1negevoli Reviews

Deja Vu (2006)

Bruce Greenwood, as always, is great and so sexy and there's a cat who survives

[1/10 · 19 August 2010]

Completely unbelievable. Total B.S. Unintelligent. What a crock!

I gave this piece of garbage one star because I love Bruce Greenwood and the cat manages to survive the transition of the movie (presumably). At least Ginger isn't introduced as a plot element and then never seen again, as in most half-arsed movies being produced nowadays. You see an animal and then never see it again or it is never even referred to again. When that happens, I don't watch anymore. So, they should get a point for that at least. And Bruce Greenwood. (Check out "Nowhere Man" on DVD.)

If this is supposed to be science fiction, it shouldn't take place in the present. Science can't even yet perfect face recognition or artificial intelligence. Or find bin Ladin.

The premise is laughable and I can't even begin to imagine how much money it took to make this ridiculous Denzel vehicle.

Why Bruce Greenwood isn't the master star of Hollywood, I'll never know.

The Limey (1999)

Most enjoyable, fast-paced, offbeat movie. Love it, love it, love it.

[10/10 · 10 May 2009]

I am writing this 10 years late. Thank god for Netflix (yet again!) -- otherwise I might've missed seeing this exceptional movie. (Not a stockholder, just a movie lover.)

Soderbergh won an Independent Spirit award for his directing and the movie was nominated for many awards so it is a crime that Stamp and Soderbergh and the movie itself were not rewarded with Oscars. The story/premise is most original. I think this is a "perfect" movie and one I will always remember. I look forward to viewing it again and again and introducing it to family and friends. I really cannot believe some of the negative comments I have read at IMDb. It is unkind, I suppose, to point out that statistically some viewers must be morons. But it is what it is.

Knowing absolutely nothing about the film beforehand -- I was engaged from the beginning. Stamp's performance and Soderberg's direction were compelling and other-worldly. I defy anyone to name a better acting job than that of Stamp in this movie. If anybody ever deserved an Oscar for leading man, it is Stamp, with a flawless performance. And I was enthralled with Soderberg's innovative direction. The combination of the story, the direction, the acting (the entire cast is good) and the picturesque locales make this film utterly riveting.

If you are critical of "The Limey", something is wrong with you.

John from Cincinnati (2007)

JFC canceled. More evidence TV execs are clueless and morons

[10/10 · 8 September 2008]

I just saw the series on DVDs (Aug. 2008) and it was one of the best I have seen. It is quirky, oddball and original with an excellent cast--the story and writing are great and really original. I think it helps to be open minded to accept something so different. It certainly was as good as or better than X-Files, which I loved. Only the acting in JFC is sublime. I am s complete sucker for great acting and TV has always been a great venue for it, harking back to the 1950s when TV drama was live and there was more of it. TV was where James Dean and John Cassavetes got their big breaks, just to name two brilliant actors.

Some of the best current TV is on Canadian TV: Intelligence and DaVinci's Inquest and, before them, Nowhere Man with Bruce Greenwood, all of which are available on DVD.

Unlike reviewers who found that JFC made them think, I had a completely visceral and emotional reaction to John from Cincinnati. I believe you have to accept it for what it is and revel in the sheer enjoyment of the series, especially the cast and their great acting.

And the surfing scenes don't hurt.

Mee-Shee: The Water Giant (2005)

Outstanding scenery highlights this movie for children

[8/10 · 8 September 2008]

I enjoyed Mee-Shee, except when the lame and talentless child actor called it Mishee. You'd think he'd be able to pronounce the name of the movie correctly but, honestly, he is so bad maybe that's not something he can do. Loved Bruce Greenwood, as always. And as usual, he it too good for the material and his poker-faced co-star.

(The New Zealand scenery, filling in for Canada, makes me crazy to want to go there.)

Whenever I see a child actor this bad I always wonder which of the producers he belongs to. The kid never changed expression, even when facing down a water "monster," as far as he knows.

I really recommend everybody see this film just so they can catch probably the worst child actor ever. The little dude didn't even try.

This could have been much better without the kid who played the kid.

Closer (I) (2004)

Insight into the mindset of a dirty old man

[1/10 · 5 February 2008]

So Mike Nichols has morphed into a dirty old man making inane dirty movies. What a disappointment. I knew nothing about this flick going in except that I mostly like Julia Roberts and Clive Owens. But really! I have heard the C word used in real life once, and I have been around the block a few times. Am I really supposed to believe that upper-middle-class people in modern-day London use it in every other sentence? (Or so it seemed. Gratuitous and shocking to me, and I am no prude.) Who do the writers and Nichols (and presumably Nichols' wife Diane Sawyer) hang around with? Oh, that's right, pretentious artsy fartsy types who may or may not be gay. Give me a break. No more Mike Nichols flicks for me. I am up to here with dirty old men, e.g., Nichols and Hugh Hefner. Ewww!

