Reviews

The List (2000) with Ryan O'Neal is the worst! The worst of the worst!

Unlike the other user's comment, I was pulled in by the synopsis on the video-jacket. It was much better than the film. Seriously, don't waste your money!!! The writing was **utterly** cliché and boring. I wondered if perhaps an adolescent boy wrote and directed this one. The acting was stunted, awkward and just plain ol' bad. Who were the characters? Who cares!!! And the sets reminded me of 80's noir, with the lighting through mini-blinds - eeeeyuk!

I must have said, "why am I watching this??" about 6 times before rewinding. It wasn't sexy, it wasn't thrilling and it wasn't worth making.

Oh God it was so bad!!! Not even 'good' bad. Just bad.

I would have rated it a 7, but I admit I was trying to tip the balance. This wasn't a great film, but I still liked it--due in large part to Billy Crudup's performance.

Crudup is believable straight down the line, as Eddie Dolan. Who is this actor!? He slips into roles like hand in glove. I watched the film twice just to see his expression again.

The story reeks of inevitability, due to the circumstance; but like the cliche 'accident on the side of the road,' you are compelled to watch anyway.

What I liked very much, was the non-thinking attraction in its many forms; and seeing the immaturity of these souls' lives played out. And though they all lead themselves into explosive situations, they somehow manage to find their ways out and go on. They are survivors, and that's intriguing to me.

Boy this movie went to video quickly, and now I understand why. It nearly breaks my heart to have to give a thumbs-down to such a huge effort of making a feature film. However, it can't be denied that this movie fell apart from the beginning. I simply did not care about any of the characters and could not connect with them, no matter how I tried. And it's all due to the writing!

It seemed the actors were trying desperately to make up for that lack of continuity and motivation in the script, and so, often their performances seemed contrived, plastic, and/or over-the-top. I think under the guidance of better writing, these actors would shine like we know they can.

What happened to character development and motivation? Perhaps it died in the car crash at the beginning of the film? Was Kuki an American in Italy, or an Italian? Who was the lady that was with Kuki's mother, when they were trying to convince her to come home? Did Kuki and Paolo really love each other or not? Did the people working at Kuki's house become close with her? Kuki seemed oblivious to them. When did Kuki and Ema start speaking the language? It seemed they suddenly just knew it. Why did Ema want to leave to go to school? Kuki was digging a ditch to help out with the water supply, but then we never see any resolution to that situation. What happened??

One of the sweetest moments in the film for me, was when Ema connects with a little African boy, who obviously has a love for snakes too. He shows the boy around his house and introduces them to the snakes he has, and then we never see the boy again (!).

I also would have liked to see what was in the egg that was mentioned repeatedly within the story. Not having the resolution of that aspect (the egg) in particular, left me angry as the credits rolled.

"I Dreamed of Africa" did have interesting scenery and I believe talented cast and crew, but because the script was so bad, everything else really fell apart.

I am a huge fan of "Dangerous Liaisons," and so was anxious to see this film. I really liked it. I liked Annette Bening's character the most. She was warm and charming, which made her deceptiveness more enticing. She and Colin Firth really made a believable pair of misfits, the kind that no one could resist. I'm so happy too that the audience was spared the actual sex scene with Cecile. She is much younger than the Uma Thurman portrayal, and I would have been uncomfortable in viewing it.

But one thing I felt this film lacked, that "DL" provided, was the ultimate and devastating crush of these characters' actions. In "DL," Glenn Close is ruined in the end, and we get to witness the depth of it. But I only got a sense of Annette Bening's suffering in "Valmont"--and we don't see any real consequences of her actions, just her sad face at the end. Also, I liked "DL" more for the love story between Valmont and Madame De Tourvel. There was much more a sense of what was lost, due to Valmont's vanity. In "Valmont," Firth just dies. In "DL," Malkovich delivers the letters to win the war against De Merteuil, and professes his true love for De Tourvel. That had much more impact on me.

All in all, I liked this representation of the old story, and I enjoyed the acting immensely. It was lively and fun.

