What a great film this could have been. The best thing I can say about it is that it was beautifully shot. But if only they had gotten actors who could act; if only they had paid attention to character development; if only they had followed the plot of the book. With the exception of Anthony Hopkins (who is of course brilliant but terribly wasted), the acting was just wooden. I know finding good child actors is difficult, but they do exist -- surely there are young actors out there who are as good as River Phoenix and Elijah Wood were when they were starting out. But none of them were in this movie, that's for sure. As for character development, there was none. We know no more at the end of the movie about the personalities of the characters than we did at the beginning. The treatment of Sully is especially bad: an important character in the book, he's reduced to complete insignificance in the movie. One wonders why they didn't just cut the character out altogether. Finally, the plot. I won't give anything away, but I don't think anyone who hasn't read the book will be able to make any sense out of who Brautigan is and what happens to him.
Reviews
7 Reviews
Where the Heart Is
(1990)
Not bad, could have been much better
15 November 2004
This movie has a lot to recommend it. The paintings, the music, and David Hewlett's naked butt are all gorgeous! The plot, a story of redemption, forgiveness, and courage in the face of adversity is also very interesting and touching -- and it's not predictable, which is saying quite a lot about a movie in this day and age. But, the acting is mediocre, the direction is confusing, and the script is just odd. It often felt like it was trying to be a parody, but I never figured out what it was trying to be parody *of*. And if it's not a parody, well, it remains a movie with great potential that it didn't live up to.
The gayest JCS ever!!!
28 April 2004
I knew that there are certain revisionists who believe Jesus and his apostles were gay... I didn't realize that Gale Edwards and Nick Morris were among them! The apostles (especially Tony Vincent, Robert Vicencio and Grant Anthony) look just like every cute muscle boy in a tanktop in every gay bar on the planet. I kept expecting them to make out with each other. This production couldn't have been more homoerotic if the late, great Derek Jarman had directed it himself!
The singing and dancing are great, though Jérôme Pradon's voice cracks with emotion a little more often than someone who wants to be a professional singer should allow himself. Glenn Carter's Jesus is too clean-cut for my taste, and his simpering "hurt" look that he puts on every time he sees Judas gets on one's nerves after a while, but all is forgiven when he nails those high notes. Renee Castle's Magdalene is simply perfection... both her singing and her acting are impeccable. Frederick B. Owens and Michael Shaeffer are perfectly paired as Caiaphas and Annas. It's written in the score that they be a low bass and a high tenor respectively, but emphasizing the contrast by casting a big black guy and a little white guy was a stroke of genius. Finally, Rik Mayall's Herod was solid, but not nearly as over the top as I expected from him.
The singing and dancing are great, though Jérôme Pradon's voice cracks with emotion a little more often than someone who wants to be a professional singer should allow himself. Glenn Carter's Jesus is too clean-cut for my taste, and his simpering "hurt" look that he puts on every time he sees Judas gets on one's nerves after a while, but all is forgiven when he nails those high notes. Renee Castle's Magdalene is simply perfection... both her singing and her acting are impeccable. Frederick B. Owens and Michael Shaeffer are perfectly paired as Caiaphas and Annas. It's written in the score that they be a low bass and a high tenor respectively, but emphasizing the contrast by casting a big black guy and a little white guy was a stroke of genius. Finally, Rik Mayall's Herod was solid, but not nearly as over the top as I expected from him.
Wie die Karnickel
(2002)
Funny fluff
25 September 2002
Hardly top-notch cinema, but very funny for what it is -- a light comedy about a straight man trying to be as sexually unrestrained as his gay neighbor. Certainly the best of the movies based on Ralf König comics. Well acted and fairly well cast, though the moving guy was just a pretty muscle-boy instead of the tough, rather frightening hoodlum of the comic. The dubbing of Kriemhild's singing voice wasn't very well done; the lip movements weren't even close to being in synch with the singing. But still very funny -- my sides were aching after the scene in the video booth in the sex shop!
Winged Migration
(2001)
Astonishing cinematography -- or is it?
2 May 2002
At the beginning of this movie, I kept thinking, "How did they film that? How did they film that?!" in all the shots where we are viewing the birds from directly behind, following them through all sorts of swoops and turns. I was really VERY impressed with the cinematography. Then came the first of three shots where the background behind the birds is the entire hemisphere (whole islands and continents are recognizable). Obviously some kind of special effect (overlaying images, computer generation, whatever) -- which then made me think, If those shots were done with trick photography, how many others were too? How much of what we're seeing is actually real?
The Laramie Project
(2002 TV Movie)
Celebs asked to be there
14 February 2002
I just saw this film at the Berlin film festival, and Moisés Kaufmann was present to answer questions. Some people have complained about the "all-star" cast of this movie, but what Mr Kaufmann told us is that those stars called him when they found out he was making a movie and asked if they could be in it. What's he supposed to do, tell Steve Buscemi and Janeane Garofalo, "Sorry, you can't be in my movie, you're too famous"???
NOT a remake!
28 August 2001
It is unfair to compare this movie to "Priscilla", and it is an outright falsehood to call it a Hollywood remake of "Priscilla". "Priscilla" and "Wong Foo" were being filmed at more or less the same time, and the fact that both are about three drag queens taking a road trip is pure COINCIDENCE. When the producers of "Wong Foo" found out about "Priscilla", they delayed its release so both movies wouldn't be out at the same time.
Yes, the characters in "Priscilla" have more depth and are less cartoonish than those in "Wong Foo", but "Wong Foo" is surprisingly good considering it's Hollywood, and Patrick Swayze makes a *fabulous* drag queen! Wesley Snipes, on the other hand, was quite out of place; I think Denzel Washington would have made a much better Noxeema. John Leguizamo had done drag before, so his good job was less of a surprise than Patrick's. (And no, John Leguizamo was and is NOT a macho action-movie hero! I was surprised to find out he's straight in real life.)
So, please judge "Wong Foo" on its own merits. Pretend you've never even heard of "Priscilla".
Yes, the characters in "Priscilla" have more depth and are less cartoonish than those in "Wong Foo", but "Wong Foo" is surprisingly good considering it's Hollywood, and Patrick Swayze makes a *fabulous* drag queen! Wesley Snipes, on the other hand, was quite out of place; I think Denzel Washington would have made a much better Noxeema. John Leguizamo had done drag before, so his good job was less of a surprise than Patrick's. (And no, John Leguizamo was and is NOT a macho action-movie hero! I was surprised to find out he's straight in real life.)
So, please judge "Wong Foo" on its own merits. Pretend you've never even heard of "Priscilla".
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