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Reviews
Hard Ball (2001)
A Really Pleasant Surprise
Reviews of this movie, especially in the UK,have been very unflattering but I thought it was well acted and in a small way quite inspiring. Cynics will scoff at the story of an impoverished kids baseball team from the wrong side of the tracks overcoming adversity to win a trophy, thanks in part to the efforts of a reformed gambler and drunkard Conor O'Neill (Reeves), but if only life was like this occasionally ! Maybe it is ? Diane Lane was, as ever, quite luminous and the way her acting has shone in recent years is,for me,one of the highlights of going to the movies. The role of schoolteacher Elizabeth Wilkes is only a supporting one here,but she exudes real presence every time she comes on screen. I'm not a great fan of Keanu Reeves but he is very believable in Hardball and all the kids were excellent too. Yes it is an idealistic, sentimental and corny movie but I loved it and Reeves' address in the church was genuinely moving. Just as his character was " uplifted just for a moment " by one of his team so I was for the duration of this movie and for some time after. Nice soundtrack too.
Unfaithful (2002)
An absolute gem
Quite simply one of the best movies I have seen in years. Flawless acting - especially from the wonderful Diane Lane - great script and sensitive direction. The much used theme of suburban boredom is handled in a fresh and enlightening way, and I'm still thinking about the movie and the impact of the events on each of the principal characters more than a week after seeing it. Especially liked the ending too. For anyone (like me) fed up with a string of no-brain super-hero, alien, disaster and teen movies,Unfaithful is a reminder of how powerful and gripping a well made cinematic character study and great acting can be.
Don't miss it !
Autumn in New York (2000)
Surprisingly good
Waited for this to come out on video which was a mistake as it worked well enough for me. Particularly good to see Winona Ryder back on song after the horrors of "Lost Souls". I thought she was luminous and the chemistry with Richard Gere - very far from my favourite actor - seemed good. Scenery was stunning and the whole movie had an escapist feel which I'm a sucker for. Reminded me a little of the wonderful"Always" for some reason - same romantic idealism. So ignore the critics. It's well worth watching.
The Family Man (2000)
Just Loved Every Moment
A great antitote to the misfortune of living in England in 2000 - I left the cinema thinking that just maybe dreadful politicians, appalling public services, lousy weather etc. etc. would all go away to another planet if I shut my eyes for a moment. Which is the whole point of going to the movies I suppose . Both leads in this film were stunning, especially Cage who was totally believable in a far from easy role. I had never seen Tea Leoni before - guess I have a lot of catching up to do. Her acting reminded me of Jodie Foster/Holly Hunter in their prime and, for me, there is no higher praise. For the cynic this wouldn't work - the plot is idealistic to say the least, but the message that some of the things we value aren't worth a dime, whilst others are incalcuable is spot on. On the way home it occurred to me that the life view put forward in " Family Man " appealed to me far more than the much-hyped " American Beauty " which I loathed. In fact, I haven't enjoyed a film of this type so much since " Always " - which feels like 200 years ago. So if you love a romantic, feel-good movie, great acting - the chemistry between Cage and Leoni was terrific - don't miss this under any circumstances. I only wish I could give it 11 out of 10. All those boring critics who said 2000 was a dire year for movies are just so wrong. This is Hollywood at its best.
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000)
Best movie moment of 2000
Loved this movie for the strength of the acting, the poignancy of the storyline and, above all, for the very brief moment during Rebecca's (Holly Hunter) story when she is looking at a newspaper stand during a fairly aimless evening walkabout. The look says it all about the possibility of urban loneliness better than any words. Only a few seconds but I can't wait to see the moment again.Took my breath away. All the principal actors were wonderful - don't like Ally McBeal but Calista Flockhart was well worth watching here. Just seen the trailer for " Bedazzled " whilst waiting for " What Lies Beneath " to start and it made me wonder why I like the movies at all with stuff like " Bedazzled " around - then I remember Holly at the news stand, Glenn Close with her mother and Kathy Baker with her son and new found friend in " Things " and I recall why I love movies. 10/10 for me.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Far from a classic Coen Brothers movie
All a matter of opinion of course, but I hated this movie - maybe I enjoyed Fargo and,especially, The Big Lebowski too much but I found the humour childish, the acting average - apart from George Clooney who was obviously having a lot of fun - and the music ghastly. Trouble was, I saw O Brother in Edinburgh about an hour after watching " Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her " which is one of the best movies I've seen in years, so maybe this unfairly coloured my view. I can't stomach the idea of sitting through the tedious "odyssey" again so I'll never know.
Harlan County War (2000)
Gripping portrayal of bitter strike with great performance from Hunter
I am biased about Holly Hunter, having enjoyed all her movies (excluding A Life Less Ordinary) right back to Broadcast News and Harlan County War is a fine addition to her record.
