Reviews
Hideous Kinky (1998)
Warm and Colourful
Kate Winslet and her young co-stars are charming in this film. The children have some priceless scenes which are faultlessly acted and leave you wishing that you could encounter such vibrant children in real life instead of the ones prone to throwing tantrums in crowded shopping malls.
The story drifts all over the place - more of a string of events meandering along in search of a purpose, much like Winslet's character. The scenery is stunning, the colours of Morrocco vibrant and the glimpse into another culture is well executed. A fine film to watch if you want visual stimulation, but don't wish to concentrate on a complex story.
Tommy (1975)
Real Shocker
This film is beyond redemption - it is hopelessly dated, the acting is dreadful for the most part and the music brings out some of the worst excesses of the 70s. The only positive is Tina Turner's all too brief appearance as the Acid Queen - she uses her wild, energetic stage persona to great effect. However this is not enough to make it worth suffering through the rest of the film. Only for the dedicated fans of the artists involved (and even then you only need to view it once).
Very Bad Things (1998)
Different from the Usual Hollywood Pap
Much has been written about the gore and the annoying characters in this film, as well as patrons walking out of the cinema in disgust in response to it. I agree that the film is far more bloody than it probably needs to be - you're left repulsed by the actions of the bachelor party participants.
However, it is funny in parts - I personally saw amusing aspects in someone slipping in blood, falling on a coffin, going berserk at annoying children demanding treats, and ending your life crushed against a minivan - other people didn't. I didn't find anything funny about lingering shots of the dead prostitute lying naked in a pool of blood - way too gratuitous. Carving up and burying the bodies took up to much screen time as well, slowing the momentum of the film too much.
Yes, all the main characters are annoying - I wondered whether the director wanted us to feel empathy with any of them and then realised that he probably wanted us to loathe them all. The shrieking and histrionics of the men got on my nerves and it was a pleasure to see many of them dispatched.
The ending is particularly effective - no redeemable characters and everyone gets what they deserve for their actions. Cameron Diaz does an excellent job of portraying the horror of being trapped in an unfortunate family situation in suburbia.
If you're squeamish, dislike violence, want to feel empathy for the main characters and like happy endings don't bother with this film. Othewise, it has its moments and is different from the usual Hollywood pap in that it doesn't conform to the cliched movie experience or push the usual emotional buttons. Probably why many people have recoiled in horror from it - this round peg won't fit in the square hole.
The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Acting's Fine but the Plot Unravels on Reflection
Having watched a documentary recently on industrial espionage and the need for companies to keep their developments secret, The Spanish Prisoner had extra resonance for me.
I thought the acting was generally excellent. Campbell Scott played the hero as reserved and socially awkward, Steve Martin impressed in a rare low-key, low irritant performance as a too good to be true business man and Rebecca Pidgeon does well as a slightly unbalanced woman (she makes you feel uneasy from the start of the film).
It's the plot that lets this film down - improbabilities of behaviour and stupidities are the main problems. Having watched the afore mentioned documentary and as a result knowing that 'a process' as depicted in this film could be worth billions (particularly if pharmaceutical related), I had a difficult time figuring out the stupidity of Scott's character in losing it so easily. At the point where he loses it, it becomes very obvious who is involved, which makes the rest of the movie a bit of an anti-climax. What's worse, when you think back over it after it's finished you can really pull the plot apart. It's a clever string of events - except that it could never be pulled off in the real world.
Definitely worth a look but don't think about it too much afterwards.
Enemy of the State (1998)
Very Slick
I was prepared for the worst, but I needn't have worried. This film grabbed me from the start, Jason Robards drawing me in with a measured performance as a congressman unwilling to support a bill eroding civil liberties.
From the hyperactive opening title shots the story rockets along in glossy, video clip fashion. Robert Dean (Will Smith) copes quite well as his world unravels and his need for physical fitness increases. His wife, played by Regina Belle, is a weak point - she is rabidly opposed to the government intruding in people's lives and spends much of her time wide-eyed and ranting about it. I would have thought that, being a lawyer, she'd have a more balanced view on the place of laws in society. Gene Hackman was a stand-out and it's nice to see Lisa Bonet back in the limelight playing a world weary old flame of Dean's.
The story itself has enough elements of action in it to keep the abuse of government power theme interesting despite having heard it all before. The only criticism is the all too neatly wrapped up conclusion to the film. How can there be any happily-ever-afters after experiencing such gross invasions of privacy?
What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
Triumph through Adversity
Who said the life of a superstar is always glamorous? Angela Bassett does a wonderful job of, among other things, bringing the horrors and anguish of a physically abusive relationship to the screen without making her character a one-dimensional victim. The film is made all the more real given that the life she's portraying on the screen is that of superstar Tina Turner. Angela also manages to capture some of the physical fire of Tina Turner in the performance numbers. Laurence Fishburne does an equally impressive job of portraying Ike Turner.
It's an amazing story - from poverty and abandonment to discovery, minor fame, an abusive marriage, lean times, and then the most amazing musical comeback of the century. Soap opera stuff. The film ends on a high with footage of the real Tina performing in concert on her Private Dancer tour. Her radiant smile says it all - she hung in there and triumphed! Inspirational for us all.
Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
Painful in the Extreme
Norman Mailer is one of America's great writers, however, he came spectacularly unstuck when scripting and directing this movie. The dialogue is appalling - it might have worked on the printed page but it's embarrassingly bad when spoken. The direction is flat as a pancake, much of the acting is over the top, and usually coupled with bad Southern accents, and the plot descends into ridiculous melodrama almost immediately. It would be totally forgettable except for the presence of the radiant Isabella Rossellini - just fast forward to her scenes or don't watch it in the first place. You'll be missing nothing.
The Man with Rain in His Shoes (1998)
Clever film about relationship difficulties
Finally a film about love that shows how difficult it is to sustain a relationship, even when you get the opportunity to start over. Just when you think you know where this film is going a twist is thrown in and you are led away on a different tangent. The story, which mixes together romance, drama and fantasy, provides a lot of food for thought long after you leave the cinema.