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Reviews
Latter Days (2003)
Far From Heaven
Far From Heaven would have been a great title for this had it not already been taken. Latter Days works, though, for this very fine film about signs and coincidences and, maybe, miracles. So many films with gay characters are pandering and patronizing and try too hard to be acceptable to mainstream audiences, and they very often fail miserably. The characters become shrill stereotypes and the dialogue cliched. That's not the case here. The two leads are both endearing and human and have character arcs. They are changed by the end of the film in a believable way. The entire cast is wonderful and the script (although it contains a few clunkers) and direction are fine. A very good film!
Marilyn and Me (1991)
Exceptional
Susan Griffiths who plays Norma Jean/Marilyn in this television film is uncanny in her portrait. I'm suprised she isn't better known. Besides being a dead ringer (no pun intended), Griffiths has the same inner light that made MM so unique. This is worth looking for.
An Unexpected Love (2003)
Laughable
I laughed all the way through this rotten movie. It's so unbelievable. A woman leaves her husband after many years of marriage, has a breakdown in front of a real estate office. What happens? The office manager comes outside and offers her a job!!! Hilarious! Next thing you know the two women are going at it. Yep, they're lesbians! Nothing rings true in this "Lifetime for Women with nothing better to do" movie. Clunky dialogue like "I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling like I had a chance to be happy and didn't take it" doesn't help. There's a wealthy, distant mother who disapproves of her daughter's new relationship. A sassy black maid - unbelievable that in the year 2003, a film gets made in which there's a sassy black maid. Hattie McDaniel must be turning in her grave. The woman has a husband who freaks out and wants custody of the snotty teenage kids. Sheesh! No cliche is left unturned.
The Politics of Fur (2002)
One of the all time worst
I can't say that I've seen anything like this movie. I've seen a couple of other films from this director and each one is worse than the previous one. It was recently screened at a film festival and there were so many walkouts. Do yourself a favor and skip it. It's truly terrible.
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)
Good, Maybe Excellent
This film offers a compelling look at Alabama Governor and erstwhile presidential candidate George Wallace's contribution to American political life and explains how a man who once declared "segregation forever" could later asked for forgiveness. Balanced and thoughtful, "Settin the Woods on Fire" avoids facile conclusions and banal cliches about Wallace and thus succeeds as an admirable piece of political biography.
Charlie's Angels (1976)
WOnderful
I loved this show so much as a young girl. The Angels were role models to me. Everyone talks about the show as if it was meaningless and all about jiggling breasts and blowdried hair and perfect teth. Well, to me it represented women who had it all. Perfect looks and brains and courage to fight crime. I'll always love this show.
Angels Forever (2000)
Pedestrian
This special feature on a DVD of two of the lesser episodes of Charlie's Angels series never takes flight. Who the hell are these people being interviewed? They had nothing to do with the series and shed no interesting information on the behind the scenes. I want to know about what made the series special and what happened behind the scenes and how the replacements were welcomed onto the set the first time. The people who made this documentary don't deliver any of this at all.