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Starrman21
Reviews
Better Call Saul (2015)
You'd better watch Saul....
Clever, peculiar, riveting, gripping, funny, dark, beautifully shot, mesmerizing, well written, perfectly cast, perfectly acted, perfectly directed and a treat for the senses...everyones actions have consequences and they are all destined to same fate...
Every character came from a good place than find themselves bereft of morality, driven to unscrupulously succeed ..incapable of redemption yet compelling to the core...
The notion of "no honor amongst thieves" is the common badge all the characters in Better Call Saul wear...and it's a badge that drives each character to succeed in their respective dark underbelly world.
This show is a treat and an unpredictable ride...every scene of every episode...you are drawn in immediately....enjoy!
The Wild Life (1984)
Always brings back memories....funny, funny film...
There is nothing not to love about this film...it still holds up as a very funny film with some great characters attached.
For The Wild Life, the obvious connection and comparison will forever be Fast Times at Ridgemont High...which is fair and fitting. Like many of us, Cameron Crowe didn't just write down his reflections of his high school days...he painted a narrative as only he can. Visual, thematically accurate and draped with the soundtracks of our youth. As great as Fast Times is, The Wild Life is "equal to" on many levels and equally as enjoyable.
Fast Times takes place during a school year chronicling several different characters as they go through the trials and tribulations of going through high school...where The Wild Life chronicles the lives of some high school kids during a summer break that is coming to a close.
One of the things that never gets mentioned is how so much of the film takes place during the night...which for me was an underscore to the high school years for a lot of us who went to high school in the late 70's and early 80's. Outdoor parties, cruising around with friends, always looking for something to do and generally staying out all night...only to do it all over again, night after night....perhaps Art Linson had the same snapshot in his head when making this film...the story being told mostly in the evening has never been lost on me.
From a character perspective, Christopher Penn, Eric Stoltz, Jenny Wright, Lea Thompson, Ilan Mitchell-Smith were perfectly cast in their respective roles....with Hart Bochner, Rick Moranis, Ben Stein, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Bowen, Angel Salazar, Robert Ridgely and Randy Quaid among others offering terrific supporting roles that enhances the film. The musical score penned by Eddie Van Halen is also a great accent to the film....just terrific pacing.
The Wild Life is a very enjoyable film that has several memorable lines, memorable scenes with a goof or two mixed in....but the film works to this day, still holds up.
Hats off to Art Linson for making a good, funny and memorable film...released in 1984...it still resonates with those of us who remember those days fondly.
Enjoy!
Senna (2010)
Sensational...
You don't have to be a fan of auto racing to appreciate and enjoy the film "Senna". From the start of the film to it's historical tragic ending...you are pulled into the world of open wheel racing and the life of legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna.
Some people are born to do one thing and in Ayrton Senna's life he chased the dream of being the best driver of the world, welcomed the controversy and challenges that comes and welcomed the burden and responsibility with being as important to his country as anyone had ever been in Brazil's history.
Through it all, you are pulled towards the energy and confidence Senna exuded as a race car driver, you feel his passion, at times you bristle at his brash demeanor towards his racing peers but you understand and marvel at Senna the whole time. He made every car he drove better, he made every team better whom he drove for and ultimately he became the driver that everyone else wished they could be.
A perspective that this film also shows is the razor edge nature of the drivers respecting the sport and the ever changing political climate that seems to be a constant shadow of Formula One racing. No driver was ever in control, no team owner was going to get an edge.
In Senna's case, it was apparent that his success would always be envied by those who had more...yet he was the driver that everyone wanted at any price...his excellence as a driver was always on display...the glamor of being the best ever never seemed to phase him.
In the end, the film humanizes Senna to the audience and to himself...you see his mortality on trial, he knew he loved racing, he knew he could win with any car on any track under any conditions and ultimately he knew it could all go away within seconds...
Senna's impact to his sport will forever be footnoted. His impact to the people of Brazil will be timeless...Ayrton Senna was Brazil's first son.
This film is a masterpiece...it's human, heartwarming, touching, poignant and tragic...
Edmond (2005)
Disturbing and powerful...a real sleeper...
Some actors are just made for certain roles and certain movies....and in the movie "Edmond" the casting and performance of each character is as compelling as the movie itself. Hats off to Stuart Gordon who did not miss with any of the main characters casted...each scene is full of emotion, tension and constant viewer unrest... The movie itself is a dark emotional ride for Edmond Burke (played by William H. Macy) who has a midlife crisis and life changing event taking place in the same evening which ends up being the events that ultimately define and destroy his life...
At times, the movie jumps around....but you are eager for Edmond to reach his vindication...only to be frustrated by his own ignorance and lack of perspective in life. His notion of "life is for living" is an emotion that he manufactures to create a sense of separation from who he really is and more important, who he hates being. He isn't nuts...just a person who decides he is going to change himself and everyone else all at once...only to find out, most people live in their own lanes and have their reasons for being that way...the underbelly side of NYC is the conduit that defines the notion that everyone is different, some good, some bad...Edmond becomes trapped in that lane and won't get out until he is vindicated on his terms...which spirals out of control. Common sense has no chance in the world of a man who is on a mission to change something.
