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Pionek
Reviews
Fairly Legal (2011)
Watchable show, very watchable lead
Sarah Shahi is likely the reason most guys will watch the show, which verges on chick-flicky at times, with dialogue that's a tad cloying. However, the plot lines are quirky and interesting (and, in the pilot, rather funny). Shahi is an extremely personable and cute actress. As seems to be the vogue in contemporary culture, references to the Wonderful World of Oz abound. Atypical of most female leads, Shahi's character lives on a yacht. And the setting, in San Francisco, is a departure from U.S. legal dramas that always seem to be set in New York, or L.A. There are lots of location shots of SF landmarks and icons. However, Canadian viewers should note the signs of two Canadian financial institutions in one of the scenes.
Punch (2002)
Not bad, actually...
Unlike the simply ghastly 'Marker', this CanCon film is saved by the two leads' considerable acting talents and uneasy chemistry. Bennet's Electra complex is really uncomfortable viewing. The topless lesbian boxing angle was a bit much, though. The inclusion of this silliness, as in so many 'indie' (i.e., Canadian government grant-funded) movies doesn't qualify it to be pornography, even as it earns a 'WARNING--NUDITY' label. I'm not sure if the nudity was intended to titillate would-be male viewers, but anyone expecting a lesbian 'Fight Club' will be sadly disappointed. Aside from Sonja Bennet, the nude bodies are less than young, nubile and toned...
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
VERY early-'90s...
Sometimes, a film is notable more for Zeitgeist than anything else. 'Hand that Rocks the Cradle' is a perfect exemplar of 1990s culture.
Volvo-driving yuppie, check. Inappropriate touching leading to legal consequences, check. 'Differently-abled' Person of Colour in a sympathetic, heroic role, check. This was an era when middle-class moms availed themselves of nannies, en masse. Often, hubby banging the nanny was a common phobia. The grunge fashions of '90s youth culture were mirrored by the dreadful drabness of adult women's attire and makeup. Sciorra's heroine is such a plain-looking woman...quite the contrast to Peyton (De Mornay) and Clair's hubby's ex-girlfriend Marlene (a very leggy Julianne Moore). Despite all the 'feminist' subtext, Claire appears to be supported by her breadwinner husband. This is one big contradiction of '90s yuppie culture that feminist scholars try to overlook.
As a suspense movie, 'Hand that Rocks the Cradle' works. However, it's real value is as a time capsule of early 1990s culture: the birth of latte-sipping, Volvo-driving and political correctness.