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jfloyd
Reviews
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
I enjoyed and recommend this film.
"Napoleon Dynamite" was an enjoyable film. Smarter and perhaps a little slower than the regular high school comedy, the film left me with a strong 'feel-good' sense. Jon Heder pulls off the likable loser title character quite well, capturing the awkwardness of being a teen-aged loner trapped in a harsh home and school environment. His friend Pedro (Efren Ramirez) comes across an odd juxtaposition -- another introvert, with a blank stare, but one who runs for class president as a newcomer. Without resorting to comically absurd situations, the movie makes you feel sympathetic to Napoleon, Pedro, Deb and even Napoleon's brother Kip and the charming comedy manifests as they each eventually find their own happiness. To someone who knows nothing of rural American life, this portrayal of small town high school life seemed real and honest. Seeing the quirky marginalized characters triumph in their own way through their friendships was entertaining and uplifting. I'd recommend "Napoleon Dynamite"
Owning Mahowny (2003)
wasn't impressed...
"Owning Mahowney", while perhaps true to real-life story it is based on, was not that interesting a film. I didn't feel any reason to care about Hoffman's character (Mahowney) or even Driver's character that much. The one interesting angle about the film is that it presents casinos with as little glitz or luxury as I've ever seen in a film. The drama is fairly subtle and by the end, I was hoping that Mahowney would get caught, just to end the film. Ultimately, I was bored by this film. If you like movies about gambling, I think you will be disappointed. If you like movies where Minnie Driver is wearing a bad wig, you might like it.