strusins Reviews

A Business Affair (1994)

A bit love story, comedy, drama... A story of liberation.

[7/10 · 12 February 2000]

I just finished watching A Business Affair, and I am not displeased with the movie. It was enjoyable. I don't think it's fair to call it a comedy as it wasn't a very funny movie. It was more light hearted (and sometimes heavy hearted) drama.

Christopher Walken was superb. As usual. But despite top billing, he's not the main character.

Carol Bouquet, as the lead character, was marvelous. I enjoyed her portrayal of a modern woman who struggles with some old problems. She's held down by an egotistical husband (Jonathan Pryce) until she is swept away (in an exciting, and all too plausible affair) by Christopher Walken, her husband's publisher.

There is enough heart wrenching done during the affair portion of the movie to show you that each character is all too human. And while we may not identify or approve of what each character ends up doing, I think we can understand it.

By the end... some mistakes are repeated (sometimes unexpectedly) by a character I was rooting for. And while it wasn't the ending I would have chosen, it was a "right" ending. Because this is a movie about a woman, and her life and career... it's not about my favorite actor, who once again doesn't get the happy ending.

I'm surprised at the low ratings this movie has gotten here. I'd say it's because so many people want to see Christopher Walken playing a psychopath, and don't get into this type of human drama. But I'd be guessing at that. If you expect some blood or fangs, then pass this up. Because here, Christopher Walken is very good in a very human story. Give it a chance.

The Last American Virgin (1982)

I can't believe this gets such a sucky rating

[1 February 2000]

I loved this movie. I first saw it on Showtime or HBO back in '82 or '83 after it left the theatres. I recorded it and watched it a few times... and maybe a couple more times after that.

Of course I was a boy in his early teens at that time, and I was interested in exactly what the guys in the movie were interested in... lust... and maybe love. Each of the main characters had a bit of someone you knew in them. They were real. Each could be loved or hated, and in the end, each had to be accepted as what they were... flawed young teenagers.

The story, I thought, flowed well and was a bit realistic. It had some REELY funny scenes (all the guys in the locker room betting on who had the biggest UKnowWhat). It had some touching scenes, some painful scenes, and a heartbreaking scene. At the end, a real story had been told, and it touched me every time I saw it.

Sure, if you were there at the time, you'll know the songs in the soundtrack. If you were a teenage boy ever, you'll recognize the thoughts and actions. If you ever got drunk and got caught by your parents, you'll identify with the lead... ("Good Night, Mrs. Rozwell...").

I love just thinking about that movie again... and just thinking about it still brings some pain to my heart. Maybe I identified just a bit too much.

Hey, give this movie a chance. If it wasn't out of print and selling so expensive on Ebay, I'd probably buy a copy. My EP taping of it from 1983 is about burned out. But what the hell did I know at 15, except that I sure wanted to do what these guys did.

In Broad Daylight (1991 TV Movie)

Brian Dennehy is big and BAADDD....

[10/10 · 20 October 1999]

I saw this movie on TV when it came out. And Brian Dennehy is just 'straight up' SCARY in this one. He plays a scary guy in some other movies, notably "To Catch a Killer"... and I'd hate to compare the two roles, because I'd hate to meet either character in the body of Mr. Dennehy.

I remember it was a realistic, and sad [being a true] story. But most of all... I remember Brian Dennehy scared me when I saw it. I'd recommend this movie to anyone.

Instinct (1999)

InStunk--Hannibal Lecter meets Gorillas in the Mist meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

[4/10 · 7 June 1999]

I hadn't intended to see this movie as I didn't think it would be very good. But, sometimes you gotta see what the other person wants to see. This movie was worse than I'd expected, and I hadn't expected much.

I think the writers/director etc should be ashamed for this thrown together piece of junk. There's hardly an original idea anywhere. Yeah yeah yeah, they got great actors; so what? The movie was predictable, contrived... nah, it was just a bunch of thrown together thoughts, ideas, character, scenes from other movies. Stolen, and stolen badly.

I couldn't wait for the end, and when it came, that was typical of the rest of the movie: lame.

I don't like to be such a downer but this movie wasn't worth seeing.