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greg_mccain
Reviews
The Good Night (2007)
Good acting saves the weak plot and direction.
The acting is solid all around and lifts this to an entertaining movie despite the inexperienced direction and lack of depth in the writing. The midlife crisis/artist struggling to be true to his vision theme doesn't dive deep enough to say anything original. Nor does the dream/sexual fantasy as a distraction/outlet go beyond a cliched portrayal of sexual/artistic frustration.
Together Together (2021)
Smart, subtle investigation into patriarchy and its discontents
The first 30 minutes or so felt repetitive in pacing, each scene reiterating the disconnect between the main characters with very subtle plot progression. Somewhere half way through, the tenderness between them deepens. It's not a yuk yuk rom com, but an exploration of a platonic relationship that charts the changes of each character. The lack of an overt sexual tension with easy hackneyed humor lifts it to being an exploration of how men and women interact within patriarchy and subverts presupposed ideas of those roles.
WiseGirls (2002)
Lazy writing and directing
A great cast and concept wasted on lazy writing and weak direction. There are moments when the actors, especially Sorvino, pull some complexity out of the thinly developed characters and situations. But the last 30 minutes are unintentionally laughable with cliche dialogue and several deus ex machinas that upend any attempts by the actors to keep the story plausible.
The Longest Week (2014)
The longest hour and 26 minutes
Without Olivia Wilde, this would be absolutely unwatchable. It wants to be Goddardian and early Woody Allenesk, but it's lack of character development and its weak dialogue not to mention it being devoid of any philosophical or social commentary take it nowhere. Perhaps if Crudup had had the lead and Batemen wasn't cast at all, the acting would have made it more compelling?
Dark Matter (2007)
Strong cinematography, acting, directing, and a powerful soundtrack.
Wonderful!!
Perhaps not the Director/Writer's intent, but it becomes a strong critique of Capitalism and entrenched repressive power. Those with too much power cannot be reasoned with. Deeply entrenched power can only be eliminated through the barrel of a gun.