Dennis-67 Reviews

Jesus Revolution (2023)

A Hearty, Sentimental Look at the Best Stuff of the Jesus Movement

[8/10 · 26 February 2023]

This is a great movie; I enjoyed it very much.

Being a movie nut and all, I have to say that that the production quality was top notch. I saw no glaring continuity problems, the camera work was well done and the "designs" were fabulous (costume, scene, etc.). I also think the script was terrific. As one other reviewer noted, the scripts and acting in some "Christian" films showing at regular cinemas in recent years has been a bit rough. Not in this movie; it's all great.

I was there. In the years 1971 to about 1973, I sat in the front pew (if there were space for me) in that church in Riverside, CA (aka All Saint's Episcopal Church) within 20 feet of Greg Laurie (sometimes being amazing at the length of his beard). I had some of those tracts he designed and I listened to Love Song and many of the other popular bands of the day. I went down with a bunch of kids from the Redlands/Yucaipa of So. CA; we went to our own church services, at various churches, in the morning then we would jump in several cars (yes, one was a VW van) and drive to Riverside for the evening service at All Saint's Episcopal Church with Greg (and the bands, of course). The song book we used (illustrated by Greg), the tracts, the cassette and 8-track tapes for sale, were all Calvary Chapel and Maranatha! Branded. It was a heady time and deserves a place in American religious history.

I thought all of the acting was great. I especially loved Kelsey Grammar in the role of Chuck Smith. When, I heard he was going to play Chuck, I let out a loud YES! Of approval. He was an excellent choice. I simply thought that, yes, he could do it. He could pull off Chuck Smith.

As the movie began with a very accurate presentation of the time, I expected the movie to continue that way so I was disappointed at parts in the middle and end that seemed to take "artistic" license with some of the events, people and locations.

The movie avoided some tough stuff; which was probably the right thing to do, maybe leaving it for a future movie or book. I'll avoid specifics not to spoil things for those who have not yet seen the movie but trust me, there was some tough stuff to the movement too.

I loved this movie. It took me back. And it adds to the record and the significance of the Jesus Movement in American religious history.

Peep Show (1999)

One of the Funniest Short Films Ever

[8/10 · 7 April 2008]

I saw this short film at the Telluride Film Festival. It was shown in a section with other short films and this was by far the audience favorite. The audience roared with laughter and gave a standing ovation at the end (the ending was really special; the story made sort of a crescendo to the end). It's amazing to me that the writer could tell such a funny story in 10 minutes. Bravo! The story is a very witty take on the age-old adult "peep show" places. The story should not be offensive at all, for men or women, but the humor is geared to adults who have some knowledge of these sorts of places. It's a very funny movie. If you are looking for a hearty laugh, I strongly recommend this one.

Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

A young man follows his roots to Ukraine

[9/10 · 3 September 2005]

I just saw "Everything is Illuminated" at the Telluride Film Festival. This is a truly remarkable film. Very emotional, funny at times and heart-warming. Bring your handkerchiefs! For those of you who enjoy a movie that brings tears to your eyes, I'm reminded of the endings of "Babette's Feast" and "The Notebook." The stories were completely different but had that same emotional power to bring tears to my eyes, just as this film did.

No spoilers here. The summary is, as IMDb describes, a young man's journey to the Ukraine to follow his roots and find the village where his father grew up.

The dialog is in English and Ukrainian (and Russian too, I believe). This allows for some wonderfully linguistically-based moments as one character interprets, more or less faithfully, for the English speaker in the group, depending on the circumstances.

The scenery is wonderful and the musical score is a treat with wonderful Eastern European influences. Be sure you stay through the credits for the final tune.

This is Lieve Schreiber's directorial debut and is well done. I give this film a 9, one of the best films I've seen in a long time. I recommend it highly.

The Man Who Planted Trees (1987)

Perfection in filmmaking.

[10/10 · 30 November 2001]

Animation is not a favorite genre of mine but this film took my breath away. I believe I first saw it at a film festival. The animation is done with the light, breathy movements of an impressionist painter. The narration of Christopher Plummer in the English version is so fitting in tone and style to the story, I became totally engrossed in every word. The story itself is beautiful; a soft, warm story, with just a touch of something timeless and magical to bring a tear to one's eye. It touches the soul. I pray that this film will once again become available for purchase; I was fortunate to purchase one copy of the English version in VHS but it has since become unavailable.

Keeping the Faith (2000)

A clever, intelligent romantic comedy.

[8/10 · 9 June 2000]

This is one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long time. It has just the right blend of comedy and romance and the story is very clever.

The comedy is a wonderful blend of obvious physical and spoken comedy and intelligent, clever, adult humor that assumes a certain level of intelligence in the movie goer (rare in films these days as most cater to the lowest common denominator). Many of the comic bits require an understanding of Catholicism and Judaism for full appreciation.

The romantic side of the story is just as intelligent and clever as it uses several angles to deepen the tension between the characters. As the IMDB summary states, it IS a love triangle; two men in love with the same woman but there's more to it (you haven't heard this one before). The resolution to all of this tension is wonderful- it's, cheery, uplifting and believable (still with a little comedy thrown in); I felt like applauding and screaming 'yes!' at the end (I think I did).

This is important: STAY FOR THE CREDITS! There's a bit of nice comic stuff in the credits.

I would offer one observation to the filmmakers. I know it's always a tough problem for comedies but some of the lines were so funny that, when I saw the film with a full house, the crowd was still laughing after the comic lines so that when new dialogue came along it got squashed under the laughter. It's a tough problem, I'm sure.

Thank you to Ed Norton and crew for a great movie. Bravo!

Me Myself I (1999)

Clever plot, brilliantly played out. A 'feel-good' movie.

[8/10 · 6 October 1999]

Have you ever wondered what might have happened if you had made a different decision or choice at some point in your past? I think we all have and this common wondering is brilliantly played out in this clever new movie from Australia. I saw this film at the Telluride Film Festival and it is my pick as best of the festival this year. Director Philippa 'Pip' Karmel has done a wonderful job with this film. My understanding is that this is her directorial debut though she has been involved in the technical side of film for some time (editor of 'Shine'). She has taken the aforementioned question "I wonder what would have happened if..." and run with it. Fast-lane journalist Pamela Drury (wonderfully played by Rachel Griffiths) is taken back in her life and is given the 'what if' test to the max. She experiences the life she would have had, had she made a different choice in her past. She experiences the spouse, family, house, children, pets, job, and everything that goes with these, if she had've made that other choice. The experiences she has in this 'new' life are simply slices of real life but they are slapped in our faces with such clarity that we identify deeply with her. It shows how often we pay little attention to those little events in our life, like, say, potty training. Trust me, you need to see it. Also, the director included a popular film technical 'trick' that I've never really liked in the movies; I've always thought it so unreal that it distracted me from the story. But in this film it is done so smoothly, and brilliantly, that it was just wonderful. The audience I was with laughed frequently and heartily during this film. This is a genuine 'feel-good' movie, and I LIKE feeling good after seeing movie. I'll be seeing it again when it hits the theatres. Thank you Pip.