rome1-595-390251 Reviews

The Players (2012)

Sexual Situational Comedy---A lot of fun

[8/10 · 30 January 2017]

This was a fun movie... This is the 3rd of Lartigau's (director) works I have enjoyed. (others I Do and The Big Picture--) If I like a movie will typically look for other films by the same director...this is usually the most rewarding way to find new things I like. The movie cost $29 million--in the 60s "million dollar movies" were supposed to inspire awe. Typical Bond movies today are half a billion.

This is a situational comedy with lots of uninhibited moderated tasteful sexual visuals if the last word is possible? shock value for American audiences... Woody Allen did a movie Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex...it was very funny for the time very "velveeta cheese" (bland and mainline) compared to this film. Lartigau does something similar with Infidelity.

The movie is a collection of vignettes involving some aspect of Infidelity...most feature DuJardin and Lellouche (both actors are 40). There are related skits with other actors...and also a funny one with a therapist session for cheating husbands. I enjoyed them all especially DuJardins company trip. The flaw with the movie is the vignettes seem to be one continuous story...and your brain churns about trying to piece things together. Either separate them better (if they were not meant to be related vignettes) or unify them better is my criticism. I am sure it was one continuous story (the ones with DuJardin and Lellouche) however a comment by another reviewer made me wonder if they were not. Again you experience some cognitive dissonance trying to tie them together neatly. Well I did.

The ending did not surprise me....hints were given...it was wacky.

So that said...the filming is talented the acting great. Afore mentioned problem is tie the vignettes together better-- The uninhibited sexual (tasteful for this type thing?) aspects are good for uptight audiences... although it is not one I would want to watch with my Mother.

RECOMMEND

Sabrina (1954)

Star Fluff Romantic Comedy...

[3/10 · 21 September 2014]

Audrey Hepburn (24) William Holden (36) and Humphrey Bogard (54) are what this romantic comedy revolves around.

Thus 50s star fluff. Not really worth looking for holes in the plot---how did Sabrina become completely fluent in French at a cooking school in a year? How could she suddenly afford $1000 designer clothes with a father who was a chauffeur? Another reviewer brought up a new word... ME (mass entertainment)--or what I call boiler plate. This was boiler plate has no pretensions to be more. Bogart even got in a little (left wing motivated right wing defensive commentary)...making people's lives better through private enterprise..

Since I am gay this thing had about as much appeal as a series of root canals. It certainly is way over rated... Audrey Hepburn wearing flats so she won't tower over Bogart....skinny as a rail...as an irresistible sex goddess don't see it. Maybe if they had made her unusually ugly before cooking school with bifocals and a bun---but I didn't appreciate any difference in the before and after Sabrina--except heavier eyebrows and other trendy make up of the era.

It is strict boiler plate...thus a 6.... minus 3 for plot vacuums filled by "star power." Just having them there you don't need much of a story type thing.

The sound track the cinematography the acting is also all boiler plate nothing notable there....so I give it a 3.

DO NOT RECOMMEND

Capital (2012)

Decent nuanced--social comedy--

[7/10 · 9 September 2014]

A French banker outplays the hedge funds and other crooks at their own games and ends up on top.

Fortunately the film has no heavy left wing message--in fact if it has any message it is that high finance is a game like the video games kids play.

I found it refreshing and different.....The bad guys look too much like bad guys...ruffled hair...ugly expressions ...take of 1 star for that hence a 7 instead of an 8.

The part with the prostitute/model was funny--she got her just do.

RECOMMEND

You Will Be My Son (2011)

Hallmark Film Noir---twin actors confuse

[6/10 · 23 August 2014]

Vineyard owner favors associate's son over his son.

This movie was hard to grade....the brush strokes were too thick for this to be anywhere near a masterpiece. The story had a lot of potential--dommage.

The first hurdle I encountered was the two actors playing the son Martin and the "surrogate son" Francois looked identical...it took me a good 15 minutes of concentrated looking to tell them apart (at first I thought one actor was playing both parts). It takes the energy out of you and is a distracting gimmick more than anything else. The actors tried to use their talents to show the difference but it seemed forced and rushed and over the top. (Yes I am aware this feeds into story)--you are to wonder if Francois is an illegitimate son like the Vineyard Owner himself. One big problem for this cleverness is neither actor looked remotely like the Vineyard Owner. The leftie class theme (an unfortunate common item in French film industry) was totally unneeded but mercifully small.

