Gmtnkt Reviews

United States of Tara (2009–2011)

Great concept ruined by politics

[7/10 · 15 August 2013]

I would have given this charming, quirky, compelling, interesting show a 9, but there were a couple of jarring, ignorant, political issues that made the ride come to a screeching halt. Really? Can't we have good entertainment without this claptrap coming up? I just couldn't even go to my standby and call it irony, it was too stupid. What the heck? How was I supposed to take this? They carefully got the audience to love these odd people then make them say unforgivably stupid things. What is it with Hollywood limousine leftists anyway? They ruined an excellent show. The acting and writing, other than previously highlighted, was super. Eddie Izzard was terrific. The whole cast was great. Interesting, unusual, made me think. made me laugh. Made me cry.

Kath & Kim (2008–2009)

Watered-down version of the Aussie original, but worth a look

[5/10 · 1 August 2009]

I am a huge fan of the Aussie version of 'Kath & Kim', so I was a bit worried about how an American copy would turn out. And, true to form,they missed a lot of what made the original , well, original. A little too studied, not as fresh. I imagine that the 'thought police' were out in full force- where is the smoking, for a start? But I gave it a chance and it is not as bad as I expected. Molly Shannon is pretty good as Kath, but Selma Blair is not quite right for Kim. She has the languid behavior down, but not the utter selfishness, nor the weight issues. Teeny Selma missed the point. I got the feeling I was seeing 'acting', rather than real people behaving normally. Perhaps a bit of the old Hollywood-style elitism? That those who live in the suburbs are to be ridiculed rather than appreciated for their own style? We are meant to laugh at them and not with them. Part of the charm of the original, for Americans, are all the Aussie idioms, and I would have liked to see a bit more of that type of dialogue in the American version- we have our own quirks, too! Also, in the original, part of the fun was that the two were almost the same age. Selma Blair was too much the juvenile, age-wise. It took a while but I did warm up to this version on its own merit. The basic idea is still there. When you have to expand the season into so many more shows the writing seems to suffer. A shorter season usually means better shows. But,I would love to have a beer with the Aussie characters, odd though they are- just to see what they would come up with next-the Americans didn't come across as interesting or as compelling. A little too politically correct? Here's a radical idea- how about bringing American audiences the Aussie show?

People Will Talk (1951)

Cary Grant's best movie

[10/10 · 19 December 2005]

This is my favourite Cary Grant movie and I enjoy most of his films. This movie should be required viewing for all Medical students. I know it is called a 'romantic comedy', but the philosophy of medicine and how ill people should be treated is excellent. It is a shame we haven't learned much in the last 50 years about patient care and doctor behavior. This movie is from 1951 but it is not dated and is fresh for today. I hope no one tries to do a remake. There are very funny moments, as well. The cast is good, Jeanne Crain is very good as the student in trouble. Hume Cronin is great as the jealous colleague. The big secret is fabulous and worth waiting for. If I had ever had a professor like Cary Grant plays in this movie, I may have chosen medical school over chiropractic school!

The Butcher's Wife (1991)

Gentle fantasy with interesting ideas

[8/10 · 5 December 2005]

This movie is a sweet fantasy with a good message about life, love and destiny. I usually skip movies with medically-oriented protagonists but the fantasy/psychic elements more than make up for the fact that Jeff Daniels plays a psychiatrist. Demi Moore is lovely, though the blonde hair is not. She would have been better with her natural look. Molly Steenbergen is great. I like the way regular people are touched by magic. Less stereotypical than a lot of other romantic comedies. Some people might be distracted by Demi's Moore's accent but I thought it worked well. The movie deals with psychics in a normal manner for a change. Unlike so much of TV and movies now, I really liked most of the characters and believed they were good people.