lore-5 Reviews

Silver City (2004)

The seed of a good story, surrounded by a thick layer of garbage

[3/10 · 1 October 2004]

John Sayles, what have you done?

"Silver City" had moments in which I could see the glimmering hope of a good story, well-drawn characters, thought provoking dialog. And then those moments would quickly be covered over by layers of poor writing, clumsy direction, and abysmal acting. I truly love almost all of John Sayles' work, but "Silver City" is ghastly.

I got the feeling that Sayles may have been working on the beginnings of a good story involving the illegal labor and industrial corruption plot lines, but then he got rushed and stuck the secondary plot line satirizing the Bush administration onto it. The two stories don't really connect with each other, and the weaker elements of the political theme dominate the first 3/4 of the movie, causing me to lose patience with the whole affair.

The other major flaw is Danny Huston's acting. His dialog in every scene is delivered with a gawping grin, regardless of its appropriateness to the mood. I hated this guy by the end of the film, having been reminded of every bad actor in every high school play I've ever seen. Not having seen Huston in anything else, I don't know whether to blame him or to blame Sayles' direction of him more. Regardless, he's the unfortunate focal point of a very unfortunate movie.

Right down to the last sledgehammer-subtle final scene I was disappointed by "Silver City." Sayles at his best, or heck, even Sayles at mediocre, can be so very much better than this film. See ANY of his other works instead. This isn't even worth a rental.

Waking Life (2001)

Self-congratulatory navel gazing

[3/10 · 3 November 2001]

Oh my, what a mess. I rarely consider leaving a theater during a movie but boy was I tempted by this one. There were no characters developed well enough to care about. There was no significant connection between scenes. The animation seemed clever for, oh, maybe two scenes but then became grating. And the acting was just bad, bad, bad. It was as if the actors were making no effort to embue their lines with emotion or meaning, as if they were reading the script for the first time, cold. The animation actually accentuated this problem by limiting the emotional expressiveness of the characters' faces. (Possible spoilers ahead) The only responses I heard from the audience were 1) when two characters were shot the audience laughed nervously, 2) when a dead-on depiction of a commercial for a motorized wheelchair company came on the screen they chuckled, and 3) when the main character puts his head in his hands in frustration at being trapped in this storyline they laughed knowingly. We all knew just how he felt.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

What a freakin' mess

[4/10 · 11 June 2001]

Oh, my, what a disappointment this was. There was just TOO MUCH. Too much spectacle, too many cuts and jumps, too much directoral cleverness, too much mugging for the camera, too much noise, too many pop song references, too much STUFF. Even the musical numbers, which could have been what made this movie very very special, each were made up of multiple songs and intercut storylines.

I considered getting up and leaving halfway through, but resisted the urge in hopes that the film would improve. It did, slightly, calming down in the second half. But by that point I was too annoyed to get lost in the story.

"Moulin Rouge" is to "Strictly Ballroom" what "Phantom Menace" was to "Star Wars". When the directors didn't have access to enormous budgets and whiz-bang special effects they gave us well crafted, entertaining stories instead. Given free rein the story is lost to the visuals and I, for one, am left wanting my $6.75 back.

Mission to Mars (2000)

Not too awful

[6/10 · 10 March 2000]

After reading several negative reviews I didn't have very high hopes for this movie, but was somewhat pleasantly surprised. It's no work of high art. There are some lame-o scientific errors that even I, a proud liberal arts major, was able to catch. But it's a good-enough piece of cinema escapism. Just don't expect "2001".

Animal Farm (1999 TV Movie)

So well done that it's eerie

[9/10 · 25 February 2000]

Exceedingly well done. The evocation of Stalinist Russia is masterful, the added touches not in the book are completely integrated with the narrative. The almost complete lack of humor or light creates an appropriately somber tone, allowing you to accept these animals as genuine characters, heroic and threatening. I cannot imagine a better or more affecting presentation of this story.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

As good as the first "Toy Story," but clearly a sequel

[9/10 · 7 January 2000]

"Toy Story 2" has all of the same positive elements of the first film: great characterizations, emotional plotlines, wonderful animation. The only failing I can identify is that there are a few unexplained plot points from the first film that are carried over into this one. More than most sequels, a viewer would need to see the first movie in order to understand this one. Otherwise an A+ effort.

Limbo (I) (1999)

Better than I expected

[9/10 · 3 December 1999]

Having read reviews and comments about "Limbo" I was prepared to hate the ending, or at least have an exasperated laugh at it. I was pleasantly surpised to find that the ending really wasn't relevant to my enjoyment of the film. The characters were fully developed without it; the events that are depicted are interesting enough. Anything else ultimately doesn't matter.

As always with Sayles' films the sense of place is exquisite. He writes and films from the perspective of a native. Straithern is always enjoyable to watch, and Mastrentonio (I know I spelled that wrong) plays a flawed character very sympathetically.

Yes, it's worth seeing. Go rent it this weekend. Just don't expect a pat Hollywood plot arc.

