frznnrth Reviews

Michael Moore Hates America (2004)

A flawed but commendable effort

[5/10 · 31 March 2008]

Awful title aside, this is a pretty commendable effort to make both a satire and rebuttal of Michael Moore's various films. There were times when I wasn't quite sure if Wilson was in on his own joke, to be honest, but he obviously put a lot of effort into skewering some of Moore's trademark techniques.

Without adding any spoilers, I'll just say that I was impressed with a few powerful moments in the film (like the interview with the injured soldier) and enjoyed seeing Wilson pondering, on camera, how to make his own documentary as ethical as he wants it to be.

The flaws, however, are pretty big ones. The strip mall psychologist who repeatedly offers a "diagnosis" of Moore is just laughable. Another frequent interviewee looks like he's about to have a stroke because he's so worked up. These guys really undermine Wilson's attempt to seem objective.

Overall, it's kind of like a Michael Moore film. There's some interesting stuff there, as long as you're willing to overlook the ridiculous stuff to get to it.

Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Kind of a mess

[5/10 · 16 July 2006]

I really enjoyed Ocean's Eleven, and wanted to like this movie as much. There were moments with the kind of fun, witty interaction in the first movie, but mostly it just felt like the screenplay was an effort to give some camera time to each of the 12 actors. There really wasn't enough effort (or time) to give us more than a glimpse of any of them, and it made for a jumpy, confusing movie.

Also, there's a subplot involving Julia Roberts's character that's just brutal. If you want to make people forget they're watching a bunch of movie stars, don't give one of them the complete vanity treatment like Julia gets in this movie.

Sleuth (1972)

Great acting, absurd plot

[6/10 · 26 May 2006]

As others have said, this movie includes great performances by the two leads, particularly Michael Caine. I was disappointed, though, in a plot that I just couldn't buy on most levels.

The character reactions, beginning with Milo being so easily convinced to take part in the ridiculous "burglary," almost never rang true. The convoluted games that these two participate in would never be duplicated in reality. It was too big of a leap for me to make. I suppose the refined responses were part of the running theme of British civility, but I found myself unable to suspend my disbelief.

I also thought the movie didn't stray enough from its roots as a play. Was it even adapted to a screenplay, or did they simply stage the play on a more elaborate set?

I enjoyed the movie, but just don't see the same qualities other reviewers seem to find.

Traveller (1997)

Interesting movie, but ...

[9 October 1999]

The smooth scams and chemistry between the actors in this film work well. The rest, not so much. I'm a sucker for movies about con-men, and the tricks they pull in this movie seem both original and believable. But despite fine acting and an interesting backdrop, you just keep getting the feeling that a lot of stuff was thrown together while the script was being written. Both of the quasi-romances are hard to buy, and the ending seems like a scene from the "Death Wish" series tacked onto a character study. Probably worth checking out, but not a great movie.

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

I'm getting too old for this s**t

[1/10 · 22 September 1999]

Is it my imagination, or is the once cool Lethal Weapon series on a death spiral? The movies now have a cast of thousands (Glover, Gibson, Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, everyone's latest baby, a bunch of bad guys, etc.) and they seem like nothing more than a feeble attempt to get them all some screen time. There's no coherent dialogue, no plot, and no point. Watching Jet Li play the latest supervillain was the only reason to be mildly entertained.