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M & J
Reviews
Vermont Is for Lovers (1992)
Most enjoyable
Not much happens in this apparently largely unscripted movie: George and Marya, two New Yorkers, go to her aunt's home in Vermont to get married. On the day before the ceremony George drives around the community talking to the locals (all played by themselves) about marriage, architecture, history and farming. However, this is all very entertaining and some of the locals are very funny. The animals are good, too: a beagle turns in an outstanding performance.
Contact (1997)
Zzzzzzzz
If "Contact" is "2001: A Space Odyssey" for the 90s, then it amply demonstrates what a pathetic state the world is in. This is an exceptionally boring movie with absolutely nothing to say about religion or science, although everyone in it does a reasonably good job of faking it. Jodie Foster is dreadful as usual, and the only thing that makes her remotely believable as some genius scientist is that she is surrounded by morons (do high-ranking White House officials need to be told what a prime number is?).
The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Crikey!
This movie could have been great, but, as others have pointed out, Mamet has a predilection for unconvincing dialogue and clumsy direction, not to mention casting his spectacularly untalented wife. It is worth watching to the end, where Mamet confronts us with either the biggest plot hole in the history of cinema or another twist. Steve Martin and Campbell Scott do an admirable job of making Mamet's dialogue sound semi-natural; Rebecca Pidgeon is brittle and bizarre.
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Definitely NOT one of Scorsese's best
We deeply disliked this film in spite of a valiant effort by Daniel Day-Lewis. This is almost as bad as the Merchant-Ivory adaptation of "The Bostonians" (yawn!). Why on earth Scorsese thought it was a good idea to cast a brunette in the blonde's role and vice versa is beyond our comprehension, and if he was going to do that couldn't he have found ANYONE besides Winona Ryder to cast as May? Frankly, we'd much rather watch "Casino" on an endless loop for a year than sit through this again: "Casino" may just repeat "Goodfellas" but at least it doesn't make you cringe every five minutes.