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Reviews
Scarlet Street (1945)
Amazing movie
This is such an amazing movie. It carries so much of its time that one is tempted to call it dated, but only at first. It is now a period piece with fresh drama that rings very true today. Indeed, I consider it timeless.
Edward G. Robinson gives one of his best performances. A very different character for him, and he nails it! Dan Duryea is the best that I've ever seen him as well. A great mixture of comic book and a dark underside that transcends the type.
Fritz Lang brought to the screen a wonderful character study, film noir. His hand is present, enhancing the material and performances, and raising this movie much higher than it could have gone without him.
A must see!
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Beware Matey's! A different "Pirates"!
I won't ruin any specific plot surprises, but beware: this is a very different movie when compared with the first "Pirates...Black Pearl" movie. It's much darker. The bad guys this time offer no comic relief, and have gotten more nightmarishly gruesome. (The special effect are spectacular -- almost TOO good!) There is more moral ambiguity, as major, likable characters make tough decisions that won't always sit well.
I DID like it -- but only after I could switch gears and expectations. Those who don't want their "Pirates" world rattled may prefer to watch the Black Pearl over and over instead. OR should wait to see what happens to the yarn when part three comes out, so that they can watch part two and immediately follow it with part three.
Of course, Johnny Depp and crew were amazing! No disappointments there!! This one more than earns it's PG-13 rating.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)
Brilliant!
I don't have enough time now to write a worthy review of this, but maybe that's a mercy!
A tour de force performance from Keith Michel as he portrays Henry from his youth to his death, through all of his transformations and wives. Each actor/actress brings another wonderful dimension to this timeless production.
STRONGLY recommended -- AND available on DVD!!! If you don't want to spend the $70+, suggest it to your local library.
You won't be sorry! If you like this movie, see also, "Edward the King" -- Those fed up with TV today will see TV as it should be!!
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004)
Another outstanding documentary - A close second to his other two...
Another outstanding and scathing documentary by Greenwald. While the other two, "Unprecedented...." and "Uncovered....", are slightly better in overall quality, Robert Greenwald delivers vital information in a manner that is compelling, very watchable, and convincing. It's a wake-up call to both the media and its viewers/readers: To the Media - time to start working at the news again as opposed to just parroting what's found on other (and potentially suspect) news channels. To the viewer/reader - be aware of the tricks of the trade to know the difference between propaganda & lies versus reporting the news. And to all - recognizing and not tolerating information control from political sources.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Brilliant, powerful film-making - vitally important content
I saw the midnight show in Stony Brook, NY last night (early this morning). For this film, I wish IMDb would require ticket stubs prior to posting comments or votes. Move America Forward's Howard Kaloogian, a leading critic of the film, admitted yesterday in a live Air America Radio interview that he had not seen the film. He said he read a "transcript". Looking at the negative comments -- presumably the "1"s in the voting, I get the distinct impression that many if not all of these reviewers have not seen the movie, and are only repeating things that they have heard from their own anti-Moore sources.
Well, here are some comments from someone who saw the movie. It is brilliantly made and vitally important -- whether one agrees with Mr. Moore's view or not. The most important aspect of this movie is that it is telling the story that our mainstream media is for the most part ignoring, and/or people have seen and forgotten. If one is to fault Mr. Moore, it is in showing us the focus of the facts that he wishes us to see. For example, while showing the devastation and innocence of the average Iraqi (you know, the ones we're there to liberate) he does not mention nor show any of the excesses and evils of the Hussein regime. (actually, there were one or two in passing -- eg. using the weapons that we provided Iraq with in the 80's).
However, is there anyone in this country that does not believe that Hussein was a repressive dictator who oppressed his own people? The focus of the movie is trust in _our_ government leaders. I watched two hours of Mr. Moore telling this story in his way, and I can't think of anything I saw that I would like to have had cut in favor of showing us things that have already had ample play over the mainstream and other media sources.
"R" Rating - This rating is justified for the 10-20 minutes(?) of war scenes, including truly horrifying images of the devastations of this war. It makes a concerned parent wish for an edited version more suitable to pre-teens, younger children, and people who are understandably sensitive to such graphic depiction. (The more gruesome images may not have amounted to more than 10 minutes. They made such a lasting impression though that it's hard to be quantitative about it now!)
Despite criticism I heard yesterday, this film portrays our military in a respectful way. The message is clear -- the controversy lies not with our military, but with the policy makers putting them into harms way.
At the very least, this extremely well made factual movie is an important component of our national debate. It tells its story with respect and tension-relieving humor as appropriate. It is a must see.
Love Actually (2003)
Fun, but misses being Great
Interestingly enough, I enjoyed this movie more than my wife did! She is an ardent fan of Colin Firth, with Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, and Hugh Grant only slightly behind. Both of us enjoyed "Four Weddings" immensely, so our expectations were high. This movie fell short of the mark, but it's still worth a look while it's still in the theaters.
The "R" rating is, unfortunately, well deserved. The sad part is that most of the nudity and intentionally simulated sex scenes could easily have been cut without hurting the movie. Indeed, the additional time could have been used to further develop the other story lines that left one hungry for more! There are only a few such scenes -- this is not a porno film, but... Well you'll see.
There are many hilarious moments in this film, blended with other scenes that make it more than just a comedy. As usual, this production company has delivered a film that tells stories that, for the most part, buck the Hollywood tradition of overly shallow and one dimensional stories.
Reasons to see this film: The stars and acting company are fabulous (as you would expect! In addition to the above, Emma Thompson was fabulous as usual as well), some great laughs coupled with thought provoking depth, wonderful story-telling technique (less the process gimmick at the end -- you'll know what I mean). A little subtle magic worked in as well...
Detractors: Perhaps too ambitious re: the number of stories? More magic would have been nice (and you'll know who I mean...).
Surprisingly, this film's fantasy aspects seem to be more from a male perspective rather than neutral or female. Good news -- this isn't a "Chick Flick" (although marketing almost makes it appear to be one). Bad news -- female viewers may find themselves a bit offended and embarrassed from time to time.
Still and all, don't wait for DVD/Video for this one. See it on the big screen first, then you can make the decision to rent or buy later.
Truly Madly Deeply (1990)
A truly remarkable film!
Especially if you're an Alan Rickman fan, you can't miss this one. The performances are off-beat and wonderful, as is the story. Be prepared to shed some tears, but also for the rest of the full range of emotion that this film elicits. Alan Rickman is superb (of course!), as is Juliet Stevenson. You get to see a lot of Ms. Stevenson, and with no regrets. I would not consider this a "for women only" movie, but if you're looking for an action flik, save this for another night. Truly loving someone, or having truly loved someone will also make this a must see. I highly recommend it!