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Reviews
Dear Evan Hansen (2021)
Colton Ryan
Am I the only one who thinks Colton Ryan walked away with the movie after only one three and a half minute song and dance routine? And then he disappeared, taking all of that buoyant joyous energy with him. I liked Ben Platt's characterization a lot, a lovely job well done. The age factor didn't bother me, because I decided not to let it. The film itself left me feeling uncomfortable without knowing precisely why. Something about the gay issue didn't feel quite right. Gay but not gay, the bond between Evan and Connor = as imagined by Evan - really seemed like a gay fantasia. Which would have been great if it had been openly acknowledged. The chemistry between Pratt and Ryan was sizzling, they obviously had so much fun doing the musical number together, but to this viewer if seemed like the classic gay boy, straight buddy bond, really charming. Yet not quite honest. The chemistry between Ben and Kaitlyn Dever seemed non-existent. Yet her performance helped to ground the whole narrative and she is one of the main reasons I stuck with the film until the end. Good on her. But I will always wish Colton Ryan had been brought back with one more song and dance routine. But then everyone else in the film would have been toast.
Lourdes (2019)
A profound mystery
A profound meditation on faith and suffering that takes you behind the scenes at Lourdes to witness the process of carring for the many ill and diisabled who come to Lourdes, hoping to be cured. The film itself does not take a position on the veracity of cures reported, it simply shows you a long line of suffering beings and the complicated procedures the many nurses and workers must go through to care for the sick - procedures that are quite complicated when it comes to bathing the sick, caring for their bathroom needs (and accidents), transporting them to the grotto and the processions. If there is a mracle of faith here it lies partly in the great dedication of these workers, who number in the hundreds. The filmmakers have chosen to focus on four parrtiular individuals and their life stories, as a way of personalizing the throng of thousands who come to Lourdes. Deeply moving film that surprised me by this look behind the scenes at Lourdes. There is so much that we healthy individuals take for granted. The faith on display here is truly astonishing.
Mr. Turner (2014)
A Masterpiece and anything BUT boring
No need for me to repeat what others have more eloquently expressed (Martin Bradley's review in particular), but this is a rare work of cinematic brilliance, profound, moving and truly original. True, it is not for everyone, and, yes, it has no conventional linear plot, but no story? The story is embedded within each of the marvelous vignettes, if one has but eyes to see, and the patience to pull them all together. And they do pull together by the end to present before us the multi- faceted story of a richly complex and conflicted human life. But there are other stories as well, in particular the women in Mr. Turner's life, most poignant of all the story of his long suffering housekeeper. Alas, many on this review site lack such eyes, and I'm saddened by that fact and what it reveals about our contemporary cultural standards. Ignore the naysayers, this is a masterpiece of profound humanity and insight that deserves multiple viewings. Personally, I was mesmerized by the film from beginning to end and will give it a second viewing tomorrow. And I ain't no film critic with high literary pretensions, nor do I know anything about art.
Three quarters of the way through the film, there is a scene with Queen Victoria viewing some of Turner's landscapes and sputtering her disapproval with high indignation. Behind her are a number of cackling philistines, twittering and giggling their disapproval as well. How ironic, when one considers the treatment of the film being meted out by some reviewers on IMDb.
In 1956, Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot premiered at the Théâtre de Babylone, Paris, and confounded the critics of the time. It was lambasted for defying the traditional conventions of drama, for having no plot, no recognizable beginning, middle and end, and for being utterly boring. Yet today it is justly recognized as one of the masterpieces of modern drama. Mike Leigh's film may very well be the finest cinematic treatment of a great artist ever displayed on celluloid.
"Those who have eyes to see, let them see."
