ricaltman Reviews

Five Easy Pieces (1970)

They missed the point.

[9/10 · 7 August 2022]

Had fun reading about 30 of the negative reviews. It's nice that people who live in such a perfect world that they don't believe the character flaws examined in this movie exist. Many of us have gone through much of what Bobby Dupea has. Self doubt, poor choices and being born into a family whose lifestyle we reject which results in us not being as good of a person as we would have liked. Bobby knows he is toxic but is unable or unwilling to change. Nicholson's acting is near perfect but occasionally off (think Chinatown for perfect) making it his arguably his second best. Bobby is largely a disgusting prick, but you occasionally have misplaced hope and empathy for him. The movie sticks with me and resonates 52 years later, I guess because I see some of myself in Bobby Dupree. Bobby's badly damaged character is an indictment of some of us. If movies matter to you, see it. You won't feel warm and fuzzy, but you will get a good look at life that hopefully you don't see from your vantage point.

Into the Woods (2014)

Unbelievable

[1/10 · 16 January 2015]

This was the most embarrassing and painful movie I've seen in a very long time. I would compare it to "Joe Dirt" which to my credit I walked out of (the only movie I've ever walked out of). I should have walked out of "Into the Woods" but kept hoping and thinking there would be some redemption. No way. I was awestruck at how miserably this failed. My wife says I will watch anything but this thing plumbs new depths of failure. I have only done one or two reviews in my life but this movie prompted me to try to save at least a few of you from the pain and the permanent loss of two hours of your life. Take a nap instead of wasting your time. I want to say that every single minute was horrible but that's not true. There was a duet by two brothers that was a hoot and Meryl Streep did have two minutes that raised the level of entertainment to what I could call watchable. It's a shame we can't round up all copies and burn them, being the digital age and all.