Reviews
Rushmore (1998)
THE most refreshing movie in years.
It feels inexpensive, it looks inexpensive but the storyline and characters are so rich, you know you've hit gold. This is by far one of the best films I've seen in years. The Story Centers on Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15 year old boarding school student who has cruised by on raw charm and the ability to 'play' on his raw talents. His talents don't include your typical academic subjects, but rather the much more important life skills of making others believe in your ability to perform the impossible. This quickly turns to a quirky love story that pits the much older millionaire Herman Blume (Bill Murray) against Max for the affections of elementary school marm Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). It would be impossible to accurately explain all the clever twists, turns and lessons that both Max and Herman learn in their quest. Just go see it! There has been talk in all the film trades of an Oscar nomination for Murray. In this reviewers opinion, they will do a grave injustice if they overlook Jason Schwartzman. His presence is mature, subtle and endearing. It is absolutely worth the price of a second and third admission!
Rhapsody in Bloom (1998)
Cute and engaging. Better than average for an indie.
Penelope Ann Miller stars with Ron Silver and Craig Sheffer in this beautifully crafted independent feature. Set in small upper middle class neighborhood, this is the tale of Lila Bloom (Penelope Ann Miller) and her brother Mitch Bloom (Ron Silver) and Mitch's three kids. Lila takes care of mitch's kids after Mitch's wife, who was also Lila's best friend. Lila has committed herself to the kids foresaking her passion as a painter and protecting herself from any personal relationship with a boyfriend. When Mitch announces his engagement, Lila is forced to reconsider her reality. In comes Jack (Craig Sheffer) to save Lila from her deafening loneliness. This is an engaging tale with some truly fine performances. Penelope Ann Miller was presented with a specially created award for Best Actress for Rhapsody in Bloom at the Hollywood (Ca.) Film Festival early in 1998. The writing is solid and the plot progresses smoothly. More could have been made out of the tension between Mitch's fiance and Lila, but overall, this is really a fine film.