Abduction (2011)
Baby Bourne not all that bad
Just walked out of an afternoon showing of Abduction, which I found pleasantly diverting. However, I walked in with low expectations, expecting a 'Baby Bourne' that would be slightly cheesy, corny and tweeny, as indeed it was, but so what? Having started out with those limitations in mind, the film seemed quite OK as a vehicle for the young Mr. Lautner to stretch a bit, despite the silly villains and cumbersome plot holes. TL is certainly gorgeous to look at and the camera indulges in a bit of excess adulation, but is he really all that bad as an actor, bad enough to merit the screeching reviews spewing out over the blog-o-sphere? I've been an acting teacher/theater director for 30 years and the 19 year old seems to these old eyes - again - "quite OK", with a genuine capacity to express anguish and determination through the simplest facial expressions. This is coupled with a simmering penetrating stare. In fact, not since Lauren Bacall in the Bogie movies of the 40's have we seen a more sizzling "Look." (Being a bit 'tongue in cheek' there) He can speak a line with truthfulness, simplicity and directness and is really quite convincing, without affectation or embellishment. Does he 'intone and inflect" so much less effectively than Ryan Gosling, another actor of the silent, tough guy "type" who was so highly praised for DRIVE? Only when sitting across the table from a veteran actor like Alfred Molina, do we notice the disparity in depth and intonation, but then Taylor's only 19. His voice is also somewhat thin in the higher registers (like Gosling), reminiscent of a younger Justin Timberlake, who also had trouble holding his own opposite actors of the caliber of Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. Much of the review screeching seems to have been done by males offended that Lautner does not fit their image of the "Alpha Male." Pity he's so civilized. Pity, as well, he's just so beautiful. I suspect a lot of the rage being directed towards him is fueled by simple jealously. Otherwise, the criticisms would be considerably more muted and restrained. When people start to screech, watch out, the ego is in play. Not being a New Moon fan (walked out of the third one) and not being a Lautner hater (or adorer), I went in just curious. Could the kid hold his own? Yes, he can - in about five years. The script is hammy, not his acting, which is just fine given the limitations put upon him. There's something a little bit 'sick' about the animosity being directed against this kid at the moment. He doesn't deserve it. Gave it 8 stars just to counteract the haters, though it really deserves about a 7 in my opinion.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
Charming biop of the Biebster that takes us beyond the hype.
I'm a long experienced performing arts/drama teacher with a distaste for celebrity hype and a fear of seeing my own students sucked into the 'system'. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly pleased and not a little moved by this very entertaining look behind the scenes of this talented, charming, friendly Canadian teen who stumbled into mega-stardom almost by accident. Shame his music is so bland and that the screamers do dominate some screenings. I went early to a showing in Jerusalem - of all places - and the noise was kept to a minimum. The film is really worth watching, quite entertaining in it's own right - though the 3D process has little to do with it. We're shown vignettes from his childhood, which do establish his genuine musical ability, but we're also given glimpses into his charm - which seems to be the real secret of his success. Backstage views are fascinating, and John Chu has done an excellent job of putting it all together, because it holds one's interest from beginning to end, and it winds up being an invaluable documentation of the whole teen celeb process. Does it answer the question as to how this youngster catapulted into the stratosphere and shows no signs of stopping? Not at all. It continues to remain an unfathomable mystery, since his evident talent and charm do not add up to a sufficient explanation. But the film does succeed in showing him as a perfectly ordinary, likable human being - swept up into a whirlwind.
Too be honest, I would really rate this an 8/10, but I've given this a 10/ 10 simply to counteract the childish haters who both reviewed and responded favorably to the previous reviewer's negative rating of 1. The petty jealously and resentment surrounding this youngster have now become very wearisome. The celebrity machine is indeed an alarming beast, but the boy himself is not at fault, and the film itself makes him very human.
Main Street (2010)
A gentle, modest character study
A rather sweet, sensitive, modest little film that had me enthralled all the way through - until the very abrupt ending, which came much too soon and left me without a clear sense of resolution. It almost feels as if the film ended half way, just as it was starting to get really interesting. Nonetheless, the acting is superb, especially on the part of Colin Firth, who virtually disappears into the role, though his innate gentility and decency shine through. Orland Bloom looks gorgeous but a bit affect-less, as usual. Ellen Burstyn makes a pleasant appearance. While I certainly don't feel like I wasted my time, this gentle film could have been so much more - and it would not have been so difficult to carry it a bit further....