spend their lives in
front of the camera, without having a choice in the matter.) RECOMMEND: If you never saw THE PRISONER TV series of the 60's - rent it; it is definitely the father of this movie. I haven't seen it in over 30 years, but many of the images have stayed locked in my head. (I am afraid to watch it again for fear it would spoil those treasured memories.) It was an intelligent look at a scary world. |
| The Truth About Charlie: The
truth is the movie stunk so bad I nearly walked out on it. Honestly, why did
Jonathan Demme think he could improve upon Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Paris, and Stanley
Donan? Stick with the real stuff and avoid this drek. movie seen 10/26/02 RECOMMEND: See the classic: Charade is full of charm, suspense, danger, romance, wit, Paris, Cary Grant, and Audrey Hepburn. I have loved it since the first time I saw it and it remains the best and only version. |
| 27 Dresses: Is a sweetly charming chick flick about a romantic young woman who's always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. I can best describe it as a nice little movie, not a classic and not much new, but the performances are pleasant enough to make it a OK watch. movie seen 4/8/08 |
| Two Weeks Notice: Has
only the charisma of Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant to make it work. He's a charming cad
and she's a politically active attorney he convinces to work for him. And, of
course, they have to fall in love. He has some very amusing lines and she does her
clumsy lady sight gags, but as a whole it just reaches the level of O.K. movie seen 12/23/02 RECOMMEND: My Gal Friday is the slick fast-paced retelling of the venerable chestnut, "Front Page". Cary Grant does he wonderful double takes and is matched by Rosalind Russell's acerbic comedic moves as they work on reporting a murder case. It is an hilarious classic. |