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billhaz
Reviews
Leverage (2008)
Almost Excellent
This series is very well done with excellent acting, writing, directing, site-selection and editing. It's a serious program which doesn't take itself seriously. The actors have that unique ability to play tongue-in-cheek well, which many in the acting business cannot pull off. The one ongoing plot problem is Hutton's character's drinking. Hutton is a Boy Scout - he could never play the heavy, so having him half-loaded and still making split second, important, hi-tech decisions doesn't come across as intended. Perhaps before next season he'll take the cure and have a romance problem or a crazy aunt as his back story. A very entertaining, fast moving hour.
On Thin Ice (2003)
Keaton was magnificent in a tough role
Diane Keaton has played a few "heavy" parts in her many years on the big screen but she's mostly known for the "light and fluffy" stuff with Woody Allen, such as Annie Hall. She deserves an Oscar for best actress in a drama for this effort and it doesn't really matter what the competition was the year it was first shown. Try and find a scene in which she doesn't appear. And it was all heavy drama, exhausting in its pace and retakes, action, all at full speed. The make-up made her as young as possible and she fit the 30s age category even in close-ups, but she was playing half her age and at a very fast pace. The movie, overall was fairly well done, staged and shot well with a strong supporting cast but Keaton carried the load.
Crimes of Passion (2005)
One of the best ever made-for-TV movies.
Had this movie reflected the normal, routine acting, direction and production values of a made-for-TV movie, it would have to be rated 5 to 6. But this was a big screen quality production which proved it can be done for a modest fee. The little known actors were excellent, the lighting, sound and photography were as good or better than the most expensively produced big screen movies. The plot, while very good, was greatly enhanced by the quality of the production. We'll certainly research, record and view more made-for T V movies, based on this experience and we'll specifically seek out the offerings of the production company responsible for this film.