peterhoffman Reviews

Dopamine (2003)

Eh.

[7/10 · 7 February 2003]

I would tend to agree with creamygreen on the predictability and stock archetypes used to fulfill the writers premise. But the more interesting thing about this film is the premise itself. Can love be boiled down to just science? Can the build up of dopamine make me want to cuddle? Science is always struggling against the nature of human beings with such things as religion and human emotion. Such intangibles make the separation between what you feel and what you can prove the cornerstone of any good debate. The premise for this movie was a good one, it's the execution in the writing and scene development that fell apart. I would love to see the writer do something different with this premise and see whether or not it will draw all of us in. After all aren't we all familiar with something we just "know" but can't prove?

Normal (2003 TV Movie)

Really good character study.

[9/10 · 7 February 2003]

It's about dealing with it. Dealing with everything that comes with changing sex or even cross-dressing. And the absurdity of the Bible Belt/Midwest farm life makes for hilarious situations and tearful altercations with what "once was". I especially enjoyed the acting - a truly great ensemble. And Wilkinson has just the right amount of strength in stature to offset his emotional tenderness. The writing, too, was quite fresh for what could have been a disastrous "Movie of the Week" plot but Anderson really pulled it out. This one will make you feel good about facing change and is definitely one to watch.

Thirteen (2003)

Eh.

[4/10 · 7 February 2003]

The acting was quite good, but the plot felt very "after-school-special" to me. It's definitely a movie that hits home to parents of teenagers or those who can remember the children as teenagers. But without identifying with the characters situation you will get lost - suddenly not understanding why the mother never sees the drastic changes being flaunted by her daughter. It just seemed to boil down to a "child does drugs and stays out all night to get back at her mother" plot which has been done a million times. What redeems this movie and brings it back to the indie relm is the fact that it was co-written by a 14 year old - very non-hollywood.

Dot the I (2003)

Great! Great! Great!

[7 February 2003]

Truly the stand out at Sundance in 2003. This movie will carry that "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" feeling all the way to the bank - just like "Sixth Sense". I got the chance to talk to Parkhill about the movie at another screening and he stated that the film was just "picked up" - just 2 days after it's premiere. He also said we will see this in theaters within the year. This film could not come out soon enough. He's got big shoes to fill now that he hit the jackpot coming out of the gate. I'm interested to see what he develops next.

Northfork (2003)

Bring your pillow

[1/10 · 7 February 2003]

Snoozer. Very slow and sometimes hard to follow. My best description would be a "Terry Gilliam-type" movie on whip-its. The acting from Nolte and Woods is decent but nothing else was worth noting. This one will probably never see the light of a projector.

The Singing Detective (2003)

If your in the mood for a weird one.

[7 February 2003]

I have to say I never saw the series or read any of the books, so I enter this comment by saying I saw this film without any preconceived visions of what it should be like. The acting - excellent. Downey Jr, Penn, Holmes and especially a almost unrecognizable Gibson did excellent work with what can be considered a combination of "Fear and Loathing" and a musical. The lip-syncing to old music is not only funny but saves us from having to judge the singing talents of the cast. The less distraction for this movie the better. But the story suffered from a lot of dream-like flashes that began to break apart the audiences connection with the plight of the main character. Most other audience members I spoke with at the premiere agreed to basically a one word critique - weird. This movie is not great, but weird. If your in the mood for a little fun noir, this one is for you.

The Event (2003)

Movie of the week

[7 February 2003]

The hardest thing about doing dramas about subject matters that have already been "Hollywood-ized" is making the audience connect in some special way with the characters - or something new to say. This is usually done through great dialogue and masterful acting. This movie had neither. As an avid movie goer, I hold certain performances as guidelines for judging another. And by far Tom Hank's performance in Philadelphia gripped me and forced emotion from me at all the right places. This film was dead (other than a good job by Olivia as his mother). Parker Posey was devoid of all emotion and the rest of the cast just read their lines like it was a first reading. The plot is also a little on the "yeah right" side - a cop trying to arrest friends of suicide victims. This film teetered on the edge of being a great AIDS story or a cop drama and ultimately failed. Definitely a movie of the week and not worth hard earned cash.

The Shape of Things (2003)

Worth the time

[7 February 2003]

At first you don't know what to think of this movie. It starts out as a love story but turns suprisingly ugly. You can tell from the performances that the actors have done this 1,000 times already, having performed the play together. But there are pieces of the plot that we all can identify with, especially if your new boyfriend/girlfriend has ever tried to get you to change your ways and friends. This will definitely see the inside of American Theaters and I recommend it especially after a break-up - it will get your blood boiling again.