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To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Fine Adaption Of Classic Harper Lee Novel
Panned by some critics as idealistic, particularly Gregory Peck's courtroom scenes, this movie nevertheless is worthy of the superior novel upon which it was adapted. Excellent performances by the entire cast with a memorable Elmer Bernstein score and some truly riveting scenes. Although only a minor quibble, the movie was filmed on Universal's backlot and looks it. Overall this movie is superior family entertainment, and I recall it being a huge deal when shown for the first time on network television. Special credit to the child actors who played Jem (Phillip Alford) and Scout (Mary Badham).
The Many Lives of Nick Buoniconti (2019)
Thought the other user review. . . .
As I write this, there is only one other user review of this recently produced HBO documentary. I don't know Nick Buoniconti personally, but do remember him as an important player on the only perfect team in NFL history. Whether he is a bad person I do not know, but the other reviewer implies that Buoniconti is a terrible person, without attribution. Whatever the case, this documentary is very well done with peerless narration by Liev Schreiber.
Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Mr. Rogers was the real deal. . . .
This documentary made me feel good, and that was the basic gift of Fred Rogers-to make people feel good about themselves, their neighbors and people around the world, regardless of skin color, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
The documentary made it abundantly clear that Mr. Rogers was a man of enormous integrity and decency. He practiced what he preached and was beloved by family, friends and colleagues alike. In other words, Mr. Rogers was the real deal.
There are a couple of disturbing scenes in the movie, however. The first is a Fox News segment showing its hosts claiming that Rogers was an evil man whose messages served to soften society. And the second is protesters at Rogers' funeral proclaiming that Rogers was going to hell for having the audacity to love ALL people.
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Lots Of Harsh Reviews On MHO
Many reviewers have blistered this movie, and I agree it contains too many cliches and is overly sentimental. But compared to the endless supply of Hollywood vapidity, this one isn't THAT bad. Mr. Holland is neither saint nor bad guy, but he clearly loves music and cares about his students. I understand that music is a very serious topic for many people including several reviewers who hated this film. But I think they miss the point; Mr. Holland is not a musical genius, he's a high school music teacher. And yes, his opus truly sucks balloons, and that's because Mr. Holland is a musical mediocrity. His dream of being a famous composer was delusional, a ridiculous pipe dream. But he Found his true calling in life as a decent teacher. That's the point of the movie.
The Revenant (2015)
I fall for the hype every time
There is a giant flaw in current major Hollywood productions; the essential art of telling a good story.
We desperately need writers who can produce strong screenplays with plots that develop and hold our interest throughout a film. And we need directors and editors who are able to seamlessly weave together a story through film. We do not need a bunch of scenes tacked together and called a movie.
The Revenant being hailed as a great film is a travesty to movie- making. It's a movie without a story, something far too common these days in Hollywood.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
120 Mins of Michael Keaton's Face
Why is it asking too much too much for Hollywood to produce a coherent movie, one that develops its characters and advances a plot seamlessly? Was the Zach Galifianakis character supposed to be funny? For that matter, was the movie supposed to be funny? Ultra serious? Dark? One star for Michael Keaton, who really put a lot of effort into this one, only to be completely undone by the writers' and director's inability to develop and utilize characters with a plot that advances the movie. Also, one more close up of Keaton's aging face and I'll jump off a building, without a Birdman suit. And since I need 10 lines. . .this movie also contains a pointless lesbian scene.
Noah (2014)
More Soap Opera Than Adventure
I'll let Biblical scholars sort out the purported inaccuracies, I'm just here to say Noah is a bad movie. I always thought, perhaps naively, Noah's Ark was about animals. This movie, however, devolved into should a baby be allowed to live. That's it! Not saying that isn't important, but I never would have guessed a story about Noah's Ark would be so little Ark and so much soap opera.
Also, Hollywood once again fails to develop the protagonist. We learn VERY little about Noah, what makes him tick, why God would choose him over anybody else. . .who he REALLY is! Character development is a lost art in Hollywood, and another reason I rarely wish to see a modern movie more than once.
Taken (2008)
Depressing state of affairs
Released in 1956, Around the World in Eighty Days might be a dated epic, sort of like the old dance hall ain't what she used to be . . .