The film has almost the feel and quality of a Hallmark movie or a made for TV item--the sound track which I never notice unless it is very bad or very good grated on me--so minus at least 1 star. The disco scene looks hopelessly dated.

I watched it for one reason I wanted to see French country-side--- unfortunately a lot of it was digital wizardry--they can create anything anymore---the fog was impressive.

RECOMMEND--

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)

gay bashing and token blacks went out in the 70s..

[1/10 · 22 August 2014]

Fortunately for me IMDb exists. I found this movie by thinking that Croupier was pretty good and to find another movie directed by Mike Hodges.

Mike Hodges was born in 1932 making him 81 when he directed this dated thing he should have retired 20 years earlier. Croupier was a lot better movie over all but still a bit of a gay basher--not a hint of ambiguity in it's straight sexy world but this thing is down right offensive. When this unlikeable dope dealer hipster slices his throat right after he was anally raped---(I had thought he might be the one that was beat up-- and had recovered). I hit IMDb and informed pulled the plug.

Later in the movie they dress corpses in bras during the revenge...AVOID.

DO NOT RECOMMEND... read the other negative reviews....

Croupier (1998)

pretty good sleeper

[6/10 · 22 August 2014]

This is movie is OK..... it is a bit dated even for 1998 with a too straight focused--no nuanced sexual world in this thing; and the casino seediness is overdone and obvious read other reviews. So a need to suspend disbelief.

If you have an hour or so to kill this really is not bad.

There are a couple twists which work.

I saw it in 99 about when it came out but didn't remember a thing except that I vaguely disliked it.... Unfortunately, when you use Netflix streaming you learn to lower your standards since the biggest chore is finding something good.

RECOMMEND

Flight That Disappeared (1961)

Painful watch---Trite Morality 101 nuclear winter imbecility...AVOID

[1/10 · 20 August 2014]

This stupidity of trite left wing morality and the cold war is a dog. As others have stated it gets kind of interesting about an hour into it when you get caught up in where the plane is going....until we find out and get the usual Hollywood morality lesson 101.

The acting is terrible and wooden but that is due to the director---the rocket scientist and the physicist are halfway watchable. The pilot and copilot and flight engineer in the room sized cockpit are remarkable mainly for their toupees (hair pieces) which get ruffled in odd directions from time to time apparently unnoticed by director camera man and everyone else making this thing.

The story's moronic use of time and existence could be swallowed but not the lead heavy ABC morality lesson --- AVOID is all I can tell you.

I only stayed with it as it is a chore to find something else on Netflix streaming and didn't have the energy to do it.... After we learn where the plane is it is really painful to watch this out.. Trust me unplug it early and save an hour of your life for something better.

DO NOT RECOMMEND AVOID....

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Good suspense movie---you don't need millions in visual effects for good sci-fi

[8/10 · 19 August 2014]

A "human" alien arrives to direct earth out of it's potential misuses of nuclear power.

I liked sci-fi very much as a teenager but drifted away from it. This movie I had heard of and even seen pictures of the large one "eyed" robot but had no idea what it was about. Full of misgivings was very surprised to find it highly entertaining.

Will try and point out some things I haven't seen in other reviews. There is a biblical theme in it (I don't care for)...the alien assumes the name Carpenter (ring a bell?) and although actually humanity's Savior the Alien is killed by us and brought back to life by it's own advanced technology.

The actors playing Alien (Michael Rennie) Widow (Patricia Neal) and kid (Billy Gray) were very likable and are extremely important in making this work---the special effects are primitive but are believable enough.

Oddly I tried to watch 'Upside Down' right before streaming this one---and wanted so much for that movie to work as the visuals are fantastic but the story ruined it for me. Now if they could have gotten actors and more importantly screen writers like this film what a phenomenon....

Movie cost $900,000 Grossed $1.8 million.

The original Star Trek series copied this plot almost directly with a black cat for a robot and a Miss Lincoln---.

