lndc98 Reviews

The Good Shepherd (2006)

Entertaining, but not really good

[5/10 · 27 December 2006]

This film is timely, given all the media coverage of hidden CIA "jails" in other countries, etc, but it was actually not too good.

The best part was the great Matt Damon performance --- similar to, but not as fine as, his performance in "The Incredible Mr. Ripley". In both films, he plays a man who hides 99 - 100% of who he really is. Very nice.

Also well-portrayed was the clubby male world as nasty and competitive. Talk about the joys of putting other people down! Talk about being powerful and privileged, overfed and in love with yourself.

BUT Angelina Jolie as the ultra-WASP? Puh-leez. She is just too different looking. As a woman who jumps the Matt Damon character and gets pregnant, and then wonders why her life is so unhappy? Puh-leez.

This parody of Yale? Puh-leez. A completely false note. We don't need any more scorn cast on good schools and the world of intellect in this day and age. It is not Yalies that the USA needs to fear.

The Nativity Story (2006)

Good Storytelling

[7/10 · 27 December 2006]

I liked this movie because of the humanity of the main two characters --- Joseph and Mary. One has to imagine what they might have been like, and this film does a nice version of it. One sees Joseph's difficulties and anguish and his love for Mary. One sees her courage and the growth of her love for Joseph. One sees the two of them unite in their love for each other and in the task/blessing they've been given. The Herod is an extremely well-done evil guy. The Magi are good as a trio --- whether funny, affectionate with each other, or serious and transformed. I was not bothered by their appearance along with the shepherds at the same time because one of the message's is "for the high and the low".

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Time Capsule Containing Dated Material

[3/10 · 31 December 2005]

What if you opened a time capsule and everything in it was just boring? For me, this Narnia story had a very dated atmosphere and affect. I have a sense that C.S. Lewis really strained to create the story because it is full of clichés (for example, children becoming kings and talking beavers), but ultimately conveys no emotion or awe and even contains no humor. In this sense, it is quite different from "The Lord of the Rings" which, in all its extravagance, arises out of a story tradition invested with emotionally realistic concerns and content. The Narnia film is really a children's' film. Probably, children will absolutely love it, and I think that some adults will love it because their children do. I give it a "3" because of the visuals.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

This Movie Really Hurts.

[10/10 · 25 December 2005]

This film is so true to life. It is so accurate about love between two men in the 60's. These cowboys had no role models. They only had themselves. The complexity of their situations would be incomprehensible to people were it not for the fine film-making and acting. This movie really hurts. I am emotionally overwhelmed. But also we should be really proud that it came out of America. Gay people (like me, I admit) should be really happy that this big mainstream movie is so impressive and moving. How ironic that this beauty should come out when politics over the "gay thing" is made to be so nasty. Maybe people will understand and this movie will be part of it.

Mostly Martha (2001)

Perfect Woman Gets More Perfect

[2 January 2005]

I love this movie. To me, Martha has a perfect character at the beginning of the film. That is, she is a loner, contented and orderly, a bit arrogant, a superior chef, a person with a benevolent obsession. She is larger than life. Hence, her employer's requiring her to go to the therapy that is ultimately wasted on her. Martha does have, however, a touch of loneliness, witness the delicious encounters between her and her new downstairs neighbor.

As into everyone's life, challenges come to Martha. Although in grief herself, Martha must take up the care of her niece. Although Martha tries hard, the niece is an intruder.

A second challenge is Mario who is also an intruder. He is a more "adult" threat in Martha's vulnerable mind. But, in fact, Martha's life is falling apart because of the niece and because of Mario.

The beauty of this film is how these three persons come together, starting with Martha's act of desperation in asking Mario to call Italy for her.

Great performances by all. The neighbor downstairs is terrific. The niece is superb as an unattractively unhappy child. Mario has that way of being deadly serious with a sense of humor. Martha is wonderful. Check it out!

The Hours (2002)

Lots of wierd comments about a great movie.

