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Reviews
A Slipping-Down Life (1999)
A very nice adaptation.
Though this film is hard to find, it's worth the effort. Lili Taylor gives a delicate and beautiful performance as a troubled and lonely girl slipping directly from childhood to middle age. Guy Pearce plays an aspiring musician who refuses to abandon his vision, but desperately wants to hit the big time. The images of small-town America are dead on, and are some of the most enjoyable parts of the film. The minor roles are absolutely delightful. Irma P. Hall's role as housekeeper is hilarious, as is Bruno Kirby's portrayal of Evie's boss. See this one when you get the chance.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Not bad, and that's about all you can say
I was somewhat surprised by the outstanding reviews this film has received. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad film. In fact, there are some really nice parts. The actors are good to look at, and there's plenty of action. The sword fights are fast and exciting. If all you demand in a film are pretty people, occasional bloodletting, and revenge then this one will fit the bill nicely, though you may be better off watching a bad martial arts movie. This film had aspirations to be more, but somehow missed the mark. If you want to be moved, or challenged, or even to become involved with the characters then this is not the film for you. The characters never really come across as anything more than caricatures. Guy Pearce, as Fernand Mondego, the villain, is little more than a villain. The audience will have a tough time sympathizing with him or finding any motivation for his numerous acts of evil. He's just a guy who hates the hero because, well, because he's a hero, and he fights him to the death because that's what bad guys are supposed to do, right? James Caviezel, as the Count of Monte Cristo, has a difficult time being more than a poser. He seems incredibly naive and doe-eyed at the beginning of the film, and rather like a stylish terminator at the end. His goofy sidekick, played by Luis Guzman, is the distant cousin of Don Quixote's Sancho Panza and even looks a bit like Bob Hoskins, the most recent Sancho (2000). This film is not worth eight bucks, but is worth the price of a rental. Recommendation: wait for the video.
The Turn of the Screw (1999)
Well worth watching.
This is a solid adaptation of a novella often used in highschools and colleges. Like James's book, this version uses point of view masterfully.
A note for teachers: This adaptation is an excellent way to teach interpretation, especially when it is compared to the 1961 Jack Clayton production "The Innocents."
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
One of the best horror films of the period.
The creativity of this production is amazing. The film includes an extended first person POV shot at the beginning that would have been almost impossible at the time. The creature's make up and the transformation scenes are really stunning. I'm still not sure how the transformation was done. Crossfades, wipes, and montage (all new techniques at the time) are used artfully to help tell the story and to give psychological insights.
Technical matters aside, this is an elegant film. Mamoulian uses parallel images of several of the actors to create new and interesting connections between the characters. Pay special attention to his use of mirrors. The hints of spouse abuse and the Freudian theme of the battle of the id and ego also make this film a psychologically complex one. This is one film adaptation that, at least in some ways, transcends the text upon which it was based.
Frankenstein (1931)
Perhaps the most important horror film ever.
One of the most important horror films ever made, this adaptation of Mary Shelly's novel is both sophisticated and thoughtful (much more so, in fact, than Branagh's more recent "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.") The monster has never been played better than Boris Karloff does here. Director James Whale finds pathos both in the creature and in its creator. Whale's adaptation of the Romantic classic finds a strange resonance in 1931 as technology actually began to fulfill some of the Promethian prophecies Shelly had made.
Watch closely in the restored version as Frankenstein cries "In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be god." The film should have special meaning for contemporary viewers as it seriously asks the questions we are faced with in the light of recent advances in cloning technology. What will be the status of "created" human beings? Who will be responsible for them? How will they be received by the public? As this line of questioning suggests, the most frightening thing in the story (for Shelly, for Whale, and for us) is not the monster but the technology that might make his creation possible. Banned in cities across the United States and England at its release in 1931, the film was considered by many theatergoers simply too shocking to view. Perhaps the most chilling thing about this film is that contemporary pre-teens view it as simply silly compared to the steady diet of blood and gore they face on television every day.
Small Soldiers (1998)
A 108 minute commercial
Small Soldiers
This last weekend I crumbled to the pressure of my eight-year-old son and rented Joe Dante's Small Soldiers. Like most video releases nowadays, Small Soldiers begins with a commercial. Several manufacturers, including Hasbro Toys (creators of G.I. Joe), advertise their film-related products. Unlike most video releases, however, with Small Soldiers it's difficult to tell where the commercial ends and the movie begins. In its plot, characterization, theme, and, yes, even action, Small Soldiers never rises above the level of a 30 second toy commercial. This is one movie conceived and created with toy marketing as a very definite goal. The plot is childishly simple. If you managed to sit through Robin Williams' bloated Toys then this movie will look mighty familiar. At the beginning of the film a small, Midwestern toy manufacturer is bought out by a large defense contractor. One of the toy designers, in an effort to please his new boss, creates a line of talking, moving toy soldiers, the "Commando Elite," using a microchip originally intended to guide nuclear missiles. The outcome of this is fairly predictable. The toys begin wreaking havoc as soon as they are taken out of their boxes. A second toy designer, not quite as jaded as the first, designs the "Gorgons," an enemy for the Commando Elite to fight. The peace-loving Gorgons, we quickly learn, are the good guys. They dress like TV's Hercules, carry tiny, little bows and arrows, and want to move to Yosemite. What more could you ask from good guys? Alan, a 14 year old, temporarily left in charge of his dad's toy store, talks the toy delivery man into leaving him a set of the Commando Elite and Gorgons, despite his father's refusal to sell any war-related toys. The commandos first wreck the toy store, then, after following Alan home, proceed to destroy his entire neighborhood. In the process they employ a wide range of weapons including propane torches, chainsaws, and nailguns. Sounds like wholesome, family entertainment to me. That, of course, is the most serious problem with this movie; it has no real audience. Only a child could appreciate the thin plot and the talking toys, but the profanity and violence (for which the film received a much needed PG13 rating) make this movie questionable, at best, for children. Adults watching the movie, on the other hand, will simply be depressed as they anticipate the unbridled avarice of the upcoming holiday season. Perhaps the most depressing thing about this film is that it could have been so much more than a 108 minute toy commercial. There are hints throughout of a more thoughtful theme, a criticism of our modern craving for new technology and new levels of violence in our entertainment and in our toys. Alan's peace-loving, old-fashioned, tree-hugging father, for instance, is contrasted with Phil, his technophile neighbor, played by the late Phil Hartman, who is seen cutting down a tree to improve the reception of his new satellite dish. The same contrast is found as the low-tech, peaceful Gorgons are forced to fight the high-tech, murderous Commandos. All of this moral high ground is lost, though, during the brutal, albeit shrunken, battles that fill two-thirds of the film. So is there any reason to watch this movie? Maybe one; those folks old enough to remember the original "Dirty Dozen" will recognize Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, and George Kennedy (along with Tommy Lee Jones and Bruce Dern) as the voices of the Commando Elite. That should be a real tip-off. If you don't mind your kids watching Ernest Borgnine machine- gun truckloads of screaming German soldiers you won't have a problem with Small Soldiers. Otherwise I would avoid it like I would a live hand grenade.