Dead Poets Society is a thoroughly moving, and inspiring film from Peter Weir, who is definitely one of the most under rated directors around. This movie is in the same vein as "A Separate Peace", in the sense of setting, and in the general coming of age story line. The basic message is to "suck the marrow out of life", as the passage for the society reads, or to live every moment to the fullest. It is inspiring and uplifting for the first hour and 15 minutes or so, before changing stride altogether to a somewhat depressing but remarkable conclusion. This is a must see.
Reviews
3 Reviews
A Knight's Tale
(2001)
A fun night out movie
13 May 2001
Very fun film, a perfect mindless summer night out. The use of seventies rock such as Queen and David Bowie could have been bad, but just added to the fun atmosphere, as did the crowd at the jousts doing the "wave" and Geoffrey Chaucer introducing the hero just like a Don King would at a boxing match. It was no Gladiator, but that's not entirely a bad thing. It didn't worry about historical details or even a heavy-handed plot. The characters each stood out in their own right, the action was decent, and the dialogue hilarious. Overall, excellent summer flick.
The Music Man
(1962)
Overblown, Too Long
13 March 2001
I'm currently acting in the stage version of the musical, which may bias my opinion, but I think that the movie could have been much much better. The songs are generally pretty good, and the performances aren't bad. Eulalie and Mayor Shinn are particularly funny. However, the film drags significantly in parts, especially in the tortured romance between Harold Hill (Robert Preston) and Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones). They have no chemistry together, and you keep thinking that Shirley should be back with the Partdrige Family. It's not bad for some easy going entertainment, but if you're expeceting a quick, concise, intriguing musical, then you're very wrong.
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