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Reviews
Old School (2003)
Great silly premise, laugh-out loud funny
I don't usually rent comedies like this one, but I gave it a shot because of the excellent cast. It's hilarious! Similar premise to Animal House but perhaps funnier. Will Ferrell is great as the newlywed beer-guzzler "Frank the Tank," Vince Vaughn's appalling asides at the wedding are worth the price of the rental alone, and Luke Wilson is a perfect heartbroken leading man. Luckily, Juliette Lewis isn't in much of the film because it's definitely not her best work.
XX/XY (2002)
Good and believable but a bit slow
Excellent cast and intensity throughout. All characters and situations relatable to the twenty and thirty-something audience and quite believable. I just thought it moved a bit too slowly and felt long. It takes a drastic leap in time in the last half, and the cast pulls it off. But it does slow down the film a bit. Very sexy film.
The O.C. (2003)
Compelling Teen Drama
Nice to see teenagers being depicted for the most part realistically. Because teens really do go to parties, have sex, drink, and do drugs, whether people want to believe it or not. Good central characters and excellent casting. Melodrama? Ah, maybe a little, in that night-time soap sort of way. A lot of drama happening in a short amount of time, etc. Look out for Adam (Seth) Brody--if this show makes it, he's going to be everywhere. Good to see Peter Gallagher working again, too. Mischa (Marissa) Barton, another refugee (like Brody) from the underappreciated "Once and Again," is a perfect modern-day girl next door.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Really disappointing
Some of the best actors of our time and they couldn't come up with a better script than this? Sure, the way they rob the casino is cool, but it's the whole movie. There is a lame attempt to create an emotional hook via the relationship between Danny (George Clooney) and Tess Ocean (Julia Roberts), but it adds little to the almost nonexistent story. And oddly enough, there is very little suspense throughout. The result is a collection of two-dimensional characters whom you don't care enough about to root for in the end.
Blow (2001)
One of the best films of 2001
A terrific story that is funny, entertaining, informative, and sad. Johnny Depp turns in another top-notch performance in this one, but it is Ray Liotta who deserves the highest praise for his honest portrayal of the drug trafficker's blue-collar dad. A good, solid script, director Ted Demme's attention to detail, and many fine performances earn this film an A. Certainly one of the best of '01. Penelope Cruz is great, and look for the fantastic Franka Potente from "Run Lola Run" as George Jung's first California girlfriend. Plus Paul Ruebens finally gets to prove to the masses that he's no "pee-wee" as an actor, either.
The Langoliers (1995)
Read the novella instead
This is a terrific sci-fi story on paper. But this director has a very odd sense of what drama is. The dialogue is terribly unnatural, and a dreadful performance from Bronson Pinchot makes the film nearly unwatchable. In contrast, Mark Lindsay Chapman is great as Nick Hopewell. I'm surprised we haven't seen more from this very interesting and handsome British actor. He would make an excellent James Bond. But yeah, this film is just plain bad. Read the novella. It will be time better spent.
Malèna (2000)
Funny, endearing, sad, and poignant.
Malena is a top-notch film. It seemed at first like an Italian "Summer of '42," but turned out to have a very unique story with terrific characters. It captures your attention in the beginning with its humor and adolescent nostalgia. Once you are drawn in, it twists at your heart and doesn't let go. A great story of human nature, jealousy, compassion and courage. Times of stress and strife (in this case, WWII Italy) can bring out the worst in people and cause them to nearly destroy that which is beautiful and pure. But love endures. Rent it. You'll fall in love with Malena, and her anonymous here, Renado.
Me Myself I (1999)
A romantic comedy with a brain.
One of the best films of '99 which was largely overlooked, probably because it's Australian and Julia Roberts isn't in it. See this instead of "Family Man." They stole the idea from this for the Nicolas Cage movie and this is a much better film. Rachel Griffiths is equally terrific as Pamela, a single woman who regrets her choice earlier in life not to marry and have children, and as the "other" Pamela, who DID marry the so-called Mr. Right and bear his three ungrateful brats. Both worlds are explored, and we are left with the conclusion that life is all about choices, and neither choice is "better" than the other. The film is witty, but never wacky or silly. If you're tired of pratfalls into wedding cakes ala Runaway Bride, rent this one. You won't be disappointed.
Company Man (2000)
Why do good actors make bad films?
I rented this because of the cast, and the plot sounded quirky and interesting. It was indeed quirky, but not interesting. There's a funny scene with Woody Allen near the beginning. But other performances, like Sigourney Weaver's, are bizarre and forced. Very disappointing and overall boring.