RECOMMEND

The Untouchables (1987)

Corny Velveeta Cheese Al Capone Movie

[1/10 · 16 August 2014]

You probably have seen this movie and didn't like it and may be wondering why--- What irritated and depressed me was the corny goody two shoes Hallmark quality to it. Costner saying at least a dozen time "It's nice being married"---then the pan of his whole square face for 30 seconds so you can soak this in--leads me to believe this movie was aimed at women and Costner thought he was a hunk. It just made me want to barf every time he says it---it is like 50s TV verbalized or and ad for the Christian Family Values.

It made me think my God has the world changed this much since 1987? Yes and no, this is star fluff from the 80s when Yuppie family values were king and so forth ultimately more irritating than anything else.

The ending is so implausible especially the denouement when the judge suddenly changes the jury seems so legally implausible (the defense has a big say in jury selection) with Capone's incompetent (apparently) lawyer saying suddenly "We plead guilty" WTH? Capone would have had the most expensive lawyer in the US.... It is an insult to the viewers intelligence.

Of interest the real Ness was bored out his mind on this job and only fired a gun once in Chicago into cotton to test fire it.

Read some other 1 and 2 star reviews some of them are very good and will validate your dislike of this thing.

It cost $20 million and grossed $106 million. So what do I know?

Hype and Oscars like this one got only sets red lights blinking to me as winners are usually PC gimmicks and good old boy connections---this one has to be the latter.

DO NOT RECOMMEND

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

Great up to last 20 minutes...

[7/10 · 14 August 2014]

This 1970 producion is the first "spaghetti western" made by mainstream Hollywood featuring Eastwood. The original spaghetti westerns were directed by Sergio Leone and were originally in Italian (Eastwood only added his voice when they were dubbed into English and released in the US).

These Italian westerns which made Eastwood famous were filmed in Spain in the last half of the 60s.

In this movie Eastwood is a mercenary who has agreed to blow up a French garrison for Mexican revolutionaries in return for half the cash stored there. On his way to this job he saves McClain from being raped and the two proceed with their aims as a duo (she too is helping the revolutionaries disguised as a nun).

As an aside Siegel said later that McClain was very hard to work with-- she was tough and "it is like she has balls". She and Eastwood did not get along. Also Eastwood said he had to kill the rattlesnake because Mexican authorities did not want it released in that area. Eastwood does not believe in killing animals--he obviously is against hunting.

Siegel's cinematography is flawless may I even say fantastic--watch the mountain lion and the horse stepping on the spider. The story is good up until about the last 30 minutes when it degenerates into a boring moralizing Hollywood finale with a mass assault on the garrison (I much prefer finales with Eastwood and his 6 shooter) also a dud cliché surprise denouement involving McClain.

So in summary very good for the first hour but doesn't maintain it.

Misc: This movie was high budget for the time (over $4 million) it was moderately successful grossing about $4.5 million in N. America. It was filmed entirely in Mexico over about 60 days.

RECOMMEND

My Piece of the Pie (2011)

Leftie Social Comedy---50 shades too political

[4/10 · 14 August 2014]

Leftie social comedy.

Are there any French movie directors that aren't left of Che Guevara? This leftie social comedy was entertaining to me because I liked the bad guys--the British Hedge fund founder was priceless.

Although well filmed and watchable--the leftie political stuff comes at you like a non stop jack hammer and mostly ruins it. It is the story of driven greedy financiers and the out of luck (all good of course) workers of companies closed by these ruthless villains.

The working class is represented by Karin Viard playing France LeRoi * (The King) and the hedge fund types by Gilles Lellouche as Steve Delarue * (literally from the street). France is thrown out of work and attempts suicide when her company is taken over and looted by the financiers including Delarue. She gets herself together and lands a job as a house keeper for Delarue. He eventually beds her and she overhears him bragging about it on the phone--angry and hurt (they have fallen for each other) she kidnaps his son and forces him to come pick him up and see the human damage his financial deals cause.

In the end the workers attack the police who have arrested France and take after Delarue to lynch him.

Even though a comedy this movie is 50 shades too political to really enjoy unless you do what I did and cheer on the villains. For this reason it got a 4.

Anthony Zimmer (2005)

Recommend has great ending....

