awp529 Reviews

Emma's Wish (1998 TV Movie)

A Pleasant Surprise-much better than I expected

[8/10 · 19 December 2008]

The best part of this movie was Joanna Kerns, she was beautiful and made the movie most enjoyable. The story was one that everyone could relate to, the wish to be young again and have the chance to correct mistakes we have made in our earlier life. Emma/Mame has this opportunity and the writing, while sentimental at times never becomes a cliché or schmaltzy. Emma is in a nursing home and through some magic she is granted her youth for one month. She uses the month to help her daughter who is having a personal crises and to set right mistakes she has made. The outcome is believable and not contrived, but will make you come away wanting to get your loved ones close to you. When this movie is on Lifetime and you have the chance, give it a look, it will brighten your day.

Ladies in Lavender (2004)

The Very Best in Movie Making

[10/10 · 9 June 2005]

It is rare that I give a movie a ten. I would have rated this one an eleven if possible. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are two of the most accomplished and gifted actress of all time. In this story they play two elderly sisters who live a very ordinary life on the seashore. The arrival of a stranger who has almost drowned sets up a chain of events that alters their lives and everyone who meets the stranger. The story is beautifully told and the supporting cast add a wonderful flavor to the movie. This film has one of the most outstanding musical scores I've ever heard. The director and cinematographer do some beautiful scenes with the music and the faces of the people. Most of the time when the credits of a movie start to roll at the end people get up and start moving around. Such was not the case with this movie, when the credits rolled everyone stayed seated and no one moved until the last note was played and the house lights came on. This is a rare movie and one that will stay with you.

The Blue Butterfly (2004)

Surprisingly good

[7/10 · 6 June 2005]

I didn't know what to expect from this movie and the longer I watched it the more enjoyable it became. William Hurt does a wonderful job but Marc Donato steals every scene he is in. Everyone in the cast does an excellent job and bring the film to life. The Canadian director and her crew have certainly established themselves as premier movie makers. There is some very beautiful cinematography in this movie and even if it were not an excellent movie that alone would make it worthwhile The elusive Blue Butterfly becomes a symbol of hope and well as the source of problems. Right to the end of the film the director never leaves you wondering but tells the story and leaves you feeling completely satisfied. The entire family can watch this movie and each person will thoroughly enjoy it.

Hotel Sorrento (1995)

If you like dialogue without much of a plot you'll like this movie

[3/10 · 6 June 2005]

I found it a real task to sit through this film. The sound track was not the best and some of the accents made it difficult to understand what was being said. There was little to move the plot along and often the action simply stopped and there was a prolonged period of conversations which seemed extraneous to the movie. These conversations switched between family groups and the observer was left to try and piece together what the common thread was that tied them together. It is rare that I rate a film this low and do so in this case as the entire viewing experience left me thinking "so what" and "why did I waste my time watching this."

Catwoman (2004)

Don't bother - stick with the comic book

[1/10 · 22 May 2005]

I have never rated a movie as awful but it was easy to do so with this one. Halle Berry is a beautiful and talented actress but in this movie looked and acted like a cardboard cut-out. What could have been a funny movie filled with campy humor turned out to be a meaningless sequence of events that neither told a story or developed a character. Even the special effects were not realistic or visually appealing. The real true star of the film was the cat who saved Halle Berry's character from death. This beautiful feline (the real cat) stole every scene it was in. If you start with a fantasy as the premise for a film be sure you support the fantasy and try to tell the audience a story, which is entertaining. Save your money there are a lot of great films available, unfortunately, this isn't one.

Death in Venice (1971)

I must have missed something

[2/10 · 7 April 2005]

I rented this movie after reading all the glowing reviews on this site. I enjoy "art movies" and am a great fan of French Cinema so understand the need for slow pacing to properly set a mood and tell a story. This movie was slow for the sake of being slow. When it did actually attempt to movie the story forward it did so in such a convoluted manner that by the time you figured out what was happening it was over. I enjoy symbolism in a movie as long as it is meaningful and relates to the action of the movie. Having a dying man be made up in full makeup and hair dye to attract the attention of a young boy and then having the same dye run down his face as he is dying on the beach was not a good use of symbolism. The most enjoyable part of this movie was the beautiful music that was used. I especially enjoyed the acappella singing on the beach near the end of the movie. My review is not to tell you not to watch this movie, only to bring another viewpoint to all of the glowing reviews. As my tag-line says, "I must have missed something", and you may also.

The Last Year (2002)

Heap big smoke but no fire

[3/10 · 10 March 2005]

What was hyped as a movie about intolerance against gay people at a Bible College turned out to be a poor second cousin to a soap opera. The acting, if you could call it that, was forced and had about as much emotion as left over cold pizza. There were several minutes in the film when I thought,"finally they are going to get the story moving", each time it simply sputtered out. When the opportunity arose that the characters could answer the intolerance the director chose to just throw in some sugary sentiment. The dramatic "highlight" where one of the characters was going to end it all came off as laughable rather than move the story forward. Then as a final slap in the face to the viewer the director throws the dead person accompanied by St. Jude in the final scene. I was very disappointed in this movie and felt it missed a chance to make a real statement.

A Home at the End of the World (2004)

A story of true love and what makes a family

[9/10 · 13 February 2005]

I found this movie deeply moving and thought provoking. The two main characters are followed from their teens into adulthood and makes the viewer aware of the immense pressures put on young people by the intolerance of society. The character of Bobby is played by Collin Farrel to perfection. His portrayal made me think of James Dean. Sissy Spacek is also outstanding as the mother figure who is trapped by what society expected from a woman in the 60's. One facet of this movie that I found fascinating was in how it was able to say so much without any dialogue. It really makes a person think about what the definition of love and family really are.

Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)

It lacked the sparkle of the original.

[1 July 2004]

I thoroughly enjoyed the original Barber Shop but the sequel left me wondering why I had spent the time watching it. Cederic the Entertainer was brilliant in the original but this time it seemed like someone was holding him back. The lines just weren't funny and there was not any plot urgency to keep the action moving. The music in the original was terrific, this time I couldn't tell you the title of anything that was used. There was practically no character development and the viewer was left thinking why?? The brief scenes with Queen Latifah were some of the best in the movie and I kept wondering why she wasn't featured more. The most telling comment I can make is that I slept through the first hour and still knew everything that happened.