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Reviews
The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)
A modern masterpiece?
I am always hard-pressed to find a movie made in this decade that can move me as much, as say, 'Love Story' or 'The Way We Were' did simply because people aren't making movies now that are so GOOD. 'The Myth of Fingerprints', however, is astoundingly powerful, in its subtle way of course, but its power is there nonetheless, and that is the point. This movie's plot is not really very original, its story emulating that true and tested family gathering "genre" where feelings long hidden and events long supressed inevitably surface, leaving the audience with a rather cathartic ending where normality is established and the house is once again set in order. There is something about this movie, however, that brings to mind Redford's masterpiece "Ordinary People", because like that movie, 'The Myth Of Fingerprints' "imprints" the thoughts and feelings and the subtle nuances of family life on the viewer so damn well. This movie doesn't just invite you to share the joys and pains of this family, but it grabs you and places you right into the scene. It is almost as if you are there, too, eating Thanksgiving dinner with them, like you were a friend of the family's and have known them for a long, long time. Noah Wyle gives a great performance, considering he is an amature to the big screen. Blythe Danner is still as lovely as ever, as are the rest of this astoundingly good looking family. If it is not quite a modern masterpiece of family drama in the 90's, show me something else that surpasses it, and I'll make my judgement then.
The Way We Were (1973)
Beautiful movie
I think the word for this movie is, gorgeous. Nothing I've seen (I haven't seen a lot, but still) has compared to the chemistry, the depth of feeling, and the realistic portrayal of two opposites both beautiful in their own right. This movie is a testament to the way we were really, how it was beautiful to be decadent and disgusting in the thriving 50's, of the attractive "waspishness" of Ivy leaguers, of politics and war. The movie is not dated either, its quality making it appealing to a whole spectrum of people who would normally not be interested in something this good. I first saw this movie in a history class and to my surprise most of the people in the class loved it, people who would normally go see "Titanic" and rave about it for days. I think that is, if not something else, at least evidence of this movie's depth, quality, feeling, (and although very sentimental) realism. If you enjoy the finer things in life, dim the lights, fix yourself a vodka martini straight up, and watch "The Way We Were".