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Reviews
Joker (2019)
Joaquin Pheonix Deserves His Oscar
Mesmerizing. Hypnotic. A dreamworld of mental breakdown. We know Joker is descending into madness, yet the filmmakers make this process new and surprising at every turn.
Phoenix, one of the best actors in Hollywood, has surpassed himself.
My only criticism is the ending. The mental hospital scene derailed the future this movie portends. I would have ended it after the street corner scene where Joker stands on the car and revels in his new-found glory.
Mad About You (1992)
The Last Episode Ruined The Entire Series
This was a great show ruined by a truly horrible series ending.
Here we have the journal of a couple surviving EVERYTHING and keeping their love and marriage intact. Beautiful!
And how do they end it? Bumping into each other in a movie theater after they've DIVORCED, each with a date!!!
They wanted a memorable series finale... They got one. Memorable as the worst.
I think the Newhart series-ender raised the bar so high, everyone wanted to beat it, and a lot of shows just tried anything they could to be shocking.... But shocking isn't good.
Jeeves and Wooster (1990)
The First Two Seasons Are A Masterpiece; 4 and 5, Horrible
This is Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie at their very best. Season One sparkles with fantastic performances and writing, and season two continues that.
BUT, and this is a big BUT, Season Three is misfires spectacularly, and Season Four unwatchable... it's that bad.
A textbook example of how the studio suits can ruin a brilliant work of art.
Get 1 and 2. If you're not hooked after Jeeves cleans Bertie's room, there is no hope for you.
Split (2016)
Welcome Back, Night
Shyamalan has made so many so-so movies of late, so many bad movies, many were writing him off as a one-hit wonder (The Sixth Sense). Of course, his follow-ups to that, through Signs, are amazing, even if film society doesn't see it that way.
I never lost faith in him. But, I've never been blind to how bad The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth are.
The Visit was such a shock - it was GOOD. Really GOOD. Most people gave it low marks because of the stereotype they had of Night.
And then Split. Wow. I stood up in the theater and clapped. "Welcome back, Night!"
Could this film truly be as good as The Sixth Sense?
No.
It's better.
Killer's Kiss (1955)
Almost - But Not Quite
It's astonishing to know that Kubrick went from this amateurish freshman effort - bested by many film school projects - to become the director of a major Hollywood blockbuster (Spartacus) in only two films; The Killing and Paths of Glory.
That, to me, is the only reason to watch this Killer's Kiss: to understand the breadth of Kubrick's genius.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Amy Adams Shows Once Again Why She's The Best Actress in Hollywood
If you've seen any of Adam's earlier works, this one will shock you. Her character is not charming, glowing, sweet and innocent. Her Camille is broken, confused, and in deep pain.
She has to return to her home town to cover a murder for her newspaper. In doing so, she must confront her own past, which is full of abuse, neglect, addiction, murder....
Camille has never properly confronted her past. She has drowned it through work, alcohol, and sexual obsession. Adam's performance is so nuanced, so perfect. She conveys with a glance what most actors cannot with a soliloquy.
The production is spot-on - especially the editing. Camille's past and present collide in quite breathtaking turns - moments sometimes so brief as to seem fleeting.
You'll want to give this multiple viewings... it will take you time to decipher the story, but you will love every minute of it.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
Amazing
Adams and McDormond are perfect.
OK, this is yet ANOTHER romantic comedy.... same story, different actors. But, because of the skills of the two leads the film glitters.
Both Amy and Francis are able to convey worlds of emotion, communication with just a glance. It's a joy just to watch them at work. And that, to me, is what makes this film amazing.
Give it a shot.
Enchanted (2007)
Giselle Will Steal Your Heart
I fell in love with Giselle the moment she appeared on the screen.
Who is this woman? Why is she so perfect?
I thought about her for weeks. Really.
Fast forward to Arrival. Once again, I fell in love with this beautiful girl.... So, I looked at her filmography. And there it is: Enchanted. Amy Adams. Wow. She's real.
First thing I did was re-watch Enchanted. And, boom, the magic was still there. And then it happened: I became a huge Amy Adams fan.
Her Giselle is truly perfect. Much like Welles in Citizen Kane, Ermy in Full Metal Jacket, Sellers in Being There, It's impossible to imaging anyone else in this role.
I'm not going into the story. Others have done that. But, if you haven't watched this film, you must, if only to see Amy Adams at work. She will steal your heart.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Amy Adams Shows Once Again Why She's The Best Actress in Hollywood
If you've seen any of Adam's earlier works, this one will shock you. Her character is not charming, glowing, sweet and innocent. Her Camille is broken, confused, and in deep pain.
She has to return to her home town to cover a murder for her newspaper. In doing so, she must confront her own past, which is full of abuse, neglect, addiction, murder....
Camille has never properly confronted her past. She has drowned it through work, alcohol, and sexual obsession. Adam's performance is so nuanced, so perfect. She conveys with a glance what most actors cannot with a soliloquy.
The production is spot-on - especially the editing. Camille's past and present collide in quite breathtaking turns - moments sometimes so brief as to seem fleeting.
You'll want to give this multiple viewings... it will take you time to decipher the story, but you will love every minute of it.
Leap Year (2010)
This Deserves More Than It's Getting
I'll be honest: I watched this because of Amy Adams. I've recently become a huge fan, so I've been catching up on her previous stuff.
I loved this. OK, I'm a guy, I'm not into romantic comedies (and, yes, because of that I don't like The Princess Bride). But, Amy is so captivating in this pleasant, little movie, it's hard not to like it.
The story is contrived. Hey, it's a romantic comedy, right? The woman is engaged to a swine, she decides to do something romantic, she goes through mayhem and misfortune achieving her goal, she falls in love with the callous guy who's helping her (who turns out to be the guy she's been waiting for all her live), finally meets up with her boyfriend, finds out he only cares about his job, returns to the guy and lives happily ever after.
Right? That's the model.
Yet, in Amy's hands, her character is completely believable. Even delightful. Adams doesn't phone this one in. She's on the top of her game (as she is in everything she does). I even laughed out loud in some places (and anyone who knows me will tell you that's a compliment).
So, give this one a try. No, it's not Arrival. Nor is it Enchanted. But, it's charming, fun, and you'll fall in love with Amy's character.
Bull (2016)
I Really Wanted to Like This
Both my wife and I are avid NCIS fans, and Weatherly has always been such a dramatic and comedic presence as DiNozzo - and so perfectly played. It was pretty difficult to replace him, both as an actor and a character. (Which is maybe why they got two actors this new season?) So, when Bull came out, we were both very interested to follow Michael to his new gig. We weren't expecting another DiNozzo, but we also weren't expecting a wooden, boring, sheet rock dry Show.
The show's premise is OK. The acting so-so (even from Weatherly), and the writing abysmal. Each episode is exactly like the previous episode. No back story. No drama. The client always wins.... Bull always has this "I'm smarter than everyone else" smirk. And, really, who believes any judge would tolerate his behavior in a courtroom... I haven't seen anything this less plausible since "Alias." Bottom line: boring, mindlessly repetitive, lifeless, and poorly written.
We WERE SO hoping this would be something special. Kinda let down....