Reviews
10 Items or Less (2006)
There's a first season of this?
It's always sunny meets the office set in a grocery store.
I can just imagine the pitch meeting for this. Ugh.
Weak concept, weak dialog, weak acting.
I don't know where to begin.
I know where I can end-by not watching it ever again.
Fortunately I just stumbled on to this.
Moreso than not recommending it, this show reminded me that I should find more to do in the evenings.
Ugh. Did I mention that already? I mean, I just don't know how to describe it. Also, I am flummoxed that it is the same name as a quality movie starring Morgan Freeman. The two titles are not related.
Ugh. Sorry for repeating myself. The actor who plays Leslie Best acts a bit caveman-ish. Tongue firmly in cheek.
Next (2007)
I envied Cris Johnson
The reason I was jealous of Nic Cage's character was that if I knew ahead of time that I was going to dislike this movie so intensely, I would have passed on it.
Actually, Cage himself looked as though he needed a leave of absence, two weeks bed rest, and a high carb diet. I still wonder if he was affecting a presence or if he really was burned out. Regardless, I was not entertained.
This was a very busy movie that did little for me.
Another thing that bothered me was the amount of writers who were involved in the movie, and got a little concerned. I wonder if there were more involved who didn't get screen credit? I rarely like movies that have more than two credited writers. Don't know why.
I turned this off with a vision: After Next and that Jeremy Piven flick from earlier in the year, I believe that future screenwriters who begin a pitch with "it's set in Vegas with a guy who does a magic act in a casino" will see their efforts immediately rejected.
Back to You (2007)
Why did I bother?
Full of hackneyed, stereotypical cracks so glib that it may well have done itself in during the premiere episode.
The show suffers from buffoonish acting, writing that has been done before-nearly verbatim, and most irritating for me, references to Pittsburgh that are utterly foolish and irrelevant.
Heaton and Grammar seem to me to be down to the level of Fred Willard who has made of career of cheesy performance.
I wonder if the powers that be gave up on it and are letting it run anyhow.
Taste counts for nothing and I found this show's opening episode completely tasteless.
I will be stunned if it last six episodes.
Back to who? It doesn't matter who it goes back to.
The Marine (2006)
Ten-Hut
First, the good. John Cena is a refreshing new presence on a movie screen. He needs work and will do more movies. He could easily grab the action hero mantle in two to four movies.
This is a must-see for fans of pyrotechnics. Fabulous explosions.
The comic book dialogue was nauseating. Robert Patrick is a bit past the point of being an effective thug.
The fighting could have slowed down a bit. Cena's character should have lost or loosened a dozen teeth with all the punches he took.
The running was a bit much as well. Cena is in great shape for his size and unholy wrestling schedule. Still, I kept waiting for the Roadrunner or Wile E. Coyote to blow past him.
I saw this movie on cable. I'm glad I didn't spend the money at the cineplex on this. It just wasn't worth it.
Cena deserves better than this. I sincerely hope he gets it because it will be more enjoyable to watch than this movie.
Disturbia (2007)
Don't believe the hype
A passable version of Rear Window for the text-messaging generation.
Shia LaBeouf has a regular guy quality about him. If he can keep on an even keel, he will mature into a successful leading player and not join the legion of tooth pick thin androgenistas who loiter about movie and TV screens.
The glibness that seems to be commonplace in dialogue of these types of movies are so distracting. LaBeouf handled it well, but there were times when it diminished the intensity as the story was trying to build.
Bottom line-if you're from the text messaging generation, I respectfully suggest that you give this a miss and see the actul original.
Jim...Jim...Jimmy Stewart is no Shia LaBeouf but you owe it to yourself to compare.
Live Free or Die (2006)
It was supposed to be a comedy
Another waste of time and money.
The disaffected, and smug characters were not interesting or sympathetic in a way that held my interest.
Save your time and money.
Do the right thing. Give it a pass.
I wished I had.
I am typing this part to reach the line minimum because I have no interested in blathering on about this turd of a flick.
I wish the talent well-chalk it up to experience, and move on.
It has Alan Smithee written all over it. There. I think I have reached the minimum amount of lines.
The Black Donnellys (2007)
Brotherhood it ain't
I don't know what NBC is trying to do with this show, I'll be back to watching wrestling in no time.
Actors, and their performances were on par with local dinner theater troupes. The boys, young fellows, whatever, were not believable at all, nor did they present any level of intensity. These kids were indicating all over the place. Guys a buck fifty (if that)the run-of-the-mill central casting vague prettiness, do little to look even remotely tough.
