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Reviews
Kimi (2022)
braindead movie.
Gaping, nonsensical plot holes. Convenient too easy solutions. No real tying it all together. To sum, this is a dumb movie. Zoe is a pretty lady, but she is as bland as plain oatmeal here, I felt zero connection with her character. Watch if you are bored and not that bright, otherwise, avoid this drivel posing as cinema.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Bradley Cooper is a genius...
...as is Cate Blanchette, as is Guillermo Del Toro, but my biggest hat off going to this masterful performance by Bradley Cooper, for whom my admiration continues to grow through the years. I have never been huge on noir films- they are too often obtuse and plodding....this movie took noir- put it on opium and steroids- and produced a gorgeous, painful, sharp film that has a *lot* to say about human nature. I refuse to give away spoilers, but I will say it is a fascinating film and character study from start to finish. And seriously, I have always been a Bradley Cooper fan (Silver Linings Playbook hooked me), but when I saw what he created with 'A Star is Born', I became almost worshipful because it displayed sharply what a brilliant mind he possesses- it is so clear what a perfectionist he is when he finds a project worth his efforts- not one beat off, a symphony of perfect communication. Wonderful film, yet the ending collapsed me, so be prepared for a wallop. Three thumbs up.
Trust (2021)
Good enough.
Not a great film but 7 stars because it was interesting enough to keep my attention and interest, and I didn't hate it. Glossy, pretty cast. Glossy, pretty setting. The "Irish" artist character kept forgetting he was Irish and spoke American off and on- very distracting, plus his character was creepy and pushy. This movie was a brain candy time killer- which I honestly can appreciate.
Shopgirl (2005)
Beautiful Movie
This was a well done and incredible movie. I want to own it as soon as it comes out on DVD. It was very literate, well-shot, excellently acted, original, unpretentious, well-written, interesting film-making all the way. It is the only movie since 'Garden State' that I've walked out feeling like my brain and heart were equally excited and satisfied. I love Steve Martin, who wrote, directed and starred in this movie. He is no less than a national treasure, a true renaissance man, I am glad we have him doing what he's doing. I fell in love with him even more after seeing this movie. This is my favorite Steve Martin role, I think a lot of himself was in his role, and he impresses me. Claire Danes and Jason Schwartman did an amazing job also. Claire Danes was pitch-perfect for her role in this film, it is the first movie with her that I've connected with her as an actress and she was made for the role. As far as people commenting on the age difference, to this I say pish-posh. If two people experience a true meeting of the minds, as well as chemistry, age has not a thing to do with it. I am going to go tell my friends not to go to this movie as soon as is humanly possible, and if you like smart, original, dialogue and character-driven movies, you will love it too. I am also going to read everything Steve Martin has ever written. Go see this movie.
The Weather Man (2005)
People, come on! This was not a good movie!
Am I the only one that thought this was a movie-in-a-can, reprocessed, repackaged, inferior, more depressing, American Beauty/About Schmit hybrid? How long is Hollywood gonna put out this formula and the public continue to eat it up like they haven't seen it a million times before while singing how original and deep it is? Okay, aside from the cliché, unoriginal format- the movie had it's redeeming qualities along the way, but was overall unsatisfying. The end of this movie was good, but to watch the preceding 4/5 of the movie was excruciating to get the payoff at the end!!! I almost missed the first half because my eyes were rolling so much. My mother and I groaned through this movie. Like I said, it had some redeeming qualities in the writing, but I would suggest the film-makers not to recycle next time and come up with something we haven't seen before. Sorry to sound so awful or mean about it, I just can't believe others loved this movie! To each his own I suppose.
Better Off Dead... (1985)
Fantabulous
Okay, so there's this highschool kid, Lane, overloading on vulnerable charm and silliness, yet he almost takes himself seriously after being dumped by his flaky girlfriend and degraded to working at a (hilarious) pork fastfood place. This is one of his John's earlier film roles and he is pitch-perfect and an absolute joy to watch. John uses Lane to excuse his wacky humility and truly unique sense of self to make this movie a classic, as far as an 80's teen comedy/romance can be. 'Better off Dead' is Writer/Director Savage Steve Holland's film debut and he has my utmost respect....this film captures the pain and pleasure of being a self-absorbed kid (as everyone has been at some point) in a world with no pity, and it does this with so many bellylaughs and sensitive sarcasm that it remains throughly interesting, and you can't help but relate and you can't help but feel delighted. If you dig this movie, check out 'Sixteen Candles', 'The Princess Bride' and 'Clueless', their common bond is endearing sarcasm and perfect leads.