Reviews
North Country (2005)
Another Hollywood Message Film
Everything about this pandering film is sloppy, stupid, and ludicrous. Incredibly, no one even caught the fact that the word Northern in the opening title sequence is misspelled "Nohrthen". The story, which has very little to do with the facts of the actual case, has been dumbed down to a degree that is beyond idiotic. Suspension of disbelief? Ever been in a hockey rink during a game? Apparently, one person speaking loudly to another person can be heard clearly from one end of the rink to another, above the crowd noise, game noise, reverberating announcer and band music, etc. The behavior of the male characters was patterned after a herd of retarded mountain gorillas. There is nothing even remotely realistic about the premise, the story, the conclusion, or the acting. A complete waste of film stock, and a severe black eye and embarrassment to the art of the cinema.
The Long Day Closes (1992)
Film making at its zenith
Its been said that everyone has a wonderful book in them, if they only had the skill to bring it out. Terence Davies has made several quality films, but The Long Day Closes is his personal masterpiece. Evocative, nostalgic, the film depicts a childhood lost and sweetly remembered at a time and in a nation struggling to right itself following a devastating war. Davies abandons traditional film-making and works from intuition and powerful memories to create something truly special and magnificent. Certainly not for everyone. If you are moved primarily by American Idol, Wrestlemania and NASCAR pileups, and if your idea of nostalgia is reruns of Happy Days, this movie would be a waste of your time.