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Reviews
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Mindless Gorefest
One star goes to the 4-note song that is repeated throughout this film during each of the many scenes of intense violence. Other than the score, this film is a pure waste of time. It lacks all the finesse and style of "28 Days Later." At two hours of almost non-stop slaughter, it has no character development and no plot. Granted, "28 Days Later" was slim on both, but this sequel has dispensed with *every* element of a good movie. And, because it's a sequel, it also lacks the novelty of the original film. The director subscribes to the "scare the audience with sudden loud noises" school of horror film-making. Unable to walk out (since I was with someone who, no matter how bad the film is, refuses to do so), I came out of this movie thoroughly disgusted I had to waste my time on it.
Lady in the Water (2006)
Disappointing
M. Night Shyamalan sadly hasn't hit one out of the ballpark since his first movie, "The Sixth Sense." "Unbreakable" came close. But I keep watching his films with great anticipation only to leave the theater disappointed. "Lady in the Water" has some good moments, but ultimately falls short.
Without writing spoilers, I can say the biggest flaws are the lack of suspense and the lack of character development of the "Lady." (Hey, even fairy tale characters have endearing quirks or charming qualities.) As to the first point, we know from the beginning the Lady will return to her world without much ado. The only surprises are the parts the other characters play in helping her do so. And while the supporting characters are amusingly eccentric, the Lady's character is so flat, I found I didn't really care if she got back to her world or not.
Obviously the fairy tale is a backdrop for larger themes of healing and redemption but with little substance to the fairy tale, it simply comes off as a flimsy structure on which to hang "Author's Message." Shyamalan obviously loves Bryce Dallas Howard's face, as her endless close-ups reveal. Yet the actress isn't given much to work with here. At the same time, the director gives himself a larger role than usual, which I found distracting--he's not much of an actor, and I don't think we needed him in the film.
Paul Giamatti shines in the leading role, and his performance brought tears to my eyes. True, there are poignant moments as well as a lot of humor in this film, but I left the theater feeling as though I'd eaten cotton candy--it was sweet, but not filling at all.
7/28/06--Forgot to mention "Signs" as one of his best movies!
Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
Warning to viewers: Painfully Bad
It's hard to know where to begin in pointing out the flaws of this movie. I wanted to leave at the first inane scene (I only stayed because my husband refuses to leave movies, period). Ray Romano plays a well-meaning inarticulate boob, the same character he plays on TV. Maura Tierney plays the same long-suffering angry girlfriend that she plays on ER. Gene Hackman and Marcia Gay Harden are good actors, but I came away thinking they must have been desperate for money to make this idiotic film. Their talent appeared like brief glints of sunshine on an ocean of mediocrity.
This movie was less funny and cornier than the worst TV sitcom (pick one)--and that says a lot. A brief list of flaws: tired, dated, sexist jokes, poor timing, dull dialogue, no chemistry between Romano and Tierney, inordinately long scenes about GOLF, sappy music, bad lighting, predictable story line, and on and on.
I never write movie reviews, but I had to write this one, just to warn other viewers. What a waste of two hours--I feel like my brain cells have been drained.