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juliette-6
Reviews
Proof of Life (2000)
russell crowe; perfect...meg ryan; less than
I went into this movie with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of russell crowe....he is ridiculously perfect considering what he had to work with here; a pretty lame and transparent script in addition to david caruso's compulsive over acting in a feeble attempt to steal every scene. I was not surprised by the mediocrity displayed by meg ryan. I felt like she could have phoned in her lines and they would have been more believable.
Anyway, over all a very entertaining film and some awesome scenery. Also, Russel Crowe gets extra points for pretty cool kiss toward the end. B+
Guinevere (1999)
a little disturbing but some great acting
this movie is a little disturbing at times, but, the characters are interesting and, although they are unlikable at times there is some exceptional acting going on here.
steven rea is fantastic as this aging, washed up photographer who has seen fame and fortune pass him by and is faced with an ego that remains famished for attention. at times in this movie you can't help but feel sorry for him, the countless humiliations he goes through, but, he is such a raging drunk, so totally cruel and irrational, sympathy at times is difficult.
sarah polley is nothing less than etherially beautiful, although her girlishness is a bit overwrought at times. she giggles uncontrollably for the first third of the movie as if she's never held a conversation before (which, i guess, perhaps she hasn't) but then, she really matures before you and comes into her own. she is as yet an untapped talent despite her previous performance in "go".
jean smart is, i think, the biggest surprise of this movie. being so used to seeing her in silly roles as a brainless southern lady with the depth of say, vanna white, it was entirely refreshing to take her in as a real bitch-on-wheels. her sadistic cruelty directed at connie for seducing her daughter briefly gives her a quality of the righteous mother protecting her child. but, any hint of a mothers altruism is destroyed when she turns her rage onto the one she is seemingly there to defend. this particular scene is one of the most powerful of the film.
all in all, some excellent performances and a good story. if you liked "high art" you'll probably like this too.
Dick (1999)
truly a riot
i didn't know "dick" about this movie before renting it, but i am so glad that i watched it! i am a politics buff and don't know everything about watergate, but i am somewhat familiar with the overdone cliches of that time and this movie was such a refreshing twist to the incumbent theories!
i absolutely loved the "forrest gumpness" of the real occurences happening only due to the presence of these two ditsy but oh-so-lovable girls. their innocence could have so easily been overwrought, poorly acted and perhaps at times it is, but who cares? this is such a light hearted movie, i couldn't help but love these two girls for their innocence, held simultaneously with their depth of feeling. A plus plus for the writers, director and actors...a fine job!!!
Hurlyburly (1998)
great actors, terrible script
The trailer for this movie made it look quite excellent so i was excited to see it. What a joke. The acting is, of course, great. It would be virtually impossible to have an ensemble of such talent and not have at least the hint of genius. However, the dialogue is so shallow and so transparent i could barely stand to keep watching. It was as if the screenwriter, who i'm sure constructed a great play from these characters, wants us to believe that just because coked up freaks can use ten dollar words every four seconds that makes them deep and insightful when truly they are all just pathetically sick. This plot and script must have played out much better on stage, but in it's film version it just came out so convoluted and silly. The only good, solid character was Darlene and she ended up looking like queen of sluts through the eyes of Eddie and he was supposed to be in love with her.
I usually love unconventional films where there may or may not be an obvious pro/antagonist, but to at least have one marginally likable character would have benefited this film greatly. That character potentially could have been Meg Ryan, but, the disturbing story about the presence of her daughter rendered that impossible. Overall a twisted movie that could have been really brilliant, but ended up just plain annoying
Just the Ticket (1998)
a very nice surprise
I was in a huge hurry and basically just grabbed this off the shelf for lack of seeing anything else that sparked my interest. I saw the trailer for this movie at the theater and thought that it looked incredibly stupid. I don't particularly like Andy Garcia or Andi McDowell, but I just watched on a whim and the next thing that I knew I was laughing (and crying). I was really surprised by how well I liked this film!
The plot was a tad silly, but the characters were so colorful and likeable (even the junky pregnant girl) that I got past the immaturity of the story line. It showed a small bit of the dark underbelly of NY ticket scalping, but the good intentions of everyone counteracted the negativity and the result was very optimistic. Andy Garcia was so good as the romantic lead, I particularly loved the scenes preparing for the big catering and the the kitchen destruction...too funny!
Bottom line, I think these two made a great on screen couple and I would recommend this to anyone who like me, enjoys these kinds of films, or to anyone who might need a little cheering up.
Next Stop Wonderland (1998)
A good one for us romantics
I liked this movie. It's a tad boring at times, but Hope Davis is really great as this visibly weak and fragile girl when really, she's a very strong and independent woman who actually doesn't mind being single one bit. I am a sucker for these kind of boy-sees-girl-from-afar-and-falls-in-love-at-first-sight type movies, and the tension over when and if these two would EVER cross paths was what kept the film going. A little slow, yes, but overall a good one for us romantics.
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
A perfect movie
This is what I would call a perfect film. This was my first Woody Allen experience and I have been shamelessly hooked ever since! I have probably seen it about 20x's and I always love it!! It has it all; it's hysterically funny at times (the hypochodriac), it's incredibly painful(afternoons) at others and the blending of the characters paths(lucky I ran into you) is just beautiful. I watch this movie every couple of months when I need a little cheering up and it always works. Highly recommended.
Key Largo (1948)
They don't make 'em like this anymore
This is a brilliant movie. The single set filming is so dramatic and Lauren B. is so luminously beautiful, she's intoxicating. This is a movie to rent with your honey on Saturday night, share a bottle of wine and just take it all in. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore.....