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Occasionally harsh, but very impressive

[9/10 · 24 October 1999]

Several harsh scenes do not detract significantly from this film's achievement. The characters are exceedingly realistic and well-written. The sense of place is exquisite. I left the theater wanting to know more. Good job. Well done.

American Beauty (1999)

Some characters well drawn, others cartoonish

[7/10 · 23 October 1999]

This film struck was a mixed bag. On the one hand, some of the characters (Lester in particular) were well written and well acted. Kevin Spacey is a delight to watch as he fully inhabits his character and makes us care about and understand him. On the other hand, several characters are overdone to a cartoonish degree: Annette Benning and Chris Cooper's characters in particular. I found the unrealistically dysfunctional military family particularly offensive. (Why, whenever there is only one set of characters in a film who are associated with the military, they are invariably psychotic? If other types of people were so regularly misrepresented there would be an outcry.)

So, I'd say that "American Beauty" was interesting, fairly well done, but still somewhat flawed. It did make me think while watching it and afterwards. It's worth seeing, but go to a matinée or wait for the video. It's not quite $6.50 worth.

Sweet Talker (1991)

A very poor remake of "The Music Man"

[3/10 · 11 September 1999]

There are no musical numbers (save Richard Thompson's very good but sadly misused soundtrack), and it doesn't take place in Iowa. But the story of a charming conman who sells a small town a bill of goods and then feels badly about it rings very familiar, complete with blundering yokels, unwanted echoes of the conman's past, and even a cute Opie-esque little boy. The movie does not, however, contain significant amounts of charm, inventiveness, or character. Don't bother.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

Intelligent, stylish, refreshing

[9/10 · 25 July 1999]

A film that trusts the viewers' intelligence, not overexplaining every implication. Russo and Brosnan are well-cast as two intelligent people trying to act on an attraction that is complicated by circumstance. I particularly enjoyed finally seeing a smart female character who isn't written with bizarre character flaws or a tortured history, and who stands on her own two feet throughout. The costuming and scenery are reminiscent of the stylish, sexy thrillers of the early-to-mid '60s, such as "Charade." Very well done.

The Impostors (1998)

Cute enough. A diversion.

[6 July 1999]

I agree with the comparisons of Platt and Tucci to Laurel and Hardy. Their faces and mannerisms and teamwork are all reminiscent of the old comedy teams. The film is decent, good enough, but not something I'd want to see again. It reminds me of those scraps of piecrust that are left over after your mom made a pie. She'd cut them into strips and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar and bake them. Those sweet scraps relate to the pie in the same way that "The Imposters" relates to "Big Night." You get the feeling that this gang of actors wanted to do something else together, something fun, and this film is the result.

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Surprisingly coarse

[5/10 · 17 June 1999]

I expected silly humor. I expected some meanness, this being a film about high school kids picking on other high school kids. But I didn't expect the degree of coarseness with which this movie was made. It had potential, mostly in the appeal of the actors, but that potential was smothered under cruel slapstick and overly-geeky costuming, makeup, and mannerisms. Considering that (at this point) Notting Hill has been rated close to the same as Never Been Kissed, go see Notting Hill instead. It's much more subtle, and better executed.

Notting Hill (1999)

A film that trusts its viewers' intelligence

[9/10 · 2 June 1999]

A few hours after seeing Notting Hill I'm impressed by the way the film makers underplay plot points that in a less subtle film would be telegraphed and overdone. No, this probably won't win any Oscars, but for a light, romantic comedy it's exceedingly well done. And yes, Hugh Grant plays pretty much the same character that he always does, but he does it well.

Stanley (1972)

So bad that it's good.

[7/10 · 3 May 1999]

One of those movies that's absolutely, wonderfully, ghastly. The kind that came on TV one afternoon after school, when it was raining out and you couldn't do anything but vegetate in the shag-carpeted basement rec-room. You and your little sister watched, fascinated, as Stanley and his SNAKES OF DEATH wreaked havoc against all of his enemies! The pool scene in particular remained with you for the rest of your life, whether you liked it or not.

Antz (1998)

Kind of creepy. Not for kids.

[7/10 · 1 May 1999]

While some of the jokes were good, and I liked the animation and the film's perspective, I found some of the plot twists pretty creepy for a film that many kids could be watching. There are some pretty violent scenes, including one very disturbing death and several mildly disturbing deaths, as well as an interrogation which leaves one character bruised and slightly bloodied. I was surprised to find these elements in a film that I had thought was intended for children, then I realized that it was rated PG. Does no one make kids films for kids anymore? Must everything be "gritty" to be entertaining?

Pushing Tin (1999)

Disappointingly shallow

[7/10 · 25 April 1999]

I expected much more from this film. The tone was uneven, the characters surprisingly flat. Nick Falzone makes a dramatic choice midway through the film that seems to come out of nowhere. At least Billy-Bob Thornton finally gets to play an intelligent, intriguing character. Too bad that character hardly speaks through the whole film. Overall, an OK film. Not good, not bad, but OK. Wait for the videotape, or see it at a matinee. Don't waste a full-price ticket.