[8/10 · 14 August 2014]

This film is great entertainment. Beautifully filmed (great aerial shots) and well acted especially by Yvan Attal who was just superb in the role of a nerdy mystery reading accountant type. Marceau does a fine job although you find her a bit bitchy at first. Also the story is not perfect her role is not completely logical but this is a minor thing...

There are twists and the final one makes the movie work. In US films the bad guys mostly don't get away with it--you have to go to more cynical European creations to get the ending you want. In fact during the movie I was despairing of a stupid ending which did not happen.

This movie is one the great finds I have made on Netflix streaming---some others include "Aura" and lots of others.... You can skip the bad ones you start watching and go on to something else...

La liste (2009 TV Movie)

Good Story Grade B (TV) Production

[7/10 · 14 August 2014]

This is a cop killer thriller. CEOs of importance are being knocked off one by one. 2 brothers who are cops had their parents killed in a massacre 15 years or so earlier. One of the brother cops had quit the force 2 years before these killings began. It is believed either him or his brother is involved and the CEOs were behind the massacre that killed their parents. Emails are being received with the names of the killers. Needless to say the massacre went unsolved.

I enjoyed the French provenance and scenery and towards the end their is some good noirish stuff as you begin to wonder which brother or whether both are involved. It gets an 8 for that. Forget the somewhat inexpensive or amateurish production values.

RECOMMEND

Dear Murderer (1947)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 14 August 2014]

A husband discovers his wife has been cheating on him and concocts a way to murder her lover...

Every thing is good so far...up to the point of the murder when his wife and her new second boyfriend walk unexpectedly into the apartment where the murder is to take place. This should provide all kinds of interesting possibilities, instead it just gets dumb.

The husband tells his wife about the murder....then tells the police some stupid story to try and get the second boyfriend off (he has been charged with the murder). Non of it is convincing suspenseful believable or anything other than boring.

We see the final murder way before it happens...but by this time you don't really care about anything except to invest a little more time to see how it turns out.

There are so many better films from this era this will disappoint guaranteed. Try Hollow Victory.

Payback (I) (1999)

Dull Cartoonish Gratuitous Violence---Avoid

[14 August 2014]

Slow, tedious, clichéd, not believable, not engaging, and not interesting. Doesn't that about cover a bad movie? This movie is so bad its hard to know where to start.

As it opens for about the first 10 minutes you have hope for this thing the cinematography is great...but about the time Gibson tears the earring off the heroin delivery boy it heads into a steep dive. It just gets worse and worse until you can't take it any more. I lasted an hour only because I wasn't able to see the reviews on IMDb.

Dumb dumb and dumber I just don't know what to say.

Gratuitous endless sadistic violence Gibson walking around like it might be a comedy he is in. But mostly the thing seems a mime of reality filmed in dark blue color cartoonish villains uggh! Avoid this semi psychotic boring thing! DO NOT RECOMMEND

Meine Schwester Maria (2002)

Maria Schell -- At the End

[5/10 · 14 August 2014]

Maria Schell a famous Austrian actress is filmed at the age of 75 having suffered possibly a stroke living in her ancestral home.

This is a semi staged documentary highlighting problems in the last years of her life--her mental dementia foremost--but also her being broke and spending her time ordering expensive items advertised on television---she has 11 television sets on which at least according to the documentary she watches her old movies.

Her brother apparently wealthy and also a famous actor steps in and manages her life as creditors close in.

There are lots of film clips.

This is clearly a movie for fans of the actress. I had never heard of her and her very limited mental abilities allow nothing but the shallowest conversation. But it is still touching and sad.

Don't Recommend unless you know this actress

The Trap (2007)

Serious Movie for Adults / good view Serbia

[8/10 · 14 August 2014]

A classic dark story. A father has a sick child who needs an operation he cannot afford---someone offers him the money needed if he commits a murder.

This was a serious film for adults...5 stars. I watched it mostly to find more out about Serbia. The cinematography is good. Another couple stars.

Some flaws: I found the kid somewhat obnoxious.

Also found it a little hard to believe that the Father would go to the funeral of the murdered man...he had to be consumed with guilt and more than that fearful. It is about the last thing you would expect a normal average person to do. Then he gets to know the murdered mans wife even more unbelievable. However the man who arranged the murder was totally believable.

