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JKMerengue
Reviews
Running for Grace (2018)
Caviezel and Dillon's Hawaiian Vacation
When I read the cast list for this movie, I thought, "Wow, I love Jim Caviezel, Matt Dillon and Juliet Mills. Put them in Hawaii, in a period film, and I know I'll love it!" Well, Hawaii was gorgeous, but all I can say is, these fine actors must have chosen the project in need of a vacation. I hope that they enjoyed it, because I certainly didn't! The script that made it to screen was one of the worst I've ever seen. All I can think is that they must have been forced by budget problems to cut huge sections of plot and character development, because nothing made any sense. I realize this took place in an isolated area, but even in the 1920's, a boy doesn't expect to become a doctor by following another doctor on his rounds. And just because the young man wins a race and can prove he has a last name, doesn't mean her guardians will think he's the best choice for her husband. Well, they did pick a drunken murderer as their first choice, just because he drives a nice car... Sorry, Jim, I love most of your other projects. Hope you got a good tan, because this film was only good for the scenery.
Oasis (2017)
Unusual Twist
I'm not sure how many episodes I'll watch of this, but I was pleasantly surprised by a science fiction plot that had a character with real religious beliefs, (a chaplain, no less!) as the protagonist of the piece. Usually faith in a higher being is always the first thing out of any mainstream offerings these days. The plot, itself, with visions from the past and rapidly decreasing numbers of crew members, in fountains of gore, is sort of standard, but I'd watch another one or two to find out what happens with our Man of God on Mars (or wherever.)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
Soft Start, Boffo Finish
This sitcom has definite potential. I wasn't sure at the start, though I'm a sucker for vintage pieces, and I haven't seen many period comedies earlier than the seventies (which always make me shudder, hitting too close to my childhood home!). It slowed me up even more with some of the college backstory, as I went to Bryn Mawr, and albeit in a different era, the girls in this little clip were unlike any I met there. However, once the writer got into her groove with the main plot: girl's husband wants to be a comic, but she's ten times as funny as he is, it left me wanting to binge the next few episodes to find out where it goes. Hurry up and produce them! Anassa Kata, Midge Maisel!
Moonlight Serenade (2009)
Endurance Test
Okay, I stayed with it until the end, hoping that it might get better. I usually like Amy Adams, that's why I spent my four dollars on this in the first place. But my willpower was wasted...MAN, what a terrible film! Amy did the best that she could with a very weak, unsupported plot and scripting, but even her singing, which in Enchanted and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day were quite charming, was just above pedestrian in this sad little film.
And I couldn't even sit through Alec Newman's attempts after that first number. I got quicker and quicker with the fast forward button as the movie progressed. I use that phrase loosely. Not much progression here.
Jazz standards, which I love, require a richness and clarity of voice that from their showing here, neither of these performers have, sorry to say. And no one, short of Harriet Sansom Harris as Nate's assistant, could save their portion of the tired script. Though I will say that Mr. Newman's dramatic chops gave a better showing of themselves after his character lost his job and his girl and finally dealt with the loss of his mother. Just, please, Alec, don't let them put you in a musical, ever again, for all our sakes!
Beauty and the Beast (1987)
A Poor Copy
I caught this on a Saturday morning movie slot on my television, and was amazed and appalled by the blatant lifting of almost all the design elements from Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast. Or rather, Golan-Globus' attempt to lift them. Christian Berard did the sets and costumes for the 1947 French classic version of the fairy tale, and no one could touch it for richness of nuance and detail. As a costumer by trade I can still say they are some of the best costumes I've ever seen...maybe not always completely period accurate, but when they deviate from period, it's usually for very wonderful effect. Just mesmerizing. And it makes me a bit mad that the producers of the G/G version tried to simply make a colorized version of it, down to the make-up on the Beast, some of Beauty's hairstyles, the arms in the hallway holding the lamps and even quite a number of the camera angles. But, I guess, if something works, Hollywood will try to copy it, plagiarism or not.