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mistercindy
Reviews
Sånger från andra våningen (2000)
Artsy crap.
'Nuff said. I was going to end my review with "'nuff said" but IMDb won't allow it, so...here goes. After a half dozen scenes I kept waiting for this nonsensical junk to end. Scene after scene of unconnected dreariness. Don't get me wrong...I don't mind dreary flicks with a point. But this movie just plain sucks. I even listened to the director speak of the film on one of the DVD special features, and his disorganized dribble did nothing to change my mind. I rarely disagree with Roger Ebert, but this stupid movie made it happen.
I read that it took this guy four years to make this movie. Its a complete waste of life, if you ask me.
L'ours (1988)
Liberal tripe
I tire of the liberal-elite attributing human feelings and emotion to animal behavior. So what if this movie is beautifully filmed, any amateur can point a camera at the Rocky Mountains and have a pretty picture. If that is what I want, I'll watch National Geographic. Spare me this liberal tripe.
The Contender (2000)
Good movie, could have been great
This was a fun movie. The best part is a look inside the beltway. The interior scenes of the White House and the Capitol are wonderful. The dozens of magnificent prints of presidential portraits make one feel as if the film makers had White House access. The peek inside marine helicopters ferrying White House staff is fun. Jeff Bridges is great (did anybody else thing of The Big Lebowski during the bowling scene?) I enjoyed watching Sam Elliot break out of cowboy roles. Good for him! Unfortunately, this movie could have been great. It is hurt by some unnecessary Hollywood conventions.
One, the musical cues during Joan Allen's closing remarks at the hearings and the final speech by Jeff Bridges alert the audience that it is time to cry. While it may be fun for an audience member who agrees politically with their messages, it does nothing but detract from an otherwise good movie.
Secondly, is anybody else tired of recent Hollywood films making presidents (or vice presidents), senators, etc... young, athletic 40 somethings? Most presidents, vice presidents, and senators have been and are in their 50s and 60s. This obvious sales job to self-centered baby boomers is a bit tiring. My bold prediction is that as the boomers grow older, so will the people playing such roles.
Finally, the forced happy ending is absurd. Forced happy endings bother me less when I am watching a movie that could never be anything but a mediocre film. But, when they are imposed on a movie that could be good, it is very disappointing.
With all of that this is still a fun movie. But I left feeling that it could easily have been so much better.
Eddie Izzard: Glorious (1997)
Terribly quick wit!
Eddie Izzard is the smartest stand up I have seen since the early George Carlin material. He leaves no sacred topic untouched (particularly religion). I saw his HBO special, Dress to Kill, and ordered Glorious as soon as I knew about it. It is well worth it.
Dark City (1998)
Great Sci Fi
Great science fiction. It took some courage for stars as big as William Hurt and Kiefer Sutherland to take this movie on. I'm glad they did. Cheers to both of them. And what has Richard O'Brien been doing with his time since he released Brad and Janet before leaving for the planet of Transylvania in the galaxy of Transsexual? It's good to see him again.
The Wanderers (1979)
An intelligent coming of age story.
This is a wonderful coming of age movie. A group of Italian gang members are led by Ken Wahl through a series of events leading up to Wahl's coming of age. Seldom do movies end as strong as they begin, but this one does so. Wahl's coming of age arrives when he follows Karen Allen, a woman he loves but cannot have, to a bar in the Bronx. He sees her inside listening to Bob Dylan singing "the times they are a-changing." The singer is referring not just to the 60s but to Wahl personally. Wahl is outside looking through a window and the viewer sees him from the inside reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman at the church at the end of the Graduate. Wahl is on the outside looking in, and in that instant he knows that he always will be. This is a wonderful use of camera angles to make a point. An intelligent picture. I can't believe it's not better known.