[10/10 · 14 February 2003]

Well, if the sign of a work of art is the heated debate, love, and antipathy it inspires, then "The Hours" is a great work of art. I will say no more about why I loved it. I just want to remark about comments made about the film that seem pretty irrelevant to me. (1) Nicole Kidman's nose: I have only one thing to say here: "Get over it!" (2) Philip Glass' score: This was a beautiful tense piano score done by a fine composer. Remember the score in "Kundun", everybody?? (3) Last, but surely not least, the comment that this is a movie for "women and effeminate men": This comment I could not believe when I actually read it here. "Effeminate men"???!!! I haven't heard that term in decades. And who are they anyway? Well, we all know what was meant. So, I ask: Is our homophobia showing, guys? Movies in which women and gay men are characters are about people who have the same issues that everyone else does. Amen and get over it.

The Sword of Doom (1966)

Powerful, Disturbing, Confusing

[15 December 2002]

There is, of course, no question that the protagonist here is the handsome and insane Ryunosuke. And I can see that his insanity, alienation, and disassociation all come together in a climax of hallucination and compulsion. But there are things that I do not see. First, why is he insane? That is, what is his origin and the origin of his evil style of sword play? Second, why is there at least one very absorbing subplot which is developed and then dropped? I mean the romance between the "grand daughter" and Mifune's chief student and the tension regarding their welfare that builds up because of the plan of revenge? Is there some overriding master plan here; or some historical, cultural, etc. concept that I am missing?

Grand Hotel (I) (1932)

Excellent

[8/10 · 15 July 2002]

This film seems dated to me because (1) it is shot on sets and therefore the interiors seem airless; and (2) the made-up foreign accents are distracting. That said, this is a great film. It is racey and scandalous. After all, Joan Crawford "sells herself" to Wallace Beery and even gets down to her dressing gown in the adjoining hotel room. Her disgust and necessity are well done. Also, there is the great flirtation scene between her and John Barrymore near the beginning of the film. Did anyone catch how he lays his hand on one of her buttocks as they say good-bye? Someone said that Greta Garbo is over the top in this film and that is really true. But "over the top" does not mean necessarily "not true to life". She is portraying a pampered and neurotic performer who is actually one of those fabled people, a refugee dancer from Czarist Russia. I think that she is giving an exact performance of a person who is crazy and who naturally does the exaggerated things that people expected of fabled "personalities" in the 20's and early 30's --- and in the 19th century, too. Her role is to be bigger than life. To my mind, the "over the top" person in this film is Lionel Barrymore who whines and hams it up to an embarassing degree. Check this film out!

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Totally wonderful

[10/10 · 20 June 2002]

I never saw this movie until I saw it recently on video. It is beautiful. The last scene is such a capstone to the whole film that everything emerges as a perfect whole. In one instant, it sums up all the love that the movie represents, including the love of movies. It is poetry on film.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

Nice to look at, but actually pretty boring.

[5/10 · 21 March 2002]

This film was dull. But it was great to watch. What I mean is that, as usual, Allen is able to recreate the feel and idiom of another era. I thought he did this to perfection in Zelig. How does he recreate the colors, the atmosphere? Where does he find the coffeepots, the sequined turban? It probably all comes from growing up in the late 40's to early 50's. Then, memories of the immediate past (and what a past!) were very clear, 30's and 40's movies were still "new", and people still saw 30's educational films in the schoolroom. I see a combination of all this in Scorpion.

Well, all that is great. So, I ended up enjoying the film only as a series of "stills", a series of vignettes, and a series of impressions. Though I admire the artifice a lot, the film as a whole was not so great. The plot idea was charming. But the execution was poor.

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Totally charming.

[8/10 · 21 March 2002]

I had been avoiding this film like the plague because I thought it was going to be a "relationship" movie (aka "chick flick") plus Hugh Grant really leaves me cold (except in "Sense and Sensibility"). Then, I finally saw the film on video. What a great surprise: it was lovely. (That should teach me!) Bridget was a great character --- from her addictive personality (booze and cigarettes), through her cluelessness and zest, all the way to her solid core. I loved her and I rooted for her. Also, the satire was very good. Check it out.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

This movie takes place in Paris, Brazil.

[5/10 · 21 March 2002]

Well, this movie was very campy and a visual feast. The music worked quite well. I was entertained. The film reminded me of "Brazil" and "The Island of the Lost Children", both made totally on sets (as I recall) and both involving innocents who encounter some highly wierd, grotesque people in some highly wierd, grotesque environments. Throw in visual references to Toulouse-Lautrec lithographs and take-off's on opera, and --- voila --- you have Moulin Rouge. Well, that's all there is. Do not look for more. The film certainly does not have the content and invention that "Brazil" (a really great movie) does. Actually, I would rather see "The Red Shoes" again.

