muveebuff15 Reviews

The Master of Disguise (2002)

Not worth it....

[19 September 2002]

The Master of Disguise is a poor excuse for a movie, having almost no plot and like 3 funny scenes. I generally enjoy Dana Carvey but this time I reluctantly must criticize. I enjoy critiquing movies but I don't even remember the plot. It seemed like a television skit that was lengthened to make a film. There were a total of 3 scenes that I thought were funny, but the rest left me groaning. Sorry to say this but thumbs down to Master of Disguise.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Charming Comedy..

[19 September 2002]

It's no wonder this movie is in the top five, a clever script and cast add to the already amusing plot. Nia Vardalous portrays Toula, a thirty-year-old Greek woman who lives with her parents and works at their family-owned Greek restaurant, called The Dancing Zorbas. Her whole being is based upon the fact that she will live Greek, marry a Greek man, and breed more Greeks. Her father, brilliantly played by Michael Constantine, believes that Greeks are the root of all life.

The story sort of begin's when she is going through her 30-year frump stage. She then meets a young, handsome professor and seeing him pushes her to do something with her life. She starts going to college, working at a travel agency, and gives herself a new look. She then meets up with the professor again and they beging a very charming courtship. It isn't long before they get engaged and thus comes the Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula's loud, nosy, big, but loving family must come to terms with this new non-Greek addition to the clan while she struggles to be accepted by her fiancee's reserved, traditional parents.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It keeps the audience laughing throughout and is a good family movie with little language and slight sensuality. ****

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Flawless movie!!!

[15 August 2002]

While You Were Sleeping is almost flawless. The storyline is funny but at the same time dramatic. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, a lonely el worker with no family at all. She sees this guy get mugged and pushed on the train tracks and she jumps on and saves his life. She follows him to the hospital, where it is mistaken that she is the man's fiance. She gets thrust into the family who accepts her with open arms. However, problems arise when she starts to fall in love with the brother of her "fiance". This movie is perfectly cast with Brilliant performances by Bullock and Bill Pullman who plays the brother. The have great chemistry and just subtly looks and gestures towards each other during the whole movie add towards the sexual tension between them. I have not met anyone who doesnt like this movie and it has become one of my favorites. You can watch it a million times and never get tired of it. ****

American Beauty (1999)

Great acting, but sleazy storyline

[12 August 2002]

American Beauty is an Oscar-winning account of a man's mid-life crisis and the hell he puts his family through while experiencing it. I will say that this movie is well acted and the cast was good. However the story line was extremely dark and sleazy. Kevin Spacy plays Lester Burnham, a middle aged man with a wife (Annette Benning) and daughter (Thora Birch). Lester starts to realize his life isn't how he would like it to be and starts to raise hell about it. He deserved an Oscar because his portrayel of this easily hateable character, makes you just want to reach into the screen and punch him. Despite the superb acting, *SPOILER AHEAD* all the sexual content, inuendo's, drug content, and language, takes away from the film. There are some comical parts, however, I find alot of the subject matter to be extremely distasteful and inappropriate. I understand that the movie is supposed to be that way, but I find it to be distracting. The almost-sex scene with Spacy and Mena Suvari was unnecessary and so was Thora Birch's nude scene. If you don't mind a very R-rated movie, this is the movie for you. Again, some parts are funny and the acting is great, but I wouldn't reccommend it to those of you who aren't into all that stuff.

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Best of the three...

[10 August 2002]

Oh, BEHAVE, Mr Meyers!!!!! Goldmember is the best installment if the Austin Powers Trilogy. I loved the first one, finding the humor clever and goofy. I was disappointed with the second one,the plot was dull and Heather Graham wasn't a good choice for Austin's right-hand gal. Goldmember, however had much more of a plot, incesent humor, and tons of star cameo's. Beyonce' Knowles was funny and charming as Austin's new gal. I was a little wary about Meyers puylling off four characters but it was so great to see him be able to get so into each character and barely resemble himself.

All in all, this film is a great film to see if you are in need of a laugh. I left the theater still laughing. Two thumbs up! Very Shagadelic baby, YEAH!

Corky Romano (2001)

very Saturday Night Live-ish!!

[6 August 2002]

I went to see Corky Romano and I absolutely thought it was Hilarious. However, I love Kris Kattan and Saturday Night Live so people who really don't have a taste for that particular kind of humor shouldn't see it. The whole idea behind this film is totally ridiculous, which is what makes it funny. Kris Kattan plays Corky Romano-a quirky assistant veterinarian who gets contacted by his long-lost brothers to help them destroy incriminating evidence against their mobster father. To do so, Corky must parade himself about as an FBI agent, in order to get to the evidence room to destroy the documents. Though a very stupid idea, it comes off as pretty funny to see this nerdy, animal-lover...convince people he is an FBI agent. Kattan delivers a typical SNL performance, but nevertheless, he is extremely funny.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Brilliant film...

