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judahshap
Reviews
Allied (2016)
A Hill of Beans
Les Crap ! When movies make fun of "Hollywood Movies" within the movie-THIS is that movie. Handsome star driven drivel that is over stylized in look and dialogue. While the impeccably dressed Brad Pitt takes on those lousy (and also quite well dressed) Nazis briefly in Casablanca to remind the audience who the bad guys were in WW Two, most of the film centers around the trite and jejune dilemma of "true love" between the handsome soldier and his mademoiselle. "Allies' turns "Casablanca" on its tete, by truly making two people's Hill of Beans much more profound than the side show of the world going crazy when true Evil almost destroyed civilization. The movie reminds me a little of the English Patient" without Any of the "good stuff" and all of the "love conquers all" self involvement. Plus Ralph Fiennes can act circles around Brad. That the acting is uninteresting is not surprising, but generally Robert Zemackis's directing is far better than this trivial effort. Usually in his box of Chocolat you know what you're going to get- not this le petit mort. Judah Shapiro
Southside with You (2016)
Very Appealing Simple Movie
Largely due to its very fine acting, Southside with You works as a very believable slice of life / moment in time film that compels the audience to silently cheer for the two future love birds who would happen to become,in part through their sincere and committed partnership, the most powerful man on earth and a widely admired First Lady. Parker Sawyer does an excellent job, portraying a young confident Barack Obama. He catches the cadence of his voice, subtleties of his mannerisms and blends just the right balance of seriousness and playful "hey I know I am cute" attitude of a man who knows he is charming and capable of doing something important in the future. As a viewer knowing that future, you become almost part of the intellectual seduction process waiting for that moment that an equally serious, but considerably more uptight Michele falls for this guy. It's not a spoiler to tell you-she does.
The movie was at times slightly talky, as the pair share their respective backgrounds in a somewhat expository manner. But giving the film a little slack, knowing it's a semi-bio pic, the dialogue and modest action remained believable with the feel of that relatable first date "getting to know you" sensibility. Though properly not shy about giving an African -American perspective on society, the movie was relatively not that political. Of course, one's political views are likely to affect the movie goers' receptivity to the film, especially during this divisive election year. But at its heart, Southside with You, eschews controversy and remains a well proportioned, not overly done, well acted and directed, appealing boy meets (and you hope he gets) the girl picture.
Wiener-Dog (2016)
Agitating stupid and offensive and definitely NOT funny
From the start, this offensive self indulgent (and quite poorly acted) movie substitutes random and persistent negativity for dark humor. There is nothing funny or creative in the writing. As the movie progresses it becomes more reliant upon empty incoherent doings to take up space rather than develop any meaningful characters who can convey anything approaching irony or wit. It abuses the audience's attention by its hook. a cute wandering puppy who dies brutally and graphically at the end of the movie in a completely pointless scene that can only engender antipathy towards anyone associated with this stinker of a movie. Like a very bad self possessed student film, it seems to think that eliciting any reaction from the audience through any inane vehicle constitutes an artistic accomplishment. It is not. It is certainly one of the five Worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of movies. The only cold comfort I have from seeing this piece of garbage in the theater is that there were only two other paying film goers in the audience who also seem offended and bored.
Morning Glory (2010)
Celebrating the dumbing down o f America-With Spunk!
To paraphrase that great fictional newsman with integrity Lou Grant-"Rachel, you have spunk--I hate spunk." And so Morning Glory with an excellent and charming cast through sheer positive energy and little substance or wit elevates mindless entertainment over quality.
Rachel McAdams plays the effervescent Becky Fuller,a 28 year old Jersey girl compulsively motivated to succeed in the media world (much of the impetus coming from her incredibly unsupportive mother)who becomes the executive producer of a failing morning "news" show-most of the news being cooking with semi-celebrities,weather and eight part series on orgasms(presumably seven of the eight being the female orgasm).
Not to be underestimated, the cutsie McAdams legally blackmails the reluctant Peabody/Pulitzer Prize winning Mike Pomeroy(evoking Dan Rather/Mike Wallace)into joining her morning Fluff-fest. Harrison Ford gives a great performance of the now cynical and displaced Pomeroy who refuses to compromise his journalistic integrity both as a matter of professional principle, as well as Ego-having once saved Colin Powell's life in Bosnia,he fees that covering the Sauerkraut festival is beneath him. Ford's character carries the movie, and the movie shows some sparks of true humor when Ford interacts with his morning co-host played by the ever appealing Diane Keaton. The movie is almost worth watching just to see these two act together. Whatever "it" is, Keaton still has "IT" big time.
However, to the extent that there is any dramatic climax in this formula chick flick movie it comes when McAdams embraces, in head cheerleader style, full throttle pandering encourging youtube worthy humiliation of the hapless weatherman, Diane Keaton sumo wrestling and cornering that ole stick in the mud Harrison Ford(dubbed "the third worse person in the world") into giving the people what they want at the expense of his long developed professionalism. Guess who wins?
Much like its subject, Morning Glory revels in its shallowness while pretending to have substance and celebrates the defeat of integrity with a nod to Pomeroy's last stand that he will not have his colonoscopy nationally broadcasted despite McAdams' urging. Art imitates life here where viewers and voters are encouraged to savor unhealthy sweets and eschew thinking. It is a Mary Tyler Moore Show for the new millennium where the Lou Grants of the world are demonized and marginal and the Ted Baxters and Sue Ann Nivens run the show and control our collective interests.
Ishtar (1987)
Funny well acted buddy movie with badly directed action scenes
Often unjustly cited as an example of big star projects that fail, this film has moments of true humor and excellent comedic acting, especially when Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beaty are allowed to interact with each other in scenes that do not have the distracting action/adventure elements which are misdirected by Elaine May. Ms. May who is no slouch when it comes to developing likable funny misfits, loses her central focus with her pointless and non credible action scenes. That said, Ishtar at its heart is a funny well acted movie with enjoyable quirky performances by Hoffman, Beaty and Charles Grodin. While inconsistent, it is a classic clever buddy movie in the "On the Road" tradition that should be appreciated by anyone who has ever had a best friend.