William H. Macy is beyond compelling as the main character, his performance as a selfish "know it all", "know nothing", "real life illiterate" New York executive is outstanding. His character is looking for sorted answers and life solutions, yet he accepts only answers from himself and preaches his own vulnerability on to others... Ironically, Edmond ends up in prison, in an environment that channels all emotions and answers...which is the fuel that burned inside him while living on the outside.... In the end, he narrates aloud what "it" is all about...but has no basis for the answers...he becomes a pitiful demised person who wants redemption for his life gone awry all at the expense of others who have crossed through his life...not sorry for what has happened in his life, but sorry and hateful that he had to be the one to live it... short of a masterpiece, but a very good movie that you will think about long after you see it....
The Contract (2006)
Some movies are just destined for the discount rack...
Wow....if you like movies that leave you guessing...The Contract succeeds...low budget, low action, low attention span....guess which applies here? The Contract is a curious film for a variety of reasons...and is one of those movies that you find yourself talking out loud as the movie wears on...not predicting what is next, just wondering out loud "what was that scene about? Who is this guy? Now what?... You never really know what Morgan Freeman's character is about, but you can kind of guess...then you are introduced to John Cusack's character...and low and behold...he morphs into John Rambo lite... Most people have never been pursued by ex military types that are snipers by trade and dangerous to the bone...but in The Contract, these ex military types are treading the countryside in sport coats and Johnston Murphy's....and always seem to look like they just jumped out of a men's catalog.... very strange.
The story and plot have some merit and plausibility initially...but the movie never really develops any characters and you are genuinely convinced that the script and filming changed everyday to accommodate more implausible story lines...the biggest irony is Morgan Freeman's character is an "on the lamb", military operative apparently one step ahead of the government and yet the movie starts with him smack dab in the middle of Washington...
Morgan Freeman and John Cusack would have been cringing if they ever saw this picture come together in post production....as it will no doubt go down as one of those pictures where both will ask "what was I thinking?".
Hollywood money talks...but this film has to be a low point in each of their careers... Another aspect of this film that just never fits right are the other actors in the film, who seem to be acting for the first time...pitiful...the lousy plot is the only thing that allows the viewer to overlook the poor acting...not even the scenery can help paint a better picture to save this film.... Once you finish viewing The Contract, you can watch the special feature segment on the DVD where you can hear the producers talk about the film as though they were making "Platoon" or "The Wild Bunch"...this film is amateur to the core; in story, plot, quality, production, acting and directing... Bruce Beresford is a talented director and has a great body of work....but this film should be left off his resume and headstone... If you believe in movie innuendos...the ending of this film appears to be left open for a sequel...here's to hoping we don't hear "it's on" ever again.
Buddy Faro (1998)
looking forward to the DVD release....maybe?
For some reason, some shows just fail...some deservedly, some not... Buddy Faro was a clever show with interesting characters and dark humor that was enjoyable to watch...Maybe it was never intended to be a big hit, but it had a "quirkiness" about it that made it enjoyable... that being said it appears I may have been the only one watching....Dennis Farina and Frank Whaley were casted perfectly in their respective roles...production quality and writing were great and Vegas was the perfect backdrop... hopefully the first and only season will be released on DVD as I believe it deserves some notoriety... maybe at least make it on TV Land.... cheers
No Reservations (2007)
Had a chance but.....
This movie had all the potential and makings of a great feel good, great love story...the cast is perfect, the visuals work, the original premise works, the characters work....but the story moves from one chess move to the next in a most predictable way...not one character in the movie has any depth or has any depth explained by the director. All we know about Catherine Zeta-Jones character is she is obsessed with her world....nobody is allowed in and nobody challenges her world...that much is obvious....but the remaining characters all have their own dimensions that are really never explored or exposed....Aaron Eckhart's character had so much more to offer to the story but wasn't allowed, Abigail Breslin's character is so easy to understand that her performance comes across somewhat predictable and phony....in the end everything reverts back to the forced turbulent world of Catherine Zeta-Jones which the audience never totally falls for....honestly, her turbulent world is not much more than a portrayal of a selfish, self obsessed, spoiled lady who most people would not have much time or sympathy for in the real world. The director needed to make her a hero and never does....in the end, it is Eckhart's character that ultimately wins because he wins.
Not a lousy movie, just a movie that could have been a lot better with more depth of personalities allowed in, explained and exposed.
Cheers
Pacific Inferno (1979)
potential cult classic of epic proportions....