Chushingura (1962)

Slowly unfolding, excellent story

[9/10 · 5 March 2002]

This is one of my favorite stories and this film does it great justice. It is a "must". Check it out! The acting is very good, as is the "staging" of action. The gamut of emotions is wide. The story develops is a slow, inevitable, and suspenseful way --- even if one actually knows the ending beforehand. The motivations of the characters are clear. Their internal conflicts between duty, pride and sorrow, on the one hand, and the desire for a normal life, on the other, are strongly portrayed --- as are their nostalgia and sense of loss. The interesting quality of this story is that there is no one protagonist: All of the characters must take part. It is easy to see how the story has remained so popular for about 300 years. To my mind, however, this film is not quite as visually "beautiful" as the black and white "47 Ronin" that was made in 1940, I believe. Check it out!

Jalsaghar (1958)

Mesmerized, entertained, and provoked

[10/10 · 1 September 2001]

The film is a masterpiece, a definite 10. As with the Apu trilogy, I am mesmerized and absorbed by the pacing and drama of the film. Even though the film uses music, its appreciation, and its status as the vehicle for its themes, there is no (or very little?) background music for the spoken portions of the film. This provides not only realism, but sets off the intense and magnificent performance of the protagonist. There is also a great deal of entertainment in this film: the music performances are excellent. I wonder if Ray found the best musicians of the region and gave them roles as performers in the musical soirees: performers playing performers. I have the sense that there is very little artifice in the cinematography. That is, I feel that the filming techniques were not highly sophisticated. But the eye, the light, the composition are almost perfect. I think that the other commenter (the only other one!) stated the themes quite well for me. I would only one: the obsession and self-destructiveness that come with pride and jealousy of one's status.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Someone has to be The Grinch

[6/10 · 7 August 2001]

First, the good stuff. (1) The shots of Rome are wonderful. One can hardly believe it's the same crowded metropolis that it is today. Let's hear it for 1953! The other recent film that shows Rome so beautifully is "The Talented Mr. Ripley". (2) As usual, Audrey Hepburn is just wonderful. She came from some beautiful planet. The scene when she wakes up in Gregory Peck's apartment is lovely: I just think of how she tries to cover herself with the blanket and misses covering her posterior. Just great. The scene at the "Mouth of Truth" is fantastic.

Second, the bad stuff. (1) Gregory Peck just does not fit Audrey Hepburn. He lacks her light touch. He is a bit wooden --- just like Humphrey Bogart in Sabrina. I thought that Gary Cooper was a better romantic lead in "Love in the Afternoon". (2) I am always uncomfortable when Italian characters are portrayed as a type of buffoon. (3) A princess on the lam is a great idea, but monarchy as a real institution, as portrayed in this movie, has very little meaning anymore. I realize that Queen Elizabeth was crowned a couple of years before this movie was made, and the pomp, mystique, and the royal ethic of self-subordination were probably still very much alive. But now all that is quite tarnished for whatever reason. Princess Ann's transformation and maturation therefore seem artificial and dated.

What can I say? As a Hepburn film, it's a 10. As a movie, it's a 5 or 6.

Love in the Afternoon (1957)

A Very Great Romantic Comedy

[10/10 · 30 July 2001]

This is a very fine and sophisticated romantic comedy. It has wonderful improbabilities and charming humor. The story is "tight". The acting is superb. There are many captivating touches --- for example, the gypsy musicians. It is definitely a "10".

As to Gary Cooper as the romantic lead opposite the winsome Audrey Hepburn, I think that we must consider that this film was made in a different age, one in which an older man can be seen as a sexual and romantic person (consider Cary Grant in "An Affair to Remember") and in which an older man with a complex background can be won over by an innocent.

The last scene is one of the greatest and most suspenseful of all scenes in romance movies. Completely satisfying.

