jeff-tick

I saw this film last night and although Ine Marie Wilmann gave an outstanding performance as a willful, domineering, forthright, Sonja Henie, one couldn't help feeling as though one missed more than half her story; ie. the reason the film was made in the first place. The story focuses primarily on Henie's life in America as a Diva/business woman, making bold deals with the film industry and business associates and as a rich spoiled egocentric star who abuses those working for her. There is a lot of time taken up with her relationship to her assistant - Connie, who is a fictional character. Although this might symbolize the relationship she had with her associates, one has been dealt an empty hand when it comes to knowing how the past contributed to her present psyche in Hollywood. Her skating achievements are glossed over, portrayed primarily as a little child learning to skate from home movies.

Although the film is interesting because it portrays Sonja Henie (who has not been overexposed in films for most of us), and the fact that Ine Marie Wilmann's acting makes the movie worth seeing, I gave it a 6, because it is at the same time disappointing since we don't really understand the incredible story of this multi-talented artist. The film is pretty much summed up at the end, when the few flashing epilogue words are portrayed so quickly one can't really read them in the time given.

My Norwegian wife told me Norwegians have a hard time for idolizing anyone, (Knut Hamsun included), who had any dealings with Nazis, which may explain why this Norwegian film was made with the focus it did. Is it worth seeing? Yes, but one can learn more from a 2 minute reading of Wikipedia about Sonja Henie's life, than from the nearly 2 hour long film.

The story-line had potential. A couple decide to disavow Christmas, opting instead for a dream cruise. I didn't read the John Grisham book,but can only imagine how much fun and intriguing it would be to portray a story of denial and a break with this iconic tradition. Instead, Hollywood plunged into their seemingly endless trove of clichés,corniness, and "crappola" to serve up something so ridiculous it boggles the mind that people are actually (well) paid to produce this insult to the art of film making. Luther Krank (Tim Allen) decides on a whim to buy a cruise and skip Christmas. His wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) hee haws for about 30 seconds (her inner conflict is irrelevant) before agreeing to go along with his plan. What ensues is a neighborhood and communal outrage (involving the police department no less) that is so juvenile and ludicrous that one has to wonder at what mentality this film is aiming at. Even if (and it is a big if) the story had managed some association with reality and character development, the acting (on all sides) is so void of any semblance of portraying a real person that there is really no reason to get involved with the hackneyed spectacle or even waste time on a more substantial review.

I gave it a 3. (2 points are free, just because I like Christmas.)