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Reviews
Hi-Life (1998)
Nostalgic Bar Tour of Upper West Side
I loved the fact that the producers of Hi-Life used real Upper West Side locations in this film, including the Hi-Life itself. It tugged at the heartstrings of this former UWS resident, now exiled to Atlanta. The movie itself was tolerable -- mainly because Peter Riegert was in it. Can't have enough Peter Riegert in a movie, as far as I'm concerned. The rest of the cast was amiable, if not very energetic. The story -- which could have been quite clever, with various folks chasing the same $900 for a variety of unethical reasons -- floundered in the face of lackadaisical pacing and cramped, dark cinematography.
The Wind in the Willows (1996)
Great Fun...For Grownups
Our family loves Wind in the Willows, so we were thrilled to find this. The grown-ups also love Monty Python, so we were doubly excited. And the adults weren't disappointed -- it was truly a wild, fun ride, with antic performances by the participating Pythons and others (Stephen Fry and Antony Sher, for two). But I'm afraid our little ones didn't enjoy it as much -- at some point Terry Jones' script departs from Kenneth Grahame's story and enters the world of his former partner Terry Gilliam (Brazil, etc). This dark turn was very unsettling to the children. Also, has anyone noticed that the plot of this film closely resembles that of "Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave"? (Evil animals set up dog food factory featuring a wicked mincing machine.) Hmmm -- which was made first?
Notting Hill (1999)
What a drag it is to be famous....
How can a director and a screenwriter take two actors of such charm (Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant) and produce such a lugubrious work? Garry Marshall made a story about a prostitute lighthearted and romantic, but these guys take an actually good premise and turn it into a two-hour mope-fest. I was uncomfortable feasting my eyes on the glorious Julia and Hugh when the message of the movie was that fame and public adoration are poisonous and ruinous to their objects. I left the theater feeling like a stalker. Too bad -- let's hope that Julia's re-teaming with Richard Gere in "Runaway Bride" goes down better.
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Didn't Like the Voice-Over, But Loved Lisa!
Wow! What a great performance by Lisa Kudrow. Who'd a-thunk she could make this prickly, difficult character so understandable, if not likeable? As for the rest, I thought the self-conscious voice-over commentary sabotaged a very clever story and otherwise good writing.
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
Surprisingly moving version of the Christmas classic
Stellar voice characterizatons and a sparkling Jule Stine score make up for weak animation. No competition for the Alastair Sim version, but a great way to introduce the kids to a timeless story -- my 4 and 2 year-olds love it!