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Reviews
Don't Come Knocking (2005)
The dry, dusty, immensity of the West
I found this movie to be a reflection of the West, the Great American West. Don't Come Knocking is a 360 degree look at the cowboy icon. Especially the Hollywood Cowboy icon, which of course is quite different from what was any real cowboy who ever existed in the 'old' West. This movie pays homage to the western while also being an anti-Western, or un- Western. Maybe so many people love the clichéd mythos of the west they cannot look at reality, but this movie shows the reality. Howard Spence is an alcoholic womanizer, who is a movie star cowboy. Does he actually embody rugged individualism that is so broadly displayed in the the Western Themes, or is it really just an act he has clinged to all his life? And what is left if he realizes it's all been an act? The reality of a real cowboy is the man he finds in his escape from a movie set, a guy living in a shack. We find out that Howard is not a likable man, he doesn't call his mother, and has never really cared for or about anyone other than himself. This is the cowboy story, the aspects of the story no one wants to think about, or care about. The old girlfriend he abandoned long ago sees through him. Howard Spence personifies the West, a loner, miserable who hasn't seen his mother in 30 years, and has to come to terms with his indiscretions at some point when he discovers he has a son he never knew about. This movie has some homage to the great westerns, not only those from the 40s and 50s, but also Clint Eastwood, as so clearly referenced in the movie poster in the restaurant where ___ works. He's such a 'great hero' that we all love, the loner-savior cowboy who can't seem to have any lasting relationships with women. What is wrong with him? What is so great about him? That is what his son asks him, when he comes knocking after so many years of nothing.
The Legend of Zorro (2005)
A good fun movie
Just saw this on DVD and I thought it was really good - though the loose grasp of California and U.S. history was jarring enough to interrupt the flow(there was no Confederate general in 1850, although there was a rift between the North and the South, never heard of the Bear Flag Point or whatever - the Bear Flag Revolt happened in Sonoma, etc). This is a swashbuckling, romantic dash, and it's not meant to be historical reality (still, some adherence to historical accuracy would be appreciated). It didn't move as well as the first Zorro, but I hope they do a 3rd movie.
It definitely delivers with the swashbuckling, fun, adventure, romance. I just wish they hadn't relied so much on special effects, but instead had more scenes of Banderas and Zeta Jones together - it is their chemistry that is so much fun to watch. The kid who played the son was terrific, funny and the storyline with the problems of family vs. being a 'hero' was a great part of it all.
All in all, it's a good DVD rental, and it was very good all around.
The Family Stone (2005)
Loved it! Terrific
This is a gem. I loved it. Another 'new' Christmas classic, it's a story about a family, all their interweaving stories, as individuals and as a family. It's about acceptance, love, forgiveness, how to stay a family despite difficulties, how to face reality, truth.
It's about family. I wish I had a family like this, yet the characters were not perfect, nor is the family. If you are bigoted you may not like it, but one of the sons is gay, but that is not a major theme. The theme is family, and love. Because the family stone is its heart - the heart within each member of any family. Even though all the 'children' are grown, they still need their parents, and need their family, even if they only get together as a full family at Christmas. Basically it challenges the audience to think about how you handle the differences within a family. How do you accept these differences? How do you stay a family.
Great acting, just wonderful.
Stay (2005)
What a surprise
I was really surprised by this movie and watched it a 2nd time on my Netflix DVD. Letham is an anagram for Hamlet, and the presence of Kate Burton in this movie helps make it special, and all the other Hamlet and Shakespeare references. "To be or not to be" that is perhaps the question that Henry Letham ponders as he lies there on the street as the car fire burns. What is all the other stuff in the movie? There are no easy answers really, it is quite un-narrative in the vein of Memento and David Lynch stuff. Is it all what could or will or did happen? In real life? This is definitely worth a viewing, but if you can't handle the intuitiveness of it all or a nonlinear film, you may not enjoy it. Film is a medium that MUST adhere somewhat to a linear rule, in that the viewer watches it from end to end, within a fixed time. This is a movie that breaks through the linearness of film somewhat and draws a more circular story. Great acting and I really enjoyed it all. Thumbs up!
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Lack of drama
While enjoyable, and entertaining, I feel this movie relied too much on breadth so that one wonders what is happening in the movie because so much is. The narrative thread is the relationship of the lead couple. The work of Alan Cumming and JJ Leigh is interesting to watch. However it is a bit scattered. A bit too much true to life, ala my best friend Phoebe Cates, and the lines delivered - are they scripted or ad lib and does it matter? Yes, because the audience wants to know where you are taking us with this. Too many beautiful people with their poor, poor problems. They are nervous, lose their dogs, etc. All in all, it lacked something and I'm not sure what it is. But it's worth a look.