The exposition gave more fodder for more indicating, and I couldn't keep track of the characters because I found none of them likable or memorable at all.
I sense NBC is going for the 18-25 crowd, trying to apply them away from the death grip of the other crime-related show that is locked in on the time slot. The show might do reasonably better than its predecessors because the network has actually worked to let people know that it is on the air (a good practice).
I do feel better that this trifling bit of madness finally ran, because with Friday Night Lights, and Studio 60, I was afraid that they were going to try raising the bar for quality. No chance of that, certainly not here, and I can go back to believing the world is a tasteless, horrible place, even when I write stuff jack up on over-the-counter cold medicine.
For what it's worth, I didn't care for EZ Streets either.
Also, for people who've already invested in this dreck emotionally, please know that when I loathe something, it usually turns out to be wildly successful. I really can't stand this. So rest easy, fans of the show.
Duane Hopwood (2005)
Too many disconnects
A disappointment with what in my opinion is a light-weight treatment of a serious subject matter.
I wanted so badly for this to be a break out film for Schwimmer, and a career changing role for Garofalo, who despite her success at being very annoying, is a substantive actress.
There were too many points of departure that didn't link up and subsequently I felt the film played at a level just above melodrama.
Great actors who all deserve better, a great backdrop of Atlantic City in the fall, and yet it still just didn't work for me.
It lacked urgency, Schwimmer's Duane was more regretful than remorseful. Schwimmer didn't convince me as a drunk either.
I do respect the fact that they took a chance with this project. I feel like blaming someone here but I'm not sure who. It just didn't work for me.
Domino (2005)
More style than story
If you like fast-moving action with lots of violence and an impressionistic style, then this is your movie.
I was more interested in the real story of Domino Harvey.
I think if this would have been about a fictional bounty hunter, I could have liked it more.
This was about a real person who existed until recently. They marginalized that quite a bit and I was disappointed as a result.
That's just my take though and I still think the finished product was better much of what you'll see.
I would still recommend it despite my misgivings.
Broken Flowers (2005)
Doesn't work when you add it up
Better than many, Bill Murray's character is a bit too disaffected and the lack of urgency in his quest for discovery drags on.
I was hoping it would turn out better but it was rife with despair.
Murray carried the whole movie with a smug, detached presence of a man who almost seemed to pursue his quest even though he barely seemed to care.
I had been waiting for this and hoped it would be entertaining. I regret that I did not enjoy it, and as such, I can not recommend it.
Depressed, detached people were almost too exhausted from life to care.
Sorry. Bill Murray is still great. I wish he would, instead of doing the film star thing, would go back to the raucous yuckster formula that has worked well for him in the past.
Until then, we wait to see what is next for him, which may not be much because I have read where he is lining up a break for a while.
All or Nothing (2002)
You haven't seen this yet? Why not?
If you have ever been down on your luck or know someone in that capacity you will most assuredly recognize and or identify with one or more of the characters in this great film.
Acting was top notch. It moved along as if their were no three act structure. It was like a fly on the wall of a working poor family.
Perhaps it was a little too real for me at times but I didn't allow that to take away from watching this excellent work.
Real life is a struggle and the world is full of miserable people. Happiness and happy endings are very hard to come by. This film does not go the usual formulaic route and I don't know that I have ever watched anything like. I'm confident you will feel the same way. It's too bad that more American filmmakers don't have the guts to be this original.
Are you still reading? Get to the video store and get this. It's a one of a kind experience.
Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle (2005)
Perhaps a bit too grim
I wanted to like this more than I did. Timothy Spall is one of my favorite actors.
The story is pretty straight forward as it was in the tagline.
I kept waiting for Mr. Harvey to unburden himself.
Not completely surprised by the way that it played out but and once again I enjoyed Mr. Spall's work.
I think for me the students were too precocious and played out poorly as well as the development of conflict, which bottomed out early on. I would like very much to find the final script because I felt like it was put together with a weak middle.
Whether I am right or not remains to be seen but it became a bit too melodramatic for me and I cannot in good faith recommend it.
I've certainly watched much worse as of late but this had potential to be much better than it was.
Essex Boys (2000)
A little too ambitious but it works
An entertaining work despite trying to do too much.
They are trying to do a story based on an actual event then fictionalize it then try to make it in the stylized version of the U.K. gang films.
