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Reviews
Maverick: Guatemala City (1960)
Mousie Garner
There's a wonderful little cameo by Mousie Garner (no relation), a vaudevillian who performed into his 90s, and was also part of the second iteration of the Three Stooges. He plays a newspaper vendor in San Francisco, whose paper provides a clue for Bret, and his fast-paced, alliterative sales patter is a bit of a gem itself.
The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah (2006)
Well-written and acted
When this film ended, I felt as if I'd spent an hour and a half in an asylum. Keeping up with Brian's belief system is exhausting. Brian is like the ultimate believer, he believes so hard that he is blind to everything else around him. To those of us outside his delusion, it's hard not to laugh, especially at his contradictions and lack of knowledge about the bible. I suppose all messiahs must come across as delusional, but this one has no special purpose from god, and god's not talking to him, and you have to admire his willingness to ignore or misinterpret what's happening around him. The "gliding Jesus" car chase was hilarious, but served to illustrate Aaron's limited functioning. I must say that I particularly enjoyed Miriam's various "takes", small changes in her face and posture in reaction to Brian's various lunacies. This was a subtle and nuanced job of acting. Also, keep an eye on her costume changes through the story. You'd like to think that she's more "normal" than all the rest of them; but really, she's just as cracked the others.
Most of these characters should be in an institution somewhere, not out running around loose. It's a very funny movie, but I'm glad I'm on the outside looking in.
Hoodwinked! (2005)
The Genius of Andy Dick
Using just his voice Andy Dick has created a hilarious and multi-dimensional character. He manages to fully integrate cute-Boingo the Bunny with evil-Boingo, mad genius.
Cute-Boingo is an "aw, shucks" bunny who's soft and cuddly, helps others, and writes messages on Easter eggs. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Evil-Boingo is a psychotic bunny who doesn't hesitate to sic his "European" henchmen on a sweet old granny, wants to blow up innocent Red, but who doesn't mind taking a moment out to discuss installing a laser in his lair, and mentioning his nomination to Mensa. All without skipping a beat, Dick transforms the character from murderously insane evil genius to rational evil mastermind.
And in a very subtle way, while in the persona of Cute-Boingo, he can barely contain the Evil-Boingo within himself. You can feel the Evil-Boingo wanting to break out and his disdain for his alter-ego, the cute, fluffy bunny. Andy Dick's Boingo is easily the most complex character in the movie.
The character is obviously insane and sociopathic and schizophrenic, and Andy Dick has captured him perfectly. Good job, Mr. Dick.
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy as "Mitch" of Mitch and Mickey, is nothing short of brilliant in the character he has created. Actually, less created than inhabited. Though clearly teetering on the edge of sanity, he manages to keep a tenuous grip on reality. His eyes, his voice, his hands--every inch of Eugene is invested in the character. Even after having seen this film several times, and enjoying it each and every time, I always get the feeling that one never knows what Mitch is going to say or do next, and it's because Mitch doesn't know either.
It has been said that comedy is tragedy that happens to someone else. In this case, Mitch's tragedy is our comedy. I can't help both laughing and feeling sorry for the character. Eugene Levy's Mitch is a creation of pure genius.
My Name Is Earl (2005)
The Wedding, and more
Last night's episode, Earl's ex-wife gets remarried, has to be one of the best comic programs I've seen in a long time. Beyond that, however, this is one of the best comedies on TV now, and for a long time. Pay attention to the writing, look at the issues the show tackles. Last night dealt with relationships, divorce, and infidelity. These are all REAL issues that real people deal with on a daily basis. And not only that, the show's premise is karma, the love you make is equal to the love you take; bad things happen to bad people; there was an episode about homosexuality and Earl's reaction to that lifestyle (not dissimilar to my own); there was a show about addiction (to cigarettes); shows about honesty and selfishness and greed. Through it all runs the thread that we must take responsibility for our actions.
Most of us just muddle through life, without confronting these issues, but not Earl. He is compelled to change his life, he forces himself to improve how he treats others, and he atones for his sins--not with a couple of Hail Marys--but by taking corrective action. Do what is hard for you to do, and you are a better person for it. That which comes hard has more value. There are lessons here for us all as we try to make this a better world, and have better lives. And if Earl, the quintessential loser, can do it, so can we all.