e-jane Reviews

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

The most overrated film of the year.

[2/10 · 12 May 1999]

It's hard not to enjoy Shakespeare in Love. It's witty, clever and beautifully shot. The performances - except for Gwyneth Paltrow, who should definitely stick to the present tense - are solid (though not Oscar-worthy, as one has to applaud Judi Dench for admitting.)

But that's just about all there is to this pleasant piece of fluff. It lacks any real substance, and for all the nods to Shakespeare and the smoldering stares, is basically your average, contrived love story. It has none of the depth that made The Truman Show and Elizabeth so outstanding.

An enjoyable, cute, picture? Certainly. The best of the year? Definitely not.

Twenty-One (1956–1958)

The show that ended an era

[12 May 1999]

In its heyday, Twenty-One was more than a game show. It was a cultural icon, a symbol of hope and inspiration for the millions who gathered around the TV to watch it. It thrust Professor Charles van Doren into the spotlight as a sort of intellectual Everyman, and he too became an icon of the values and morality of the 1950s.

Which made it all the more heartbreaking when it all came crashing down (as immortalized in Robert Redford's brilliant film 'Quiz Show'). The whole show was proven to be rigged and faked; the contestants frauds, van Doren included; the whole nation ended shocked and ultimately disappointed.

Twenty-One, which exists now mostly as a symbol, marked the demise of the era and the decline of morality.

The Remains of the Day (1993)

A beautiful portrait in restraint

[8/10 · 7 May 1999]

One of Merchant-Ivory's crowning achievements, The Remains of the Day is a subtly nuanced portrait of the catastrophic demise of an era. In parallel, it is an almost unbearably heartbreaking story of lost love and dreams which is nonetheless a pleasure to watch.

Ruth Pawer Jhabvala's screenplay is exceptionally well-adapted from Ishiguro's acclaimed novel, and Anthony Hopkins is so well-tailored to the role of the painfully restrained Stevens that it is inconceivable to imagine anyone else incarnating him. It is arguably the best performance of Hopkins' career, complemented by equally strong acting by Emma Thompson and James Fox. On the whole, it is by far one of the strongest films of this decade and should not be missed.

Mystic Pizza (1988)

In a word, shallow.

[1/10 · 7 May 1999]

1) Imagine every woeful teen stereotype that has ever been conceived. 2) Throw in a wide crop of underdeveloped characters and undermine them even more by unremarkable performances by a normally talented bunch. 3) Add a predictable plot, complete with requisite cheesy female-bonding scenes. 4) Remove kitsch hipness that made John Hughes flicks cult classics.

And voila! The recipe for Mystic Pizza.

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Harmless fluff.

[5/10 · 7 March 1999]

It's hard not to like Jerry Maguire, because it's one of the few romantic comedies that I've seen lately that manages to stay sweet without pushing it and becoming contrived and saccharine. Tom Cruise tones down the overacting for once, and Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Jonathan Lipnicki are all as charming as they come.

But that said, the movie is hardly the cinematic masterpiece it's been made out to be. It certainly has a fair amount of substance in its treatment of the theme of moral growth, but it's nothing to write home about technically, and, while it may be cute, the plot in general is nothing we haven't seen before and doesn't offer any real ingenuity.

But it is certainly worth spending a couple of dollars, since it is a particularly good example of its genre and has a genuine feel-good quality. Just don't expect anything too exceptional.

Titanic (1997)

Oversold garbage

[1/10 · 26 December 1998]

Despite the millions it may have raked in, I'm sorry, this is one of the absolute worst movies I have ever seen. Not that I don't think all the praise in the world for the technical side shouldn't be heaped upon it, the visual effects were undisputably stunning, but this is Hollywood at its worst : pure candyfloss. Completely contrived, sugarcoated and poorly-written, Titanic is a waste of any thinking viewers' time.

Psycho (1960)

Horror classic that lives up to its reputation.

[8/10 · 26 December 1998]

The best way to approach Psycho would be with no previous knowledge at all. As it is, the shower scene has become one of the most notorious film shots of all-time, and the secret of the Bates family is no longer quite so secretive.

However, even with this in mind, this is an amazing classic : the original horror movie. Hitchcock has always been the master of suspense, and Psycho is just about his most sinister ever. From the Gothic setting - the imposing mansion on the hill - to Norman's boyish manner and tortured intensity, Psycho delivers.

And if it doesn't make you scream (or at least think twice before talking to that self-effacing stranger), nothing will. Psycho truly is an incomparable portrait of a mind twisted into homicidal mania that fully deserves the accolades it has always received.