If you are in to bad movies for the entertainment of witnessing bad movies, bad acting, bad production etc..aka Mystery Science Theater 3000 quality....you will love Pacific Inferno. Jim Brown will be forever remembered as one of the greatest football players to ever play the game...as an actor he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest football players to ever play the game... I am not sure who Rolf Bayer was...but I am hoping he was 15 or 16 years old when he directed this, perhaps he may have been the next Spielberg in the making...because if he was a grown man directing this...a 15 or 16 year old could have done better.... The basis or plot for the movie probably had some historical merit and maybe even truthfully accurate...but the actual film may be one of worst movies made in American film history...I kept waiting for Lee Marvin, William Holden or Charles Bronson to pop in to somehow save whatever "face" was left of this film. I would have loved to have been at the red carpet, black tie gala for the Hollywood opening when this movie previewed...as this movie had to have many a viewer laughing and cringing under their breath... it is on the dime DVD racks now....look for it for entertainment value...this movie is so bad it is too good to pass up...
Night at the Museum (2006)
...a clever film...smart, effective with that old Disney feel...
This movie starts with a human touch, allows you to start predicting what will happen...a slow pace at first...then the story takes some twists and turns that really begin to pull the film together...the movie goes from cute to effective to adventurous and in the end very human and touching...a must for any child over the age of 8...as the lessons of history aren't necessarily a focus...but the faces of history are... If you are looking for the sharp witted Ben Stiller or out of control Robin Williams, you will be disappointed, yet both of them perform on a human level that won't disappoint...their styles are there, just not over the top... You really don't want this movie to end...and when that happens you know you are watching a quality production...not a can't miss film...but a must see film for anyone looking to have fun at the movies...here's to hoping a sequel is forthcoming....
Defiance (2003)
...a movie that makes Fistful of Dollars look like an epic...
I am not sure what the movie Defiance is all about, not sure if it is a western, a post Civil War era story or a comedy....but one thing is for sure, the makers of Defiance didn't know either.....the movie is a compilation of scenes that are spun into a plot that continuously creates a sense of "where is this going?" In essence the movie has scene after scene that does nothing but emphasize and embellish hate over and over....someone gets out of line...BANG...someone spits the wrong way.....BANG.....someone talks out of line....BANG...then the end of the movie comes and guess what???? BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG...a bar room shoot 'em up that looks like it was filmed one time without editing..... Some of the saving graces of the film are some of the scenery where the movie was shot, details to the guns for the era, costumes that appear to mirror the times and Ric Dark's performance as Owen...the reckless gun for hire that looks like a cross between Ulysess S . Grant and Clint Eastwood....very powerful and someone to keep your eye on in future films. Craig Hawksley brings comic relief to the film when everyone is about to be massacred in the films final shoot 'em up scene. Thumbs up for a cult classic, thumbs down if you are wanting anything else....
The Snow Walker (2003)
A quiet classic...
This is a very compelling, well done movie...the story itself feels like something that may have really happened...the performances are stellar and scene by scene you are pulled into a world of beauty... yet a world of total unknown as the wide open spaces of Upper Canada serve as a backdrop of fear and hope with fear and lost hope...in the end you cannot help shed a tear...it is movies like these that remind you why you loved the Disney adventure movies when you were a kid... You won't long forget The Snow Walker and will recommend it quickly to anyone who loves an adventure with a love story wrapped inside...this is a very good movie!
Firewall (2006)
Had all the makings.....but...
This movie had all of the makings of a great movie....the beginning action pulls you in, interesting plot....you relate to Harrison Ford's character and his surroundings asap...the villains are unlikeable heavy's...then mid way through the movie, the pace of the film changes and comes across as something that seemed as though it was being added to as the movie was made..or not enough was deleted and cut out of the film...in some cases, the "Jack Ryan" and "Fugitive" resemblances start peeking in...but Harrison Ford is such a great actor,you cannot help but like his ability to play anger and frustration...and this movie plays on that... Overall, you have a good cast, a good idea on the story...but a foolish twist that only leads to a far fetched ending.... my recommendation is: worth watching one time...
For Your Consideration (2006)
a parody with feeling...
"For Your Consideration" veers from the previous Christopher Guest formulas of "mockumentary" and displays parody humor from the inside of the movie industry so to speak. While the characters have their own quirks, the underlying story of Hollywood being just another business with normal business quirks comes through. The gist of the movie is just how the stereotypes are the norm, autonomy is the rule, what have you done lately is the mantra, the rumor mill is really a turbine and maybe the folks in Hollywood aren't as smart as we perceive them to be...meaning the common man's perception of Hollywood is supported throughout. Hollywood is a flesh eating animal with few boundaries. In the end, the human element comes through...and while meant to be funny, subtle tragedy is also unmistakable as the Fred Willard character serves to remind everyone that in Hollywood bad news is good news and "trainwrecks" are a beautiful thing...
Cheers to Christopher Guest and crew on this one....a good story with likable characters you relate to and also feel for...
Enjoy!