There is an abundance of accents and moments that seem very familiar (as if they've been inspired by other movies).
There is no lack of violence, nudity and swerves as required for a gangster picture but in all, I enjoyed watching it.
It's not a classic but it's better than a lot of gangster flicks out there.
I'm glad I gave it a shot.
Seven Times Lucky (2004)
Far short of noir
I didn't get it and I paid real close attention.
I think they were going for more of a feel than an actual outcomes based production vis a vis a storyline that one can grasp.
The intentional distortion of the time era via props and costuming further served to undo the film.
Kevin Pollack is totally and completely wasted. His alternating between glibness and melodrama took things down even further as did the chronic overcast skies of Winnipeg. He even looked, very briefly, like Groucho Marx in You Bet Your Life.
It's not worth the time, and I say that feeling badly because I sensed that they were really shooting for something specially and came up way short.
Happy Endings (2005)
A guide to enjoying this movie...
This is worth renting. Not a classic but a distinct original with many commendable performances by a large cast of recognizable talent.
Now, keep in mind that this is a rambling soap opera crammed into roughly two hours. In order to keep pace, you'll need the following plan. First, get a nice cappuccino. Get your bathroom breaks out of the way, and put your phone on silent ring and maybe discourage visitors because if you blink or walk away from this for even a moment, you will miss something and it will be tantamount to the story.
This is very original though not too stylish. I don't know if everyone comes from this feeling better about the human condition or having enjoyed their time spent watching it but you need to be aware that this is an exercise in listening and paying attention, which will challenge many. If you fall into the category of "many," maybe this isn't for you.
If you like entertainment that takes you away from the formulaic layout and typical dialogue that you can see coming, this will not disappoint.
Enjoy and may you all have happy endings of your own-whatever they may be.
House of D (2004)
Very good... however....
I would recommend seeing this movie for one reason only: it is head and shoulders above the majority of garbage that infests our cineplexes and video rental outlets.
Robin Williams plays one of the most intelligent mentally retarded men I have ever witnessed. His prosthetic makeup did not serve him well.
David Duchovony was so laid back that I kept waiting for him to fall asleep.
To wit, they both got on my nerves but to be fair, their performances, along with the rest of the cast, were very good.
Their were some things that you could see coming, and it was bits and pieces of "old hat. " Still, I respect the producers for their guts doing a movie that was rather different in many aspects.
My pickiness aside, this is very good and worth the time and money to see.
Crash (2004)
Best Move I wish I hadn't saw
I know that the world is a horrible place where people regularly do all sorts of horrible things.
Crash is likely one of the best assembled films I've seen in a long time full of high levels of human fallibility in the characters.
Still, I think the film might have set a world record for use of the word "racist" and its variations.
The ensemble cast and the writing are well above-board.
I would have liked to felt a sense of hope after watching the movie but in going from being sickened to having tears in my eyes, the film just was a little too intense for me.
Let my error be a lesson to the over-sensitive or easily offended. This is tough, gritty stuff, and there are enough different characters and stories to follow where I found a bit of myself in it and cause for self-examination.
I tip my proverbial hat to the powers that be for having the guts to put this great work together and let it exist for our perusal. Perhaps that is the saving grace for me in watching this film, is knowing that regardless of what I think of the world, there are people out there who will tell stories like this and stray from the usual trifling fare that we are inundated with.
Breaking Bonaduce (2005)
This is not a car crash....
This is a fender bender. This is self-centered, and aggrandizing. Danny is no longer interesting-just sad. Gretchen, while clearly beleaguered, is tough for me to figure out.
No, I am afraid for Danny that the car crash is yet to come, and when it does, we will all be mortified, despite what we've all seen coming for years.
In fact, I am mourning already. I think the guy could have been a great character actor, and could have had a much better life than he has led. I would much rather see him in a sitcom or even a "B" action movie than this.
Further troubling me is that the Bonaduce's are listed as producers on this mess.
I will not go beyond the two episodes I have already seen because I doubt seriously that there is any saving grace for these people, and that makes me very sad.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope he gets a deal for a good acting gig that enables him to provide for his family and show off his intelligence and talent-especially his sense of irony. But I'm nearly as old as he is, and having lived that long, I know better.
Oddly enough, I turned off the second episode just before it ended, chastising myself for looking on for so long. I flipped channels to a local affiliate, which was running the original "Reefer Madness." It's everywhere. We can't escape it.
