Change Your Image
adamhart-1
Reviews
Inside the Actors Studio (1994)
Learn the craft from the greatest talents of stage and screen.
'Inside the Actors Studio' is an interview styled one hour biography programme, which has the most glamorous guests: the greatest talents of stage and screen. Never before has there been such a well constructed, intelligent, inspiring approach, to interviews.
James Lipton has the privilege to take Hollywood's finest, on an often emotional journey, through their life's work; beginning at the roots of childhood and continuing on to the catalogue of events leading, inevitably, to fame.
Lipton's interviewing process (along with the presence of actual students of the business in the audience) presents a wonderful aura; which is non-hyped unlike many of the impersonal three minute interviews, we often see. It's this reassuring aura that obviously makes the guests feel inclined to share - with students and the viewing audience - their wisdom and emotional experiences.
Amongst just a few, we saw the hilarious Robin Williams' on-the-spot kinetic improvisations, Sharon Stone's unforgettable display of humanity (a woman with a deep passionate soul) and Laurence Fishburne's reminiscences of an unhappy childhood and his transition from a troubled, arrogant young man to the wise, relaxed Fishburne we know and love today. Even De Niro, who is renowned for his intolerance to interviews, opens up for what might be the closest we'll ever get to the 'real' De Niro.
After a delightful trip - where you've laughed, applauded and even cried along with the stars - Lipton always ends his show with an unconventional but curious questionnaire; which includes the infamous question 'what's your favourite swear word' (Fishburne's was mother******/Streep's was cock******).
** Essential viewing for film buffs, especially if you wanted to take notes on philosophical attitudes and Acting approaches of your favourite Hollywood stars. Alas,if you aren't an ardent fan of movies, I'm sure you'd find (as I did) James Lipton to be a warm, highly intelligent interviewer, who oozes charm and is an accommodating presence on such an important programme. **
(Look out for Lipton's slightly coy stare, mouth ajar, as he looks across with awe, at a guest he genuinely admires - a treat to watch.)
Holding On (1997)
A gripping drama with exceptionally strong performances.
'Holding On' clearly demonstrates the devastating toll, that modern day living imposes on it's society. We are blessed with an eight part mini series, that interludes the trials and tribulations of London's inhabitants. Sticking the knife in as deep as he can, Tony Marchant's screenplay, provokes your mind with traumatic scenes of anguish, desperation and utter self absorbtion.
Two seperate murders occur; one that involves a mentally ill white man who, unprovoked, viciously stabs a young woman to her death-while the other is carried out by a stressed out taxi driver, who maliciously kills a young black man, as he slams his car door into his head, repeatedly (which resembled Vinnie Jones' scene in 'Lock Stock and two Smoking Barrels' but comes across with a much heightened, shocking realism). Highlighting the fact that the two victims are of different race was purposeful; this is in fact one of the most harrowing aspects of 'Holding On' as it tackles a very controversial subject INJUSTICE. The bereaved family of the young back man suffer a double injustice, for they have to come to terms with not only losing him, but falling at the hands of the British Judicial system, which imposes a laughably short prison term to the murderer.
There's so much to keep your mind occupied, as the series moves along intertwining the characters together, covering the emotions from every individual. Strong elements of symbolism run deep into the heart of each one of the issues covered; from mental illness, isolation, loneliness, class differentiation (working class/middle class)....I personally had extreme feelings of empathy for all concerned-but then how can you not, when the acting is so vividly portrayed. David Morrissey and Lesley Manville are particularly dazzling throughout, lending much insight into their craft as actors.
With so much anger, inner turmoil, fallen dreams filling our darkened paths, we all need to wake up and realise that fighting through adversity TOGETHER...not against, will help to protect our vulnerable shells and inspire warmth and happiness.
This superb mini-series truly is in a league of it's own. The finest that has graced our screens for many years. Many souls out there will certainly be crying out for VHS/DVD versions to own and cherish forever....I know I certainly am.
**VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
An inconsistent attempt at what could have been so much more.
Taking one of the words out of the title, I am furious that the film did not live up to its potential. By this I mean the fact that yet again, we have a dumb Hollywood script laden with the corniest lines imaginable. Credibility is also riding high in deficiency, when you consider the fact that Vin Diesel's character must be invincible, seeing as how he manages to escape injury, after colliding with a truck at over 150 mph. Retreating back from the criticism for a moment, the cars in the film are breathtaking and the score certainly pumps out serious wattage--although that's the problem, the cars are the focus point and being that's the case, shouldnt Rob Cohen (the director) have constructed better action sequences, that actually had depth enough to keep his audience entertained. You would think so.
