Reviews
A Very Mary Christmas (2010)
Wonderful Film, Great Cast, Great Characters SEE IT!
Without a doubt this film has its' flaws - it is uneven, ranging from near slapstick to near melodrama. There are a few points where the message is delivered in a rather heavy- handed way, but like many things the flaws are minimal compared to the overall product.
The direction is natural, moving the well written story along at a comfortable pace.
Linda Gray does a fantastic job proving what a talented actress she is. Both as a character and an actress she pulls the characters of the film together into a true ensemble.
Each of the featured actors turned in great performances, treating the film the same way they would treat a major Hollywood production. None give a week or halfhearted performance. The characters each play their part in successfully moving the story along.
Stand-outs include Gene Simmons, very believable as the caring, yet not nurturing, father, Lainie Kazan as the yiddish native American, Elliot Gould as the polka loving truck driver, Della Reese as the cantankerous landlord and Cloris Leachman as the pig lady. Olysea Rulin is very sympathetic in the role of Mary.
There is an actress named Kathy Lamkin in the film who is amazing, watch for her.
In short see the movie, you won't regret it.
Bian Lian (1995)
Superior in every way. Near perfect.
Wow. What a wonderful film. The script is nearly perfect it appears this is the only film written by Minglun Wei,I hope he has more stories in him.
The acting is sublime. Renying Zhou as Doggie was amazing -- very natural talent, and Xu Zhu was a delight - very believable as the jaded old traditionalist.
The soundtrack was very effective, guiding without being overwhelming.
If only more movies like this were made whether in Hollywood or Hong Kong- a family friendly, well acted, well written, well directed, near perfect gem.
Monster House (2006)
Stephen King meets Rod Serling for the Nick and Disney Set
This is a very enjoyable film. The story was like a Stephen King or Rod Serling tale, that wasn't dumbed down for the kids, which most movies do.
The frights were appropriate and sometimes downright intense, even for adults. However, not too much for my six, eight, ten and twelve year olds who also loved it.
The voice casting was excellent and the motion capture animation worked very well -- none of the unintentional creepiness of Polar Express.
The scripting was very effective -- including homages to the genre and to the producer Zemekis.
When this is released on video/DVD, I will purchase it and watch it many times.
The White Countess (2005)
Understated and Beautiful
Although not the best of Merchant/Ivory productions this is a moving story well told.
All of the performances are top notch -with special kudos to Lynn Redgrave. It was great to see the "Redgrave family" performing together so convincingly. A few other performances worth mentioning: John Wood as Uncle Peter gives a wonderfully understated performance and Alan Corduner as Mr. Feinstein gives the right combination of emotion and control (as a side note Ralph Fiennes does a great middle American accent).
The screenplay, adapted by author Kazuo Ishiguro, is near perfect -- a little slow at points, but even the necessary exposition is well presented.
Christopher Doyle's cinematography is beautiful and very effective in moving the story along.
At a few points in the movie the combination of writing, acting, cinematography, direction and music are aligned to such perfection to be emotionally draining.
The comparisons made to Casablanca are unfair. This movie stands alone as a great tribute to Ismail Merchant and his work.
Believe (2007)
Laugh out Loud Funny
I have had the opportunity to view this movie on two separate occasions and it was even more funny the second time around.
The world of Multi Level Marketing is a strange one and this film succeeded in making it an entertaining one also. The cast was excellent particularly Steve Anderson and Brian Clark.
The film was presented in such a way that anyone who has had any exposure to Multi Level Marketing can appreciate it. Those who have no experience with and MLM may well learn something. Those who have been deep into MLM will see familiar people and experiences.
I highly recommend this film for it's sheer entertainment value.
Take the opportunity to see this and you too will come to Believe.
Ethan Frome (1993)
Poorly adapted, brilliantly acted
Although I found the acting excellent, and the cinematography beautiful, I was extremely disappointed with the adaptation.
One of the significant portions of the novella is the fact that Ethan and Mattie decide to kill themselves, rather than go on. This is never presented in the movie, they show it as if it were a sledding accident.
The character changes in Mattie and Zenna are almost non-existent. While in the novella they almost change places, at the end of this adaptation it appears as if they are both invalids.
Lastly that Mattie and Ethan consummate their relationship fully nearly destroys the power and poignancy of the finale.
The change of the narrator being a preacher was one effective change.
Neeson and Arquette are superb in their portrayals. Joan Allen was also wonderful, however her character was much watered down from Whartons novella.
I do not expect films to faithfully portray novels, but this one went to far and in the process nearly destroyed the story.
Overall, I would not recommend watching this film unless you have read the book as you will come away confused and disappointed.
Last of the Dogmen (1995)
Suspend your disbelief and enjoy
I truly enjoyed this movie. It came and went in the theaters very quickly, much to my disappointment.
Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey are excellent as a mismatched pair. They do a superior job convincing us of their relationship -- in my opinion as good as any Tracy/Hepburn team-up.
The premise is slightly unbelievable, but if you suspend your disbelief you will really enjoy a fine romance/western/fantasy/adventure.
The only knock I have is the excessive use of profanity for no reason.
Man in the Middle (1964)
Fine movie, fine performances, fine script
This movie shows what a fine and underrated actor Keenan Wynn was. His performance is sublime.
The story itself is very believable and convincing; adapted from the fine novel The Winston Affair by Howard Fast.
Robert Mitchem gives an excellent performance as does Leslie Howard.
This film addresses many issues of race and responsibility in a much better fashion than most newer films.
Unfortunately the film is not available on video. If you get a chance to see it take the chance! You will not regret it.