Change Your Image
danbarron
Reviews
Croupier (1998)
Boooorrrrinnng....
I can't believe anyone found this so-called thriller exciting. It took way to long to build up to a pretty tame plot to rob a casino. The characters are in no way truly threatening. Some of the characters in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (especially Barry the Baptist) were way more terrifying, and they were played for laughs!! Sorry but this lame-o plot to rob a casino by making a 'scene' on the floor is too ridiculous to contemplate. And what exactly did his girlfriend do with the money? Why did she end up dead? Why was the cop investigating the case telling Jack, "I loved her, you know..." What?!? I did not think the voice over was effective, nor the whole idea of the Jack/Jake confusion.
Unsatisfying and not recommended.
The Piglet Files (1990)
Great show!
I recently picked up the first two series of this show on DVD. VERY funny. I really enjoyed it, although I had never heard of it and only bought it because it has Nicholas Lyndhurst (Only Fools and Horses, Butterflies) in it.
As untenable as the premise may sound, the show is usually very believable and sometimes takes a semi-serious turn like when Piglet's wife is kidnapped accidentally, but always pays off with a big laugh in the end.
Nicholas Lyndhurst is great as usual in this series, and his costar Clive Francis puts in a good performance as his boss, Drummond. But deserving special mention is Michael Percival as Dexter. They say playing stupid is hard. Well Mr. Percival does an excellent job making Dexter both amazingly stupid yet completely likable.
Highly recommended.
Igby Goes Down (2002)
People are taking this movie too seriously...
YES the movie has depressing themes. They can't all be American Pie (thank god!)
YES teenage alienation is not an original theme. Most dramatic themes, after 100 years of cinema and 2500 years of theater are not original.
YES some of the characters are stereotypical. That doesn't take away from some brilliant performances.
This movie is a dark comedy. If you don't like that, don't go. But if you do, this one is delightful. The humor is barbarous but funny if you can manage to take it in the right vein. Yes, the people are at times cruel, but those who have lived through real adversity in their lives will identify with Igby closely. Igby uses his humor ("you're funny...") to protect himself from the realities of his particular nightmare.
Culkin, as most have said, presents a star turn as the intelligent but unmotivated Igby. The kid is a good actor. I hope he keeps choosing good films to appear in. Susan Sarandon is great as usual as his domineering and ultimately uncaring mother. Even Bill Pullman's small performance as his absent father is intense.
Bottom line: when the movie was over I wondered what would happen to Igby, and that for me made it a good movie.
Iris (2001)
Wonderful performances in a flawed movie
i saw iris last night. wonderful performances in a movie that unfortunately really lacked focus. the intercutting between young and old was ultimately distracting, but did show how the vivacious youth became the decrepit altzheimer's victim and what a tragedy that was (not being sarcastic there; it was.)
another problem: we never got to *know* this woman. the only thing i knew about her going in was that she was a famous english novelist. coming out, all i knew was she was a famous english novelist that slept around (with men and women) in her youth and died of altzheimer's. this woman is supposed to be a fascinating person, but i didn't feel that really came through.
still, excellent performances all around by the main four, especially dame judi, who really played well. she must have studied altzheimer's patients. but the surprise delight was jim broadbent, who plays her husband in later life, is. i think he's nominated for this. he's a great actor who has done everything from silly slapstick comedy to real drama with panache. i'm glad he's getting the recognition he deserves. kate winslet played the young iris with sparkly-eyed enthusiasm, emphasizing the tragedy of the loss. and the man playing her husband as a youth did well and bore a striking similarity to broadbent, which worked well in linking the two storylines.
anyway, despite it's flaws i'd recommend it for the performances.
Gothic (1986)
Great idea, horrible result
This movie stunk. I saw it when it came out in '86 and still remember it as the most horrible movie I ever saw. (The Virgin Suicides gave it a real run for its money, though.) I suppose fans will say I didn't "get" it, but I think it was just bad.
I think what bugged me about this movie so much is that the idea is a good one. To see it brought to life with so much BAD dialog (and these were literary greats!) and SENSELESS grotesqueness was a huge disappointment. An example below with a very minor spoiler.
*VERY MINOR SPOILER* When Shelley sees his wife crawling around on the basement floor naked, covered in filth, and clutching a dead rat in her mouth he intones, with terror in his eyes, "This is madness! She hates rats!" Ugh.
Sorry, fans. I give it a 0/10.