The Nightcomers (1971)

Avoid if you love and respect animals

[24 November 2007]

Another reviewer called this movie unnecessarily cruel because of its sexual depictions. I call it unnecessarily cruel because of its depictions of cruelty to animals. Cruelty to animals is never justified. Not in books or any story and certainly not in the visual arts. When I see it in a movie I would have otherwise enjoyed, I cannot recommend that movie. I believe the writer/director equates cruelty to animals with sexual deviations such as S&M. While I only very slightly and briefly experimented in S&M in my youth, I do not believe these two behaviors are connected. If someone becomes aroused during S&M activities (those depicted in the movie are rather tame activities at that; after all it is a movie) it has nothing to do with mindless harming of animals, which are innocent and helpless. Sexual deviation is strictly human in origin.

Nevertheless, Brando looks very sexy. However, I am disappointed he participated in the graphic animal cruelty contained in the script.

Knocked Up (2007)

Lame and Badly Cast and Badly Written and Directed

[1/10 · 30 September 2007]

My low rating of one star (there is no opportunity to give it a lower score, unfortunately) is not because of the language, nudity, etc. I am no prude and am frequently profane and nude myself.

My only deal-breaker on anything is vomit. And it keeps showing up more and more. In fact, that car scene in "The 40-Year Old Virgin" where the chick upchucks is the only thing I didn't like about "40 Year Old Virgin," which I consider to be a work of genius. But if "Knocked Up" is any indication of what to expect from Apetow in the future, "Virgin" will stand alone among his work. Maybe all he had in him is the one genius fluke of "Virgin" -- the film-director equivalent of a one-hit wonder.

I was drawn to this film by "Virgin," and the uniformly great reviews in the press and on TV of "Knocked Up." Never will I believe a review or movie hype again. (Read the IMDb reviews -- overwhelmingly negative.) Maybe I'll just watch Wes Anderson movies from now on. He reaches for the stars every time.

The casting of "Knocked Up" is the worst of my complaints, although the premise, writing and directing all compete for first place. I liked Seth Rogan in "Virgin" and I think Heigl is a beauty among beauties. But obviously that "don't" mean the woman can act. I have never watched "Gray's Anatomy," so I was not familiar with her acting chops. Well, if this is an example of her best work, she is pitifully bad at what she does. I saw her bragging on herself on a TV interview about her delivery-room screaming. Even that was lame. If she had ditched the make up and appeared agonized and bathed in sweat, like in real life, it might have been a funny scene. Rogan and Heigl had no chemistry whatsoever. And, on top of that, we're supposed to believe that Heigl can't do any better than him and actually evolves into loving him. Now that's funny.

There was zero realism in any aspect of this movie, which certainly is NOT a comedy since there was nothing even remotely funny about it. Oh, except for Ryan Secrest, who did the best acting in the movie, and I don't even like Secrest.

Everything about this movie was phony, lame and embarrassingly bad. And it is filled with ugly actors who can't act, just what red-blooded women need to see.

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934)

Touching tear-jerker about an old woman living in poverty

[10/10 · 10 August 2007]

I never forgot this old, old movie that I watched several times as a child probably 50 years ago. Black and white, of course, with W. C. Fields stealing freshly-baked pies from Mrs. Wiggs' window sill. It is a time capsule of its times and although Mrs. Wiggs is about to be evicted from her impoverished little shack, she is saved by a young man and woman, who may be a social worker and her wealthy fiancé. Or maybe not.

I only remember the strong emotions this film evoked in me and my little brother, who used to sit on the floor in front of the TV with me while we watched it together. I am afraid it is lost in the shuffle forever but long to see it one more time. Mores the pity.

The Last Seduction (1994)

Totally unbelievable

[1/10 · 30 June 2007]

I resisted renting this movie for all these years but was intrigued from time to time by occasional glowing praise of it, so I finally gave in and boy, am I sorry. Nothing wrong with the cast, which did what it could with a totally unrealistic story, especially Fiorantino. This movie did not ring true from the first moment to the last. As a casual fantasy, not worked out, maybe the story works for some people. But it does not ring true on any level, which ruins it for me. It's false and phony and I don't understand how it came to be made at all. Since so many comments praised the film, it sort of explains the deplorable state of Hollywood in the 21st century. The movie stinks.

