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Reviews
Bulworth (1998)
Dreadful , self - indulgent schlock : BULWORTH
( 2 0 March 2 0 0 9 , Friday ) - - I won ' t dismiss BULWORTH simply because of WARREN BEATTY ' s consistently underwhelming portrayal ; that is commonplace in most all his films . Despite which , REDS was an unexpectedly decent film , albeit less - than - forthcoming as to the compromising truths about JOHN REED and LOUISE BRYANT . IMDb asserts that AARON SORKIN was a collaborator on the screenplay for ' Bulworth ' , which surprises me not at all . Sorkin ' s work exhibits the worst of snobby liberal ideology coupled with drug - induced paranoia , HUNTER S . THOMPSON minus the bawdy laughs . I went to see ' Bulworth ' in the belief that any film which depicts an aging Warren Beatty in ' gangsta ' garb will at least have the virtue of being amusing . Alas , I may actually have gotten more laughs { one } from SCAVENGER HUNT , also one of the worst films in memory . ' Bulworth ' , along with TOWN AND COUNTRY , foreshadowed Beatty ' s apparent semi - retirement , altogether appropriate for a mannequin with delusions of adequacy .
Pascali's Island (1988)
Appreciative Viewer , Small Obscure Film
I have admired Ben Kingsley ever since I saw GANDHI , and have followed his career with curiosity . Kingsley is the classic " character actor " , rather short and ethnic - looking and seldom cast in the lead therefore . ( Tom Cruise , also short , is the exception to the rule . ) Kingsley is so outstanding a performer , he makes his portrayals look easy , which I observe of just a handful of actors . PASCALI ' S ISLAND is terrific - - nostalgic , poignant , exquisitely filmed and acted . I got to see Helen Mirren for the second time ( I ' d previously seen her in THE MOSQUITO COAST ) and I was plenty surprised to see her in the buff . The film addresses the history of the Ottoman Empire ( now Turkey ) at the time of World War One , about which young people know lamentably little .