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kbuswell
Reviews
Much Ado About Nothing (1973)
Borders on Painful
This is a very bland and inert production of one of Shakespeare's most vibrant plays. I can only guess that the intent was to make the play as accessible and understandable as possible to an audience that has not been exposed to Shakespeare before. By doing this, though - by making every line clear and every intent obvious - they have drained the play of life and turned it into a flat caricature. Somehow, it is actually boring - a very hard feat given such wonderful material.
The acting is forgettable at best - Sam Waterston as Benedick and Douglas Watson as Don Pedro. Others, however, do not fare so well. April Shawnham's Hero is a pouty, breathless airhead that frequently provokes winces. Jerry Mayer's Don John is a nonsensical cartoon character on the level of Snidely Whiplash (though Snidley was much more enjoyable).
F. Murray Abraham (you know, the guy who killed Mozart?) is not in this version, unless he was in disguise and had his name removed from the credits.
Given that the producer, Joseph Papp, is basically a theater god, this production is not only disappointing but head-scratching as well.
Don't bother with this. Watch Branagh's Much Ado instead - his version is overflowing with vitality and humor, to say nothing of wonderful performances.
Crash (2004)
Sure it's a good movie - if you've never thought about racism before.
"Crash" will tell you that racism is bad. It will also tell you that we all have our problems and we all have some kind of prejudice. It will suggest that maybe we need to put ourselves in someone else's shoes before we judge them. It shows us that sometimes good people do bad things and bad people do good things. Oh, and guns are bad, too, mmmkay? All of these sentiments are well and good. However, they are presented in a manipulative, preachy and not very plausible way. I suppose "Crash" is thought-provoking if you have never thought about racism before. If your head hasn't been buried in the sand for the past 10-20-100 years, however, you may be bored by the story and the plot twists (many of which you will see coming). If you want a movie that says something provocative about racism, try renting "Do the Right Thing." If you want a squishy, Hollywood film that will make you feel better for seeing it - but in an arrogant "Oh, I'm so open-minded" way - go with "Crash." Oh, the acting is wonderful.
JFK (1991)
You are being lied to
This film is a lie. It is despicable propaganda. Stone distorts most of the facts and gets many of them plain wrong. It is revisionist history at its worst. If you are watching this film for a history lesson you are a sucker. However, if you are watching this film as a piece of fiction, you will be enthralled for three hours. This is a stunning piece of film making - probably Stone's best work ever. Allow yourself to be swept away by the power of Stone's vision, but remind yourself that it is just a film - and not a documentary.
Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Awful hatchet job
If you haven't seen the musical, it is possible (though doubtful) you might like this very dated film. If you have seen the musical, you'll be slack-jawed wondering who in their right mind would slice and dice the original script to create such a bad film. The movie changes characters wholesale, cuts out some of the best numbers and adds useless - and very boring - plot twists. The russian ballet?! There is nothing funny about the russian ballet. And why change Albert to a chemist who makes amphetamines (really!)? The only redeeming part of this film is Ann Margret, who is very easy to look at. Sure, the musical isn't the greatest ever written, but it certainly has its charms. Why mess with it? If you're a fan of the musical, stay away from this lame and unfunny hatchet job.
Babe (1995)
A Perfect film
Yes, it is a perfect film. First, it is entertaining - it has a wonderful, gentle sense of humor and an adorable protagonist. Second, it is dramatic. There are scenes of peril and scenes of uncertainty that are engaging enough for adults but not too scary for children (unlike the sequel, which along with some very intense scenes, gets much of its laughs from humiliating Mrs. Hogget). Third, it has a moral that it builds up to without being preachy or saccharine. Finally, it manages to do all of these things without a single false moment. There is nothing to explain and no moments that will make you reconsider showing this film to children (for instance, The Indian in the Cupboard, which is an otherwise good, serious and moral film has a scene where a child is flipping through the channels. For a brief moment he flips to MTV which is showing a video of a bikini-clad woman dancing around. I watched this video with a group of 4th and 5th graders and as soon as the image of the woman came on screen, at least two of the girls looked away. If you?re a film maker, why would you include this???!!!).
This is a sweet, moral, entertaining fairy tale that will have you swept away and cheering at the end. In case you're skeptical of this review, my other favorite film is Magnolia, which, though quite different in tone, is also about morality.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Good Lord!
Wow, this was a bad film! The battle scenes were pretty spectacular but you have to sit through two hours of absolutely trite and boring dialogue. Gee, I wonder if they'll fall in love? Gee, I wonder who will get killed? Unless you like explosions - or you've had a lobotomy - don't bother with this film.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Not that deep
Aside from some wonderful shots and Osment's incredible acting, there wasn't much new in A.I. The issues weren't explored very deeply and I found the ending to be ludicrous and typical of Spielberg. There were many times in which I was pulled out of the movie, starting with some references to previous Spielberg movies which included a shot looking at a side-view mirror (Jurassic Park) and the Dreamworks moon logo in a prominent place. Even worse were two instantly recognizable robot voices. It's never a good thing when you can hear half the audience saying, "Oh, that's _____ voice!"
Parts of the movie, including the theme, reminded me strongly of Kurt Vonnegut's book "Sirens of Titan." Go see the movie for some wonderful eye candy and acting, then read "Sirens of Titan" for some depth.