davylevine

I was very surprised by how much I liked this film. Reviews were mixed. But the film is beautifully paced, and directed by a master of the medium. This is a worthy addition to Campion's oeuvre. The night- time scenes outdoors in NYC are visually striking, especially when it is raining. Meg Ryan's insecure, withdrawn, armored character was the perfect foil for her "charming" sex-kitten roles. In this film she is a mature woman coming to grips with issues of repression and sexuality. Jennifer Jason Leigh's role as the wild sister is masterfully done as well. And Mark Rufallo's hard-boiled detective is played to perfection. The script is great as well. Nothing gratuitous occurs. The nudity and sex scenes are believable and are erotic without being needlessly prurient or overtly violent. They are believable and lovely. Perhaps this is because it is a woman who is directing the action in bed. Mark's character learned about sex as a teen, from an older woman who he regards kindly. He is respectful and caring despite being 100% macho cop. Kevin Bacon is wonderful as a scorned - and neurotic - lover. Sharrieff Pugh as a black student of Franny's is both sensitive, aggressive, and compelling to watch. The only flaw that I have with the film is that Franny (Meg) doesn't ask certain questions that to the viewer seem obvious. But if she did ask them early on the film would have been much shorter, and that would have been a shame. While the plot has some obvious turns, there is enough tension to keep the viewer involved. I won't answer the critics who didn't like the movie. If you are a fan of film noir and don't mind nudity you will love this film. I certainly did. I have no qualms about recommending this to aficionados of the genre.

I went to Berkeley in the 1960s and it was a transformative experience. While there I did research for Martin Meyerson, at the time acting Chancellor during the Free Speech Movement )and other campus protest movements). I was also a Teaching Assistant and active in the anti-war movement of the time. I was intimately connected to University governance, which is the main business of this film. Being in Berkeley then to take part in a thrilling moment in history... that this long, long film entirely misses. The film, as much as I could take of it, consists of boring classroom sessions during which students discuss issues of concern, alternating with classroom discussions held by various faculty committees discussing philosophical and intellectual concerns regarding the operation of a large public institution. If you have ever been to a college faculty meeting then you know how deadly it can be. This film completely ignores the many artistic and political events that made UC Berkeley such an exciting place to be in the 1960s. The University was pivotal in social change of the time: anti-war, civil rights, feminist issues, police-citizen relations, the place of a university in a time of social upheaval. In the time I watched, none of these vital issues were discussed in the film. If you are an administrator, or someone who is interested in the philosophical and moral issues involved in running a billion dollar institution, then this four hour film might be for you. It mostly takes place in classrooms and committee meetings. It was like a series of graduate seminars in governance. I found it a real snoozer.

Frankly, I stopped paying much attention to this film after the second time Colin Firth got punched in the nose. Why is it considered funny to see a harmless person abused by a fat idiot? I find it disturbing and characteristic of a weak plot and inferior and unbelievable character development. Which is to say, there wasn't any. Firth was his generally understated engaging self and Alan Rickman was his usually aloof and interesting nasty guy. Cameron Diaz played her ditzy self, somewhat reprising her character in Something about Mary. But what a terrible waste of good actors. The star power in the film should have guaranteed a better film: Tom Courtenay, Stanley Tucci , Cloris Leachman, Ben Kingsley. And, for good measure, a couple of hot babes: Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Bonet. Stars, however, for the most part do what they are told and in this case what they were told was of not much help. This has to be the worst film ever written by Ethan and Joel Coen. Are they getting lazy? Or should the blame be placed on the director, Michael Hoffman? If you are looking for a piece of fluff that might appeal to people who don't take movies seriously, and if you enjoy watching babes and seeing people get hit in the face then you might like this film. But I much, much, much prefer the original Gambit starring Michael Caine and Shirley McLane. Save your money and save your time and see the earlier one instead. This one is just awful.