ptlcan Reviews

An Unmarried Woman (1978)

Divorce New York Style

[14 June 2004]

In some ways the movie is NOT dated particularly the tension between men and women. Maybe the fact that 70's clothing and hairstyles are back helps. I think the main character's emotional responses to the situation are pretty accurate. Some things seem contrived like the complete lack of issues surrounding the inevitable economic issues and the completely supportive friends. My parents got divorced in the 70's and it seemed like New York folk were a little more accepting of divorce than where I grew up in cow town. I did like the theme of self-exploration and the main character's decision to be herself rather than hooking up again even with a man who seemed okay. The movie was very middle class and very New York ideas that seemed to dominate a lot of mainstream attempts at "social realism" and I still think there were other male directors who did a better job of exploring both marriage and female psyches. John Cassavetes comes to mind. Still worth watching.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Powerful and Depressing.....

[14 March 2004]

I disagree with some of the commentary calling this a sophisticated version of Reefer Madness. This movie is as much about the anguish of being lonely and lost as it is a "drug movie." Let's face it if you make a movie that shows how much fun it is to get heavily involved in drugs then you are blasted for promoting hedonism and it you make one that shows some of the unpleasant aspects of drugs you get accused of being a tool of government/social propagandists. Why didn't Ellen Burstyn win an Oscar for this? Her painful slide into addiction and madness really made me cringe. I like any relatively accessible American movie that doesn't try to wrap it all up in a bow at the end and "make things right" so to speak. I liked some of the camera techniques and while the topic might put some folks off it is basically a well made mainstream movie as opposed to anything you could call arthouse or experimental. I guess I wouldn't reccommend it to anybody who prefers the sweeter side of the cereal.

Holocaust (1978)

Watch It

[4 January 2004]

I have read the other comments and was suprised to see a few people thought it was "boring" or not as good as Schindler's List. I actually watched this years ago as a young teen and recall being enthralled because of course other than history class it wasn't widely discussed. I knew more than most because my best friend's father lost his parents in the camps. Certainly it bogged down in parts but there were some superb performances and especially from Micheal Moriarty as a weak man molded by both his wife and his acceptance into the Nazi Party. It turns out oddly enough that Moriarty really is a bit loony. I don't think network TV would have the guts to attempt something as ambitious now and I am not sure that viewer's would be able to pay attention for such a long time. Yes it is flawed but I would implore anybody to watch it.

28 Days Later (2002)

Omega Man meets Dawn of The Dead

[28 June 2003]

I had to drag my husband to see this pionting out that it just had to be better than any of the other crap currently play and he walked out saying "Why doesn't somebody just re-make Omega Man?" I am torn on that subject since I hold great reverence for Chuck Heston's 70's stuff, including disaster movies. I am glad a Brit made this instead of an American since it had that hopeless look and fairly ordinary hero types. Brendan Gleeson is a great character actor vastly underused. I like the premise of the "rage" virus because it isn't too far of a stretch to imagine in American society. It isn't Dawn or Omega man but still a good genre movie that is also curiously apolitical ( except for the swipe at activist types) with enough tension to keep me interested but not so much over the top gore that gets boring. I won't give away the ending but nothing is clearly resolved. It irritates me that it is being pushed as a straight horror movie here in the states and I admire the director for at least trying to say something about the nature of what makes us human.

The Omega Man (1971)

Chuck The Savior

[28 June 2003]

I have to say that Chuck Heston's made some great movies in the 70's when he was no longer the true matinee type and Omega Man is likely my favourite. My husband disagrees and argues for Soylent Green but when we were dating I knew he was worth a second look just because he did not think it was odd that I loved both movies. For people who trash the movie ....hey it isn't supposed to be Hamlet!! (Okay maybe it is and I missed something) The lack of irony in the Christ like sacrafice could only have been done with Chuck. His wooden style was perfectly suited for this role who wants an emotional hero battling zombies? Anthony Zerbe as the mutant leader who was a former TV broadcaster/journalist (brief scene) make me wonder if I might be battling a Fox pundit in the aftermath of society. Chuck battles the mutants in a weary way that suggests it is futile much like the way people trudged through the 70's and while the special effects are cheesey and there are some medical improbabilities I jump for joy every time it is on TV and why the hell isn't it out on DVD yet?

Road to Perdition (2002)

Eye Candy....

[13 July 2002]

I bet Sam Mendes likes to date good looking women regardless of personality. I wonder if he will ultimately known for making pretty movies as well. Part of the reason The Road To Perdition looks good is well what the hell else is right now? I have never been a Tom Hanks fan and if he was trying to do the "chuck heston wooden-but-heroic" thing he achieved his goal. My husband was impressed by the sound quality, he's a techie he actually notices things like that. Mendes needs to find a writer who can do suspense if he wants to serious attempt to create the Great American Action Flick with Drama, absolutely everything was telegraphed. There were two standouts besides the quite remarkable visual quality of the movie : Jude Law and Stanely Tucci. Tucci did a nice impersonation of Nitti being a CEO and Jude Law's determined psycho dude was excellent. Action needs to capture your attention or make you duck and drama needs to make you care. I did not duck nor did I really give a crap about the fate of the characters. Perhaps, I am pressing with too harsh a litmus test. It was not a terrible movie but apparently I have not seen the one summer movie that really grabs me yet.

Gosford Park (2001)

Altman can Out-Brit the Brits

[1 July 2002]

I confess I already like "period" pieces all those very self-consciously understated Merchant/Ivory films and all of Altman's stuff. So, I am not objective. But I was not disappointed, the movie looks good, has all those sly fleeting camera observations about human character, and a cast who could read the Phone Book and make it seem deep. Altman is one of the few American directors who dares to admit we even have a class system but he did not swing the hammer in an attempt to make his point about the vast differences between some folk. The mystery was not much of a mystery but the movie has "flow" considering not much happened and every person in the ensemble cast helped to complete the canvas.