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Poirot: Cards on the Table (2006)
Why, Oh, Why?
My husband, who had not read the book, enjoyed this movie a great deal. I, on the other hand, was horrified with the changes. Where did all the homosexuality come from? As I recall none was even implied in the book? Since when was Mrs. Lorrimer Anne Meredith's mother? And even one of the murder weapons was changed; I found the idea of hat paint intriguing, as it spoke out of a young woman who could not afford to buy a new hat and had to revert to painting an old one--perhaps changing the trim as well. I guess the silver polish brought out the idea of servitude, so it's minor, but still. . .It's hard to conceive of hat paint nowadays--especially because no one wears hats unless they're part of a uniform! One of the things I did really like about this was seeing Alexander Siddig, whom I watched for years playing Dr. Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space 9, as Shaitana. He did very well. Zoe Wanamaker was terrific as Ariadne Oliver.
Calendar Girl Murders (1984)
Not Very Good, But Not Terrible
I just got this movie on Netflix; I found it by looking for Tom Skerritt movies. I feel that he's an actor who should have made it bigger than he did. He did a credible job in the role. Barbara Bosson was fine as his wife, and I liked the pre-Voyager Robert Beltran as his partner (but do detectives dress like that while on duty?). I had recently seen Knight Moves, and Daniel Baldwin was extremely annoying as Skerritt's partner; Beltran's character was much better written. I've been a fan of Barbara Parkins' since Mephisto Waltz, so it was nice to see her again; she's still as gorgeous as ever. Sharon Stone is drop-dead gorgeous here. I can't recommend this movie unless you're a fan of the actors, but, if you have it, it is watchable.
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Excellent Look at a Small Town's Football Madness
To be honest, I went to this movie primarily to see Christian Kane, but the reviews had been excellent. I expected a cross between All the Right Moves and Remember the Titans, but it was nothing like the second, which was about two coaches forced to make their teams blend into one while avoiding racial problems. There were elements of All the Right Moves, though, as several of the young men expressed their desire to get out of Odessa through football, but the movie focused on several of them rather than just one. Its best companion piece in my opinion is the Texas Cheerleader Murder, which shows the same football madness from the other gender as they will do anything to be cheerleaders!
Billy Bob Thornton was excellent as the coach, facing pressure on all sides to win the state championship. An excellent touch was the large number of for sale signs on his lawn after his team was blown away in the game following Boobie's injury. The community put pressure on the boys as well, everyone who owned a state championship ring from prior years pushing them in the kids' faces. Tim McGraw was a revelation as Brian's abusive father, and the actress who was Mike Winchell's mother gave a brilliant performance.
All of the young actors were excellent, especially Derek Luke as the unfortunate Boobie. He made the audience feel his pain and frustration. Lucas Black, who had done such a marvelous job in American Gothic, has a face that reflects his pain as he faces all of his tribulations, which include the pressure of suddenly becoming the team's best hope when Boobie is out and of having a mother with mental and/or emotional problems. Every one of them is a gem.
The cinematography was outstanding, and the shots of the town and the bleak surroundings certainly demonstrated why the kids wanted to get away. Despair hung in the air, with people clinging to their moments of glory as the only happy days of their entire lives. This was its primary likeness to All the Right Moves, although the hated home town was a Pennsylvania steel town (Johnstown, PA, which I escaped from myself), not a Texas prairie city.
And what made things even more intense was that this was a true story. Showing the boys' fates at the end was an excellent conclusion.
And Christian Kane? I knew he only had a cameo, as he had told Peter Berg that he'd love to be in the movie and would take any part there was. He was the man in the restaurant/bar who asked Mike Winchell if he'd take a picture with him & his kid. He was long-haired, unshaven, and, to be honest, if I'd seen him this way first, I'd never have given him a second look. He did a good job as a "good ole boy," though!
Helen of Troy (2003)
What Were They Thinking?
I can't believe that the writers of this miniseries read any of the myths or the Iliad itself. The inconsistencies were truly amazing. But I guess it didn't matter, as the plot seemed to revolve around fighting and nudity. First of all Cassandra could not have told her father to kill the infant Paris; she did not receive her powers until she was a young woman. Apollo wanted her; she said yes and received the gift of prophecy; then, when she refused him, he could not take it back but cursed her that no one would believe her. Helen was not kidnapped by Theseus! Clytemnestra had three children, and Orestes and Elektra helped her wreak her vengeance for the death of Iphigenia. The gods & goddesses took a much more active part in the war, with Aphrodite telling Paris where to shoot Achilles and Athena guiding Odysseus, her favorite. The arrow in the heel meant nothing without the explanation. Agamemnon took Cassandra as part of his spoils. Hector had a wife, Andromache, whom he adored. Where was she? Where was Ajax?This was just too far from canon. One thing I did like was the loving relationship between Clytemnestra and her daughter Iphigenia; it was very understandable why she would kill Agamemnon.