In addition you get a look at various struggles in post Yugoslav Serbia --without it being too heavy handed. People are unemployed companies stripped of assets...with a parallel prosperity for unscrupulous criminal types with gaudy houses.

RECOMMEND

The Other Love (1947)

Would be unethical in today's world

[5/10 · 14 August 2014]

One of the 10 commandments of modern ethics for medical doctors is they must not become involved with their patients--taking advantage of their superior position to fan the flames of romance in the patient.

Stanwyck could have won a big lawsuit in today's feminist world.

That romantic angle out of it, this movie takes a lot of material from Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. From the importance of the thermometers to the patients disappearing at night (dead down the service elevator).

As some other reviewer stated Stanwyck can turn any role into something watchable....this silly movie taxed her talents to the limit.

Is she going to die??? I am not sure that was a given as others stated... but after all the silly iconic fluff of Monte Carlo and race car drivers you really don't care.

Not a memorable performance.

It gets a 5

Elena (2011)

Story and Characters very believable

[8/10 · 14 August 2014]

A rich older man Vladamir married to a middle aged woman Elena has a heart attack and reveals he is going to leave everything to his unsympathetic daughter. He has refused to help Elena's family. Elena alters fate in her favor.

In a movie like this character development is everything and the actors in this movie carry it off flawlessly. Vladamir and Elena are both very believable. Elena is not only believable but a sympathetic character and you are glad she does what she does.

If a movies success is measured by is the plot believable and do you care about the characters and will you remember them...this movie succeeds beautifully. In addition the whole atmosphere was spot on. I can still picture Elena's sort of worthless son and his family enjoying the luxuries of the new apartment.

RECOMMEND

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Believable Pretty Men and Scenery

[9/10 · 14 August 2014]

Am from Wyoming so am uniquely qualified to comment on this movie--lived in Centennial only a few miles from Annie Proulx the author. The local color is very authentic...all of it.

Love develops between two young cowboys Jack and Ennis-- and the movie is about the trials of homosexual love in the 1960s and 70s. Yes, there was a little bit of gay fantasy window dressing...very handsome men using chew but nothing that is at all impossible-- in fact given the circumstances likely. Ennis an emotionally battered inexpressive man, is someone that it hard to believe Jack would stay in love with for 20 years...

The ending is good Ennis living alone....having him remarry would have ruined it completely.

RECOMMEND.

Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)

From the people who brought us AGW and third hand smoke

[1/10 · 14 August 2014]

Totally idiotic watermelon (green outside red inside) attempt at a thriller with evil mining (of course) corporation and unethical power hungry doctors.

Julia Ormond in this feminist masterpiece is about as appealing as a bear trap despite her looks and expensive designer clothes. Any man who would go after her after a bout of her crotch snatching and razor slashing verbal rudeness would have to want to be neutered.....but that is what feminist movies are about I guess.

It starts out fairly good but the story becomes more and more stupidly unbelievable.....at the end it is just an insult to anyone's intelligence. What's wrong? The whole story is unbelievable and as lame as a very bad Hollywood "B" sci-fi movie from the 50s.

The Copenhagen police are searching for her so she goes to stay with her Dad and enters one door as the police leave by another...gee they are dumb and easy to fool I guess. This is just one of an endless stream of things that get worse as the film progresses.

Don't get me wrong I care about the environment and the $32 million worth of West Greenland and Copenhagen scenery are actually very nice. I was actually glad the Inuit seal hunter got tsunamied in the beginning.....but I suspect in this twisted PC thing that was not what the director intended.

It reminded me a lot of a movie The Hunter about the last Tasmanian Tiger who is killed to keep some evil corporation from finding out the poison it uses to kill prey---both movies have idiotic completely distorted ethical compasses.

In this movie a possible non-radioactive perpetual source of energy unknown by known physics is deemed evil??? Can't have that because some "prehistoric" tapeworms in the melted ice water near it have killed a few people??? Worse yet a Mining Corporation might get rich of it. Dumb dumb dumb I can't find the words. As one viewer stated it is like the dumbest science fiction movie from the 50s. However at least in them you didn't have to put up with feminist agendas...just giant radioactive ants...No, they were better than this story when I think about it.

