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Reviews
Lady in the Water (2006)
A well-done piece of silliness
As usual, Night has written and directed an entirely original film. I really enjoyed "Lady in the Water", but it certainly has its serious flaws.
The acting is superb. Paul Giamatti is certainly one of the finest actors working today. He brought heart and soul into the part. Bryce Dallas Howard could not have been more perfect for the role. She is incredibly beautiful, but in such an ethereal way that it seems she does indeed come from another world. And I think Night himself did a fine job. And as an aside, I really never realized how attractive he is. And Bob Balaban was dead-pan funny.
The cinematography and score are up to Night's usual high standards. The script is beautifully written, and it is indeed original.
But let's get back to that storyline. You know, it really is pretty silly. Narfs, grass creatures, monkey-looking things, a long involved myth, eagles (LOTR, anyone?), healers, interpreters, etc, a kid who can read the myth from cereal boxes? Uh yeah, it is kind of silly. Well, most fairy tales are, I suppose.
Go to the film and suspend disbelief, enjoying the film for what it is-a well-done piece of silliness.
Night of the Dog (2005)
Very entertaining!
I also caught this film at the Palm Beach Film Festival. It was very entertaining, and I thought it an outstanding freshman effort. I hope it gets wider release. I can picture this as the next cult film, like "Office Space". Very entertaining. Some of the story lines were uneven, but the acting was superb, and my friend and I laughed the whole way through. Good luck to the filmmakers, and anyone who has a chance to catch this little gem, please do. It will be time well spent.
This movie is really 4 stories about lousy romances, linked by the fact that all the men in the film work together at a movie theater. I don't want to spoil it and go into too much detail, but the funniest one in my opinion was the "phonebook" sequence. And yes, the filmmakers did all work at a "fascist" (their words) movie theater, which acted partly as their inspiration.
Simon Birch (1998)
Didn't like it at all
I am a huge fan of John Irving, and have read "A Prayer for Owen Meaney" a couple of times. Such a wonderful book, with such a large scope that I can't imagine a good adaptation of it for the screen, as much as I would like to see one.
Perhaps this is why I found this film so disappointing. I really don't feel it captured the magic of Simon's relationship with Joe, with God, and with everyone who meets him. It skimmed the service, never touching too deep. The sweet, sentimental music, swelling at all the appropriate times, made me roll my eyes in dismay. This is a manipulative movie, meant to bring tear to the eyes.
I don't think I'll ever see a good adaptation of this book, or of any John Irving novel. If you are a fan of the book, avoid this movie at all costs. If you love to be forced into feeling sad, and reaching for the tissues, this is just the film for you.