In her first TV movie appearance for 7 years, she is the main focus of the gripping account of a particularly nasty miners' strike in Eastern Kentucky in the early 1970s and her portrayal of Ruby Kincaid has the ring of authenticity, extraordinary focus and real passion I've come to expect.Definite echoes of Roe vs. Wade for me - not just because that too was set in the 1970s but the whole feel of the movies is similar - both have very strong scripts and the acting of everyone involved is spot on. It was also interesting to contrast the approach taken with the UK movie " Brassed Off " which so successfully highlighted the many wounds (few yet healed totally) resulting from the 1984 miners strike in England - also a very bitter dispute.
There are many wonderful moments in Harlan County - the scenes with Ruby and her black lung infected dad - evoking the poignant scenes between daughter and dad in Home For The Holidays - the strong rapport between Ruby and husband, and the gradual awareness of how strongly Ruby feels about not giving in to the mining company. For anyone who, like me, is an admirer of Holly Hunter's work this film is a must and long after watching it, images of the dispute lingered on in my mind. As usual, the other question I kept asking myself : is there a better character actor or actress than Hunter alive today ? Easy answer to that one - no.
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
Epitomises the magic of cinema - great acting, great story
At a time when so many bad movies are being made, to watch a masterpiece like this is a rare privilege. It epitomises the reasons why I love the cinema - enabling the imagination to be given free rein to picture life in a different place, time and culture. By far the best performance I have seen Ethan Hawke give, with a whole host of other fine actors. Sam Shepard, as ever, is utterly convincing.
OK, the ending is a bit corny but by that time the storytelling, amazing cinematography/scenery, poignant love affair and realisation of how Japanese people were treated in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor had drawn me in so far that I didn't care. Apart from the wonderful " Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her " this is my film of the year.
Jesus' Son (1999)
Great acting and black humour enliven drug infested journey through 1970s America
Director Alison Maclean's follow up to Crush follows the tortuous journey towards redemption of a drug ravaged loser called " Fuckhead ", played by Billy Crudup, stumbling through a series of unpleasant or off-beat incidents in 1970s America. His name refers to the way everything he touches goes horrendously wrong, but what saved this movie for me from being too depressing was the humour and pathos in Crudup's performance which almost made me like the messed up character he plays. His journey is shown in a series of separate segments, staying reasonably close to the style of the acclaimed short stories by Denis Johnson on which the movie is based. " FH " has an on-off liaison with Michelle, powerfully played by Samantha Morton who was so impressive in the badly under-rated " This is the Sea " and in Jesus' Son is once again utterly convincing.
A strong cast includes cameo appearances from Will Paton, Dennis Hopper and most notably Holly Hunter who is mesmerising in a brief appearance towards the end of the film as a woman who has suffered from dreadful things which keep happening to her husbands.By this stage I had become a litle bored with the succession of losers and gory incidents - a guy with a knife in his eye being treated in the emergency room for instance - but Hunter's role together with the overall strength of Crudup's acting re-ignited the final section of this interesting movie.
At the end " FH " does find some kind of redemption and his surprise at this situation is almost a happy ending. I was surprised too how much of an impression the movie made on me afterwards with little incidents and lines of dialogue making me want to see it again. So Jesus'Son, although not for the faint-hearted, is definitely worth checking out - especially for Billy Crudup's perfomance - and I am certain that Alison Maclean is set to be a major directorial talent in the years ahead.
(Jesus' Son shown at the London Film Festival, November 06, 1999)
Woman Wanted (1999)
A superb performance from Hunter highlights this gem of amovie
It is a complete mystery why this gem of a movie has apparently failed to find a theatrical release and been shown first on cable TV. " Woman Wanted " has a strong cast and demonstrates again that Holly Hunter is one of the most gifted actresses around today. Coming on top of her wonderful performance in " Living Out Loud " and a great turn on stage in the off-broadway play " Impossible Marriage " it is a delight in this movie to see her combining wistful emotion with a fierce self-confidence that really makes you care what happens to the enigmatic character of Emma Riley. Emma is the " Woman Wanted " hired as a housekeeper by the Goddard father and son strongly played by Michael Moriarty and Kiefer Sutherland (who also directs the movie) and the way Hunter plays the role evokes memories of characters from earlier movies such as Miss Firecracker, Always and Once Around. She somehow manages to look a dead ringer for Carnelle in Miss Firecracker, even though that movie is over 10 years old, and totally different from the Judith the 40 something New Yorker in Living Out Loud. Perhaps this is the true meaure of a great actor.
" Woman Wanted " comes over a shade or two darker than the excellent book by Joanna McClelland Glass (who also wrote the screenplay) which is a shame as the movie could have done with some of the book's lighter moments to offset a sombre mood . But take nothing away from the main performers who have a good chemistry - especially Sutherland and Hunter - and the line from Sutherland about the emergency room being a good substitute for family is a classic.
Above all, though, I shall remember " Woman Wanted " for the emotional power of Hunter's performance as Emma Riley and to borrow Spielberg's words she is a true " architect of character. "