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Reviews
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
I Love A Great Film, This Isn't One of Them
I get it, folks, David Lean has always been considered an icon of the film industry. His "Lawrence of Arabia" was superior filmmaking. I happen to agree with the critics who wrote of this film upon its release -- it's not a great film.
Beautifully photographed? Absolutely stunning. Professionally edited? Indeed. So, what didn't I like about this film? Omar Sharif gave us a performance without dimension, allowing the powerfully gifted Rod Steiger to run away with the acting honors. Julie Christie provided nice eye candy, but just about anyone else could've pulled off the role as well as she. But my main problem was the story. Zhivago, presented as a man of exceptionally high morals, sets them aside for the love of Lara, while the director would have us believe his morality is left intact.
After well over 3 hours in length, one would want to leave their viewing chair stunned by a flawless film. One doesn't. Perhaps it's the little things that spoil movies for me, such as Sharif getting off, after many days, a packed cattle car looking as though he just left the barber shop and picked up his dry cleaning. The same is true throughout with Christie.
I wanted to see a classic, superior film by a director who was considered to be an icon. What I got was Peyton Place with a Russian backdrop.
Jersey Boys (2014)
I Loved the 4 Seasons -- the Movie is a Disaster
Before I go into why I disliked this film, let me say that I was, and still am, a big fan of the 4 Seasons. I collected everything they did together up until 1970. This film does no justice to who they were, where they came from or how they sounded. The dude playing Valli is actually embarrassing to listen to. He sounds more like Jerry Lewis than Frankie Valli. The others are mere caricatures, and out of their league as far as acting is concerned.
The songs are NOTHING like they ought to sound, and so grating to listen to that the whole mess should have been dubbed. Historically speaking, I have to ask, was there anyone during this fiasco of a production that had ever heard of continuity? For instance, near the beginning when the setting is the VERY early 1950s, a girl complains she wants to go to the movies to see The Blob, which didn't come out until 1958. And that's just the beginning. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is presented as being introduced in 1970 when it actually was a monster hit in 1967. And when I heard Valli singing "My Eyes Adored You" to his little girl, I want to scream. It was way out of sync with the timeline, and in fact came out AFTER Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
Eastwood's directing on this turkey is wooden, as though he phoned his direction in while he stayed in bed. In short, if you truly loved the music of The Four Seasons, avoid this mish-mash of a movie.
The Way West (1967)
A Grand Disappointment
A good cast is wasted in a film effort out of place with a changing industry. Beautiful photography cannot save this vehicular drama of the Old West, as the first settlers to Oregon struggle their way west. Stuffed full of choreographed highlights and stereotyped characters, this tale simply fails. Douglas, Widmark and Mitchum look as though they're bored, and there's nary an inspired scene amongst them.
Andrew McLaglen's direction plays out like an episodic television play, which makes sense in light of the fact that he cut his teeth on television. The musical score, especially the accompanying singing, is an embarrassment, and difficult to listen to without cringing. And with their perfectly coiffed hair, impeccably clean outfits and carefully applied makeup, the entire cast looks as though they're headed, not to Oregon along a dusty trail, but to a Halloween party.
Filmed in the mid sixties, it has the misfortune of not fitting in with the cinematic times. Released near the presentation of such films as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate and In the Heat of the Night, it's a tale told too late.
The Alienist (2018)
Doesn't Hold A Candle to the Book
I was truly looking forward to this, as Caleb Carr's book was fantastic. I found myself so disappointed that I stop watching after five episodes. Daniel Bruhl is all wrong as the alienist, and it's absolutely aggravating to try to hear anything he says, as he consistently speaks at a mere whisper. The wonderful detail Carr used in his tome is totally missing here, and some of the main characters are only shells of who they were in the book. On a lonely, bright note, Dakota Fanning is marvelous, her every nuance perfection personified. This should have been made into a full length feature film, and not a multi-segmented television program. A huge disappointment to fans of Carr's work.
Winter Kills (1979)
A Disappointment Considering the Cast
I must admit, I don't know how this film has received such a high rating on this site. A good cast? Yes, but a wasted cast. This is basically the Kennedy assassination on Quaaludes. It's a film that simply doesn't hold up well through the years. Stiff direction and substandard cinematography reduce the look to that of a "B" movie. While it's always fun to watch John Huston, he cannot carry this movie alone. Bridges, who has consistently been one of my favorite actors, is wooden here, certainly nowhere near the caliber of his performance in "Rancho Deluxe", made a few years earlier. In short, it tries to be a comedy, drama and a parody all at the same time, and fails on all fronts. Want to watch good political filmmaking? Opt for 3 Days of the Condor for drama, Dr. Strangelove for satire/parody, and Being There for comedy.
Ben-Hur (2016)
Why?
Take William Wyler, Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Sam Jaffe and the stunt director Yakima Canutt. The result? A film that should NEVER be remade, and this effort absolutely pales in comparison. There is no depth to the characterizations, and major events are simply pedestrian. For example, this film takes half an hour to introduce you to the relationship between Judah and Messala, something William Wyler accomplished beautifully in just one scene. The 1959 Heston film was a powerhouse of emotion, while this tepid film barely scratches the edges of relationships, leaving out many of the key elements and characters of the book, by General Lew Wallace, and the film version that won 11 Academy Awards. Pass this stinker up.
American Horror Story: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2017)
A Claptrap Waste of Time
Until this season, I found American Horror to be either wonderfully done or, at least, pretty good. After watching just two episodes of this season's offering, I've decided to quit watching. All this has been is one woman seeing killer clowns and screaming, while her no depth of character, long suffering wife exists on screen only to comfort her. A hodgepodge of characters and situations that simply don't meld together in a cohesive manner, amid stereotypical I've-seen-it-before storytelling sinks this stinker.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Doesn't Hold a Candle to the Original
Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, stars of the 1960 version of this film, are without equals. Although Denzel is very good, his character is too much of a superhero to be taken seriously. As for the rest of the "Seven", it's only D'onornio who shines through with any acting honors, as everyone else is miscast. As for the movie plot itself, it simply steals ideas and characters from several other films i.e., Hawkes' mimics Dennis Quaid's "Doc Holliday" character, and the rest of the cast appears to be based upon the sturdy western, "The Professionals", right down to the bow and arrow expert. In short, there is nothing new or creative here, just more of the over the top, unbelievable special effects, such as the Seven never missing a shot against the baddies. In the original, you cared about the Seven, all of them, and were hoping against hope none of them would die. In this pale remake, their characters are so undefined you just don't care. And by the way, no one could have matched the depth of Eli Wallach's characterization of the antagonist.