Struggling to find a commendable word to say I can only consider the aspects about the film that could have been so easily improved, given the subject matter; if you think about it fast cars, babes, violence and sex should make for a solid, thrilling 90 minutes. Instead we settle for the sluggish, dull experience that most of us would gladly replace with GONE IN 60 SECONDS any day of the week. Let's face it at least GONE IN 60 had Angelina, not to mention action guru Jerry Bruckheimer on board.
Despite the distinct lack of praise from, well a large proportion of the western hemisphere, 'THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS' still managed to be lucrative by taking $144 million at the US box office. Are those Japanese imports really that amazing?
As Good as It Gets (1997)
Flawless film which utilizes the supreme cast to fruition.
Before I even considered watching this film for the first time, I was instantly biased because of the enormity of the casts talent; there's the monumentally charismatic Jack Nicholson (who would run out of fingers to count his Oscar nominations), Helen Hunt (who has a substantial collection of Golden Globes and Grammys), Cuba Gooding Jr. (who is the finest Actor of his generation) and Greg Kinnear (who's perfectly cast amongst the latter Hollywood greats).
'AS GOOD AS IT GETS' focuses on Nicholson's character Melvin, telling the story of how he copes with having an obsessive compulsive disorder, which is evidently destructive on the lives of those who surround him. Exhausting ritualistic patterns such as washing his hands in boiling water, forbidding anyone to physically touch him, are among just a few of his alienating habits. Aside from apparent intimacy issues, he is also a confrontational homophobic--suffice it to say that he doesn't appreciate living next door to Simon (played by Greg Kinnear) who is a gay artist. Upon following events, Melvin aspires to win the affections of Carol (played by Helen Hunt) who is a compassionate yet lonely waitress. Hesitantly she opens up her heart to him and discovers that beyond his appalling behaviour, is a man who is capable of demonstrating huge acts of kindness, who has sincere feelings for her.
Despite having an emotional undercurrent the film should definitely be stamped as being in the comedy genre; there are many instances of noteably hilarious material, in this positively shining script, especially in the classic scene, where Simon confronts Melvin, about throwing his beloved dog down a garbage shoot. Expect to be surprised by this film; the rareity of the magnificent script, combining with the multitude of talent in the cast, makes it magnetically engaging from start to finish.
Even though I'm in great danger of becoming repetitive, I have to give some more adulation to the cast. Jack Nicholson gave us his finest performance, unsurpassed in the attention he gave to the complexity of Melvins' character. Helen Hunt is THE finest actress on our screens today. In giving everything her soul had to offer, the audience was able to see the sincerity of the pain Carol was experiencing. Whilst Helen gives you heartfelt raw emotion, she has an amazing aptitude to channel her talents for comedy too. Some of her scenes really did affect me emotionally, willing me to literally get hold of her and give her a great big hug--proving the impact she governs upon you.
If you want to see one of the most superbly acted films of the decade, then look no further 'As Good As It Gets' is, AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
As Good as It Gets (1997)
Flawless film which utilizes the supreme cast to fruition.
Before I even considered watching this film for the first time, I was instantly biased because of the enormity of the casts talent; there's the monumentally charismatic Jack Nicholson (who would run out of fingers to count his Oscar nominations), Helen Hunt (who has a substantial collection of Golden Globes and Grammys), Cuba Gooding Jr. (who is the finest Actor of his generation) and Greg Kinnear (who's perfectly cast amongst the latter Hollywood greats).
'AS GOOD AS IT GETS' focuses on Nicholson's character Melvin, telling the story of how he copes with having an obsessive compulsive disorder, which is evidently destructive on the lives of those who surround him. Exhausting ritualistic patterns such as washing his hands in boiling water, forbidding anyone to physically touch him, are among just a few of his alienating habits. Aside from apparent intimacy issues, he is also a confrontational homophobic--suffice it to say that he doesn't appreciate living next door to Simon (played by Greg Kinnear) who is a gay artist. Upon following events, Melvin aspires to win the affections of Carol (played by Helen Hunt) who is a compassionate yet lonely waitress. Hesitantly she opens up her heart to him and discovers that beyond his appalling behaviour, is a man who is capable of demonstrating huge acts of kindness, who has sincere feelings for her.
Despite having an emotional undercurrent the film should definitely be stamped as being in the comedy genre; there are many instances of noteably hilarious material, in this positively shining script, especially in the classic scene, where Simon confronts Melvin, about throwing his beloved dog down a garbage shoot. Expect to be surprised by this film; the rareity of the magnificent script, combining with the multitude of talent in the cast, makes it magnetically engaging from start to finish.
