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Reviews
Barbarians at the Gate (1993)
Guilty pleasure of greed
A story of greed, F. Ross Johnson's attempt to rid himself of troublesome shareholders who bug him with cries to curb his excessive management and lifestyle ignites a bidding war for ownership of RJR-Nabisco. Through sessions of number-crunching, men's room meetings, and personal loyalties and competitions, the fate of the company and those involved is decided and standards set for what will be allowed or punished by the captains of industry of the 1980's heyday.
For a movie dealing with such despicable and probably in real life boring characters, the final product is delightful, entertaining, and almost educational. While the level of greed and excess is appalling, you can't help getting caught up in the wheeling and dealing and the competition, rooting for one side or the other while knowing you shouldn't like either one. The greedy CEO or the heartless junk-bond trader (Henry Kravis), take your pick and enjoy. No one is immune to the satire of the film, down to the trophy wives and their manicurists who know more about Wall Street than they do. Still, the comic tone is maintained; as much as you want to hate them, the film avoids moralizing, content just to ridicule and make the audience laugh.
The attention to detail in the movie is simply brilliant. Whenever there is a TV screen or someone lighting a cigarette in the background, pay attention or you may miss a good laugh. It boasts clearly the best costumes of any Wall Street movie, from costume parties to Bush-Quayle hoedowns. Witty and satirical dialogue is accompanied by a well-chosen score. Details and incidents with little to do with the actual plot add to the entertainment value while not distracting from the story. Overall a great movie, funny and cool, makes you think a little: would you really want to be one of them?
Timecode (2000)
How interesting can a soap opera get?
I began watching "Timecode" with a few friends; one bailed part way through, calling it a glorified soap opera. I stuck it out to the end, but even though some of it was not typical daytime fare, overall I thought the criticism was deserved. I found it difficult to identify with or feel empathy for the stock aspiring actress characters; the random masseuse was clearly the most enjoyable of an otherwise bland set of individuals. The interesting twist in filming with four simultaneous cameras was interesting, but the banality of the storyline- cheating lovers and the toll it takes, dreams of big screen success, inter-office tensions- detracted from the innovative idea. Trying to keep track of all four frames at once was a sort of mental aerobic, probably working those muscles you develop from listening to Mozart as a baby, but the plot just didn't seem worth it. The attempt at realism was checked by the fact that there was always only one frame in which important action was taking place; at times it seemed they might as well have just cut the superfluous cameras. Anyway, not sure if I'd recommend it; it's a challenge to keep track of, but not quite worth the extra effort over simply watching a movie.
Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no tobira (2001)
A quality movie, not just anime
I'll start off by saying I'm not particularly a fan of anime. However, I thoroughly enjoyed "Cowboy Bebop," and that's probably the most important part. In my mind, it kept clear of some of the pitfalls of the genre, emerging as more than just a glorified episode of the series. The futuristic world was an interesting mix, but it stayed as a backdrop to the mystery rather than demanding attention. The story itself, as an investigation starting practically from scratch by the Cowboys, managed to avoid being predictable, even if it was not as suspenseful as intended. The different threads and incidents of the search varied from the philosophical to the humorous to brushes with death, but progressed at a manageable pace for casual viewers. The dialogue was not particularly riveting, falling flat as it tried to be profound, but I'm willing to chalk that up to translation and dubbing, something to be expected from anime. Overall a worthwhile, fun film, good animation and action, attractive anime women if that's your thing.