Golden_God Reviews

My Life as a Dog (1995–1996)

What a disgrace

[24 July 2001]

There's a saying that I think fits here aproperiately: If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

My Life As A Dog (1985) is one of the best films to come out of Sweden, and this television series holds nothing of the quality that made the movie so special. I am surprised to find the author of the novel, Reidar Jönsson, involved in the development of this below par series.

The Limey (1999)

Slick post-modern, stylish noir caper

[22 March 2000]

Terrence Stamp is excellent as the rambling yet suave ex-con Wilson who arrives in LA to wrap up some of that vengeance business. His daughter has demised whilst hanging out with rock producer Valentine (Fonda) and Wilson wants to know exactly what happened. With a little help from one of his daughter's admirers, grill chef Ed Roal (Guzman) he begins his quest for revenge.

This is Soderbergh's first film since Out Of Sight, another slick heist caper flick, and he uses some of the tricks he pulled there - mixed up time line, flashbacks, flash forwards and jump cuts enough to fill the enitre Royal Albert Hall. Some people will find this technique annoying, others may find it ingenious and inventive (like me).

It's cool, slick and well acted, Stamp and Guzman both add another strange character to their CVs and Peter Fonda, well, there's really not much for him to do. Most of his stuff here is reaction, not much action until the very end...

A movie looking or feeling like this does not come around too often. Catch it.

The Matrix (1999)

William Gibson knows he is the father of the matrix

[7/10 · 12 March 2000]

As good a movie as The Matrix unquestionably is, venturing into many interesting thoughts and philosophies, one has to understand that the father of all of this is William Gibson.

He invented not only cyberspace, but also the Matrix; the place in which you interact with information in physical form. This his hero Case did in Neuromancer (1984), and this is something Johnny Mnemonic did.

What the Wachowski brothers have done is to take it to another level, give it a little twist: What if the physical manifestations of information started to question their own existance? What is reality?

When the people in Gibson's novels are trying to get in to cyberspace, the people in Wachowski's movie are trying to get out. This is a pivotal thing that not many have cared to take notice of. People have been so busy declaring The Matrix so unique that they cannot see that Gibson already did it, and Philip K. Dick before him.

In a Class of His Own (1999 TV Movie)

Underdog wins as usual, but in cute way

[9/10 · 18 January 2000]

Waking up on a sunny January morning with little else to do but study, I turned on my TV and found this gem of a made-for-TV film.

It stars Lou Diamond Phillips in a strong performance as high school janitor Rich Donato who is faced with the possibility of losing his job because he does not have a high school degree. He is loved by the pupils of the school to whom he functions as both a friend and a teacher. He is seen as the best thing that has ever happened to that troubled school. Donato has to study for his degree and reach those near-impossible 81 pts.

Along the way he of course befriends some troubled angst riddled students, gets help from teacher Ms Ching, played by Joan Chen. Will he succeed?

Well, of course. The story is based on true events, a real Hallmark picture. Funny then how Donato at one point says; "OK, that's enough of this Hallmark moment", when two of the students find comfort in eachother.

See this film. It pulls the right strings. You've seen it before, but I think it is admirable that the handiwork on movies like these has improved over the years. And this is certainly a vast upswing for Phillip's acting career, quality wise. Seeing him last time in idiotic mercenary comedy The Big Hit, it is a relief he found his way back into "Ritchie Valens territory". This boy can play drama better... Just look at "Courage Under Fire".

It's still on Hallmark. Catch it if you can.

Kevin Turvey Investigates (1981 Video)

Charming and thoughtful, laugh out loud ridiculous

[5 February 1999]

When Kevin Turvey made his first appearance, people couldn't believe this incredibly stupid young man had got a job at BBC as a investigating reporter, who "investigates everything properly, not like Keith Marshall". People actually thought Kevin Turvey was for real. But that is however not the case. It was one of British comedian Rik Mayall's first roles.

Kevin investigates serious topics such as death, sex, love, leisure and the supernatural. But it is seldom he actually talks about the topics. There are more important things to talk about - like Theresa Kelly. This is a unique and funny stand-up act that is worth both repeated watching and listening. You can naturally buy Kevin Turvey's investigations on audio books as well as at assorted gas stations all around the UK! Recommended!

Peter's Friends (1992)

A movie true to human spirit and those little glitches in it

[10/10 · 4 January 1999]

When I first watched Peter's Friends, I was seventeen years old, still young and unexperienced. I wouldn't say that the five years since then have made me some sort of oracle, but I have made a few mistakes and also a lot of good choices. And even more, I am able to relate to the story that Kenneth Branagh's wonderful alternative to It's A Wonderful Life as a holiday film.

Today it makes me laugh. It makes me embarrassed. It evokes so many feelings that are pivotal for the human spirit, so many things that are universal. If you have friends, or if you've lost them, or if you've met any people at all in your life, you will be able to relate to the six friends in Peter's Friends. What the heck, you only have to be human to relate to it.

No other movie speaks so truly about us as human beings and how we behave in small social groups. Food for thought, but also for heart.