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Reviews
The Stone Boy (1984)
Very touching, unusual--May contain spoiler
I don't think a movie like this would be released today. It takes it's time to present the depth of the characters and the plot isn't full of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
But, what this film does have: an interesting study in how families' deal with grief. How when the language for healing and over-coming tremendous loss leaves us mute, and we rely on raw emotions instead. Grief without reason and patience is anger, even hate. And unfortunately, the lead character (a young boy who accidently shoots and kills his brother while hunting) in the film is given more than his fair share of it. He eventually leaves and moves in with his grandfather (Wilford Brimley) who makes it clear to him that it WAS an accident. I got the impression that this young man knew that in his heart, but needed to hear those words from his parents, and to receive their forgiveness.
What I loved about this film: the lack of dialog. There was a tremendous emphasis on physical reaction, facial expressions. And the slower pace of the film allows you to really watch the reactions of the actors. Something we don't get to do alot of with today's films.
Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992)
Surprising
It's a story about a dysfunctional family centering on the up-coming marriage of one the sons, and how years of trying to keep everything up for appearances finally unravels and nearly destroys everyone with it. Oddly, the most functional member of the family is an alcoholic (played by Jim Carey), the only one with the ability to state what's true and to speak his mind.
The story and plot are well developed, as are the characters. The only thing I would've like to have seen more of was the sister and her husband. The movie hints at some serious issues (beside the one immediate one at hand) between them--which seemed oddly down-played.
Anyway, see this when it comes on cable!!
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
I love this movie!!
A great movie about triumph over all the nay-sayers who try to kill your spirit, achieving the impossible. I won't go on about it, other than to say that I liked to reflect on the this film when I'm facing something particularly daunting, and realize that if Lindberg could do what he did, I can certainly face the task before me. Definitely a "feel good" movie.
See it. You won't be disappointed.
The Mists of Avalon (2001)
Ambitious. But "The Mists of Avalon" it's not. Definitely not.
I read this book in 1987, and fell in love with it. Always in the back of my mind, I kept thinking that it would be a great, if not ambitious, movie. So, when TNT came out with this treatment of the book, I was excited. However, watching this film, I shook my head nearly the entire time, saying, "That's not what happened in the book" And, "What is this screen writing thinking?"
I can forgive artistic license when it comes to writing screenplays. Not everything in a book translates well to the screen. But, this one is a near complete departure from the plot so ingeniously constructed by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Change the name of the film and the characters and I wouldn't recognize it for what it was meant to be. Please: READ THE BOOK. It is truly wonderful, complex, and hard to put down.
I cannot fault the performances of the cast. They did a wonderful job with what they were given. It was also good to watch talented actors that aren't seen too often in films.
Ma vie en rose (1997)
Tops at local movie house
My local "art" film house listed this as one of the top 5 (of 50) most beloved foreign films shown there. This prompted me to go out and rent it. And there was no disappointment.
It's a wonderful story about a middle class family trying to be like everyone else, except their son Ludwig thinks he's a girl. His proclamation isn't received too well, and it eventually causes major life changes to everyone in the family.
Yeah, it's cute that this little boy dresses in drag. But all comedic relief aside, you see how the family is nearly blown apart by it, and how they finally pull it back together and move somewhere where Ludwig's proclivities aren't considered too eccentric. The movie is healing, and very human, without belittling the characters.
Mitt liv som hund (1985)
Watchable a hundred times over
This is one film that I go back to when I'm in the mood to see something good and there's nothing at the video store. It has a quiet sweetness that makes it comforting to watch, and the story line has yet to bore me. One word of suggestion: rent the original Swedish language version and not the dubbed one. In the latter, the actors sound as though they're reading the lines from a page, and the emotion missing from the "dubbers" performances pulls the film down--fast.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Simply Incredible
After reading the books more than 25 years ago, I remember thinking this would've made a great movie.
My only complaint (and there's nothing else about this movie that is at fault) was the level of volume. Hugely loud, almost deafening. There again, it may have been the theatre's volume control and not the film itself.