As for the actors, Helen was not that beautiful. It was good to see John Rhys-Davies, but he was too thin and did not look well. Maryam D'Abo was made to look too old--an older actress should have been cast. She's still a Bond girl to me! Achilles was overplayed, and there was no reason for him to be bald. I did like Odysseus, however.
I'm not really sorry I watched it, just a little ashamed of myself for sticking out the whole four hours.
Just Married (2003)
I Married a Moron Would Be a Better Title
I saw this movie for one reason and one reason only: Christian Kane. He was badly underutilized in this movie, but, for me at least, was the man Sarah SHOULD have married instead of that idiot Tom. Tom had the intelligence of a breadbox and the common sense of a shoehorn. He carries Sarah over the threshold, banging her head against the door. He runs off to see baseball on television instead of exploring Venice with his wife. His temper and arrogance cause serious damage to a hotel and result in their being thrown out. His lust on the plane trip results in injury (fortunately not serious) to the flight attendant. Again his temper contributes to the total destruction of their car after his arrogance, thinking he can drive in a blizzard, results in their spending the night in a snowbank. He lies about how Sarah's dog dies. He flirts with another woman, causing her to try to go to bed with him (to his credit he doesn't succumb). Finally he attacks a smaller unarmed man with a fireplace poker. I could go on and on, but the result is the same: he is ignorant, loud, thoughtless, arrogant, and not fit to be married to a chimpanzee, let alone a fairly intelligent girl.
Sarah is not much better. I will admit that she does have a sense of humor. However, she lets her hormones rule her heart, or she'd know that this guy is not real husband material. The far better man is ruled out because, on their one night together, he wasn't so hot, and because life with him would be predictable. So what!!! Marriage is for life; it's not a party or a three-ring circus. Peter is so much better off without this twit.
As to Peter. He admits to being sorry he didn't spend more time wooing Sarah and less time working. He sends cognac to their honeymoon hotel to show that he's a good loser. And, although he does finally pursue Sarah in Venice (only after he sees how upset she is with Tom), he has the class to bail them out of jail. He's also better educated, more intelligent, more knowledgeable about the world, and much better looking than Tom. And her family loves him. Even if he hadn't been played by Christian Kane, he's the man I and most other women who think with their brains and not their glands would have chosen.
This is a bad, bad movie. The ending is not only bad but unrealistic as well. The only reason to see it is Christian Kane. I give it 2 stars and this is only because of him.
The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (2003)
Sad But True Story of Corporate Greed Run Wild
The Crooked E, The Unshredded Truth About Enron, was based on the true story of an Enron employee, Brian Cruver, the ink hardly dry on his MBA when he came to work for the self-proclaimed "greatest company in the world." He starts out as a wide-eyed innocent and soon becomes seduced by "the dark side of the force," becoming arrogant, deceptive, and greedy, buying a Lexus convertible, a $700 raincoat, and planning a $60,000 wedding, much to the dismay of his down-to-earth fiancee, who eventually leaves him. But as he begins to realize just what is happening there, he quickly becomes disillusioned and, by the time the company has gone belly-up, he has regained his integrity (to the point of destroying a contract that would have badly hurt the client) and his fiancee. This, incidentally, is a departure from the book, as Cruver marries about two months into his short stay at Enron.
Christian Kane has the momentous job of playing Cruver, as he appears in every scene except for a prologue which shows him as a child with "Mr. Blue," Brian Dennehey. He also does the narration and has a brief song while driving his new Lexus. And he does it all with dash and aplomb. If this very handsome, talented young actor, whom the camera loves, is not a superstar in the next couple of years, there is something radically wrong. Tony winner Dennehey is outstanding as an employee with a sad story to tell, and Mike Farrell presents Ken Lay as either an eternal optimist or a bald-faced liar or some of both.
I hope this will eventually come out on video or DVD as it's a keeper.
Summer Catch (2001)
Too Much of a Not-So-Good Thing
Summer Catch was not the worst movie I've ever seen, but it could have made it there with a little more trying. The best actors in the movie were either given little to work with in trite, cliched roles, or were not given enough screen time to showcase their abilities. Bruce Davison, Brian Dennehey, and Jason Gedrick, as Jessica Biel's snobbish father, the gruff coach with a heart of gold, and Freddie Prinze's older brother, who settled for a career as a bartender instead of aspiring for more, are, respectively, the former. The latter include Marc Blucas (Riley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald on Angel, also Love Song, Crossfire Trail, Broken Hearts Club), and Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show). All three do get to show some of their stuff on the diamond and appear to be athletically talented. But they are wasted otherwise. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel don't seem to generate any real sparks. The little girl (Tenley's little sister) who wants to be the team mascot is cute, and Fred Ward acquits himself well as Freddie's father. Beverly D'Angelo should never, never have participated in the excruciatingly bad imitation (perhaps parody should be the better word) of Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham. However, I will buy this when it comes out on video because I can fast forward through Freddie and see just the parts I want!