Never Again (2001)

Phony premise, phony everything

[1/10 · 11 May 2007]

After watching this film, and I did watch it to the end, I immediately figured out its origins. The writer/director glommed onto the title, Never Again, then decided what a great movie title that would be and wrote (I use the word loosely) a movie around the title, using obvious setups. The opening scenes strain credulity for their "meeting cute" -- what normal straight guy decides he may be gay because he can't commit. Remember, I said normal. The leads are the mandatory emotionally damaged 54-year-old male and female. They bare their souls, and vow "never again" will they put themselves through the horror of falling in love but, oh, by the way, sex is permitted. She immediately has a "delayed" orgasm (only that piece of fiction could be written by a clueless male fixated on a fantasy that doesn't exist in real life), after which they suddenly decide they are in love and oh, by the way, it is six months later all of a sudden because it has been established for the sake of the story that he is so neurotic that he can't remain in a relationship longer than, what is it? oh yeah, nine months. Not three months, not 14 months, but nine months. (But that was with women half his age or less, so what's up with that?) So naturally, he leaves because he looked at his watch and by golly, it's been nine months. Then he gets run over by a horse, almost dies. She puts on a costume that brings him out of a coma and all live happily ever after, or so you are supposed to think.

The script, direction, and production values are to laugh at. The acting is good, as has been mentioned in other comments, but it must have taken heroic efforts on the parts of the cast to deliver with this lame material.

Infamous (2006)

I actually saw and observed Capote

[9/10 · 23 April 2007]

I really enjoyed both Capote movies but Infamous was more enjoyable for me because it seemed to portray the characters and the times more effectively. Not long before he died, Capote visited my newspaper office and was escorted right past me on his way to the newspaper's morgue, or library. The library counter was not far from my desk and Capote spent a good deal of time there, so naturally I had plenty of time to observe him.

He wore a kind of Spanish-style tan cowboy hat, glasses, and a tan cashmere or woolen scarf and short jacket. His eyes were so pale blue and watery and he was very, very short.

I think the Capote in Infamous comes closet to what I remember, except Toby's eyes were too dark.

I was mesmerized by Capote and Tennessee Williams and Normal Mailer and writers of that generation and was lucky enough to have a close encounter with Tennessee Williams, as well.

I have never been able to bring myself to read In Cold Blood because I remember the events as they actually happened, but may work up the courage one of these days. Today I plan to actually look at photos of the real killers online. which will be difficult for me. I did read Mailer's book on Gary Gilmore and it was unforgettable.

Tristram Shandy (2005)

Unwatchable

[1/10 · 7 January 2007]

I did not get past the interminable and repetitive childbirth scenes, which take up at least the first 20 minutes of the film. Forceps, midwives, blood and gore and other just plain disgusting scenes. They went on forever. Truly, truly disgusting and completely unwatchable. Uncharismatic, unattractive, and generally unappealing cast -- no one worth watching or that you would ever want to see again. The actors must have collectively been in desperate need of work and money. How anyone could stomach watching this garbage mystifies me. People involved in making a pretentious and unfunny film like this one should be arrested and prevented from ever working in film again. Nothing redeemable about this film. And I do mean nothing. I leave you with this comment: childbirth scenes ad nauseam.

If that's your cup of tea, you deserve what you will get.

Greenmail (2002 Video)

Better than "Titanic." Rowan is great. Movie not bad.

[7/10 · 15 October 2006]

I don't usually enjoy "special effects" movies but this movie was an exception. For one thing, Kelly Rowan is a really, really good actress. Very realistic. For another, it was interesting learning about the different ways bombers can wreak havoc on the rest of us when they have the brains, resources and, needless to say, no humanity. Also it reminded me of the utter bravery of our "public servants," who risk their lives to protect society.

I have only seen Kelly Rowan a few times. Once on "DaVinci's Inquest," an old Canadian episode drama with an excellent cast that is the best thing on television, despite being all reruns, and despite not being aired on ABC until 1:30 or 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays (or later, depending on football). But then, beggars can't be choosers, she said as she yawned from lack of sleep.

Currently, Rowan also is very good as Peter Gallagher's wife on "The O.C.," a somewhat thankless role all things considered -- you know, its being on TV for the kids, not us grownups. (In fact, the series can only improve now that Misha Barton is, hopefully, never coming back. After all, she did die. Sure, she has a beautiful face. But her curve-less body and stick-like legs spoil that. Most important, she couldn't show emotion if her life depended on it. Like the untalented Cohen character, who is almost as bad an actor as Ms. Barton.)

As pure entertainment, Greenmail was not bad at all. Better than Titanic or one of those other overblown film excesses. Rowan, who is genuinely, outstandingly beautiful, and appears to have achieved that status without plastic surgery, seems to be excellent in everything she does. The rest of the cast was above average, as well. I especially enjoyed the bomb technician who portrayed realistic emotion when he thought he was going to be blown to smithereens. Of course, the Skerrit role (Rowan's retiring boss) had to die -- that was pretty obvious. But the way he died was not obvious and tied together a loose end.

All in all, I enjoyed this flick. Certainly much more than Titanic, which has earned more money than practically any other film and which I could not stand. (Can you tell?) But then, of course, not being a geek or nerd or electronic engineer or tracker of plastic explosives or Einstein or otherwise a genius, I found the movie enjoyable as pure entertainment. As a normal, average person, that is.