This is one of my favorite films. I have never seen the original adaptation. I have to mention Cruel Intentions, though, as I see many others have. I feel disgusted that people are seeing that film first and basing their judgement of Dangerous Liaisons on their reaction of how terrible Cruel was. Every single copy of Cruel Intentions should be thrown in a (sadly large) pit and burned! I forced myself to watch maybe 15 minutes of it, and wanted to throw my television out the window after doing it! The acting was pathetic, the writing was appallingly horrific, and thinking about how much money was wasted makes me ill.

Ok. Enough of that. Dangerous Liaisons is a very fine film! All the standards of great film are there, so I'll spare you the 'superb acting, excellent sets and costumes, etc.' The story is powerful. These characters... oh! what they put themselves through! When I watch this film (again and again), I am drawn in by their perceived sophistication and power, but am always in such turmoil over their sad, true natures. Glenn Close's line, "this confirms something I've long suspected; that vanity and happiness are incompatible," which really sums up the film, and both her and Valmont's fate. The characters are compelling--they make one laugh and weep, and always want to cheer them on. Glenn Close is amazing in this film--but I can never tell in the closing scene if she's 'the criminal who is sorry that she was caught,' or if she truly is in realization of her crimes. I will keep watching the film to see.

American Beauty resonates. That is its power - it speaks to our generation, but it also has an inspiring message that should stand the test of time. It is ridden with sad truths and dark humor about the nuclear family unit within the consumerist regime, and how people give up and give in to the complacency of ego.

Kevin Spacey is brilliant (does anyone else see Jack Benny when they look at him?) as Lester, and delivers flawless sarcasm, and undeniable reverance. He is our hero, as he is our powderkeg waiting to explode beneath a picture-perfect exterior. Sex is the call to life, and that is what Lester finds: in the form of a sexy, young teenager - probably the first sexual fantasy of every young man's life. From that point forward we are taken on his roller-coaster ride of being reborn; with new eyes, new courage, and humorous desperation. Lester finds much more than he could see at the beginning of his path, and it is true Beauty.

This is a must in a collection!

I took a chance on this rental, and was so glad I did. It literally, 'kept me on the edge of my seat' throughout the entire film. The writing and direction is so well done, that I felt like 'I' was the one having the psychic flashes. The acting was also very good. I felt so much for the character, Heaven. If all thrillers were this inventive, I'd have a new favorite genre.

I love this film!!! What a great idea! The cast is excellent, and the story outrageously funny and original. And I love John Malkovich's crossover acting, when he is 'the puppeteer.' It's a very surreal but relatable story, showing the complexity of true desires, obsessions, and love. It's a little world unto itself, which I enjoyed slipping into.

Okay, okay - I know this isn't a 'great' movie - but it is entertaining. It's kind of like a paperback novel in film version. You know it's fluff, yet you still like to watch it.

I do love the chemistry between Dreyfuss and Stowe though. And what Dreyfuss has to go through is pretty funny. I think the problem with the movie is that it can't decide whether it's a love story or a tough cop movie (with all the swearing and gross jokes). I think the love story is rewarding, but I think the swearing (in the police station) is gratuitous.

I like romantic comedies, and romance in general, so I bought this tape for my collection.

An ordinary paramedic? Naw! Did you see the way Cage is lit? Did you see the closing scene with Patricia Arquette? Did you see the 'virgin' birth? The parallels to Christianity are wonderful.

This is an excellent film--visually eye-catching and beautiful: even the 'grotesque' can be beautiful. It demands a little thought on the part of the audience, but it's fun--it's a ride to enjoy. Cage is perfect (it's good to see him as himself and not some pseudo-action figure of Hollywood's creation).

The cinematography was good, the editing too. I loved it!

There is no denying that this is a fun piece to watch. From the very beginning we are drawn in by the voice of fed-up-edness (Jack's), who is a voice we may claim to be our own.

There are so many ideas/issues brought up in the story, however, that will keep me thinking about it for a while. 'What does being a man mean?' and 'what does it mean in the context of our consumerist society?' And 'should we (the audience) trust the voice when it comes from a huge money-making machine, known as the film industry?' It seems a little crazy to cheer on the voice when it is denouncing it's own source.

Aside from these ideas, the film is well done--and you will find, upon reflection, that the violence is justified by the story. The story will stay with you long after the credits have finished rolling.