Even though I'm in great danger of becoming repetitive, I have to give some more adulation to the cast. Jack Nicholson gave us his finest performance, unsurpassed in the attention he gave to the complexity of Melvins' character. Helen Hunt is THE finest actress on our screens today. In giving everything her soul had to offer, the audience was able to see the sincerity of the pain Carol was experiencing. Whilst Helen gives you heartfelt raw emotion, she has an amazing aptitude to channel her talents for comedy too. Some of her scenes really did affect me emotionally, willing me to literally get hold of her and give her a great big hug--proving the impact she governs upon you.
If you want to see one of the most superbly acted films of the decade, then look no further 'As Good As It Gets' is, AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
Blue Streak (1999)
Exceptionally entertaining...Lawrence at his best!
For those of you that haven't seen any of Martin Lawrence's earlier films...Blue Streak isn't a bad place to start.
Lawrence plays Miles Logan, an ex-Jewel thief parole who's fresh out of prison. After two years of hard time, he is intent on finding the Diamond he stashed in a ventilation shaft, of a partially constructed building, at the time of his arrest. The only problem is...two years later the building is now a Police Department.
Martin Lawrence supremely crafts his Comedy and proves he is as infectious as Murphy was in the 80's. The scene in which he disguises himself as a Pizza delivery boy is noteably hilarious.
Supporting role star Dave Chappelle, is well casted as Miles' dim-witted sidekick and actually outshines Lawrence momentarily. Chappelle was only supposed to be used for one scene but impressed the Director (Les Mayfield) so much that he had the script changed just for him. That is the strong suit of the Film- it's fine energetic cast. What isn't so coherent though is the script, which lacks credibility.....and I mean lacks. For instance what Police department on Earth would let a person they haven't even investigated, work with them, let alone within 24 hours promote that person to a lead Detective??! Let's not even mention the Finale, where Miles is fighting it out with the bad guy, with out even the slightest intervention from the Mexican authorities ( who infact are heavily armed with automatic weapons).
Apart from the apparent plot flaws, Blue Streak is a laugh a minute and is also accompanied by a suitably, befitting Score. My only hope is that Hollywood gives Lawrence a better script that he so richly deserves.
If you are a Martin Lawrence fan...you'll be pleased to know that Blue Streak 2 will be hitting the Theatres later this year. It will have the same Director (Mayfield)...the same leading man (Lawrence) but will there be a more intelligent script (who knows). I wonder if Carlson (Luke Wilson) will be as wet behind the ears this time around?
Léon (1994)
An exhilerating motion picture that delivers pure emotion.
From the opening musical score, which is phenomenal throughout the entire Film, Luc Besson gives us one of the most stylish Character introductions seen to date. The Cinematography is outstanding as the camera focuses on Leon (Jean Reno) and his Italian Mob friend (Danny Aiello), with subtle shots, that pan onto his dark sunglasses or the glass of milk he's drinking (which actually becomes a running theme).
Almost as soon as we are introduced to the seemingly cold, calculating Leon, the heat is on and we discover that he is an unstoppable, untouchable and lethal as a professional hitman. The way in which he displays his expertise, is visually spectacular as he kills people one by one, appealing to all fans of Action, Gore and Suspense. It is also gripping to see Leon hunt down the last remaining 'client', making the vulnerable man sweat with fear and me be riveted to my seat in anticipation.
As the gloriously original plot continues, Leon rescues a 12 year old girl called Mathilda (Natalie Portman) from iminant death, which begins an awe inspiring relationship between the two. It's very rare to see such impressive characterisation in a Film and Besson manages to reveal the warmer, caring side to Leon, without clouding the presence of a ruthless and fearless killer. Without sounding too 'soppy' it has to be said that their relationship and love for each other is beautiful and is always accompanied by the captivating score.
Apart from the skilled and apparant capability of Reno....Portman's portrayal of Mathilda really is atonishingly authentic. Albeit the stars of this Film are obvious but without Gary Oldman's performance, the film would have lacked the depth and tension that is so essential to the plotline. Oldman plays a crooked, psychopathic Drug Enforcement Agent, who is significantly agitated by Leon's diligent trail of death and destruction. The scenes in which his anxiety is at it's most extreme, commands your attention and is a pleasure to watch.
It is a meritorious accomplishment for a Film of this genre to have such a rich plot and character development. The transition of Leon, devoid of any feelings, to him embracing Mathilda's affections is a paramount example. There is a strong universal appeal to all movie-lovers for this extraordinary Film and it is totally justified.