No, I will turn it back on when I am wrong; when Breaking Bonaduce Season Two is subtitled "Turning the Corner: AGAIN!.
I want to be wrong here. I really do.
Give Me Your Soul... (2000)
Watchable but uneven
It certainly was an ambitious effort though there was a heavy-handed effort at making the industry a little too sad.
It would have been better served with a little more balance-not everyone who enters the business gets sucked up and spat out by it. In truth, all industries do that-when they are done with you-you are out. Some handle it better than others.
I most enjoyed William Margold, and Kimberly Jade. They seemed to be the most straight-forward of the crowd of those interviewed.
Of all the "names" listed as uncredited, none of those (who seemed to be successful at life in general, reasonably happy with their choice of work-despite the controversial nature of it)persons, perhaps with the exception of Randy West, and Richard Pacheco, had any sort of interview time.
Like all lines of work, some have a good life with what they do while others allow themselves to get destroyed by it.
Of the slew of documentaries on this subject, I've seen better.
If you are curious about this industry, I suggest watching it. Not great but not bad either.
I just got a little impatient with the attempts to paint the participants in a certain light.
Off the Map (2003)
Prozac Southwest
Worth watching, plain and simple.
I was torn somewhat between the precocious kid and the depressed dad. It was a little too much and yet the simple beauty of the New Mexico landscape offset their performance. A tighter conflict would have helped the pacing.
Everything seemed to balance itself out though, and most should find something to like about this movie.
I adore Joan Allen. She is built like a leading lady, looks, walks and talks like a leading lady yet is a great character actor as proved here. I had to look a little close to recognize her and I love that in great acting talent.
Sam Elliott, a veritable man's man, held steady. I think his effort was commendable though having been around persons afflicted with various types of depression, his seemed a bit vague, and uneven. It was like a functioning catatonia with bouts of chattering. I didn't get it. Since his mental illness was,in essence, the spine of the story, the spine was a bit bent. Still,handsome Sam is still watchable and worthy of our respect as he does not seem uncomfortable with his gray hairs or his wrinkles. Very anti-Hollywood.
Of the ensemble cast, I really enjoyed J.K. Simmons. Simmons who seems to have put most of the food on the table career-wise by playing nasties (especially in OZ) as well as disaffected authority figures, was refreshing as George, an everyman with a simpleness that was most enjoyable.
In closing, I think I would have liked the movie better if they had given proper treatment to the depressive issues affecting Charlie, Sam Elliott's character. Mental illness advocates might agree.
Still it was a bit like Walden Pond, New Mexico with more people.
Again, my criticisms aside, there is plenty to like about this. It's worth the time to watch this movie.
Bigger Than the Sky (2005)
Ah, good old community theater
A film worthy of your time and patience if for no other reason than the understated, almost sleepy performance of Marcus Thomas who seems perfectly lost amid a band of eccentrics from a community theater troupe, which may be a borderline oxymoron.
Thomas, a Belgium-born actor, brings a different presence to the screen. He doesn't try to keep up with John Corbett (who is still quite tall) or Amy Smart (who is still incredibly cute).
Patty Duke was a pleasant surprise in a dual role-something she did many years ago on the Patty Duke Show.
Duke's real life son, Sean Astin, turns in a very credible performance though he's not playing a very likable character.
These types of films are rare gems that deserve support whether you really like them or just find them okay. They need support because they very original in scope-a breath of fresh air from the dearth of packaged mainstream muck.
Did I really like this film? Not really though it wasn't bad. As for films set against the backdrop of community theater, Waiting For Guffman remains the best with State and Main (which was also set against the backdrop of a film crew on location.) a distant second-because of David Mamet's great talent.
Bigger Than The Sky is sort of out on it's own. There is far worse fare out there to get stuck in.
Hitch (2005)
A delightful piece of fluff
If you are in the mood to shut your analytical thinking down, want to take a break from worrying about the despair with the human condition, and just want to watch three likable personalities fumble through a lightweight piece of work then this motion picture is for you.
Should you keep that part of your brain turned on that involves paying attention or having sensitivity then you might pickup on some of the sexism, stereotyping, and formulaic processes that run amok as well as the dearth of continuity gaffes, the woeful underusing of Adam Arkin, and Michael Rappaport (who was a little more than an extra).
There are no surprises in this romp that could easily be retrofitted into one of those old school studio pictures from way back with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall and Doris Day.
