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MaximillianSanders
Reviews
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Mr. Barnes Goes to Town
This charming screwball comedy from 1937 stars Gary Cooper as Norville
Barnes, a small-time business school schlub who comes to the big city
and is selected by de-facto boss Lionel Barrymore as a "proxy" to help
plummet the price of Hudsucker Industries stock so it can be bought by
the board of directors. Jean Arthur stars as a tough gal reporter who
latches herself onto the big new man in town disguised as a poor small
town girl. Chaos and hilarity ensew when Barnes invents the Hula Hoop.
Actually, this film is from 1994 and stars Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, and
Jennifer Jason Leigh, but it fits perfectly into the mold of the classic
'30s populist farce done so well by Frank Capra. The Coen Brothers M.O.
has increasingly become luxuriation in an antique time while subverting
the genre at the same time. I haven't been this blown away by a film
since I saw The Usual Suspects. With Peter Gallagher, surreal in a cameo
as a mix between Dean Martin and Elvis P
Courage Under Fire (1996)
I want an official investigation...
Into why this movie was made. It made no sense at all. I was a little groggy at the beginning, and by end, I was completely delerious with boredom. The tone, dialogue, and pacing of this film are out of whack. A shame, since this film reunited Denzel with Ed Zwick, who made the great GLORY with him, but would go on to make THE SEIGE, another film that probably shouldn't have been made. I can't imagine what the producers were thinking. Meg Ryan is credible in a pointless and underwritten role
What About Bob? (1991)
Don't Hassle Me, I'm Crazy
WHAT ABOUT BOB? Directed by Frank Oz. Starring Bill Murray and Richard
Dreyfuss. First viewed: 5/23/03.
This is an extremely funny movie that walks the dangerous line between
darkness and light. It was pointed out in earlier comments that the plot
of this movie could at first glance seem like that of a thriller, and in
many respects it did remind me of such needy-stalker films such as WITH
A FRIEND LIKE HARRY... and the masterpiece TALENTED MR. RIPLEY. Good
comedy direction is always underrated, and the direction of this film by
Frank Oz is pitch-perfect, to a point. Up until that point he perfectly
handles the darker subtext of the film to create a light, funny and even
sweet comedy. It is unfortunate that the film changes tone and becomes a
bit poor and mean-spirited at the end, but it is forgiveable, as it is a
natural progression of the film's events. Bill Murray is brilliant in
one of his better roles, and Richard Dreyfuss is extremely hammy but no
less amusing than his counterpart as the psychiatrist driven
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Yes Virginia, there is a Viet Cong
You'd have to go back to THE RIVER and MRS. SOFFEL to find a Mel Gibson
movie this bad. From the nauseating scene about a white woman's
confusion at the laundromat- "It said Whites only!" to the child asking
"Daddy whats a war?" to Gibson's Harold Moore believing that being a
soldier and a father makes him better at both (I suppose he lobs
grenades in his kids room when they wont do the dishes and reads his
troops stories when they can't sleep), this is just a tired, misguided,
stupid movie. Its greatest mistake is trying to make a simple combat
film about the Vietnam War. Why bother? The only reason to see it is for
Sam Elliot, whose particular charm and skill has been put to much better
use in other films, specifically THE BIG LEBOWSKI and THE CONTENDER.
Wait until cable for this one. And then change t
American Splendor (2003)
Almost certainly one of the Ten Best Films of 2003
Simply sublime. Caught this at Sundance, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It is an HBO film, but they're considering a theatrical release (hope and pray). See it when it comes out, as it will be one of the most wonderful cinematic experiences you will have all year
Point of Origin (2002)
Interesting
Fairly diverting procedural based on a real arson investigation. A terrible score and some awfully strange direction that doesn't really suit the story is kept from ruining the film by a compelling performance by Ray Liotta. A veritable cornicopia of actors who should be more famous than they are, it also features John Leguizamo and Cliff Curtis.
Don't adjust your schedule to see it, but if its ever on, give it a c
The Tailor of Panama (2001)
Spies who really are like us.
This film is probably one of the best arguements ever made against peacetime espianoge. LeCarre's satire is so sharp because it is so realistic. Geoffrey Rush is brilliant as always and Pierce Brosnan has never given a better performance. Brendan Gleeson, star of Boorman's last masterpiece, The General, has a nice supporting role. Very cynical, but great fun.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Forget Bull Durham...
... because this is the greatest baseball movie ever made. Great performances from all involved, especially Costner(see JFK and this and realize how versatile a talent he once was) and James Earl Jones, who, sorry Denzel, gave the Oscar-worthy supporting performance of 1989. Burt Lancaster is absolutely captivating in one of his final film performances. One of the great films of the '80s, up there with Raging Bull, Brazil, Broadcast News and Ran. Warning: This movie will bring you to tears in at least one viewing of it, and it may not be the first viewing.
The Last Emperor (1987)
Blah
I dont mind length, and am not going to say I dont "get" this movie. Its certainly a beautiful looking film, but in the end there is no catharsis, as in Malcolm X or any one of David Lean's big three (River Kwai, Lawrence, Zhivago). The technique of this film seems to be more being long enough that by the end you remember the beginning like a distant memory. If you want to see what Bertolucci can really do, see The Conformist or Last Tango in Paris.
Heat (1995)
A Perfect Crime Film
In twenty years, Michael Mann will be remembered as one of America's greatest directors. He consistently has churned out modern classics, from Thief(1981), Manhunter(1988), The Last of the Mohicans(1992) and The Insider(1999). But in my opinion, Heat is his best. It may be strange to say so about a movie with a cast that includes Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, and Jon Voight, but its the writing that gets me. Is the dialouge Mamet level? No. Maybe its not the most original plot in the world either. But the screenplay has something that almost no movies can truly claim these days- efficiency. It may seem odd to say that about a movie that is almost 3 hours long, but there is not one scene in this film that doesn't advance the story. And the subplots are clear and every single one of them is resolved before the credits. Much has been made of the first onscreen meeting of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. And when I say meeting, I mean it, as they literally share one dialouge scene together. And it is a fabulous scene. There is a reason this movie could not have been made in 1978 and had the same impact.
Whats so special about the scene is that Pacino and De Niro have essentially lived their lives and aged before our eyes, and are now very much the seasoned professionals they portray in this movie. The other strength of this movie is its action, which isn't at all what the movie is about, thereby making its setpieces that much more intense and compelling. In these scenes Mann proves that he is a born filmmaker. Its also nice to see interesting female characters, which is so rare in this kind of film. If you want a captivating experience, check this out. Had I been a movie critic in 1995, this certainly would have made my list, with Seven, Nixon