aculprit Reviews

George & Tammy (2022–2023)

Can't the costume designer look at archival photos and film?

[7/10 · 18 January 2023]

Really well done program, the acting was terrific. While i agree that dubbing the real artists' singing would have been preferable (maybe they couldn't get the rights?) the actors did a serviceable job. Michael Shannon especially, turned out to be a surprisingly good singer. Of course he's no George Jones; if he was he'd be a country music star instead of an actor. Or maybe not these days...he'd have to be autotuned and work with hiphop producers to top the so-called country charts of today. But I digress....

Sure the story was fictionalized, what biopic isn't? No one but George & Tammy know the details of their sex life, and neither is talking. What happens in private is only between those who were present, so is by neccesity embellished for dramatic effect (this IS television, after all). Even if a story is told by one who witnessed it, is that truth? Ever seen Rashomon?

The bone that needs picking (in this and far too many period films of the 50s through the 80s) is that the costume designer decided what they thought was "cool" and sorta 70s-ish. Glaringly inaccurate fashions were very distracting--OK maybe not if you're 30 but to anyone who lived through that era. With the budget they obviously had, couldn't they hire a professional costume designer who KNOWS the era? (or at least could do the research?)

And O My Dog, how about the makeup?? Women weren't wearing glittery earth-toned eye shadows in the 60s, not even if they were Tammy Wynette!

Cutter's Way (1981)

Nothing Noir About it

[1/10 · 5 September 2021]

Really, just awful. None of the women can act, and the two male leads chew the scenery so hard that Heard can barely stumble through the cardboard mess. Better to spend the two hours watching paint dry.

In the Cut (2003)

Easily the worst film of the year

[16 November 2003]

I'm still wondering why I sat through to the end of this dud. Guess a morbid curiosity to see how bad it could be. Well, pretty bad. No let's be fair: HORRIBLE. Easilty the worst movie of the year. Jane Campion used to be a good director; what happened? They say this is the role that will make Meg Ryan's career; that's probably true.

One from the Heart (1981)

It's supposed to look fake

[10/10 · 16 November 2003]

I'm glad this film is finally being re-released. The trailer states it's "the movie you never saw," but quite a few of us did see it. I loved it in 1982 (3?), so much so that I went out and bought the S/T, which I still listen to (yes kids, on vinyl). Just saw the film again, and except for being a tad embarrassed that we wore such silly clothes back then, I think it holds up beautifully. Yes, it could have been cast differently. But the point was to drop the normal-looking, average joe and mary into a fantasy setting. IT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK FAKE. The sets are gorgeous! It's based on what Vegas used to look like, before they tore it all down and put up that oversized Disneyland. The music is some of the best Tom Waits has ever made--I only just learned that Waits selected Crystal Gayle; (FFC had requested Bette Midler (after hearing her duet w/ Waits on "Never Talk to Strangers") having listened to this LP for 20 years I'm glad he did. There's not much to the story, (no back story, no character development), but there's not supposed to be. Doncha think FFC could've made that film if he'd wanted to? (and really, we've had 20 years of films that pick apart relationships ad nauseum). This film works the way it was intended to. Sit back and enjoy it, it's musical fantasy-realism, it doesn't matter that Nattassja can't sing.

The House of Mirth (2000)

chew it up, baby!

[5/10 · 3 March 2001]

The set design is so gorgeous in this film you want to eat it up. And the cast does just that, chewing it up and spitting it out. Terence Davies is a fabulous director and this film looks fantastic. Highly recommended if you're not a fan of acting.

Ms. Anderson is a pleasant enough manniken for the beautiful costumes. i love it when she gets shrill, close your eyes and you can almost see 17-year-old Judy Garland fretting, "But she hurt Toto!"

Swimming to Cambodia (1987)

The best, never better

[10/10 · 3 March 2001]

Jonathan Demme is a genius, and if you doubt it, see this film. Who else could've made a man sitting at a table talking so riveting? Although Spalding is a great storyteller and great to see live, none of the other films of his monologues have ever touched this one, the first.

See it and you'll never drink Singha again.