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Reviews
Full Frontal (2002)
soderbergh's refreshing return to interesting filmmaking
this is the first soderbergh film i've enjoyed since "the limey." while
messy and frustrating at times, it's infinitely more interesting than
"erin brockovich," "traffic," or the thoroughly annoying "ocean's 11."
perhaps it's proof that the director is at his best when he's not
making films for the mainstream. here's to soderbergh's
experimentation.
The Velocity of Gary (1998)
forget the flaws, go for Thomas Jane
While the film is good-hearted and trying very hard, it ultimately came out flawed and a little too obvious for my taste. However, it's nice to see Hayek get a chance to play a new kind of character -- a character that's seriously hard to like. D'Onofrio is great, as usual.
But Thomas Jane is the real draw here. This guy is fabulous. I'm ashamed I didn't notice him sooner.
A Simple Plan (1998)
That delicious downward spiral.
With shades of "Shallow Grave" and "Blood Simple," Raimi and Smith create a suffocating white Minnesotan winter-world in which all the characters are hopelessly stuck. Their find of 4.4 million dollars naturally causes events to spiral deliciously ever downward. The characters are ANYTHING but one-dimensional, and there's an especially welcome, surprising and creative plot twist toward the end. Dark, funny, and sad -- the script is superb, the acting sensationally low-key. Bravo to all involved.
Happiness (1998)
Not for the feint of heart
Not for the feint of heart -- or the moralistic. Solondz's third film is brilliant -- unflinchingly disgusting, unrelentingly cruel, terribly terribly funny. He's sharply captured the ugly desperation of being human. Best of all, no one here tries to dictate right or wrong to the audience. Don't miss this one.
Clay Pigeons (1998)
You Shoot All the Husbands, and I'll Stab All the Wives
This is a mean little almost-neo-noir movie. Wickedly fun. Vince Vaughn's Lester Long is irresistible. Janeane Garofalo -- fabulous as always. (Can we call this woman "luminous" rather than all the mediocre new "It"-girl actresses?) Their scene together is quite possibly the best of the film. Great music that fit beautifully with the overall atmosphere of the film, too. However, the end is a huge disappointment. Someone should have told David Dobkin to scrap the test audiences' annoying penchant for neatly wrapped up endings, and to go with his instincts. All around, a great two hours in the theatre.