[6 August 2002]

The Shawshank Redemption is a brilliant, timeless story of a young man named Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who is convicted and imprisoned for the murder of his wife. While in prison, he befriends an older black man named Red (Morgan Freeman). This film masterpiece just takes you through the years Andy spends in prison, and the hope that human spirit can keep alive even in the most hopeless circumstances. Tim Robbins exhibits a quality in this film that is inexplicable but charming. You really fall in love with his character and I genuinly believe (Robbins) acting in this film is perhaps one of the most moving performances ever caught on film. This really pushed me to respect the cast and really open my eyes to their acting abilities. This truimphant tale will leave a bittersweet trail through your heart as it did mine. ****

Lost in Yonkers (1993)

Lighthearted Comedy-Drama

[6 August 2002]

Lost in Yonkers is originally a play by Neil Simon, adapted for the silver screen. With a cast including Richard Dreyfuss, Merchedes Rheul, and Irene Worth, this movie has comedy written all over it. Irene Worth plays "Grandma" a hard, bitter, miserable old lady whose five children each have something wrong with them as a result of a miserable childhood. Her daughter Bella (Rheul) is the only child to still live at home and has a slight mental handicap which adds a lot of humor to the film. One of her sons owes 9,000 dollars to a loan shark as a result of his late wife's medical bills. He has a year to pay it back, but cannot take a job unless he has someone to look after his children; 13 year-old Arty (Mike Damus) and 15 year-old Jay (Brad Stoll). Leaving him with no choice, his debts force him to leave his children with his mother. The whole film is just delightful, a light-hearted comedy that takes a few dramatic turns but ultimately will leave you satisfied and content. Brilliant performances by Damus and Stoll who hilariously portray their characters' wonderment at the absolute wierdness of their family. Two thumbs up!

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)

Wonderfully Horrible...

[6 August 2002]

Plan Nine from Outer Space is perhaps the best worst movie of all time. It is thouroughly hilarious that any one person would take this movie seriously. There are so many mistakes and just incredibly stupid dialougue, you wonder why this isn't a comedy. Though the movie is ultimately awful, it is a great movie to rent if you are in need of a laugh. I am so serious. I rent this movie from time to time just to laugh at it aand it has become a personal favorite of most of my family. Hilariously stupid, Plan Nine is perhaps the worst idea even any amateur filmaker could think up. But it sure is funny....

Signs (2002)

A great film....

[5 August 2002]

M. Night Shyamalan outdid himself yet again! With films such as the Sixth Sense and Unbreakable in the bag, expectations for Signs was high. I went to see Signs the second day it was out. I waited in anticipation having seen all of Shyamalan's work. The film takes place in modern day Bucks County, PA at a large farm owned by Graham Hess (Gibson). Graham is a former Minister who ambandoned his faith after the untimely death of his beloved wife. His younger brother Merril (Joaquin Phoenix) moved in to help with the children and farm work after the death of Graham's wife. I must say that there is no dilly dallying in this movie. Starting off right away, you get thrust in to this strange occurence without knowing anything about the characters. This kind of opening is hard to obtain because it forces the movie to develop the characters as it is also developing the plot. This often times makes the actors seem as though they are talking to the audience instead of carrying on a dialogue with each other. However, Syamalan does this beatifully and keeps you absorbed in the plot while subtly exploring the characters. Without giving away the plot, I will say that I loved Signs. I do understand some people may not like it. If you are going to see a bloody, gorey, film soley about aliens...I would suggest you stay home. But this film is not only suspenseful but includes extremely moving family sequences, and some humor. It really explores faith in times of peril and the ability of a family to stick together. This film was wonderfully cast with outstanding performances by Gibson (of course), Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Brenson. Good work Shyamalan!!!!!

Osmosis Jones (2001)

Charming Movie

[1 July 2002]

Osmosis Jones is a very clever movie that was cleverly cast. With voices such as Chris Rock, Brandy, William Shatner, and David Hyde Pierce, this film provides a chemistry in a cartoon that is rare. Bill Murray is funny as the scrubby Frank, whom all these characters make up his body. Very cleverly written and funny, with plenty of one-liners from Rock, Osmosis Jones is pretty much a good family film and very enjoyable to watch. 3 out of 4.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Excellent movie...

[1 July 2002]

Good Will Hunting is an excellent movie that provides a real celebration of the human spirit. Will Hunting is an everyday Joe, who works as a janitor in some college. Despite his meager lifestyle, Will (played by matt damon) is extremely bright and has a gifted and interesting outlook on a number of things. He ends up being sent to a psychatrist, played by Robin Williams, and thus a story about this young man unfolds. Despite very strong language and some crude humor, you start to get inside this guy's head and really relate to him. Underneath his hard shell is just this soft, sensitive guy wanting to be loved. With best friend played by Ben Afflek, who encourages him to get up and leave his life as a shmuck, and girlfriend, played by Minnie Driver, who loves him, he starts to realize he could be making something of himself. A truimphant ending will leave you with bittersweet tears. A stifling performance by the whole cast who was wonderfully chosen. 9 out of ten!!!!!!

Deception (1992)

a choppy plot.....

[1 July 2002]

Ruby Cairo is a would-be good movie despite the choppy plot and horrible script. Liam Neeson is reason enough to see this movie because his performance is the best out of the whole (mis)cast. Andie McDowell's scenes where she was talking to herself were very unreal and uncharacteristic of any human. The love story between Liam and herself was charming but thrust into the movie suddenly and was not picked up at the right times in the plot. The ending, however was cute, despite no real victory on Andie's part. 1/2 *.