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Reviews
Asteroid City (2023)
Off-putting "framing device" spoils this movie's promise
The central setting and story are entertaining and well-acted, with the customary quirks and camera mannerisms -- but the movie is almost undone by its treatment as a TV show about the staging of a play. (The "play" turns out to be the main plot, set in a very stylized Southwest.) It feels like an unnecessary gimmick that distances the audience from the main characters' stories and halts the movie's dramatic momentum.
I've enjoyed several other Wes Anderson movies but this was a big disappointment despite its qualities. Kudos to the large cast that does its best to ground the story in human feelings.
Carousel (1956)
Worth seeing for the songs
I've loved "Carousel" since I was 8 years old and brought to tears by a road-company performance. (The ending still gets me every time.) it contains some of the best R&H songs, like "If I Loved You."
As a movie, it disappoints coming between "Oklahoma" (shot outdoors by a great director) and "The King and I" with its unforgettable songs and performances. Still worthwhile if you haven't seen it.
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Great film with one flaw
I saw this film 2-3 times when it was released -- you can't beat the acting, and O'Toole should have won an Oscar for this performance. Just one problem: The music (by the usually reliable John Barry) is so overwrought that it distracts from scenes that have plenty of drama on their own. But don't miss this one!
Nomadland (2020)
Portrait of grief
Stick with this movie past the first documentary-style hour in which nothing seems to move the "plot" along. By the end of the movie, you realize that Frances McDormand's character is using her wanderings as a way to mourn the loss of her husband, but also as a way to push aside human connection. A sad movie - with a hint toward the end that the character Fern might have reached the "acceptance" stage of grief - with a wonderful, naturalistic portrayal by McDormand.
Unbroken (2014)
A disappointment for this huge fan of the book
I have been looking forward to this movie, having loved the book and admiring Louis Zamperini like so many others. While the movie was well-crafted and well-acted, it failed to blow me over emotionally. It's one movie that could have been longer, while at the same time tightening up the POW sequence by at least 15 minutes.
The director, editors and committee of screenwriters (never a good sign) cut out too much of the back story of what shaped Louie's character as a kid, and (critically) his PTSD and religious awakening at the end. I know this would have made Unbroken a three- hour movie but Louie's story deserved a fuller treatment. Instead, the character is turned into a Christ-like vessel of suffering for his fellow prisoners, rather than a flesh-and-blood person, although he seems oddly unscathed by the ordeal when he reunites with his family.
I was hoping for a "Spielberg" experience to leave me in tears, and it just didn't happen. Too bad.