But I viewed the film--all 183 minutes--last weekend on TCM, and it remained a grand spectacle, a charming three-hour adventure for a rainy weekend morning in Seattle. It's a light film starring the peerless David Niven, co-starring Mexican legend Cantinflas and featuring cameos by many of the Hollywood's biggest stars. The movie won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, and has charmed millions over the last 57 years. Victor Young's catchy and beautiful score resonated with audiences literally around the world.
What if anything does all this have to do with Taken? Nothing, except Taken has a 7.9 rating on IMDb while Around the World in Eighty Days has a 6.8!
The problems with Taken have been stated plainly by several other reviewers--enormous plot holes, jingoism, stereotypes, unnecessary violence, amateurish script--I get a headache even recalling it all.
Comparing the two movies is, of course, apples and oranges. But the point remains: who wants to live in a world where Taken gets 7.9 stars and Around the World in Eighty Days gets 6.8?
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Not the real story
Walt Disney was nothing like the man Tom Hanks portrays in this movie.
Disney was an American icon, whose studio and theme parks have played significant roles in American pop culture. However, Disney was an enigmatic man unlike anything shown in this movie. Disney was far from the beloved, grandfatherly executive Hanks plays on screen. In fact, Disney was known to be a difficult and sometimes unpleasant man who paid low wages and worked his animators to exhaustion. In short, life in the Disney creative offices was not the great big party depicted in Saving Mr. Banks.
I understand it's a family movie, and clearly most people have enjoyed the show. But I have trouble getting on board something that plays very loose with how things really went down.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Therapy Session!
Reading pages and pages of reviews by people who hated this movie has helped restore my faith in the human race. I also fell for the hype when LOTR was released, and it made me wonder if conspiracies might prevent certain films from receiving the ratings they deserve. More likely, though, I'm giving people too much credit, because the vast majority of amateur reviewers, to my utter amazement, actually liked this movie. As for my two cents, I've viewed thousands of films in my lifetime and this one easily is in the bottom five percent. Just a relentlessly boring movie with virtually no plot, and bland characters filmed in non-stop close-ups. I'm getting hot flashes just thinking about those dreadful three hours I spent in the theater watching this film. Honest truth: I need money badly, but for $100 I would not watch this movie again.
Cocoon: The Return (1988)
Poor Storytelling!
Obviously this sequel was made to capitalize on the popularity of Cocoon. We learn nothing of the old folks' "new" life on the distant planet. Think about that: here we have a sequel about people choosing life on Earth instead of immortality on a planet in a distant galaxy. Why would anyone make such a choice? Well, don't look for this film to answer any of the philosophical questions it purports to ask. This absurdity of a movie is a series of 60-second vignettes that all lead nowhere. If the original Cocoon was like two different movies (Team Ameche & Team Dennehy), this sequel comes across like 10 disjointed, extremely poorly written high school plays. In one scene, alien life is discovered in a St. Petersburg, Fla., laboratory. One might think such a development would rank among the biggest stories in world history. In this film, it isn't even the biggest story in the lab! That's where we see Courteney Cox donning a white doctors coat, "communicating" with the alien. And that's where we see my brain communicating to my right index finger: press "stop" switch on remote control.
I Remember Mama (1948)
Heartwarming, Believable Movie
This is a great movie with fine acting and good life lessons. Irene Dunne ("Mama") makes the point several times that money isn't everything in life, that being a caring person and doing your best are what truly matter. The Oscar Homolka character (Uncle Chris) is the somewhat obnoxious but loving relative we all seem to have somewhere in our ancestry, as are the occasionally annoying aunts. This movie is sentimental without being corny, and very believable. I always feel better after watching I Remember Mama, and the movie helps to restore my sometimes cynical view of humanity. Life is not easy, and perhaps it's best to ignore a system that caters to the wealthy. Simply love your family and respect all people, and show interest and caring in the activity of others. Put your best foot forward and enjoy the marvelous results.
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Boring!
