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davidesteiner
Reviews
About Fifty (2011)
Well observed about aging
The movie is about aging. Older parents, older bodies, older minds, older marriages, older behaviors, older dreams and older realities. Mostly actors you don't know, but older people who watch Hot in Cleveland will recognize Wendie Malick, who, without much makeup, shows that older actresses know more about life, and acting, than younger actresses. I'm much older than fifty, but I still remember what's going on here, and survived it, too. Three acts, easily recognizable, spare exposition, but just enough, and some nice golf scenes, that show the writer knows about both the pluses and minuses of playing the game. It's not a great movie, but it's a film that archivists will cite as displaying the zeitgeist. Certainly worth a look if you're at or approaching mid-life; it's both entertaining and food for thought.
Time Bomb (1953)
Are you curious?
It's very interesting that the average of (at this writing) 241 votes is 6 out of ten. But there are almost no 6 ratings. People seem to either like it very much or hate it.
I first saw this in a theater in 1953 and I thought it well done, suspenseful and entertaining. Tetzlaff and Ford made me believe in the life or death aspect of the script, and in retrospect the film in black and white added to the atmosphere. I have since seen it once or twice on television and it's now a period piece about things that no longer exist, but the suspense and terrorism themes are as topical as ever; we read about defusing bombs almost every day and we wait for news of the next IED's death toll.
If one looks beyond the period trappings, the fundamental qualities of life, survival and ultimately death are examined and exemplified with some care. Given a suspension of disbelief, this movie can be both entertaining and illuminating. I suspect viewers will continue to either like it very much or dislike it very much. That diversity should make those who've not seen it curious.
Stealing Home (1988)
This needs a new DVD
It's odd that this charming, evocative, nostalgic work hasn't had a DVD with at least Harmon, Foster and Ramis doing a commentary. It would certainly sell. Written and directed by Steven Kampmann and Will Aldis, two almost nobodies in film, nevertheless this has what amounts to a cult following. A serendipitous confluence of script, actors, music and director(s)resulted in a film that doesn't date and resonates with almost everyone who ever had a teenage love-life. The current DVD emphasizes the soundtrack of oldies, but it is the characters and the story that make this a movie one can enjoy once a year, particularly as one ages.