The saving grace of this work is the presence of Will Smith, who acts for a couple of minutes here and there; Kevin James, who is almost acrobatically over the top at times-he showed little to no restraint, which would have served him better in a motion picture as opposed to a sitcom. Also, his character courted a lovely woman whose first name is the same as an allergy medication-to which none of the uber-glib on-screen pundits picked up on despite firing off witty lines with uzi-like precision.
I have to say that I do not regret renting this on DVD at all. I was in the mood for something light and a bit mindless and was not disappointed. If find yourself in the same frame of mind then you will not be disappointed. Perhaps paying full cinema-plex prices mind have changed my opinion.
If you are hoping to find some insight into the despair of the lonely hearts and how pitiful their lives can be, then this isn't for you.
I would hope the box office justifies more of Kevin James in motion pictures and enable him to break away from his Ralph Kramden- with-a-hair-transplant demeanor that seems to dog him. I think he has potential, as a heavyset man, to take the mantle of actor of John Goodman someday. He still has a long way to go there because Goodman is the man when it comes to big man actors.
Will Smith is always likable, smart, and watchable. I don't know that he can do any wrong.
Eve Mendes is delightful and well on her way to being a major player. She is lovely and full of life and almost out charms Mr. Smith, which is no small task.
All tolled, it ain't that bad of a picture.
Overnight (2003)
Don't waste your time-do see Boondock Saints
I can see how the filmmakers were compelled by Mr. Duffy's world-class arrogance and how it served as his undoing.
Most people, had they not been blessed with all his unbelievable luck, would get regularly beaten to within an inch of their live for such chronic pompousness, arrogance, belligerence, and malevolence as well as excessive drunkenness.
Where I believe the documentary is not worth watching is in that the center of attention, Mr. Duffy, in burning every bridge he crosses, seems to be without remorse, humility or any cognitive reasoning as to the vanishing whereabouts as to his new luck.
I did see Boondock Saints, years before I saw this debacle. I could not muster once ounce of sympathy for Duffy or his hangers-on. They got what they deserved.
However, in comparing this with Boondock Saints, I find it a tragedy of almost Aristotlean proportions that Duffy likely killed any chance of a career in motion pictures. For that matter, he made getting any sort of job very difficult.
I should point out that some time has passed since the last of the raw footage was filmed. Hopefully in the interim, Mr. Duffy has learned a thing or two about learning how to work and play well with others.
The documentarians picked a compelling but repulsive subject matter. The controversy alone should make this a successful rental.
The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
Less Sean and more Sam
A movie worth watching however, I was really interested to learn about Sam Byck (I noticed it spelled different). I think it would have been a better served movie if it would have been more biographical/historical in scope because I was shocked to find that he existed.
I thought that the psychological profile of his meltdown was more to accommodate Mr. Penn's histrionics. If I want to see someone hanging on my a thread; living in a world of lies; getting treated with random malevolence and indifference, and barely hanging on to reality, I'll hire a film crew to follow me around every day.
Penn, in my opinion, is the reason to see this movie. If you are a fan of his, then you won't be disappointed.
I will look up this man Penn portrayed, and I'll likely find that while he existed in reality, his presence was entirely different than the one Penn affected in the movie.
Black Picket Fence (2002)
Bleak realities at a surplus
An ambitious if not somewhat unfocused project. Perhaps the lack of focus actually stem from the subjects atavistic passions. Trying to tow the tightrope between the drug life and the rap life. Both of which launch the venal desires of the subjects:The lure of fast, substantial Brooklyn.
The subjects are awash in contradiction and contempt for their eluding desire for respect on a Messiahanic level along with all of the accouterments of the rich without any concept of the basic get-a-job work ethic because all the available jobs pay low wages. If any mention was made about getting an education, I missed it. Just a straight line to big sums of money.
I felt their sense of hopelessness and little love. Still, I came away with a pondering over why little effort was made to find a middle ground.
For me, the saddest aspect was main subject's son being born. Here is a child that stands every chance of being a victim of the environment he lives in. Unless, of course, his father busts out as a big name in the rap business, can escape the drug trade on the streets and find a safer environment to live.
I think it is a well-made movie but, for me, it contained a time-worn theme. We know how harsh life is on the streets and in the "hood." It has been beat to death with countless rap songs, similar documentaries, and films, forming a genre among themselves.
Perhaps closer examination as to why things are the way they are and an ardent search for subjects in that environment who are trying a different path would better serve the residents of the section of Brooklyn, New York where the documentary was filmed.
I'd give it a miss because it is entirely too bleak.