coolhand-2 Reviews

Sherman's March (1985)

An interesting experiment, but a test in patience.

[8/10 · 22 April 1999]

Sherman's March is three hours of footage from a broken man's life. Ross McElwee takes us on a journey to make a documentary on Sherman's March, but ends up showing us a sequence of extensive real life footage from his subsequent crisis in love. The picture feels like a home movie. Experiencing so much of the director's personal life is an unusual experience and takes the motion picture somewhere it doesn't often go. However, the movie is long and I feel it should have been further edited for the public. it is a bit egocentric to expect people to spend so much time watching some random guy's life.

The Apostle (1997)

It'll take some patience to get through this movie, but it's worth your time.

[9/10 · 10 March 1999]

This movie is definitely not for the action thrill seeking high pace mainstream movie goer. The Apostle takes the subject of good old revival style southern preaching, and patienty explores it through an in depth development of Robert Duvall's superbly acted character, "Sonny" the Apostle E.F. Duvall's conflicted spiritual acting harkens back to his role in Tender Mercies, and carries this movie. Extended preaching scenes do justice to the energetic and invigorating sermons featured in this film. The final scene, a slow actual time sequencing, gives the viewer a reaistic impression of how it would be in the actual church house in a way no time condensed version could. The final product almost has a documentery feeling, even though it is most definitely structured as a drama. The plot revolves around the classic model of a protagonist's fall and redemption - addressed in religious terms that seem to transcend the movie's particular circumstances to address deeper human issues such as the nature of forgiveness. The entire picture is a beautiful aside into a world found nowhere else in cinema.

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Don't commit yourself to 165 minutes of Towering Inferno unless you're ready to make the best of a really poor mainstream Hollywood disaster at its stereotypical worst.

[2/10 · 20 February 1999]

I like Paul Newman and all, but the all star cast of this picture brings no redemption to the 2 hours and 45 minutes of shame I endured as I struggled in epic fashion against one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Basicaly, the picture focuses on watching a totally 70's building burn. I expected an action packed disaster movie, but what I got was a slow paced disappointment. The extremely predictable extremely weak story gives no room for mega talent like Steve McQueen or Newman to do their thing. The special effects come to us from such a nul and void context that they basically stand on their own; during their day that might have been able to carry the picture, but coming in with todays blockbuster standards don't get your hopes up. If you want a good fire-fighter movie, watch Backdraft. I would only recomend this flick if you are ready to entertain yourself with witty comments and sarcasm and come to the picture with no expectation for drama.