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Tad0604
Reviews
John Q (2002)
Entertainment, not Accuracy
I always approach a movie from the point of view of entertainment... not art. There is a great deal in this movie that is both inaccurate and unbelievable... but nonetheless I did find it entertaining. I must admit that without Denzel, it would have only been endurable. Approach the film from the point of view of what a man would do when he's placed in a position he does not want to be in and does not know how to control. Add to that that he's primarily there out of pressure from his wife who frequently looks at him as a failure, and you end up with an interesting role for Denzel. How he interacts with others is more of a story than why he is there. Don't get hung up on the message of the movie, which is presented with incredible bias, but rather tuck it in the back of your mind for future thought, letters to congressmen and a reminder to check your health insurance policy.
Instinct (1999)
Thought Provoking and Enjoyable...
If a movie can make me think, cry, question, smile... it's successful in my mind. This movie accomplished all of the above. It is NOT a pro-environment movie, so don't ignore it out of fear of being bombarded with the Sierra Club mentality. There is but one line in the film that can be attached to that sentiment. It is more about the folly of our tendency to congratulate ourselves on reaching the pinnacle of the evolutionary chain, whereas in truth it points to us as more like the virus we are defined as in "The Matrix". It is a movie that makes me "want to be a better man". Anthony Hopkins is, as usual, inscrutable... saying more with a single look in his eyes than many actors do with a full script. Cuba Gooding plays off of him well, and independently gives an excellent portrayal of a man searching for... for what he finds. Well worth the rental fee. I got it to pass the time and now add it to my list of "would watch again".