kamason24 Reviews

Young Doctors in Love (1982)

Everything but, "Don't call me Shirley!"

[7 December 2002]

Why isn't this movie better known? I stumbled across it in a used video store and paid $2 for lack of anything else available. What a great surprise! It is the funniest movie I have ever seen. You can't take the world so seriously after watching "Young Doctors in Love."

All "Airplane-sque" films have to be extremely broad (but not vulgar) comedy that still somehow doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence. Such is a really tough combination (recall any of Leslie Neilson's attempts without the Zukers). Their audience is bright people who aren't embarrassed to laugh in the presence of other bright people. Young Doctors in Love is even better than Airplane. It is multilayered, and indeed does require several watchings to catch all its simultaneous hilarious flickers.

Nothing is sacred here. Dancing orphans, little people, egotistic surgeons, stroke victims with pointy tongues, balloon pregnancies (my personal favorite), (un?)requited transsexual love, nurses with pharmacy keys up for grabs, latino rumbra seducers, even vanilla ice cream. And poor "Kramer". Michael Richards fans must see this movie if for no other reason.

"Think fast!" and rent Young Doctors in Love today. You will be delighted. Guaranteed.

Zoolander (2001)

Shades of Chevy

[19 August 2002]

It seems if Ben Stiller isn't able to make animal mistreatment the focus of his humor, he flops. And he's floppin' all over the trawler here.

Bye the bye, Ben, if you don't want to end up like Chevy Chase, show us you can be funny without abusing animals. Real comedy is in the brillance of the performer, not the tragedy he inflicts on a living "prop".

This movie is so bad... come to think of it, it's not even worth trashing. I'm gonna go clean the house.

Meet the Parents (2000)

The Circle of Trust

[11 August 2002]

This is a hilarious comedy. The juxtaposing of old money with New York Jewish culture is a treat. No matter how everyone tries to get along,the differences are just too great. The subtleties are wonderful, my favorite is the potted plant, a metaphor for the deeply buried potential of Pam and Gaylord's match.

From Grandma's litter box to Greg's "Motown cat milking days", Meet the Parents is a pick me up for anyone who thinks he has had a bad day.

Return to Me (2000)

Hairy legs are your only link to reality

[5 June 2002]

This is a great movie for anyone who didn't have the good fortune of growing up in a real family. This group of Irish/American relatives and friends is so real that you feel included, connected by their love and humor.

Carroll O'Connor is perfect, the film shows his depth and talent. Bonnie Hunt's character is the friend we all wish we had, the wise counsel who kept her virginity 'til "whenever."

Jim Belushi is made for this part. In fact, everyone in the film reminds you of someone you've run across, or wish you had. There is a natural quality to the characters and the actors who play them. The movie's premise seems possible based on this real quality.

My favorite part is the blind date scene with "the Water Lady." She is everyone's bad memory, no matter what your gender. Where was our "Mike" when we needed him?

This is a perfect movie to buy and rewatch often. The flow of characters, plot, and music is warm and wonderful. Thank you, Bonnie. You have given us all a treasure.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Sneakers meets The Sting

[2 June 2002]

This is a fun movie, although intentionally more complex than it needs to be. I have a couple of questions. 1) Where is Basher (my favorite character) from? 2) Please explain the "Jethros", "Ella Fitzgerald", etc? What do these terms mean? 3) And this is the Most Important question: why doesn't someone teach Julia Roberts how to walk!? As in Pretty Woman, she looks like she's stepping over corn rows in the back forty.

Roberts is a wonderful actress when she doesn't have to play off of a male,and here there are eleven of them. Roberts is best when she can let her natural exuberance explode into the part, as in Erin B.

Plus, since I'm on the subject, Roberts doesn't have the flowing elegance and natural grace that Benedict would look for in a female accessory. She is not beautiful standing still and she spends the entire movie just hanging around.

Carl Reiner and Elliot Gould are perfect. So is Brad Pitt. But Pitt and Clooney are not the Newman and Redford of this generation. Brad Pitt holds up his end, but Clooney, like in all his films, is on cruise control. He exudes contentment, kind of a, "What the heck, I think I'll act" kind of presence. While this is great for his personal life, it costs him an acting edge.

But who cares? Viewers who buy into even the fantasy of someone robbing a Las Vegas casino forfeit their right to quibble. This is a great, fun movie. I watched it, I bought it, I enjoy it over and over (except for the parts where Roberts walks across the lobby). I just can't let it go!