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tristanfarnon
Reviews
Greta (2009)
Watch for about an hour, then make up your own ending
Oh how this movie had me hooked. It was dark, some slight humour and some fantastic acting (especially a highly under rated performance from Michael Murphy)and instead of a finish that should have been highly praised and talked about, we get the sappy Hollywood ending cop-out that brings this movie down. It had so much going for it, Hilary Duff rising to the performance of 'Greta' , basically someone who doesn't see the point of reaching her twenties and is figuring out the best way to make sure that happens. Her mom farms her out to her grandparents where of course Greta learns as much from them as they do from her. As well she falls in love and start throwing in all the clichés and you get the picture, no need to watch the ending. The huge impact of Greta almost drowning is actually more comical then serious and this is where the movie starts to go down. Fast forward to Greta's mother arriving and you can basically write the happy ending on your own. In this case, I think they should have diverted from the source material and went to a darker ending instead of the usual crap and this movie might have been one for the ages, instead its an enjoyable view for about 70-minutes. Then turn the DVD off and make your own ending!!
Skeeball (2009)
Didn't feel the need to play Skeeball
Well, I bought the "running funny' DVD just to catch this short film as it stars Brianne Moncrief who is currently being highly underused on the soap opera 'All My Children' and I wanted to see her in something else as she brightens up the screen on the daytime television show. First off, I realize that the budget for these short films is almost nothing having been to a film school myself. These 'everyone throw in ten bucks' and lets buy a camera and do a film are often a bright look into the future of films with new directors and what not...... This short starts out fine and you can almost get past the horrible lighting, with one scene being bright and the next having you adjust your screen just to see some facial expressions, but soon becomes a bore, even with the 10 minute running time. When you are adding in 'Your name is pretty, no your name is pretty', you know, as you groan out loud, that there are thousands of script writers out of work who could have come up with something new or interesting. Anyway it slowly declines over the 10 minutes, obvious they are just padding it out to make the 10 minute mark and when it's over you think that's 10 minutes I could have been doing something else as nothing stands out other than Moncrief who shows more range here than on the soap. Again, I think short films can be brilliant, this one just isn't anything desirable. As for the skeeball, well it's a highly ignored set piece that should have been worked into the plot more as it was just mentioned in passing and somehow when they characters turned their score was 00 although they had a couple of shots. No coupons to exchange for prizes, pity.
What Goes Up (2009)
A reporter becomes fixated with a group of teens that were students of his old college mate.
Premiered at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival in May 2009 and i must say what a pleasant surprise this movie is. Although set around the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, this flick does not use that in anyway that would diminish that horrific event. The ending could have gone that way, but thankfully doesn't and it makes you leave the theater very pleased that it didn't.... as lesser film makers might have exploited it. You are left wondering just who the student was that caused teacher Sam Calallucci to throw himself off the roof of his apartment. His death coincides with the visit of Campbell Bobbitt ((played coolly by Steve Coogan)) an old college buddy who just can't get past a story he has written about a local hero who he has a relationship with. Bobbitt arrives in the New Hampshire hometown of doomed school teacher Christa McAuliffe. The town is putting on all sorts of events, including a special play at the school. Bobbitt though, gets caught up with a group of teenage students that had a special bond with Calallucci and in a way takes the place of his old chum, even wearing his jacket. Bobbitt finds a hidden note about his friend being suspended for inappropriate behavior with one of his students. All eyes point to Lucy ((brilliantly played by Hilary Duff)), but it isn't so. In fact we never find out for sure as my buddy and I discussed after the movie as we both had varied ideas. A sub plot involving a teen romance with a girl paralyzed from the waste down never gets it's due and in fact is played for laughs which is the one major down-point of this flick. Anyway, you are in for a pleasant surprise if you come across this movie.