Bartoq Reviews

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Give us some credit, Steve, Please?

[6 February 1999]

C'mon, let's face it: Whoever said Steven Speilberg was the greatest second unit director was right. The man undoubtedly is -- there are huge scenes in both Schindler's List and in this picture which no one could have captured in such a beautifully, emotionally, real and startling way. But what the hell is with the framing of this story?! We have a film that, as any good war film should, brings up challenging questions about the motivations and morals of war. And, granted, it is the auteur's privelege to hint subtly at what he believes the right answers to those questions might be. But please, PLEASE, don't hit us over the head so you can make the ending "neat." Everything always has to wrap up so nicely with Speilberg that you wonder where all that realism went. If he thinks we were mature enough to handle the intense violence of the opening thirty minutes, then why can't we also be mature enough to decide for ourselves (and grapple a bit with the ideas presented), whether or not Ryan's life was "worth it"? To see the first and last five minutes of this movie is to understand why this film does not deserve the Oscar everyone so absently wants to give it. Call me bitter, but I'd rather watch The Longest Day anyday of the week over this.

Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)

Interesting and Moving Bits, But Nothing Adds Up Here...

[6 February 1999]

Meryl Streep is pretty wonderful. Maybe it's not even her acting at all -- she just has this entranced stare that seems to say so much. But she's not the only one here: almost the entire cast gives fairly excellent performances. The one problem that tore the film apart was Rhys Ifans (the Gerry character). It seemed these two males who intrude on the family are central to the story. The Jack character is funny and moving and works well. The Gerry character does not. His dances in the field with Catherine McCormack make us wonder how much we've missed that we're supposed to absently start liking this guy just because he drives a motorbike and can dance. And with that crucial role unraveled, the film begins to do the same. What we end up with are some moving and notable bits, but that's about all.

Batman & Robin (1997)

Vomiting for 2 hours might be more pleasant...

[6 February 1999]

How did director Joel Schumacher pull off the horrendous feat of making a movie so unbearably bad that I will never see another movie of his again? Well, he took a script that, quite frankly, sucked. The plot here is so-so, no better than any other film in the franchise, but these characters have the WORST lines! They open their mouths and cheesy one liners just spew out. Schumacher also goes directly opposite of Burton (in terms of visual style) with this one -- tons of color here. And that hurts... Burton had something beautifully dark in the first one. Oh well. At least this one assures there will be no more follow-ups.