I purchased a United Artists Cinema Greats Collection that included Judgment at Nuremburg, Paths of Glory, 12 Angry Men and A Bridge Too Far. Oh well, three out of four ain't bad. Considering this film lasts nearly three hours, it's amazing how little we learn about either the Germans or Allies involved in one of WWII's biggest blunders. It's like 10 different movies in one, and the result is unsatisfactory. Perhaps the producers thought that securing the services of several A-list actors would produce box-office gold. Simply, it doesn't work. The Elliott Gould character, for example, is neither interesting nor funny. Supposedly a brilliant, cigar-chomping, wise-cracking American hotshot, he is a buffoon with a ridiculous smirk etched on his face. I mean, did somebody actually think this would be hilarious? The superb talents of Robert Redford and Laurence Olivier are completely wasted, and the James Caan vs. doctor scene made me cringe. Speaking of Caan, I watched the scene three times where he eludes capture by driving a jeep through the teeth of a German unit. By my unofficial count the Germans were 0-for-367 in their attempt to gun down Caan, with most of the shots from point-blank range. It was fitting since this movie is one giant misfire.
The Departed (2006)
Sell-out!
In a society where being rich and famous is everything, it's sad to see a former rebel succumb to his nation's core values. Martin Scorsese decided being a celebrity with all the material trappings were what mattered most to him, and dreadful films like Departed and Aviator are the result. Perhaps Mr. Scorsese can rationalize his admirable work on film restoration and figure he's doing his part for the greater good, but I'm not buying it. In fact, I no longer will see a film simply because Martin Scorsese is the director. I wish he and Mick Jagger would take their champagne and yes-men to France, and leave the film and music-making to more eager and less corporate fellows. Also, as much as I respect Roger Ebert's analysis and writings, I can not take seriously his review of a Scorsese film. Don't know if their buddies, but if Scorsese directed The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, Ebert would give it four stars.
Summer Rental (1985)
Horrendous Second Half!
The three stars are only because John Candy turned in a very game effort and was actually quite funny, only to be undone by one of the most preposterous plots ever. Indeed this movie was rather sloppily constructed and edited from start to finish, and it appears the producers were absolutely all-out to come up with a whopping 86 minutes of material. The talents of Richard Crenna and Rip Torn are completely wasted, and I'm still trying to figure out what the John Larroquette character was all about. This is just incredibly inept stuff from a man, Carl Reiner, whom I've generally admired through the years. It's one thing to direct a flop, but it's another to lend your support to something as astonishingly stupid as the second-half boat race in this film. I mean,your basic Tom & Jerry cartoon makes more sense...at least the cat is chasing the mouse, and that's kind of a story. I actually watched the second half of this movie again, since perhaps I was being too harsh. Hardly. If anything, I'm being too easy when I say that the entire boat race sequence might be the dumbest thing ever released on an unsuspecting American public. In fact, that scene is so bad it's surprising the country has lasted another 25 years. It's a breathtakingly awful sequence that makes me feel as if my IQ has been stripped 50 points overnight. Warning: If you must watch this movie turn it off the second the boats line up for the regatta.
The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
Brains meets Brawn, Phoenix takes flight
This is an amazing movie on several levels. First, virtually the entire film is shot within 100 yards of the plane, which has crash-landed in the stifling Sahara desert. Second, until the exhilarating finale, there is virtually no action in this movie -- unless your idea of bustling activity is the ponderous cutting and rebuilding of the downed aircraft. Yet this movie had me on the edge of my seat for the entire two hours. The screenplay crackles and the acting -- a sensational cast led by James Stewart and Richard Attenborough -- is in a word superb. It's an eclectic cast of characters, to say the least! At the heart of the film is the strained relationship between Capt. Frank Towns (Stewart) and Heinrich Dorfmann (Hardy Kruger), and it reaches a pinnacle in one of the most jarring movie scenes I have ever witnessed. Dorfmann, you see, happens to be an airplane designer and comes up with the idea to reshape and rebuild the busted plane into a makeshift airbus. But the tough, old-school Towns has little use for the egghead Dorfmann, and the two remain at odds right up until the Phoenix finally takes flight. In the end, Towns needs Dorfmann's brain, and in turn Dorfmann needs Towns' brawn. Without each other, the Phoenix never would have gotten off the ground.