Change Your Image
cswolfe
Reviews
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
If you don't like this film you need some testosterone shots.
Great machinery, great stunts, great cars, great cinematography and more testosterone than all films of 2001 combined. I expected to hate this film, but totally understand what all the fuss is about after seeing it a couple of times on video. Congrats to everybody who was involved in the project.
The Haunting (1999)
Some Movies are Born Bad.
The pretense of this film was a study of sleep deprivation. I don't why they needed have bothered when a solution for insomnia is so readily available; this film. This film is not 1/100th as scary as realizing that you will never get the time back that you spent to watch it.
54 (1998)
Mike Myers is magic.
Mike Myers is magic. If only the rest of the film had even a tiny slice of that, but it doesn't. Mike so deeply immerses himself in Steve Rubell's character that you would not recognize him if you did not otherwise know. Reports of Neve Campbell's vapid performance are grossly exaggerated ... er... uh ... wait; no they're not. She's badly miscast, and demonstrates all the starpower of Disney wallpaper. Would love to trash Ryan Phillippe as many have, but personally, I think he handed in a perfectly workman-like performance. The film seems to believe that one note -- phony glamour -- will carry 90 minutes. Bad misjudgment.
Bulworth (1998)
A well executed devastatingly simple concept.
Bravo to Beatty. A devastatingly simple concept: A politician telling the truth. Political social commentary can also be good fun, as Beatty proves with this film. Quality job. I hope this film proves to be a future classic.
Notting Hill (1999)
A romantic comedy masterpiece.
Let me state right up front that I am not otherwise a fan of either Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant. But here, Julia proves why she still deserves a zillion per film, and Hugh Grant reminds us how he ever attained the surprising status of Hollywood leading man in the first place. Wonderful writing, inspired acting, great chemistry and great direction all combine to make this one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies I've ever seen. What I would not do to be involved in a project of this quality.
Street Fighter (1994)
A prime example of why Jean Claude Van Damme deserves retirement.
What a piece of trash. It's mystifying how quality actors such as Raoul Julia and Ming Na Wen got involved with this sad mess. Even the actors seem to be having a rotten time, never having seemed to have thought for a second that the end result could be anything but a train wreck. At least the actors were not spared the pain they would soon be inflicting on audiences.
Rounders (1998)
A definite must rent.
Great script, great actors, great acting, great glimpse at pro cards. What else do you want? Rent this puppy. Congrats to all involved who presumably turned down much higher paying, much higher profile projects to do something that was clearly a great deal of fun.
Fly Away Home (1996)
Overrated.
I had heard many many good things about this film, and wanted to like it. Other than the central idea of leading the geese, however, I found the film to be highly formulaic. Additionally, I thought that Anna Paquin's character was very much the total brat with whom I found it very hard to sympathize.
The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
Suffering from sitcom disease
This project was cast like a television sitcom, directed like a television sitcom, and the actors act as though it is a television sitcom. The results might have been fine for the small screen ... but on the big screen the results are at time painful to watch.