Mr. Film Reviews

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)

A Curious Tale of Giving and Needing

[7/10 · 24 May 1999]

"Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" is an excellent piece of storytelling and a refreshing film. It flows freely and is full of interesting and engaging twists, one of which is surprising but serves well in tying it all together.

Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere play two gentlemen at the mercy of an oddly ailing woman, Solange. Doctors are no help, and the two men obviously mean little to her, but they keep at it and decide that what she needs is a child, which she cannot give birth to.

Things happen and as the story unfolds, it brings the viewer in closer and examines happiness from an offbeat angle. If nothing else, "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" is fun and engaging and should not be missed.

American History X (1998)

The Skinny on the Skin-heads

[6/10 · 21 May 1999]

I have heard people laud this film for it's writing, it's directing, and it's casting. It's directing was fair at best, and it's writing was poor. Only the decisions to cast Norton and Furlong for the two leading roles were good. This movie suffers from organizational problems i.e. jumping from year to year like hopscotch, spending an extremely short amount of time on important scenes and vice versa, etc. Aside from the fact that it was interesting, the film was overdone and sophomoric. Only Norton's performance deserves any praise.

The Official Story (1985)

Not as Good as People Say

[7/10 · 21 May 1999]

"The Official Story" won the Academy Award for best foreign film, but I do not believe it deserved it. The film is based in Argentina when the government dictatorship was making may people very angry, let us say. While public protests and outcries are at their peak, the mother of an adopted girl named Gaby, a child of a couple who was killed by the government, finds a woman who may well be her grandmother. The film follows a very melodramatic course as the mother and father prioritize.

Overall, the film is borderline good (I gave it a seven). The brooding mother, trying to figure things out about her daughter, brought little to the table in acting, in my opinion. I found the familiar relations between the father and his kin much more interesting than the slowly developing daughter conflict. There are better films dealing with similar topics, and if this film was made in 1986, "Ran" should have crushed it for best foreign film.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

A Waste of Skill

[5/10 · 19 May 1999]

Many people believe "Reservoir Dogs" is a good film. It is not. Tarantino failed to make it into anything but violence and the combination of music and camera-work. The screenplay was poor, but the lines, or at least the way they were written, were convincing. This film has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and I use the word "redeeming" loosely about movies. Without a doubt, many movies are about nothing and are good. "Dogs" is about a group of men who messed up a bank robbery and went to a warehouse to talk about things and get very angry at each other.

Many find the movie hip, but at best the movie itself is not hip, the pitiful characters may seem to be, but really the only hip character is Mr. White, played by Harvey Keitel. Anyone that thinks supposed professionals who can't do their jobs right, swear a great deal over nothing, get very tense, and lose their cool on a dime work well for a movie centered around nothing in particular are wrong. A very weak film.

The French Connection (1971)

Two Good Cops

[8/10 · 19 May 1999]

"The French Connection" is a film possessing character and class. It is the story of two Narcs attempting to break up an international drug ring from France to New York. It is riveting and accurate (based on a true story), and Gene Hackman gives one of the best performances of his career.

Pi (1998)

A Slice of Interest

[7/10 · 18 May 1999]

The key word for this film is interesting. Darren Aronofsky makes this a fascinating movie experience. His black and white, though no doubt a budget concession, actually made the film better for itself and its tone. "Pi" is worth watching because of it's convincing yet daring plot and it's all-around feeling and approach. I gave the film an eight.

Life (I) (1999)

Sentence Suspended

[5/10 · 18 May 1999]

"Life," starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, proves that some lives just aren't worth putting on film, at least if they're fictional. The film flows along at it's own whim and centralizes itself on learning lessons and such, which was a mistake in the screenplay. Although some parts were funny enough for a laugh, mostly everything was forced. Murphy should star in witty, quirkish roles, not situation comedies. Lawrence does not seem cut out for movies at this point.

Ronin (1998)

Seldom Seen

[7/10 · 18 May 1999]

Robert DeNiro plays the smart and deadly Sam in "Ronin," a classy action film set in Europe. Sam is in a volatile and dangerous business as a hired gun. A true professional, he is crafty enough to squeeze through explosive and unlikely situations that will awe the audience. The action is first-class, and a particular car scene is almost unbelievable. "Ronin" is what the common action film should strive to be.

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Too Much Dreaming

[6/10 · 18 May 1999]

A film that tries too hard, "What Dreams May Come" is not any kind of real achievement except in the visual category. If Vincent Ward had thrown out all the half-hearted and unconvincing attempts to depict the anguish Williams' character and his wife were supposedly suffering and concentrated on the world they traveled to with a sub-plot more easily attainable, I think the film would have been fine.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Best Sequel of All Time

[9/10 · 18 May 1999]

A brilliant companion to the first film, "The Godfather Part II" follows the Corleones into the late fifties, when the family business, as well as the family itself, undergoes changes. Don Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, delivers a very convincing performance alongside Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. The story is crafted to fit the times and also to help define the characters and show their growth, and in some cases, their demise. When it's all finished, "The Godfather Part II" is thoroughly satisfying and moving. An exceptional film.

On the Waterfront (1954)

He Could Have Been...

[10/10 · 18 May 1999]

Marlon Brando plays Terry Milloy in, "On the Waterfront," Elia Kazan's most famous movie. It is the story involving much conscience and guilt, both of which plague Milloy throughout the unfolding. Dabbing in organized crime while seeing the sister of the man he helped to kill, Terry must make many critical decisions about what kind of a person he wants to be. This powerful film radiates greatness.

Maborosi (1995)

A Directing Triumph

[8/10 · 17 May 1999]

Rarely do I rate films so highly, but Maborosi earned it's nine. A large part of my enjoyment of the film was due to the beautiful and subtle directing that seemed to compliment the story itself perfectly. Koreeda is a very promising Japanese director. I recommend this one to all serious movie watchers, and I await his future films.

Hoop Dreams (1994)

A Rare Look at Life

[9/10 · 17 May 1999]

In one of the most revealing and beneficial films I've seen, Steve James chronicles the life of two basketball phenoms in "Hoop Dreams." Documentaries are special in that nothing is false or made up. They are taken from real life. This film shows us the struggles we must go through to attain greatness, the hardships that are inevitable in life, and the realization that the future is not as dark or as bright as it may seem.

The Godfather (1972)

One of the Greatest Films Ever

[10/10 · 17 May 1999]

"The Godfather" is a masterful film, rich in every component essential to it's development. Along with the terrific story-line and plot, the characters and the actors who play them really make this movie. One cannot help becoming deeply enveloped in the film with all its terrific elements fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle. It is truly a film masterpiece.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Arguably the Best Film of All Time

[10/10 · 17 May 1999]

"Citizen Kane" is a film treasure. To me, it is the ultimate classic. Along with being one of the finest films ever made, it is also one of the most influential to the movie industry. It opened new doors to film-making and set new standards for greatness.