Change Your Image
mikenpeter
Reviews
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Typical Hollywood Schlock
I couldn't even sit through this entire film. It's overly long and extremely sappy. I don't know why Hollywood can't tell a historic tale these days without drowning it in a sugary predictable love story. Is that the only way that people will watch a film these days? Maybe it IS a teeny-bopper's world.
Here's my advice: If you want to see the real story of Pearl Harbor, watch The History Channel. If you want to see a GOOD film about Pearl Harbor, sans the sappiness, rent 'Tora, Tora, Tora'. If you want to see a GOOD soap opera about Pearl Harbor, rent 'Pearl' (1978) with Angie Dickenson and Dennis Weaver.
Leave this one on the shelf.
Legally Blonde (2001)
Amusing But Otherwise Inconsequential
This film, heavily inspired by (all right, stolen from) Clueless and Working Girl, is fine if you're in the mood for a silly, entertaining flick. As always, Ms. Witherspoon is very good, although not as funny as Alicia Silverstone or Stacey Dash in the aforementioned film. It is, however, probably Ms. Witherspoon's best effort so far. Academy award worthy, though? Hardly - I'm sure Ms. Witherspoon has the talent, but this role didn't have enough "meat" in it.
I agree with another reviewer's comment that Clueless is the better choice of the two. This movie takes itself too seriously, which is a mistake, since it's supposed to be a parody. Clueless has much more continuity and has a wry sense of humor this one lacks. Legally Blonde caused me to roll my eyes one too many times.
Secrets & Lies (1996)
Brenda Blethyn deserved the Oscar
I am watching this film for the 4th time. Each time, I am amazed at Ms. Blethyn's (and all of the actors') performance and the brilliant script and direction. Ms. Blethyn's scene during the first phone call from "Hortense" should have been enough to earn her the Oscar right then and there. Ms. Blethyn continues to show her tremendous talent and range since "Secrets." How Frances McDormand won the Oscar by walking around in the snow and saying "Yah" I will never understand. Has anyone seen anything McDormand's done since then?
The Living End (1992)
Could have been great . . .
It's difficult to make an 85 movie drag on, but somehow, Gregg Araki manages to do so with his amateurish direction. The plot is inspired, the cast is competent, but Araki ruins it with draggy direction and corny dialogue. Even talented and charismatic Mike Dytri can't save this clunker. By the time it got to the end, which I had heard so much about, I was ready to just turn it off and return the tape. It's very hard to care about the characters, likeable though they are, when every line of dialogue is punctuated by unnecessary pregnant pauses (a sure sign of incompetent direction). The film had great potential, but it came out as just a bunch of scenes slapped together with a really bad soundtrack (not the music: the volume kept jumping up and down alternating soft to loud from scene to scene).
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
It could have been great . . .
I had really high hopes for this film. It has an excellent cast, including RuPaul and Mink Stole (of John Waters fame), but unfortunately, the humour falls flat. It never produced more than a chuckle from me and my partner. Frankly, it needed John Waters' direction. The comedy attempts to emulate Waters' style, but never quite makes its mark. The relationship between the two leading characters is handled well, but for a better film on this topic, I recommend "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls In Love" much higher than this tepid comedy.
American Beauty (1999)
Better than I expected
I'm pretty cynical about movies made in Hollywood these days. Most are mediocre in my opinion. When I read the reviews for this film, I thought "Oh, more Hollywood hype." However, I have to say this film kept me entertained and interested from beginning to end -- never a slow moment. There were plenty of plot twists, and the characters were quirky enough for me to like them. This is one of the few films I saw last year that I actually thought about afterward.
Bottom line: If you like big Hollywood blockbusters with lots of ridiculous coincidences and predictable characters and endings, pass this one up. If you're looking for something a little unusual, I highly recommend it.
The Best of Everything (1959)
Crawford needed a larger part.
This is really a typical movie-length soap opera with a "morale message" It's entertaining to watch once, but goes on much too long (especially that picnic scene, which just lasts forever).
Joan Crawford steals the film with one of her best performances as the tragically frigid Amanda Farrow. Unfortunately, some of her scenes were cut from the final film, which was a big mistake. Hope Lange and Diane Baker also give a good performances, but Suzy Parker's character is ridiculously melodramatic and pretty much ruins the film.
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Not as funny as I would have hoped.
From its previews, I had hoped this film would be another "Starship Troopers." However, it simply didn't have the wit, the edge, or the action of that film. It's fine for kids, but for anyone over 15 years of age, I wouldn't waste the time.