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Reviews
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Surprising audience pleaser.
"Erin Brockovich" is great Hollywood entertainment. It's nice to go to a movie and not have to become to cerebral in describing how much you enjoyed it. I also love going to the movies when the audience actually cheers the screen.
Julia Roberts gives one of her best performances ever as the bimbo law clerk who helps uncover and win one of the biggest class action suits in US history. And Albert Finney is terrific in his Oscar worthy performance as the owner of the small, slightly sleazy Southern California law firm that Erin works for.
Director Soderbergh knows his audience and works the film in a way that plays out as pure entertainment, not unlike Out of Sight.
Plenty of cinematic fun which is sure to place another diamond in Julia's screen queen crown.
8 of 10
Trick (1999)
Funny, Capra-like romantic/comedy offers hope for gay films in Hollywood.
Every once in awhile, you go see a nice, romantic comedy. The couple meet, the have that great mutual attraction, although it's sometimes unclear as to on what level, and they start, in one way or another to fall in love. A good, old fashioned romantic comedy throws in a few complications to make it that much more difficult for them to get together, and then there's always the meddlesome friends or ex-lovers that get in the way as well. Oh, and let us not forget a great comic monologue or two, some really sappy tear jerking scenes (perhaps of heart breaking abandonment, or something like that), and, if it has some music - well that's even better! And, even better (at least in the late 90's, as sort of a Millennium bender), let's make almost all of the main characters gay.
This, in a nutshell is what Trick has done. It has given us the definitive, fun hetero-friendly gay romantic comedy. Sure there are scenes of guys kissing, and some very beefy beefcake. But not once do we actually see a penis, or a bare butt (well, an almost bare butt, and some very funny bare breasts). And while there are drag queens, they deliver some damn funny moments and monologues. Any cliches that my be placed within the context of this smart script by Jason Schafer, are far from gay stereo types and only act as a homage to the great Capra-like comedies of the 30's and 40's that only wished they could actually portray gay couples as real people.
An ultra-low budget independent directed by Jim Fall, Trick has a slick bigger budget feel due to the sharp, street smart cinematography of lenser Terry Stacey and some great performances from a basically no-name cast. The one "name", if one can call her that, is Tori Spelling, who tosses away the entrapments of being daddy's girl in "B.H. 90210", and turns on a surprisingly strong comedic performance as Katherine, perhaps the worlds worst musical comedy actress. You go girl! She could easily become one of those indie queens. Not wanting for the cash of the big budget Hollywood films of many other T.V. stars, she's now flexed her acting muscles in a couple of low budget performances ("The House of Yes"), and proved herself a strong contender to Parker Posey and Rose McGowan.
Let us not forget our lovely lovers, Gabriel and Mark, played respectively by Christian Campbell (Neve's brother), and John Paul Pitoc. Both generate considerable charm as the frustrated couple "trying to make it in the big city", as the films tagline would have it. These boys should be watched, because they both have looks and talent that should shine through even stronger in future, less cliche driven performances.
And one would be remiss not to mention Clinton Leupp's hysterical performance as a drag queen driven by jealous revenge. This guy is a hoot...and he sort of looks like Tori at 45 (should I actually say that?).
It's refreshing to see a film with gay themes so very much aimed at the main stream market. Perhaps, with the dawning of the year 2000, Hollywood will take a nod from such strong willed film makers such as Jim Fall, et al, and begin offering us more cinema that touches our heart with understanding...that often we can fall in love with a person, not a gender. And that we often do.
Perfect Little Angels (1998)
Some good acting makes this poor man's "Disturbing Behaviour" interesting.
Although standard MOW foder, "Perfect Little Angels" is actually not a bad little suspense thriller once you get into it. Some great looking young Canadian actors (especially Brendan Fehr as "Mitch", who acts as good as he looks), and a solid performance from TV staple Cheryl Ladd make this "Disturbing Behaviour" rip-off watchable. The story revolves around mind control in the tightly knit, upscale suburban community Elesium Meadows, where every home is perfect, every mother is June Clever and every teenager is Ken or Barbie. Enter new comer Justine (Jody Thompson, who's performance is, at best, uneven), and her mom (Cheryl Ladd), a recently fatherless family looking for a new start. Justine is immediately approached by the Elesium Meadows gang, led by Brad (Jade Pawluk, a perfect, plastic doll). This group of Gap clad teens are perfect to the point of nausea and begin stalking Justine in order to make her perfect as well. Justine also befriends Mitch (the afore-mentioned Fehr), an outsider who hates the Elesium kids and does his best to keep Justine from them. Oh yes, there's also a mad scientist, Dr. Lawrence (once classy actor Michael York, who phones in his performance here), who feeds everyone vitamins that are also mind control devices that somehow link up to a radio tower in his back yard. Actually, when writing this out, it all seems pretty silly, but it actually works on the small screen as Justine and Mitch rush to defeat the evil doctor and his plans for neighbourhood domination. Once again have to mention the stand our performance of newcomer Brendan Fehr. Very good looking, his every move on screen is a pleasure to watch. This kid has star written all over him. Tim Bonds direction is OK, and the technical aspects of the film are pedestrian. 6 out of 10, but only because of Fehr.