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Excellent Apes and Music, but No More

[4/10 · 28 July 2001]

I agree with a lot of the commenters. The apes and their clothes were fabulous. But the sets and the plot weren't. Actually, I thought this movie was boring. There was no characterization. Motives for actions were hard to discern. (Maybe the idea of the Mark Wahlberg character was: What happens when a basically shallow, dumb person ends up as the key man in a complicated situation? Answer: He becomes a vehicle for action --- of which there was a lot.) I think that this movie is summed up in the credits which were somber and elegant all by themselves --- the film is about great costumes and the power of design. But That's All, Folks.

Sweet November (2001)

Irritating, but with one lovely scene.

[1/10 · 15 July 2001]

I did not like this film. I am mainly irritated by two things. First, Keanu R. always sounds so inept, so wooden. I've seen amateur theatre that has better acting. I don't understand how he's gotten so far in the movie business. Plus he has some lines in this film that had me writhing because they are so trite. Second, I was not convinced by Sara's unwillingness to try to get better. I did not understand it and I did not get any insight into her motivations.

Now, having said the foregoing, the last scene is a beauty. It has tension and suspense. But it is not enough to give this film weight. It is just a gesture or flourish.

Amores Perros (2000)

A Fascinating Riddle

[17 June 2001]

Right off, I have to admit that I don't understand this movie, but I can't stop thinking about it. I know that it is definitely not the Mexican "Pulp Fiction" because this movie does not have Pulp's absurdity, humor, and light touch. Another thing I know is that the director is an absolute master of suspense. And I think I know that there is more here than social/political commentary and that maybe this is a movie about how humans behave. In terms of complexity, this film reminds me of "Yi-Yi" which I personally thought was the best foreign film of 2000 --- at last I have a chance to get MY vote in!!

P.S. I believe that the model is oppressed. I mean, no one asked her if she wanted all her stuff moved into a new apartment. She's just another piece of furniture to these guys. Also, some people have written, "Well, how can you let a dog stay under the floor for days??" Well, you can, if the dog belongs to your mistress/fiancee and you don't really like her any more.

Big Eden (2000)

Makes you aspire for a better world!

[15 June 2001]

This is a really nice film and I recommend it. First, it is an "identity" film. That is, I wish I lived in Big Eden and was part of the story. Second, it is a "heavenly kingdom" film. That is, Big Eden and its inhabitants do not exist on earth, but I wish they did. Third, to me, it is a comedy in the broad sense of the word and it is done so well that real life implausibilities are made plausible. Fourth, it is a good story about the love of many people for each other. This includes not only the "romantic leads". Fourth, I like the way the men talk to each other and interact in basic, but essentially communicative, "male semaphore" speech. Fifth, the love story or stories have intensity and suspense.

Village of the Damned (1960)

Nice Spartan Film

[15 May 2001]

I think that this is a very good film. To begin with, who can resist George Sanders' voice?!! Also, I liked the outdoor filming at the beginning very much. It had a good realistic quality. The indoor scenes were also good --- except for George Sanders' study which looked like a studio set for "Father Knows Best". The story was quite strange, but seems to me to be in the mainstream of what I call the British universal doom genre --- as in "Day of the Triffids", "The Wind from Nowhere", and "The Eternal Winter (?)". (As far as I know, the last two are books only.) This was also a pretty stripped down and Spartan film. What is spooky about it is how the affectless children provide a good portrayal of the coldness of the "outside" enemy. In fact, I think that the pretty bare story-line is strong enough to overcome a couple of ineptitudes --- e.g., telling the pilot to fly low carefully with predictable results (!) and the burning cardboard house at the end. One thing that is not developed is the theme of maternity --- the mothers of the children do not figure very much in the story. A lot could have been done with that theme. But perhaps the "absence" of the mothers highlights the complete alien quality of the children. I recommend this film.

The Mummy (1999)

A "5" for special effects and nice silliness.

[5/10 · 5 May 2001]

Just saw this film on video. I would have given it less than a "5", but I thought that the special effects and, even more, the good natured silliness of the whole thing merited a couple of more points. There was an Egypt that certainly could never have existed. (I mean, pyramids in Thebes? Really!) Also, there's this wacky curse that provides the opportunity for a mortal enemy to rise from the dead and have supreme power!? But before I sound like the people who actually get mad because the woman in Titanic let the diamond fall into the sea (hey, everybody, it's not real; it's just a story!), let me say that I enjoyed The Mummy's hi jinx and Brendan Fraser a lot.