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jasonrenzi
Reviews
Melinda and Melinda (2004)
A splendid addition to the Woody Allen canon
This film contains a majority of the hallmarks which I look for and enjoy in a Woody Allen film: a clever and innovative structure, a wonderfully realized ambient aesthetic, smart dialogue, an engaging story with strong characters, and potent subtext and symbolism. the downside arrives in the acting. with the glaring exception of Mitchell, who is superb in my humble opinion, the bulk of the acting is wooden and perfunctory. Will Farrell is passable as the Woody analogue, but i would have been much happier with Woody in the role, unfortunately his age is a major obstacle to playing romantic lead these days. the film does pale a bit in comparison to Allen's finest achievements, but it is by no means even close to his worst. I'm sure we can all agree that even mediocre Woody Allen is better than a great deal of the films coming out at present... or maybe we can't all agree...anyway, i enjoyed this film immensely and recommend it highly.
Failure to Launch (2006)
4.8 overall rating??? makes no sense...
look... i really don't understand you people.... nor do i understand what exactly it is you think you need to get out of a cinematic experience... this is a romantic comedy...taken within the context of this genre, i really can't see how it could have been much better...the cast was superb, the script was derivative but totally entertaining and highly amusing, the directing was very much above average... i just don't get it.... i simply can't see how a film of this type could be markedly improved upon... lighten up and try to enjoy a film for what it is...this movie will break no new ground, it will not win any awards, it will not resolve the world's pain... it is a fun, entertaining romantic ensemble comedy that will divert and amuse if you only allow it to do so... a 4.8 rating for this film is pretentious and hyper-critical...period.
Don't Drink the Water (1994)
this film is an unqualified disaster...
let this be said at the outset...i feel quite strongly that i'm fully justified and totally willing to argue the point that woody allen is a genius. without question. but even the genius of Shakespeare failed him on occasion (see 'king john' if you require proof) this is an instance where allen's genius stepped out for a coffee leaving him alone to desperately struggle with this horrid piece of work. the characters are wooden and stale (dom deluise), the dialogue is strained and clichéd, the acting is surprisingly atrocious. usually one can count on at least allen himself delivering a strong performance, but alas, this does not occur here. julie kavner, who was absolutely brilliant in radio days, fails to shine in this context. mayim bialik is perfunctory, and michael j. fox is overly exuberant, marring his performance with too much ham. avoid this film if you can, especially if you wish to remain convinced of allen's infallibility. it is my opinion that this it is his worst effort.
Titus (1999)
Judgment is clouded? I think not....
some people just need to lighten up. this was an adaptation of Titus Andronicus. hence, license was used in approaching the material, scenery, context, etc. the anachronistic elements chosen by taymor could have been confusing, but
ultimately didn't harm the textual performance of the material.
in the end, i simply chose to look at the setting as an alternate timeline in which the Roman Empire didn't fall, but developed into the quasi-fascist regime you see portrayed before you by taymor. when one considers that the original play is not based on historical fact, but is a total fiction, it becomes clear that adopting such license is wholly acceptable in a modern context.
did it work or didn't it? Yes and no. But to claim that anyone who praises this film is using questionable judgment is offensive and just plain stupid. there are inevitable aspects of individual creation that will be beyond singular understanding or appreciation. this was a fine effort and well worth the time to anyone lacking in pretension. there are striking visuals in this film that will stay with me for some time. taymor's wondrous aesthetic sensibility is not to be dismissed.
i, for one, hope that taymor has a long fruitful career.