Cost $32 million grossed $2 million (in US).

DO NOT RECOMMEND

The American (2010)

Dated story/rapidly aging Clooney but great views of Italy

[8/10 · 13 August 2014]

Crime genre with Clooney (hitman) and Italy (Abruzzio area).

The story is ? standard a bit dated though. Pasties on prostitutes is so 20th century no? have Clooney also eyeballing a couple handsome bell hops might add some jazz to this thing (and extend this rapidly aging star's fading career). What I liked in the mix was Italy (not Clooney). This movie is competently and beautifully filmed and has an OK story of a genre I like---so it gets a 7. Yes Clooney is a competent actor but his politics are so darned leftie.....it is hard to like any character he plays.

However I love Italy so despite him it gets an extra star.....Clooney even uses some Italian phrases---all good to me. I like understated quiet movies like this.

The movie cost $20 million and made $67 million....

Holes? This genre gets a pass on that criteria but what did strike me is where are the Polizia or The Carabinieri ? People shot dead in alleys and nothing. Clooney making a high-powered super semi silenced rifle out of old car transmission parts reminded me of Spock in Star Trek building a communicator using radio tubes (one episode where they are time trapped in the 30s) e.g. hard to believe. One last beef the prostitute turning into perfect sweet loving wife--is some sort of inane fantasy (also very dated). Prostitutes look like prostitutes hardened.

RECOMMEND Viva Italia!

The Salt of Life (2011)

Plights of daily living in trying to acquire mistress comedy-

[9/10 · 12 August 2014]

I loved Mid August Lunch and like this movie even more. De Gregorio creates fun light "plights of daily living" comedies. They are entertaining fun and enjoyable.

In this movie Gregorio (who writes directs and is the protagonist in these movies) is having a mid life crisis...he has retired and thinks his life will become fuller if he takes on a mistress---he finds out unbelievably that a much older man who sits with his friends out on the street in front of his house has done this very thing. Of course he is thwarted in this quest and that is where the humor lies.

This is wonderful light amusing life situation comedy.

This movie is actually a little slicker and better filmed than Mid August Lunch the story a little more involved.

RECOMMEND HIGHLY

The Score (2001)

Edward Norton (especially) and De Niro ---make this stand out

[9/10 · 12 August 2014]

This is a heist movie--"the one last big job" a veteran safe cracker needs to retire.

Unusual for this genre the acting takes precedence over the action although both are very well done---particularly impressive is Edward Norton playing a fake retarded cerebral palsy accomplice of De Niro. De Niro has to be one of the world's most natural actors but Norton out shines him here at least to my simplistic eyes.

The only thing I found a little squirrelly about the plot was the item they were to steal but without it the twists would not have worked.

I enjoyed very much the Montreal setting and seeing Brando (his last movie) is always fun....so win win win.....

It gets an 8 maybe even 9 since De Niro gets away with the crime i.e. not the old Hollywood norm crime doesn't pay....

Cost $60 million grossed $130 million. Brando apparently argued constantly with Oz (director) calling him Miss Piggy. (Oz used to do the muppets).

RECOMMEND HIGHLY

The Family (I) (2013)

Combines brutal visual violence with Hee Haw and pies in the face.

[1/10 · 11 August 2014]

OK, the film really isn't as bad as Hee Haw it is actually worse. Instead of whipped cream pies in the face---baseball bats and tennis racquets are broken over heads--and every other character is shot in cold blood.

Yes, yes, black humor, gallows humor...this type humor can be very funny if done right with a lot of dryness to it. Actually witnessing violence in absurd unbelievable manners is not funny to non sadists. Maybe I am too old for this movie--somebody cracking open other people's heads with tennis rackets is not funny to me. Some things just are not funny even in make believe such as cruelty to animals.

But what do I know? The movie cost $30 million and grossed $86 million.

I watched the movie because Luc Besson was recommended in another IMDb review. Also I am a fan of De Niro whose talent is wasted here....ditto Pfieffer....Tommy Lee Jones is too old for the role.

I won't poke holes in the plot as it is too inane to bother...why would someone in the witness protection program invite the whole town to a barbecue?....blend in doesn't mean run for office.

Watch Hee Haw instead.

Don't Recommend