Shopgirl (2005)

Turgid, pointless, lame. So terrible it's creepy. Is it meant to be a joke?

[1/10 · 3 September 2006]

How Steve Martin, who once was fairly humorous (e.g., the banjo and the arrow through the head stuff; Elvis impersonation; All of Me with Lily Tomlin) had the gall to write such a turgid, feeble, and pretentious screenplay and then actually go on TV to shamelessly promote the movie based on it -- with a straight face, yet -- mystifies me. Perhaps it's meant to be a joke, or maybe he's just hopelessly and cluelessly egotistical. The more likely conclusion is that, like Robin Williams, he just can't act "serious." God, I hope I never have to see his art collection.

Martin has this smirk plastered on his face as he stick-walks his way through this god-awful, putrid drivel without ever changing expression. He shows more expression on his IMDb photo than he ever did in this piece of crap movie. I was expecting SOMETHING. A good story. Or decent acting. Or maybe a beautiful production. This movie achieved none of these cinematic hallmarks. It was like watching death.

The ONLY reason I watched the whole thing is because I was in a different hemisphere and the TV's movie pickins were mighty slim. On the other hand, I did get to see one of my new favorites: The 40-Year-Old Virgin. So all was not lost.

While I've never been much of a Steve Martin fan, I can assure you that in the future I will avoid any project he is attached to like the plague, based on "Shopgirl." By the way, everybody in the movie is bad and I LIKE Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore). Whatever problem Martin has, it's obviously contagious.

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Visually beautiful and well-acted film with a couple of minor flaws

[7/10 · 23 August 2006]

Well, I saw this movie three nights ago and it is still "with" me, so that says a lot. I think it is a beautiful, fascinating and evocative film, and good films about Hollywood and the movie biz are few and far between. I love good movies set in Hollywood -- my personal all-time favorite is "Into the Night" with Michelle Pfeiffer (when she was very young and really beautiful and not so affected) and Jeff Goldblum and Clu Gulager. As for David Lynch, I loved Twin Peaks and am still ticked off that it was canceled, all these years later. I didn't like Blue Velvet so much, though. So I guess that makes me objective.

After reading the lengthy plot summary here on IMDb immediately after seeing the film, I immediately got a handle on the movie's intricate structure and therefore did not have to wrangle with it until I came to a similar conclusion. Actually, my only complaint with Lynch is the blue box and key and the really tiny little people. Totally ludicrous and unnecessary. If there had been NO blue box, no blue key, and no really tiny little people, I think the movie would have been better. Much better. And no damage would have been done whatsoever. These particular elements added nothing but a touch of the ridiculous to what otherwise would have been a much better piece of work. We, the audience, would have caught on that the blonde lady was nutsy coo-coo without those ridiculous elements. Somebody needs to reign Lynch in a bit, for his own good.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Brilliant, Beautiful, Cinematic, Original. One of my all-time favorite flicks.

[10/10 · 19 July 2006]

Watching The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is like taking an exotic vacation filled with joy, happiness and wonder. And it's also very moving, as well -- a good thing. Bless the producers. If it weren't for them, this imaginative and completely satisfying movie would not have been made. I can hardly believe this example of cinematic perfection is actually a "Hollywood" movie.

This movie is so brilliant and unusual, it's cast so sublime, its palette and cinematography so knock-out beautiful, and the score and CGI so perfect, it instantly became one of my most favorite films of all time, and I have pretty much seen 'em all. Bill Murray and the entire cast, including Cody the dog, are flawless. The writing and direction inspired. I enjoyed every second of this film and watched it four times in three days, before reluctantly returning it to Netflix. Needless to say, I am buying it ASAP for my collection. On the basis of this film, coupled with "Rushmore," Wes Anderson qualifies as one of American's greatest directors ever.

Like all really perfect movies there was not one false move, not one second wasted. It entertains at the highest level.

Open Water (2003)

This is not the only film with this kind of ending.

[9/10 · 28 June 2006]

Some comments imply that the ending of "Open Water" is a bit of a stretch. But there is another excellent "ocean" suspense film with the same kind of ending. It is a made-for-TV movie from the early 70s (I think) called "Overboard" starring Angie Dickinson and Cliff Robertson. It's an excellent movie and is not available on VHS or DVD, which is a crime. Anyway, the ending of "Overboard" is even more haunting than the ending of "Open Water." And I find the ending of both films to be absolutely believable and within the realm of common human experience. After all, some poor souls jumped from the Twin Towers rather than be burned alive. (And no, "Overboard" does not refer to the later comedy starring Goldie Hawn.) I wonder if the filmmakers saw "Overboard" and were inspired by it. I would love to know.