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senelson
Reviews
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A unique look at space travel
There are a few things which Kubrick got right about space travel which no other movie has ever managed. For example, interplanetary space travel, when it occurs, will be dull. Mind-crushingly, slamming-your-head-against-the-wall-for-sheer-amusement-valuely dull. I've heard sailing trips described as "long periods of utter boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror." The same applies to space travel... and to 2001. I particularly like the scenes where the astronauts, obviously useless on a voyage run entirely by the superhuman HAL, spend all day on such hyperimportant activities as sketching hibernating crewmembers, playing chess, and listening to birthday greetings. Some posts complain about the movie being dull... well, that's the point.
Mission to Mars (2000)
Could have been so much better
By the standard of schlock-grade science fiction M2M was not too bad. By the standard of a good movie I was severely disappointed. The scriptwriters seem to believe that this is a movie for idiots, and slant everything for that level. Obvious points are rehashed repeatedly. Saccharine moments are replayed in obvious attempts to jerk tears. Instead of a soundtrack highlighting the starkness of space and the Martian landscape, the legendary Ennio Morricone gave us something that belonged in a romantic melodrama.
Technical glitches also drove me out of my mind. Without going into details (to avoid spoilers), several of the disasters relied upon distortions of the laws of physics. Also, watch for several moves in free fall which could only be the result of selective gravity or psychokinesis. Some viewers will be able to watch this and enjoy it. Some hardcore science fiction fans will, like me, find it hard to keep from yelling at the director during these scenes.
I will give DePalma and company credit-- I think they did *try* to create a good science fiction vision. The actors did their jobs well, and there are some visually beautiful scenes. All in all, though, this movie left me very irritated.
Conceiving Ada (1997)
Great, but maddening
I found this movie important, enthralling, and maddening. Important, because Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace, deserves iconic status today. After all, she was the first computer programmer on record. Ada's character is well-portrayed by Tilda Swinton, who gives her both excellent clarity and a fascinating wild side. The backdrops on the past sections are recognizably digital, but lushly colorful.
The maddening part comes from the modern sections, where we are given a modern programmer who contacts Ada through her computer. This narrative drags the movie down, because it's just not as interesting as Ada. The dragging bothered me, because I really wanted to love this movie.
Throughout the movie, women are explored as complex characters, while men are rendered as arbitrarily cruel caricatures. Oh, well, turnabout is fair play, I suppose, but it didn't enhance my appreciation of the film.
Overall, I'd say, see this film. Ada Lovelace is important to our generation. Grit your teeth and sit through whatever you don't like.
Psycho (1998)
A Good New Version
When I first heard that "Psycho" was going to be remade, I was horrified. I've changed my mind. Well, last night I saw the San Francisco opening. Vince Vaughn was dead-on as Norman; Anne Heche gave a good performance as Marion. My favorite part about the new version was William H. Macy as the private investigator-- he brought the role to life. The audience reaction was fascinating; although most people knew what was going to happen-- almost down to the shot-- the knife-attack sequences were still so startling that viewers gave screams of real fright. The real star is, of course, the soundtrack-- pretty much unchanged from the original. Good decision. This was NOT a remake; it was a re-performance, really. I think that Gus Van Sant has done a good thing here. His new version certainly does no harm to the original Psycho, and may remind modern filmmakers of the proper way to make a suspense movie.