I personally found it a delight to watch and am sure that Leon is one of the only Films I can watch repeatedly, without the danger of becoming dissatisfied.
If the rumours about a sequel to Leon are true, then expect another superb, stylish, Action-Thriller...that will be damn near close to being perfect.
Very Bad Things (1998)
Specifically aimed at people with a sick sense of humour
If you have watched this film, decided it's a weak comedy and don't understand why it's utterly hilarious, then you don't have a sick sense of humour.
This film is aimed at people who appreciate dark sinister, blood splattering Comedy. I found it the funniest film I have ever seen. I was literally hanging off the edge of my seat, holding my stomach, hoping I wouldn't follow through. The way in which the characters deal with events is driven by such desperate, sweat dripping anxiety that you can't help but get emotionally involved with each individual character.
The films plotline is basically about a group of guys in their thirties, who decide to have an all out entertaining 'Stag do' in Viva Las Vegas. They leave their wives and children behind, to embark on a journey of adventure, free from the tyranny of everday life. Importantly, it is obvious that all the guys are pretty stressed out with their lives and are in need of freedom and exilleration.....all but one Robert Boyd ( Christian Slater ) who is laid back and methodical in his thoughts.
The guys end up having the time of their lives in a hotel room, deeply enjoying simultaneous hits, from all the temptations that surround them. Although everything is about to change for the worst as the call girl who was entertaining them, accidently gets killed. The guys are thrown into despair and become hysterical. Boyd is the only one calm and quickly begins to be ascertive,evaluating the situation as ''...a 105 pound problem''. Which means only one option is available, disposal of the body.
From here on in, the film is launched into multiple body count territory, making me laugh longer and harder. Daniel Stern is the main reason for this because it has to be his best comedic performance yet. Watching him filled with paranoia, fearing everyone knows what he's done, is just delightful to see. It really raises the question of what would you do in their situation.
Do not be diswayed by the films very poor box office takings. This is purely another cliched overlooked comedy classic, that unfortunately doesn't appeal to most. Maybe I do love violence, maybe I have got a sick sense of humour but it's never stopped me recommending this film to everyone I know.
Even though I rarely rate a film 10/10 and only masterpieces such as The Shawshank Redemption, are worthy... I don't hesitate to give 10/10, if only for sheer entertainment value alone.
In summary, despite being totally over the top, extremely violent and not to mention the constant display of body dismemberment, there are notably fine performances and an evidently fine script.
Could anyone out there let me know if this has been released on DVD...I can't find it anywhere! Thankyou.
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
This film is a stylish, atmospheric delight!
Like all of his movies, you have to expect Al Pacino, to be in full shouting glory. This film is no exception as he yet again hits you head on with his passionate, high-octane screen presence.
The Film begins slowly but builds up Kevin Lomax's character (Keanu Reeves) well, as you quickly learn that his passion to succeed and 'never lose attitude', may actually be his weakness. His wife Mary-Ann played by gorgeous as ever Charlize Theron, is extatically happy, as Kevin is promoted to join a big shot international firm. They move from their humble home in the South, to begin a new life, in bright lights big city, New York. Huge pay cheque, exclusive luxury apartment and a stunning gorgeous woman, paradise....or so it would seem!
As Kevin begins to realise the strain of his workload, his boss John Milton (Pacino), shows signs that he not only calls the shots but is much more powerful than he's letting on. Unfortunately Mary-Ann begins too crumble under the pressure of a new life and is distraught by seemingly deluded hallucinations. Is it a figment of her imagination, or is what she sees, really the interceptions of Milton himself.
The plot is deep and interesting, as the truth awaits Kevin...who is John Milton? I don't want to give anymore away because it was a pleasure to discover the truth but it's worth waiting for, believe me!
What I was most surprised about in this film was Keanu Reeves' believable performance. Nothing has challenged him like this role and I can safely say that you will be impressed. Not that Keanu hasn't been immensly successful already but he definately should choose more roles like this.
Obviously, as Pacino cannot fail to give a awe inspiring performance to his audience, the film is launched into a web of suspense and spine twisting intrigue. His portrayal of Milton is astonishing. No one else could have played him. For every minute Pacino graces the screen with his powerful demeanor, he holds your attention and you want more. He had to play this part with a sense of mystery because the whole film builds up to reveal who Milton really is. Of course, Pacino pulls this off perfectly.
All in all the cast is strong, with Pacino and Reeves proving that they work well together. Theron is also very impressive and helps the film's sinister atmosphere. For the film it's self, not one of Pacino's best but a stylish, highly entertaining must-see. 9 out 10!