awdude Reviews

Spilt Milk (I) (2010)

A story of reflection and change

[8/10 · 5 August 2016]

Todd is the assistant manager at a food store gets robbed one evening, and he and the handful of customers have to wait until the store's safe opens at 5am. While waiting, each person gets some life lessons, i.e. enrichment not robbery, and Todd learns/feels the truth of what he had allowed to happen in his life due to some bad luck years ago.

While some viewers may be quite satisfied with their lives, or able to live in their bubble of ignorance, and lack of self-knowledge, to others, and myself, one has a chance to see if the assumptions buried in one's own life are still necessary or helpful. To question is the beginning of unpicking the lock that keeps us bound. That a small, inexpensive movie can provide the grounds for insight says a lot about the film's basic worth.

Undercover Brother (2002)

ya gotta love it

[7/10 · 1 January 2004]

Social commentary, humor, big hair, cool driving with the caddy convertible, and umm umm umm Sistah Girl or White She Devil. And Conspiracy Brother - outstanding!

Okay, I liked it. Now, on the one hand I'd say it does help to have lived through those times, where Mod Squad (tv show) was current. And for sure if you liked the movie Car Wash, you'd like this. But even a generation younger than mine (my teenage kids) thought it was outrageously funny. They don't know about Parliament, Cameo, Bootsy Collins etc. but they recognize what to "give up the funk" from that genre means, even without being told.

Rent the flick and enjoy!

Lucky Night (1939)

Swell view of life

[9 December 2003]

This movie presents some good ideas about the manner of living life. The characters ably portrayed the pulls and tugs of living safely versus serendipity. It also demonstrates a good working relationship between people in a marriage who are working together as a team. How often is honesty between people present in real life?

Cinematography, costumes, and sets rate at least a B if not higher, so I can not imagine the source of disapproval unless it is with the ideas presented. But of these things, even the millionaire steel company owner approved. Whether or not other reviewers saw these things, I can not tell.

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941)

acting good, plot good

[4 December 2002]

I hadn't seen any Dr. Kildare movies till this one.

The young doctor's tragedy may have been a sad cliche, but the doctor's and nurses rallying around his recovery were nice to see. Good acting from Barrymore as usual. Many of the lines about death and duty were very good, ones to remember.

Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944)

I liked it

[8/10 · 22 November 2002]

I liked it. I thought it portrayed the struggles which many of us have. Lana Turner's character is undecided in life about quite a few issues, particularly marriage, though she also seems to have certain ideal views of these subjects. The last half of the movie I thought had the plot thicken so that her ambivalence would indeed make her character get stretched to the testing point. Actually quite a few testing points occur: with longtime boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, etc. After seeing the wreckage in her life and those around her, she does reach some mature decisions.

While we each may not have the same marriage commitment problem this movie showed, we can nonetheless use it as metaphor for our other personal struggles.